Memorable | One of the Best
El Gallito
Review by: Michael Stern
** THIS RESTAURANT IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED **
In and around Palm Springs, there are plenty of swank restaurants, but few simple places that serve real food at reasonable prices. That is why we were thrilled to find a pretty little café named El Gallito by the side of the road in Cathedral City. Here is a broad menu of mostly familiar Mexican dishes such as tacos, chilies rellenos, enchiladas, and burritos. In our experience, they are all good, but we are especially fond of such daily specials as carnitas (shredded pork) every Thursday, chicken mole (Friday) and menudo (Saturday).
We also like El Gallito’s chilies. They are California style, meaning not fire-hot, and they are mighty tasty: either chili Colorado, which is bite-size pieces of beef in a peppery red sauce, or chili verde, which is beef cooked with green peppers, onions and shreds of tomato. The “El Gallito Especial” is a half-and-half plate of both kinds of chili – what New Mexicans know as Christmas – green and red, side by side.
El Gallito is outfitted in traditional Mexican-restaurant décor (serapes, sombreros, velvet paintings) and operates according to many rules posted throughout the dining room and written in the menu – some serious, some silly. A placard hanging over the dining room notes: If you have reservations, you are at the wrong place. A sign in the entryway advises: WE ARE NOT A BAR. Beer/wine is only served to those who dine with us. Furthermore, be advised that there is a limit of three drinks per customer, and persons who seem to have been drinking will not be served.
Directions & Hours
Information
| Price | $ |
| Seasons | All |
| Meals Served | Lunch |
| Credit Cards Accepted | No |
| Alcohol Served | Yes |
| Outdoor Seating | No |
What To Eat
El Gallito Recipes
Discuss
What do you think of El Gallito?
3 Responses to “El Gallito”
Matt G
January 25th, 2024
So sad to see this resturant gone, it was so iconic and such a part of the community. The resturant which was actually an old house turned restuarant. It had a warm feel to it, kinda like you were visiting your abuelita (grandmother) on a sunday for a nice meal. I understand the owners wanted to retire and no one in the family wanted to take it over. I can totally respect them for there dicison, after all they worked so hard making us such great meals all those years, they earned there right to take it easy and enjoy the rest of there lives. That being said I just wish they would have maybe tried to have there salsa bottled and sold locally, honestly they had the best salsa, I have dreams about that salsa….lol. Farewell El Gallito you will be missed but never forgotten.
Kelly
May 20th, 2023
El Gallito was one in a million and will miss dining there. No wonder it was so well known and busy. I guess it was time for the family to retire and enjoy life after many years of work, bring culinary deliciousness to the Coachella Valley. Always a good memory for me.
Ted
February 24th, 2022
This was great. It was torn down to build the casino.