Wilma & Frieda’s Cafe

Love the eggs Benedict here. It’s really one of the best breakfast places out here in the desert. Very trendy atmosphere, always crowded. Terrific place to bring guests from out of town!

Great presentation, friendly service, good food. Don’t let the location inside a mall deter you! They have outdoor seating.

Today was our last day of our vacation and we decided to venture out for a delicious breakfast or brunch spot. I found this location on Unilocal with its 4 ½ star reviews which drew me in more. In addition, I looked at the pictures and saw how delectable everything looked and we decided to try it.
Upon arrival I loved the ambiance and we were sat very quickly. We were then greeted with our server Nick. He was incredible, friendly and informative. He didn’t make us feel rushed, told us the special and guided us through the menu after asking if we had been there before. He then told us the fan favorites and helped us narrow down our decision because everything looked so good!
It may had been our first time, but when we come back we will for sure come back again for the those amazing mimosas and Mark’s Short Rib Eggs Benedict!
Thanks Nick for an amazing experience!!!

This is it for breakfast. Do not pass go, do not collect $ 200, head straight here for breakfast. As my sister-​in-​law put it, «it’s looks like Gramma’s kitchen after she got her groove back.»
We started with coffee and our group split a homemade mixed berry breakfast tart. Think of what you imagine when you are jonesin’ for a Pop Tart, the one your imagination creates that is crumbly deliciousness oozing with hot preserves and is bedecked with the creamiest of frosting and glaze… well, they did it. It actually looked like something out of the food scene in Hook. Amazing.
The table ordered an assortment of French toast and Egg’s Benedict. The special was a crab cake version — it was all bangarang.
The wait staff was very proficient and got a to-​go order in for us that was still nice and hot when it got to the lucky buddy who had the breakfast mecca brought to them. It would be ludicrous to not go here again. If we are ever in town, this is a place to wake up early for, highly recommended.

We always check Unilocal before we go ANYWHERE and boy were we excited when we checked this place! This place is awesome! Our server was amazing! The food is such amazing quality and fresh! The ONLY thing that wasn’t too appetizing is their chicken sausage. It was too rubbery. But even still, we can’t wait to come back and try some more food next time we’re in the area!

Love this place! Packed for a Tuesday morning in July, well staffed and super friendly!!! I am a new fan of Wilma and Frieda’s.

The best Eggs Benedict in the Coachella Valley period.
Made on a homemade English muffin. The Hollandaise sauce is made from scratch not from a powder kit. Unlike other restaurants use to go on the cheap yucky route. Thick cut ham and perfectly pouched eggs. Everything is perfect so was the hash browns also.
Coffee served by Koffi of Palm Springs. You can order coffee drinks and other sweet things to go to.
Awesome customer service by the way.
The perfect brunch spot on El Paseo in Palm Desert.
Get you’re egg game on.

Wilma & Frieda’s Café is a lovely café located upstairs in an upscale shopping mall in the El Paseo area of Palm Springs. We were looking for brunch on our way out of town on Memorial Day and thanks to the stellar reviews on Unilocal we found just what we were looking for.
When we first arrived they told us that the wait would be 45 minutes so we put our name in. We wandered over to Tommy Bahama and there was no wait but they weren’t serving breakfast so we headed back to Wilma & Frieda’s. After 15 minutes they were able to seat us due to a no show.
We were seated inside next to the window, which was nice since it’s HOT in the daytime in Palm Springs at this time of year. The server came over as soon as we were seated and took our drink orders and explained the specials to us.
I had the Spare Rib Eggs Benedict which is served with a nice side of house potatoes and I added on a side salad. Everything was delicious.
My better half had the Turkey Sandwich with a side salad and it was so fresh and tasty.
We bought a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie to eat on the drive home and it really hit the spot.
We didn’t find out until we were seated but there is also a refrigerated case with an extensive selection of sandwiches and desserts that you can purchase and take to go.
My only complaint about this place is that they need to find a way to get people located and seated faster. Once people put their name in they leave the restaurant to wander around the mall and then the restaurant staff physically call their phones to tell them it’s their turn. This leads to the crazy wait times and tables sitting empty.

