Went for a late lunch yesterday. Been here quite a few times in the past, but this time, the food was definitely an improvement, and the menu seemed much more interesting and expanded. Ordered the smaller quarter pound burger, with a side of coleslaw, GF ordered same with a side of sweet potato fried. The burger uses grass fed beef, and came with the usual lettuce, pickle, red onion, tomato. The bun though, was stand out, really excellent, almost brioche-like, toasted to perfection. The coleslaw was good, not too sweet, and over mayonnaise-y. The sweet potato fries were fantastic, super crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, almost like they had been double fried, which I love. All in all, a really great tasting burger at a good price. Seemed rather larger than a quarter pounder, but hey, who is complaining. Good, friendly service too.
Review Source:The servers have always been really hospitable and friendly here. The food is good but it's pretty much heavy bar food (to me). My sister ate their fish tacos (in the middle of the desert, yes) and she couldn't stop raving about them. She said they were the BEST she's ever had.
Beer selection is what you would expect. Mainly domestics with a few imports. I was pretty stoked to get the free shooter when I checked in with yelp!
Happy hour drew us in, nothing wrong with cheap beer and drinks. Should have stopped there. Â Wings were underdone and came with the wrong sauce, popcorn shrimp were tasteless and terribly overdone. Â Server (who took over midstream for the very nice and attentive woman with whom we started) did the usual 'how's everything' swing by and clearly didn't expect to hear anything less than 'fine thx', when she did get a bit of the above (nowhere near as harsh) clearly she didn't care to address it. Â Maybe ok for a quick cold one, but I wouldn't venture further.
Review Source:I have always driven by this place, but never thought twice of going in and getting something to eat. Mostly because it was "in the way" of things and I didn't know anyone who had gone there.
A few weeks back my husband and his bike buddies, ventured there and he said he was very pleased with the place.
Right off the bat, the place has a huge country feel. You walk inside and the place is decorated with many random trinkets which gives it a unique feels. On one side of the saloon there is a pool table and on the other side is restaurant area and the stage.
I found the quality of the food to be excellent, given the fact that we are in the middle of nowhere. You can tell the vegetables are freshly grown and the meat is grass fed. The menu was perfect!...not too much and not too little.
Service was excellent. Everybody was very attentive and there wasn't a moment where we were looking for our waitress.
Overall, great place. JT saloon is definitely a place you want to go to for its uniqueness and it food quality.
We're visitors to this town and always looking for the best places. Â I been driving past this place called " Joshua Tree Saloon" for the past week, what a mistake. Â Should have stopped here first. At first, looks like just another local bar but once inside, you'll see a rustic warmth that invites you in. You can't help but to look for maybe a familiar face to have a drink with and chat. Â
I don't normally give a great review to anyone but for my first visit, I was impressed with their hospitality towards visitors from out of town. Service is the number one priority to any business since it relies on repeat customers. I can honestly tell you I will repeat visiting here, lol. Â So will my friends. As soon as I hit the road I was on the phone trying to get together a team to come and join me for some drinks and food. The five stars were earned. Â I've marked this place as one of my new favorite places to visit.
I love this place! The food is amazing and the staff is wonderful. My husband and I have gone there three times - each time the hostess and waitresses were on their A game. We never had to wait for a refill on our drinks, our food was great and everyone is so nice there! Plus the entertainment is outstanding, everyone gets into the music and has a great time. I cannot wait to go back!!!
Review Source:Service was very good- they were on top of it with the filling of the water glasses.
The b/f and I inhaled a very large order of sweet potato fries. I had a veggie burger, and he had a steak. We were both pretty satisfied, and also amused by the live music choices that evening. Â
Good place if you got the hungries and need a beer!
Wow. What an unexpected treat! After all these years coming to the desert, I have never once stepped foot inside the JT Saloon. But I did yesterday and the food was excellent! Great sandwiches, tacos, onion rings, burgers, icy drinks... we worked our way through a number of items... and they were all fresh and delicious. Friendly staff, nice people in a great dark cosy locals bar. Loved it. Will definitely go back - and soon!
