We've been coming to this amazing establishment for over 40 years, and it continues to deliver an exceptional dining experience every time. The service was impeccable, timely, attentive, and genuinely satisfying without ever feeling rushed. The atmosphere at the The Desert Turtle Restaurant is elegant and rich, creating the perfect backdrop for a memorable evening out. I started with the wild mushroom soup, followed by the short rib as my main course, and finished with a bananas Foster soufflé--all of which were absolutely outstanding. Every dish was prepared with care and full of deep, satisfying flavor. My wife enjoyed the wild mushroom soup as well, along with the filet and a soufflé of her own, which she loved just as much. This restaurant remains a special place for us, and after four decades of visits, we can confidently say we will continue to be customers for life. read more

Wally's Desert Turtle - Filet - Steakhouses Near Me - Rancho Mirage, California

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With such rich history and iconic name as well as a beautiful decor. the food and service was such an dissapointment. Not sure if they were short staff or what, the service took a very long time to even take our order. When the food came out after a very long time, the food was extreamly salty. Music was great, but everything else was so disappointing read more

Let's start with the bad. They completely overbooked on thanksgiving. We had to wait 50 minutes. And we had my 94 year old grandmother with us. The dinner, including the wait, ended up 3.5 hours long. It was just way too much. And no apologies. In my opinion, if you make people wait an hour, you comp a drink, send a free appetizer, literally anything. Not an oh well moment. This is definitely a management issue. Now on to the good, our service was wonderful, starting with FERN! She was ADORABLE. She was the first one to greet us and had such a warm and kind demeanor, loved her! She made the night! They have live music, fun and interesting drinks, and the food I would say is 4/5. I probably wouldn't come back simply based on management and the fact that the meal is just too long for my liking. But if you're looking for the longer dining experience, check it out when it's not a holiday. read more

Wally's Desert Turtle - Steakhouses Near Me - Rancho Mirage, California

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Wally's has got to be one of the finest restaurants in California. The food, the service, and the Ambiance is incredible. I only wish I lived closer, read more

Outstanding service and cool 70's vibe. The happy hour is all night and the offerings are excellent! Music is offered too in the bar. It's a wonderful place. read more

Wally's Desert Turtle - Steakhouses Near Me - Rancho Mirage, California

From the moment we arrived, they made you feel special. The dining room was busy, the staff immediately came over and welcomed us back... From appetizers to dessert, everything was flawless. A truly lovely evening! read more

Fantastic food,,, we had the chili and Seabass, the rack of lamb crabcakes, French onion soup, and the mushroom soup and then gnocchi. It was all absolutely amazing, but the soufflé iat the end really made the dinner special and was one of the best desserts i have ever had read more

Wally's Desert Turtle - Raspberry and banana Foster soufflé's - Steakhouses Near Me - Rancho Mirage, California

We had a wonderful dinner here on Christmas Day. Service was impeccable and we were well taken care of. The restaurant was beautifully decorated for the holidays. My steak was cooked perfectly medium rare and the chocolate lava cake was ooey gooey delicious. A wonderful option for dinner. read more

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Restaurant Week menu was really great, the red and yellow salad was so unique although I could always use more Brie live music was fun and interesting, maybe service was overwhelmed with it being such a busy week. Otherwise really great for a special night out! Steak, short rib, and soufflés were really lovely read more

Had a wonderful Mother's Day dinner here at this desert staple. Service was impeccable as usual and the sole, smash burgers and crab cakes were all delicious! I would highly recommend the bananas foster soufflé...we all loved it! Maddy, the owner, stopped by our table, and was absolutely lovely! Thank you for a wonderful evening! read more

Hosted my bridal shower here this past weekend and it was a 10/10 experience! All of our guests were raving about how amazing the food and service was. My phone is still blowing up about how great of a time everyone had here. So delicious and the staff was extremely attentive. If you're looking to rent out a private space and create an outstanding experience, this is the place to go! We also love coming to dinner here and the live music is spectacular! read more

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Had dinner with a group of ten and the prix fix fixe menu. The menu consisted of a shrimp cocktail appetizer, burrata and tomato salad and I opted for the fish. Everything was very good and the service was excellent.Definitely a good spot and make reservations. read more

