Waldo's Ristorante

Name: Waldo's Ristorante
Address: 74970 Country Club Dr, Palm Desert, CA, United States, 92260
Telephone: (760) 423-6061
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.3

4.3

376 Reviews

$31 to $50

Italian

Top Tags:

Welcome to our home!
Waldo’s was founded by restaurateur Waldo Cesoni with the intention of becoming “the destination point” for a true Italian culinary experience.

The restaurant pays homage to the essence of the great Italian American restaurants of mid-20th century in New York, where delicious, exceptionally well-prepared food was served in settings that were simultaneously elegant, comfortable, and unpretentious.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Mar 25, 2023

11:00 PM

Booked 41 times today

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Cuisines
Italian, American, Contemporary Italian
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(760) 423-6061
Website
https://www.waldosristorante.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual

Location
74970 Country Club Dr, Palm Desert, CA 92260
Neighborhood
Palm Desert
Parking details
Public Lot
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Popular dishes

Calamari$16.00
Off the charts. Marinara Sauce. So fresh. So good!
Fried Zucchini$15.00
Our exclusive fried artichoke hearts. Marinara Sauce
Artichoke Hearts From Heaven$15.00
Tutti-Gusti Antipasto Misto$24.00
Roasted Peppers & Sausages$18.00
Fantastico!
Carpaccio$26.00
Thinly-sliced filet with arugula, capers, shaved parmesan. An Italian Classic
Fried Polenta$12.00
Fontina, mushrooms, touch of garlic, marinara sauce
Garlic Bread or Bruschetta$10.00
Empanada Trio$16.00
One beef, one spinach and two cheese homemade empanadas. Served with Marinara sauce

Insalata, Zuppa & Contorni

add grilled free range chicken to any salad $8

Mr Cesare$15.00
Classic Caesar salad
Spinaci Bellisima$15.00
Spinach, Walnuts, red onion, shaved parmesan with sun-dried cherries
Beets "Vicenzo"$16.00
Beets, Mixed greens with fresh goat cheese
Prosciutto with Melon$18.00
Sliced of melon wrapped with Prosciutto
Waldo's Wedge$16.00
Iceberg Lettuce, Chopped Tomato, Crumbled Bleu Cheese with Bleu Cheese Dressing
Caprese Burrata$16.00
Fresh Burrata, Tomatoes & Basil
Soup of the Day$10.00
Sausage, Chicken or Meatballs$8.00

Pasta

Capellini "Vito"$20.00
Angel hair pasta, capers, basil, garlic, spicy-hot red peppers sauteed in extra virgin olive oil, wow!
Capellini alla Checca$20.00
Angel hair with delicate basil freshly-diced Romans and garlic sauteed in extra virgin olive oil
Puttanesca$22.00
Caper, anchovy, black olive, onion, hint of garlic mix in the most incredible sauce, a naughty little penne you will start to crave in the night. You'll be hooked!
Fettuccine Alfredo$22.00
Simple, incredible!
Fettuccine Zingara$24.00
Chicken, sausage, peppers in our famous ossobuco sauce. Everyone loves this! A real winner!
Fettuccine Bolognese$24.00
Fettuccine with a savory red meat sauce
Linguine Rustica$24.00
Fresh mushrooms, sausage, chicken, sauteed in a creamy and truly delicious champagne sauce
Spaghetti Carbonara "W"$24.00
Spaghetti pasta tossed with pancetta, pepper And black olives
Cannelloni$24.00
Ground veal, ricotta. Choice of sauce
Manicotti$24.00
Spinach, mushroom, ricotta. Choice of sauce
Lasagna$24.00
meat lasagna with ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan
Ravioli$24.00
Choice of veal, chicken, or cheese. Choice of sauce: marinara, alfredo, Bolognese, aurora pink sauce
Eggplant Parma$22.00
Oven Baked Eggplant topped with Marinara Sauce and Mozzarella Cheese
Gnocchi al Piacere$20.00
Our gnocchi served "your way" with any sauce you like: Pesto, marinara, Alfredo, you name it!
Orecchiette Lucera$24.00
Little ear-shaped pasta, sauteed with Italian sausage, a little garlic, rapini, and arugula. Give this a try!
Spaghetti and Meatballs$26.00