Review Source:It will not accept zero stars
T his place has outgrown its talent level. Fair food horrible service. Our table for two was served our dinner forty five miutes between the entrees, no apologies offered.
It needs to go back to the  days when it had very few customers, then maybe they can keep up.
I don't know if we are just here on a bad day, but this place is horrible!!
The food is OK... The service is the worst!! It took forever for us to get served and the waitress was very unpleasant. You pretty much get your food and they ignore you until you hunt them down for your check.
There is also a charge if you wanna use your credit card. They also charged us for something that we ordered but they no longer had.
I am sure this place is fine if you just wanna grab a drink. I would not ever come back here for food. Never.
I am a member of the Morongo basin Cultural Arts Council. I am a local artist that lives in Morongo Valley...Through the Arts Council. I Â was asked to show my art work at The Joshua Tree Saloon which has a small gallery in their pool room. I currently have my art in the JT Saloon from January 15th through march 15th, 2013. I had an artist reception on January 15th. The staff, managers and bartenders were amazing and very accommodating. The music was great. The atmosphere is cool.... and the FOOD is really great. Thank you JT Saloon
Review Source:Wanted the breakfast burrito but was "strongly urged" by the waiter to avoid the sausage.....seems a bit grungy to me, right? Service was alright and the atmosphere was cool if you love having breakfast surrounded by a bunch of dudes morning drinking on a weekday. I'm sure this place is far, far cooler in the evening. I've heard excellent reviews on their more standard bar food items. Skip the burrito. But hey, FREE WI-FI!! WOOT!
Review Source:Not a bad place to grab some beer on tap and food. Although if you are from out of town like we were, you will definitely feel it!
We received great service the night we were there even though the restaurant was busy. There were three different servers that constantly checked on us throughout the night.
The place was definitely very divey and less saloon-y but that doesn't really matter. We ordered a vegetarian sampler for the appetizer and it was a plate full of delicious fried vegetables. First time I've had deep fried mushrooms, which was an experience in itself. The deep fried pickles were pretty good.
Their burgers were good, though not the best I've ever had. They were huge though and I could barely eat half of my TNT burger. It wasn't as spicy as I had expected though.
Good food and good service. Not loud, except when people were cheering for the football game on the television screens.
One of the better burgers I've ever eaten. Â Despite being a small town, this place sports some real quality. Â The sweet potato fries were also delicious. Â Thick, crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle.
Hilariously, we ended up seated front and center unknowingly for their Wednesday night karaoke. Â One brave table of older folk seemed to be the only people participating in a scene that could have convinced the spectator they had travelled back in time. Â It was perfect for a small desert town. Â I enjoyed watching a sweet old 80+ year old man named Smitty get up and sing some of his favorite old time country tunes in his barely audible, soft voice.
Back in town and had dinner here. Funny band and a very diverse group of patrons. I must say that the burger I ordered was cooked perfectly -- absolutely delicious!
Despite the other reviews about bad service, tonight it was great, as has been my experience in the past. Food wasn't particularly speedy coming out, but the servers were by very frequently to make sure we were set.
My only complaint was that the music when the band wasn't playing was way way too loud. Louder than the band! We actually left a bit early because of that.
Sure LOOKS like a great place to relax after a day in the park. Â Sure LOOKS like they could have some nice food there.
We stopped in, were told to seat ourselves. Â We did, we grabbed a menu, and then waited for 45 min. Â There was ONE server in the entire place. Â Overworked and frazzled. Â She knew we were there, acknowledged us, and even pointed out the tables that were ahead of us so we could track her progress of getting to us.
Ok. Understandable. Â We are not in a hurry to eat. Â We are just relaxing after a day of climbing. Â So, one of us goes up to the bar to order drinks while we wait. Â Bar tender is not busy, only a few people at the bar. Â He refuses to serve us. Â Says if we are sitting at the table, only our server can order for us. Â Explain we will just pay cash at the bar for something while we wait. Not an option.
Wait ANOTHER 15 min (1 hour total) then leave. Â Never got an order in. Â Will never come back.
