We love this hidden gem. We found it through Yelp years ago and now go there every time we're in town. Food is good, staff is unbelievable at how nice they are. You're not just a number. They treat you like they're so glad you came. Not many family places like this anymore. read more

Biscuits & gravy was cold. Prices are pretty high so probably won't be coming back. Service is good.

This little diner is tucked out of the way in an industrial area. We sat on the patio which was nice. The service was friendly. I had an omelette with hash browns and my husband had a chicken wrap. Everything tasted good but it was very overpriced. My omelette was not very big and it was $21! read more

Craving a Monte Cristo sando but not not in the mood to go into Disneyland? Are you close to or willing to drive to Palm Desert? If so, head over to a hidden gem called CJ's Diner. This joint has great service and has that diner vibe. It seems to be popular amongst the locals which tells one a lot! Most of all, their Monte Cristo sandwich is one of the best I have ever had. It's deep fried which is a prerequisite. Their batter is different than what you'll find @ Cafe Orleans. In fact, some may prefer it more since it's lighter. The meat to cheese ratio was well balanced and the jam was a perfect complement to the sandwich. Along with the sandwich, you have a choice between the house potatoes or hash browns. Their house potatoes were just ok and could have used a bit more salt. The next time I go there, I will give their hash browns a go. read more

CJ's Diner - Diners Near Me - Palm Desert, California

See all

Once you find it, you'll be glad. Friendly, great diner breakfast selections and reasonably priced. We were only a mile away and rather in a hurry due to a tee time. The meals came out quick but didn't taste hurried or heated up. They have a lite menu which is great and can customize the cooking (I wanted extra crispy fries which were perfect). I had the chicken wrap with sun dried tomatoes and it was delish! Definitely recommend and will return on our next visit. read more

CJ's Diner - Southwest Chicken Wrap - Diners Near Me - Palm Desert, California

We are regulars and really enjoy the food, patio and service. Just avoid the salmon sandwich - it was not a normal piece of salmon and totally inedible. read more

Absolutely adore the feel of this place!! Helen made my visit feel so cozy like I was eating at a relatives house. Absolutely will be coming back next time I'm in town! The biscuit was amazing. read more

A cute Country cafe in the middle of industrial buildings....great for breakfast & lunch.....big portions too....the staff is very friendly & will quickly get you seated, & fed.... I believe the place is full of locals..... and probably lots of tourist too.... Parking is crazy, but keep circling you will find a spot.... They have added seating since Covid so that helps.... read more

See all

Trying some place new. As it was a lovely Spring morning we dined on the patio. We were pleasantly surprised we could get fish and chips at 9:30 am. Our meal was delicious and our servers were efficient and friendly. Sadly we might not have stayed if we had dined inside. The interior carpeting looked dirty and stained. The ladies bathroom needed cleaning...not just tidied up and stocked. read more

Are you looking for a good place to go to on a Sunday morning? Do you like small family owned places? Do you like gravy on your biscuits? Do you enjoy gravy on your eggs Benedict? If you've answered, yes to any of these questions then this place is worthy of your time and attention. we went on a very busy Sunday morning after church, and we left full, happy, and willing to return. read more

See all

Tucked away next to industrial type of businesses is this good old American diner many locals know about. Great selections on the menu. Waiters are very attentive and service is Great. read more

See all

Cjs Diner has excellent breakfast choices. Our Waiter Antonio was very professional and friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant for breakfast or lunch. read more

Good food choices for breakfast and lunch. Really outstanding diner. Friendly staff . Highly recommend!!! Enjoy the Patio if the weather permits! read more

Amazing service food was grate everyone was so sweet welcoming food presentation was grate will 100% go back again read more

CJ's Diner - Diners Near Me - Palm Desert, California

9-10-24 I went there for breakfast last Tuesday. They're special with chorizo and eggs which I ordered. That's all I had that day and that night I woke up sick as a dog throwing up all night. I called them next day. And they told me the owner would call me back,which he never did. This is really bad!!! UPDATE 9-13 So the owners wife called me yesterday. Told me that they took the same batch of chorizo and made it up with eggs and gave it to all their employees! Seriously who would do this and put their employees in a situation like this? She said they were all ok after eating this. That was her way of resolving the problem. Which I don't believe anyone would actually do this. Now I've got a rash all over my back and stomach, so I'll have to go see my doctor. I'm very dissatisfied with their response. read more

