Sky River, the Wilton Rancheria-run casino that opened last August on the southern edge of Elk Grove, is more than a cacophonous sea of slot machines and card tables. It’s also a legit dining destination with 13 eateries and enough variety to please everyone from big-fish baccarat players to penny-slot fanatics.
SR PRIME STEAKHOUSE is oozing with an expense-account vibe, replete with expansive leather banquettes, blingy light fixtures and towers of wine displayed in a massive glass enclosure. This is meat-and-potatoes territory, with a few surprises thrown in. Hard-core carnivores will gravitate toward the chef’s cuts, which include a 48-ounce Black Angus tomahawk for $128 (the priciest item on the menu). For a steakhouse, seafood gets decent billing here, with a handful of raw bar items (including scallop crudo and piquant tuna tartare) as well as lobster and salmon entrees.
A gastropub on steroids, 32 BREWS STREET serves a well-rounded menu of casual pub
grub—think burgers, sandwiches (the mile-high club sandwich is stacked to impress) and crowd-pleasing appetizers like wings and nachos—in a setting with too many TV screens to count. The restaurant’s spacious lounge area, outfitted with leather settees and wingback chairs, is a stylish place to watch a game while enjoying some cold ones with friends in between hands of blackjack.
DRAGON BEAUX, with its dramatic wooden ribbed towers rising up around chic red booths, boasts Sky River’s most striking dining room. An offshoot of the popular San Francisco joint of the same name, the restaurant delivers traditional and modern dim sum dishes (highlights include abalone siu mai, Wagyu bao and fan favorite chicken paw in black bean sauce) as well as classics like Peking duck with pancakes and dried scallop fried rice. Don’t let Dragon Beaux’s limited hot pot options—just two types each of meat and noodle—steer you off course from an otherwise gratifying menu.
At The Market, Sky River’s version of a food court (without the loitering teenagers), the best bet is to focus on proven concepts from established restaurateurs. At FUKURO BY KRU, the truncated menu of sushi rolls, nigiri and small plates makes this joint a fast casual winner. The Kru quality shines through here; just don’t come expecting the type of high-end dishes that the parent restaurant is known for. San Francisco-based ROLI ROTI excels at mouthwatering rotisserie fare, including a succulent crispy porcetta sandwich on a roll smeared with onion marmalade. The potatoes and Brussels sprouts, both doused with pork and chicken drippings and seasoned with rosemary salt and lime, are worthy accompaniments. The best things going at DESSERTS are the pies from Sacramento’s beloved Real Pie Company and ice cream from perennial favorite Gunther’s.
BEFORE YOU GO—Check skyriver.com for restaurant operating hours. Although the casino is open to gamblers 24-7, the eateries are not. Also, be forewarned: Sky River permits smoking on the casino floor, so if your meal would be spoiled by the scent of Marlboros wafting into the dining area, this is probably not the place for you. And leave the kids at home—no one under 21 is permitted inside the casino, even in the restaurants.