Dinner last Friday was a different experience. The menu kept changing throughout the meal- as several regular menu items were off ( as the restaurant was closing for the season). But the staff were all great. The food we ordered was great.Madeline was very nice to explain that the closing was two weeks earlier than we had ever experienced. All in all a very excellent evening with friends. Thank you all! Will read more

We went for restaurant week. Most of the food - and the service - was top notch. The Tuna Tartare and Caesar - both excellent! The steak, short ribs, and crab-stuffed shrimp - all excellent - perfectly cooked. The lava cake and creme brûlée - also excellent. One of things we looked forward to was the chocolate souflee. It was "okay" - it was not done enough - and not sure why they choose to serve it with chocolate sauce rather than the traditional whipped cream. The sauce is too heavy for a souflee and completely flattens the souflee. I wouldn't have it again. Other than that, it was a great dinner. read more

Wallys is a great place in the desert to go and have a a great meal exceptional service, awesome atmosphere and spend a night being treated like a king or queen. i like Wally's cause its a step away from desert casual when waitstaff is in uniforms and act professionally. love the food and drinks always a great experience. read more

Where to start? The food is delicious! The ambiance is delightful, the service is impeccable. I had the best sidecar cocktail I have ever had in a restaurant. One of the tastiest meals we have had. From the cod to the steak and escargot, I was in heaven. But oh my gosh, the souffle was amazing. The wine Stewart was wonderful, told us about the wine and never let our glass get empty. Our servers were attentive without being obtrusive. One of our top picks for restaurants! Go here, you will not be disappointed! read more

What happened to the Baked Alaska? Beautiful pictures and memories of it are all that are left. When a restaurant removes something like this from the menu, it loses me and my $400 too! read more

After years of driving past Wally's Desert Turtle my husband and I decided it was time to give it a try. We are so happy we did! The ambiance is exactly what we were hoping for (old Hollywood) Loved the slow pace dining, staff's attentiveness, the classic decor and I can't forget to mention the great saxophone player. Our drinks, dinner and desserts were delicious and were excited to add Wally's to our favorite "special occasion" restaurant for when we're in Palm Desert. read more

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Wally's Desert Turtle is the ultimate in enjoying a nostalgic fine dining experience. From Tony B playing the sax and more, the classic rat pack vibe, the luxurious deco, the amazing service and exquisite food, Wally's is by far one of my favorite spots. Michael and his daughter are paying a pristine homage to their father/grandfather. Whenever we are in Rancho Mirage, this is a must visit...period! If you have not celebrated Thanksgiving at Wally's Desert Turtle, you are missing out! Add it to your 2026 event calendar today! read more

Had Easter dinner at Wally's. Something's changed. We've always had a good experience there, but this time the hostess was very disinterested, and the food was less than stellar. I and my friend had the smash burgers which were very overcooked and salty, my husband had the French onion soup, we shared a Caesar salad and he had the crabcakes. All were just OK. Nothing to write home about and our other friend had the short ribs. Small quantity, high price. We each had raspberry lemon drop martinis that we asked to be made with chamborg and were charged extra on each drink for the shot of liquor!!!They didn't even fill the glass. Very tacky. I have to say we would think twice before going back. It's not the restaurant it used to be. read more

Service is top notch. Food is amazing. I E why it wins a lot of reviews. Well balanced high end restaurant with relaxed ambience. With some live music. Gluten free rolls 9/10 (amazing! They come out warm also) Shrimp cocktail 9.5/10 Tuna Tartar - (amazing prior time) Scallops 9.5/10 Lamb Chops 8/10 (great portion, just missing something) Steamed Vegetables 7.5/10 Mashed potatoes 7/10 Desserts : Chocolate suffle 5/10 Baked Alaska 7/10 (weird flavors of ice cream, otherwise it was good) Lava cake -? read more

Wally's Desert Turtle - Lamb Chops - Steakhouses Near Me - Rancho Mirage, California

