Late-night bites in the west valley: Here's where to grab food and drinks after 9 p.m.
Sometimes you just want a bowl of mac and cheese at midnight.
But late-night eats in the west Coachella Valley can be hard to come by. We’ve all been there: You’re out with friends or on a date and don’t want the night to end, but everything except fast food restaurants seems to have closed at 9 p.m.
This isn't exactly the Valley That Never Sleeps, after all.
There are options, though. Here are just a few spots to enjoy food and drinks in Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City late into the night. We'll take a look at late night-spots in the rest of the valley later.
Open after 9 p.m.
Shop(pe) Ice Cream & Shop
Hours: Noon - 10 p.m. Sunday - Thursday; Noon - 11 p.m. Friday - Saturday
Location: 1551 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite A, Palm Springs
This ice cream shop is a tasty stop for those nights you’re craving something a little sweet. It’s also located near several restaurants like 1501 Uptown Gastropub, Sandfish Sushi & Whiskey and The Heyday if you’re looking for dessert after dinner.
You can check the shop's Instagram beforehand to see what flavors it's scooping. My favorite at the moment is birthday cake, but the business offers a variety of flavors such as Coachella Valley date, triple chocolate, cookies & cream and lavender. It has vegan options too.
A corner of the store is a gift shop that sells adorable items like cards, stickers, candles and art prints that you can browse through and buy if you’re so inclined. You can enjoy your ice cream on their outdoor patio and even play a game of Jenga with friends.
Luchador Brewing Company
Hours: 11:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Monday - Thursday (stops serving food at 9 p.m.); 11:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. Friday (stops serving food at 9:30 p.m.); 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m. Saturday (stops serving food at 9:30 p.m.); 9:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Sunday (stops serving food at 9 p.m.), according to Luchador Brewing Company's website
Location: 68-510 E. Palm Canyon Drive #140, Cathedral City
Luchador Brewing Company is a fun spot for fans of wrestling and/or beer. There’s no shortage of brews to try, and right now they're highlighting their Lucha Lager, Señor Peach, Stomping on Berries, and Mocha en la Cabeza, according to its online menu. Flavors switch out from time to time, so no beer connoisseur could get bored of this place.
The brewery also serves food from a “food truck” — a car that was converted into a food counter inside the restaurant. Dishes are inspired by Tijuana street food, and include a variety of tacos, carne asada fries and more. The menu consists of small plates at relatively affordable prices, so you can choose to order a couple dishes to enjoy as a group or on your own.
Tea Momo Tea Shoppe
Hours: Noon - 10 p.m. Monday - Thursday; 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Friday - Sunday
Location: 35-877 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City
Tea Momo Tea Shoppe offers a variety of drinks like iced milk or fruit teas, slushies and smoothies. This includes favorites like Thai, Hokkaido and brown sugar milk teas. You can get them with toppings like brown sugar boba, lychee jelly, passion fruit popping boba and creme brûlée foam.
Casa Blanca Restaurant
Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. every day in Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs and Palm Desert; 7:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sunday - Wednesday, and 7:30 a.m. - midnight Thursday - Saturday in Palm Springs
Location: 34-272 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City; 66-370 Pierson Blvd., Desert Hot Springs; 72-286 Highway 111, Suite J3-4, Palm Desert; 140 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
If your late-night craving is Mexican food, consider this local favorite with lots of options for food and drinks. Hit up this spot especially if you’re a margarita fan — their menu features several fun flavors like tajin, tamarindo, melon, peach and more.
Friday Nights on Pierson
Hours: 6 -10 p.m. every Friday
Where: 11-940 Palm Drive, Desert Hot Springs
Desert Hot Springs' latest event, Friday Nights on Pierson, offers food trucks and vendors for people to check out and kick off their weekend with a full stomach. Grab a casual meal like tacos or sandwiches for dinner while you enjoy live music and downtown Desert Hot Springs.
Open after 10 p.m.
Paul Bar/Food
Hours: 4 - 11 p.m. Wednesday - Thursday, 4 p.m. - midnight Friday - Saturday, 4 - 10 p.m. Sunday (kitchen open until 10 p.m.), according to Paul Bar/Food's website
Location: 3700 E. Vista Chino, Palm Springs
This place doesn’t look like much from the outside, but don't let the unassuming exterior fool you. Paul Bar/Food offers a great atmosphere with delicious food and drinks. It's small and can get quite popular, so you may have to wait a bit for a seat depending on when you go (especially because they don't take reservations).
You can definitely just go for drinks, but I also recommend going for dinner sometime so you can try one of their entrees like the short rib dip or vegan yellow curry.
El Matador Mexican Restaurant
Hours: 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday
Location: 13-450 Palm Drive, Desert Hot Springs
This spot was featured in the first-ever Desert Hot Springs taco tour earlier this year. It of course offers tacos, but also other dishes like burritos, fajitas and enchiladas. You can dine in until 9 p.m. or get your food from a take-out window until 11 p.m. to enjoy outside.
Open after 11 p.m.
I Heart Mac and Cheese
Hours: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Sunday - Thursday, except closed on Tuesday; 11 a.m. - 2:30 a.m. Friday - Saturday, according to I Heart Mac & Cheese's website
Location: 190 S. Indian Canyon Drive in Palm Springs
Who doesn’t heart mac and cheese? This spot is open until 2:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and until 10 p.m. every other day of the week except when it's closed on Tuesdays. You can get dishes like mac and cheese bowls, grilled cheeses, tomato soup and tater tots.
I recommend customizing a mac and cheese bowl so you can get something exactly to your taste. There are also vegan options.
Playoffs Sports Lounge
Hours: Noon - midnight Sunday - Thursday, Noon - 2 a.m. Friday - Saturday
Location: 12-105 Palm Drive, Desert Hot Springs
It should come as no surprise that most places open after 11 p.m. in the west Coachella Valley are bars. Playoffs is a local hangout spot with a fun atmosphere that also does LGBTQ events called “Rainbow Wednesdays” on the last Wednesday of the month. One of the most recent events was Drunk Drag Charity Bingo, and events like that usually start around 7 p.m. Check the Playoffs Facebook page for details.
Shamrocks Irish Pub
Hours: 10 a.m. - around 2 a.m. every day
Location: 238 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
This watering hole is a classic pub in the middle of downtown Palm Springs. It's close to several restaurants and shops, so you can stop by after spending the day walking around downtown, enjoying dinner or drinking at another spot. Pro tip: The separate restaurant in the same building as the bar, Mickey's Kitchen, serves up Mexican food from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Tonga Hut
Hours: 5 - 10 p.m. Tuesday, 7 p.m. - midnight Wednesday, 5 p.m. - midnight Thursday, 5 p.m. - 1 a.m. Friday, 3 p.m. - 1 a.m. Saturday, 3 - 11 p.m. Sunday, according to Tonga Hut's website.
Location: 254 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
Right by Shamrocks Irish Pub, Tonga Hut serves delicious drinks and also food when their kitchen is open. I went after walking around VillageFest, Palm Springs' Thursday night market that's held on the same street as the bar from 7 to 10 p.m., which was a perfect way to end the night. Tonga Hut has both indoor and balcony seating.
Denny’s
Hours: Open 24/7
Location: 69-050 Highway 111, Cathedral City; 1201 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; and 63-960 20th Ave., North Palm Springs
I did my best to exclude any major food chains from this list, but leaving Denny’s out of a late-night itinerary feels almost taboo. It's always there for you, you know what you’re getting, and at a certain point in the night, anywhere you can sit in a quiet booth will do.
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: The ultimate guide to late-night bites in the Palm Springs area
