I wanted to badly to enjoy Alice B, but we had a horribly awkward experience. Located in the first floor of a massive LGBTQ+ 55 and over living facility, the restaurant feels like it belongs in an airport or a hotel lobby. Honestly, it felt more like the dining room of my grandmother’s assisted living facility than a high end restaurant. The service was fine, and the food was fine as well, but the prices are set at a level that demands better for both. I was most looking forward to the cheddar biscuits and the caramel pot de creme, but both dishes were so rich that they left me feeling slightly nauseated rather than satiated. Of all the restaurants we dined at during our trip, this was the one true miss.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 3
Anonymous Email
We had come for brunch before and were not impressed. We figured we’d try them for dinner just for good measure. That was an expensive mistake.
This restaurant is definitely not fine dining despite what it charges. Here is why:
Can’t be bothered to bring matching wine glasses to a two top.
Waitress insisted on me tasting the wine from a screw top. The $15 a bottle rosé wine sold for $60 isn’t going to be corked because it has no cork. Also, 2022 is starting to be old for a rosé at this price. Lastly, if you are going to bring an ice bucket to the table to keep the wine chilled, you probably should have some water for the ice to cool so the wine bottle can actually be chilled. That’s wine service 101.
$16 for three tasty biscuits brought to the table with a thumb in the plate touching the food. The butter was left behind and had to be brought afterwards.
The man serving water apologized to us about it being cold. Having not complained about the temperature we were confused. He kept talking about the heaters coming next week. We finally had to tell him bluntly that nobody had complained about being cold and my wife told him she had just taken off her jacket because she was hot.
They had apparently replaced two of their menu items out of the very limited selection but could not be bothered to print new paper menus.
Let's talk prices...
$28 for a roasted sweet potato lazily cooked and served with Tahini and some pomegranate seeds.
$40 for a simple chicken schnitzel, some aioli, and a side of radicchio salad that would have been more tasty at Johannes down the street.
My wife could only eat so much of the huge roasted sweet potato because it just wasn’t that exciting. When the heater/water man came back to bus our table, he expressed shock that she would not take a box to bring home the leftovers. He really wanted to offer us more unsolicited opinion but she was able to squash it by saying no “thank you” firmly.
We decided to pass on the $15 dessert options.
Because of all of this, we will not be returning. There are so many better dining options in Palm Springs for the same price. Celebrity chef schmelebrity! You really need to do a better job at training your staff on basic restaurant etiquette if you want to be considered fine dining.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Elliot Werk
We had three people for dinner and ate outside.
The inside area looked quite nice as we passed through. It's a little bit of an odd entry since you're also entering some kind of residential complex. However the outdoor area hasn't really been finished very well. There's a nice mural on the wall but the lighting is poor. My particular seat faced a door into some back room and also the trash can area. You'd think that the least that they could do would be to screen the trash cans and back door.
Our group started with the biscuits. They were really good. And the cardamom honey was an interesting addition. We ordered the pork shoulder and the white fish (fish of the day). The pork shoulder was savory with some interesting beans and vegetables. The white fish was mushy and not very interesting.
Our waiter seemed inexperienced. And service was not exceptional in any way.
I think that, for the price, Alice B. doesn't yet live up to its promise. There are much better alternatives in the Palm Springs area for less money.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Drop Cheddar Biscuit
GIL BERTO
Service, atmosphere, and cocktails were superior. The food, the most important was heavy on the greens and light on the protein. Very limited menu sub par overall
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
EddieSan
Please be aware to heat properly the desert, mushy and cold inside? Nor god!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 5
Matthew
Amazing dinner! The biscuits might have been the best thing we've eaten all year. All dishes were great though. We sat in the main dining area, which was more casual hotel vibe, whereas the lounge looked more like the darker restaurant vibe. Depends what you want. We'll definitely be back!
Brady
Dinner was great... Food and service were spot on. Restaurant is situated in a 55+ apartment community... Which is a vibe... But honestly, the only constructive piece of feedback I'd have for the operators is the lighting is awful. The LED lighting the dining room Was eye-singeing... Took away every last bit of intimacy diners would envision in a space like that. There were candles on each table despite the fact it was as bright as a grocery store. Really want to see this space succeed... But probably wouldn't go back for dinner service until the lighting issue is resolved.
