My husband and I love coming back time and time again. Â In addition to great ambiance and spectacular views, their service is outstanding. Â Our server, Dustin, was very attentive and provided great service. Drinks and food were served promptly. Â We spoke to the manager Chris Smith who also provided great customer service. Â The food was good, although I've had ribs there in the past, that were more moist and tender. Â
A great place.
Beautiful restaurant, huge grounds, lovely outside patio (not open in summer). We went to the Happy Hour so we were there basically for appetizers.  We had sliders, a chick caesar, ahi tuna lettuce wraps, and a desert (the salted apple caramel bars with vanilla bean ice cream). There were many families in the outer bar area near us, but between 5:30 & 7:00 that is expected. It was "2 step Tuesdays" so the bar  got pretty full. The service was good, not overly great.
We did not get on YELP before, and I am glad we did not as it may have kept us from discovering a great property.
well...it's no longer a gourmet restaurant...major bummer!!! went there to celebrate a couple things with my man but could barely hear each other over the loud music playing by the DJ on the dance floor. the food didn't get much better...
i ordered a moscow mule and it came in a pint glass instead of a copper mug...totally ruined the drink!!
then...
I got the ahi tacos...the ahi was fishy and stringy like it had been sitting out all day and then, when I wasn't even finished the waitress asked if i was done, i said no, and she took my plate anyways. too bad she wasn't listening, I would have loved to finish my last awful ahi taco.
then...
i ordered the salmon for dinner. I was in the mood for some gourmet food but the entire menu was BBQ, Tamales, and bar food so I went for the salmon with asparagus salad and chile lime rice. The BBQ chicken and ribs were actually very good but my salmon was dry and tasted like it had been sitting under the heat lamps a couple minutes too long and the rice tasted like it didnt have any chile or lime in it.
then...
the restaurant called to ask how my dining experience went and I told them exactly what I'm writing now but the hostess didn't seem to car about any word that was coming out of my mouth and just mumbled enough to say, "thank you for your feedback." i was furious!! i went out for a classy, upscale celebratory date and ended up here because they decided they wanted to change the route of the restaurant about a year ago and she couldn't even fake her sincerity.
watch out for this place. great to come dance, but dont expect anything fabulous. oh, and another heads up, our waiter said they're going to change the direction of the restaurant again. hmm...i dont think i'll stick around to hope it gets better.
We went to dinner at Jackalope Ranch for our last outing before our baby is born. We went early for happy hour and the food and service was outstanding. The calamari was amazing, and so was the rib/chicken combo I had. Our server Vero was great, checking on us every few minutes even though she had a bunch of tables, she was on top of things. Â We paid with a gift card and there was a problem with it and one of the managers Chris came over and dealt with it and made things so easy for us and made it an unforgettable time. I would definitely reccomend this place to everyone. Food, service and atmosphere were top notch.
Review Source:This was the second time my wife and I went there after being in shock the first time how awesome this restaurant was. Â Even bought some friends and kids for the second go around - but unfortunately we won't be back. Â We literally sat at our table for 20 minutes even before being offered water, another 10-15 minutes for our waiter to take our order. Â Totally disappointed so far. Â The food finally arrived and the order was wrong, but the waiter quickly made up for it. Â My wife and I ordered the brisket which was more salty than the Slaton Sea! Â Finally, and why I'm rating it a 2 star experience is because #1 - the waiter never once came by to refill our drinks - we had to beg another waiter, and second - we asked for the check - it didn't arrive for another 25 minutes later while we just sat around waiting patiently. Â Â Finally had to run him down and ask again for the check. Â So frustrated because I really do like this place, the atmosphere is fantastic but customer service is everything. Â My advise, if its not prime season in Indio (November - May) - don't bother.
