Reviews of the Week
Palm Springs restaurants that stayed busy in the heat this summer
Reviews of the week: Palm Springs, 2026 · week 40
The Local Desk · Palm Springs, CA · October 4, 2026
Thursday hits 101°F in Palm Springs, the hottest day of a dry week that tops out between 91 and 101 degrees. When the thermometer climbs that high, the best local moves are the ones that keep you cool—and the reviews this week prove it. From restaurants with great air conditioning to spots with outdoor microclimates that somehow stay comfortable, Palm Springs knows how to survive the heat.
Bongo Johnny's Patio Bar & Grill
★★★★★ 4.4 · 1,803 Google reviewsamerican restaurant
On a 100-degree day, this patio bar's AC was the first thing that mattered
“We stopped off here for lunch because it looked like fun and they had great air conditioning on a 100 degree day”
Bongo Johnny's Patio Bar & Grill Reviews →Own this business? Claim your free page
Farm
★★★★★ 4.7 · 3,770 Google reviewsbrunch restaurant
Farm's outdoor micro-climate stays comfortable even when it tops 100 degrees outside
“That wasn't a problem however, as it has managed an outdoor micro climate that is comfortable even with it topping 100 degrees right outside the…”
Tac/Quila
★★★★★ 4.6 · 3,169 Google reviewsmexican restaurant
National Taco Day is coming—and Tac/Quila has a Churro Ice Cream Sandwich
“Churro Ice Cream Sandwich is a delight”
Elmer's Restaurant (Palm Springs, CA)
★★★★★ 4.6 · 6,987 Google reviewsbreakfast restaurant
Elmer's biscuits and gravy omelet brings Texas comfort to Palm Springs breakfast
“The omelet was wonderfully rich, and the biscuits and gravy immediately reminded me of Texas”
Elmer's Restaurant (Palm Springs, CA) Reviews →Own this business? Claim your free page
Maleza Palm Springs
★★★★★ 4.6 · 297 Google reviewsmexican restaurant
Maleza's guacamole and tostadas, even in dead summer heat
“We had the Guacamole topped off with a chile oil and corn tostados brought up from Mexico for starters”
Maleza Palm Springs Reviews →Own this business? Claim your free page
Blackbook
★★★★★ 4.4 · 1,141 Google reviewsbar
Blackbook's Hot Nashville chicken sandwich is fried to perfection
“It is fried to perfection with the perfect crunch and the "Holy Shit" sauce completely elevates this sandwich”
Santorini Gyro Palm Springs
★★★★★ 4.5 · 1,239 Google reviewsgreek restaurant
Santorini Gyro's salmon Mediterranean salad and baklava, perfect for a conference lunch
“I ordered a salmon Mediterranean salad and some baklava for dessert and both were DELICIOUS!”
Santorini Gyro Palm Springs Reviews →Own this business? Claim your free page
Broken Yolk Cafe
★★★★★ 4.5 · 1,004 Google reviewsbreakfast restaurant
Broken Yolk Cafe's Oscar brings energy to your breakfast order
“Our server was Oscar , greattttt person !”
Broken Yolk Cafe Reviews →Own this business? Claim your free page
The deep dive
FarmFarm's shaded patio stays comfortable even when it's over 100 degrees outside.
“That wasn't a problem however, as it has managed an outdoor micro climate that is comfortable even with it topping 100 degrees right outside the…”
- 4.7★ from 3,770 Google reviews
- 85 of the 100 reviews we hold are five stars
- 5 other reviewers mention the same things
- 72 new reviews in the last 90 days
- the owner replies to 1% of reviews
Ryan showed up dressed for dinner and worried about it. "I was concerned with my attire being much too hot as was triple digits," he writes, and then delivers the line that earned him this week's slot: the place "has managed an outdoor micro climate that is comfortable even with it topping 100 degrees right outside the…" That's a specific kind of praise. Not "nice patio." A micro climate. Someone at Farm has been thinking about shade, air movement and where the sun lands at seven o'clock.
The record is not shy about agreeing. Farm holds 4.7★ from 3,770 Google reviews, 85 of the 100 reviews we hold are five stars, and 5 other reviewers mention the same things — including one who simply titled it "Perfect Spot for a Hot Summer Day!" There's been momentum too: 72 new reviews in the last 90 days, which is a lot of people walking through the desert in summer and coming out happy. Not everyone gets the same seat, mind you; one reviewer noted it was "a little warm at our table, perhaps because the fan wasn't working," and still gave five stars.
What it says about how the place operates: the comfort is engineered, not lucky, and the staff are the other half of it. Ryan's own summary is that "the food was of course great, but the service of every staff member is what puts them over the top." Farm replies to 1% of reviews, so it isn't winning anyone over in the comments section — it's winning them at the table, in July, under whatever shade it has built.
Best sentence of the week
“Oscar deserves a raise, a trophy, and probably a small parade”
— Cristina on Broken Yolk Cafe · Google
Cristina at Broken Yolk Cafe is not the only one filing Oscar paperwork this week. The parade route seems settled.
The one that's secretly a rave
“Not sure what there is to love about this place except the food and location”
— Carl on Elmer's Restaurant (Palm Springs, CA) · Google
Carl gave Elmer's four stars while listing the only two things most of us actually go anywhere for.
Shortest review, full marks
“Ice cold A/C and great food”
— Jacob on Bongo Johnny's Patio Bar & Grill · Google
Six words from Jacob at Bongo Johnny's. In August, that is the whole review anyone needs.
Next week, National Coffee Day arrives Monday and National Taco Day hits Sunday—two good reasons to stay out of the kitchen while the thermometer is still climbing.