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Egg dishes, griddle items, and hearty Mexican breakfasts like huevos rancheros are the morning draw at this Joshua Tree institution, but plenty of people sing the praises of its sandwiches, burgers, salads, and tacos for lunch or early dinner. Taxidermy animals, framed newspaper clippings, old photos, and beer-can lights decorate the interior, and tattooed waitresses and the quirky regulars make it clear that the high desert is unlike anywhere else in San Bernardino County.
61715 Twentynine Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree, California, 92252, USA
Known For
- Great people-watching and eavesdropping
- Hearty and affordable meals
- Vegetarian and vegan dishes that use tofu, fake meat, or JUST Egg
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This is, and has been since 1981, exactly what most people look for in a casual, go-any-day-of-the-week, Mexican-American restaurant—big portions, reasonable prices, a variety of margaritas, and a massive menu with all the basics (tacos, fajitas, burritos, enchiladas) and some fancier dishes like chile rellenos (stuffed roasted peppers) or carne asada (marinated grilled steak). What's more, the waiters are friendly, and the atmosphere is festive yet still relaxed enough for kids and fur babies (the latter are welcome on the patio).
74969 Hwy. 111, Indian Wells, California, 92210, USA
Known For
- Strong margaritas and The Tower of Tequila
- Fried desserts including the original Peachorito
- Four kinds of fajitas (the house specialty)
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No matter what time or day it is, this swanky restaurant in the Uptown Design District buzzes with pals toasting promotions and celebrating birthdays, couples on dates sharing beet carpaccio and oysters, singles mingling in the lounge, and tourists who were lured from the street by the jovial sounds and tantalizing smells wafting out of the polished white (with pops of Barbie pink) rooms and expansive patio. The look may be a little late-'90s, early-aughts Miami, but the menu is pure Pacific Coast with favorites like ahi tuna poke with house-made kimchi, steelhead niçoise salad, mesquite-smoked carne asada, and curried-cauliflower steak.
849 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, California, 92262, USA
Known For
- Colorful plates made from scratch
- Energetic scene
- Brandini toffee s'mores fondue will knock your socks off
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Using his grandmother's passed-down family recipes from Mazatlán, Mexico, Florencio Delgado and his wife opened their original restaurant in 1973. Five decades later, the Delgado descendants are still pumping out hearty and traditional plates of fajitas, tacos, enchiladas, and harder-to-find stuffed-pepper dishes like chile en nogada. Imported art and crafts lend festive charm to this casual but crowded culinary institution, which has an expansive garden patio.
70–050 Hwy. 111, Rancho Mirage, California, 92270, USA
Known For
- Vast margarita menu
- Table-side guacamole presentation
- Lively happy hour
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Dinner reservations essential, Closed Tues.
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This romantic bistro with a spacious outdoor atrium decked out with flowers, twinkle lights, and pops of the namesake color has several weekly specials (e.g., no-corkage-fee Sunday) and a lengthy menu of fancy meats, seafood, and old-school salads. Always save room for dessert.
78--073 Calle Barcelona, La Quinta, California, 92253, USA
Known For
- Live music on the patio and in the fireside lounge
- Prime rib Thursday
- Extensive locavore menu
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch. Closed June–Sept., Reservations essential
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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A casual local favorite for affordable Mexican dishes, Jilberto's serves up big burritos and meaty enchiladas.
655 Palm Canyon Dr., Borrego Springs, California, 92004, USA
Known For
- Authentic Mexican dishes cooked to order
- All-day breakfast menu
- Reasonable prices
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No credit cards
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In addition to strong cervezas, which are brewed on-site (or at the larger, Chino Hills flagship) in four 10-barrel tanks, this taproom serves up Tijuana-style street food (tacos, tortas, churros, esquites) from a built-in, vintage food truck.
