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Are you looking for something different to to for dinner?  Then the Food Adventures Crew has a tip for you.  How about dinner at the Dayton Raceway’s Skybox Restaurant at the Hollywood Casino while watching live horse racing at a table overlooking the track? The live racing schedule ends December 30th, so you have that much time to book an unforgettable night of fun and food.

Today, we spotlight an unsung restaurant that really doesn’t get any recognition, but has been putting out some decent food for a couple of years now.  It is the Skybox Restaurant at Hollywood Casino and Dayton Raceway.  It is a smaller restaurant, with a bar and booth area with seating capacity of about 60 people.  During live racing days, the restaurant spreads out serving tables in the racino area that overlook the track on different stairstep levels.

 

HERE’S THE SKINNY ON THE SKYBOX RESTAURANT :

—A one of a kind experience in Dayton, this restaurant is  “Vegas Style” in decor, but during live horse race days, the dining room also includes the tables overlooking the horse race track on 3 levels.

— The races are Harness Racing, where the jockeys are behind the horse on a sled with wheels.  The horses have to trot and are not allowed to gallop.  Getting into the action is CHEAP !  You can bet as little as $2 on a race and you can use electronic betting machines near your table or place your bet at the nearby betting window with an employee.

— Live Harness Racing season ends at Dayton Raceway on December 30, 2017 for a few months.
Mondays & Tuesdays: The first race begins at 2:15pm
Thursdays , Friays & Saturdays: The first race begins at 6:15pm
Here is the racing calendar for 2017.  Call 937-235-7840 for restaurant reservations overlooking the track with a spectacular view.

— Typical hours for the Skybox Restaurant on non-racing days are
Sunday thru Thursday 11AM-9PM and Friday & Saturday 11am – Midnight

— The restaurant is casual American Pub Fare with a couple of local beers on tap, but mostly bottled beers in stock.

— Each month they have a dinner special of the month, December is Steak and Shrimp for $12.99

— Wednesday is trivia at 7pm with special appetizers and everyday they offer 4 domestic bottles in a bucket for $12 or a Birdie Bucket with 10 wings for $18.

Now you are at the party spot, but what are you gonna eat?  Well, luckily the Food Adventure Crew has been to the restaurant about 10 times and tried everything on the menu.  As always, over the couple years we have developed our “MUST EATS” at the Skybox Bar and Restaurant.. so here we go …

MUST EATS at the SKYBOX SPORTS BAR at HOLLYWOOD GAMING DAYTON:

— ALL YOU CAN EAT BABY BACK RIBS:
This is typically a monthly special, but anytime they offer the ribs on the menu, you have to grab them. Cooked to perfection, these ribs are slathered in a nice BBQ sauce and melt in your mouth. Fall off the bone? YES and right into your mouth. Ask for napkins, as it is how they say “finger lickin good.”

— THE PIZZA:
The pizza, especially the Margherita Pizza almost rivals local favorites like Spinozas and Old Scratch Pizza. Do you like Dewey’s Pizza? Then you will love the pizza at the Skybox.

— THE PRIME RIB DINNER:
This is sometimes a monthly special for $19.99. If you see it on the menu, you must grab one. The dinner is delicious and so are all of the sides offered. Great view, great steak and races? This is the life!

— CHICKEN QUESADILLA:
Want a huge appetizer that you can share? You wont go wrong with this giant, loaded quesadilla with cheese and veggies, even guacamole and sour cream are on the plate. Indulge! Enjoy!

 

— THE CHEESEBURGER:
Going simple and quick? This is the best bet and grab a homemade soup. Fresh ground chuck, and melted cheese make the sandwich. The condiments are typical and you build your own burger. Just a good solid, no frills option.

— HOMEMADE DAILY SOUPS:
We have had a couple of their soups, and the chefs really know what they are doing. These homemade creations from chili to shrimp and onion soup have been phenomenal. Always something inventive cooking up in the soup world at the Racino !

— DEEP FRIED PICKLE CHIPS:
Sweet, sour and salty, this appetizer is a perfect one to share with the table. The other option is to grab some ranch dip and slay the basket yourself. Either way you win with good, tasty food, even if you lose your horse race bet.

 

There they are – the MUST EATS you shouldn’t miss at the Dayton Racino.
This is one of the most entertaining Food Adventures you will ever go on.

Not familiar with horse racing?

IT IS EASY to be a part of the action with these few tips.

HORSE RACING 101.

Here are a couple horse racing tips on us:

1) Bring a pen with you, buy a program, ask them to print out Dayton Raceway only, to save money. Use the pen to take notes and circle your favorite horses.  Sometimes betting on the name of the horse works just as good as looking at the stats/odds.

2) Bet $2 on each race, so if there are 10 races, you will only spend $20 on gambling the whole night, and that’s if you lose every race !  If your horse wins, you will be paid out based on the final odds of the horse after all bets were placed.  The higher the odds, the more cashola you will be paid!

3) Betting Options:
Bet WIN and your horse must win the race
Bet PLACE and your horse can come in 1st or 2nd and you win $$$
Bet SHOW and your horse can come in 1st, 2nd or 3rd and you win money.

4) Chances at big wins:
Bet EXACTA and you must pick 2 horses and they must come 1st and 2nd place in the exact order you pick.
Bet TRIFECTA and you must pick the horses that finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the exact order you name. You win some decent money if this happens, so it isn’t easy to do !

5) Get into the race by clapping and whistling and cheering your horse down the stretch…
Some of the more favorite shouts we have over heard are …..
“Come on Now 3, mon now !” (use any number you bet on)
“Tap that animal” a tongue in cheek urge to have the jockey tap the horses butt with the long stick to get him to run faster (we dont condone animal cruelty).
“Ghanan ha wa hooha” – while slapping your program on your knee (this is just what most people do, they yell an incoherent scream and go crazy, we are just trying to fit in and add to the excitement and volume.

6) Designate an empty beer cup to toss your tickets that are non-winners. We call this cup the bucket of broken dreams and empty promises.. it makes losing more bearable …

7) Watching the races from the table is great, but take about 6 minutes and during one race, walk outside and watch it from the track.  You will be about 10 yards from the horses and it gives you a feel for the speed and intensity of these races.  There is no other feeling like it.

Thanks for letting us into your electronic device this week.

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Enjoy our photos below.