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    Food for Thought Cafe

    4.5 (40 reviews)
    Closed • Closed

    Food for Thought Cafe Photos

    FOOD FOR THOUGHT CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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    Breakfast tacos
    Lynn M.

    I've been coming to Food for Thought Café since they opened, and it's one of the few places I actually like eating out at. I usually cook for myself and don't eat out much because the food quality is hit or miss, but this place is different. The veggies are always super fresh, and the food tastes like something I'd make at home. Even the dressings and sauces are all made in-house, and they add so much flavor to every dish! Chef Dave is incredible--constantly coming up with creative new dishes. Jackie and the rest of the staff are super friendly and welcoming, which makes the experience even better. Whether you're vegan, vegetarian, or just into fresh, quality food, this place is definitely worth it.

    Amber M.

    I stopped by at about 3:30pm on a Friday afternoon, not to many people there and it had a very chill vibe. The guy behind the counter was very personable and gave me good recommendations. I got the tostada bowl with an egg on top and it was delicious and I got it to go.

    Special salad from the chef, dude had talent.
    Gabe P.

    Had the pleasure of stumbling upon this place on our trip. The chef was nice enough to make my girlfriend a big salad out of some stuff he had prepped in the back since they didn't have one on the menu (best salad we ever had) and I got their mushroom lentil stew. It was the perfect spot to fuel up before hiking and the patio was incredibly relaxing. Took a walk through the art garden after. This place is rad.

    Beautiful place
    Jerica M.

    An interesting experience. I came across this cafe as I've passed by the retreat center every time I went to visit JT. We came here for a quick lunch and I needed a place to do some remote work. The potato chips were amazing as well as the vegan burger. However you can tell the difference of how customers are treated as locals vs visitors. Two different customers were staring me down hard... Very strange as this center is a place for spiritual healing...we should all learn to love and show respect for one another. My bf had tried to order some food several times but every time he was inside, the cashier was not there. The rest of the staff seemed nice and polite. I recommend sitting by the koi pond. I felt very relaxed while I was dealing with some complicated work stuff. Even my dog was at peace!

    In the patio for lunch.
    Charmaine G.

    I have been to the MentalPhysics Center a few times but never had the opportunity to eat here at Food for Thought Café. Well, I am so happy I finally got the chance to try it after seeing that it has a 5-star rating. Since the weather was pleasant we agreed on eating on the patio and overlooking the lovely grounds. We went into the large restaurant to order, Joe was behind the counter and was super friendly, plus gave us suggestions. We decided on three items to share and the thirst-quenching Aqua Fresca. The food was amazingly wonderful. This will be a great place to return to when in the Joshua Tree area. 5-stars for sure.

    Working at their comfy couch with a beautiful view with a nice cup of coffee
    Bri R.

    An amazing experience all around. The service was homey and the staff is so kind and accommodating. The breakfast burrito was yummy and we had a coffee and a pastry too. The atmosphere was so peaceful and an amazing place to work remotely.

    The vortex burger is amazing!! Can't recommend it enough, such a unique flavor and perfect crunch to it. The whole area is so cool as well. Come visit!

    Veggie burger and sweet potato wedges
    Sarah M.

    We had a really nice lunch here last week. The food was very tasty, and seating was plentiful with a nice outdoor patio. The loss of a fifth star is due to the lengthy wait for food, and the fairly small portion sizes. We ordered a $16 veggie burger that came with sweet potato wedges, but there were only 4 wedges. It seemed odd to provide such a small side portion, and I honestly would have preferred to receive no side. We noticed that other diners also received 4 wedges, so this seems standard. I would absolutely return here for lunch, though not if I needed a large hearty meal.

    What a colorful breakfast plate with a sweet potato. What a comfort that meal was.

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    7 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    5 months ago

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    6 months ago

    Absolutely amazing food and prices are great. Loved sitting outside next to the pond.

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    8 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Great food, great prices, great service, great views. Go over to the gift shop when you're done, it's great too

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    10 months ago

    Good food and Jackie is an amazingly welcoming cool lady. Love her homemade baked goods. Delicious!

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    11 months ago

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    Gorgeous place with great food! Everyone that works here is so nice too! Highly recommend!

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Very lovely peaceful atmosphere, very yummy food and low priced, quick and friendly service.

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Wonderful! Such pleasant staff & good value and delicious healthy meals in a beautiful setting! Love it there!

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Great food, lovely surroundings and great atmosphere. I love this place to hang out in the morning.

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    3 years ago

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    Crossroads Cafe - Mike's Mess (scrambled eggs/potatoes/bacon/mushroom/ jack & cheddar/tomato/sour cream/green onion) with grilled banana bread

    Crossroads Cafe

    3.8(1.8k reviews)
    2.6 mi
    •$$

    Such a cute, delicious brunch place to stop by! So glad my family and I were able to grab a table…read moreduring our trip to Joshua Tree. The service here is amazing - The staff worked diligently to make sure that my family and our 3 dogs were able to be accommodated. While the wait time was a bit longer ( as expected of a busy summer holiday weekend) the shops and stores nearby provide entertainment while waiting for your table. Everything ordered was delicious and reasonably priced. I would definitely stop by again whenever I'm back in the area! Side note: Make sure you try the sourdough, so yummmmm!