Di Mare

Lake Superior White Fish$28.00
Butter, dill weed, onion, and garlic pepper
Salmon$35.00
Waldo's shining star! A real and true treasure!
Clams$30.00
Manila Clams with Garlic, basil & Butter. Choice of red or white sauce
Halibut$32.00
Cooked to perfection. Choice of Picatta, Lemon butter or Checca Sauce!
Fish of the Day
Ask what is the catch of the day
- MKT

Vitello

Lombatina alla Boscaiola$45.00
The finest and freshest veal chop available, prepared with our special porcini and champion mushroom sauce. An amazing, once in a life time, feast of a meal!
Cotoletta Parma$45.00
The classic veal Parmigiana. Created using the finest veal available, served on the bone. The outstanding dish has become our signature. Take one bite, and fall in love!
Scallopini Piccata$35.00
Delicate has to be the word, created with tender care using fine white wine, capers, and lemon-butter
Scallopini Marsala$35.00
It is the high-spirited, beautiful marsala wine with the in credible marriage of freshly prepared porcini and champignon mushrooms that create this outstanding culi nary experience
Veal Saltimbocca$35.00
Topped with Fresh Sage, and Prosciutto ham. Served with Veggies

Pollo

All of our beautiful and delicious chicken dishes are prepared with fresh, hormone-free, California free-range chicken. That's our way!

Pollos$30.00
Piccata! Marsala! Cacciatore! Mama mia!
Pollo Parmigiana$30.00
Waldo's shining star! A real and true treasure!
Pollo Santa Fe$30.00
Delicately sauteed breast of fresh chicken, simmered with artichokes and lemon in the most incredible white wine sauce you will ever experience!
Country Club Pollo$30.00
This sauteed tender breast is served with eggplant, Prosciutto, fontina cheese, and bathed in our incredible cognac cream sauce! Oh boy!

La Cosa Nostra

Oso Bucco di la Nonna$46.00
On-Bone, veal shank, slowly braised with all the good stuff. Just order it!
Rack of Lamb$35.00
Pan seared to your liking, topped with our Burgundy wine reduction sauce with Mint Jelly on the side. Served with Veggies
Short Ribs alla Italiana$38.00
Slowly braised to perfection. Served with Veggies and Love!
Lobster Ravioli$35.00
Served with our Famous pink sauce!
La Cotoletta Milanese$45.00
Only the finest fresh veal, gently pounded, lightly breaded, and carefully sauteed to perfection. Served with Arugula and cherry tomatoes