Service was excellent. Liver an onions as exceptional Loved that all meals came with a side. Overall fine dining. I would like to add that I had inquired as to wheather the atmosphere was quite as my mother is hard of hearing and I was looking for a very quiet place so that she would be able to here the conversation at our table. I was told we could be seated where that would be possible. This wasn't the case, we made a reservation for 5:00 and it was quite upon sitting down, but by the end of our dinner the restaurant was full of happy diners and she couldn't hear a thing. So I'm still hunting for a restaurant such as Walley's but with more of a quite atmosphere for her so that she can enjoy her whole experience. read more

Food was delicious, especially for restaurant week! Service was good except for the $28 martini that the bar team member forgot to mention. They gave us a sample of a new Olive infused vodka. They did not mention that it was a premium vodka that is about double the price. We ordered I thought, a regular martini dirty.. Apparently it was not, and we were stunned when we got the charges of one martini for $14 and another for $28. I told the girl she said oh let me help you on that. Takes the bill back and then charges us for two $28 martinis instead of just leaving it as it was since we were stunned on the price to begin with. A manager came at the end of our meal and asked how everything was, we told him we were stunned on the vodka price and had no idea it was so expensive cause we were never told. He offered us a sample of that vodka again. We said no, we were done. For such a lovely meal it put such a bad taste in our mouth for how they handled their bar tab. So disappointed! The place is nice and clean... old school! read more

We really enjoyed the happy hour at Wally's. The food was excellent, and even though there was a line to enter (we got there a few minutes before the restaurant opened on a Sunday in March), there was plenty of seating in the bar & lounge area. Lots of food & drink choices for happy hour, plus they had live music! We will definitely be back. read more

My second time here & despite the busy Restaurant Week crowd, the team performed beyond expectations! read more

Wally's Desert Turtle - 1/2 order (split) of Dover Sole- heavenly! - Steakhouses Near Me - Rancho Mirage, California

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Iconic fine-dining rooms that survive 20-30 years typically benefit from exceptional reputation, destination locations, and the ability to periodically refresh the concept while maintaining brand equity. In this case the third generation granddaughter has been bitten by the incessant desire to work 70-80 a week, have endless employees to manage and yet be as gracious, beautiful, and informative, explaining to the new comers, what Wally was all about, what it strives to continue, all while managing to make her demanding job appear as a dream come true. Moreover the service was attentive, not overly intrusive, yet seemingly evenly spread across the staff equally. Our water glasses were always kept full. An older gentleman was there offering seconds on bread when I finally finished the first piece of bread, trying not to say yes to the second. The prime rib "special" showed up next table over and I was amazed that there appeared to be No fat !? Back to the gracious granddaughter. Asking about the serving. Yes we sous vive it overnight. I Had to ask my spouse who graduated from the Cordon Bleu in France, what that meant. They vacuum seal the meat in plastic. Slowly, In heated water, approximately 12 hours cook time at a specific low temperature 120 to 130°. This renders all the fat and tenderizes the meat to look like a piece of tenderloin not prime rib. They then finish the cook to give a near perfect glaze of seared color to the half OR one pound serving. Considering the clientele, genius. Many older clients no longer desire such large servings. Many tables were raving about this meal. It is my goal to get back there before the special is taken off the menu. Hopefully this review will make more patrons ask for this delight. Our meal consisted of a center cut fillet, and an imported Dover soul. The fish was a piece of art in presentation and in flavor. The best fish I've ever eaten. Not one bone, perfectly cooked. Cut as if a diamond. I have been fortunate enough to travel over 50 different countries, exploring culinary delights across the world. I'm so happy to find this little gem that was timelessly decorated close to 50 years ago. With ridiculously over the top golden frames that still stand the test of time. I can go on, but obviously this place is special. Please consider dressing to honor this place. To respect the craft Wally created in this dining experience. Reservations Are recommended. read more

Wally's Desert Turtle - Elegant dining. - Steakhouses Near Me - Rancho Mirage, California

Amazing food , staff and service . I have been to the fashion day Friday and that is so fun . Most special occasions are spent at Wally's .

my wife and I had a wonderful dinner over the weekend. It was a table of six and the service was excellent and the food of course it was remarkable. Maddie gracious as she is, came by and said hello to us making us feel like we are at home. The history of this restaurant and the elegance is second to none in the desert. With its new leadership being Maddie Botello leading the Young families professionals to has been remarkably successful. I highly recommend to treat yourself with the best restaurant in the desert. Thank you read more

