Satisfy Your A.M. Cravings at These Egg-celent Eateries
Breakfast is considered to be the most important meal of the day, and in Greater Palm Springs, there’s no shortage of choices when it comes to selecting which morning dish you’re in the mood to enjoy. From homestyle, tried-and-true classics like eggs and a hearty stack of pancakes to more avant-garde selections like candy-coated bacon or French toast topped with Swiss cheese, there’s a little something for everyone to dig into at the breakfast table in the desert. Here are our top picks for the best breakfast spots in Greater Palm Springs that might even make you want to stay for lunch and dinner.
Cork & Fork
Cork & Fork started as a small wine bar but recently relocated to a sleek and spacious new location, complete with jewel tones and velvet chairs. Not only that, but they also just curated a Sunday brunch menu that will launch on Nov. 19! Just like their dinner menu, the brunch focuses on seasonal items and a weekly special. It’s a classier brunch with lobster deviled eggs to share with the table, lemon ricotta pancakes served with creme fraiche and a green eggs and ham pizza topped with prosciutto, pesto, a sunny-side up egg, mozzarella and guajillo chili oil for an extra kick. There is a vegan-friendly section with dishes like truffle pizza—made using vegan cheese, mushrooms, and baby kale.
Since this is a wine bar, after all, there will of course be brunch libations. At the new location, Cork & Fork upgraded to a full liquor license, so you can get a Boujee Bloody Mary garnished with grilled shrimp and their Billionaire Bacon (glazed with things like chile de arbol and pink peppercorn). Start light with a strawberry Aperol spritz, or go big with their option of bottomless mimosas.
Location: Indio
Heirloom Craft Kitchen
Tucked between the cities of Indio and La Quinta in the Citrus Plaza, Heirloom Craft Kitchen brings a fresh approach to casual dining with dishes full of locally sourced ingredients. Award-winning Executive Chef and Owner, Andie Hubka, places an emphasis on farm-to-table dining and her menus at Heirloom Craft Kitchen cater to a variety of dietary needs and preferences. The brunch menu features a tasty array of unique bites like the Midnight Sandwich with applewood bacon, spinach, cheddar garlic herb aioli, and a fried egg, and the short rib Benny, crafted with brioche toast, wild mushrooms, an over easy egg, lemon truffle hollandaise, and scallions. The restaurant even has an entirely vegan menu with plates like the vegan lemony avocado toast, vegan po’boy and vegan heirloom tomato salad. There’s even an Impossible Menu for those who like their protein plant-based!
Location: Indio
GiGi’s
Gigi’s expansive patio is a fun spot to grab brunch with the crew on a nice day in Palm Springs. They do creative takes on retro-American food—think pigs in a blanket made with Wagyu and pink truffle aioli or a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich topped with black truffle and Calabrian chili aioli. Don’t forget to order the Flamingo Spritz: a cocktail of Aperol, peach vodka, blood orange and champagne, which is served in a flamingo-shaped glass—do it for the ‘Gram.
Location: Palm Springs
Chúla Artisan Eatery
This Latina-owned eatery in La Quinta serves up Spanish and Mexican-inspired dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. Try the owner’s creative spin on her mom’s chilaquiles recipes. Here, they’re topped with onion jam, poached egg, avocado and your choice of protein and red or green sauce. Other good options include the huevos rancheros, served with cactus corn tortillas, or the omelets stuffed with green chile. The pancakes here may be vegan and gluten-free, but it’s totally worth ordering a stack.
Location: La Quinta
Felipe’s Fine Mexican Food
This family-run Mexican restaurant has been serving some of Palm Springs’ best Mexican food for a few years now, but this past year, they have really embraced the brunch lifestyle. There are traditional Mexican dishes, like chilaquiles and huevos rancheros, and ones that are more unique, such as a bowl of menudo, but you can also find coffee cream pancakes and French toast bites here. Most importantly, though, their mimosa or margarita towers really make the vibe.