What 376 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.3

4.3 based on recent ratings

4.3Food
4.5Service
4.3Ambience
4.1Value

Noise • Energetic

Sort by

Filters

LM
LuannM
Chicago
6 reviews
vip
3.0
6 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
overall3food4service2ambience2
Requested an indoor table not by the bar and we were seated outside. It was either freezing or very hot. Service was slow.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Calgary
1 review
vip
2.0
1 review
Dined 3 days ago
overall2food2service1ambience4
Food was OK, chicken in the Fettuccini Alfredo was bland. Had reservation for dinner, they did not have a table for us when we arrived, was seated in the lounge. As such, we assumed later, meant we didn’t get bread or cheese to start, and we’re not informed of any specials. Waiter was pretty hard to track down. Disappointed as we’ve had good dining experiences there in the past.
Waldo's RistoranteResponded 2 days agoDear Anonymous, a remarkably similar negative review was also left at our other restaurant under "Anonymous". Some people say a competitor is trying to discredit our name with negative reviews. I don't believe that. Can you please send me info about your reservation to make sure your review is legit? Thank you
MH
MaryH
Seattle
14 reviews
5.0
14 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience4
My husband gave his short ribs 5 stars, and I will give my shrimp 3.5 stars. They needed more garlic or lemon or something. Wonderful service and a high energy. The little cheese nibbles that come with the bread are a nice touch. Would love to come back sometime when it's not so busy and maybe get a taste from the rolling prosciutto cart.
DW
DanW
Palm Springs
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food, service and location. Very pleased with everything.
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
overall1food3service2ambience1
Couldn’t hear each other talk due to loud music inappropriate to Italian restaurant. Too many tables too close together. Very noisy. Had to ask for waiter to come to our table several times. Had to order a second glass of wine twice . Asked for extra garlic on shrimp scampi, didn’t happen. Other than the scampi the food was good. However, we will mot eat there again.
M
Mediocre
Palm Springs
92 reviews
vip
3.0
92 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
overall3food3service3ambience4
Went early for happy hour. Hadn’t been before. Nice ambiance with small (parking lot view) outdoor seating area that’s OK. Happy hour menu is very limited so check that before you go. Food was very nice and the service was amiable and not exceptional. Good value on that happy hour menu. Music was playing seriously loud. I’d probably give it another chance.
P
Poppo
Minneapolis
38 reviews
vip
3.0
38 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
overall3food3service2ambience4
Service was slow and server needed to be asked multiple times for various things. Two entrees were good, two were just fair.
D
Doctaroe
New York Area
10 reviews
vip
5.0
10 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Food here is great..always consistently fresh and hot and tasty. Will be back again and again!
CK
ChattyKathy
Orange County
58 reviews
vip
5.0
58 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience4
Our server, Sergio, was fantastic. He regularly checked in without being obtrusive. 3 of us ordered the Eggplant Parmesean and rated it a 10. Our other dining companion ordered the Lasagna and also rated it a 10. We had tiramisu for desert and it too was amazing. We will be back again as we are local. Our out of town friends come a few times a year and said they'd put in on their list to dine when they return again
RL
RichardL
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Had a great waiter Isreal, would recommend him for a great experience at Waldos.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Tahoe
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
overall5food4service5ambience5
Israel our waiter was delightful, funny! Girls night out!
B
Bruce47
Palm Springs
16 reviews
5.0
16 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Enjoyed our evening at Waldos, the first time there. Food, service, and overall experience were terrific. We will go again, and suggest friends do the same. We each had a different experience, i.e. different meals, and each were quite good.
DS
DavidS
New York Area
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
overall3food3service4ambience4
food quite mediocre; good service; pleasant surroundings outside - quite noisy inside
BT
BethT
San Francisco
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Such incredible service! Food is delicious. Slur is great for the food
B
Barb
Los Angeles
139 reviews
vip
5.0
139 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
overall5food5service5ambience5
Would have loved the complementary prosechutto and didn’t get for second time.
Waldo's RistoranteResponded 6 days agoBarb, I’m so sorry you didn’t get the prosciutto, sometimes is hard to hit all the tables but please next time just ask and we’ll be happy to share some with you.
JR
JoyceR
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined 7 days ago
overall2food1service4ambience4
Very disappointed in the food. Out of 6 dinners, 1 was returned twiced then refused, 1 was good and the other 4 were not hot. Food was cold/warm. I would not return or recommend this restaurant to any of my family or friends. I recentely ate at your other restaurant (Back Street Bistro) and also was disappointed in the food. The food was 100% better when the previous owners had owned it.
Waldo's RistoranteResponded 6 days agoWe appreciate your feedback but we don’t understand why you also have to leave a negative comment about our other restaurant. You really made your point of how much you don’t like both of our restaurants.
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
19 reviews
vip
5.0
19 reviews
Dined on March 18, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great service and great food!!!! We will be back!!!!
RP
RobertP
Orange County
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on March 18, 2023
overall3food2service5ambience5
The. best thing about Waldos was the staff and the ambiance. The food okay, but nothing to rave about.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Portland
2 reviews
vip
2.0
2 reviews
Dined on March 18, 2023
overall2food2service4ambience4
Food was just ok. Kind of bland for authentic Italian food,
JF
JamesF