Dr. Paul
Alice B. is the absolute best restaurant in Palm Springs, hands down! Scott our server was excellent! The atmosphere was warm and inviting. The food was superb. We are used to the Culinary Scene in the Bay Area so I was impressed that finally we get a restaurant equal if not better than any restaurant in San Francisco. Thank you for making my Birthday a memorable occasion. We'll be back. Warmly, Pauly D, PSD Records, Inc.
Scott
Everything we ordered was great. Food quality & presentation were excellent. Biscuits were exceptional. My branzino was superb with crispy skin, moist inside, perfectly seasoned. Service spot on. It has a reputation for being noisy but wasn't too bad last night. They could use some acoustic sound absorption but we could hold a conversation so it wasn't all that loud.
Lisa
The valet was very nice as were the hostesses. We were seated... then... no one came to our table - we sat there for 20 minutes. Waiters walked right past us- no mention of “someone will be right with you” or “can I take your drink order”... nothing. So, we left.
Loved the food and our server (fantastic!) however, my voice was horse from having to practically yell across our table of four for the others to hear. It is EXTREMELY loud in the dining room. Highly recommend that owners need to install sound panels on the ceiling or something to lower the noise level. Extremely unpleasant. I would recommend the lounge seating or patio. Will return but never will sit in the dining room again. Second time there and same experience.
Philip
I was looking forward to dining at Alice B. since hearing about its arrival at the PS Food and Wine Festival when I had the pleasure of meeting Susan Fenniger and she signed her cook book. The $30/pp fixed price menu was attractive and we looked forward to the meal when I got the email alerting us of the the Last Sunday Supper! It was on Sunday, September 29th and featured: HEARTS OF ROMAINE vinaigrette . mustard breadcrumbs . parmigiano reggiano MARY'S CHICKEN COQ AU VIN with potato puree or ROOT VEGETABLE MUSHROOM “COQ AU VIN” (vegetarian) with potato puree and for dessert there was a lovely VANILLA PUDDING The arrival was seamless and we were met by a valet parking attendant who was cheerful, smiling and wished us a good dinner. Valet parking is free and there is no self parking. You enter the building and you realize that the dining room is in the lobby of the new apartment complex. It is open, airy and beautifully decorated with warm tones, woods, rich fabrics and dim lighting. The salad was nice. But just ok. The dressing was missing acid and really had no flavor. The salad was chopped very finely so we both had trouble picking up the lettuce with our forks. It was ok. The main course was also ok. The chicken was very tender, meat falling off the bones. But the flavor was missing. There was a need of salt and and any wine flavor had long cooked off. The puree was great, but the sauce was lacking the richness of a Coq au vin one would expect. Pity. It was clearly cooked for hours and the presentation and portion size were great. The desert was... cute. A mini-desert shooter of vanilla pudding with some Nilla wafer crumbles on top. It was runny and would be better if it was thicker. I am SO glad we ordered the signature corn bread. It was a winner! Overall it was just ok. We waited for a good 25 min before we met our waitress. We did get water within 10 min. I know they were busy, but still. We will go back, but probably for lunch. Grade: B-
Ivy
The Sunday supper is the best deal in Palm Springs: 3 courses for $30, an unbeatable deal for beautifully prepared food. Service is topnotch. Whatever you do, do not miss ordering the cornmeal cheddar biscuits, which you will dream about long after the meal is done. The only issue I had was the romaine salad that accompanied the Sunday supper as the first course. It had very little taste and looked thrown together without much love. One additional ingredient - some thinly sliced parm, a bit of sliced apple or some toasted nuts, would have gone a long way to make this above average.
David
Always a pleasant experience, very accommodating in changing our table. Food is always good but wish the menu would change more or additional specials! All in all always a great experience!
