If you're heading to Head Trip, chances are you're going to get a little hungry and thirsty in the process.
Sure, the Empire Polo Club in Indio will have plenty of food and drink options available, but what about breakfast, coffee and all the snacks that come before the festival begins? Well, we've got you covered.
The Indio area is home to a variety of restaurants, cafes and cuisine options to fit anyone's appetite, and Desert Sun journalists have put in the hard work to seek out some of their favorite spots over the years. Whether you're looking to start the day off right with a caffeinated drink or sink your teeth into a juicy burger for some protein, this list has a little something for everyone.
So, before you head out to the festival grounds
for a day full of dancing, check out some of our favorite places to eat and drink in Indio.
Gabino's Creperie
Details: 82-868 Miles Ave., Indio; 78-015 Main St., Suite 108, La Quinta; 170 E. Palm Canyon, Suite 4, Palm Springs; eatgabinos.com
No matter where you're staying in the Coachella Valley for Head Trip, there's a Gabino's location within driving distance. This eatery serves delicious, crispy, savory crepes filled with all the flavors you'd want. We highly recommend the BBQ chicken, chicken ranch and pizza roll crepes, which pack a punch flavor-wise and will easily fill you up for the day. If you're in the area on Friday, you can't miss out on the Cheesesteak Friday special, which has so much melty cheese inside. Those hoping for a sweet crepe can enjoy the banana Nutella, a classic combination that's topped with powdered sugar. — Ema Sasic
TKB Bakery & Deli
Details: 45-334 Golf Center Parkway, Indio; tkbbakery.com
The Kids' Business, aka TKB, is not only a local favorite, but it was recognized as Yelp's “No. 1 Restaurant in America” in 2018. That says quite a bit about the place, and we promise this eatery does not disappoint. When it comes to sandwich options, you have more than plenty available. Some of our favorites are the pesto chicken ranch club, the sexy Italian and the southwest chicken wrap. Many sandwiches are served on their jalapeno focaccia bread, which is out-of-this-world delicious. If you have a sweet tooth, make sure you get some baked goods from Athena's Bakery inside. The restaurant also carries locally brewed beers on tap. — Ema Sasic
Everbloom Coffee
Details: 81-730 Highway 111, Suite 14, Indio; 45-125 Smurr St., Indio; everbloom.coffee
Several new coffee shops opened within the last year in the Coachella Valley, but Everbloomis one of the few Indio OGs from . This chic and casual cafe has two locations near the festival grounds and a menu full of flavors. Now that we're fully in the fall season, Everbloom recently released its seasonal menu, which includes drinks like the Pumpkin Patch (pumpkin puree, browned butter and housemade pumpkin spice), the Maplemoon (salted maple pecan matcha) and the Hayride (apple-infused, housemade chai drizzled with housemade butterscotch). Flavors can be enjoyed as coffee, matcha and chai drinks.
Rincón Norteño Mexican Restaurant
Details: 83-011 Indio Blvd., Indio; rinconnorteno.com
The Flores family has been serving up delicious Mexican dishes for more than 50 years, and they're not stopping any time soon. Grab a seat and take some time with this menu, which has everything from nachos and enchiladas to tacos de camarón (shrimp tacos) and fajitas. The biggest problem you'll have is figuring out what to eat. Pair your meal with a house margarita or a beer. — Ema Sasic
Saguaro Coffee
Details: 45-151 Oasis St., Suite A, Indio; saguarocoffee.com
The owners of Indio's Saguaro Coffee, La Quinta High School sweethearts Parker Wallace and Jabneh Rocha, opened their roastery last year to bring a new type of experience to the east valley. Wallace's interest in coffee roasting grew during the COVID-19 pandemic. He sources coffee beans from farmers around the world, researches and develops different blends to bring out a variety of flavors, such as orange, honey, citrus and caramel. Customers can purchase Saguaro's blends or try them as traditional espresso or pour over coffees in the shop. Along with roasting their own coffee, the cafe also makes its own syrups. There's also an in-house bakery with banana bread and unique bagel creations. — Ema Sasic
CV BBQ
Details: 83-214 Requa Ave., Indio; cvbbq.com
Fans of pulled pork sandwiches shouldn't miss a chance to try CV BBQ’s restaurant in Indio. The family-owned and operated restaurant in Indio slow-cooks and smokes its meats over seasoned red oak using hand-selected spices and custom rubs. You can taste the flavor in its tri-tip, BBQ chicken and pulled pork sandwiches. Pair the pulled pork, which is served on a 6-inch buttered and toasted French roll, with a side of mac & cheese or BBQ baked beans, and it makes a great pre-festival meal. — Brian Blueskye
Indio Taphouse
Details: 82-867 Miles Ave., Unit 1, Indio. 442-400-3480, indiotaphouse.com
I've enjoyed every afternoon or evening I've spent at downtown Indio's biggest bar, but never has it come more in clutch than when I went to a show in Indio recently and was so hungry after, I was slowly losing my mind. This place was an oasis of pub fare in a literal and figurative late-night eats desert. I highly recommend the chicken sliders, which are best paired with one of the dozens of brews on the beverage menu (I personally paired mine with a Calidad Mexican-style lager and was a happy camper). — Niki Kottmann
El Mexicali Cafe II
Details: El Mexicali Cafe II, 43-430 Monroe St., Suite A, Indio, Calif.; elmexicalicafe2.com
This Indio staple has been serving up classic Mexican dishes — along with a sense that customers are part of the large family that keeps the restaurant humming — for nearly 20 years. Located at one end of a typically-nondescript SoCal strip mall that could be easy to miss, those smart enough to step inside are greeted by a spacious and inviting dining room along with a large well-stocked bar. So, what are the stars on this beloved menu? Flavorful renditions of classic Mexican specialties brought from the border town of Mexicali (100 miles south of Indio) such as Especial Del Mexicali — grilled skirt steak with sauteed cactus — and the famous shrimp-stuffed yellow peppers. — Paul Albani-Burgio