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 18, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Our party of 6 had an outdoor table, which was great. The service was outstanding as was the food. We were at a conference across the street at the Marriott, but I’m glad we decided to eat at Waldo’s rather than at the Marriott. Highly recommended.
T
Timg351961
Houston
11 reviews
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on March 18, 2023
overall5food5service4ambience5
Abundant menu options, tasty 4 cheese ravioli appetizer, memorable caesar salad w anchovies, mouthwatering chicken marsala entree, and great service from Barbara!
AJ
AllenJ
Palm Springs
11 reviews
vip
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on March 18, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Erica was great Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
GL
GolfLakeLifers
Palm Springs
6 reviews
3.0
6 reviews
Dined on March 17, 2023
overall3food3service3ambience3
Felt rushed out so they could clear the table. Brought our appetizer and with minutes our entree. Had to take it back to kitchen twice just so we’d have time to finish appetizer. Food was cold when it was finally time to be served our entree.
SI
SuzIW
San Francisco
2 reviews
2.0
2 reviews
Dined on March 17, 2023
overall2food2service5ambience2
Service and reception delightful . Food was average. Nice decor but was too noisy for us. We enjoy quieter meals, otherwise not relaxing. Piped in music loud, plus tables close together definitely not our place, perhaps for others.
MF
MaryF
Palm Springs
20 reviews
5.0
20 reviews
Dined on March 17, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Our first time eating at Waldo’s and we enjoyed it a lot! We will go back!
LM
LindaM
Palm Springs
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on March 16, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Ernesto was our server and he was awesome. And food was great as usual too. (wish the tables weren't so tight and close together). Great place!!
B
Barb
Des Moines
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on March 15, 2023
overall4food5service3ambience4
Excellent food, my Lasagna was superb! Our server was competent but Not friendly!
S
Scrimshaw
New York Area
73 reviews
vip
5.0
73 reviews
Dined on March 15, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience5
The service was the best we’ve found in many years- so attentive and yet not obsequious. The place is very noisy and we could do with much lower music level but we were still able to carry on a conversation. Food we had was quite good and large portions- too large for us but we had take home. If you get a table outside it’s quiet and pretty. This is definitely a hot spot so reservations are necessary
CF
ClaudiaF
Palm Springs
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on March 15, 2023
overall5food4service5ambience5
Birthday for our daughter
OG
OpenGuy2000
Palm Springs
3 reviews
1.0
3 reviews
Dined on March 15, 2023
overall1food1service4ambience2
The simple question on a business is "Will I return?", and the unanimous answer from all 6 diners was "Probably not".
K
Katie
Portland
66 reviews
vip
5.0
66 reviews
Dined on March 14, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Wonderful service and outstanding food. We have been to Waldo’s several time and have always had wonderful experiences. We will be back soon!
OT
OpenTable Diner
Atlanta Metro
18 reviews
vip
5.0
18 reviews
Dined on March 14, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Very nice Italian restaurant. We started out with the spinach salad and also enjoyed the bread and cheese that they brought. My husband's chicken marsala was deliciious and I enjoyed my pasta. Our server was very nice and food arrived promptly.
CN
CherylN
Palm Springs
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on March 13, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience4
We were a party of 6. Service was excellent considering how busy they were. All entrees were delicious and the cannolis were excellent! Definitely going to return when it’s not quite so busy in the desert.
JE
JohnE
San Francisco
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on March 12, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Waldo’s was amazing. The Bread and hand carved prosciutto was unbelievable to start. They carve it table side. The food was some of the best Italian food I have ever eaten. The pasta tasted very fresh and homemade. The lasagna, osso bucco and the chicken Picatta were all amazing. The Calamari was also outstanding. Large wine list and well priced. Staff was friendly and service was very good. Also the desserts were very good as well. We will definitely be back
LG
LoveGoodFood
San Francisco
40 reviews
vip
5.0
40 reviews
Dined on March 12, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Lovely Italian restaurant with delicious food and excellent service. The place was super packed for dinner but the service nonetheless was prompt and friendly. Our waitress was bubbly and energetic. We had the beet salad and the angel hair pasta with olive oil, tomatoes, basil, and shrimp. I loved the simplicity of the pasta dish, which had only few fresh and delicious ingredients. The portion was generous, filled me up but didn’t leave me feeling heavy. The wine by the glass selection could be better but I managed to find something I liked. The warm bread with cheese cubes and butter were good to hold us up until our appetizers arrived. The people sitting at the table next to ours were raving about their lamb. Overall, a very positive experience.
j
jerryv
Philadelphia
4 reviews
vip
4.0
4 reviews
Dined on March 12, 2023
overall4food4service5ambience4
Had a very enjoyable evening. Service was excellent. Food very enjoyable. Upbeat environment. Everyone nice and friendly.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Orange County
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on March 11, 2023
overall5food5service4ambience5
Packed with customers, good for them. Food good. WaItress was nice but standoffish a bit. Recommend it to everyone
DH
DennisH
Kansas City
1 review
vip
5.0
1 review
Dined on March 10, 2023
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food and service. Excellent. 2 enthusiastic thumbs up
TK
TeriK
Los Angeles
39 reviews
vip
3.0
39 reviews
Dined on March 10, 2023
overall3food2service3ambience4
I asked for my salad dressing on the side it came dressed I also asked for no sauce on my fish and it came with sauce. They redid my fish but it came when my friends were almost done eating. The manager did comp my fish butI am not concerned with getting free food I always appreciate when the server places my order correct. I would try it again
m
mlldl
Orlando
8 reviews
vip
3.0
8 reviews
Dined on March 10, 2023
overall3food3service2ambience2
Too crowded and too many small little tables all together