Very cute trendy restaurant best for brunch. It is on the second floor of the mall, but you completely forget you are surrounded by mall shops. The standouts are the setting and food. The service needs some work, but I chose to overlook this because of how great everything else was.
The setting is unique down to the last detail. Inside are metal dining chairs for most tables and fun décor. My cappuccino was served with a doily between the mug and plate, adding an extra touch. The cold brew coffee was served in a handled mason jar.
The food menu items are traditional items with a creative twist and beautiful presentation. I ordered the blackberry custard French toast and my husband ordered the California Benny. The French toast is baked and topped with homemade berry sauce and fresh blackberries. It is very filling. The California Benny was rich and flavorful, the homemade English muffin delicious.
My only negative was the service we received from our waitress. In the first 5 minutes we had to look at our menu we were asked 3 times if we were ready to order (even though we were both staring intensely at our menus). We asked for water along with out coffee and never received it. When asked what type of milk I wanted in my cappuccino, options were listed and I chose almond milk. Later when we got the check there was a charge of $ 0.75 added to the bill for the almond milk. Not a huge deal, but since I don’t care what kind of milk was used, had I known almond milk was extra I would have chose something else. When it was time to cash out we had a busboy take our check because our waitress was nowhere to be seen and didn’t receive it back until at least 10 minutes later.
Oh, and did I mention this was 10:00 on a Tuesday? I would not want to see what the service is like on a weekend when it is actually busy.

My friend and I were visiting from out of town and we could have had breakfast at our hotel but the Unilocal reviews beckoned us to come try the food.
Initially we were quoted a 45 minute wait for Sunday brunch at 9:45. Normally I’d walk away but since I was in vacation mode we decided to wait. Thankfully the wait was more like 25 minutes and we got seated inside (nice and cool).
I got the blueberry custard French toast and totally blew my gluten-​free diet for the moment.
Though they are thick and generous slices they melt in your mouth to a light and airy feel. These were seriously the best I’ve ever tasted!
My friend got the Original Benedict and the pork was savory and flavorful, the egg was cooked at the perfect balance between cooked and flavor fully runny.
We would highly recommend this place and we will be returning! The only thing that would make this place better would be for them to add gluten free options for their most popular dishes for those who can’t afford to break their necessary dietary restrictions.

The restaurant is hip & modern with a very attractive & well written menu. Place was clean, very nice.
The food had excellent presentation. The taste was to be desired. I had the California Benny. It felt like it needed something. The Hollandaise sauce was very bland. Would had tasted better with meat. The eggs were cooked perfect for an Eggs Benedict. It was unfortunately just meh.
Service was also meh. Nothing to write about. A lot of waiting around…
Place is pet friendly which was one of the main reasons I picked it. Unfortunately I requested a water bowl that was never delivered & it being 85 to 105 degrees outside on a regular basis, I had to give water to my dog from my own water glass.
If am back in town, this would not be my choice to come back to.

LOVE this place! I am a breakfast and brunch type of girl and this place makes me happy!
I have been here before with fam but this time I came with my BF.
Setting! We sat outside in really comfortable lawn chairs. The weather was perfect; our server was splendid and attentive; and the food was great! There was no wait time when we got here. They seated us right away. I think weekend are extremely busy so be prepared to come early or wait.
Food!I ordered the Cali Benny’s with fruit and my BF ordered the Bennies Benny with a side potatoes and a side of multi grain pancakes. The eggs were perfect and fresh, oh and the fruit was also fresh which is rare to find at restaurants!
Ambiance! The ambiance is relaxing and neat. Their décor is modern/​country-​really cute. Their bathrooms are really clean and I believe they have a case of pastries and other foods to go!
Def going to try this place for lunch and dessert!

