You will think a well known resort has it together.... I just don't see the point of a buffet... SO MUCH MEDIOCRE food... I ordered the eggs Benedict: a NO, NO! Service was awful as well. That's all folks! read more

I ate here twice during my weeklong conference. While pricey as you'd expect in a resort, the food was very good and I'm not overly cranky about the price. Stuff I ate: quesadillas, house salad (small and large portion), chicken breast with mashed potatoes and apple pie. Meal also comes with homemade parmesan crackers and rolls. General comments: portions were large. The salad size made me feel like I'd turned into a cow (although after eating in Palm Springs for a week I just might have. Won't be getting on the scale for a good 2 weeks). Service comments: Good service. Very polite. It wasn't crowded while I was here but it was just the right amount of attention. Menu comments: Menu has a mix of casual and entree offerings. You can eat for under 15 if you'd like or can spend over 40 one night as I did. Specific things that were awesome: Chef fixed a chicken breast for me instead of the bone-in roasted chicken. It was grilled and tasty. The parmesan crackers are especially delicious and the apple pie was perfect. It was full of sliced apples (stood about 6" high) and served with cinnamon ice cream. Wasn't overly sweet. Perfect. read more

The food was great ! We were served a dirty glass of water with either lipstick on the inside of the cup or Bloody Mary. Other than that, the food was delicious and the staff was very nice. The ambiance in the restaurant is very laid back. read more

CAVA - New American Near Me - Indian Wells, California

This restaurant in the Renaissance Esmeralda Hotel gets two stars because the food is HIGHLY overpriced and well below expectation. An example: I ordered the breakfast skillet. The potatoes were gross, the turkey sausage was dry and shriveled and the eggs ... well ... they were just eggs. Not worth 13+ dollars! It also looks like a Cort furniture warehouse in there ... a team from Denny's could help improve the decor and food quality. read more

Great service. Lydia was our server and she did an outstanding job. The food was delicious. Brenden made our cocktails and they were divine. The view is fantastic and all around a great experience. read more

This place was ok. We came here for a work dinner and was staying at the Marriott which it is housed inside of. To be honest, compared to the other options within the hotel and nearby hotel restaurants, I was really not that impressed with this place. I went with the short ribs and a friend had the rib eye. Both were cooked properly and no real issues, but wasn't what I expected. However, despite any complaints about the food not being spectacular, it was still good, but the lower rating is for the service being exceptionally slow. We were the only people in an empty restaurant and it still took over an hour to get our orders to us after ordering. Given there were 10 of us, this was still a restaurant that can seat over 100 people and we were the only ones there. I would not recommend to others staying at the hotel. There is far better close by. read more

We were invited guests for lunch at Cava Restaurant at the Renaissance Esmerelda Resort in Indian Wells. This is absolutely the only reason that I would come here. Fortunately, we had delightful company, because this luncheon was otherwise a failure. The large restaurant is located off the pool, behind the main hotel tower. It is very difficult to locate the entrance - take a sharp left when you exit the hotel and walk to the wall and turn right to find the hidden door. The restaurant was attempting a mod vibe, but it was a fail. The chairs and tables don't match (I think that we had run out of money and dug these up some place else). The carpet looks like runner remnants - hideous green and purple lines. The wall hangings don't match. The only think that makes sense are the dividers and the light fixtures (which featured burned out bulbs). There was NO ONE in the restaurant. It is July in the desert, which is not the high time. But, there was ample staff. I saw at least 7 people working and there were (maybe) 7 tables with people. While our server promptly took our order, it was over 20 minutes before our salads and grilled cheese sandwiches arrived. Ridiculous. Also, it was hard to get the waters refilled, because the waiter just didn't check in. I ordered the Greek Salad with light vinaigrette and easy on the cheese. My salad was definitely over-dressed, despite my request (my companion's steak salad had less dressing, and she did not even have to ask). Fortunately, I can pick around too much cheese. Then, for $18, this "Shrimp salad" had THREE shrimp. Unbelievable. I could tell that I was still going to be hungry, so I asked for the bread basket. That's right, they did not even bring bread. Geez louise. My companion's steak salad was FAR superior. It was the same price, it had an entire steak that was a perfect medium rare, and it had a normal amount of dressing. The wedge with louie dressing and crab was also much better with an ample amount of meat. I was hungry, so we split the key lime pie for dessert. It also took FOREVER to come to the table, but it was quite tasty. The pecan graham cracker crust was a nice compliment to the tangy-creamy filling, and the blueberries (not fresh) were a complimentary flavor. Plus, I had been here for 2 hours and I was starved. Thank goodness for dessert. Were it not for being a guest and having delightful company, I would have walked out of this terrible restaurant. C'est la vie. I can warn others... read more