Safety precautions

Cleaning & sanitizing
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Common areas deep-cleaned daily

FAQs

Waldo's Ristorante is rated 4.3 stars by 376 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Mar 25, 2023

11:00 PM

Booked 41 times today

74970 Country Club Dr, Palm Desert, CA 92260

Dining areas

Additional information

Neighborhood
Palm Desert
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
Cuisines
Italian, American, Contemporary Italian
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Public Lot
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
https://www.waldosristorante.com/
Phone number
(760) 423-6061

Waldo's Ristorante

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information

Eggplant Parma

Prosciutto with Melon

Lasagna

Antipasti

Calamari$16.00

Fried Zucchini$15.00

Artichoke Hearts From Heaven$15.00

Tutti-Gusti Antipasto Misto$24.00

Roasted Peppers & Sausages$18.00

Carpaccio$26.00

Fried Polenta$12.00

Garlic Bread or Bruschetta$10.00

Empanada Trio$16.00

Insalata, Zuppa & Contorni

Mr Cesare$15.00

Spinaci Bellisima$15.00

Beets "Vicenzo"$16.00

Prosciutto with Melon$18.00

Waldo's Wedge$16.00

Caprese Burrata$16.00

Soup of the Day$10.00

Sausage, Chicken or Meatballs$8.00

Pasta

Capellini "Vito"$20.00

Capellini alla Checca$20.00

Puttanesca$22.00

Fettuccine Alfredo$22.00

Fettuccine Zingara$24.00

Fettuccine Bolognese$24.00

Linguine Rustica$24.00

Spaghetti Carbonara "W"$24.00

Cannelloni$24.00

Manicotti$24.00

Lasagna$24.00

Ravioli$24.00

Eggplant Parma$22.00

Gnocchi al Piacere$20.00

Orecchiette Lucera$24.00

Spaghetti and Meatballs$26.00

Di Mare

Lake Superior White Fish$28.00

Salmon$35.00

Clams$30.00

Halibut$32.00

Fish of the Day

Vitello

Lombatina alla Boscaiola$45.00

Cotoletta Parma$45.00

Scallopini Piccata$35.00

Scallopini Marsala$35.00

Veal Saltimbocca$35.00

Pollo

Pollos$30.00

Pollo Parmigiana$30.00

Pollo Santa Fe$30.00

Country Club Pollo$30.00

La Cosa Nostra

Oso Bucco di la Nonna$46.00

Rack of Lamb$35.00

Short Ribs alla Italiana$38.00

Lobster Ravioli$35.00

La Cotoletta Milanese$45.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Sort by

Filters

Cleaning & sanitizing

FAQs

How is Waldo's Ristorante restaurant rated?

Is Waldo's Ristorante currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information