Love the décor and love the vibe of this place! It’s like a road side café in the middle of Palm Desert even though it’s in a nice mall.
+Décor/​Ambiance: There’s a lot of eclectic pieces of art everywhere and really reminds you of a café you’d see in the movies off Route 66. There’s some large neon signs that add a fun glow to everything.
+Food: Some hits and misses but mostly hits!
–Marion Blackberry Vanilla Custard French Toast — Not a fan of this and neither were any of my friends. It was a little too dense and a little too tart for us. I like my French toast to have more texture and with the words «custard» I expected it to be moist and decadent. Also it didn’t seem very sweet because the blackberries were very tart.
+Belgium Waffle — Your standard waffle, can’t go wrong with that.
+Mark’s Short Rib Eggs Benedict — Very rich but if you’re in the mood for short rib, this was good and tasty.
+Filet & Eggs — 6oz. Filet — Good however the steaks were a tad overcooked and if you’re a big eater, this might be a tad small for you.
+Spinach, tomato, avocado, mushroom omelet with Queso fresco: Good omelet!
Sides with your Food:
+++Homemade English Muffin — Definitely pleasantly surprised by this. The texture and taste is definitely different from your typical frozen/​premade English Muffin. And they serve it with their own homemade jam.
–House Potatoes: Not enough flavor, not crispy enough.
+Price: Standard brunch prices but you get a lot of food, thus bang for your buck.
+Service: Really attentive servers.
Tips:
*Not for large parties. Our party of six had to sit in two neighboring tables. It’s better to come in parties of 4 or less.
*It’s on the second floor of the mall
*There can be a wait since this place gets really packed. People who came after us had to wait awhile before they were seated

Slightly disappointed by this café! I was in the desert for the weekend, and after looking through Unilocal,Wilma & Frieda’s looked like the best breakfast joint! When we went on Saturday morning around 11:30, the wait was an hour long, so we decided to pass and come the next day. 10:00 on a Sunday morning, 45 minutes, still decided to pass. On Monday morning, we got there around 10:20 and the wait was 20 minutes. We decided to stay since we’ve been looking forward to this place all weekend!
I got the Miney, which is two eggs any style (I got mine over easy), potatoes, a choice of toast, english muffin, or biscuit (I got multigrain toast), bacon, and sausage, either a pork patty or a chicken link (I got the pork patty). My boyfriend got the Blackberry Vanilla Custard French Toast.
It was just all so underwhelming. The Miney was just alright, nothing stood out to me, it was just all very standard. The best part had to be the toast and the jam/​fruit compote/​preserve/​whatever it is that came with it! That spread was delicious!
The Blackberry Vanilla French Toast was good, but it wasn’t spectacular like how reviews have said. It does look delicious, but after a couple bites, it just isn’t that great.
The café itself is very nice and has both inside and outside seating! The service is alright, nothing super. The prices are a little higher than the other places around. After the three breakfast places I tried over the weekend, this one would be my least favorite!

Sooooo good. We were here a few months ago while taking care of some business in the area, as it seemed to be the best-​rated place in Palm Desert. We were back last weekend finishing taking care of that business, and after looking around at all the other choices, decided to just come back here. When we got here (around noon on a Sunday), there was about a 45 minute wait (unfortunate: wish we’d made reservations, as it does appear they take them), but we waited, and I have to say: probably even still worth it.
First time I was here, I got an omelette, which is pretty much your average omelette, but huge and made with super quality ingredients; second time I tried their meatloaf and eggs, which was also fantastic (not a typical breakfast option, but turns out, a great idea). But really, the star of the show is actually the sides: all their breakfasts come with a choice of other things or home fries (not even a choice: their potatos are amazing), and other bread products or biscuits (also not a choice: holy *crap* their biscuits are amazing. Fun fact: my wife was on a super-​low-​carb diet at the time. She took one bite of the biscuit and said it was only the second time in as many weeks she was super depressed to be on that diet that she could only eat one bite. I didn’t blame her — their biscuits are pretty much unparalleled in the biscuit quality department.)
Service was… pretty much unremarkable — I had no complaints about any of it.

