The hottest new local restaurant opens today: Hell’s Kitchen at Harrah’s Resort Southern California — celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay’s concept based on his popular TV cooking competition. 🔱
With 332 seats, the hotspot in Valley Center in northern San Diego County is Ramsay’s largest Hell’s Kitchen to date — and only the third of its kind in the US + first in SoCal.
Are you fired up yet? Us too. Let’s check out the buzzy biz from the seven-time Michelin-starred chef.
😈 The devil is in the details
Hell’s Kitchen officially opens at 4 p.m. Fri., Aug. 12, at 777 S. Resort Dr.
As you can imagine, reservations are fully booked for the high-profile debut — and hard to come by through September. Gordon’s fans don’t play.
However, we are seeing reservations available starting in October. Fall dinner plans, anyone?
Like its counterparts in Lake Tahoe + Las Vegas, the new restaurant’s design + menu are inspired by the “Hell’s Kitchen” series, so diners can expect plenty of flame-themed décor and the “HK” sign — with the pitchfork, of course. There’s also a photo wall highlighting the TV show’s winners.
🍽️ The layout includes:
- Three areas for guests: The full-service restaurant, a cushy lounge + two private dining rooms — plus two chef’s tables.
- An exhibition kitchen — where for sure, the chicken is not raw — that Eater San Diego reports is split into red + blue sides, just like the teams on the show. The kitchen staff will wear red and blue-trimmed chef’s coats, too.
- A curated wine wall.
🍲 The menu features signature dishes like:
- Beef Wellington
- Pan-seared scallops
- Crispy skin salmon
- Sticky toffee pudding
- Wagyu meatballs
- Mishima reserve ribeye
There’s also a prix fixe menu, plus vegetarian + vegan options including truffle risotto, quinoa salad, and glazed root vegetables. In the coming months, new, on-trend dishes specific to this SoCal location will also be introduced.
Meanwhile, the beverage program features themed cocktails like the gin-based “Notes From Gordon” and the bourbon-based “Pitchfork,” plus an extensive list of local and international beers, wines + spirits.
🕓 Hours
Hell’s Kitchen will be open nightly for dinner service, from 4-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, and 4-11 p.m. Friday + Saturday. Snag that reservation.
