Desert Hot Springs: Where to Eat

Delve into craveable salads and sandwiches at Azure Palm Café along with an organic coffee and tea bar.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRANDON HARMAN

Seasonal, locally sourced ingredients take center stage at this health-conscious café at Azure Palm Hot Springs Resort & Day Spa Oasis in Desert Hot Springs. Veggie-forward menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner feature craveable salads and sandwiches, along with grab-and-go items that rotate daily. The organic coffee and tea bar serves niche items like golden milk lattes and matcha made with almond milk, while a juice bar squeezes fresh-pressed blends that detox, cleanse, and refresh from the inside out.

There’s desert modern, and then there’s desert authentic — the kind of dusty, no-nonsense joints with dark walls and hay barrels that specialize in ice-cold beer and hearty roadside-style burgers. Dillon’s Burgers & Beers in Desert Hot Springs falls into the latter category and, known for late-night live music, has been a fixture on the scene since 1946. (People still talk about the time The Doors played here.) In addition to traditional burger patties, they prepare chicken and veggie options.

Homestyle Indian cooking abounds at ITS Taste of India in Desert Hot Springs. Though there are plenty of chicken and lamb entrées, the locally loved place is also a mecca for the meat-free set. Familiar items like cauliflower-and-potato aloo gobhi and samosas pair with veggie-stuffed naan selections.