Fun times were had this Thanksgiving weekend at Joshua Tree Saloon! My boyfriend, family & I came in the evening after Thanksgiving and had a wonderful time! GREAT food & service! Â Pool tables & darts, the live music wasn't the greatest, but what do you expect for being in the middle of the desert? Â Two thumbs up for JTS!
Review Source:I hope I came here on a bad night! I've driven past this place every Friday for the past year, and the parking lots were always packed. However, the night we happened to show up there were only a few cars. They had karaoke (way too loud for such a small place), and I'd estimate there were maybe 30 patrons at most, and  4 or 5 employees behind the bar (including one of the most attractive women I've ever seen in the high desert). However, service was definitely not great; I think we were there on new employee training night. Plus, for whatever reason, most of the people behind the bar couldn't serve alcohol?! They had to fetch someone else to do it! And when we tried to pay our bill -- nightmare! If we were less honest it would have been great, but we kept having to have them add items to the bill, and it took like 20 minutes to get our bill straight.
I'm still going to give the place 3 stars, because it definitely has potential (and other reviewers seem to really like the place); I just hope service is better my next time.
Last time I was in town the JT Saloon had free dirty water dog night served up by the bartender, free mystery meat taco night and a stripper pole on the stage. And I liked it. Now there are (a few) less unsavory characters and a full menu of pub fare -- from classic bar apps to surf n turf plates with ingredients like fancypants beef at fancypants prices. While I personally like things like fancypants beef, I wasn't too impressed with the finished products. Terrible buffalo wings (rubbery, not at all crisp, and what is that weird sweet sauce? that ain't buffalo), mediocre (but enormous) chili cheese fries, a just-okay burger. Considering the high prices, I want better food. Miner's Milk beer on draft is good though, and service is friendly. I'll be back for that on Ted Quinn's open mic nights. I'll just eat first.
Review Source:If you are priss, a puss, a delicate flower, or a status queen: You will hate this place, and likely sport a Sally-sourpuss face the entire time you are here.
If you like real people, have a thick skin, and can hold your own when the sarcasm flies: You'll probably want to saddle up to the bar and get to know the great bartenders and servers that work here.
Great food and cheap drinks are just a bonus of this not-so-hidden but perhaps less-traveled gem in the desert.
The perfect place to catch lunch and a cold beer after a morning in Joshua Tree National Park. My hubs and I stopped in after hiking in JT Park around 11:30am, which by then, in the desert it's really starting to warm up. We ordered a couple beers, me Lagunitas IPA (on tap!!) and him, Ranger IPA (also on tap!) We then ordered their hot wings and also a BLT. The BLT was PERFECT! And I mean, perfect! But the hot wings! Oh.my.goodness. I am not really a hot wings fan, but these hot wings were beyond perfect. Spicy hot with excellent flavor, just the right amount of honey used to give it that glorious sticky texture, but not so much that your napkin stuck to your fingers when you wiped them. Just utter perfection in a hot wing!
Shanna, our bartender was super friendly and sweet and she talked to us almost the whole time. She was great! The place is very down to earth and everything a desert saloon should be! Great atmosphere.
They do have live music on the weekends, which we missed, but intend on going the next time we are out in the desert. I definitely recommend this place if you stay in Joshua Tree. It was so good that we went a second time during our weekend stay for another helping of their hot wings and some cold brews. Good place here!
I would definitely recommend stopping by the Saloon after a long trek through the desert.
The food is good, the beer selection is very good, and the staff was extremely friendly and welcoming. My favorite part was the band playing (The California Celts) and the overall ambience (wood ceilings made it feel like we were on a boat).
I ordered the Turkey/Bacon sandwich and my friends both ordered burgers. They really liked their burgers and I liked my sandwich although I was sort of expecting some lettuce and tomato and it was more like a melt (veggie free... luckily I had a big salad for lunch). I opted for the onion rings which I think was a very good choice although I could have done without the 2 buck extra charge for them.
Overall, a good time and good beer was had by all so we left happy!
Great steak sandwich! Our server/bartender, Shanna, provided the perfect meal recommendations and friendly small town service.