Rodney
We dined for my partners birthday last night with friends and the dinner was amazing! Our friends were visiting from London and we told them we must have the biscuits. They were like "Really? We aren't fans of American biscuits". Well once they came to the table and they tried, they changed their tune. We also had the steak and pork shoulder as our entrees and loved every bite. Karen was our server and she was such a delight and attentive. We took her name to ask for her on next visit. Which will be soon :)
I wanted to badly to enjoy Alice B, but we had a horribly awkward experience. Located in the first floor of a massive LGBTQ+ 55 and over living facility, the restaurant feels like it belongs in an airport or a hotel lobby. Honestly, it felt more like the dining room of my grandmother’s assisted living facility than a high end restaurant. The service was fine, and the food was fine as well, but the prices are set at a level that demands better for both. I was most looking forward to the cheddar biscuits and the caramel pot de creme, but both dishes were so rich that they left me feeling slightly nauseated rather than satiated. Of all the restaurants we dined at during our trip, this was the one true miss.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 3
We had come for brunch before and were not impressed. We figured we’d try them for dinner just for good measure. That was an expensive mistake.
This restaurant is definitely not fine dining despite what it charges. Here is why:
Can’t be bothered to bring matching wine glasses to a two top.
Waitress insisted on me tasting the wine from a screw top. The $15 a bottle rosé wine sold for $60 isn’t going to be corked because it has no cork. Also, 2022 is starting to be old for a rosé at this price. Lastly, if you are going to bring an ice bucket to the table to keep the wine chilled, you probably should have some water for the ice to cool so the wine bottle can actually be chilled. That’s wine service 101.
$16 for three tasty biscuits brought to the table with a thumb in the plate touching the food. The butter was left behind and had to be brought afterwards.
The man serving water apologized to us about it being cold. Having not complained about the temperature we were confused. He kept talking about the heaters coming next week. We finally had to tell him bluntly that nobody had complained about being cold and my wife told him she had just taken off her jacket because she was hot.
They had apparently replaced two of their menu items out of the very limited selection but could not be bothered to print new paper menus.
Let's talk prices...
$28 for a roasted sweet potato lazily cooked and served with Tahini and some pomegranate seeds.
$40 for a simple chicken schnitzel, some aioli, and a side of radicchio salad that would have been more tasty at Johannes down the street.
My wife could only eat so much of the huge roasted sweet potato because it just wasn’t that exciting. When the heater/water man came back to bus our table, he expressed shock that she would not take a box to bring home the leftovers. He really wanted to offer us more unsolicited opinion but she was able to squash it by saying no “thank you” firmly.
We decided to pass on the $15 dessert options.
Because of all of this, we will not be returning. There are so many better dining options in Palm Springs for the same price. Celebrity chef schmelebrity! You really need to do a better job at training your staff on basic restaurant etiquette if you want to be considered fine dining.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
We had three people for dinner and ate outside.
The inside area looked quite nice as we passed through. It's a little bit of an odd entry since you're also entering some kind of residential complex. However the outdoor area hasn't really been finished very well. There's a nice mural on the wall but the lighting is poor. My particular seat faced a door into some back room and also the trash can area. You'd think that the least that they could do would be to screen the trash cans and back door.
Our group started with the biscuits. They were really good. And the cardamom honey was an interesting addition. We ordered the pork shoulder and the white fish (fish of the day). The pork shoulder was savory with some interesting beans and vegetables. The white fish was mushy and not very interesting.
Our waiter seemed inexperienced. And service was not exceptional in any way.
I think that, for the price, Alice B. doesn't yet live up to its promise. There are much better alternatives in the Palm Springs area for less money.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Drop Cheddar Biscuit
Service, atmosphere, and cocktails were superior. The food, the most important was heavy on the greens and light on the protein. Very limited menu sub par overall
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Please be aware to heat properly the desert, mushy and cold inside? Nor god!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 5
Amazing dinner! The biscuits might have been the best thing we've eaten all year. All dishes were great though. We sat in the main dining area, which was more casual hotel vibe, whereas the lounge looked more like the darker restaurant vibe. Depends what you want. We'll definitely be back!
Dinner was great... Food and service were spot on. Restaurant is situated in a 55+ apartment community... Which is a vibe... But honestly, the only constructive piece of feedback I'd have for the operators is the lighting is awful. The LED lighting the dining room Was eye-singeing... Took away every last bit of intimacy diners would envision in a space like that. There were candles on each table despite the fact it was as bright as a grocery store. Really want to see this space succeed... But probably wouldn't go back for dinner service until the lighting issue is resolved.