Walking in I was super impressed by the curbside appeal and lights- they are very pretty and make you feel excited instantly. We sat at the bar for a cocktail and app (deviled eggs- not featured but delicious) while we waited for our table. We were cheerfully greeted by Tamara the bar manager who was bubbly and super informative about all things- the menu, must try items, and the local scene. The live music was nearby with great song along and an entertaining one man band- literally. We sat in Francsico's section- a very kind and energetic man. He was very responsive and knew his stuff. The tables around us were entertaining with lots of interesting conversations going around- great people watching and neighborly chatter taking place. The owner, Madeline, was a joy and very lively person from beginning to end. She checked us in on arrival and then made a conscious effort to come around to each table more than once, impressive. He said the lamb was the best lamb he ever tried. My white fish was divine and I could have drank the sauce of the plate. A must try place if you're in the area! read more

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50th Anniversary Celebration. Our kids all flew in and our choice was to celebrate at Wally's DT. From the very beginning, Ashley emailed with me, kept me informed and was very helpful even with all the changes I made when our party shrunk a bit. I really appreciated that when I emailed a special request that they followed through and everyone was made aware. Daniel was our server and he never missed a beat! He was so attentive and got everything right. The food was amazing! We had Sole Almondine (huge portions), Shrimp cocktail (huge as well!), crab cakes were also yummy. Our group also said salmon was delicious, husband loved his chicken and one person said the Chilean sea bass was the best they'd ever had! We were wowed with the soufflé as well! I can't leave out what an elegant atmosphere this place has! Just the right amount of old school, elegance and warmth. I knew I could count on WALLYS to be a perfect place to celebrate this special occasion. I will return read more

I was part of a group of 14 people. A reservation had been made and they were ready for us! The restaurant is a nice, upscale place. We were there on. Wednesday night and I don't know how full it was, but it seemed to be doing a great weeknight business. I believe everyone was happy with the food they ordered - I know I was! The server asked ahead of taking food orders if anyone would like a soufflé for dessert so they could have them ready on time. I've never worked in the food service industry, but I can imagine it's a little bit of a challenge to serve 14 at one table. Apparently wine - red and white - had been ordered for the table. I don't drink wine and declined both. Wine glasses were removed from in front of me. I was never given the option of a cocktail. I kept trying to order one and was ignored. Finally my husband, who had a cocktail, got them to take my order. When we were seated, there were no forks at my place setting. We asked no less than five times for forks and were assured they would bring them over. Three of us asked! Everyone else had forks. Finally, when they brought my entree and I still don't have forks I pleaded for a fork so I could eat and got one immediately. It was crazy! Our hosts for the dinner were great and it was a fun group. The food was delicious. There were just a few details that didn't work on my favor. I'd definitely go back! read more

Wally's Desert Turtle - Cacio e Pepe Ravioli - Steakhouses Near Me - Rancho Mirage, California

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Five-star kinda place! Valet parking, beautiful decor, fantastic live music, attentive service, great cocktails, delicious meals, delectable desserts... EVERYTHING was on point including the manager coming around to speak to each and every table to ensure all is well. Lastly, the restrooms are beautiful and clean... no surprise here. All of this comes at a price as this is a $$$$ kinda place... but worth every cent . read more

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I have frequented this restaurant for 30 years. Staff, highly level of service and food is amazing. A class act. Highly recommend. read more

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It pains me to write this review since this restaurant looms large in my mind. Since I was in my late 20s, I've considered this among the preeminent spots in the desert. I visited once in the 90s and had good memories. I returned this April and now we have tarnished memories. We have been coming for Coachella for 4 years now and we usually stay in PS eat at Spencer's but this time we stayed in PD and ate here. It is a time warp, very much stuck in the Liberace past. And I like cheesy stuff, but when the food is mediocre, that's when the aesthetics take a back seat. I had the: wild mushroom soup - 5/10 - kinda flavorless jumbo shrimp cocktail - 7/10 - fine but not JUMBO like Spencer's cacio e pepe ravioli - 8/10 - very nice Grand Marnier souffle - 9/10 - so hard to find souffles these days Service was fine, just fine. It feels like the kitchen is just going through the motions and no one is here to say, "Hey kids, let's reinvent this play and lean into the cheesy vibe but put out really outstanding food!" I want them to give the chef a sabbatical so she/he can go find their mojo again...eat pray love...and stuff like that. People come here for special occasions, the food needs to reflect that. read more