    I don't recommend this café. We were very disappointed with the food…read more I ordered the beef hash with two over hard eggs and cornbread. The beef hash was extremely dry and was mostly potatoes. It had no flavor or seasoning. The eggs weren't even over hard, they were scrambled instead. The cornbread was bland. Good thing I added butter, because it helped make it more moist and gave it some flavor. My partner ordered Mike's Mess with white toast. His scrambled eggs were also filled with potatoes, and the overall meal was just as disappointing. The food lacked flavor and wasn't satisfying at all. I've never had such a disappointing, bad breakfast experience until this restaurant. The restaurant was clean, had plenty of tables, and was busy. Most importantly, the staff was friendly and nice.

    Photos
    Crossroads Cafe - Inside

    Inside

    Crossroads Cafe - Zydeco Breakfast

    Zydeco Breakfast

    Crossroads Cafe - Mike 's Mess

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    Mike 's Mess

    The Dez - Grilled cheese with tomato

    The Dez

    4.2(305 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    •$$

    Little Dez: Tiny space, minimum of 4 inside at a time…read more Staff: Efficient. Food: Pasta salad was perfectly oiled/seasoned. Not overly done. Sandwich (Genoa) was perfectly prepared and delicious

    OK, so this is confusing - there are 2 pages on Yelp that are for The Dez, and there are indeed two…read morelocations, but it seems like people are just reviewing wherever they are reviewing for either location (they are like, steps from each other). ANYWAY. We have been here a couple of times - will usually stop by here when we're in Joshua Tree. On Saturdays, there is a Farmer's Market in the parking lot, so it gets pretty crowded. This last time we went, I got an iced strawberry matcha, and my partner got the chai iced tea. Both with almond milk. They still charge a surplus for non-dairy, which feels so 2022. But anyway. The drinks were delicious. We also got an almond croissant, which doesn't look like much, but it was AMAZING. And then the quiches. Oh, the quiches. I had such high hopes for these, especially since we were primed with refreshing drinks and a tasty pastry. These quiches are muffin-sized, perfect for a light meal or a heavier snack, and they look super cute. They will heat them up for you. When we went, they had bacon cheddar and spinach feta. We got one of each. My friends, these were so disappointing. First, no flavor. We asked for ketchup or hot sauce to give it a bit of acid, because it was basically egg all the way through. Solid wall of egg that tasted like the powdered egg you get at one of those corporate conference catered breakfasts. I had one tiny sliver of bacon in mine, and my partner was playing hide and seek with the spinach, and the spinach was winning. The crust itself was rubbery and chewy, not flaky like I would expect a quiche to be. I mean, it was palatable and not super expensive. I'm just not sure if you're selling food, you want it to just be "palatable". Last time, we got a savory veggie pie, and that was pretty good, so they DO have good savory foods. I think the quiches were just a huge miss this time. Bathroom is clean and single-stalled. Parking is easy in the lot, and on Farmer's Market days, I mean, c'mon, it's Joshua Tree, it's not like there isn't space on the streets too.

    Photos
    The Dez - Inside

    Inside

    The Dez - Salmon Lox

    Salmon Lox

    The Dez - Date shake with oat milk

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    Sam's Indian Food and Pizza - Maharaja Pizza

    Sam's Indian Food and Pizza

    3.8(761 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    •$$

    I was definitely not expecting to find Indian food in Joshua Tree, but Sam's surprised me!…read more The restaurant itself is spacious, with great, lively music playing in the background. We started with the vegetable samosas, which had a nice crisp and were delicious! The sauces that came with them weren't my favorite on their own, but mixing them together made for a much better combination. The Aloo Paratha was packed with amazing flavor. It reminded me of a quesadilla, but it was a bit too salty for my taste. The lamb biryani, though, was really good- the meat was tender and fell apart easily, and the spice level was perfect! I was a little disappointed by the mango lassi. I was expecting something sweeter and refreshing, but it leaned more toward the sour/salty side. The staff were friendly and helpful, especially when recommending dishes for us to try! Maybe I shouldn't haven't been surprised... Sam's got Indian food covered, even out in the desert

    SPOILT vegetables mixed into extremely salty curry. The curry was also soured with added lemons to…read moremask the taste of extremely high salt content. The naans were under cooked as well. It was distressing to pick up food for our trip to Joshua tree national park. With no other nearby food available we had to go hungry. This food gave me acidity and a headache because of the sourness, and the spoilt vegetables. I don't understand why would restaurants serve spoilt and rotten food. Better to avoid this unreliable place. The ambience of the restaurant seems pretty nice, and we got our food quickly by DoorDash pickup. Fast service.