My wife and I dined here while staying at the resort. Of all the places we tried while in the Palm Springs area, this was one of the better ones. The staff were friendly and conversational. The food was really quite good. The prices were average for the area and cuisine. The wine selection was more than adequate. While the hardware (by this I mean tables, plates, silverware, glasses, etc) didn't meet the level of the food or service, it hardly detracted. We would go here again. The menu is available online from the resort website. read more

If you're thinking of going here.... STOP!!! JUST DON'T DO IT. The beat thing I had here was the Perrier. Food not worth the hight prices. Denny's has better food. I didn't try the buffet that might be good. The service... lets just say they meed training. 2 stars thanks to the Perrier.6 The Bar by the pool has way better food and friendlier service. read more

My boyfriend and I recently stayed at the Esmeralda hotel and we had the best breakfast buffet at Cava. We really liked the fresh juicer and the omelette station. The restaurant manager Steve was so friendly and welcoming too. We went back the next day again because it was so good. read more

This is for the Thanksgiving buffet only. Not worth it - won't be back. We enjoyed this buffet before Covid and had a great experience. This year - overpriced. However, most of the main dishes were very good. They turkey and traditional sides were all very good. The cold seafood was good. The sushi was pretty good. The ham, not good. No beef. No hot seafood. No pasta. ??? Poor inconsistent signage at the buffet. No one knew they were making risotto to order because it looked like an omelette station - no signs. The desserts were all ordinary - cafeteria/catering style food. Some with no labels. Nothing special for our $180 for two. Not even a glass of wine included in this price. I've managed a bar and restaurant and this Marriott could easily have gotten a great deal on cases of wine for this event. The host stand was a joke. Four people clueless as to how to seat for a buffet, with reservations. But the most telling difference was - it was not busy - almost empty. A bust. Now I know why. At least parking was validated lol. It's unfortunate that a great property can't pull off a special dinner buffet. read more

Dirty place mats, servers that literally forget about you, salads DRENCHED in dressing of your choosing, and nice inflated prices to wash it all down. Unfortunately for us, this is the main Hotel restaurant at the Indian Wells Esmerelda Hotel. This was unfortunate because as it turned out, if we wanted a decent meal in the day, we had to hope in the car and go find it. Very disturbing when all we wanted to do was relax by the nice hotel pool. Anyway, after struggling to come up with ANYTHING close to a positive, I will say that the Street Tacos we had at the bar were actually decent. Just not sure those Street Tacos came from the Cava kitchen, nor am I sure how much the martinis influenced my ratings. I'd consider going two stars if it weren't for 3 our of the 4 placemats at our table being encrusted with past (unfortunate) diners' droppings. Just say "No!" read more

This is a good place to get a lunch or breakfast (only served till 11:00) if your staying at the hotel. The food is good and well prepared, white tablecloth and attentive service. My Ahi Salad had a few wilty lettuce pieces but was not over dressed and was tasty. Ahi was seasoned well and seared to temperature. The Burger had by another at our table looked tasty. Bottom line, better food than it has to be to be just off the pool deck in the resort read more

We love Marriott properties, and all that comes with them. Cava is a fantastic restaurant! Breakfast buffet is wonderful, with a great assortment of everything. Dinner has good choices. Service always spectacular as well! read more

Solid 3.5 stars Pros: Pretty good food Large portions Good cocktails Above average service Nice decor Nice view Outdoor seating available Cons: Expensive (as expected for a hotel restaurant) read more

Went here for breakfast during our stay at the Renaissance Indian Wells. I've never had such delicious lemon ricotta pancakes! The coffee roast was just perfect too. Service was pleasant. Not too much attention but made sure everything was taken care of, just how I like it in the mornings. Everyone was welcoming with a smile. My fiancee got the coconut french toast which was yummy as well. I started off with the parfait which was awesome because it was more about the fresh fruit and yogurt than it was sweet, which is how it should be! I miss being here at the hotel, and definitely coming back for our next mini getaway! read more

