Look No Further Than The Oldest AC Casino For The Best Dining Options
Those who have been inside any one of Atlantic City’s seven casinos know there is an abundance of fantastic, functional, and just plain fun dining options at every one.
Plus, when Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City and Ocean Resort Casino both open June 28, bringing the number of Atlantic City casinos up to nine, each is promising to bring its own unique flavor to the flourishing local culinary scene.
Whether it’s a bountiful breakfast buffet, can’t-miss lunch spot, or to-die-for dining experience, each Atlantic City casino has its own go-to eatery. Many have more than one. From fine dining to fast food, America’s best can all be found at the different Atlantic City casinos.
However, if you’re looking for a property that stands soup bowls and dinner plates above the rest — the best Atlantic City casino for dining — you’d be better off looking into Atlantic City’s past than its future.
Because the Atlantic City casino with the best food is Atlantic City’s original casino.
In an effort to save the declining seaside resort town once referred to as America’s Playground, casino gambling proponents got a referendum on the 1976 election ballots asking voters to support the idea of casinos in Atlantic City.
The measure was approved by a 1.5 million to 1.14 million vote and in 1978, Resorts Atlantic City opened up as Atlantic City’s first legal casino.
Resorts Casino Hotel
The property is now referred to as Resorts Casino Hotel. And although there have been a number of major upgrades and expansions over the years, it still operates from its original Boardwalk location.
In more recent years, the myriad of dining options available at Resorts has earned it a reputation as one of the best Atlantic City casinos for food. Now, the fact it has two restaurants ranked in the respected TripAdvisor website’s list of the top 10 restaurants in all of Atlantic City, takes it to the top.
Cappricio
In fact, an Italian fine-dining restaurant tucked up on Resort’s second floor has ascended to the top spot on that list, making it #1 of 272 restaurants in Atlantic City after 795 mostly glowing reviews on the site.
Capriccio offers the complete Italian dining experience with gourmet Italian cuisine served in a posh-yet-comfortable atmosphere. The dining room even offers a great view of the Atlantic Ocean from on top of the Boardwalk.
Reviewers rave about the freshness of the pasta on the menu and great seafood and veal entrees. Capriccio also has a top-notch wine list and quality desserts that complete the experience. The list of awards the restaurant has won are too long to list here, but rest assured, critics and diners agree this place is a winner when it comes to food, service, and decor.
There’s space for 140, but if Capriccio does fill up, (thankfully) they do take reservations. This includes the popular $49.99 Sunday Brunch featuring one of Atlantic City’s best brunches overlooking the Boardwalk and ocean below.
Capriccio is only open for dinner 5:30 to 11 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. On Sundays, it’s open 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for brunch and 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. for dinner. The restaurant is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
EastWind
The other Resorts Hotel Casino restaurant on TripAdvisor’s list of the top 10 restaurants in Atlantic City is the EastWind Chinese Restaurant and Noodle Bar.
EastWind ranks No. 8 of 272 restaurants in Atlantic City and has a great reputation for top quality Asian food. The restaurant serves up a variety of Asian appetizers, entrees, and noodle soups in an elegant-yet-relaxed atmosphere.
It’s easy to find as it sits just steps away from the casino floor and the Boardwalk on Resorts’ casino level. EastWind claims to offer authentic Asian cuisine and most reviews support that. Plus, Eastwind is a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence award winner.
The restaurant is open Mondays to Thursdays 12 to 8 p.m., Fridays 12 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturdays 12 p.m. to 2 a.m and Sundays 12 to 9 p.m.
The complete list of Resorts restaurants
Dining options at Resorts Casino Hotel might begin with these two award-winning restaurants, but they certainly do not end there.
Resorts features a huge variety of restaurants in three different categories: casual dining, quick bites, and fine dining.