Alice B. is the absolute best restaurant in Palm Springs, hands down! Scott our server was excellent! The atmosphere was warm and inviting. The food was superb. We are used to the Culinary Scene in the Bay Area so I was impressed that finally we get a restaurant equal if not better than any restaurant in San Francisco. Thank you for making my Birthday a memorable occasion. We'll be back. Warmly, Pauly D, PSD Records, Inc.
Everything we ordered was great. Food quality & presentation were excellent. Biscuits were exceptional. My branzino was superb with crispy skin, moist inside, perfectly seasoned. Service spot on. It has a reputation for being noisy but wasn't too bad last night. They could use some acoustic sound absorption but we could hold a conversation so it wasn't all that loud.
The valet was very nice as were the hostesses. We were seated... then... no one came to our table - we sat there for 20 minutes. Waiters walked right past us- no mention of “someone will be right with you” or “can I take your drink order”... nothing. So, we left.
Restaurantji Recommends
Loved the food and our server (fantastic!) however, my voice was horse from having to practically yell across our table of four for the others to hear. It is EXTREMELY loud in the dining room. Highly recommend that owners need to install sound panels on the ceiling or something to lower the noise level. Extremely unpleasant. I would recommend the lounge seating or patio. Will return but never will sit in the dining room again. Second time there and same experience.
I was looking forward to dining at Alice B. since hearing about its arrival at the PS Food and Wine Festival when I had the pleasure of meeting Susan Fenniger and she signed her cook book. The $30/pp fixed price menu was attractive and we looked forward to the meal when I got the email alerting us of the the Last Sunday Supper! It was on Sunday, September 29th and featured: HEARTS OF ROMAINE vinaigrette . mustard breadcrumbs . parmigiano reggiano MARY'S CHICKEN COQ AU VIN with potato puree or ROOT VEGETABLE MUSHROOM “COQ AU VIN” (vegetarian) with potato puree and for dessert there was a lovely VANILLA PUDDING The arrival was seamless and we were met by a valet parking attendant who was cheerful, smiling and wished us a good dinner. Valet parking is free and there is no self parking. You enter the building and you realize that the dining room is in the lobby of the new apartment complex. It is open, airy and beautifully decorated with warm tones, woods, rich fabrics and dim lighting. The salad was nice. But just ok. The dressing was missing acid and really had no flavor. The salad was chopped very finely so we both had trouble picking up the lettuce with our forks. It was ok. The main course was also ok. The chicken was very tender, meat falling off the bones. But the flavor was missing. There was a need of salt and and any wine flavor had long cooked off. The puree was great, but the sauce was lacking the richness of a Coq au vin one would expect. Pity. It was clearly cooked for hours and the presentation and portion size were great. The desert was... cute. A mini-desert shooter of vanilla pudding with some Nilla wafer crumbles on top. It was runny and would be better if it was thicker. I am SO glad we ordered the signature corn bread. It was a winner! Overall it was just ok. We waited for a good 25 min before we met our waitress. We did get water within 10 min. I know they were busy, but still. We will go back, but probably for lunch. Grade: B-
The Sunday supper is the best deal in Palm Springs: 3 courses for $30, an unbeatable deal for beautifully prepared food. Service is topnotch. Whatever you do, do not miss ordering the cornmeal cheddar biscuits, which you will dream about long after the meal is done. The only issue I had was the romaine salad that accompanied the Sunday supper as the first course. It had very little taste and looked thrown together without much love. One additional ingredient - some thinly sliced parm, a bit of sliced apple or some toasted nuts, would have gone a long way to make this above average.
Always a pleasant experience, very accommodating in changing our table. Food is always good but wish the menu would change more or additional specials! All in all always a great experience!
We dined for my partners birthday last night with friends and the dinner was amazing! Our friends were visiting from London and we told them we must have the biscuits. They were like "Really? We aren't fans of American biscuits". Well once they came to the table and they tried, they changed their tune. We also had the steak and pork shoulder as our entrees and loved every bite. Karen was our server and she was such a delight and attentive. We took her name to ask for her on next visit. Which will be soon :)
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