A treasure in the middle of the desert !!! One would never guess that such a wonderful restaurant would exists in such a remote location. Chef John is a master at what he does and creates very pleasing dishes. This place isn't only about the food, the art and ambiance make it a place worth visiting. Check to make sure they'll be open hours seem to fluctuate. Be sure to bring cash as they don't accept credit cards !!!
Review Source:I can't believe I had not written a review for Pastels before. Â I suppose that secretly, I didn't want anyone else to know about it.
But that's not fair, because from Tokyo to Paris, this is some of the finest food I've ever had. Â When you drive down Tecopa Hot Springs Road and pull up to Pastels, you may think this is all a joke. Â It's not.
From L.A., take 127 north from Baker, then Old Spanish Trail Highway to THS Road. Â From Vegas, take 160 toward Pahrump, then Tecopa Road to THS Road. Â Google Maps has the pin for Pastels in the wrong place (not even correct side of road!). Â Look for Tecopa Hot Springs Resort. Â The hotel office is near the highway. Â Pastels is tucked into the separate building behind that office.
Note: Â Bring your own wine, as they have not been able to get through the red tape to a liquor license. Â And while you're out there, see the China Ranch Date Farm, another amazing desert find. Â Either place is well worth the two-hour detour from boring/crowded I-15.
Just go. Â You'll be writing the next 5-star review.
Yes, it's been about 2 months since we dined here, but I must say, it was a gem find this place at the Tacopa Hot Springs Resort in Death Valley. Â They serve up amazing farm-to-table dishes, utilizing organic ingredients and offering up healthier options of some traditional American comfort foods. Â
It was also very helpful that they are open until 9pm on Saturdays. Â However, with one wait person and one chef, you may need to be patient waiting for your food to be served to you, but it's worth the wait! Â I had the grilled chicken with vegetables and brown rice. Â Well seasoned and was a lovely light but hearty meal for a hot spring day (was 94 degrees on this day). Â A few of my friends ordered the beef stewed and quickly devoured their meal. Â They said it was "that" good!
They also offer a wonderful selection of herbal teas.
Being the ONLY place to eat in town, they wouldn't have to try very hard... BUT it is fabuloso dining. I would expect this in a big city... Maybe. The menu changes often because the chef likes what he makes... There's nowhere else..so..
Atmosphere is bohemian, cozy and cluttered. Like you came to a hippie friend's house to eat. They are delightfully quirky and friendly.
Bring cash, the nearest ATM is in Shoshone, 15 mins away and it's broken half the time.
If you happen to be seated for 25 minutes, and haven't been waited on..
The waitress is probably just spacing you out and she'll feel bad about it if you politely get her attention... (it doesn't get real busy there a lot)
Or you might be an A-hole and she's deliberately ignoring you. WHAT did you do?
This place is a wonderful find. This is the first time I'm writing a review on yelp, and it is purely because I HAD to tell the world about this absolutely fabulous place.
The food here is absolutely brilliant. I'm not sure if Chef John changes his menu, but if you go to this place, you MUST try the Moroccan Eggplant Curry. I loved the way the flavors of so many ingredients were blended so well together without any one ingredient overwhelming the other. Just the thought of this dish is still making my mouth water. Beware though, it runs out early!
My husband tried the Chicken Panini with a roasted peppers sauce, and he loved it too. I took a bite of it and can assuredly say that it was one of the best Paninis I've ever tasted.
While we were at dinner, we heard several ppl, as they came in, who sounded like they were repeat customers, eager to try out the rest of the menu. Alas! we couldn't stay long enough to taste everything on offer.
If we go back to Death Valley again, we will definitely make it a point to eat at Pastel's Bistro!
Note: Be sure to carry cash, they don't accept credit cards. Dont have an ATM.
This place is a culinary oasis. Â After a long day of hiking and soaking in the hot springs, I stopped off at Pastels before my journey home. Â I ordered an iced tea with the Mediterranean plate w/ chicken. Â The iced tea was served in a funky yet elegant glass jar, and there was something about the tea itself that was so refreshing! Â I must have had 4 or 5 glasses! Â The food itself was extremely delicious, tasted uber-fresh, and healthy too! Â The best of all worlds. Â I also ordered desert, a cake with coffee, which was delightful.
