Don Diego’s of Indian Wells

DO NOT GO HERE IF YOU WANT YOUR CC NUMBER STOLEN! Visiting Palm Springs area with my 88 year Grandma and some other family members. I helped my Grandma pay for the meal with her credit card. This card she used hadn’t be used in months. She paid for the dinner and within 12 hours her card was being used for a Mexican gambling site. Over the course of several days her card was used over 10 times before I was alerted (I handle her finances). A fraud case has now been opened. It appears to me that when her card was out of her possession to pay for the bill the information was stolen at that point. I find it ironic we were at a Mexican restaurant and then the card was used for a Mexican gambling site. Taking advantage of the elderly is one of the worst things in my mind you can do. If you choose to go here, use cash. but the food isn’t even that great. And pricey!
The ONLY thing I enjoyed was the live music that came around from table to table. but I could find that elsewhere where they don’t steal credit card information from their paying customers!

Over priced! Worst salsa, tasted like tamato paste, it wasn’t even spicey. We had to wait 20 mins for service. When we finally ordered and got the food, it came out cold. My food was WAY to salty. When I asked for them to take it off the bill, the server gave me a dirty look! Worst costumer service I’ve had in a while. My wife and I were very displeased. We won’t vlbe eating here again.

Our first and LAST visit Arrived around 2:00 on a Sunday. The restaurant was not busy and seemed appropriately staffed but the service was lacking. We were greeted and seated quickly. And it stopped there. Our server arrived and took our drink order but took far too long to take our food order. After our food arrived we didn’t see our server again until we were almost ready to leave. There was no one else sitting in our section. When our server arrived, he asked my husband if he would like a refill but he never delivered it. As for the food, I had the mexican bowl with carne Asada that was so tough I couldn’t eat all of it. My dining companions said their meals were adequate.
We usually go to Maracas Cantina which in our opinion has quality food and the servers are very friendly and attentive.

Average at best. Pricey. I ordered a chicken burrito, they definitely brought me one with pork, and it was way overpriced. My margarita was good though.

Pretty decent mexican food. It is definitely the best in the area. I would give them a try for sure.

Make sure that during happy hour you ask for beef tacos which will run you four dollars if you ask for steak tacos assuming steak is beef they will charge you $ 28 for four tacos that have no lettuce or tomatoes or condiments I only ate one out of four they were that bad

First time we’ve eaten here. Will definitely be back. We had a 5 star experience all around. The wait staff was very professional and accommodating. The food was exceptional. I highly recommend this place to Mexican foodies.

The menu has significantly shrunk since I was here last (2011) while the prices have swelled. Mostly «gourmet» tacos, enchiladas, rellenos and burritos. A bit over priced for what you get but still better than decent fare.

I had the chance to try out Don Diego’s on a recent trip to the Palm Springs area. Located in the corner of a strip mall in Indian Wells on Hwy 111, Don Diego’s offers an extensive menu of pretty standard Mexican fare with so-​so service. I was part of a big group — there were 10 of us in the party. We didn’t have reservations, but the it was a Wednesday night so we were able to get seated right away.
We sat for about 15 minutes until our drink orders were taken, munching on the table chips and salsa. We sat for another 15 – 20 minutes before we actually got to order our food. But then we got our food in about 7 minutes — very fast. Just a reminder of how fast they can put these dishes together (which make you wonder what took so long to get things going in the first place.)
I ordered the lobster and shrimp street tacos. Three petite corn tortillas with heaping piles of shrimp and lobster. I was pretty impressed with the amount of food I got, but then again, for $ 15 if was probably about right.
Everyone else seemed pretty satisfied with their meals.
Nothing great, but nothing horrible either, Don Diego’s is exactly what you’d expect from a strip mall Mexican restaurant.

We impulsively found this place in Indian Wells when our original plans for dinner didn’t work out. This is a casual place that’s a step up from most Mexican restaurants. I immediately felt comfortable due to the pleasant interior and vibe. Chips, salsa and guacamole were good. Although I would say my steak tacos were meh, the side beans and rice were quite good. Best of all, I really enjoyed their large-​sized red sangrias which were made well and a great choice of beverage for a Sunday night. The usual full variety of Mexican cuisine is available and service is good. And even better … the mariachi that rotates through the dining room and makes your dining experience really fun and enjoyable.

Tried this restaurant last year and was sick all night with diarrhea. Swore to myself I would never go back. Found myself there with friends last weekend and don’t you know, it happened again. The food must be super old! Can’t believe how disgusting it is. I warn all to go to any of the Mexican restaurants before this one. McDonalds for sure!!!

