Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley have an overwhelming number of places to eat and drink. New restaurants open, menus change, and trends come and go. But a handful of dishes and drinks have quietly earned something better than hype: staying power.

This list isn’t about the “best restaurants” or what’s trendy right now. It’s about specific food and drink items that people associate with the desert itself. These are the things locals recommend without hesitation, visitors remember years later, and repeat trips are planned around.

If you want to understand Palm Springs food culture beyond hotel bars and poolside cocktails, start here. These are the must-eat and must-drink items that have become part of Coachella Valley tradition.

---

Bacon Flight

Cheeky’s — Palm Springs

There’s a reason Cheeky’s always has a wait. The rotating bacon flight is the headliner, with constantly changing flavors that turn a simple breakfast item into an event. Locals know it, visitors learn it fast, and BuzzFeed knows it.

Cheeky’s, 622 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs

---

Date Shake

Shield’s Date Garden — Indio

If you come to the desert and don’t have a date shake, did you really come to the desert? Shield’s is the classic stop, complete with their famously awkward educational film and one of the most recognizable roadside signs in the Coachella Valley.

Shield’s Date Garden, Indio

---

Date Shake

(yes, you should have two date shakes!)

Hadley Fruit Orchards — Cabazon

If Shield’s is the tradition, Hadley’s is the debate. For decades, locals and road-trippers have argued about which date shake is better. The only correct answer is trying both and picking a side.

Hadley Fruit Orchards, Cabazon

---

Nachos

Arriola’s Tortilleria — Indio

Fresh chips, generous toppings, and zero hype. Arriola’s nachos are the kind of thing you hear about from someone who says, “Don’t tell too many people about this place.” Save room for a tamale boat.

Arriola’s Tortilleria, Indio

---

Chile Relleno Burrito

El Mexicali Café — Indio

This burrito has a reputation. Stuffed with a full chile relleno and unapologetically heavy, it’s one of those dishes people will insist you try if you ask where to eat in Indio.

El Mexicali Café, Indio

---

Bloody Mary

Sloan’s Restaurant — Indio

This is less a drink and more a commitment. Sloan’s massive Bloody Mary comes loaded with enough food to qualify as brunch and has become a rite of passage during festival season.

Sloan’s Restaurant, Indio

---

Pancakes

Wilma & Frieda’s Café — Palm Springs

This isn’t a generic brunch recommendation. It’s about the pancakes. If you want a breakfast worth planning your morning around, this is one of the safest bets in Greater Palm Springs.

Wilma & Frieda’s Café

---

Brandini Bar

Brandini Toffee — Palm Springs / Rancho Mirage

The Brandini Bar is pure desert survival food: cold ice cream, crunchy toffee, and enough sugar to keep you going on a 110-degree afternoon.

Brandini Toffee

---

Bagel Sandwich

Townie Bagels — Palm Springs

Townie Bagels is one of those places locals quietly swear by. The bagel sandwiches are simple, filling, and exactly what you want before a hike or a long day in the sun.

Townie Bagels, Palm Springs

---

Mai Tai

Bootlegger Tiki — Palm Springs

Bootlegger Tiki takes its cocktails seriously. The Mai Tai is the must-order here, served in the original Don the Beachcomber location that helped define tiki culture in the desert.

Bootlegger Tiki, Palm Springs

---

Sandwich

TKB Bakery and Deli — Indio

Politics aside, this sandwich is legendary. TKB’s “The Trump” helped put Indio on the national food map and remains one of the most overstuffed, overachieving sandwiches in the valley.

TKB Bakery and Deli, Indio

---

Bread Service

Workshop Kitchen + Bar — Palm Springs

Every food destination needs one refined, “this feels like an occasion” item. In Palm Springs, that’s the bread service at Workshop. It’s simple, thoughtful, and exactly why this restaurant still comes up in conversations years later.

Workshop Kitchen + Bar, Palm Springs

---

Craft Beer

La Quinta Brewing Company — Coachella Valley

The Even Par IPA helped turn La Quinta Brewing Company into the valley’s largest and most recognizable brewery. It’s a staple whether you’re a local or just passing through.

La Quinta Brewing Company

---

Why These Items Matter

Anyone can Google where to eat in Palm Springs. What’s harder is knowing what to order once you get there. These dishes and drinks earned their place by being talked about, argued over, and revisited year after year.

Some are indulgent, some are nostalgic, and a few are unapologetically excessive. Together, they tell a bigger story about how people actually eat and drink in the Coachella Valley.

If this is your first visit, consider this a shortcut. If you’ve been coming to the desert for years, you’ll probably recognize more than a few old favorites. Either way, this list is meant to evolve slowly, only when something truly earns its way in.

Know a dish or drink that deserves a spot here? Let us know. We update this guide carefully and only add items that stand the test of time.