The reviews are accurate. The drinks are stiff, the prime rib is tender and juicy (Almost worth the wait!). The salads were large,fresh and flavorful. My party also enjoyed the lamb chops ($$$). The ambiance is nostalgic. The local laughter and conversation, fun. The service is slow. No I mean slowwwww
Review Source:This is a great local staple that has been around for a long time, and serves good food and strong drinks. I used to come here a couple times a month for work, but have started only coming in for drinks occasionally now as the food is good, but really nothing special.
Overall it's a 3 star place and nothing more.
This place is over priced for what you get. Â It should not be that hard to make good french fries, but we had to send them back because they tasted like they had been sitting out for a few hours before we ordered them. Â Considering the other options in the area, this place is not that bad, but I do think for what you are getting, their prices are way too high.
Review Source:You have to look past the location, attached to a run down looking motel. When you walk inside it is like walking into a 1970's steakhouse. Good drinks but they will not blend them for you (the blender is too loud). They have a regular local following, boisterous and friendly at the bar. Service is great, and the helpings are huge. They don't hold back on the butter etc. Prime rib is very good.
Review Source:While staying at the Royal Plaza Inn, this place was an obvious choice for breakfast. Portion sizes are HUGE (although we were all from Canada :) ), and the mimosa's were the size of a full red wine glass! I recommend sharing a plate if you are not starving.
Only came for breakfast, but returned each morning for 3 days! If you want a less greasy breakfast I recommend the create your breakfast option, with half fruit and half potatos (they are amazing, and very well seasoned. I don't understand the reviews that said they were bland)
Originally served by a woman lovingly called "Grandma" and she really made the stay for us! The service was always really quick, even when they were swamped (We were here during Coachella).
First off, their sourdough bread and butter is amazing! It was hot and fresh from their kitchen.
I got a local vibe. A bit pricey though. Their salads range $13, $16 or $18. Appetizers $9 to $16. Their dinner menu averages mid $20 range.
I ordered the chicken piccata and linguini. It came out with a HUGE portion. It was $21 and left me stuffed and with leftovers to take home. The linguini has a lot of sauce and cheese. The chicken had a lot of onions and mushrooms on top along with the sauce.
The waitress was very friendly and water refilled often, a necessity for the desert heh.
I was in town and went there on reconmendation from the place I was staying. The bar area has a "steakhouse" kind of atmosphere where the dining room seemed more restaraunt. I was surprised with the prices and some of it the lack of menu prices. Lamb chops, rack of lamb, and most seafood was "market price", which always seems to mean, dig dipper into your wallet. I should have known what to expect when I asked how much was the "special", listed as a fillet benedict, fillet mignon with crab and hollandaise sauce, $45. You did a choice of potato for that price. I considered just leaving, but I had had a long day, it was late and I was starving. So I bit the bullet, got the "market price", $37 lamb chops, which were perfectly cooked and delicious. Overall, this would not overpriced in a toneier section of LA, but for a place in Indio attached to a motel, I'd give it a pass unless you really wanted an LA steak at an LA price.
Review Source:Went there last night and it was great. Â I had the petite filet and my wife had the prime rib. Â Fast, efficient service, delicious food for a good price. Â Imagine a Ruth Crist or Flemmings meal for about half the price. Â The atmosphere is like a family owned place where the owner makes a point to personally stop by your table and check to see if you are satisfied. Â The decor is 1970's booths with lost of space. Â We will be back.
Review Source:Stuck in this town for three days I searched Yelp for a Breakfast Burrito and didn't pull up much that looked worth trying so we headed here to Cactus Jack's.
Thinking I remember seeing a good review on a Breakfast Burrito yet while looking over the menu I see none offered, so I asked the waitress and she said YES they do have them and can make them anyway you want.
So the Wife ordered an Omelette and I a Breakfast Burrito.....
Omelette "The Ham & Cheese" - <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cactus-jacks-indio?select=4dIzRH96n_Yo3NQxepAlGg#1BJqZ8jLy0iKG_GE6p0PYw">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a> Diced Ham with Jack and Cheddar Cheese and Home Fried Potato's
A real good Omelette <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cactus-jacks-indio?select=4dIzRH96n_Yo3NQxepAlGg#SVxdtHJ5gbe6rzoNbIK13A">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a> the potato's were cooked nicely BUT no seasoning at all!. 4-Stars
Breakfast Burrito - <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cactus-jacks-indio?select=4dIzRH96n_Yo3NQxepAlGg#Vbn5egG6mFg0Cq5KKyXQJg">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a> So this was build your own, "I asked for" Eggs, Bacon, Potato and Cheese" Â
While I didn't ask for the potato's on the side, that's where they stayed.... (((Seasoning goes a long way))) as you can see from the above photo the tortilla is overcooked, already cracking and will/did fall apart as soon as picked up!. Inside the eggs were nice yet bacon was sporadic <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cactus-jacks-indio?select=4dIzRH96n_Yo3NQxepAlGg#4dIzRH96n_Yo3NQxepAlGg">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a> small pieces here and there it's difficult to taste the bacon. 2-Stars
This is a familiar and reliable local saloon. Drinks are generous. Staff is efficient. The kitchen gets it right every time. Many well know local golf pros visit the place. Fran H.the well known amateur from Salem Country Club has been seen there. Recommend the Reuben and fries. Try the prime rib sliders and you'll love them.
