Kitchen in the Desert

Please read my entire review to see why I gave 1 ⭐️

We visited kitchen in the desert after seeing many recommendations for this restaurant on social media. I want to start by saying that the food itself was actually very good, and the outdoor dining area is beautiful and enjoyable. Unfortunately, the overall experience was extremely disappointing due to the service. Horrible. Chris should not be working in customer service…

When we were seated, the glasses brought to our table had visible lipstick marks on them, which was honestly quite gross and not something you expect when starting a meal. But we were nice about it and made a few jokes.

There were also items listed on the menu that were not available, including a main dish. It would have been helpful if this had been communicated to us or clearly marked on the menus beforehand.

When the food arrived, my daughter’s dish was not as described on the menu. It was supposed to include arugula and quinoa. Instead, it arrived with a small amount of microgreens and no quinoa at all. When we politely mentioned this to another waitress, she simply took the plate away to add quinoa but did not apologize or acknowledge the mistake.

Later, when we asked for a specific dessert that the restaurant is known for, our server (Chris) told us it was not available. When I mentioned that we had heard it was excellent and suggested it might be helpful to note that on the menu, he responded sarcastically: “Yes, we’ll go cross it off each menu.” From that point on his attitude became very passive aggressive, sarcastic, and unprofessional.

The situation continued to deteriorate. We were never given cutlery or napkins and had to ask another staff member for them. Even then, we were given paper napkins while other tables had cloth napkins and properly set utensils.

Our server also claimed the restaurant was extremely busy, although there were only a few other occupied tables at the time. lol.

The most concerning part of the experience was that a 20% tip was added to the bill without explanation. When I later spoke with the owner, Everton, he confirmed that this is not the restaurant’s policy. It appeared the server had manually added it. When I approached Chris about this he said its policy. He’s a liar and a cheat.

To be fair, the owner did listen to our concerns and ultimately comped our brunch, which we appreciated a lot.

However, the interaction with our server left a very negative impression. Good food and a beautiful setting unfortunately cannot make up for rude, sarcastic, and unprofessional service.

I hope management addresses this, because with better service this restaurant could truly live up to the reputation that brought us there in the first place.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 5

Service: 1

We loved every aspect of this experience, from drinks around the fire pit to the delicious beet salad, roasted cauliflower, and roasted Brussel sprouts, and the shrimp dish, to the berry pie, overfilled with berries and nestled in a delectable pie crust. The absolute best flavors I've had out in a long time! Kudos to the chefs!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

Amazing food, outstanding service, and a warm, inviting atmosphere. Every detail was perfect—can’t wait to come back!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

It was amazing, staff was knowledgeable and directed us to a wonderful culinary experience! Would definitely recommend. I have celiac disease and were great!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We spent my birthday weekend in Joshua Tree with our dog and had a wonderful trip overall. We visited Joshua Tree Saloon and had drinks and lunch with our dog with no issues at all. We also grabbed coffee at Más o Menos and spent time at Joshua Tree National Park without any problems.

For my birthday dinner, we chose Kitchen in the Desert. Our dog briefly walked up to our server (Doug) and gave a small bark when he was surprised, but immediately settled down and laid quietly under the table. We had only ordered drinks at that point our food had not yet arrived.

Shortly after, a manager asked us to put our dog in the car. Given that it was around 80 degrees outside in the desert, we were uncomfortable with that request. We understand restaurants have policies, but asking guests to place their dog in a warm vehicle didn’t feel like a reasonable solution.

Rather than create tension, we asked for our food to-go and closed out.

We respect that businesses can set their own standards. However, given how dog-friendly the area is and our positive experiences everywhere else that weekend this was disappointing, especially for a birthday dinner. If your dog is perfectly stationary and never approaches staff, you may be fine. Otherwise, this may not be the relaxed, dog-friendly experience you might expect.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Very funky, hip dining in a largely outdoor will decorated place. Everything is à la cart and tapas style but the pasta servings are ample for one person for a meal. Best choice in Joshua Tree.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

If I could give more than 5 stars, I absolutely would! We had to wait an hour since we didn't have a reservation and I wouldnt chance a thing!! They have multiple gorgeous spots to hang out while you wait, plus a little general store that is fantastic!!

All of the food and all the drinks were incredible!! I don't remember what all we had, but I know the mushroom dish was an all around favorite! We shared dishes and that made it so much more fun!

I truly can't suggest going here enough!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

One of my favorite restaurants out in Joshua Tree - absolutely perfect for a fancy night out :)

Loved this place. My wife is essentially vegan and I am not. We were both able to find delicious options. Ate here 2 nights in a row!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great food, great vibes, great service. We ordered the brussel sprouts, Puttanesca and lamp pops. 10/10.

Shoutout to Mick, he was awesome

service was quite slow, had to wait a while for a table even though it was available, food was good

The ambiance was nice, but they definitely need more shade/umbrellas considering you are sitting in the sun the desert. The food took a very long time (~30 mins) considering mine and my friends' dishes consisted of 1 item, e.g. a burger, a short stack of pancakes, salmon toast, none of which included sides. This wouldn't be a huge issue, but considering the burger alone, no sides was $17 for a single patty and was not very warm once it came out, it's not great. Same with the pancakes, a stack of 2, 5 inches in diameter, for $19 before tax + tip, no sides. And as said before, the fact that it took such a long time.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 2

This is Hands down the best tasting food I’ve had in 29 Palms and at a California restaurant. I’m saying this cause most places is hit or miss. Ambiance and customer service is 5 star as well.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

KITD is an invitation to explore a seasonal menu crafted by a talented chef and great staff. Every dish I tried was a subtle balance of flavors that together made a beautiful culinary dance. The philosophy of the menu is based on sharing, encouraging an experience with diverse options for all sorts of preferences. Shout-out to the chimichurri steak, that deserves to be the star of the show! Also, a well-deserved special mention to the olive oil cake, a perfect closure to a magical evening. I went here to celebrate my wedding anniversary with my wife. Coming here was one of our favorite parts of the celebration.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Culinary gem in the Hi Dez!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5