The place is eclectic and homey. Â The people who work there are incredibly nice and friendly! Â I really enjoyed my meal there, and will definitely be back next time I am in Tecopa Springs!
chill vibes, good nourishing food, peaceful ambiance and a refreshing homemade ice tea served in a mason jar hit the spot for us here at pastels bistro. after a long hike in the desert it was nice place to recharge. we had the Mediterranean plate which consisted of warm pita bread, cucumber and tomato slices, feta cheese, olives, cous cous, humus and something wapped in grape leaves. oh and grilled eggplant. we also had the curried split pea and barley soup. all was fresh and yumskies. we sat out front under the pergola and took in the desert vistas. the only downside was they don't take credit cards. we found out after we had a nice meal and had to drive 8 miles to Shoshone to get cash.
Review Source:We were told everything nearby was closed. But we saw the neon Open sign from our campsite, and wandered toward it, hearts hopeful.
Pastel's Bistro is a small rectangular building, seating around fifteen, with decor that I call "southwestern psychedelic". The bathroom is out around back. The menu is small, too: maybe five entrees. As soon as we read it, though, we knew we had happened upon a magical place: simple but deep ideas, with carefully selected ingredients. Why was it here in Death Valley? Because the chef was tired of big city, big name life, and wanted to open an honest place to cook on his own out here in the desert. I'm glad he did. My soba chicken was beautifully plated and generously portioned. The soba and chicken were both cooked perfectly, with beautiful greens and vegetables filling out the heap of food that was not long for this world.
Best meal I've had in months!
We came for the magical Tecopa hot springs water, but being able to have an impeccable meal in the middle of the the desert took our experience from just fine to stellar. Â
The offerings are deceptively simple: ravioli, soba noodles, salad, soup, rice n beans, but they are prepared by a master.
Ravioli were delicate, light clouds, paired with meatballs straight from heaven. Provincial vinaigrette elevated the salad, and the soba noodles made eating healthy easy.
Desert said "by request" on the menu. It turned out to be Banana "Cheesecake". Now I am probably the only person on the planet that thinks cheesecake is gross, but this wasn't a typical cheesecake. It tasted like a combination of panna cotta, a banana split, Â and caramelized sugar.
Absolute perfection.
Tip: CASH ONLY/$7.50 corkage.
Cheers~
Very unique experience! Â Limited selection but what there is is absolutely amazing, perfectly spiced, generous portions served with a smile. Kind of a rustic atmosphere but it works. Please don't be put off by the exterior condition of the parking lot and surroundings. This meal WILL be the best of your entire vacation.
Review Source:We stayed in the area and were fortunate to be right next to this amazing place. We had dinner and breakfast. For dinner, I had a very creamy flavourful ravioli in a very well-seasoned sauce. The presentation of the food was appealing. The waitress was extremely friendly and knew how to establish a rapport with people. After dinner, the chef came out to chat with us. He was extremely friendly. My partner had rice and black beans with 'pico de gallo' (very well-seasoned and tasty). We had an amazing chocolate-peanut butter pie with an awesome crust.
For breakfast, the chef's brother was in charge of the kitchen. He made us some very good crepes and we were served good Italian coffee.
This place is an oasis in the middle of an area that is thankfully free of McDonalds and company.
PD. There are also interesting books available for sale
Third time in as many years we have visited Pastel's. John is still in the kitchen making tasty grub. Menu is limited but can accommodate veggies and meat eaters alike. Usually have the beans, brown rice and Kielbasa. Yum! Dinner here takes awhile, but you will feel right at home. If you are on your way to or from Death Valley and want some healthy, home cooked food, this is your place!
PS: Don't be in a hurry- relax and listen to the locals discuss local Aztec Clay and alluvial planes...