Location: Palm Springs
The Pink Cabana
This Moroccan-inspired spot at the Sands Hotel & Spa wins extra points for the aesthetics with its pastel pink booths and ceilings against the emerald green geometric floor tiles. The weekday breakfast menu offers classic breakfast items like the Cabana Benedict, with the option of classing it up with Dungeness crab, while the weekend brunch brings on more Moroccan-leaning dishes like shakshuka made with chorizo. There are some fun cocktails, as well, like the Cabana Colada that’s perfect for embracing the Palm Springs lifestyle.
Location: Palm Springs
Boozehounds
Stylish, spacious and dog-friendly, Boozehounds is a destination for dog-lovers and the dog-less alike. The restaurant offers globally inspired comfort food that’ll send your tastebuds soaring. At brunch, biscuits are served with longanisa sausage gravy, and instead of steak and eggs, you’ll find Korean spare ribs with your eggs. Boozehounds does a solid cocktail menu as you’d expect from the name—but if you really want to get the party started, opt for the bottomless Aperol spritz. Also, not only is the patio here dog-friendly, but the pups even get their own food menu.
Location: Palm Springs
Brunch 101
With a name like Brunch 101, you know what this new spot in Cathedral City is all about. They just opened in early 2023 and have been drawing a crowd for weekend brunches ever since. Brunch 101 offers everything from lighter bites (acai bowls) to more filling options, such as the Hangover Omelet or the pork belly hash drizzled with Hollandaise sauce. On the drinks side, check out the mimosa flight that offers four different flavors—from French lavender to pineapple mango.
Location: Cathedral City
Cheeky’s
This Palm Springs brunch classic is going strong even after 15 years for good reason—one of those reasons being their bacon flight. There are five different flavors of bacon here, from applewood smoked to bourbon apricot and jalapeño. At Cheeky’s, cheesy scrambled eggs are served alongside cheddar scones, and chilaquiles come with chorizo and tomatillo. This place gets quite busy on the weekend, so plan accordingly in order to get one of their famous cinnamon rolls before they sell out for the day.
Location: Palm Springs
Jake’s
A chic bistro with a charming courtyard, Jake’s is a popular spot for good reason. You’ll find European-inspired fare on their brunch menu, including a croque Benedict, which is a mix between a croque madame and eggs Benedict. The savory waffle sandwich is a decadent option with smoked ham, cheddar and apple honey mustard pressed between Belgian waffles. Jake’s also offers a large selection of cocktails, with most of them perfectly refreshing for a warm desert day.
Location: Palm Springs
Farm
Farm is a charming spot in the back of the La Plaza center in downtown that transports you to the Provence countryside with their bistro chairs and vine-covered walls. They serve up farm-to-table French brunch fare like a classic croque madame with gruyere cheese and bechamel, but we’re all about the crêpes here. For a savory brunch treat, try the crêpe “complete”: folded over jambon de Paris, gruyere cheese and topped with a runny egg. If you have a sweet tooth, they have six different kinds of sweet crêpes to satisfy you.
Location: Palm Springs
Juniper Table
The all-day cafe at the Kimpton Rowan hotel serves a quintessentially Californian breakfast menu in a casual but chic environment. The menu keeps it simple with fresh ingredients. There’s smoked salmon toast on sourdough, a breakfast tostada with crispy potatoes and chorizo and brioche French toast. The all-day menu also includes salads and hand-rolled trofie pasta. Plus, they whip up some of the city’s best lattes, so this is a great place to get your caffeine fix.
Location: Palm Springs
Cups Cafe
This cute cafe offers quite the abundance of options for breakfast. Pancakes? There are four different options. Omelets? You can even make them fajita-style. Benedicts? Pick between the traditional Canadian bacon or lobster, or even make it gluten-free by having the eggs served over whole avocados instead of an English muffin. They also offer a bigger selection of coffee drinks, ranging from a hazelnut latte to a drink they call Pau’s Coffee, made with caramel, chocolate and espresso, making this brunch a good pick-me-up.
