Where to Eat in the High Desert, Part 2:

Part one covered Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, and Twentynine Palms. But the high desert is bigger than that — and some of the best meals happen off the main drag, in towns most visitors don't slow down enough to find.

Here's where to go when you're ready to explore a little further.

Pioneertown

Pioneertown was built in the 1940s as a working Hollywood western film set — and it never really went back to being normal. The main drag, Mane Street, still looks like a frontier town from a movie. The food and drink here match the energy: big, loud, unforgettable.

Pappy & Harriet's is the most iconic spot in the entire region, full stop. BBQ ribs slow-cooked and served with all the sides, a honky tonk stage that has hosted everyone from Paul McCartney to local desert bands on any given weekend, and a bar that's been pouring cold drinks for decades. The food is good, the music is better, and the combination of the two under the Pioneertown sky is something you can't replicate anywhere else. Check their calendar before you go — show nights are something else entirely. Make a reservation if you're coming on a weekend.

The Red Dog Saloon sits at the end of Mane Street and leans fully into the old west energy that makes Pioneertown what it is. Cold drinks, strong pours, live music, and the kind of bar that feels like it's been there since the frontier days — because it essentially has. The perfect place to start your Pioneertown evening or end it, with a beer in hand and the desert dark coming in through the open door.

Flamingo Heights

Flamingo Heights is one of those neighborhoods you have to know about to find. North of Yucca Valley on Old Woman Springs Road, it's where some of the most interesting food in the high desert has quietly taken root.

La Copine is the one people drive from Los Angeles for — and it earns it every time. Founded in 2015 by partners Nikki Hill and Claire Wadsworth, it's a seasonally rotating New California kitchen with Southern, Middle Eastern, and North African influences woven through everything on the plate. The fried chicken over cheddar grits is legendary. The mussels dijonnaise are worth the trip alone. Desserts — key lime, lemon polenta cake, whatever is on the board that day — are the kind of thing you think about on the drive home. The space is airy and welcoming, the vibe is relaxed and queer-friendly, and it's been featured in the LA Times, Vogue, and Bon Appétit for good reason. Open Thursday through Sunday, 11am to 4pm at 848 Old Woman Springs Rd. Text to reserve — this one fills up.

Giant Rock Meeting Room is the local watering hole that somehow also makes really good pizza. Located at 1141 Old Woman Springs Rd in Flamingo Heights, it's a pizza bar and live music venue that takes both seriously. The Flamingo Pig — topped with capers, arugula, and crispy crust — is the crowd favorite. The Spicy Bee Boy with sausage, ricotta, and JT Bee Co. chili honey is the one regulars come back for. Cocktails are well-made, the bar is stocked with interesting amaro and aperitif options, and the live music calendar runs most nights of the week. Open Monday and Wednesday through Thursday from 4pm, Friday through Sunday from noon. The kind of place you stumble into and end up staying all night.

Morongo Valley

Morongo Valley sits on the 62 between the high desert and the Inland Empire — and it has two spots that most people drive right past without stopping. Don't.

Morongo Valley Cafe has been a family-operated staple since 2003 and is ranked the number one restaurant in Morongo Valley for good reason. It's a classic, no-frills diner with a warm staff, generous portions, and the kind of homemade salsa that makes you wish you'd ordered more. The breakfast burrito is a local favorite. The pancakes, the omelets, the eggs — all exactly what they're supposed to be, made with care and served fast. Dog-friendly outdoor patio, reasonable prices, open seven days a week from 7am to 2pm at 49780 Twentynine Palms Hwy. A perfect first stop on your way into the desert or a last stop on your way out.

Spaghetti Western is exactly what it sounds like and also nothing like what you'd expect. Run by Jasmine and Lorenzo — both Roman-born, both musicians — it's an authentic Italian restaurant that somehow landed in a renovated old west saloon in Morongo Valley and made it work completely. The risotto is the kind that brings back memories of Italy. The pasta bolognese is rich and deeply flavored. The chicken parm has its own following. Everything is made with organic, locally sourced ingredients where possible, and the bar leans into sustainable spirits, organic wines, and craft beers you can't find anywhere else in the basin. There's live music most nights, a pool room, a rotating art gallery, and a photo booth. Open Wednesday through Monday from 4pm, closed Tuesdays, at 50048 Twentynine Palms Hwy.

The high desert keeps surprising you. Every town has something worth stopping for — you just have to get off the main road and look.