CAVA - Lemon ricotta pancakes and parfait. - New American Near Me - Indian Wells, California

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Don't waste your money on this place. There's nothing special about the decor or the ambiance, prices are unreasonable, food wa ordinary and service was horrible. The staff spent their time hiding in the back. They are not visible and our server didn't even bother to check if we got our food or not. Even paying the check was an ordeal because once again she handed us the bill and left. As you can see from the pictures you can't see the staff since they are all in the back and not paying attention to the customers. read more

CAVA - New American Near Me - Indian Wells, California

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Service is great, breakfast by the pool lovely . I highly recommend it bartender by the pool Tony really know how to take care of his customers. read more

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Excellent breakfast items and very well made mimosas. Next time I may try the buffet. The cost kept me from trying it.

Just had the amazing breakfast buffet! I don't know why people complain about this restaurant. It has a cute modern 60's feel and it's very clean. It is expensive but what do you expect at a nice hotel. read more

CAVA - New American Near Me - Indian Wells, California

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Amazing breakfast buffet. Felt energized and ready for the day as a result of the ample fruit available. Also really enjoyed using the industrial strength juicers which could chop an entire apple as an example. We also ate here for dinner and the service was friendly and attentive. Great hotel restaurant. read more

Only one visit. Mid afternoon for a cocktail. *wonderful* young man (1st day) bussing and who got me water in the 107 degree heat. Everything else was a joke. AVOID. read more

Great service. It's nice to have options like this when you don't want to stray too far from the pool or hotel, but the breakfast isn't anything to be excited about. Pretty standard. I will say that the onion rings we had yesterday for lunch were quite delicious. I think you'll be happy if you stick with ordering simple food options like scrambled eggs rather than poached and simple sandwiches like the Club. read more

CAVA - Breakfast at Cava - New American Near Me - Indian Wells, California

Staying at the hotel, so decided to eat breakfast at this restaurant. Terrible. My husband ordered an omelet: it was so overlooked it was dry in the middle and the edges were crunchy. We asked them to take it back and ordered bacon and eggs instead. They were adequate, but not yummy by any means. Potatoes were soggy. And, when they brought the check, they still charged us for the inedible omelet, which was $17, by the way! We were planning on eating dinner here tonight; needless to say, that is not happening! read more

Had breakfast here while staying at the Renaissance Indian Wells and found the buffet to be one of the better breakfast buffets at a hotel that I've had. Not a huge selection, but what was offered is very high quality. At the omelette station, you can order eggs prepared anyway, so I got an over easy egg. The nicest touch was a fresh juicing station with fruits and veggies to make your own fresh juice. read more

Been in the restaurant industry for 40 years. This is one to avoid. They hire cooks not chefs. Meat so over cooked could not swallow

I waffles!! Breakfast was great! The service was awesome, all the staff is really friendly! I will definitely be coming back again. read more

CAVA - I waffles! breakfast was fresh and tasteful. Aside from the food the service was great! The whole staff was very friendly. - New American Near Me - Indian Wells, California

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We ate at this restaurant on two occasions. Our first experience was favorable so we returned the following day. On this occasion we were not treated well at all. BEWARE of the CAVA RESTAURANT....We had excellent service one day, but the next day we were treated like CRIMINALS, like we had shoplifted food!! Our server was absolutely rude and the manager was not customer service friendly at all. We are extremely insulted and our party will not be returning to this restaurant. I hope the convention that we are here with will consider other options when choosing a venue to hold their annual meetings. This is my daughter's opinion of our second and last experience at the Cava...the experience of eating at a nice restaurant is cheapened when you are FORCED to pay an additional $7 after sharing a few tarts from your mother's $10 Salad/Soup/Dessert bar like you stole from the place. (It is not as if they were going to resell the dessert that was brought to our table.) By the way, there is ZERO signage reminding/informing people to not share their meals. The meals are not even advertised as BUFFET, so if this is the intent of the restaurant, there should be some signage or literature printed to remind patrons of such. This way the servers don't have to be so incredibly rude and inappropriate! In addition, the server will put your take out food on the FLOOR if there "is no room on the table". YUCK!!! :( read more

Horrible. They took forever to come by our poorly lit table that looked like kitchen furniture from the sixties. We checkout out their salad bar that boasted "mixed greens", which turned out to be mixed Iceburg. The cheeses were good but there was nothing good to eat it with, like a water cracker or something. They took forever to take our order the things started to get worse when it was taking so long to get our entrees. The place was empty and at that point we decided to get up and leave before we wasted $50. AVOID THIS PLACE. read more

