Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in Highland’s new restaurant and entertainment venue is giving the property a new beat.

The hybrid space, dubbed bEATS, was unveiled on Thursday, Aug. 28, with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting and curtain drop. A select number of invited guests were the first allowed entry in the late afternoon and were treated to a live performance by the Orange County rock band Lit. After the band’s performance, the space was opened up to the public with a live DJ set.

bEATS is located on the second floor adjacent to George Lopez’s Chingon Kitchen replacing Rock & Brews, which closed in October 2024. It is the latest concept since The 909 Sports Bar and Food Hall opened in 2022, in a location that once served as the home of The Pines and the Finish Line Bar before its wide-scale resort expansion.

“We had been doing a lot of thinking about how we can continue to elevate our experience with not just food and beverage, but within the entire property,” said Kenji Hall, general manager of Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel, during a recent phone interview. “We were at the point in time where we needed to either renovate Rock & Brews or try to look at a different concept, and we decided we wanted to shift and do some things differently.”

Hall said part of the vision for the space was to transition away from a full-service sit-down restaurant and operate more as a casual, quick-service eatery, which was something the property’s customer base had expressed in their feedback to the casino resort.

“There’s a lot of opportunity within the space to create an experience that’s immersive, whimsical, and different,” Hall said. “We figured that we could play with this space to do some really dynamic things that are very different than any other type of quick service restaurant. Our live entertainment component will not just be music, but also some performance artists and potential comedians.”

Here’s what you can expect from bEATS.

A large screen projects colorful designs as Lit performs during the Grand Opening celebration of bEATS, the newest and most exciting fast-casual dining and entertainment venue at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

The Ambiance

When Rock & Brews, the restaurant chain co-created by Kiss members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, occupied the space, there was an evident attention to rock and roll. The chain boasted loud, rock-themed décor, concert lighting, and projection screens broadcasting rock concerts, but most of that is now gone.

Over the past several years, an increasing number of Southern California casinos have incorporated more multicultural entertainment that doesn’t always center on rock music. The new space strikes a balance between maintaining the genre and not limiting itself to it.

However, just like the spirit of rock and roll, which may fade but never dies, there are still some rock remnants that fit right in, such as a vinyl record pathway leading into bEATS and several cocktail drinks like the Killer Queen that still pay homage to the genre. The name itself is also derived from musical notation, and the logo uses a quarter note symbol as the “b” in the title.

What makes this space truly stand out from its predecessor is the open floor plan, which allows for a full view from front to back. There is also a fresh embrace of new technology, with 8K and 16K LED screens that project different designs on the venue walls, changing in response to the performance and the atmosphere.

Quesabirria Tacos are new to the menu during the Grand Opening celebration of bEATS, the newest and most exciting fast-casual dining and entertainment venue at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Casual Bites & Brews

bEATS serves seven different cuisine options: Brieoncé, Bun Direction, Chickira, Green Yay, Mix Jagger, Beastie Bowls and Benny & The Eggs. Customers can order through six self-service kiosks or their mobile devices, pick up their order from a pick-up window, and dine in-house to occupy one of 220 seats. If guests are in a hurry to return to the casino floor or in a rush get to a concert, they can also pick up their orders at one of the 23 digital food lockers.

Brieoncé serves cheesy creations, such as the Naan Tri-Tip Quesadilla, which substitutes a tortilla with a powdery-soft garlic aioli naan bread that folds over a tender and juicy tri-tip, caramelized onions, and pepperjack and horseradish aioli. Chickira submits to the chicken craze with several variations of sandwiches, including the Korean-style crispy chicken sandwich, seasoned with gochujang and garlic aioli, and served with sliced dill pickles, all between a toasted white bun, accompanied by a side of kimchi.

Other highlights include Bun Direction’s signature burger, made with a 7-ounce beef patty, melty Gruyère cheese, crunchy bacon, watercress, heirloom tomatoes, Dijon aioli, and shiitake truffle butter, all on white bread. Then there’s the Green Yay, the property’s only fully vegetarian eatery, which offers quesabirria tacos made with mushrooms, Chihuahua cheese, and served between a crunchy tortilla shell with a layer of toasted cheese, topped with white onions and cilantro. The dish tastes just like the best iteration of the original and even comes with a side of consommé.

The venue features two bars that offer signature cocktails, frozen drinks, and selections from Collection 86, Yaamava’ Resort & Casino’s reserve of rare wines, spirits, and beers. For those seeking a zero-proof experience, the bars also serve premium non-alcoholic beverages, such as the Dr. Berry Dirty Soda, mixed with Dr. Pepper, vanilla syrup, and strawberry cold foam.

A dancer entertains with colorful rings during the Grand Opening celebration of bEATS, the newest and most exciting fast-casual dining and entertainment venue at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in Highland on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

The Entertainment

Thanks to the bEATS’ open floor plan, when all of the chairs and tables are put away for entertainment programming, the space can fit up to 723 guests. That is nearly 200 more than Rock & Brews could house with its previous design.

It feels like it has the flexibility to transition into a club but also host more traditional acts who can take the stage. The main stage also features a massive LED screen that adds special effects to the headliners, such as filters, which take a live shot and replay it with hues of color, reminiscent of Andy Warhol’s pop art color schemes.

Something that Hall mentioned that makes this new space unique is that the entertainment will include performance art, which guests got a preview of on opening night with dancers dressed in crystal sequences and disco ball hats who stood on platforms to dance during DJ sets.

The Yaamava’ Theater, Tukut Lounge, and poolside concerts will still maintain their status as the casino’s entertainment avenues, but BEATS will also be in the mix. Some upcoming ticketed events at the new venue include The Wallflowers (Aug. 30), Santigold (Sept. 21), Atlas Genius and The Mowglis (Oct. 4), Jet (Nov. 9), Gym Class Heroes (Dec. 19) and Tony! Toni! Toné! (Jan. 30).

bEATS

Where: Yaamava’ Resort & Casino, 777 San Manuel Boulevard, Highland.

Hours: 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Daily.

Information: 909-425-4889 or yaamava.com.

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