Review Source:The New York Steak is divine! I had a bad first impression with this restaurant and walked out before being seated. I decided to go back and give this place a second chance, and boy was I glad I did! The place is sprawling and beautiful. The service was outstanding, I started with a Caprese Salad which hit just the right spot. Â The New York Strip steak and it melted in my mouth. The cornbread was very tasty, and I washed it down with a bottle of root beer. We topped it off with a sinful chocolate chip cookie a la mode. My dinner partner had the chicken and rib combo and she was very happy with her meal as well
Review Source:Went for valentines day this year...we waited for our food for an hour and a half which was understandable, however, our ceaser salad was disgustingly soggy and we did not enjoy it at all! The whole experience was over priced and they sat us at a really...awkward, would be the word, table which looked more like a convention table than a restaurant table. Never again. Go during happy hour from what I hear everything during happy hour is reasonably priced and good!
Review Source:This was the first time going for dinner and should have gone somewhere else. We've been here couple times for lunch and happy hour, but the dinner selection was very limited and simply overpriced. We ordered the caesar salad, calamari fries, rib and brisket dinner, tamale (appetizer portion), and shrimp soup. The only decent item was the calamari fries. The caesar salad $7 was like a kid's portion. For $7, it was ridiculously small portioned and there was nothing special about it. The rib and brisket dinner was mediocre at best (Babes @ the River is MUCH better w/ bigger portions). The tamale came out cold and was A very small piece that didn't even taste good (I guess I shouldn't be complaining since I ordered a Mexican dish at an American restaurant). Overall, the menu items were over priced for the quality and portion sizes. The owners of this restaurant need to seriously rethink their menu. We went on a Saturday during Memorial day weekend and anticipated a long wait, but the restaurant (inside) was only half full during dinner time. This should have raised a red flag and we should have gone somewhere else. I feel like we wasted our money and time coming to the restaurant again. The only thing I like about Jackalope Ranch is the ambiance of the outdoor patio and garden. The owners sure did put a lot of money into constructing this place, but they seriously need to re-do their menu if they want any return on investment.
Review Source:How the spineless management at Jackalope Ranch ruined my daughter's birthday (and hopefully not more)
While having dinner for my 11 year old daughter's birthday outside at Jackalope, my kids were playing in the large grass area, as always, with the other children that were there. About an hour after we arrived, a couple in their 60's was sat at the table behind us.
After we'd been there about 90 minutes, I heard the man at the table behind us start telling his wife that "these F------ kid's better stop playing around...". A few seconds later, he says, to me, "If your kids don't stop playing around, you're out of here." I asked him if he was serious, and he told that yes, he was serious, and I was about to find out why. While my daughter stood there next to me, he proceeded to tell me to get my f----- kids out of the restaurant, that I was a horrible father, my kids were ugly, and he would kick my ass if I didn't leave. At this point, the manager had arrived and was standing between the two of us, giving me an "I don't know what to do" look.
I'll save the rest of the details, but I ended up leaving after he continued to threaten to fight me, called my kids ugly and fat a few times to their faces, and the manager made no effort whatsoever... he never asked the man to stop saying things, only looked square at me with fear in his eyes. I only left because it was clear the manager had no desire to do anything about the situation, and it would end either in me being tired of having my kids cursed at and leaving or getting into a fight.
As I walked out with the manager, he apologized profusely. Of course, I asked him why the hell I was leaving instead of the bastard being kicked out, and I was told the manager believed the guy knew the owner and he didn't know how to handle the situation. I was given gift cards for my trouble, but I'll be damned if I go back to Jackalope again. I would hope any establishment would kick a prick like that out immediately. What a capstone on my daughter's birthday. Being cursed at and called ugly and fat by a bastard in a restaurant. We have gone to Jackalope for her birthday dinner for the last 3 years, as it's her favorite restaurant. This year, she left in tears from an a-hole that was allowed to tear her down because management was afraid of reprisal from their boss.
Whoever that bastard is, and whoever he knows at Jackalope should be ashamed of themselves. If the owner instills upon his management the notion that guests are allowed to be insulted, intimidated, threatened, and their children cursed at so long as the perpetrator is "connected," then he or she deserves NO business at their establishment.
