Until recently, the only thing that sleepy Mettler, California (at the bottom of the Grapevine on Highway 99) was known for was watermelon stands and the spot where James Dean got a speeding ticket before his fatal crash in Cholame. Now, it has become the new landmark home of the Hard Rock Casino Tejon.
Hard Rock International, which is owned by the Seminole Tribe in Florida, in partnership with the Tejon Indian Tribe, opened the first phase of the entertainment destination located 15 miles south of Bakersfield on Tejon Indian Tribal land in Kern County, and it’s a landmark development for the region. Fifteen years in the making, the facility is owned by the Tejon Indian Tribe, led by Chairman Octavio Escobedo, and will be managed by Hard Rock International.
The 150,000-square-foot gaming floor features more than 2,000 slot machines, more than 50 live table games, including blackjack, Ultimate Texas Hold ’em and Three Card Poker, and exclusive VIP rooms for blackjack and baccarat.
The property houses a collection of historic music memorabilia, including guitars from Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, as an homage to the legendary artists responsible for the local Bakersfield Sound. Costumes from Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter, Cappell Roan, Nicki Minaj, Ariana Grande, and numerous others dot the casino floor…