Location: Palm Desert
TWENTY6
This bistro is tucked inside the hacienda-style La Quinta Resort and boasts a charming outdoor dining area that’s perfect for brunch. The restaurant is well-known for its eggs Benedict. There are three types offered, including a vegan option with portobello mushrooms. There are plenty of savory options like the breakfast bowl: a mixture of sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, quinoa, poached eggs and more. There are also sweet treats like the cinnamon-spiced French toast, served with 100% maple syrup and mixed berry compote.
Location: La Quinta
Wilma & Frieda
Named after the owner’s two grandmothers, you can expect all the best comfort food at Wilma & Frieda. They have two locations in the Greater Palm Springs area, making it easier than ever to grab some of their banana caramel French toast, made with a thick cut of brioche bread and topped with some sour cream. There’s plenty of savory options like their signature meatloaf, served with two eggs any style. There are also plenty of vegan and gluten-free dishes available, but you won’t want to leave without trying one of their famous homemade pop tarts!
Location: Palm Springs and Palm Desert
Norma’s
The Parker is one of the most exclusive hotels in Palm Springs, but Norma’s colorful, open-air dining room makes for a fun and casual daytime dining. They serve breakfast all day and night (until 10 p.m.), so you can still brunch even if that hangover makes you sleep in. It’s a luxe property, so they have things like the Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata (starts at $150 with 1 ounce of white sturgeon reserve caviar), but there are also regular brunch items for the rest of us 99%-ers like the crunchy French toast coated with Rice Krispies.
Location: Palm Springs
The Cafe at Shields
Yep, the outdoor cafe at Shields Date Garden is actually a fabulous spot to grab brunch in Greater Palm Springs. The menu is Mexican-influenced, including a popular beef sope—deep-fried masa topped with shredded beef, beans, poached egg, queso fresco and red or green sauce. Of course, dates make it in various menu items here. Try the date pancakes mixed with date butter and sprinkled with more dates. For the adventurous ones, try the Date Me Omelet, stuffed with bell pepper, ham, onion, bacon, and—you guess it—dates.
Location: Indio
King’s Highway
Ace Hotel & Swim Club makes diners cool again with their signature restaurant, King’s Highway. The restaurant is set in an old Denny’s, but they’ve revamped it into a stylish space—as one would expect from any Ace Hotel. The breakfast menu has all the California classics, from a breakfast burrito to ricotta pancakes to eggs Benedict, except their Canadian bacon here has been smoked with mesquite. Fresh-pressed juices, date shakes and bloody marys round out the morning menu.
Location: Palm Springs
Chi Chi Restaurant
This sunny restaurant at the Avalon Hotel offers outdoor brunch with a view of their sparkling swimming pool. There are fresh-pressed juices and avocado toasts for those who want to start the day on a lighter and healthier note, but there are also more decadent dishes on offer, including a breakfast burrito and sweet potato pancakes. Bacon lovers shouldn’t miss their thick-cut bacon, which can be ordered with certain breakfast items or as a side.
Location: Palm Springs
Grand Central Palm Springs
This cafe downtown is a locals’ favorite, fitting for its name inspired by Grand Central Station, which is a central meeting point in New York. There are staples like the crowd-favorite chilaquiles and buttermilk pancakes, as well as more inspired fare like the mushroom toast served with hummus, crispy chickpeas, panko-crusted egg and za’atar. This restaurant also uses their space as a gallery for local artists, so be sure to check out the artwork while you’re there.
Location: Palm Springs
The Palms Cafe
The Palms Cafe is a no-frills cafe that serves up some solid breakfast in a relaxed environment, surrounded by vintage car-themed decor and cafeteria-style booths and tables. The comforting dishes here are great hangover cures, from the corned beef hash and chicken fried steak to perfectly crispy hash browns. There are almost a dozen options for omelets, but make sure to save room for some of their pancakes. They’re made with real buttermilk and are quite popular among the regulars.
Location: Rancho Mirage