We found this incredible spot to celebrate a friend's birthday and it was fantastic. Everything was special, from the complimentary valet to the old-school decor (think Goodfellas visiting their favorite fancy restaurant) to the crooner singing as we walked in. Service is done with a team and we were well tended to for any needs. We had 3 ladies that weren't terribly hungry, so sharing is always great. We started with the endive salad and it was wonderful, along with the Honolulu tuna appetizer. The salad was large and fresh (1 salad was perfect for 3) with a citrus dressing and the tuna was so fresh served with freshly made crisps. The Dover sole was buttery, rich and flavorful served with mashed potatoes and veggies. We also shared the Cacio y Pepe ravioli that was the perfect compliment to the fish. We ended with a special desert brought to us for my friend's birthday AND we had to try to chocolate soufflé, which was the perfect warm chocolate goodness to end our night. I highly recommend this as a special date night, business dinner location or just a special place to see. This restaurant is iconic and has been around for decades for a reason. read more

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Great food and music.You can eat inside or outside.Service was great as well.I highly recommend this restaurant

Walking in, hand rail lose. Could have been dangerous. Interior very attractive. From there it went downhill. Lousy, lousy service. Slow. Had to ask for more water .. ridiculous.Never came to ask for a refill of drinks. Filet was bland with no seasoning and overcooked. Potatos were overly salty.Cobb salad was disgusting. Chopped mess.l have never seen a cobb salad so disgusting looking Couldn't taste any of the ingredients, i.e. chicken,bacon, Blue cheese. 1/3 teaspoon of avocado. Never offered more bread. Used to be very classy and great food and service. Now it's horrible. read more

Thanksgiving was awful, overbooked, no where to sit and wait. Very loud and crowded. Just not what we thought Wally's was about. Not at all relaxing. Food was good. Not worth all the effort read more

Absolutely the best restaurant in all of Cathedral City! The ambience, the atmosphere, the food, the service! Everything was amazing and perfect had a chance to meet the owner Madalyn and she is super sweet and awesome read more

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I completely understand the significance of being fair when providing a review. While I prefer to address issues directly with a business, I felt that they completely disregarded our presence from the moment we arrived until the end of our visit, showing little regard for the fact that we didn't consume much of the poorly presented or prepared food and that we didn't enjoy our overall experience, from the service to the food itself (YUCK)!!!!! Thanksgiving was a complete disaster. I understand it's a busy holiday, but seriously, if you can't manage the flow of customers, either bring in more staff or reduce the number of tables. We waited 40 minutes past our reservation time to be seated. We went with the flow, but it just went downhill from there. Upon seating, we were immediately each offered a dinner roll, what we didn't realize is that we wouldn't receive any more food for about an hour. Our salads were the only thing that arrived, despite the fact that there was supposed to be a starter. We flagged someone over and requested our starters, which they brought over with some haste. Lukewarm, but I would imagine they would have been good if they were hot. When our meals finally arrived, they were lukewarm. The turkey on some plates looked juicy, while others lacked turkey entirely. What was there was inedible. The mashed potatoes lacked flavor, and the broccolini was wilted and looked unappealing. Stuffing, what stuffing? To be fair, the gravy and the cranberry sauce had a nice flavor. That being said, at this point, we hit the 2 hours and 20 mins of sitting with one drink from the bar, next to 0 service and subpar food. We asked for the dessert to be taken to go. The restaurant is full. Most patrons looked bored, and the vibe was just flat. It's now been 2 hours and 30 mins. I personally darted to the valet so I could retrieve the car, which I sat in for another 20 minutes waiting for the rest of my party to receive the check and pay. We couldn't get out of there fast enough. We made frozen pizzas and snacked on fruit and veggies as soon as we got home! Definitely not impressed and definitely won't be back! Shame on Wally's for taking advantage of people on what should have been a night of good food and good memories!! I want my Thanksgiving back! read more