Wow. This place delivered. My fiance and I had one of the best meals we've had in a long while, (and we are rather picky about food). We ordered the ahi tuna appetizer, which was fresh and interesting with the wasabi kick. He had the veggie burger which was pretty good and sweet potato fries (an absolute must). I had the herb chicken...and it was juicy/tender and tasty with the mashed potatoes and grilled veggies. Very impressed with the quality of seasoning on the chicken. Ambiance was nice and relaxed, yet still elegant. I think we were surprised that such a nice establishment resides in a hotel, but thought it well deserved a five star rating. Excellent job, chef! read more

CAVA - Herb chicken..yum - New American Near Me - Indian Wells, California

Eat here only if you are staying at the hotel and you car has broken down in the heat. Nothing great i can say about the food. You can eat outside on the patio next to the pool but try to avoid the exercise hour in the pool which is accompanied by loud music from a cheap portable tape player. read more

Ordered a Grilled Rib Eye cooked medium for $36. Portion was big so split the order with the wife. Ordered to go and Ate it at the lobby for better ambiance, better bar and TV. Will probably order this again next time. read more

Located within the confines of the Marriott Indian Wells Renaissance is a very nice breakfast experience that seems a true oasis all itself. Cava serves dinner as well which I have yet to try. However I can say the breakfast buffet is a go to. Normally I stay away from the who-knows-what-how-long silver steam trays lined in a row. For me that changes here. Somehow the chef and staff manage to pull off a remarkable fresh buffet. Very very reasonably priced (kids $10) considering the amount and quality of the food. No real menu surprises, but the selection is very large and plentiful. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed. It takes a minute or two just to peruse all the offerings at all the different stations. The chef at the omelet bar is a true talent. My wife and I particularly enjoy the juice bar. It features an industrial juicer with several types of sliced fresh fruits and vegetables. An excellent choice for breakfast even if not staying at the Renaissance. read more

I enjoyed dining at Cava while I was a guest at Renaissance Esmeralda Hotel. The food was tasty & the service good. Nice view of the pool, golf course and mountains. :) read more

Lovely restaurant with good food and good value. Management was extremely accommodating. Overall excellent experience and I'll go again soon. read more

While I was sitting forever waiting for my food to come out I was imagining what I would write for this review.. Then the food came and I had to choke it all back and admit that it was almost worth the LONG WAIT. There weren't that many people when we got in and I don't think that the long wait time was justified, we saw our waiter 3 times, to greet us and get our drink order, to deliver the food and the drinks and then to give us the bill.. It kind of sucked. But the service aside I really thought the food was great! Everything tasted fresh even the orange juice. I was very impressed with the quality and the amount of food we received. If I could change one thing it would have been the wait time, it really didn't make sense for the service to be that slow. read more

We are the only customer in this place and the service is aa slow as hell took 30mins for our food to come and the server looks like she dont want to waork that day Yanelys definitely dont feel like working. Food wish portions is good for babies the salmon strip they have was a 1/2 in thick 3 in long very sad this will be our 1st and last.... STAY AWAY IF YOU CAN! read more

I really enjoy coming to the Esmerelda because the breakfast buffet at Cava! I travel a lot and this is the best breakfast I can get! I have not had lunch or dinner here before. read more

Eat here if you are staying with the kids, and you booked the hotel package that includes breakfast. Order the buffet. It is pretty fresh, and they have eggs made to order. The waitstaff needs training because they seem to forget about you. Eat indoors. The patio is too loud and the chlorine smell is overwhelming. read more

We sat outside, so I can't speak for the inside. The buttermilk pancakes were delicious. I couldn't stop eating them. If you sit outside you can look out onto the pool. The server was okay. Not too sure if he was new or not, but the place wasn't busy (Outside). He kept forgetting things. The cinnamon buns for a starter are big! We got one big one. A little too crunchy and dark around the outside for my liking. I prefer for them to be softer and gooey. The birds aren't shy and if you drop something they'll be right there to pick it up. Make sure you are fully dressed when you arrive, because they won't let you in with just a bathing suit and no shoes. The pool is nice with a sandy beach entrance and it's only 3 feet deep. Perfect for the kids. read more