Tierra y Mar, a Mexican-inspired spot that leans equally into surf and turf, opened today at Harrah's Resort Southern California in Funner, sliding into the former Salt & Fin footprint. The resort stripped the old seafood restaurant down to the studs and rebuilt a 7,245-square-foot room that mixes Cycladic-style arches, Moorish mosaics, midcentury glam and coastal hacienda touches. On the plate, specialty chef Bryan Texis runs a menu that ranges from house birria to a seven-seas seafood stew, with daily lunch and dinner plus weekend brunch in the mix.
Ground-Up Remodel and New Look
JCJ Architecture handled the overhaul, demolishing Salt & Fin and installing new kitchen systems, plumbing and HVAC to support a more transportive dining experience, as design lead Derek Sola explained to San Diego Magazine. The design leans into natural wood, mosaics and woven artisan details to make the sizable room feel more like an intimate coastal hacienda than a cavernous casino restaurant. An entry portal of columns and archways helps pull guests out of the casino noise and into a calmer dining space.
Chef, Menu And The Tequila-Focused Bar
Harrah's lists specialty chef Bryan Texis as the culinary lead and notes that the menu draws from Baja California and regions across Mexico, with a tequila-forward bar and cocktails crafted to pair with the food, per Harrah's Resort Southern California. According to the resort, several favorite items from 'ritas Cantina will stick around, while new dishes such as a "Funner" beef birria and Camarones al Diablo move to center stage. Tierra y Mar is pitched as a social dining hub that can handle everything from date-night two-tops to big family gatherings.
Standouts Include Birria And A 'Siete Mares'
San Diego Magazine spotlighted several of the head-turning plates, including a "siete mares" built from seared seabass, mussels, littleneck clams, scallops, shrimp and fried crab cakes in a lobster-tomato consommé. The house birria comes as an eight-ounce braised short rib wrapped in hoja santa with a consommé reduction and sweet corn purée. The magazine also called out a pan de elote dessert and weekend brunch options like menudo and a masa waffle, all backed by a cocktail lineup that leans heavily on tequila. San Diego Magazine notes the restaurant opened for daily service and weekend brunch beginning July 22.
What This Means For The Resort
The debut of Tierra y Mar is part of a wider refresh and branding push at the property, with a Harrah's press release outlining the "Fun is Boring" campaign and naming the restaurant among its culinary updates. PR Newswire quotes general manager Jill Barrett on the evolving lineup and presents Tierra y Mar as a new signature dining option for the resort. For the nuts and bolts, Harrah's lists Tierra y Mar at 777 Harrah's Rincon Way in Funner and links to menus and reservations on its dining page. Harrah's Resort Southern California