68510 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Cathedral City, California, 92234, USA
Known For
- Beer cocktails and adult slushies
- Crowlers to go
- Mexican brunch on weekends
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For more than a decade, Lulu has been feeding desert denizens and vacationers a little bit of everything—seriously, if you can't find something on the lengthy menu of soups, salads, pasta dishes, burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, seafood, other star proteins like pork ribs and filet mignon, and desserts (cotton candy!), you likely don't eat human food. Dine in the spacious, quirky multilevel dining room or outside on the terrace with prime Palm Canyon people-watching.
200 S. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, California, 92262, USA
Known For
- Separate vegetarian/vegan and gluten-free menus
- Three-course, prix-fixe weekend brunch ($28)
- Local art collection
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No breakfast weekdays
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Yes, Palm Desert is landlocked, but there's no hesitation when it comes to recommending this seafood specialist, which has drawn residents and visitors for choice surf and turf for 15 years. Fish arrives daily from San Diego, is cooked to perfection, and is served on the rooftop and inside the dining room on the second floor of the Gardens of El Paseo shopping center. If the thought of twin lobster tails, grilled mahimahi with chipotle corn salsa, or sugar-spiced salmon make you seasick, note that the menu also includes chicken, steaks, meal-size salads, and vegetarian pasta dishes.
73505 El Paseo, Palm Desert, California, 92260, USA
Known For
- Several cold dishes for hot summer nights
- Happy hour daily
- Reduced-price two-course sunset menu from 3:30 to 5
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch June–Aug.
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The idea of eating raw fish in a landlocked desert might give some people pause, but be assured that a meal at Sandfish—an uptown sushiya melding Japanese techniques, Scandinavian plating, and a sexy minimalist earth-tone aesthetic—is a gastronomical leap of faith worth taking. Chef Engin Onural studied at the reputable Sushi Chef Institute, so he obviously has classic rolls, nigiri, maki, and sashimi on lock, but not trying his original creations that incorporate unusual ingredients like black-truffle zest, coconut flakes, or fried-potato threads would be a rookie mistake, as would skipping the cocktails made with desert botanicals and titular whiskey.
1556 N. Palm Canyon, Palm Springs, California, 92262, USA
Known For
- Decadent omakase chef's tasting menu
- Largest Japanese whiskey collection in the valley
- The best-selling Venue Roll
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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Head to a poolside, historical adobe building in the center of The Paloma Resort for Spanish tapas incorporating local delicacies like dates, chiles, and citrus and big plates designed to feed two, as well as tequila and mezcal cocktails. Breakfasts have a foreign flair with wine-soaked French toast and Iberico ham Benedicts, lunches feature options like Manchego-cheese beef sliders and blue-cheese Serrano fries, and dinners focus on protein-heavy dishes.
67670 Carey Rd., Cathedral City, California, 92234, USA
Known For
- Three kinds of paella nightly
- Date nights and after-work drinks
- Instagram-worthy decor and design
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Mon. Closed Sun. and Tues. in summer
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The swank steak house and Sunday-brunch stalwart occupies a historic mid-century modern structure in the Palm Springs Tennis Club at the base of the San Jacintos. Between the club connection, ritzy ambience, and selection of old-fashioned fancy food (veal chops, duck, creamed spinach), Spencer's clientele skews toward power lunchers and socialites. If you do find yourself craving crisp-skin whitefish or liver and bacon with raspberry vodka essence, try for a table on the low-lit and dreamy deck.
701 W. Baristo Rd., Palm Springs, California, 92262, USA
Known For
- French–Pacific Rim influences
- Loyal waitstaffers who know the menu up and down
- High prices
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential for Sunday brunch and dinner, Closed Tues. and Wed.
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On the edge of the Borrego Springs Resort's golf course, set beneath a canopy of grapefruit trees, The Arches is a pleasant place to eat. For breakfast you'll find burritos alongside French toast, omelets, and eggs Benedict; lunch (best enjoyed on the patio) and dinner options include sandwiches and salads, as well as hearty pasta, seafood, grilled meats, and fish entrées.
