Where to eat in Palm Springs after golf: steakhouses, patios and 19th holes by area

Where to eat in Palm Springs after golf depends on which end of the valley you are in. Downtown Palm Springs has the classic steakhouses and patios on Palm Canyon Drive, El Paseo in Palm Desert is the mid-valley dinner street, and Old Town La Quinta covers PGA West. Several courses have a grill worth staying for, too.

This guide answers where to eat in Palm Springs and the rest of the valley by area, listing restaurants with the courses and hotels nearby. Places come from OpenStreetMap, pulled November 2, 2026; hours, prices and ownership were not re-checked, so confirm before you go and book ahead from January to April. Drive times are free-flow estimates.

Quick facts

• Palm Springs splurge: Melvyn's, LG's Prime Steakhouse, Mr. Lyons.
• Mid-valley splurge: Mastro's and Sullivan's on El Paseo; Morton's near Desert Willow.
• La Quinta golf dinner: Arnold Palmer's Restaurant by Old Town.
• Early breakfast: Sherman's Deli in Palm Springs; Shields Date Garden cafe in Indio.
• Best 19th holes: Escena's grill, the Big Rock Pub, Schmidy's Tavern.
• Two-location names: LG's, Fisherman's Market, La Quinta Brewing and Tommy Bahama each have a Palm Springs and a mid- or east-valley location.

Where to eat in Palm Springs, area by area

Downtown Palm Springs

For where to eat in Palm Springs itself, Palm Canyon Drive is the walk-to-dinner strip, and a downtown hotel lets a group skip the car. The Kimpton Rowan is the downtown pick for walking to dinner, 7 minutes from Indian Canyons North and 9 from Tahquitz Creek Resort.

• Melvyn's Restaurant & Lounge, at the Ingleside Inn on W Ramon Rd, is the old-school steakhouse and lounge, the classic dress-up dinner in Palm Springs.
• LG's Prime Steakhouse on S Palm Canyon Dr is the downtown steak night.
• Mr. Lyons on E Palm Canyon Dr at the south end of town is the splurge for groups based in Palm Springs.
• Las Casuelas. The Original Las Casuelas on N Palm Canyon Dr is the long-standing Mexican restaurant; Las Casuelas Terraza on S Palm Canyon Dr is its bigger downtown patio sibling.
• Lulu California Bistro has burgers, pizza and salads on a long menu, easy for a group that cannot agree.
• Bongo Johnny's Patio Bar & Grille on N Palm Canyon Dr is a loose post-round patio stop.
• The Tropicale, a block off Palm Canyon Dr near the Agua Caliente casino, suits a group night out.
• Copley's on Palm Canyon is a couples' dinner rather than a group blowout.
• Billy Reed's at the quiet north end of town does comfort food.
• Downtown seconds: Fisherman's Market & Grill, the Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar and a La Quinta Brewing taproom at 301 N Palm Canyon Dr.

For breakfast before an early tee time, Sherman's Deli & Bakery is a Jewish-style deli and bakery on E Tahquitz Canyon Way.

Clubhouse grills and pubs worth staying for

• Escena. The Escena Lounge & Grill is the 19th hole after a round, and the course notes say it runs late Wednesday to Saturday with live music Wednesday and Thursday. See the Escena course guide.
• Big Rock at Indian Springs. The course is now branded with the Big Rock Pub, a live music venue; the course notes suggest pairing a cheap round with dinner and a show. See the Big Rock course guide.
• Classic Club. Most bookings include a $25 food and drink voucher, per the club's booking page (seen November 2026). Outside alcohol is prohibited and can get a group removed without a refund.
• Eagle Falls. The Fantasy Springs casino resort next door has a casino, 24-lane bowling and concert venues for the evening.

Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert

• Lord Fletcher's on Hwy 111 in Rancho Mirage is a long-running English-pub-style dining room.
• Morton's The Steakhouse on Country Club Dr is close to Desert Willow and the north Palm Desert resorts.
• El Paseo. Mastro's Steakhouse is the mid-valley big-night splurge; book ahead in season. Sullivan's Steak House with its bar is down the street, and Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar is the patio lunch while non-golfers shop.
• Fisherman's Market & Grill near Westfield Palm Desert does casual seafood.
• Schmidy's Tavern on Hwy 111 is a neighbourhood tavern and a no-fuss 19th hole.

The best base for this is Hotel Paseo, a block off El Paseo and the best walk-to-dinner base mid-valley. It is 7 minutes from Indian Wells Golf Resort's Celebrity course and 9 from Desert Willow. See Palm Desert golf courses.

Indian Wells

• Vicky's of Santa Fe, by Indian Wells Country Club, is a long-time local favourite with steaks.
• The Nest on Hwy 111 is dinner that can turn into a late night.

La Quinta

• Arnold Palmer's Restaurant on Avenue 52 by Old Town La Quinta is the obvious golf-group dinner at this end.
• La Quinta Brewing Company has its Old Town taproom on Main St.
• LG's Prime Steakhouse has a second location on Hwy 111 in La Quinta, handy for PGA West groups.

La Quinta Resort & Club is 3 minutes from the Pete Dye Mountain course, and the Embassy Suites La Quinta is 10 minutes from the PGA West Stadium. See the Pete Dye Mountain course guide and La Quinta golf courses.

Indio

• Pueblo Viejo Grill is a Mexican restaurant in Indio, an east-valley option near the Indio courses such as Heritage Palms.
• Shields Date Garden on Hwy 111 is known for date shakes; its cafe does breakfast or lunch, and the store sells date gift boxes to take home.

Breakfast before a dawn tee time

For a first-light tee time, a hotel breakfast is the easy option:

• Residence Inn Palm Desert: free breakfast and full kitchens, 3 minutes from Desert Willow.
• Embassy Suites Palm Desert: free breakfast plus an evening reception, handy for a group that wants a drink before dinner.
• Best Western Date Tree: a well-reviewed free breakfast in Indio, 5 minutes from Heritage Palms.
• Hampton Inn Indio and Holiday Inn Express Indio: free breakfast near the east-end courses.
• Holiday Inn Express Rancho Mirage: free breakfast, central for mid-valley golf.

At the Hilton Garden Inn Rancho Mirage, a reviewer reports breakfast costs extra.

Tips on where to eat in Palm Springs with a group

1. Book ahead from January to April. Mastro's in particular is one to book ahead, and the March crush fills tee times and rooms as well. See Palm Springs events.
2. Eat near the base, not the course. It is the simplest rule for where to eat in Palm Springs. After a 40-minute drive back from La Quinta, a walkable dinner downtown or on El Paseo beats another drive.
3. Use breakfast-included hotels. Several value hotels include breakfast, which helps an early tee time and the budget. See the Palm Springs golf trip cost guide.

For more ideas off the course, read things to do in Palm Springs, and for group planning, the Palm Springs buddies golf trip guide.

Plan it on the map

Open the Palm Springs golf map to see your courses, hotels and the dining streets nearby. The $30 plan pairs each day's round with a base close to dinner, so the evening drive stays short.