We stopped in for breakfast the next day and it was exactly as Shanna described - a bar breakfast. The eggs were on the hard side of over easy and the biscuits and gravy were just ok. If it's cheap eats you're looking for then you're in the right place. Stick with lunch or dinner and you'll get the best red meat meal in town. Can't beat the ice cold beer after a long hike at Joshua Tree.
For what it's supposed to be, the JT Saloon is a five-star joint. Â
On our first trip we arrived around lunch time after a 7 mile hike. Â I ordered the 1/2lb bacon cheeseburger and...while it may be influenced by my hike-hunger...I declare it to be one of the Great Burgers of All Time, right up there with SF's Monk's Kettle and Boston's Bukowski's. Â
Our second visit was for breakfast on Thanksgiving morning before a day in JTNP. Â This, my friends, is the bargain of the century. Â While the breakfast menu is limited, the prices cannot be beat at all...period. Â You get a delicious filling breakfast for next to nothing. Â The only thing lacking was the weak coffee.
The service on both visits was extraordinarily friendly, which is a bonus for a place where people stop in for breakfast beers and whiskeys. Â Thumbs up!
I thought this was going to be a run-o-the-mill three star, desert dive... but then I saw their beer selection. Lagunitas IPA on tap? Hot damn! I'm sold!
I didn't spend a wild desert night here, more like a moderately rowdy afternoon. Stopped by for a beer and a bite to eat after spending a few hours at the national park.
...and I've figured out the secret to make mediocre diner food taste delicious: either be completely plastered or ravenously hungry. I was the latter, so I ordered up the $10 steak special - and I felt like I'd never had a better steak in my life. Of course, that was just the hunger talking, the steak was quite middle of the road.
But the service was truly kickass. She had no qualms billing separately for our group of 12, and actually asked us about it before we even asked her. And my beer was hardly empty. So, I can't speak for the wild and crazy nights they purport to have here - but for a Saturday afternoon? Yay! I'm a fan!
The Joshua Tree Saloon is the best bar around. Â Well . . . ok, disclaimer: it's one of very few bars in a 20-30 mile radius of Joshua Tree. Â But it really is a fun place with a pretty decent beer selection and a bar stocked with standard brand name liquor. Â They do live music on the weekends and have fun events in the evenings. Â Basically, it's a good watering hole and worth a stop for anyone visiting Joshua Tree.
So why only three stars? Â Well, while the bar is great, the food is only okay. Â It's bar food to be sure--i.e tasty comfort food (think fried or meaty). Â Problem is, they overcook their hamburgers and steaks. Â Wow, those steaks were tough. Â Let's say there was a lot of A1 used just to eat it. Â
So, head there for the drinking and you'll have a good time. Â Head there for the food and it will be edible.
This is rated for the vibe - it was just what I expected for Joshua Tree. My 4 stars are given for the fitting experience of going to a run down bar after exhausting oneself on the boulders.
It only took a glimpse of this place to guarantee that I was going to check it out. The saloon's exterior was made up of old wooden boards and tin sheets, varnished with a sun-baked painted sign that read "The Joshua Tree Saloon". It looked like a scene from a movie about trailer parks. There were even tumble weeds rolling around. After a weekend of climbing, my friends and I checked it out.
1. Beers are cheap (Pint of BlueMoon was 3 bucks at the time)
2. Bartender was hot in a "I take no bullshit"-trailer-park-tenet sort of way
3. Tumble weeds rollin
4. Upon walking up to the entrance, we were greeted by a 'nam-vet looking guy who was missing both arms and a couple of teeth. A gem of an experience.
I don't drink anymore. Â However, based on a couple of prissy reviews, I am compelled to scribe a few words.
Various delicate, sheltered, spoiled princess-types have said a lot of disparaging, ugly things about the individuals that patronize this establishment.
One thing that cannot be said of the regulars: they aren't superficial. They are the real thing.
This is the desert -the Morongo Basin located in the Mojave Dessert. Â This saloon's primary customers are a local, which means people who live here. Â These are not people who are on a weekend luxury retreat into the park from some upper-middle-class suburban neighborhood. Â These are the people who live and work in Joshua Tree year-round, who serve our country on the local base, which make a living and survive here. Â They are the people who serve the food, tend the shops, act as guides, and clean up after a wild weekend. Â This is their bar, not yours. Â Don't like the locals who drink here? Â Does the idea of rubbing elbows with the uncouth, unwashed peasants repulse you? Â Go somewhere else, or buy your booze at the liquor store, drink in your motel room and shut the hell up. Â Better yet, stay home in suburbia, where your shallow attitude will be most comfortable.