Review Source:We should have run when we saw the clientle and all the oldsmobiles in the parking lot. Â It was definitely a local place. Â Attached to a motel, another warning sign. Â It was like truck stop food which is good if there is nothing else around. Â VERY greasy & the service was slow. Â Might be good for Indioans but not if your from out of the area.
Review Source:Decent food, decent service, but as far as our other options in Indio went, this place is probably in the upper echelon of dining choices. Came here before heading to Coachella Mustic Festival and ordered myself a grilled salmon caesar salad. The salmon filet was really moist and grilled well, salad was ok (didn't seem like the freshest), and the balsamic dressing was just right. It was about 17 bucks, so not like it was a great value but not ridiculous either. Overall, decent place. Sorry, this is just about as average as I can sound for an average place.
Review Source:HOLIDAY FARE:
The best unadvertised deal of the Valley! Â What with various eateries have the nerve to fleece the diner for upwards of $65.00..CJ's continues to put out ridiculously LARGE portions of fresh roasted turkey or ham or a combo of turkey and ham with salad and all the expected fixings AND pumpkin pie all for the for the fair price of $19.95! Â I defy you not to take some home as a single portion can feed a family.
From the crowd its apparent that some know about the "secret." Â
The other high end restaurants must interpret the holiday as "Thanks for giving" us your money.
It IS the best prime rib. Â Blows Lord Fletcher out of the water. Â Same with the lamb dishes. Â (They get their meats from Newport Meats who supply Lawry's The Prime Rib..in Bev Hills). Â The drinks...ONE drink=3 elsewhere and at about $9 for a call drink.
The fresh grilled veggies and house salad with the house Italian dressing with crumbled feta cheese...all yummy. Â I like my salad chopped and they deliver. *Speaking of which..the Cobb salad...for lunch is huge...substituting chicken for the usual turkey..no prob and no extra cost.
If you need some extra bones for the dogs..just ask..if they have them..they are yours.
The food is so consistently great I actually tipped the chef with a rare bottle of tequila. Â Next time I returned, he turned me on to a few drops of his secret top shelf stash!
An upscale dinner house in a motel parking lot? Forty years ago it probably was a real upscale restaurant, being located on the 111 strip a couple of blocks from the Date Festival grounds, but the area has gone downhill since. It still has the ambience and culinary values of an upscale dinner house, but at reasonable prices. There's a lounge, Â but I don't drink so i can't cover that end of it. Stopped in for lunch. I had the lobster roll and my wife had hot roast beef and swiss on grilled sourdough. Both were excellent. We would go there again. The vibe from the cocktail crowd was a lot like Dillman's in Balboa, for those old enough to remember that. "Made" rich guys sneering at the unwashed masses. Gin blossoms and swolen noses, rolling out sloshed at 1PM. Gotta have a hobby, I guess.
Review Source:It wasn't the juicy steak that was troubling, or the SUPER strong drinks or even the three dude "band" that played that evening. Â It was the 80-year old tart groping and feeling up my date that gave me the heebies.....
But it makes for a hell of a story. Â This is a wild bar with good service and clientele from the Nixon years. Â They demand good cheap food, strong mixed drinks and wild music(no need for hearing aids). We all had fun and left a little less sober than we planned. Who knew you could get toasted on 2 rum-n-diets?
I have eaten here for lunch a few times and have not been let down. Â Their sandwiches are huge, and delicious. Â The service is quick and the staff is very friendly. Â Both times I have been here, the place has been very busy and it seems that there are a lot of large groups of regulars. Â I highly recommend this place to anyone rolling through the area.
Review Source:I was recently Here three nights in a row for the Palm Springs Dog Show. I LOVE THIS PLACE! The atmosphere. The clientele...and best of all, the service! The staff was wonderful and accommodating. Food was excellent! (One of the nights I wanted to eat leftovers from them and had to get silverware which they gladly gave to me when I called over--I was stating at the adjacent hotel). They are just the best place in Indio and I plan on seeing you every year for the dog shows!
Review Source:I havent been here in a while but hands down  I dream of the petite filet and the margarita's.P.S. This is the strongest drink I have ever had and I have partied enough for 14 people!
I have been there several times as we attended the Grand Prix at Hits Horse show at the Polo Grounds. I want to fly down just to eat at the restaurant and then come home.
anyway, you can eat this filet with a fork. so tender, melts in your mouth and everyone that works there is a rock star. great service. I have eaten breakfast there too but the dinner was amazing.... I LoVE IT.
I have to remind myself that this is Indio we are talking about. Not much going on around here with dining options. One would have to travel into Palm Springs for that.
There isn't much to the food. Stakes and potatoes. The service is friendly and we were seated right away. The food took forever and by the time I was it did come I had stuffed myself with so much bread.