Excellent food. Â After a hike in Death Valley, my friend and I both had the Brazilian Black Beans with brown rice for lunch. Â He had his with kielbasa and I had mine with chicken. Â The house salad served with the meal had an excellent dressing. We did not have room for dessert. Â Next time.
Review Source:I would absolutely love to write a review of this restaurant for breakfast. Â I would love to tell you how delicious the Almond French toast was. Â The food sure smelled good. Â
Instead we were seated and then ignored for 25 minutes. Â No one even bothered to ask us if we wanted coffee or orange juice. Â Normally I would be forgiving of this sort of thing happening in a short staffed establishment. Â However, people who were seated after us we afforded the chance to 1) order coffee, 2) receive coffee, 3) place an order for the main meal. Â My wife and I, feeling rather insulted, Â gave up and drove to another place. Â
I hope the managers of Bistro read this and strive to improve this sort of situation. Â However - I have no urge to return any time soon.
GRRRRRREAT food... one of the best restaurants I've ever been to, anywhere!  I was not expecting this at all... totally blown away, and will definitely come back on a regular basis.  Staff is cool as hell, ambience is great, food is AMAZING!  I wasn't hungry when I went  in, but looked at the menu and decided to go running -- in the middle of the desert, in the middle of winter, in the middle of the night -- until  I worked up an appetite.  It worked, and boy was it worth it!
Review Source:I don't give 5 star reviews often, but this one is deserving. A completely unexpected gastronomical oasis in the desert! Pastel's serves unpretentious, affordable gourmet food in a funky little bistro smack dab in the middle of no where (aka Tecopa, CA).
I had the crustless quiche (and I don't even like quiche, but it sounded good at the time). It was incredible, one of the most memorable meals I've had in a very long time. My partner had the lamb, which was so tender it was falling off the bone.
This is a very intimate space, and we were afforded the opportunity to meet the owner and his son. They were both delightful and made us feel very much at home.
Be warned, this place can get packed and feel a little crowded, but it's worth it. The service is extraordinary.
Also, please note that  they do not have a liquor license but do allow you to bring your own wine ($5 corkage fee).
A MUST STOP on the way to Death Valley.
Caveat: Â My friend's friend owns this place, but seriously, the BEST Sun Tea I've had in my life, and unsweetened, but tasted Death Valley Sun awesome.
The day we came, they must have been slammed the night before, they had only a basic menu, my friends say they've been here before for fish and really fresh creative cuisine. They say that it is always packed in here and....tb conintued....
I had the beans and rice which was surprisingly delicious, my friend had the vegetable lasagne, others had paninis, it was good solid home cooked food, in the middle of freakin' nowhere, population of Tecoma: 100!
Staff is uber friendly, I mean, like super duper beyond words friendly. It's only 1.5 miles from Vegas, but it feels like you've been teleported to a small town, oh wait, it is a small town, but it just feels sooo relaxing you can see th sunstet
They make PERFECT Lavazza coffee. I mean, like, PERFECT. We had blueberry pie for dessert. Yum, I can't remember the last time I had blueberry pie. It was ok, but really, the dining experience was amazing.
There are locals that come by all the time and are really friendly that bring dogs!!! This restaurant is all about both the inside and outdoor experience. We ate outdoors, then met a little dog in the back, and I threw this stick at this dog like 10 times and he retrieved it and I was hypnotized at how relaxing I was becoming, and then this HUGE white wolf comes by, and he's actually half dog and so friendly, and I was petting it, and I was getting more relaxed by the minute and I just didn't want to leave, but then the sun was setting and we had to look at the stars.
Every new moon, the Las Vegas Astronomical society gets together. in the back of Pastels, just walk up the hill, and you'll see the bleachers set up, the trailers, and two huge telescopes, tents, and Ken, one of the telescope guys happily smoking....things...and telling you anything you want to know about the sky. I saw Saturn's rings through the telescope! they project things onto two screens too, so you can see nebula and such.
there are other locations of star parties besides this one, one at Red Rock too, I might check out that one next. One of the best nights of my life. Bring kids!
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,317 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,986 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
