It’s always nice when the Food Network, Travel Channel, Cooking Channel (or whatever channel is playing in a hotel lobby at 2am) drops by Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley to show off what we eat out here.

Some of these spots are still going strong. A few have since closed or changed. That’s the desert for you: things come and go, but the appetite stays the same.

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives

Note: If you want the full “Guy Fieri came to town” deep dive, check out our dedicated post right here.

Frankinbun (Palm Springs)

Guy Fieri stopped by Frankinbun during its Palm Springs run and sampled a veggie dog along with their chicken and waffles.

Update: Frankinbun has since closed. While the restaurant is no longer operating, it remains one of the Coachella Valley spots that earned national attention during its time here.

Grill-A-Burger (Palm Desert)

Guy tried the Devil’s Revenge burger and the Buddha Burger at this Palm Desert staple.

Grill-A-Burger, 73091 Country Club Dr, Palm Desert, CA 92260, (760) 346-8170

Sherman’s Deli & Bakery (Palm Desert / Palm Springs)

Guy learned how to make turkey pastrami, homemade rye bread, and a latke brisket sandwich. (If you’ve never left with a loaf of bread you didn’t plan on buying, are you even doing Sherman’s correctly?)

Sherman’s Deli & Bakery, 73161 Country Club Dr, Palm Desert, CA 92260, (760) 568-1350
401 E Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262, (760) 325-1199

Wilma & Frieda’s (Palm Desert)

Guy visited the El Paseo location where he ate a short rib melt and the W&F Breakfast Tart.

Wilma & Frieda’s, 73575 El Paseo #2310, Palm Desert, CA 92260 (The Gardens on El Paseo), (760) 773-2807

Zobo & Meester’s (now Meester Zebra’s) – Cathedral City

During the episode, Guy dug into the Three Meat BBQ Sandwich and the Flamethrower Panini at this Cathedral City favorite.

Update: Zobo & Meester’s has since been sold and now operates under the name Meester Zebra’s. While ownership and branding have changed, this location still holds its place in local TV food history.

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No Reservations

Anthony Bourdain rolled through the desert (in more ways than one) with Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme and hit a mix of Coachella Valley + High Desert stops.

• Lord Fletcher’s (Rancho Mirage) – featured at the time; now listed as closed.
• JT Country Kitchen (Joshua Tree)
• Pappy & Harriet’s (Pioneertown)

You can also check out our post on that episode right here.

On a separate episode of No Reservations, Bourdain also visited the Ski Inn in Niland (Salton Sea area).

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$40 a Day

Rachael Ray tackled Palm Springs with (allegedly) $40 for the whole day. She hit:

Breakfast: More Than a Mouthful (featured at the time; now closed)
Lunch: Fisherman’s Market & Grill
Dinner: Kaiser Grille

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Restaurant Impossible

Robert Irvine and crew transformed Tootie’s Texas BBQ in Cathedral City. Sadly, the restaurant later closed.

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Bite This With Nadia G

Nadia G hit a few Coachella Valley spots:

• King’s Highway (Ace Hotel, Palm Springs) – Green Eggs and Ham
• Workshop Kitchen + Bar (Palm Springs) – Duck Confit Cannelloni
• Over the Rainbow Cupcakes – featured at the time; check current status before you chase it.

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Guilty Pleasures

Ross Matthews shouted out a shredded chicken burrito from Las Casuelas Terraza and a spiced pumpkin cheesecake with rum caramel sauce at The Purple Room.

Carson Kressley also popped up talking about Chocolate Decadence French Toast at Norma’s (Le Parker Meridien) in Palm Springs.

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Man v. Food

Host Casey Webb took on a massive sandwich challenge at Manhattan in the Desert. He also grabbed fish tacos at Shanghai Red’s (inside Fisherman’s Market & Grill) and went classic at Melvyn’s with the “Steak Diane.”

Check out the full recap of Man v. Food in Palm Springs right here.

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If I missed a spot or a newer show came through town, tell me about it here.