The only reason I'm giving it 2 stars is cause the building and the grounds are so cool. Â The food is mostly blah and the baby back ribs that are supposed to be specialty are just tough chunks of dried up chewy meat. Â Evidently they are supposed to be barely edible, at least that's what the server and the manger implied when I complained. "That's just the way they are" . Â There was 8 of us there that night, 5 of us ate them, none of us liked them.
Review Source:This is a large restaurant. It has a gorgeous garden which makes for a beautiful setting for pictures. It has several rooms - the bar/restaurant, the patio, and separate rooms.
I came here for my niece's First Communion, and we were seated in a separate room. The service was superb. Our server was quick with the drinks and ensuring we had our meals in a timely manner. She was, after all, looking after ~20+ people!
The choice of food was BBQ chicken, grilled salmon or BBQ ribs. I chose the BBQ chicken to be on the safe side. I did not regret my choice. While nothing spectacular, it was a satisfying portion, and it was served with coleslaw and mac & cheese. This mac & cheese is not the gourmet mac & cheese that I'm getting now used to in gastro pubs. But it is not the KD either. My meal was satisfying and tasty.
Restaurant decor and ambiance is great! Â Food was terrible. Â Chicken was soooo salty, ribs were dry. Â Mac and cheese was tasteless. Â Waiter was quick and attentive. Â Kept saying it felt like KFC would have been better. Â Why spend so much money on decore and serve terrible plates?
Review Source:Came her for an early Mother's day dinner becuase mom had been here before. Â The grounds are nice and there was live music which was nice. Â The service is good, but we found that the menu has changed and not for the better. Â The food is way over priced and tasted like something you could get at Denny's. Â The brisket was tough and tasteless, the prime rib was bland, and the ribs were dry. Â I had been to Babes resturant and like the food there and thought that this was going to be just as good, but it's far from it.
Review Source:I should have listened to the reviews. Â The food is just poor. Â Too bad too because the decor of restaurant and grounds is really great. Â But if I had a choice I would rather have great food than fountains and gardens.
If you still decide to go against your better judgement:
1. Â Get reservations
2. Â Split dishes. Â Not only because everything is really expensive but you won't want to finish a whole dish... again because the food is just not good.
Reminiscent of a pacific northwest lodge with spectacular views and grandiose entry way. Obviously, millions was spent to replicate American craftsmanship with an appreciation of a majestic wilderness lodge.
Therefore, it would only seem fitting to anticipate the food to be equal or superior to the architecture of the building. Â Unfortunately, the food failed to represent itself which hindered the experience. Â The allure of the restaurant will go so far before patrons recognize the price does not match the quality of the meal.
Starters were mixed greens and shrimp & sweet corn chowder. Â Soup was delicious and salads were predictable. For the entrees we ordered baby back pork ribs and signature cut 12 oz. prime rib. Â The prime rib was ordered medium-rare but I felt there was to much marbling and fat on my prime rib more than ten percent of my cut. Â The baby back rib was heavily sedated in smoke and if there was a legal limit for smoke cooked ribs this would have been arrested for intoxication!
Perhaps, that's why Rib Joints last a legacy and survive by word of mouth because a lot of details is spent on food rather than substance with a far less price tag to boot!
Great atmosphere and decor. Service at the resturant was good. But food was so so. Went with family of six and the two best dishes were seafood items. I and my father in law had rib platter we both give it 2 out of 5 stars. Ribs were very tender , BBQ sauces were average but the rib meat had no flavor ( no rub no smoke). My mother in law had stuffed shrimp and she loved it 5 out 5 stars. My wife had lobster tail and crab cake again they knocked this dish out of the park 5 out of 5 stars. Also had house draft beer honey ale the reminded me of michelob. I would try this place again because I think the cooks were having an of night with BBQ because of nye. I refuse to believe a BBQ resturant two beat dishes are seafood entrees.
Review Source:We had a funny feeling of deja vu when we walked into this place in Indio - and it turns out we'd been to another Jackalope in Arizona and had collectively blocked the experience out. Â That should've tipped us off, I guess.