The Café at Shields
Details: 80-225 Highway 111, Indio. 760-775-0902. cafe.shieldsdategarden.com
Even tourists may have heard of Shield’s Date Garden, the famous place in Indio where a giant armored soldier with his shield and sword points you in the direction of the historic gift shop and shake counter. What you might not know is there's a great café in the back with fantastic breakfast and lunch options (it's open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily). As you might guess, along with traditional fare, there are some fun date-centric menu items, too, like a date omelette, date pancakes and of course a date burger. For the uninitiated, that’s a burger topped with sauteed Deglet Noor dates, bacon and melted bleu cheese. It’s a family friendly place as well with plenty of kid-friendly options and there’s even a walking path and sculpture garden in the back for patrons to work off that date shake that you simply must try. — Shad Powers
Cork & Fork
Details: 49-890 Jefferson St., Suite 100, Indio; corkandforkwinebar.com
For something a little different, try this Indio tapas spot, which is a great place to try new things and share them with your squad. The tapas menu includes standards like truffle mac and cheese, poke nachos, or beef sliders, but also some outside-the-bun options like pickled Vietnamese cucumber, edamame dumplings or Thai shrimp cakes. Don't fret, there are also full-plate options for those anti-tapas diners out there. And don’t forget about the “cork” part of Cork & Fork. They feature a wide selection of wines to pair with your meal, whether small plate or large. — Shad Powers
Not staying in Indio? Here are some of our favorite Coachella Valley coffee shops, restaurants and other eateries that are worth checking out in other valley cities.
Buena Matcha
Details: 73-833 El Paseo, Suite 101, Palm Desert; buenamatcha.com
Couple Nahum and Kayla Munoz opened their matcha cafe, Buena Matcha, last year after years of pursuing their own health journeys. The shop serves two main drinks: matcha, the vibrant green tea, and hojicha, a roasted green tea that has a brown color and less caffeine. They can be an acquired taste for many due to their earthy, sometimes bitter, flavors, but Buena Matcha's motto is to "heal matcha trauma" and get more people on board with it. Both types of tea are typically served as lattes (with various milk options available) and with other flavors, such as banana cinnamon, coconut and strawberry, utilizing housemade syrups. "Secret" flavors are also available on the menu. — Ema Sasic
The Pink Cabana
Details: 44-985 Province Way, Indian Wells; sandshotelandspa.com/dining-bar
The Pink Cabana’s aesthetic and well-curated interior is reason enough to visit this restaurant, which is located inside the Sands Hotel & Spa in Indian Wells. Inspired by Palm Springs’ tennis and racquet clubs of the past, it captures the essence of what people know and love about this city. There are green and white checkered floors, tropical leaf wallpaper, pink ceilings and accents and rattan chairs. It makes for the perfect background to take pretty photos. But, of course, most reasonable people don’t just go to a restaurant just for its ambience. The Pink Cabana also serves up a delicious brunch, with menu items like brioche French toast, country ham and gruyere quiche and chorizo shakshuka. — Ani Gasparyan
Desert Kid Coffee
Details: 44-850 San Pablo Ave., Palm Desert; desertkid.coffee
Desert Kid Coffee is the brain child of Katie Reed and Joseph Eccles, two Coachella Valley natives who the kind of opened café and roastery they wish was around when they were growing up. The valley's identity can be found all throughout Desert Kid Coffee, from colors and materials used in the decor (blue and purple mosaic tiles to reflect the colors of the sky and mountains) to the name of their coffee roasts (Dry Heat and Night Hike) to the creatures used for branding (hummingbirds, coyotes and wildflowers). The two owners have traveled to foreign countries for single-origin beans, and Eccles roasts them to different variances to pull out certain flavor notes. There's also chai, matcha, baked goods made in-house and grab-and-go items. — Ema Sasic
Grill-A-Burger
Details: 73-091 Country Club Drive, Palm Desert; grill-a-burger.com
Many people claim to have the best burger, but Grill-A-Burger has more than 30 delicious and wildly unique burgers to choose from on its menu. If you're a huge Lady Gaga fan, you can sink your teeth into the Gagapalooza, which comes with frizzled imported Italian prosciutto, buttery Provolone cheese and homemade pesto mayo on a sourdough bun. Those with a taste for certain ingredients can scope out creative concoctions topped with avocados, mushrooms, bleu cheese and fire roasted green chiles, among others. There are also three options, the Tuscany, the Buddha and the Devil's Revenge, that caught "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" host Guy Fieri's attention when he visited this spot. The eatery also offers chicken sandwiches, turkey burgers, salmon, salad and other options for those looking for non-burger fare. — Ema Sasic
Sabatino’s
Details: 79-410 Highway 111, Suite 103, La Quinta; sabatinosppw.com
While you can’t go wrong with something basic, those wanting the full Sabatino’s experience should opt for the cleverly named Coachella Date Night pizza, which comes topped with bacon, goat cheese, a balsamic glaze and dates from Thermal’s Farm@54 date farm. Meat lovers, meanwhile, have no shortage of carnivorous options, including the bacon (Canadian and regular) and pepperoni-topped Porker pizza and the meat bonanza that is the Sabatino’s Special. Also available is an affordable daily lunch special, which pairs a personal pizza with a sizable Caesar or lunch salad for just $10.95. — Paul Albani-Burgio
Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com, on X @ema_sasic or on Instagram @emasasic.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Heading to Head Trip fest? Fuel up at these Indio-area eateries, cafes