    Photos
    Sam's Indian Food and Pizza
    Sam's Indian Food and Pizza - Sooo good!! Almost finished all

    Sooo good!! Almost finished all

    Sam's Indian Food and Pizza - MANGO LASSI

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    MANGO LASSI

    Sky High Pie - Diavola

    Sky High Pie

    4.4(489 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    •$$

    One of the best pizzas in the US. Reminded me of some of my…read morefav pizza spots in NY and SF. The servers are so kind. They let us stay beyond closing hours. The pizza was phenomenal- excellent toppings with mushrooms arugula and chicken! Really made my day to eat here. The place is in downtown and easy to find. Would love to visit again. Also very nice location and comfortable interiors. The vibe is lively.

    The service was really the only good thing about this place. Staff is friendly. An immediate turn…read moreoff is that they don't accept cash, yet charge a 3% fee to use a card. As a customer you're automatically getting an upcharge just to give them your business. There was maybe about 2-3 other parties in the whole place, with pizza taking about 25 min to be ready. We paid $12 for bagged salad, with wilting/browning lettuce, croutons, and that Kraft like parmesan cheese that comes in the green bottle. Plus the 3% fee to eat there. Got the Alfredo pizza. The dough is thin and SUPER dry. Hard as rock, takes more effort to bite through the crust than the croutons. I don't know if they were running low on ingredients or what, but hardly a sprinkle of cheese and we're still looking for the sauce, which would've been nice to maybe soften a dough a tiny bit. I wouldn't recommend it for the prices they're charging. There's not a ton of options out here, but I wouldn't recommend this one unless you have a good dentist on call for a possible chipped tooth. Haha.

    Photos
    Sky High Pie - Restaurant dining area

    Restaurant dining area

    Sky High Pie - Whole pizza

    Whole pizza

    Sky High Pie - Sausage & Peppers Rustica

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    Sausage & Peppers Rustica

    Royal Siam Cuisine Thai Restaurant - Pad Thai

    Royal Siam Cuisine Thai Restaurant

    3.9(395 reviews)
    2.4 mi
    •$$

    We again tried Royal Thai in Joshua Tree, new management…read more I have fairly extreme problems with any ethnic food not designed vegetarian...and while they did not have any meals meals designated vegan or vegetarian, after the explanation that after 55 years, my body could not handle "oyster sauce" or anything animal. Believing that I was ordering "incredibly bland", asking for my mixed vegetables only with "garlic and ginger"...they offered "salt". I asked for no salt as well. It was not busy and the kitchen agreed... My meal was FABULOUS...the produce used was fresh and flavorful, and the meal was incredibly NOT salty...so I could taste the robust flavors. My wife, not vegetarian also ordered mixed vegetables...normal...and added shrimp...and her verdict was the shrimp tasted as fresh as any quality shrimp she has had in CA. Hint: their levels of "spicy hot" may exceed your levels of comfort...order and amend to taste. We are delighted that we do not need to drive to Palm Springs for Thai...less than 2 miles from us.

    My boyfriend and I are official Thai food junkies and order it once a week at home in OC....we came…read moreto Joshua Tree for a couple nights to get away and wanted to have our last night in...Royal Siam was truly great. We ordered Yellow Curry with Chicken, Crispy Pork with Broccoli, Pad Woodsen with Chicken and Mixed Vegetables with Tofu - Perfect Execution. I don't know where these negative reviews are coming from. Truly great!

    Photos
    Royal Siam Cuisine Thai Restaurant - Inside

    Inside

    Royal Siam Cuisine Thai Restaurant - Pineapple fried rice. Pad Thai noodles.

    Pineapple fried rice. Pad Thai noodles.

    Royal Siam Cuisine Thai Restaurant - Outside

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    Outside

    Frontier Café - Avocado Tartine

    Frontier Café

    4.3(707 reviews)
    4.9 mi
    •$$

    Frontier Cafe is one of those rare high desert spots that sits right in the middle of one of the…read morebest little shopping stretches in Yucca Valley and still feels easy and local. I honestly don't think I've made a single desert trip without stopping in at least once. Part of it is the location. Acme 62 and Hoof + Horn are both literally right next door and both great for gifts that say "I went to the desert" without going full souvenir shop. Pioneer Crossing Antiques is also nearby and was sadly closed this Wednesday, but I normally stop in whenever it's open. The proprietors are awesome and I always find something unique to take home. Food-wise, the lox bagel was a standout. Great ratio of cream cheese, capers, dill, thin-shaved red onion, plus a little side salad of arugula and radish that actually tasted fresh instead of feeling like decoration. The yogurt parfait was small but mighty, layered with berries and granola and substantial enough to feel like breakfast. Easy seating, dog friendly, and plenty of sandwiches and salads if you're not in a bagel mood. Tasty, fresh, quick, and just enough "we did something" energy before heading back to the Airbnb to relax and beat the heat.

    Funky little indie artsy coffee shop. Love the ambiance…read more Open early, good amount of seating. Features local music and art with open mic night on Thursday. Bit expensive, so is everywhere in the area now that it is more touristic

    Photos
    Frontier Café
    Frontier Café - Lox Bagel

    Lox Bagel

    Frontier Café - Rose lavender chai

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    Rose lavender chai

    Food for Thought Cafe - cafes - Updated September 2026

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