It's a big busy place, very nice looking - and given they were quoting a nearly 2 hour wait on their list, I was glad I made a reservation - but annoyed that we still had to wait 20 minutes for a table. Â When seated, we ordered a margarita on the rocks with salt - but we got one without salt. Â Strike one. Â
Chose the calamari fries and the jicama citrus salad as starters. Â Calamari fries were good but needed salt (and we were speculating on the size of squid they were made from) and both sauces were lousy (plain ketchup, really?). Â The salad was refreshing and nice, but only I liked it. Â
I chose the tamale duo (my advice: DON'T-O).  Seriously dry.  No sauce.  The first time I tried to make tamales at home, mine were better than this.  Perhaps if they weren't precooked days ahead?  They came out suspiciously fast and not terribly warm.  The bean side that came with them was best part of the entrée course - Strike two.
My husband got the large baby back ribs. Â He said they were tough and flavorless, though liberally swabbed with sauce. Â Neither of the "spicy" sauces really were. Â His sides were cold sweet potato fries and creamed corn, which was at least fresh-seeming, but I did speculate that the difference between this side and the "corn chowder" on the menu was likely minimal if any. Â I've NEVER seen my husband leave ribs on the plate - but he did here. Â Strike three.
The service tried hard, but I don't like it when the food runners are not your waiter - and then the waiter asks if everything is okay. Â Also the WORST LOUNGE ACT EVER was nearby butchering my (former) 70s and 80s favorites - I left as he was attempting to give me a lifetime aversion to Boz Scaggs - I won't stand for that. Â And the guy apparently had groupies in the bar who were whooping at the beginning and ending of every horrible, tuneless song. Â I would've whooped only when he went on break - my ears, my ears!!!
I'm sure there are better places to spend your money out here, but this isn't really a foodie place - so I'll chalk this up to experience and try to remember not to eat there a 3rd time (shame on me)!
Great service, our server Daily made sure out mimosas never ran dry(: when they say endless champagne, they mean endless champagne(: We also spoke with a charming young manager named Chris  who actually remembered our faces from our previous visit! Overall a lovely establishment. Pleasantly pleased with our Easter experience.
Review Source:Worst service ever at this place. We got a table quickly but the server didn't seem to care that our food was wrong and some of us didn't even get our food. Those of us that got our food, got cold food when it should have been hot. Sent it back and it was colder if that's possible. The server, Miriam, never checked on us to make sure we were ok. We had to get up and get the manager to take care of our lack-luster plates. Kudos to the manager. It seems to me that the servers in this town don't really seem to care about their tables because they are busy And some one else who doesn't know better ail tip them well anyway. Thanks for caring about your tables Miriam.
Review Source:I AM DONE.....terrible service starting with the hostess. Â Next seated at outside bar and realize why service was so poor, only one bartender serving two bars on a busy Sunday afternoon. Â Food just isn't that good. The service terrible but the building and grounds are wonderful. I have been here probably 25 times.....my friends rarely want to go and I am tired of making excuses for the place. That can't see to get it together.
I saw a waiter come to manager about an issue he was having with a customer and the manager seemed to tell him to blow them off!!!! Â They gave me someone else's check.
NO MORE..........THEY DON'T DESERVE OUR BUSNESS. THE CALENDER FAMILY NEEDS TO FIND A NEW OPERATOR!!!!!!!
There are three things that I look for in a great restaurant: service, excellent food, and ambiance. Jackalope delivered all three and more.
Upon driving up to the restaurant, cascaded beautifully amidst grand fire pits and towering palm trees, I was greeted quickly and warmly by the valet staff. The hostess was equally inviting as I walked into the grand entrance.
The decor was reminiscent of a grand-scale cabin lodge: antlers, firestone walls, polished oak furniture. It was all very Western chic.
My server was very friendly and knowledgable of the menu. When asked for advice, she was quick to note signature drinks, dishes, and fun facts about the menu.
Offering a wide array of signtature cocktails and beers, I was suggested to try their margaritas, as the restaurant hand crafts their sweet and sour mixture from scratch. Any restaurant that takes the time to make something as mundane as sweet and sour mix should certainly be commended. The drink was mixed well and did not disappoint.
