Bar, Restaurant, Mexican, $$$ El Jefe is located inside The Saguaro hotel. They serve a variety of Mexican fare, including tacos and tortas. Their cocktail menu consists of several types of margarita, including the refreshing jalapeno celery, as well as original creations.

The colorful, lively El Jefe Desert Cantina at Saguaro Palm Springs serves Mexican street food such as cochinita pork and chicken tinga tacos and regional desserts like date bread pudding. In Rancho Mirage, Las Casuelas Nuevas serves traditional Mexican fare in a festive setting, and Coachella Bar in downtown Coachella draws locals for chavelas and Mexicali-style hot dogs wrapped in bacon. Excelling in fresh SoCal cuisine, Palm Desert’s Cork Tree uses locally sourced ingredients, and La Quinta’s Morgan’s in the desert promises contemporary-leaning favorites such as fig salad and soups made with local bounty.

We rolled into town just as the sun set over the San Jacinto Mountains, giving the already rainbow-hued buildings a warm sepia tone. After a 5-hour drive from Vegas through the Mohave desert we were so grateful to land at our hotel, The Saguaro. I’ll write a newsletter about the hotel someday, but this colourful hotel was opened as the International Hotel in 1964, spending much of its life as a Holiday Inn until it was turned into the fantastic retro rainbow of architecture it is today.

If you don’t eat Mexican at least once on your Golden State getaway, were you really here?. Avoid this foodie fail by ducking into the Saguaro Hotel’s taqueria, which conveniently is also a tequila-ria, where tortilla fillings run the gamut from vegan (potato with arbol chile sauce) to meat (pork carnitas with chicharron) and seafood (Baja-style beer-battered Mahi). Taco Tuesdays bring great deals on margaritas and food, but as suspected, that triggers bigger crowds and longer waits.

When it comes to combining a lively atmosphere with incredible flavors, El Jefe Desert Cantina is a top contender for the best tacos in Palm Springs. Located within the vibrant Saguaro Hotel, this hip and energetic cantina offers a taco experience that is nothing short of extraordinary. The menu features a variety of innovative and tantalizing taco options, each one expertly crafted with a fusion of flavors that will leave you craving more.

The Saguaro is one of Palm Springs’ most visually striking attractions, with its vibrant mid-century modern design and unique décor. El Jefe, a bar and restaurant located in the hotel’s vast lobby, provides amazing happy hour bargains, including $5 well drinks and beers. If you stay at the hotel, you’ll get a $30 dinner credit for every night you stay; use it to take advantage of all of El Jefe’s fantastic discounts.

Despite what Taco Tuesday celebrators say, tacos are just as tasty every other day of the week. A perfect spot to get some tacos or other Mexican food in the Palm Springs area is at El Jefe at the Saguaro Hotel. The owners of this lovely spot also own the renowned Ace Hotel Palm Springs, which is one of the most well-known buildings in the area for its true mid-century modern design.

El Jefe is located at the Saguaro so with that bit of information you can already guarantee that this place is “cool”. It is known for being a tequila bar (with over 100 different types) that pair great with their Mexican bites available. Worth noting that they have a solid Happy Hour as well as a Taco Tuesday – who could say no to either?

Part speakeasy, part lounge, El Jefe Desert Cantina is just beyond the Saguaro’s lobby. Anchored by a collection of agave-based spirits, the menu features nearly 20 unique cocktails for fans of seasonal and classic mezcal and tequila drinks. The menu has Mexican flavors, including tacos, quesadillas, nachos, and tostadas.

Be the weather hot or hotter, El Jefe at The Saguaro is a great spot to hang out any time of the day. Mexican-inspired dishes, including heirloom carrot tacos and grilled Mexican corn, are served in a space evocative of a Wild West saloon as well as on the patio and lawn. The bar has an exquisite tequila collection.

What: $4 well, beer, and micheladas plus $5 sangria and margaritas from the restaurant / bar found in the Saguaro Hotel. Is Their Happy Hour Menu Online: yes, here. El Jefe at The Saguaro Palm Springs, 1800 E Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, (760) 323-1711

Best Mexican food: “I love to sit at the patio at El Jefe at the Saguaro and drink the great margaritas. I love their nachos and also their vegan potato flautas. Also, you can't go wrong at Tac/Quila, especially with their amazing posole.

The tacos are popular, with fillings like pork belly, shrimp, and carne asada. The margaritas are some of the best in town. With its bright colors and fun atmosphere, El Jefe is a great place for a casual meal or happy hour with friends.

A few of my favorites: Cheeky’s (for breakfast), The Pink Cabana (for brunch), Norma’s (for brunch/lunch), Birba (lunch/dinner), Sandfish Sushi and Whiskey (dinner), El Jefe (drinks/tacos), Great Shakes (dessert), and Koffi (coffee).

The Saguaro's taco joint and tequila bar is, dare we say, the best Mexican spot in Palm Springs proper. Handmade tortillas, steak nachos, and golden crispy fish tacos are washed down by an impressive list of agave spirits.

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