I ordered a petite filet $26. Comes with a choice of soup or salad and a baked potato. You have to dress your own potato. My steak was well cooked my potato perfectly baked but overall there wasn't much to it. The salad wasn't very good. Very much tasted like bagged salad.
If this was in San Diego it would be a 2 star review, however, given the lack options around here it got bumped up to a 3.
OMG! Â We got lost looking for a movie theatre and were starved. Â We thought it was going to be a TexMex Biker bar; but nooooo old old dark panel, red booth, supper club type place. Â It was the surprise of the week.
Great seafood; fabulous prime rib. Â Very unexpected. Â You find a lot of the wealthy (but frugal) Indian Wells crowd here.
It's a must for anyone staying in Palm Dessert, Rancho Mirage area.
OK, here a place to go if you want to get ripped and/or have a good home cooked meal. Â Honestly, the drinks here could fuel funny cars - yup, they are that strong. Â Given this fact, it seems to attract a serious contingent of bleary eyed bar patrons whom everyone knows their name...kind of Cheers like, without Diane sadly. Â However, don't judge the place by the heaping servings of alcohol alone, they also serve some really good grub - most notably, Â prime rib. Â I've yet to find a better hunk of arterial clogging matter in this vast expanse of a desert that I call home so shuffle on down here and PLEASE, take a cab home if you are imbibing. Â
Also worthy of noting is good, friendly, old fashioned service. Â It feels like a place from a bygone era - like a secret hideaway that time has passed by. Â And one last thing, this place is dark so if you come here during daylight hours you might consider putting on the shades BEFORE exiting to the bright sun - your eyes will thank you!
I think the last time I was here was sometime during the early 90s, probably between 1989-1993, basically when stores like Gemco, Robinson's and Bullocks were still around. Â My dad used to take my brother and I here. Â It's similar to Sloans/Elmers in terms of quality food but they serve steaks and prime rib now I guess. Â I always think of it more as a breakfast/brunch type of joint personally. Â I'm assuming this place is more of a hot spot for the middle aged crowd now. Â I don't know about "best prime rib in town" though. Â That's really stretching it IMO.
Review Source:*** edit: oops, i put this under the wrong business. hi, i'm not so bright. ***
i came here for brunch on sunday. i would have preferred the mexican place across the way, but my companion had a flight in the evening and was concerned about the...um, possible effect of such a meal on his fellow air passengers.
from the outside, cactus jack's looks kinda like a grotty, divey joint, but inside, it's all neutral colors, nice tablecloths, and jazz-inspired art. kind of incongruous, but nice nonetheless. our waitress lynne was all sweetness and spunk and almost as excited as me when i ordered the biscuits and gravy. my companion ordered the philly cheese steak despite me vocalizing my abhorrence for onions. however, he made up for it by ordering half fries/half potato salad as his side so i could have the fries. (in fact, cactus jack's does not offer this combination as a potential side, and i'm still vaguely dumbfounded that he was able to finagle it.)
the biscuits and gravy were, unfortunately, an abomination. the biscuits were flat rectangles of brick-like dough slathered in sausage-less gravy. i was quite saddened by this and ordered a side of sausage, which took about ten minutes to come out. in the meantime, i nibbled on fries (thin and crispy, very yum) and ate about half of one of the biscuits. to be fair, the gravy wasn't terrible  - it was nicely peppery, but the lack of sausage cannot be forgiven. and the side of sausage! it was a plate of six long, skinny, browned pinkies. they did not improve the gravy whatsoever.
so then why three stars? as i mentioned, the service was lovely  (the wait for the sausage wasn't lynne's fault) and my fellow diner got an off the menu option. in addition, the sandwich my companion ordered looked really amazing, even though i only had a small nibble of the roll on which it was served because i feared onion contamination. and as i mentioned, the fries were really tasty. and finally...well, they serve diet coke.
prices aren't outrageous ($27 for our meal, including tip) but not cheap; however, it seems like there aren't a lot of places in the area that are in that middle ground, so it's a decent alternative if you're in indian wells.
This is my FAVORITE restaurant in the desert.  The location is quite shaddy, so I refused to go for the longest time.  My husband finally dragged me there and it was love at first bite! Although they are known for their prime rib (which  quite yummy), ALL their food is good.  My fav. is the pasta as well as their seafood dishes
Review Source:Trying to avoid the heatstroke induced by too much time at the Coachella Music Festival and camping, we came across this place.
Wow, super dark inside, blasting A/C, great pours, GREAT prime rib (like BUTTER) - my super awesome grandpa would LOVE this place. Â It was a bit expensive but worth every penny.
We felt refreshed, rejuvenated and ready for another go at Coachella. Â I just wish I could've had my Grandpa with me.
This is a fun place to go have a drink. Â They make them strong...you never know what old timer golfer you are going to see here either...this is a good ol boys club...and a great place to go if you are a woman and need a little boost! Â All the men are sweet and harmless...(gramps) Â The owner is really nice too....Right near the fairgrounds so also a favorite with pony players!
Review Source: