2 /5 Nicole M: My friends and I recently took a trip to the Del Lago Casino, and while parts of the experience were wonderful, the restaurant experience unfortunately turned our weekend sour.
We’re from Buffalo, so it was nearly a 2-hour drive — and the sole reason we chose Del Lago was because the restaurant was advertising a tomahawk steak. The first night at the casino was great we had an amazing time, the atmosphere was fun, the dj was wonderful and the hotel was beautiful. Everything about check-in was smooth and professional, and the staff throughout the casino and hotel were friendly, helpful, and professional. I’d easily give the hotel and casino itself a 10 out of 10, clean rooms, friendly staff, great security, and a gorgeous property overall. I want to specifically mention that the check in staff was amazing. I travel a lot but I have to say that this process one of the most seamless, efficient and courteous experience Ive ever had.
However, our dinner at Portico was extremely disappointing. We were really looking forward to the tomahawk steak that is being advertised. We noted on our reservations that we were there specifically for the steak. When we arrived, we were told they didn’t have any. It was frustrating because that was the whole reason we made the trip. We specifically made reservations for the first available table so we can get the steak. A heads-up would have been appreciated — because would’ve happily made other plans.
Then things got worse. The waitress accidentally spilled my friend’s espresso martini in her lap. The staff offered us an appetizer to make up for it, and we chose the garlic bread (which was delicious, to be fair). Unfortunately, when the waitress brought the bread out, she dropped it too — a few pieces hit the floor, and instead of replacing them, she just served what was left. They offered us a free dessert to make up for the issues that we experienced. (Literally A dessert, one tiny cup of pumpkin cheesecake for the whole table) the dessert definitely did not make up for the poor experience that we had. At that point, we were just disappointed and ready to wrap up the evening. So we left the restaurant extremely disappointed and continued to spend the night in the casino.
Overall, Del Lago is a beautiful property and we had an amazing time at the casino itself, even the security staff were friendly. But Portico really let us down. It’s a shame that such a great weekend was overshadowed by poor communication and service at the restaurant.
Edit: I have to say that I read a couple of negative reviews from other guests have written about the hotel and casino. I greatly disagree with these negative reviews. I highly recommend both the casino and hotel just dont go to the restaurant.
