The Hideout Brings Social, Casual Dining to The Gardens on El Paseo
Social Dining and Wood‑Fired Comfort at The Gardens on El Paseo
The Hideout is one of the newer additions to the Coachella Valley’s contemporary dining scene. Since opening in early 2024, it has picked up a modest buzz for its energetic social atmosphere and a menu built around Italian‑ and American‑leaning comfort food, with a particular emphasis on shareables and wood‑fired pizzas. Their win for Best Shareables in Palm Desert in the Desert Sun’s Best of the Desert poll made it an easy candidate for a social Friday afternoon luncheon. I’d also heard from one of their Gardens neighbors that the team had kept the original wood‑fired ovens from the previous tenant — a detail that immediately put the restaurant on the Palm Springs Bites radar.
Note that The Hideout has common ownership with Grill-A-Burger (Palm Desert) and Lola’s At The Cove (La Quinta)
A Longtime Upstairs Space With Local History
I have my own history with this upstairs space. For nearly 15 years, it housed Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza — one of the first restaurants to open when The Gardens on El Paseo debuted in the late 1990s. When I moved here in 1998, Sammy’s was the very first Palm Desert restaurant I visited (in my foggy memory it may have been the first restaurant to open in The Gardens). So returning to the same building, now under a new concept, felt like a small full‑circle moment — and reason enough to revisit the pizza, at the very least.
The Hideout sits on the upstairs level of The Gardens, right next door to Tommy Bahama’s. It’s actually a smart placement: The Gardens has a small cluster of solid restaurants, and a visit here can easily be paired with stops at Perfect Pint for ice cream or Sottovoce for coffee. The surrounding walk along El Paseo adds even more context, with its mix of boutique stores, art galleries, and additional food and beverage spots that naturally fold into the experience.
Modern‑Meets‑Old‑World Atmosphere With a Social Casual Vibe
The Hideout has a familiar feel for anyone who remembers Sammy’s, with the same recognizable footprint, flow, and general layout. Inside, the space presents as a social, vibrant, casual environment with a modern and old‑world blend — warm wood beams, woven pendant lighting, and terracotta‑style flooring that gives the room a grounded, textured character. The bar is a central feature, the room carries a steady midday energy, and the overall atmosphere reads relaxed, approachable, and well‑suited to a Friday lunch.
A Broad, Eclectic Menu With Housemade Touches
The menu is broad, eclectic, and fresh. Sauces and dressings, along with signature items like the meatballs and sausage, are made in‑house. There’s a clear emphasis on shareable appetizers and pizzas, moving more broadly into salads, sandwiches, and grilled entrées. Many dishes are familiar, but there are a few original touches such as the Tuna Tataki Salad, Artichoke Fries, and a Mediterranean Lamb Burger. Yelp reviews consistently highlight the housemade Bread Pudding, and the brunch menu adds its own set of standout items, including the Glazed Donut Burger and the Eggs & Meatballs in Purgatory. I was certainly heading in with high hopes.
Standout Shareables and a Solid Wood‑Fired Pizza Program
During our visit, we especially enjoyed the Artichoke Fries. They’re freshly breaded to order and resemble a chicken drumstick in size and shape. They’re large artichoke hearts, impressive in presentation, and a form I hadn’t tried before. The Buffalo Wings are top‑notch, and the Brussels Sprouts have a unique combination of bacon, blue cheese crumbles, balsamic glaze, and housemade pesto. If anything, the pesto’s color slightly dulled the contrast of the dish, but the flavor was strong and the combination felt original.
More than anything, I was here for the pizza, and it didn’t disappoint. There were several options, including a few featuring their housemade sausage or meatballs, and more contemporary choices like the Humboldt Fog and Pear. We ultimately went with the Mushroom Pizza — sautéed wild mushrooms and black truffle cream. The truffle element was a little subdued, but it was a very good pizza overall. The mushrooms, mozzarella, and housemade sauce worked well together, and the crust was thin, crispy, and had that yeasty profile that adds an extra touch of fresh satisfaction.
A Social, Casual Spot Worth Visiting
I could have easily ventured further into the many options and formats across the menu, or checked in on brunch or that tantalizing Bread Pudding. But as a party of two, we left more than satisfied with the dishes we tried. There’s an element of craft and intention throughout — dishes arrive fresh and uniquely composed, and it all contributes to an immersive social experience. It’s easy to see why The Hideout ranks highly for shareable plates. The setting is ideally suited for a social, casual outing, and I’d certainly give it a recommendation for that kind of enjoyment.