The quality of their meats was also something to note. All of their meat is grass-fed and imported from New Zealand, perfect for anyone on the Paleo diet. I ordered the barbecue ribs and chicken, and everything was perfectly seasoned (not overdone or overpowering in flavor) and juicy. The meat virtually melted in my mouth. Their ever-popular Ahi lettuce wraps were also mouth-watering.
The restaurant atmosphere was very relaxed and inviting. It is the perfect place to grab a cocktail after work or have a nice dinner with old friends.
Overall, I'd highly recommend this desert restaurant gem.
I didn't want to go back but it was the most convenient for 10 of us to meet.  We got put in a separate room and the food was OK although nothing special.  The roast beef I had was full of fat and the  chicken overcooked (see why below)The service was abysmal. A second beer took over 20 minutes to arrive after several requests,  We ordered starters and then they proceeded to bring the mains within 2 minutes after they brought the starters which they took back when we asked them to and then when finally served were lukewarm.  When the bill finally came after 1/2 hour wait, the server said he hadn't added the mandatory 18% because of the poor service.  At least he admitted it.  Apparently we waited so long for the bill because we had asked for separate bills for each couple and they don't normally do that.  I guess they can't afford the computer software that easily does this that most other restaurants have here.
Last time I wrote a review I was contacted by someone from the restaurant and asked to try them again since my review was not the norm for this place. Â Please don't anyone contact me again. Â There is nothing that anyone could say or do to ever have me set foot in this place again.
After reading the reviews I was not expecting great food.
I give the grounds and atmosphere a 5.
I give the service a 4.
I give the drinks a 4.
I give the food a 3
I give how hot the food was served a 1. Ice Cold.
Too bad because this place could be a 5 if the food was better.
A must do happy hour place for the setting. A full moon was just appearing when we went.
. Great pictures and a good time
Nothing good to say. Â My advice eat somewhere else.
I waited for 2 min for the hostesses to acknowledge I was standing in front of them. Â 5 min wait, not big deal, really closer to 30min.
Brisket dry
Ribs dry
Kids food, bla
BBQ sauce ok
1 TV of 7 was even turned on in the room I was in
Supper expensive for BBQ, but if it would have been even average I would have been ok with it. Â But is was about as bad of BBQ as I have ever had.
Decor was ok but nothing fancy.
Service ok to poor
Waist of money and calories.
Jackalope Ranch is beautiful and they have a good happy hour. Â The problem is that the food is really sup par. That is a shame because they have such a beautiful facility that looks top notch. Â
I have had happy hour food and also eaten in the restaurant. Â Unfortunately it was all bad.
They have a very nice piano bar and Two Stepping Tuesday with a country western theme. Â It is very busy for happy hour and after that on Tuesdays.
I ate at JR on Saturday night after a San Andreas fault Jeep Tour (which was awesome). Because me and my friends bought a jeep/dinner tour, we were offered an abrieviated menu for our dinner which still offered 5-appetizer, 7-dinner and 5-dessert options. Â The food comes in large portions, so after three courses we were stuffed. Â
Food: The star was the jalapeno mac & cheese appetizer. Â Rubharb crips was also enjoyable. My friends who ordered the ribs and brisket were very happy. The ones who ordered the tamales were less enthused. I had the salmon which had a good cabbage slaw atop. Â
Atmosphere: The atmosphere was nice. The place is huge. There was live music on Saturday, and because we wanted to be able to talk, the place was large enough for us to still fnd a queit table.
Service: Not great. Â The hostess told us the kitchen closes at 9PM on a Saturday. We arrived at 8:45 from our jeep tour, so we were a bit concerned and rather rushed to get our order in for our pre-paid dinner. Â Once we were assured we'd be served, we relaxed a little, but it was a bad start. Â Then, the server gave us menus which were tailored to our group (because we were on a tour), but half our group got menus from a different tour/night, and when the waiter realized the mistake some of our group was disappointed thier dinner selection was no longer on our tour group menu. Â
Good food, good atmosphere, wonky service, kitchen closes early.
