John Henry's Cafe

Great food, friendly staff and an amazing outdoor patio.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Great start!

I heard friends talking about this place and haven't been able to make it until now. I was able to get a reservation on thier last night before closing for the summer.

I started with the broiled artichoke. This was a great start! The artichoke with parmesan tasted on top was so flavorful.

For my main, I ordered the beef stroganoff. The beef was so tender with the egg noodles cooked to perfection and the sauce topped it off, Yum!! It also came with carrots and green beans. Loved the veggies!!

The ambiance was surprising, I'm not sure what to expect, but it was smaller than I thought. Interesting art on the walls. I was hoping it would have been cooler so I could enjoy the outside seating with the big tree and lights, but I'll definitely come back when they open.

The service was great, so attentive and professional.

John Henry’s Cafe is an absolute must-visit! From the moment we walked in, we were treated like royalty—especially thanks to Sheryl, our phenomenal server. She was warm, attentive, and made the entire experience feel personal and effortless.

Now let’s talk food: the escargot was rich, buttery perfection—delicately garlicky and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. But the real star of the show? The macadamia nut-encrusted sole. It’s not just good—it’s life-changing. Perfectly cooked, delicately crisp on the outside, and bursting with flavor.

This place is what fine dining with heart looks like. Can’t wait to come back!

Got the coconut cake and ice cream, but only get one for the table because it’s huge

One of the best places I have ever been in Palm Springs. All the food was delicious. The Cosmopolitan was scrumptious. Our waitress was also excellent. I highly recommend!!!!!

Great atmosphere and friendly service with great quality food

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Coconut Cake with Pineapple Ice Cream, Caesar Salad, Salad, Escargots, Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, Baked Brie

I am so sorry that I waited years before trying J.H.'s
The restaurant is as unassuming as its location. But once you step in, wow! Fantastic ambiance, good service, and amazing food.
After 35 years... it set its place on my top 10. Don't make the same mistake I made. Make a reservation today!

Always a beautiful experience and food! Deserts are large... One can feed four!

Four of us had dinner on a Friday evening. The restaurant was quite busy, but our server was friendly and attentive. Our food was adequate but nothing special. I had the salmon which was slightly over cooked (I wasn’t asked how I liked my salmon prepared); one of us had the crusted sole (quite good); another had chicken Parmesan (fairly good). Our fourth friend had the half chicken which was so dry it was inedible. To the restaurant’s credit, after he complained they offered him another entree (he chose the sole) which was nicely prepared. All of our meals came with a salad which was just okay. After our dinner we shared a piece of lemon sunshine cake (huge!) with ice cream, which was very good. Overall it was a pleasant evening, but the food was basically average and not memorable considering the fairly high prices.

I have been a regular visitor to Palm Springs and John Henrys for over 20 years. Sad to say the service and the food has deteriorated over the last few years. The evening, we visited the waiter got our order wrong with no apologies after stating they are very busy (not our problem). With over 60 items on the menu, it is fair to say there lies the problem. One has to ask the question had do the prep and cook so many different options. Of the 4 appetizers 2 were good and 2 were below average. 3 of us ordered "Todays Chef Specials" The swordfish was dry and the linguini with fresh and chopped clams (not fresh) tasteless. We skipped dessert. We will not be back.

Brought some friends here for their Birthday's. The couple was happy with their meals and we are planning to make this an annual event.

My wife and I invited two couple to dinner to reciprocate for them entertaining us. We arrived at the restaurant early so I could make arrangements to get the check. The host suggested I give him my credit card, which I did. We were seated before our guests arrived. The server came over and I asked if the host had given him my credit card. I explained why and he said he would grab the card. Our guests arrived and the server returned to the table. The first words out of his mouth were, “One check or separate checks?” This unfortunately started the very discussion I was trying to avoid. Dinner was good, as usual. After dinner , the nightmare got worse. The server asked if we wanted dessert. At that moment, we said no. In the two minutes it took him to bring the check, we had decided to share their signature Coconut Cake. The server left only to return a minute later to inform us we couldn’t have dessert because our table was being given to people waiting. Now I was embarrassed for a second time. In retrospect, I should have made a scene, but I didn’t want to in front of my guests. By the way, the table next to us was seated before us and they were still eating, so we wear not slow. We were essentially kicked out after 75 minutes. Unconscionable at such a nice restaurant. I have called the restaurant three times to talk to a manager about our experience and despite being told when to call, the manager was never available. Perhaps a more hands on manager would have trained the host and server regarding appropriate customer service. Sadly, I will probably not return to a restaurant that clearly does not value me as a customer.

Worst meal ever! The food looked institutional and was completely unappetizing! The portions are large that is the only reason that I can see for people to return, we would never go back!

Everything is wonderful! I can’t wait to come back on my next trip.

Always love John Henry's!! Best food in the desert!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5