Me, I've never had a problem here, and am quite fond of this place. Â Initially, the bartenders and some regulars were a bit stand-offish, but quickly warmed up when they realized we weren't the usual nose-in-the-air-tourist-scum with aristocratic attitude. Â Hell, I love JT, and have immense respect for anyone able to carve out a robust living there. Â And the Marines? Â No problem there either. Â They are serving their country, and have every right to have a cold one while off-duty.
Now, make no mistake: this is a bar, so the food coming from the kitchens is your average bar-food, in terms of what is usually on the menu. Â But from time to time, they are known to raise it up a notch or two. Â In any case the food is good, and a nice, quite edible and more reasonably priced alternative to The Rib Company.
The interior can be described easily as "earned". Â Every sign, photo, mark, scrawl and etch has a story to go along with it. Â Stick around and you may just see a few being made, or make one of your own.
Overall, The Joshua Tree Saloon is a kick-back place to have a good time, relax, and let off a little steam.
This is such a kick-ass spot for nightlife in the desert. Â Personally, and I'm going out on a limb here, I like it better than a certain Pietown Honky Tonk. Â It's far more down to earth and lacks the pretentiousness that always seems to pervade that place up the hill.
If you want to know what it feels like to live in the desert, pull up a stool and I'll buy you a beer. Â And if JTree Saloon isn't the place for you, well...don't let the saloon door hit you on the way out of town.
Scaaaaaaary! Â I stopped here one night when I was on a solitude-seeking desert getaway weekend. Â I love Joshua Tree National Park so I thought that the bar nearby might have some promise. Â Note that they also advertise free Wifi.
The picture shows that the outside of the bar looks kind-of rustic. Â Well, rustic it is not. Â The place is a craphole. Â The WiFi worked for maybe 5 minutes. Â When I was there, I got macked on by several frightening guys right away. Â I think some of them were missing teeth. Â One of the bartenders was pole-dancing on the dance floor.
I stayed for awhile, for the sake of having a story to tell, and to at least kick some local ass at pool.  Guys kept asking me where I was staying, and I just told them it was none of their business.  As soon as I had the chance (when some drama occurred outside) I ran out, grabbed my car and  drove off so that no one could follow me.  I was that creeped out.
This seemed like a promising place to go at first since someone had actually left their horse outside the bar in the parking lot, presumably while they got their whiskey. Â Or something. Â That was around 4 PM, when I was on my way out of the park to go check into my motel.
Around 10:30 PM, my friends and I walked over, and we could hear the really REALLY heavy bass pumping through the speakers. Â "Is that coming from the saloon?" Â someone asked. Â Unfortunately, yes, it was. Â So here's what I saw when I came in:
- A bunch of fat girls in tiny tank tops and denim mini skirts dancing on the stage. Â Glad the bass-heavy music wasn't going to waste.
- The cocktail waitress serving drinks, only I didn't realize at the time that she was the waitress since she was wearing a velour track suit thing.
- Some exceedingly drunk marines
- One fool with a grill (I didn't know people actually still did that to their teeth) wearing his mirrored sunglasses inside the bar
As my friends and I were finishing our one and only round of drinks and wishing we were someplace else, one of the very drunk marines swaggered over to our table. "Heeeeyyy," he said, lurching over me. Â "You guys don't look like you're having a very good time."
We didn't really respond to that, so he continued. Â "Well, you let me know if anyone gives you any problems here and I'll f*ck them up. Â Just consider me your personal bodyguard tonight." Â I was very tempted to ask if he could beat himself up then since he was annoying me, but I actually managed to hold my tongue. Â You can imagine how hard this is for me.
For a saloon, this place had quite a strip club feel to it, or am I the only person to feel so dirty when leaving it?
At least the drinks are cheap, because this place is cash only.
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