A bit disappointed on my second time there. Went there for my wife's birthday. Made the reservation using the Open Table app. Worked perfectly. In the notes section in the Open Table app, I told the restaurant that we were there to celebrate my wife's birthday. My expectation was, based on what most restaurants do for birthdays, was that they would acknowledge her birthday and maybe comp her a dessert or something like that. The hostess did acknowledge her birthday but no dessert comp or anything else like that.
Service: Our waiter was very good. He was the bartender as well. Great attitude and good service. Friendly staff.
Pro: Atmosphere was good. Prices were good (3 course for $20). Â We dined inside but previously I've dined outside. Â The outside views are worth going for.
Con: The table was sticky. When the appetizer sampler arrived, we had to ask for plates. Â We also had to ask for chips for the guacamole dip. That might have been acceptable IF the restaurant was busy but this was a Monday night and the restaurant MIGHT have been at 10% capacity. Â In other words, it was a slow night - at least while we were there. Thus, it was not acceptable. My food (prime rib) was warm; not hot.
I have family coming into town soon and am contemplating bringing them there but only for the views outside; not so much for the food. I haven't settled on whether we will go there because I'm not sure how it will turn out.
This review is only for drinks!
I went to Palm Springs to stay with a good friend, and we wanted to get drinks after dinner. The only thing really close was Jackalope Ranch, and she had heard that the grounds were beautiful. They happened to be gorgeous- it looks like a combination of a hotel property and a golf course. I'm not sure how a restaurant could afford all of that landscaping, but I think its probably due to the fact that they want to host weddings and get some of that business.
We weren't exceptionally happy with the cocktails. Both tasted slightly artificial. I had the Peachy Cosmo and my friend tried something that had a ton of licorice-tasting alcohol in it. It was so intensely flavored with licorice, she could hardly drink it without coughing in-between sips.
I would come back to try some of the bbq, but would head elsewhere for a cocktail night.
This Disney-style venue is a spectacular setting inside and out. Â For ambiance, it is 5 stars. Â I had high expectations which were matched by the (expected) high prices.
That said, I can confirm that the quality of the ingredients and preparation (most everything is prepared on site and fresh, including some organic items) was top-notch.  I was disappointed with the execution of the food.  Too much vinegar in my salad left my tongue numb which, coupled with the vinegar in the proprietary BBQ sauce, torpedoed my taste buds  Almost every bite of the prime beef ribs (a real treat to find in my book) yielded a mouthful of fat that I had to keep picking out of my mouth and placing on my plate.  There was so little meat in them, I had a protein shake on my way home.  This is an oversight that can be corrected by carving the prime rib correctly in the first place.
The homemade coleslaw had a subtle taste, was extremely fresh, and was first-rate. Â Likewise, the mashed agave sweet potatoes were very subtle and tasty--you could taste the potato's natural flavor, but these two items were no match for the overpowering BBQ sauce and vinegar on the salad.
Additionally, the presentation was not what I would expect at this price point either. Â Plain, diner-style white plates and plastic Coca-Cola glasses for our beverages was way-off mark. Â On the other hand, the steak knives were great. Â Another disappointment were the mostly synthetic napkins which transferred BBQ sauce on to my pants because they barely absorbed anything. Â And, was it too much for me to expect a bowl with lemon and water to go with the ribs I ended-up holding in my hands, trying to navigate the fat in them? Â I finally had to get up and use the men's room to wash my hands half-way through the meal.
Overall, because the main course and the salad were so overdone, the meal was a big disappointment. Â It did not meet my expectations and it certainly doesn't live up to its' price tag.
I was very excited about having a super high-quality experience, but left disappointed. Â BTW, the service was very good and very warm.
Let me start off with - This place is huge!!
It's the largest restaurant in California (so I heard). I also heard it's like 6 acres of land.
So there is a restaurant, a really large bar area indoors and out, and a garden area. People even get married here.