Food 4.5
Atmosphere 5
Service 4
Great breakfast/​brunch or lunch location!
I came on a Sunday with some colleagues from work for a late lunch. The timing was right as they tend to be pretty busy at brunch time. The brunch options looked amazing but as I had already had eggs for breakfast, I went with the steak salad for lunch which did not disappoint. The portions are generous and everyone was happy with their lunches.
The location is also great, easy to park, and near a bunch of shops if you want to walk around before/​after.

Good breakfast option.
Came here for brunch on a Sunday after a run. Opted for the bananas foster French toast and a cup of coffee. The French toast was good but found it saltier than sweet. Definitely was unexpected and wanted something sweeter that morning.
The place itself is comforting but very crowded.
It is located on the second floor of the mall and isn’t hard to find. Directions are posted in the first floor and you can see it as soon as you get to the top of the escalator.
Parking is plentiful.
If you use the bathroom, you will see a number of articles about how the place started. It’s posted along the hallway. Always great to read about a restaurant that began as a dream, and look at it now!
That day the restroom light went off until someone in line figured there was a timer outside.
Service is fast, courteous and friendly.

Not bad. A little too pretentious for my tastes but we had a very nice server. The food was good but not outstanding. Thick cut French toast was tasty but one piece was burnt on the bottom and the flavor tainted the rest of the dish. Fresh sweet berries made all the difference.
My husband ordered a make your own omelette and based on the quantity of the ingredients he selected was asked if he wanted an extra egg. Wisely he chose to keep it at two and the result was a deliciously overfilled dish with a lot of flavor.
Our hotel had no breakfast option and this was an acceptable choice to start the day.
Recommend you call ahead for a table by the window.

We came for brunch as we celebrated a little getaway in the desert. We were seated within 5 minutes. We were surprised how busy it was for a Thursday afternoon! The location is right next to Saks. Park on the 2^nd level of the parking structure and it’s easier to access the restaurant. You can request for outdoor patio seating as well but it was a little too cool to sit outside. There are heaters if you would like them turned on.
We started off with coffee and mimosa. Both delicious. The coffee is from a local vendor called Koffi. Strong and delicious. Evidently, there’s a cold brew that is to die for and we were offered a sample. WOW, clean and doesn’t have an aftertaste!
We ordered a cup of tomato bisque to start. Missing the basil, but it was still good, thick and chunky. I ordered the short rib eggs bene with a side of fruit. The eggs bene came with their homemade English muffin. I found the short rib a bit on the dry side, but my husband liked it. The English muffin is doughy, so I opted to just eat the short rib. With the egg yolk, however, it was delicious. The fruit was fresh and sweet.
My husband ordered the omelet with their homemade biscuit. WOW, the homemade biscuit was so good! Crunchy and had a nice flavor.
We ordered dessert to go — chocolate cookie and Key Lime Bar. Still need to taste them.
Service from Nick was impeccable. I even made an effort to tell him since he was on the ball — hopping from table to table. He was so friendly and made the time to explain the menu items and his recommendations.
We enjoyed our brunch and highly recommend this restaurant if you’re in the area!

Love the Location!
3.5 Stars
The restaurant is upstairs in a very nice shopping plaza. We came in just for the coffee and the pastries… specifically the home made pop tarts.
It is not often my take on a place is so off the norm on Unilocal.So, keep in mind this review is for the coffee bar and dessert.
~Vanilla Latte
Everyone liked theirs saying it was smooth.
~Pop Tarts-3.5 Stars
We tried Strawberry and Cinnamon. While the pastry she’ll was good and doughy. the filling on both wad mediocre. Both flavors were dull and there needed to be more filling. Overall, the pastry was on the dry side. I would not order this again. It would probably be good with a scoop of ice cream.
~Coffee-​1 Star
I also ordered a cup of regular coffee to go. I first sipped it in the car and it was awful. It tasted sour and burned. It was a waste of money. I am sure the management would have swapped this out but I was already gone. I’m still not sure why it was served.
I did spend over $ 40 here for coffee and pastry. I would love to try breakfast here.