John Henry's Cafe — Restaurant in Palm Springs

John Henry's Cafe is one of those hidden secrets of Palm Springs. It is only open in the evening, and during the season, the wait used to be up to 2 months just to get a reservation. Since the covid epidemic hit, things have changed. They are open earlier then they usually would, since they are not open during the really hot summer.

John Henry's is the type of place where, in order to pick something good, all you have to do is close your eyes and put your finger anywhere on the menu.

I chose to eat outside, even though the temperature was in the low 90°. Our reservation was for 7:30, and it seemed like most of the other people also chose to eat outside. Once the Sun goes down, Palm Springs feels much cooler, and our entire party was comfortable. Remember that Palm Springs is next to the mountain to the west, so the sun goes down much earlier than other places.

I don't usually order steak, but I did, as well as one other person. It was excellent, tender, and flavorful. It came with horseradish, and some mushroom gravy, which I put on the mashed potatoes.

The entrees come with a soup or salad, and I had the salad with onions and the vinaigrette dressing. I loved it.

Parking can be difficult if you don't know your way around. The driveway right next to the restaurant is where I parked. During the day, it is used by some of the businesses that the driveway leads to. It has been a while, but I believe the second driveway to the east is also available because it is for businesses that are closed in the evening.

The third person in our party had the ravioli, and it was excellent! It put other ravioli to shame. She shared some with me, and I decided that some other time, I definitely will have their ravioli.

John Henry's is not cheap, but it is worth every penny that you spend...

Okay, to be fair, this place is good for Palm Springs cuisine.

However, one thing that pop out to my husband and I on our dinner date on a Friday night, was just how awkward the design of this restaurant is. The maître D, was stationed in the center of the restaurant with an awkward angle to work with. To see him, you must navigate through a myriad of tables to get to him. It was though we are on a quest. So, off-putting design is what I would describe it.

The service was great to be honest. They were spot on getting you bread and taking your order.

The escargot was acceptable. The soup and salad were both lackluster. The salad lacks any substance, you can tell it was design to be on the low budget costing. The soup was indistinguishable from a canned one. (Sorry to say)

My osso bucco was delicious however, the sides does not go well with the dish. And due to an unfortunate ordering, my whole meal tasted just like mushroom. From the escargot to the osso bucco, the whole meal was mushroom. I like mushroom, but the menu was just not well thought of. It lacks a thoughtfulness that a restaurant of this caliber should posses.

My husbands crab cake was not well received by my husband. It was deemed “nothing spectacular”. It probably belongs to the appetizer section.

So - in conclusion Great staff and service. Food So-So.

My recommendation to the stake holders of the restaurant .

1. install the maitre D in the front of house. Create an actual design like a restaurant. At the moment, this is a mess.

2. overlook your menu. I think you must rethink of your food choices and pairing.

3. remove cream of mushroom in your menu. It pairs terribly...

I first went to John Henry's probably 14 years ago and had many a fine meal there. Recently I returned to the area after several years living out of state and had the opportunity to dine there again. And I must say it was every bit as good as I remembered. The menu is not some multipaged monster, but extensive enough to offer a variety of choices, all of them excellent. The service was impeccable, with the staff being attentive but not intrusive. The soup that evening was a delicious chicken noodle and tasted like it came out of grandma's kitchen. I had the veal picatta which was outstanding, and my dining companions rack of lamb was done to perfection. I found zero to complain about and my friend, who had never been there before, couldn't wait to go back again.

There are many great restaurants in Palm Springs, but when it comes to consistency and quality, John Henry's is hard to beat. So if you are looking for a place to take someone special to celebrate an occasion or just want to treat some friends to a great evening of dining, this is where you want to go. Please note that reservations are a good idea, especially during season, and they do close...