1112 Tilting T Dr., Borrego Springs, California, 92004, USA
Known For
- Light fare
- Nightly specials
- Popular happy hour
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Summer hrs vary; call ahead, Credit cards accepted
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Discerning diners, even those whose names don't appear on the registry of The Colony Palms Hotel, know to book a table here for contemporary takes on white tablecloth staples like beef Stroganoff (here, made with short ribs and fresh pappardelle), green beans almondine (jazzed up with a brown-butter-and-cider glaze), or shrimp "cocktail" (barely recognizable but lip-lickin' good). Now overseen by chef Michael Hung—who cut his teeth at Daniel, Aquavit, Jardiniere, and La Folie—the restaurant emphasizes California seasonality and sourcing from farms and aquaculture operations to pack punch into everything from the small—say, preserved lemon compote and ginger scallion relish—to the large, like chicken schnitzel or vegan meatloaf. Take breakfast or weekend brunch on the sunny patio with the gleaming pool in view, but, after dusk, never settle for anywhere but the elegant dining room, with its grandiose floor tiles, avian wallpaper, and doting maitre d'.
572 N. Indian Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, California, 92262, USA
Known For
- Wine Wednesdays with discounted bottles
- Attentive, knowledgeable service
- Chic dining room dinners, sunny poolside brunches
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The pink-and-green palette, botanical wallpaper, oversize globe pendants, gold trim, tile floor, and velvety banquettes draw the pretty people and those who follow them on social media to this Martyn Lawrence Bullard–designed gem at the Sands Hotel. But it's the Mediterranean-Moroccan cuisine—think lamb tagine or harissa chicken—and punchy drinks that keep them happy and snapping.
44--985 Province Way, Indian Wells, California, 92210, USA
Known For
- Retro-racquet-club aesthetic
- Chorizo shakshuka
- Cocktails inspired by the spice route
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This popular watering hole and fine-dining eatery is part mid-century supper club (some nights feature live jazz), part Miami kitsch (pops of pink neon, marlin wall art, and apps served in glass seashells), and all good time. Sip from the extensive martini and mojito list; bask in the gorgeous glow of a flambéed baked Alaska from one of the main dining room's tall leather booths; or nosh on protein-packed salads, pork chops, pizzas, or Sunday sushi amid tropical plants and water features in the outdoor area.
330 E. Amado Rd., Palm Springs, California, 92262, USA
Known For
- Globe-trotting menu
- Happy hour (all night on Wednesday)
- Celebrating special occasions
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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Tucked into the Warm Sands neighborhood is the brick-and-mortar realization of a bagel dream for two dudes who started selling baked goods out of their home and at the weekend farmers' market. Using nonadditive flours and old-school methods like boiling in malted water, they create their round mounds of goodness daily in 22 rotating flavors, from the expected poppy and cinnamon raisin to the less common like the black Russian. The location is nothing to write home about, but it's clean and comfortable and has a few tables outside to enjoy your bagel toasted, slathered in spreads like red pepper hummus or chive cream cheese, or piled high with proteins or veggies. There's also fresh bread and crackers to take home.
650 E. Sunny Dunes Rd., Palm Springs, California, 92264, USA
Known For
- Basic but comfortable location
- Takeaway fresh bread and crackers
- Special weekend-only bagel flavors (like olive fennel or pretzel)
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues.
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This not-so-private restaurant at the Indian Wells Golf Resort offers a glimpse of how the country-club set lives. The service is impeccable, outdoor tables provide views of mountain peaks that seem close enough to touch, and happy hour is a lively scene of golfers bragging and griping about their day on the fairways.
44500 Indian Wells La., Indian Wells, California, 92210, USA
Known For
- Specialty nights like Prime Rib Friday and Sangria Sunday
- House-roasted chicken daily
- Classed-up comfort food