I came here for dinner while on vacation. We had a table of 8 people and we sat outside by the bar area. It was great! Even through it was the summer, there was a mister on and there was a lake. It wasn't hot at all and the atmosphere was just amazing. It was very chill and great place for friends to just sit and talk and kick back.
Now on to the important stuff - THE FOOD - I got the BBQ Chicken Salad. I was a little surprised when it arrived. The chicken isn't cut up into strips like most BBQ Chicken Salads, instead it's a large chuck of BBQ chicken on top of salad. It was great for me because I couldn't decide between the BBQ chicken or the BBQ chicken salad. I can see how some people might not like to have to cut up their chicken before being able to eat the salad and also the bone. But I loved it, it was covered in BBQ sauce and it had the chicken skin on it too, which had all the flavor.
My husband got the burger with pulled pork on top of it... yummmm.... The pulled pork was tender and juicy and the hamburger patties was the nice and med rare just like he ordered it.
My friends got lots of drinks and they seem very satisfied with them too. The service was really good too.
Overall, couldn't have asked for a better experience. They didn't get 5 stars because the food was good, but just not 5 star good :)
The grounds and building design of Jackalope Ranch lured us inside from out of town. The food, however, was a bust.
As appetizers, our table of four ordered macaroni and cheese, chips and guacamole, and a tamale. As entrees, we coincidentally all ordered pulled pork sandwiches with sweet potato fries as sides.
Despite these straightforward orders, issues abounded. The mac and cheese contained a foreign object, the pickles tasted like they had spoiled, and the pulled pork was disgusting.
It's only right to mention that our waitress was gracious and fair about the foreign object by compensating us with dessert. But I can't see ever returning here to eat.
What an unexpected find in the middle of Indio. Â If you've never heard of Indio, it's a desert city in the Palm Springs area. Â Jackalope Ranch is truly an oasis. Â
My husband, our friend, and I were in search for a place to eat dinner last weekend. Â We were in the area for a race event that took place at an even more remote city an hour away. Â After browsing Yelp, I found a quaint French bistro in the city of La Quinta. Â To our surprise, they were completely full and were not accepting 'walk-ins' for the evening. After driving down the 111 we saw this spectacular haven to our left and decided to check it out. Â The lot was huge with expansive gardens and grand structures. Â The detail in architecture cannot be ignored. Â Quite impressive for a casual venue. Â They also offered Complimentary Valet Parking so, of course, we took advantage.
The restaurant is extremely spacious with plenty of seating throughout the dining room, bar area, and outdoor patio. I'm hesitant to call it a patio because it appeared almost as large as the interior. Â The gardens were beautiful and featured its own bar. Â We opted to sit in the bar area since there was a wait for a table outside. Â They played music which I thoroughly enjoyed during dinner.
My hubby and I shared a full order of Baby Back Pork Ribs. Â The menu clearly stated "No Substitutions" but our server was more than happy to accommodate. Â She even made the request to substitute an item for us. Â The ribs come with your choice of 1 side and we wanted the Spicy Creamed Corn plus a side order of Mac & Cheese. Â Our server suggested to substitute their Signature Cole Slaw (which accompanied every BBQ order) with the Mac & Cheese. Â Worked out perfectly for us since neither of us cared to eat the Cole Slaw anyway. Â We also ordered a side of French Fries for the table to share. Â Our friend went with a Combo of Chicken & Ribs. Â
Everyone at our table are big fans of Famous Dave's BBQ so we had high expectations from Jackalope. Â Though they did not beat Famous Dave's version they certainly did not disappoint either. Â Jackalope ribs were tender and the sauce was appetizing. Â We also asked for their Prickly Pear BBQ sauce as this had a more spicy flavor. Â It wasn't so much spicy than it was zesty with a sweet after-taste. Â Definitely unique and delicious. Â The full order of ribs were more than enough for the 2 of us to indulge. Â I actually had a little bit leftover. Â Out of both sides, the Mac & Cheese was my favorite. Â The jalapeno flavor was noticeable and addicting.
We left Jackalope stuffed and happy. Â Great find in the middle of nowhere.