Cheeky’s Palm Springs: The Breakfast Hotspot that Defined the Modern Uptown Dining Scene

A Pioneer of the New Palm Springs Food Identity

Before Palm Springs became the brunch‑forward, farm‑leaning, design‑district dining destination it is today, there was Cheeky’s. When it opened in 2008, the city’s food scene was still dominated by old‑school staples, and Yelp was still unknown. Yet Cheeky’s was one of the first local restaurants to generate real online buzz — early adopters were posting photos, writing reviews, and creating chatter around a menu that felt fresh, modern, and intentionally different.

That early momentum didn’t just make Cheeky’s popular. It helped launch the contemporary, farm‑driven brunch culture that now defines Palm Springs dining. And as the city grew into a destination with Michelin‑recognized restaurants, Cheeky’s earned its own place in the Michelin Guide, cementing its status as one of the most influential daytime restaurants in the valley. Ask locals where to find the best breakfast in Palm Springs, and Cheeky’s is always on the list. It’s a daytime institution with a line out front to prove it.

Its success also helped transform the once‑sleepy Uptown corridor into today’s Palm Springs Design District, a neighborhood now synonymous with boutique energy, modern style, and destination restaurants. Cheeky’s helped define it, giving the neighborhood the energy and identity it’s now known for.

The Food: Fresh, Playful, and Always Changing

Cheeky’s menu has a very specific ethos: fresh, local, playful, and original. The restaurant’s commitment to creativity is baked into its DNA — literally printed at the top of the menu each week. On my morning visit, the menu read “Week 799,” a small detail that says everything about Cheeky’s: they’ve been reinventing breakfast every week. 

Cheeky’s likes to source locally – they claim within 100 miles of Palm Springs, and the kitchen builds each menu around what’s seasonal, abundant, and inspiring. The result is a lineup that feels alive — bright flavors, unexpected combinations, and dishes that reflect the moment. It’s the kind of menu that always keeps you coming back in search of new surprises.

Eye‑Catching Specials

The weekly updated menu carried nine specials and some particularly eye-catching ones at that. Halekulani Coconut Cake is a small vacation-worthy treat to add their fresh baked goods. While Trip Tip Hash, Greek Frittata and Squash Blossom Sopes entice and depth and get the conversation started. There was a delectable looking treat in the Soy-Glazed Pork Shoulder over ginger scallion rice with a fried egg and chili crunch. I’m always a sucker for dinner at breakfast. 

OG Breakfast Faves

Lower down, you’ll find Cheeky’s “OG Breakfast Faves.” There are some fairly familiar classics, all produced with Cheeky’s eye for farm-to table quality and craft – a Greek Yogurt Parfait, Steel-Cut Oats with berries and walnuts, Avocado Toast. Most dishes come with a creative twist like the “Custard Cheesy” Scrambled Eggs; Chilaquiles with housemade chorizo, queso fresco, tomatillo, cilantro and onions; Buttermilk and Fresh Corn Pancakes; and Heirloom Tomato Tartine with bacon, arugula, lemon aioli, and egg. All sauces are housemade, even the maple syrup. 

I had a notable “wow” moment when a kid at the next table got his Chicken & Waffles — one of those instant I wish I’d ordered that reactions. It’s a favorite of mine, but only when it’s done right (and at Cheeky’s, I should’ve expected nothing less). It’s not the chicken‑on‑the‑bone Roscoe’s style I’m forever chasing, but the plate still stopped me in my tracks: a large, plump quartered chicken breast, hand‑breaded, crisp, and glistening golden‑brown. I didn’t taste the waffles, but I have no doubt they hit all the right notes too.

My Breakfast: Blondie’s Eggs Benedict

Eggs Benedict is one of those dishes I’m cautious about unless I trust the kitchen, and Cheeky’s earns that trust.  They call it “Blondie’s” and I don’t know if that’s a reference to an outcast from the spaghetti westerns or a 70’s alternative pop icon – the fact it’s served on “Deb’s” housemade cheddar scone inclines me towards the latter. 

The dish itself was perfect, and of course came with its own delightful twists. The cheddar scone replaces the traditional English muffin — it’s a hybrid biscuity‑scone that’s buttery, tender, and soft enough to soak up the yolk and fresh hollandaise. My skepticism always hovers over hollandaise flavor and egg softness, but Cheeky’s nails both. Crispy bacon and a handful of arugula round it out with depth and balance.

The Bacon Flight

And no trip to Cheeky’s is complete without their famous Bacon Flight. It was a novelty to me when they first opened, and it still intrigues many years later. When you start a conversation about Cheeky’s it always pivots to the bacon flight. It’s a 5-strip lineup of Nodine’s Applewood, Jalapeño, Sriracha, Sour Cherry, and Herb. The jalapeno has a light touch of pepper that dances on the palate, while the sriracha comes across with a tomatoey sweetness. It would make for a great appetizer, but I enjoyed layering mine into intermittent bites between the benedict.

It’s playful without being precious, and it perfectly captures the restaurant’s fresh‑first, fun‑forward personality. It’s also one of the few items that has never left the menu, even as everything else changes.

Coffee, Espresso & Craft Breakfast Cocktails

They pour Varacco Coffee, a Los Angeles–based roaster. I’m a coffee purist, and their drip delivers the satisfying, fresh, flavored focus you’d expect. Cheeky’s also runs a full barista setup, turning out proper espresso drinks, well‑textured lattes, and a curated hot tea lineup including Mariage Frères Casablanca Tea. 

In a town where the temperature hits triple digits by mid-morning, it’s never too early for cocktails. It sparks the vacation vibe and in Palm Springs, any day is a good day for brunch. Cheeky’s leans into that Palm Springs escape vibe with craft breakfast cocktails — watermelon margaritas, cold brew white Russians, spicy Bloody Marys, and fresh‑pressed mimosas. 

Buddy’s Brunch: The Doggy Menu

Not only is the patio dog‑friendly, but Cheeky’s goes a step further with a full Doggy À La Carte menu designed specifically for four‑legged brunch guests. There’s a Puppy Scramble (plain scrambled egg), a single sausage patty, egg white bites, and a Barkfast Yogurt with optional add‑ins like berries or peanut butter. You can even upgrade with Barkin’ Bacon Bitz or egg shell sprinkles. There’s even a dish for “sensitive stomachs.”

Why Cheeky’s Still Matters

Palm Springs has grown up around Cheeky’s. The city now boasts a diverse selection of chef-driven, farm-fresh concepts. Cheeky’s was a pioneer as Palm Springs started to turn the curve into more creative fare in the 2000’s. Michelin added Palm Springs to its Guide in 2022 – Cheeky’s was one of the eight restaurants selected and it’s still Michelin‑recognized today. 

Cheeky’s remains one of the places that started it all. It helped usher in the farm‑leaning, contemporary brunch culture, anchored the transformation of Uptown into the Design District, and showed early on how powerful online buzz and community chatter could be for a local restaurant.

Today, the line out front is still long, the menu is still changing every week, and the bacon flight is still leaving the kitchen on repeat. Whether you’re there for a benedict on a scone, a five‑flavor bacon tasting, chicken & waffles you wish you’d ordered, or a puppy scramble for your dog, Cheeky’s feels like exactly what a Palm Springs hotspot should be: fresh, fun, Michelin‑recognized, and still one of the best breakfasts in Palm Springs.

Visit Cheeky’s
Website: cheekysf10.com
Address: 622 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs
Hours: Thursday – Monday 8 am to 2 pm