Casual dining restaurants on the property include:
- Breadsticks Café
- LandShark Bar & Grill
- Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville
- Bubbakoo’s Burritos
- Margaritaville Coffee Shop
- Gallagher’s Burger Bar
Plus, Resorts’ quick bites restaurants include:
- Dunkin’ Donuts
- Famiglia Pizza
- Häagen-Dazs
- Ruby’s Dinette
- Soup Man
Finally, fine dining restaurants at Resorts Casino Hotel include:
- EastWind
- Cielo Wine Bar
- Capriccio Italian Restaurant
- Gallagher’s Steak House
Casual dining at Resorts
Resorts’ array of casual dining options begins with two iconic eateries.
LandShark Bar & Grill is the only year-round full-service bar and restaurant that sits on the sand side of the Boardwalk. It’s a classic beach joint with retractable walls providing spectacular ocean views. There’s also an outside deck and a bar right on the sand with a fire pit for those unforgettable beach campfires.
Then there’s an outlet of the world famous Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, offering live entertainment on the weekends and a menu more than just devoted Parrot Heads have come to love. Margaritaville also features a tiki bar and a seasonal deck right on the Boardwalk for alfresco dining.
The casual dining list continues with Breadsticks Café, an authentic Atlantic City casino cafe serving lunch, dinner entrees, all-day breakfast and homemade desserts. The restaurant overlooks the famous Atlantic City Boardwalk and features panoramic ocean views. Favorites include the cinnamon swirl french toast and hand-crafted burgers.
Burgers and Mexican flavors
Bubbakoo’s Burritos Mexican Restaurant features Mexican food fused with American funkiness. This fast-casual burrito spot offers everything from burritos and tacos, to bowls, salads, nachos, and quesadillas. There are even original items such as The Chiwawa, a Panko-crusted fried rice ball smothered in cheese.
Resorts’ Gallagher’s Steak House also offers a casual dining option on the property. Right across from the steakhouse you’ll find Gallagher’s Burger Bar featuring a variety of appetizers, burgers, and sandwiches served with shoestring French fries.
Finally, casual dining options wrap up with the first-ever Margaritaville Coffee Shop, adjacent to the Margaritaville Casino floor. The shop serves gourmet coffee, espresso-based beverages, and frozen drinks.
Quick bites at Resorts
Quick bites offerings at Resorts are all found in the Quick Bites Food Court. They include an outlet of the iconic international baked goods and coffee chain Dunkin Donuts. Plus, Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream, featuring quality Häagen-Dazs ice cream products.
There’s also a Famiglia Pizza restaurant in the food court. In fact, this Gotham City original still run by the same family that started it. They now offer top quality New York style pizza in New Jersey.
Plus, there’s the Soup Man deli featuring soup creations by the original Soupman ‘Al’ Yeganeh, made famous on the hit TV show “Seinfeld.” Don’t worry, there’s soup for you, plus a variety of New York deli classics.
And finally, there’s Ruby’s Dinette, a classic diner that has been offering guests a glimpse back to the 1940s and all-American diner fare for 30 years.
Additional fine dining at Resorts
In addition to the top-rated Capriccio and EastWind, fine dining options at Resorts include Cielo Wine Bar.
The wine bar is located at the entrance to Capriccio and features a small bites menu designed to be shared and enjoyed with wines from California, Italy, and Argentina.
And finally, there’s the Gallagher’s Steak House at Resorts, which was voted 2017’s Best Steakhouse in Atlantic City by Casino Player magazine. Gallagher’s is a classic steakhouse that claims it was the first to serve the famous New York Strip.
There’s really something for everyone at Resorts, which, in addition to the litany of awards its restaurants have received, makes it the absolute best Atlantic City casino for dining.
However, honorable mention must go to Bally’s Atlantic City Hotel & Casino. Mostly because of it’s Guy Fifer’s Chophouse. It is the only Atlantic City casino restaurant on the review site Yelp’s top 10 restaurants in Atlantic City.
Additionally, Hard Rock Atlantic City isn’t open yet, but it already has people talking about the food. Mostly because an outlet of classic Atlantic City favorite White House Sub Shop will open up on the property. In fact, not having to leave the Boardwalk for White House sub will be a definite plus for this property.