We came upon this place through Yelp! My friends had been coming to the Marriott Desert Springs for 10+ years and never stumbled on this cute little quaint restaurant. My friend ordered a bunch of a la carte from the sides, another ordered the French Toast and I ordered the Monte Cristo - to sum it up they were all DELICIOUS! Our waiter, Antonio, was very attentive to our orders especially the friend that needed extra careful with her orders, he was super sweet and personable too. This is a place that we'll be going to every time we come out here. read more

See all

We loved this place. We found it to be a pleasant atmosphere where locals gather. Our breakfast was delicious, the prices were reasonable, and the owner stopped by our table for a nice chat. We plan to return when we are back in town. read more

I had breakfast here a few times and was really impressed with the food and the staff My eggs were cooked to perfection. The hash browns were cooked to perfection, nice and crunchy on the outside and just the right texture on the inside. I was pleasantly surprised to see Monte Cristo on the menu. Something I used to serve many times when I was a chef..there's was nice and crunchy on outside.and just plain deliciois. read more

My friend, a local, suggested to go to CJ's for breakfast. I agreed as a Belgian Waffle was on the menu which is what I wanted. I was in town to visit him. Now, the service was excellent. Veronica was our server and pretty much was taking care of a lot of people with efficiency and courteous customer service. The other staff members on the floor could not have been better. BUT.. My Belgian waffle was NOT a Belgian waffle. To the owner, a Belgian waffle is not made with pancake batter in a Belgian waffle shape. A Belgian waffle is crispy on the outside and light and airy on the inside. The "waffle" arrived at my table in the correct shape. But was totally dense on the inside. Clearly the batter was not correct. I would suggest you remove the item off of the menu if you cannot make a proper one. read more

The food was excellent, service was lacking. Granted, they were busy on a Monday morning, but it was still disappointing. We seemed to have a couple of different servers (did one go on break or leave for the day?) and trying to get our bill proved difficult for some reason. I loved the Monte Cristo though so that made up for almost everything. The place has been well used over the years, but it was clean. Parking can be a bit of a mess since it's at the end of a strip mall. Still, I'll continue to eat here when I'm in the area. It has a great breakfast vibe. read more

Fab local diner... off the beaten path. Family owned! Breakfast & Lunch only Good food reasonable prices and comfortable. read more

Good old fashioned breakfast. Not very expensive, large portions. Dining area was clean but nothing special.

Super good & classic diner ! A great place for a fun weekend breakfast, lots of options on the menu!

Food on par.. service was friendly from the moment they opened the door of the restaurant, and every single server was so friendly that it was overwhelming how hospitable they were to their customers and what a clean and refreshing restaurant. I felt like I was in someone's home visiting and being taken care of like a queen. read more

A place for regulars and visitors alike. We walked easily from the Marriott villas. It's a cute, colorful cafe with a Latin vibe. I got a burrito (modified it with no egg, added chorizo and avocado) and home fries. Good portion, a bit messy but tasty and I ate almost the whole thing. Husband got corned beef hash (soooo gooood) with home fries, egg, avocado and toast. He ate everything and wanted a nap Good value and good quality. Looked like they served wine and beer, but we weren't ready to start drinking for the day yet! read more

As a democrat, when I overhear the waitress telling one of her apparent regular customers that she would "offer them a liberal amount of butter, but liberal isn't a word that they like using at their establishment" I would definitely think twice about visiting this restaurant in the future. Beyond that, the food was just okay. read more

Tried a few other breakfast spots but the wait was 45+ minutes. Saw a review on Yelp and decided to come here instead. Its location was more in a commercial area. Large indoor seating and Nice outdoor patio. We were able to get seated and fed in about an hour. Nice to not have to wait long for a good breakfast!! Especially when you have kids. Service was great! Very friendly staff! Made great suggestions. Breakfast burritos were large and steaming hot! We added Chorizo to one of the burritos and it was so good. I would have enjoyed having the potatoes inside my burrito but it was still a wonderful burrito. They were out of Cinnamon Rolls but had the Cinnamon roll french toast. I think this was actually the better option. It had a nice crunch and they even brought out the glaze to put on top. It was a very large portion and delicious. The Monte Cristo had an amazing crunch. Besides Disneyland this was one of the best I have had. My only suggestion would be to add another piece of meat. Otherwise flavor and texture were on point! I gave it a 4 because everything came out super hot and was delicious. The only thing that was not hot but warm was the country potatoes. If they can just make sure those are served hot like everything else I would give a 5! Thank you for the great breakfast and Service! read more

See all

Food was delicious! The banana pecan pancakes are highly recommended! The service was warm and welcoming!

