The Heyday — Restaurant in Palm Springs

Felt like a prank. We were told the wait was 45 mins, but we were committed to eating here so just went with it. We waited for about 50 or so minutes and were starving to the point of having hunger headaches. Once we got seated we figured it would turn around quickly. We ordered our food in the first 5 mins of being seated then waited an additional 45 mins— we initially only got maybe 1/3rd of our order (just the burgers). We had also ordered onion rings, a salad and those cheese fries. The sides came maybe 20 mins after the sandwiches when we were done eating those. We just sat there with nothing after our burgers were done, waiting for the easier parts of the meal? It takes 2 mins to toss a side salad. It was the most insane order to eat a side salad once I’d digested my main item. And the salad tasted like a salad kit from Trader Joe’s for an insane price. Just romaine and hardly any Caesar dressing. The cheese fries came as though they’d been sitting for an hour (the cheese wasn’t “wet” but was dried up and cakey). We couldn’t even eat them, it tasted hours old. The fries were cold. Luckily our server shaved 70% of our bill down as a courtesy without us even asking but nonetheless it felt like such a prank. Especially since our meal was meant to be maybe $160 or so. This was insane. The burger was good but this restaurant really needs training, a refresh or a new back of house or something. All and all there was about a 2 hour lead time between when we arrived and when we got our initial part of our order (just the burgers). The waiter also kept re-upping our wine glasses because he felt bad but I had such a huge hunger triggered headache already from the waiting that I couldn’t really even enjoy that. Idk what was going on. It was a Thursday night in the middle of winter....

I really wanted to love this place.

I came in on a Friday night before dinner rush at 5ish. I’m currently torturing myself with keto diet so I ordered lemon pepper wings as a starter. They brought the wrong ones initially which isn’t a big deal; people make mistakes. After about 30 minutes I asked my waitress would check on them and she said she was too busy. The irritating thing about that was the waitress wasn’t busy at all, except flirting with her girlfriend who was also a waitress. About 10 minutes later they came out and I’m not joking, these were the most over-seasoned, over cooked as well as small wings I’ve ever had. They were hilariously tiny. The menu says 10 organic wings but they gave me like 25 of these baby wings. I can only imagine how small that chicken was. I love wings but these were inarguably some of the worst ones I’ve ever had which is shocking to me considering the place wasn’t really that busy and the reviews for them are currently pretty stellar. 2/5 on these for me - there’s always room to be worse but not much here.

Oh well. Onto the burger. I ordered a double smash burger keto style. The burger was simply okay. Smash burgers are made extraordinary by having a char to them but not these. It was better than average but nothing to write home about. 3/5 on this.

The service started out pretty good but dwindled very quickly. My waitress was utterly inattentive, distracted and negligent. I still tipped her 20% but that’s only out of civility. She didn’t deserve a cent in my opinion.

Everywhere deserves a second chance I suppose but when you’re only in town for a short time, and there’s more places you want to try. This is the first and last impression I have of Heyday; go elsewhere.

I’ll rate them 2/5 but they honestly only...

When I found out that we were going to Palm Springs, I researched the areas "Must Do Lists" and saw The Heyday named in a few articles. I watched a review on YouTube that stated the burgers were amazing, and decided that we had to try them for ourselves. They did not disappoint! We had the original Smash Burger and Late Night Fries. Perfection. I loved the burger which was cooked with crispy edges and the toppings enhanced the patty without overpowering it. The loaded fries took me right back to college, they were a fun treat and the portions were overflowing. The burgers are the star, but the ambiance is what steals the show. The atmosphere is chill and relaxed, with low lighting and a fun soundtrack playing at just the right volume. You can enjoy a drink and a quiet conversation. It's a modern take on an ultra lounge vibe with a variety of seating options and a bar bathed in a warm blue glow. The crew is friendly and laid back, and encouraged to be themselves since there is no uniform. Eileen, one of the managers, took great care of us and was very engaging. Since we were staying in the hotel, we decided to return the next night as well. Eileen recognized us immediately and was incredibly welcoming. She mentioned our return visit to Brad, the owner, who then came to our table to visit. He was very personable and thanked us for joining them for dinner. The food is delicious, the beer and wine were lovely, and the prices are exceptional. The Heyday started as a pop up before landing in this brick and mortar location in the Hilton. I love supporting a local operation that takes pride in its product and presentation, with a crew that enjoys creating an inviting setting. I hope that Hilton appreciates the cool vibe that this establishment brings...