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Dining options in the gateway towns around Joshua Tree National Park are extremely limited—you'll mostly find fast-food outlets and a few casual cafés in Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms. The exception is the restaurant at 29 Palms Inn, which has an interesting California-cuisine menu that features lots of veggies. Still, you'll have to travel to the Palm Springs desert resort area for a fine-dining experience.
You're going to think you're lost, but resist the urge to turn around because the tiny speck of sand that is Flamingo Heights really is that far out there, and this gastronomical goldmine—a roadside diner elevated by a lesbian couple who came to the desert for their honeymoon and never left—will likely be the best meal you'll eat this side of the Little San Bernardinos. Expect seasonally inspired brunch and lunch plates served without pretense and made using farm-to-fork ingredients and bits of culinary wisdom cribbed from the South (fried chicken), France (buckwheat ham galette), the Middle East (citrus and beets, a labneh-doused burger), and Philly's top kitchens (where the chef once toiled).
Prepare to wait in line at this tiny downtown eatery owned and operated by married New Yorkers who have years of Big Apple bakery experience. Also be prepared to finally reach the counter only to find that they've sold out of strawberry-poppy scones, cornbread loaves, or blueberry and cream-cheese brioche. Luckily, you can't go wrong with any of the delectable breads, sweet and savory pastries, or sandwiches. If your baked item of choice isn't available, you can simply order a caffeinated beverage, some of which are very creative (Elvis would have loved the peanut butter and banana iced coffee!).
Rock climbers and Marines swear by the rejuvenating margaritas that come in numerous flavors at this Mexican eatery. Specialties include prodigious portions of fajitas, chimichangas, seafood enchiladas, and chile verde.
A cozy coffeehouse with a counterculture undercurrent, Frontier is a good place to stop before heading into the park—and a popular one, judging by the number of visiting Angelenos in line for prehike egg sandwiches and posthike Top Chico mineral water at any one time. Pair fancy coffee drinks with bagels and parfaits in the morning or salads and sandwiches if you're off to a late start.
Turns out you can go home again, and, sometimes, when you do, you also quit your day job and open up the kind of restaurant you'd like to hang out in—at least, that's the case with the ex-teacher behind this downtown den that promises (and delivers) "good eats, rad beer." In addition to having the best beer list for 100 miles (with 13 on tap and roughly 70 more in cans and bottles, plus a few ciders, hard kombuchas, seltzers, and wine) it also has delicious food created by a Swedish chef (for real) who worked in big-name kitchens in Copenhagen, New York, and L.A. and who makes falafel so moist and zesty that it will leave carnivores rethinking their stance on veganism.
When in doubt, order pizza from this tidy, tasty spot on the main drag, within walking distance of the national park visitor center, where toppings include things like smoked Gouda, Fresno chili, soppressata, or fried eggs. Sky also turns its ovens on early most mornings to prepare fresh quiche and pastries, which are served from a takeout window and can be enjoyed with a cup of Joe in the expansive courtyard that's shared with the neighboring Joshua Tree Coffee Company.
No matter the time of day or year, if this plant-based palate pleaser is open, there will be a wait, but when you finally arrive at the counter to order breakfast or lunch, you'll still be greeted with kind eyes and big smiles. The genuine, happy-hippie kindness will be extended to your digestive system, too, as the wraps, burgers, chia puddings, salads, and avo toasts are mostly organic and always nutritious and bursting with seasonal flavor. Wash everything down with something colorful from the juice and smoothie bar and grab a sweet treat like made-daily muffins or cookies for the end of the trail.
One of the founding businesses/set pieces of Pioneertown's movie colony and a legendary hangout of the Western actors and crews who worked on location there, the Red Dog has been reborn, and its second coming was worth the wait thanks to from-scratch Tex-Mex that's filtered through a California lens and takes full advantage of the Golden State's agricultural bounty. All three meals are available daily although the lunch and dinner menus are the same—chile relleno; tacos (mushroom asada with tomatillo salsa is simple but sapid!); and standard sides like chips and queso or salsa, street corn, and churros. Service at the bar can be slow, but the flavorful margaritas, and fascinating people-watching—from the porch, the main room where they stage concerts and run bingo nights, or the dark den—make up for that annoyance.
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