San Manuel Club

Worst buffet ever? Quite possibly. Ive had better food at the free buffet at an Embassy Suites. About $ 45 each. Let me be blunt – its not that the food was terrible, its just that it was bland and unremarkable. Unlike most buffets, no roast beef or turkey carving stations. No cold seafood (shrimp, crab, clams, or oysters. Instead, they had a «chef» who was doling out tiny pork tacos al carbon and beef and lamb gyros with tiny portions of meat like you’d have thought they were gold nuggets. But really they were fatty and overcooked, respectively. other entrees included dried out bourbon turkey in a chafing dish (with no cranberry side), a decent though often undercooked cedar planked salmon which wasn’t bad, and the highlight was the teriyaki chicken. This buffet is heavy on salad and rice, also some decent cheese and crackers, but really nothing remarkable. Desserts were unremarkable. Honestly the best thing were the M&M’s and chocolate covered almonds. And perhaps the service. The waitress was incredibly attentive and kept our glasses full.

I got the chance to be at the location nice and early, at the bar I got the chance to purchase A la cart items so i purchased the butter milk chicken sandwich and my wife got to order the asada nachos. Both items were very yummie but I do need to point out that the chicken sandwich was life!

Here’s how you really take in this place. Buy tickets for one of the games in the San Manuel Tables and Lounges. The San Manuel buffet is included. It’s right behind you and you just eat away and bring your food back to your luxury box. We got one of the «tables». You get your own 4 person table, plus 2 more levels of seating in giant barcaloungers with your own TV and your own server. Plus all beer, wine, and champagne is included.
I will never sit in another area again.

Came here after we got brushed off by the Lexus Club bar tenders and these guys were super nice. Nick and Will were super friendly. and helpful and the chef’s sushi special was delicious.

The first time I ate here I had an amazing experience. All the food was great, as was the service.
However, the second time around, I got food poisoning this past Friday at the Clippers game. I suspect it was the questionably looking tortilla soup or the somewhat undercooked chicken mallorca drumstick, but I had a sample of everything, so it’s hard to say what triggered it. Don’t get me wrong, the food selection and taste is great, but if you’re going to charge $ 45/​person and pass yourself off as a fine dining experience, the last thing you want is for your customers to get food poisoning.
Service was excellent, but not sure if I’d come back. Guess this is what I get for going to a clips game. #GoLakers

We stumbled across this restaurant while exploring the premier seating level of Staples Center (nope I’d never been in there before). Pretty awesome find!
Excellent food, but the buffet is a bit on the pricey side at $ 44/​head without drinks. However, you are eating inside a stadium while watching an event! How could you go wrong?
Interesting seasonal side note: they had a HUGE roast turkey at the carving station, which I had to try. Being a leg man, I asked for one and the chef looked at the bird, and said «hold on». He proceeded to head over to the roaster, got into another bird under the counter and cut me a fresh drumstick off the next bird in line. This was easily the best turkey leg I’ve had the pleasure of devouring. I would repeat the entire evening over again in a second!

My BFF invited me with her Co workers to a Kings game! So fun and we all ate here! The Nachos were super yum yum! And the California burger! Delish!!! also its really fancy up there! I totally recommend it! Also the service was fast! !! Go kings! God bless!

I decided to splurge for Lakers opening night (as if the tickets weren’t splurgy enough lol) we made early reservations so we could take our time before the game but also the food would be fresh & not picked over lol. The service is great, fresh plates, water, drinks quickly everyone was happy & helpful! I enjoyed the selection, they pulled out the stops since it was the 1^st night of the season my faves were the shrimp tempura, Mac & cheese, roasted potatoes, bbq pork, cheese selection, bacon wrapped dates, and the red velvet cupcakes. The carving station beef was my least favorite it was tough. I didn’t make the seafood station & there was tons I didn’t try I had already over eaten & well I needed more room for shock top haha but all & all we had a blast & I would do it again on a special occasion

