Denny's — Restaurant in Palm Desert

I'm writing this review about my delivery experiences through this Denny's location's Burger Den branding offered through DoorDash. I have now ordered delivery 4 times in the past 2 months from this store.

Order #1: I decided to give them a try because they popped up on DoorDash as a new burger place that's only about a mile from my house. I didn't know this was a Denny's since it's listed as Burger Den. It took over 30 minutes longer than the DoorDash estimate to get my food. According to the DoorDash driver (who I could see waited at the restaurant for over 30 minutes waiting for my order), it was because the people working the counter had thrown another order on top of mine and so they kept saying my order wasn't ready yet. By the time I finally got my food, everything was cold and soggy. There were no condiments, utensils, or napkins. Nonetheless, it looked like it could be a good burger if it had arrived hot and fresh (it was thick and had a nice color), and the onion rings looked promising. I give that experience 2 stars for the food and 1 star for the service. Because the burger looked like it had potential if properly executed, I decided to give them another try despite the problems.

Order #2: Much better experience! The food arrived hot, the burger was juicy and delicious, and the onion rings were light and fluffy. I would have to say this was one of the best burgers I've had. This time I also got ketchup and napkins. I give this order 5 stars for both food and service.

Order #3: This time, their menu didn't have as many options available. I'm not sure if it was because they were out of ingredients or what. The first 2 times, I ordered the burger with avocado and bacon. That wasn't available this time. Most of the burgers offered had ingredients I don't care for, and they don't let you make any modifications when you order through DoorDash. So I just got the kids' cheeseburger with onion rings. The burger wasn't as good as order #2 and you only get a couple of onion rings. But it was a kid's order so I let that slide. The food came pretty quickly and was hot. But no ketchup or napkins again. So I'll give this one 4 stars for both delivery and service.

That brings us to tonight and order #4.

Once again, the burger and onion rings arrived cold (even though delivery didn't take long). The burger was overcooked and not nicely shaped. It had a piece of really sad looking lettuce and overall just did not look very appealing. The taste of the burger was OK (they do season their meat well), but the onion rings were disappointing. I got napkins, but no ketchup. This looked like a bad diner burger and looked and tasted like it had been sitting for a while. So tonight I give them 2 stars for the food and 3 stars for service.

Will I give them a 5th try? Probably not. It may be a very different experience if you eat in the restaurant. So take my comments with a grain of salt. But from a delivery standpoint, they need to institute some quality control. In 4 tries, there were 3 misses. Not a very good record in my opinion. They have the potential to be a solid quick delivery dinner option. But they are just too inconsistent for me to give them...

Denny’s in Palm Desert offers a dining experience that lands somewhere between solid reliability and underwhelming predictability. It’s the kind of place that you can count on when you need a meal at odd hours or just want something familiar without much thought. For better or worse, it delivers exactly what most people expect—no more, no less.

One of the biggest strengths of this Denny’s is its reliability. Whether you’re stopping by for a pancake breakfast at sunrise or grabbing a burger late at night, the food generally tastes the same every time. There’s a comfort in knowing that your Moons Over My Hammy or Grand Slam breakfast will be prepared just as you remember it, with no unexpected twists.

Service, while occasionally hit-or-miss, often leans on the friendly and accommodating side. Many staff members go out of their way to be polite and efficient, especially when the restaurant isn’t too crowded. If you happen to get a good server, your experience is likely to be pleasant and smooth.

Another major advantage is its 24/7 availability. There aren’t a ton of places open late in the area, so this spot often becomes the default choice for night owls, road-trippers, or early risers looking for a hearty meal. When you need something quick and easy, Denny’s is there. While consistency is one of its strong points, it can also be one of its biggest weaknesses. The menu, while extensive, isn’t particularly exciting. Everything tastes exactly how you expect, but that also means it lacks a sense of freshness or creativity. It’s standard diner fare—eggs, pancakes, burgers, and fries—executed competently but without flair.

The atmosphere is another area where things feel a little uninspired. While it’s clean enough, it doesn’t have much character beyond the basic diner aesthetic. The decor is functional but unmemorable, and depending on the time of day, the mood can range from lively and welcoming to oddly quiet and slightly dreary. If you’re looking for a cozy or unique dining experience, this probably won’t be your first choice.

Service, though often good, can sometimes be inconsistent. When the restaurant is busy, things tend to slow down, and it’s not uncommon for orders to take longer than expected or for minor mistakes to happen. While most of the staff are friendly, there are occasional lapses where service feels rushed or inattentive, especially during peak hours.

In the end, this Denny’s is exactly what you’d expect—a decent place to grab a meal when you need something familiar and convenient. It’s not going to wow anyone, but it also rarely disappoints in any major way. If you’re in the area and need a no-frills breakfast, a late-night bite, or just a place to sit and grab a coffee, it gets the job done. However, if you’re looking for a meal that feels special or particularly memorable, you might be better off exploring other...

6:02 am 7/27/2024 only customers in the restaurant except for outgoing waitress who was waiting for her meal. My husband ordered a grand slam (pancakes, bacon and scrambled eggs), and I,the Veggie Omelette but requested it be scrambled as I had with our last visit. The meals arrived but no pancakes and then my order was not scrambled. Waitress said they can’t do it that way but I shared they can as I had it before. Pancakes were not delivered till I had to get up and walk to the counter to speak to our waitress for the second time about the missing pancakes. I told her she wasn’t at fault but how does the grand slam order miss the pancakes? Obviously , the male and female cook forgot! By the time I brought them back to the table, his eggs were cold and therefore not eaten. Our waitress was busy, looking at the order screen and television about some dating show. Meanwhile , she never looked back at us so I returned to the counter with two empty coffee cups for a refill. When I returned to our table, it was discovered that the sugar free syrup that was ordered was never brought over. I did complain that the service was poor and that I was waiting for our waitress to turn around and look our way so I could get her attention. We had to stand at the register in order to get our check. Once we paid the bill without a tip, she finally said sorry for the pancakes. We did politely voice our dissatisfaction but please train you waitresses to move quickly, pay attention to now the 3 tables in this early morning and apologize at the time of occurrence. This will be the last time we visit your restaurant, the 24 hr Dennys on Washington in...