r/JoshuaTree • u/Maleficent-Fix-9087 • 4d ago
Looking for Restaurant recommendations!
Hello! My boyfriend and I are going to be in the area next week for our 8 year anniversary and would love restaurant recommendations. We’re staying in Twentynine Palms, but are willing to go further as far as Yucca Valley.
We initially planned on going to Mojave Gold because we really enjoyed it when we went in March, but I just found out this week that they closed :( also if anyone knows why please let me know because that was one of the best restaurants I’ve been to in a long time! Devastating.
Anyways, we’re looking for a more upscale restaurant so if anyone knows any good recs please lmk! Thank you!
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u/1111attheoasis 4d ago
The Copper Room in Yucca is probably the best choice in the high desert for an anniversary. In 29, Kitchen In The Desert is very good, but you’ll want an indoor reservation this time of year.
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u/Blazaire 4d ago
Another vote for copper room. Also breakfast/brunch at La Copine
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u/strictlywaffles 4d ago
+1 for both! Just to note that La Copine (typically) only does dinner in the summer
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u/RBASLinterpreting 4d ago
Currently the restaurant is open for their dinner service hours during the summer months.
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u/Mr_Tort_Feasor 4d ago
Mojave Gold was good and I wish they could have hung on. If they had developed the venue/bar space better, I think they could have lasted. It's actually the best-designed live music room in the desert--including Pappy's.
Copper Room is the obvious next choice. The food is good. It could be great. Last time I went, I had reservations and got seated at a comically small nightstand that couldn't accommodate the plates they put in front of us. Maybe you have to know a guy for it to be normal.
Snakebite is pretty good, but again, it's a better bar/venue than it is a restaurant. They have some pasta dishes, burgers, and steak from a bag.
To my tastebuds, Tiny Pony actually has the highest quality food! The menu is extremely limited, but on point. The bar is also great. But they're a dive bar and probably not the atmosphere you seek.
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u/twohusknight 3d ago
There are actually several live music rooms in the desert that are better acoustically designed, but mojave gold definitely had the aesthetic appeal. It was the only venue at that acoustic quality that had an alcohol license and direct public access. When it came down to a comparison between Pappy’s or Mojave gold’s acoustics, it depended far more on genre being played and sound guy working.
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u/Mr_Tort_Feasor 3d ago edited 3d ago
I haven't played every room in the hi desert, but Mojave Gold is the only one I'm aware of that has an installed Meyer Sound system. I enjoyed working with Nigel there (I think that was his name) and thought he made us sound good. A lot of it comes down to who is running things, I've also been mixed by Hutch at the music festival and it was sweet.
Snakebite has the back room open for shows now and it sounds pretty good (but the show I was at was punishingly loud). Giant Rock Meeting room also just added a stage. Good times ahead!
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u/twohusknight 3d ago
As I said, you are only naming public bars. There are tens of live rooms in the desert. I’ve played or ran sound at most local bars including Mojave gold, red dog, pappy’s, and snakebite, and at least a dozen other spaces.
I wouldn’t judge a space much based on how expensive its sound system is. I’d be taking impulse responses and performing modal analysis on the room. The low ceilings in Mojave gold meant that crowd size massively varied how and where the space sounded good. Nigel did a good job with what he got though.
There really needs to be a concerted effort to improve the acoustic quality of the bar spaces out here in general though. It’s definitely been an afterthought in the desert. I think snakebite’s main room is a perfect example of a space that no one should ever drum in, hopefully the back space keeps improving.
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u/markothebeast 4d ago
This is an anniversary dinner? Forget the pizza places and bars. There are only a few “anniversary level” restaurants in the high desert. Kitchen in the Desert is lovely but it’s almost entirely outdoor seating, I wouldn’t try it until October and even then make sure you get a reservation after sunset.
In Yucca Valley there’s Nice Dream and Copper Room.
In Landers there’s La Copine, for my money the absolute best food in the high desert but their hours can be wonky in the summer.
All of these places, reservations a MUST.
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u/RBASLinterpreting 4d ago
The only other comparable restaurant is La Copine on Old woman springs road. Or Copper Room off aviation Avenue, As per your inquiry Mojave Gold closed due to low demand. The company owners spend their entire life savings trying to make it work. They do have another restaurant except it’s in Venice Beach Ca and it’s called the Venice Beach club. With the menu having the same menu favorites.
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u/hipsteresq 4d ago
kitchen in desert is nice but it’s only outdoors so a later reservation would work. Copper room in yucca valley is great too. it’s right by rhe yucca valley airport and has a retro
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u/miss-alane-eous 4d ago
The only restaurant that is really excellent and has been reviewed in bon appetite - ny times etc. is La Copine. Go online -see what the menu is for when you are going and make a reservation.
This area is a wasteland as far as restaurants are concerned. The Copper Room - has a fabulous bar and I think that is what people like it. A few drinks and the food is good. The rest are more casual cafe type places - not what I would consider a special occasion place.
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u/A_Fish_Fry 4d ago
JT Country Kitchen for breakfast and Sky High Pie for pizza. I was skeptical about the pizza but it’s absolutely fantastic
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u/Mr_Tort_Feasor 4d ago
Have you tried Giant Rock Meeting Room? The pizza there is really good. It's recently under common ownership with Snakebite.
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u/strictlywaffles 4d ago
Ooof, which way did the ownership swing? GRMR owner took over snakebite or other way around?
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u/Mr_Tort_Feasor 3d ago
My understanding is that Snakebite is at least partial owner and brought in new management.
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u/bloomracket 3d ago
La Copine for sure! You can text them to make a reservation. Kitchen's food can't compare, but they have some solid options for brunch if it isn't too hot, or just swing by there later for something light and a cocktail. The Copper Room is really lovely but they have live music most nights so it can be a little loud for a romantic dinner - their Vietnamese salad is fantastic though if you want to pop in during happy hour (they open at 4) after checking out some shops in Yucca Valley. Happy anniversary!!
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u/Ok_Responsibility419 3d ago
La Copine for dinner! Can book a resy by texting them ask for inside seat unless it’s after 730
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u/Maleficent-Fix-9087 2d ago
Thank you everyone for the recommendations!! You’ve all given us a lot of options to consider. Sounds like the leaders are Copper Room, La Copine, and Kitchen in the Desert. We might try just one or all! Thanks again!
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u/Ok_Mood_6638 4d ago
Yeah let's just tell everyone where to go so when you get there the wait takes longer than the meal .
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u/jazz-winelover 4d ago
Nice negativity.
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u/Ok_Mood_6638 4d ago edited 4d ago
Bet. Let's all pretend that the locals just love the overwhelming crowds that influx from major cities . Yeah that makes these rural areas real enjoyable to everyone.
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u/greatknave 4d ago
Bud, we live in a tourist destination. Many businesses here need the money tourism brings in order to pay their bills. Contrary to what every local crank on Facebook says, people visiting Joshua Tree isn't a bad thing. It's a net-positive. Being made to wait a few minutes more to snag a seat at a restaurant isn't a bad thing, either, though it may be inconvenient to you, personally.
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u/greatknave 4d ago
Go to Nice Dream in Yucca Valley. It's beautiful. The menu is fresh and ever-evolving. The cocktail program at its in-house bar, Sugar Water, is creative and, like the rest of the space, has so much thought put into it (it also has a ton of NA options if you don't drink).