i had the buffet. the carving station last night consisted of brisket and turkey. i chose the brisket and it had good flavor, seared well, trimmed with just enough fat. slightly overdone for my preference, but i finished a couple decent-​sized slices and my son went back for seconds.
the fish in the cioppino was quite overdone (i sense a theme here), but the shrimp saved the dish. there were some really enjoyable pork short ribs also available. salads & veggies were basic and the pastas could use a touch more seasoning. the bar is well-​stocked.
the artichoke latkas were really savory! they look like dry sausage patties, but were actually pretty impressive.
… the star of the buffet was the dessert station — a variety of mini cupcakes (try the carrot cake & red velvet), a light tiramisu cake, a rich german chocolate cake… and cookies & candies for the little humans.
what really made the evening stellar (aside from the LA Kings winning 4 – 3 in a shootout) was the service from the staff in the purple shirts. all of them were so attentive and courteous and so willing to go out of their way to make sure you’re comfortable and enjoying the event. after this lounge seating treatment, my son never wants to go back to regular seats! (although, he did miss banging on the glass).
the buffet menu changes from one night to the next, so i look forward to updating this review with more tips…

Started from the bottom now we’re here!
I came to the SMC to watch my Lakers defeat the Phoenix Suns. The experience was priceless. The buffet was great! $ 40 per plate. They had the basics, good steak, great fish, and a good chicken tenders. The variety can be improved. There aren’t a lot of places in the Staple Center where you can see Pau Gasol going soft mode while enjoying a nice prime rib. The bar is great. If I ever come back here I’m hanging out more at the bar. Maybe there was no Kobe or it wasn’t a playoff game but as a Laker fan it was very memorable.

Came with a couple friends for a Kings game and didn’t want to wait over an hour for Yardhouse. Since we had complimentary premier tickets, we decided we would give the San Manuel Club on for size.
Initially, we were going to just grab a seat at the bar. After checking out the menu and not seeing any servers around, we opted for the buffet instead. Good choice.
The buffet had a little bit of everything and it was all very good. The carving station was definitely one of several highlights for me, as the tri-​tip and turkey were both excellent. We had sushi, pasta, salad, cheese, bread and more. Lastly, the dessert, all of it, was excellent. Stand outs that night were: cheesecake, lemon bars, chocolate chip cookies and some sort of chocolate bar with chocolate chips mixed in.
Our server and bussers were on point as well. As soon as my plate was clean, the busser took it away and placed a clean one down. Our waitress was friendly and pleasant which was great. She even offered to get us plastic cups so that we could take our beers back to the seats.
All in all, a great experience that would have been even better had the Kings won!

You can no longer watch the game from here, since they installed the exclusive lounge seating in front and blocked the view of the action. :(
The buffet is mediocre at best, but it’s a good friendly bar if you want a drink between periods.
No cappuccino here?!? WTF?

Great quality food all you can eat amazing atmosphere. We ran into Luke Robitalle while having our meal and took a picture with him. I dont know why anyone would go to their seat you can watch the whole game from here and enjoy your food and drinks and lounge.
I see why membership is 10 Grand a year!

Unfortunately, you need special ticket packages to be able to watch the game now that San Manuel has actually bought out the seats! So, if you go to the restaurant, you can barely see the game from the tables, unless you sit at a high top in the back. The buffet and drinks are very pricey, and without the view of the game, I would not recommend sitting here. That said, the staff was very friendly, and if you have really bad seats, this may be a step up from where you were sitting.

Unilocal INSIDER TIP FROM DOREEN (AKA AZN PERSUASION): So unlike the Dodge Dugout Club, this VIP perk does not have complimentary food. It’s a faux restaurant to get real food vs concession snacks.
*****
The nice thing about this area is it’s less crowded, they have a couple soft seating furniture, a nice bar, stools/​tables, and the bathrooms are less crowded. When you sit in the première seating area, if you come back while a hockey game is in play, you do have to wait til the play is over to go back to your seat. So it’s nice to be in this area, but I didn’t take advantage of the in-​seat waitress service or the food/​bev options as I ate dinner before arriving.

