Brunch is sacred.
It’s embedded into weekend routines. A treat while on vacation. The catalyst to epic arguments between family members when no one can agree where to go.
The Coachella Valley certainly doesn’t make it easy for brunch-lovers to decide where they want to spend this liminal time of the day, with a perpetual list of restaurants that know how to make a darn good stack of pancakes. Here are just five local eateries to help narrow things down the next time you’re searching for the kind of joy that only being drunk on mimosas at 1 p.m. can bring.
Wilma and Frieda's
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. If that’s a philosophy you abide by, then visit Wilma and Frieda’s the next time you’re in the Palm Springs area. It is much loved by both locals and visitors,
with locations in Palm Springs and Palm Desert. Both spots have above four stars on Yelp, which anyone that avidly checks the platform knows is a sign of good food when you’ve got reviewers who would ding a place for not telepathically knowing they think cilantro tastes like soap. Its popularity does mean there might be a long line to get a seat depending on the time of day, but sometimes sacrifices have to be made for a good brunch. Menu highlights include a churro waffle, short rib eggs benedict and a build-your-own scramble. There are also non-breakfast items like a BBQ chicken salad, hamburger and French onion grilled roast beef melt.
Details: 155 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; and 73-575 El Paseo, Palm Desert, wilmafrieda.com
Chúla Artisan Eatery
Chúla Artisan Eatery is a charming Mexican restaurant in La Quinta that makes its dishes with local organic and fresh ingredients. Katherine Gonzalez, restaurant owner and chef, used to sell tamales, chips and salsas at farmers markets based on her mom’s recipes. She wanted to bring fresh, homemade food with cultural roots to the valley. And so she opened her farm-to-table restaurant. Chúla's seasonal menu features Mexican dishes like a tamale bowl and chilaquiles, in addition to classic brunch favorites like avocado toast, eggs and pancakes. You’d be remiss to not check out its bakery, which includes bread pudding of the day and flourless chocolate cake. Note: Chúla also has vegan and vegetarian options.
Details: 47-150 Washington St., La Quinta, 760-227-6616, chulaeatery.com
Brunch 101
It’s clear from the name that Brunch 101 has all things brunch-related covered. Located in downtown Cathedral City, it's near other restaurants like Desert Thai and entertainment like Mary Pickford Theatre. You could theoretically fill your day here without having to drive more than once. But the real draw is Brunch 101’s food, which has a generous split of breakfast and lunch options to please all the different cravings of a group. Favorites include the cinnamon French toast, buttermilk pancakes, almond cakes and Belgian waffles. If you’re not much for sweets, consider the omelets, pork belly hash, steak & eggs, red chilaquiles or smoked salmon toast. Brunch 101 also serves a myriad of sandwiches, burgers, salads, nachos, tacos and health-conscious choices like overnight oats. It has plenty of drinks, including a mimosa flight (pineapple mango, raspberry hibiscus, passion fruit & French lavender), coffee & Irish cream, iced boba coffee and guava refresher mocktail.
Details: 68-718 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City, 760-507-8464, brunch101.com
The Pink Cabana
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 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.
Details: 44-985 Province Way, Indian Wells, 760-321-3771, sandshotelandspa.com/dining-bar
L'Atelier Cafe
L’Atelier Cafe is a cozy little French restaurant nestled in downtown Palm Springs. Its menu is filled with French favorites like croissants, quiches and crepes. This includes a croissant salmon benedict, veggie quiche and crepe jambon gruyere. The menu also features egg-based entrees, sandwiches, salads, soup and plenty of drinks like coffee, juice, wine, beer and mimosas. That means you could go all-out by ordering something like its omelette de Paris filled with brie cheese, tomatoes, baby spinach and caramelized onions with a cup of coffee and mimosa. Or have a lighter meal if you're still full from dinner, like its crepe au sucre with a cappuccino. Note: This is a small spot, so it might be better for a smaller group or solo date. Notably, it has 4.6 stars on Yelp, which is quite an accomplishment.
Details: 129 La Plaza, Palm Springs, 760-778-7895, latelier-cafe.res-menu.net
Ani Gasparyan covers the western Coachella Valley cities of Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City. Reach her at ani.gasparyan@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Best Palm Springs restaurants for breakfast? Try these 5 spots
