Best Lunch Spots in Indio
Indio’s lunch options include a tamale boat on Wilson Avenue, birria on Clinton Street, and a kitchen where cheesesteaks share the menu with Filipino pork belly. The smaller storefronts along Highway 111 deserve some attention. There’s more going on in there than the signs have room to explain.
For lunch elsewhere in the desert, see the best lunch spots in the Coachella Valley.
These nine spots cover sandwiches, tacos, noodle bowls and lunch with a cocktail. They’re listed without a ranking; a tamale boat and a bowl of pho have enough to do without competing against each other.
TKB Bakery & Deli
The Mexican Marilyn Monroe at TKB pairs chicken salad, bacon and avocado with jalapeño focaccia or cranberry bread. That’s a considerably more interesting sandwich than the one you were going to assemble from whatever’s left in the fridge.
You’ll find TKB on Golf Center Parkway. Turkey clubs, pastrami and fried chicken sandwiches give you more options, and online pickup ordering lets you settle the bread question before you get there.
Address: 45334 Golf Center Pkwy, Indio, CA
Tacos Gonzalez
Carne asada, al pastor, carnitas, lengua: Tacos Gonzalez gives you a few good reasons to order more than one taco. It’s a small, counter-service spot on Highway 111, with burritos and tortas if you’d rather keep lunch in one piece.
Eat in or take it with you. There are breakfast burritos and egg plates on the menu, too, for anyone who considers breakfast a food group rather than a time of day.
Address: 80120 Highway 111 #1, Indio, CA
Art Alkobar Grill
The Philly cheesesteak has competition, and it’s coming from inside the building.
Alkobar also serves Filipino food: lechon kawali, fried pork belly with rice; pork sisig; and lumpia. Give that side of the menu a look before automatically ordering a sandwich.
Bring someone who’ll split the lumpia. Establish what “split” means before the food arrives.
Address: 82590 Highway 111 #104, Indio, CA
Outside the Masa
Birria is the reason to turn onto Clinton Street. Outside the Masa started as a food truck and now has a restaurant serving birria tacos, quesadillas and birria in consommé.
Start with the tacos if you want the tortillas to do the work, or order the birria in its broth. Chilaquiles also come with red sauce, green sauce or a mix of both.
Address: 43-905 Clinton St., Suite 5, Indio, CA 92201
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Pho of the Desert
A bowl of pho doesn’t stop making sense just because it’s hot outside. The weather has already had enough say in your day.
Pho of the Desert in Indio Plaza serves Vietnamese noodle soups, rice plates and vermicelli bowls, including grilled pork. If soup isn’t calling, there’s bánh mì and spring rolls. Vietnamese iced coffee and boba round out the drink choices.
Address: 82128 Highway 111, Indio, CA
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Arriola’s Tortilleria
Arriola’s takes a pork tamale, covers it in cheese sauce, chile colorado and salsa, and calls it a tamale boat. This is the kind of innovation we can get behind.
The tortilleria is on Wilson Avenue, just off Oasis Street, with burritos and nachos on the menu, too. Grab a bag of chips for home. If you actually want them to make it home, put them in the trunk.
Address: 82721 Wilson Ave, Indio, CA
CockyBull at Neil’s Lounge
The Indio Jalapeño Burger at CockyBull stacks jalapeños, pepper jack and habanero sauce on a jalapeño-cheese bun. The kitchen has been pretty clear about its intentions.
CockyBull is inside Neil’s Lounge, with pastrami and crispy chicken sandwiches alongside the burgers. You pick up food by pager here. Orders can finish out of sequence, so wait for yours before investigating why the next table got fed first.
Address: 80956 US Highway 111, Indio, CA
The Local on 50th
Make The Local on 50th your pick when lunch calls for a table, a server and maybe a cocktail. It’s on Jefferson near Avenue 50, with burgers, flatbreads, salads and tacos.
The Fig & Goat Burger brings goat cheese, arugula and fig jam to the bun. The CV Flatbread pairs dates and prosciutto. Those are the two menu detours to consider before going straight for your usual burger.
Address: 49990 Jefferson St., Suite 110, Indio, CA
Sumo Dog
Wasabi relish, teriyaki and nori all land on Sumo Dog’s namesake hot dog. Ketchup is going to have to get used to sharing the spotlight.
There are plain dogs, burgers and tater tots, too. Start with the namesake if you came for something different; the rest gives less adventurous lunch companions plenty to work with.
The Jefferson Street restaurant and the Avenue 42 drive-through are separate locations. Check which one you’re ordering from before setting off.
Address: 49-830 Jefferson St., Suite 106, Indio, CA
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Written by : Casey Dolan
Casey is the founder of Cactus Hugs and also works with local businesses on their websites and digital marketing. Learn more (and hire!) him here. Please, send him your news tips and your whiskey!