10 Under $10

Delicious, inexpensive dishes in the desert

Site Staff Restaurants

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to eat well in the Coachella Valley. Sometimes it’s merely a matter of timing. The following restaurants offer great dishes for $10 and less. Enjoy!

West Valley

Trio Restaurant
An energetic, desert-casual atmosphere with great American modern food at reasonable prices. Lunch daily, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; dinner 4 p.m. Open seven nights a week, offering Wisconsin artisan cheese plate, $9; country paté, $9; hand-breaded calamari, $9; white bean hummus with crostini, $7.
707 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs.
760-864-8746;
www.triopalmsprings.com

Escena Lounge & Grill
Enjoy half-priced appetizers and drink specials in designated bar areas from 3 p.m. until closing. Happy hour prices: beer-battered onion ring tower, $3.50; lobster ravioli and shrimp, $4.50; Escena nachos, $5.50; blackened ahi tuna, $6.50.
Escena Golf Club, 1100 Clubhouse View Dr., Palm Springs.
760-992-0002;
www.escenagolf.com

Three Sixty North
Offers specialty cocktails, fine wines, and an enticing selection of appetizers and small plates. Happy hour Tuesday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m., with Nick’s Angus beef sliders, $5; flour tortilla chicken quesadilla, $8; Margherita pizza with fresh basil and tomatoes, $8.
360 N. Palm Canyon Dr. Palm Springs.
760-327-1773;
www.threesixtynorth.com

Las Casuelas Terraza
Serving timeless, traditional Mexican food in an environment perfect for the whole family or single folks who just want to unwind. Homemade tamales, $8.95; guacamole especial, $9.95; black bean pizza with grilled chicken, $8.95; quesadilla Terraza, $9.95.
222 S. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs.
760-325-2794;
www.lascasuelas.com

Midvalley

The Yard House
Half-priced appetizers during happy hour, Monday through Friday, 3 to 6 p.m., and Sunday through Wednesday, 10 p.m. to closing. Happy hour prices: lobster, crab & artichoke dip, $5.33; Hawaiian poke stack, $5.93; grilled sweet Korean barbecue beef, $6.43; grilled artichoke, $4.93.
71800 Hwy. 111, The River at Rancho Mirage, Rancho Mirage.
760-779-1415;
www.yardhouse.com

Enoteca Bar at Mamma Gina Ristorante
Touted as one of the desert’s best deals serving premium wines, cocktails, and food at happy hour prices Monday through Sunday, 4:30 p.m. to close. Great dishes under $10 include bruschetta classic (tomato,  garlic, and basil on toasted bread), $5; salsicce pepronata (pork sausages with bell peppers), $5.90; gamberi spiedino (shrimp skewer on sautéed spinach), $6.90; cannelloni Fiorentina (crepes stuffed with ricotta cheese), $5.
73705 El Paseo, Palm Desert.
760-568-9898;
www.mammagina.com

The 3rd Corner Wine Shop & Bistro
The 3rd Corner Wine Shop & Bistro has made eating out fun again. Its living wine list, fine food, and affordable pricing combine to create an ideal dine and wine shopping experience. Olive sampler, $6; house salad with olives and tomatoes, $6; duck confit and truffle flatbread pizza, $10; 3rd Corner hamburger, $10; smoked ham sandwich, $10.
73101 Hwy. 111, Palm Desert.
760-837-9600;
www.the3rdcorner.com

East Valley

Cliffhouse Grill & Bar
Carved into craggy granite outcroppings, Cliffhouse and Cactus Grill features a popular happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. daily (and all night Sunday). $10-and-under delights include cheeseburger, $7; Coachella Valley burger (American cheese, dates, jalapeño), $8; seared ahi sandwich, $10; grilled salmon salad, $10; Cactus Grill penne, $8; Cabo-style fish taco, $5.
78250 Hwy. 111, Point Happy, La Quinta.
760-360-5991;
www.laquintacliffhouse.com

Hog’s Breath Inn La Quinta
A younger offshoot of the famous Carmel restaurant, the Desert Hog in Old Town La Quinta offers indoor and outdoor dining with second-story views of the nearby Santa Rosa Mountains. The lively saloon is a popular gathering spot with happy hour from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Crispy calamari, $10; ahi tuna poke, $10; mushroom ravioli with smoked mozzarella and marinara, $10; prosciutto-wrapped dates, $7; iceberg wedge salad, $6.
78605 Main St., Second Floor, Old Town Carmel Building, La Quinta.
760-564-5556;
www.restaurantsofpalmsprings.com