My family has been out in the desert for decades. Coincidentally, so has Don Diego’s. Oddly, we never knew it was here! Finally stumbled upon it and stopped in for dinner. I was actually surprised – the interior was cozy and inviting and the food was a couple of notches above the usual local Mex places. The interior was nicer than I expected – not luxurious, but it was clean and comfortable, and they went easy on the tacky theme tchotchkes.
I had the mole enchiladas, which I liked. The soft tacos were okay, but the crispy ones were good. The guac was full of chopped tomatoes and very tasty, and service was good. I am not a fan of mariachis singing at your table, so I was happy that «Johnny Guitarra» played all kinds of lighthearted music with a wink and a smile. He played a little blues, a little Jimmy Buffet, and a little Elvis and yes, La Bamba. The mondo margaritas and sangrias were just the tonic to make diners sing right along with him. We actually had a really good time, and will definitely go back. Adiós, Las Casuelas!

Love the food, the margaritas, the old-​school décor but most of all the service. Not the least of which is the table side serenade by Johnny GeeTar! Great friendly fun!

I was there with my husband and another couple. The service was bad, food was bad, décor was tacky (table cloth was a cover made from mustard colored vinyl). The rest of the décor was similar in fashion. I had 3 street tacos, rice and beans. The tacos were bland, I took off half the meat because it was without flavor and had no seasoning, no onions, no cilantro, just meat with some cheese melted on top. The rice and beans were bland also. The water was bad too, Even though I tried to fix it with fresh lemon. When I was ordering my tacos, the waiter was not helpful. I said «do you have street tacos with steak?» He just said «no» then I asked for the next choice and he again just said «no», so I kept guessing! I’m not a fan and I’ll never be back.

I come to Palm Springs a few times a year and always make sure to come out to Don Diegos! The service is amazing and the food has always been delicious. I’ve been for breakfast and dinner and have never been disappointed. The ranchero sauce is the tastiest I’ve ever had and the tamales are to die for! Being from Los Angeles and living in San Diego I’m very picky about Mexican food and this is definitely a gem! During busy seasons I suggest calling ahead for a reservation because I’ve seen it completely packed. Five stars!

i really want to give this place a better review being that it was one of the few places open on 4^th of july and the décor looked super cool. like an old school american/​mexican restaurant with nice big booths, large bar area and cool vintage pics on the wall. theme was totally on point and i feel as if i walked into a thriving mexican restaurant in the 50s-​60s with obviously modern technology.
foodwise, i wasn’t impressed, at all. imagine chevy’s style food and quality. price was quite high for the quality and amount of food also. sadly, i cant say i’ll be back.

It’s disappointing to see so many negative reviews! We’ve never had a bad experience here. Years ago we would dine in for dinner or get take out. We left the desert for a several years and upon returning to the area, we knew we would have to return to one of our favorite spots. Now we typically just come in for happy hour because there are lots of options to choose from and killer deals on food and drinks like $ 1 tacos and $ 4 margaritas. The margaritas are delicious, way better than what you will receive at la casita or las casuelas (they’ll charge you more too)! They use better tequila = no headache. If you’re feeling extra adventurous and wanting to share with a friend, get the monster sized margarita for $ 20. It was huge (!!!) big enough for three people to enjoy.
We have had Javier as our waiter on several occasions and he always remembers us. Most recently we went in earlier this week and were seated in another waiter’s section. Javier immediately noticed us and had drinks sent over without us even having to ask. He even remembered no salt on mine. You don’t get service like that elsewhere.
The food isn’t amazingly authentic, but it is good and always fresh. If you don’t like the house salsa that they serve with chips, they’ll always bring you another spicier option. You just have to ask.
Johnny Guitar is also so much fun! One time he gave us a 10 minute show mixing multiple songs together. He had us singing, dancing, and really enjoying ourselves.

Came here for lunch with a friend. Was seated promptly and given chips and salsa. They’ve got a nice selection of lunch specials for a good price. I ordered the combo plate with cheese enchilada and chicken taco. Tasty mexican food for Indian Wells. Service was good and ambiance was casual. Good spot for a quick sit down lunch.
Next time I“m back, I’m trying the Margaritas!

Poor quality food and horrific service. I was there just shy of two hours for happy hour appetizers while it was nearly empty. To top everything off, my bill was incorrect, and I felt vilified for the servers ineptness.
Go elsewhere. Del Taco has better Mexican food & it won’t take two hours with nasty «customer service».

This is an upscale Mexican restaurant. Opened since 1981, the original owner’s name was Don (hence the name). Since then, the restaurant has sold. Overall, everything seems the same.
At the bar:
Yes, full bar and great margaritas here. Sodas are served in extra tall glasses. Nice!
Food:
The food is always good, never bad. The last time I was here, I ordered the «Don Diego» three soft tacos that are served with either grilled chicken, carne asada or carnitas. I chose carne asada. The meat was flavorful and tender. The entrée comes with rice and beans and is a bit pricey at $ 16.95, but an average price for the area.
Décor:
Dark and themed. If the weather is nice, I prefer to dine outside, which was recently expanded and a great improvement.
Service
Most of the time it is a hit and we’ve had great service, rare is it a miss. The last time we were there was at lunchtime and the server kept zooming right past us and never approached our table, so my husband had to go get the owner who was acting as the hostess and asked her to take our order. She is very friendly.
Parking
Parking is convenient.