This is a nice treat to add to your night out at a game!
They say the San Manuel Club is available to Premier Seat Holders and Private Suite Holders only, but I’m not sure if they really check or not? I know they ask your seat number when you call to make reservations the first time.
The restaurant overlooks the court.
They have 2 seating options.
You can come before the game (5:30ish) and eat and relax while you watch the players warm up.
Or you can come right as the game starts (7:15ish) and watch the first part of the game while you eat.
Definitely make a reservation and ask for a table up against the glass.
Food is buffet style and costs $ 35 per person.
I have been here 4 times and never had the same thing twice.
They have tons of options! Something for everyone.
The food is always pretty good.
Drinks and dessert are extra.
They have great desserts!
The Banana Cream Pie ($ 11) and Pineapple Upside Down Cake ($ 12) are delicious!
Desserts are large so you can definitely share!
The place is not cheap, but definitely cool to watch the game while you eat.
Fun experience! Great views!
Grey Goose Martini $ 14.75
Diet Coke $ 4.25
Hefeweizen draft $ 9.00
Jack and Coke $ 9.75

Man… you’re better off getting a ghetto dog out of the street vendor. This «buffet» consists of food that’s worse off than what you’d see at the local Soup Plantation. That’s not a knock on soup plantation, those places are great for what they are. But at four times the cost, this place is pretty much bs. Now I understand that this place is in the Staples Center in the VIP section, but what irks me about this place is that there’s no dessert. I guess they have a few sliced fruit (some strawberries, melons, grapes and pineapples), and perhaps some veggie chips… but that’s about it. When the final tally including the tip comes out to be about $ 46 you’d expect to have your fill, but honestly, you’re better off getting concession food.
Also, if you’re expecting those in the VIP to be more of the affluent crowd, don’t kid yourself. I think anyone and everyone can use this place. Which I don’t mind, cept for the fact that I saw some guy scoop up cheese with a knife and his thumb onto a plate. I lost my appetite at that point. I don’t mind self serve, but with the way this setup is, it’s not hard to imagine that some gross things can go on.
I saw a banana and I took it, but the chef stopped me and told me the Banana was not meant for the customers. Oooookay. I don’t know why it sat out where it was, next to the food, but alright.
If you want to drink or buy alcohol, that’s extra.

Ridiculously expensive for buffet food, but the buffet is a better alternative than the vendors at the Staples Center.
A large selection of food and the service is great.

Am I the best wife or what? Hubby and I came here for Valentine’s Day after we got tickets for the premier level seats at Staples Center, so we booked in for a view table to watch the game.
Fun atmosphere — basically like when you watch from the boxes. I always feel more detached wheneve I’m at a box level, so I wouldn’t recommend this place if you really want to focus on the action. Too many distractions because of the food and the tables are facing each other, and not the game.
You can only get in here if you have premier seat level tickets. $ 40 pp minimum charge, but you’re going to hit that regardless since the buffet itself is $ 35 pp. Decent buffet, but nothing particularly special. It beats the usual nachos and beer, but you do pay the price for it. Good mix of salads and cheese/​meats. Meats aren’t that good quality. No desserts — you need to order that separately from the a la carte menu.
Service is very good at this restaurant and it’s nice to have access to the nicer (i.e. cleaner!) bathrooms without lines.
Would I come back? It’s worth a stop at least once in your life since it’s a totally different game atmosphere, but I’d rather eat elsewhere before the game and pay more for 100-​level seats.

Gorgeous restaurant overlooking the the court. Pricey but mediocre food.
The San Manuel Club is beautiful. It’s definitely a far cry from your typical sports arena concession booths. We got a table right against the glass, overlooking the court. It was a great way to kick start our night.
The buffet is $ 35/​person. It doesn’t include desserts or drinks. The food is mediocre. I really liked the cheese station and the salads. Everything else I tried was just meh. The beef was SOOO dry and tough. You only get a butter knife, so the beef was impossible to cut. The turkey was much better, but still not great. Our waitress was nice… enough. She didn’t really come around much. She brought us the dessert menu and bill, and that was about it. The bartenders at the bar were WAY nicer. 2 stars for the food and the value.
You are definitely paying for the experience rather than the food when you come here. You can find higher quality food at LA Live, but the ambiance and experience at the San Manuel Club is hard to beat. 5 stars for the ambiance and the killer view of the court.