Great taste food was served fresh will go back soon the homemade cinnamon rolls r to die for and the house potatoes are goooood

This place is a truly a hidden gem in the desert. It is a bit tucked away with not big signage, but if you want a solid, local diner experience, you must stop by here when you're in Palm Desert. The interior is very simple and feels like a casual place that may be the front room of someone's home. They have a patio as well which is a nice addition. The staff is impeccable. Everyone checks on you and is very amenable to requests. When I asked if it was possible to get fruit instead of potatoes, my server said, "Anything is possible at CJ's" If that's not lyrics for a jingle, I don't know what it. The food is prepared well and the portions, while not huge, are a modest size and will certainly fill one's appetite. The only thing I might say is that, for a local diner, some of the items seemed a bit on the pricey side. A Denver omelette is $21 while the Steak and eggs I did order was the same price at $21. Perhaps the problems with egg supply is a contributing factor. All the same, you can still find some reasonably priced items as most are around $20 or under. I only wish there were a diner this good and with such amazing service in LA! read more

What can I say?! Came for the food, stayed for the service! Veronica helped us out and will always and forever remember and return to this breakfast place because of her! I'm no easy walk in the park when it comes to ordering but she was able to answer my questions and accommodate my substitutions- and did it with a smile! Thank you Veronica! read more

Yum! I was surprised that we were able to arrive around 10:00 am on a Sunday and not need to wait. When I am in the area, this is going to be my go-to for breakfast. Everything was delicious. I had the 2+2+2 (two eggs, two pancakes, two bacon). One thing to note: the syrup comes on (rather, under) the pancakes so if you're like me and don't like syrup -- make sure to specify that. One thing that was interesting that my mum noticed: they do not use syrup that contains high fructose corn syrup. I thought that was nice! My husband had the mushroom omelet with hash browns; I had a bit and enjoyed the cheesiness and flavor of it. My mum had the vegetarian omelet. I appreciate that the staff were on top of refills and attentiveness. Great service. Ample outdoor seating and also indoor dining. 2022: 3/100 read more

A hidden gem! Awesome service & the food is yummy. I had the chicken quesadilla with corn,beans,cheese . I give at 10 star rating

Great service! Very nice and attentive staff. Outdoor seating was very nice and comfortable. I got corned beef hash and it was the perfect classic corned beef hash. I also got an iced latte and it had great flavor and a nice balance of sweetness and coffee flavor. Would go again! read more

Good service. But breakfast was ok. The day we went, they came back a few minutes after the order was taken and said they don't have waffles that day. read more

First time trying CJs and I was impressed had the breakfast burrito didn't disappoint it was delicious would definitely come back

Everything about this place is perfect. Service? Mimosa? Ruben sandwich? Happy staff laughing in the kitchen? read more

CJ's Diner - Ruben - Diners Near Me - Palm Desert, California

CJ's was a nice little gem I found through Yelp on a Saturday morning and it did not disappoint. I was seated right away and the service was excellent! Once I ordered my food it took maybe 10 minutes to come out and boy was it delicious. I will be visiting this restaurant again in the near future. Enjoy! read more

CJ's Diner - Cheddar and mushroom omelette. Yummy! - Diners Near Me - Palm Desert, California

Everything was so good the service, and the food reminds me of a homemade cook meal well worth We don't live in Palmdessert but when we go there in summer we like to eat breakfast there... until next year read more

This has always been our go to place. However this last time there two orders of eggs and bacon came to $50. We often go out to breakfast and have never paid that much. It used to an about $25 for both of us. I know eggs went up but not that much. I am sorry to give up on CJ's. read more