Wally's Desert Turtle

Always a wonderful experience. Such an elegant environment, delicious food and top-notch service.

Excellent overall

Everything was Outstanding

We are always pleased with our Dining experience at Wally’s. Such amazing attention to detail from beginning to end. One of our absolutely favorite places.

We love this place. So elegant. A little pricey but worth it.

Always visit when we are in the desert for great food

It must have been an off night because previous experience has been much beter

Always great food in refined atmosphere with outstanding service.

I had 10 guests for dinner and the service was perfect. A very experienced staff and wonderful food. Dover sole, veal chop, and duck were among my favorites. A wonderful place to celebrate a special occasion.

We always enjoy a trip to this fine dining experience. This was no exception. The tuna tartare appetizer is equal to anything that you can find in Hawaii. Both of us had the whitefish as an entrée. This fish is unique in desert dining and the preparation makes it outstanding. Naturally we concluded the meal with soufflé. One was chocolate and wine was Grand Marnier. It is always fun to try a new wine from their outstanding selection.

The restaurant is super buffet. Starting off with the ambience which one would associate with a high-quality restaurant from the 1950s. Linen table cloths; mature professional waiters, a great wine list, etc.
The food was excellent. The service, perfect. There was a gentleman playing the saxophone which made it just a perfect evening.

Overrated. Average food at an above average price. Tasteless soufflé. Great service.

Incredible surprise. The restaurant was a great experience. Great service, ambiance and food. Its not what you might expect in a name but from valet through the dinner the whole of the experience was great and surpassed. They like that you are there and check frequently that everything is up to your expectation. I really like that. The souflee's are awesome with so many flavors. Great wine list and staff to compliment the whole evening. We will go back.

We took an old friend for his birthday celebration. We didn’t know that he’d never been to Wally’s. He loved it!

This establishment has been consistently excellent in the level of quality, service and ambience. We have never been disappointed with our visits to Wally's. The exceptional dining experience is always worth the price for special occasions.

From the decor to the cuisine and service, Wallys exceeded my (very high) expectations.
Best restaurant in the desert.

An outstanding dining experience. The atmosphere, with a saxophonist and beautiful decor, makes dining at Wally’s Desert Turtle an elegant evening. Food is excellent and the service is first rate. The sea bass I had was wonderful and the soufflé was great as well. We will be back.

Has been our favorite restaurant for many years. Always the best service and the best food!

Wally's provided a wonderful special occasion dinner for us. The food was delicious and beautifully served. The sweet hibiscus nibs on my salmon entree were a wonderful enhancement to an already perfectly cooked meal. Service was friendly and efficient. The decor is lovely!

Wally’s is always”just right.” In a region where fine dining is easy to find, Wally’s is one of the finest and most elegant restaurants that will always please the most discriminating patrons who recognize and appreciate TRULY “fine” dining — the entire experience.

Always a special evening when in the Desert! I try to make a point of ending my vacation with dinner at Wally's. The food, the service and the music--a real treat.

Wallys is a really great old school style restaurant. The food is terrific and the service is always spot on.

Our food was very salty with finishing salt put on everything.

Very disappointing

Wally’s is the “Gold Standard” of dining. Every aspect of our evening was done perfectly starting with the greeting and question “Would you like to be seated at the same booth you had on your last visit?” — that was over a year ago! Excellent service, outstanding food and relaxing ambiance have been Wally’s standard for decades and continues.

Fabulous food and service, as always at wonderful Wally’s. Great live music too!

Amazing 90th Birthday for my dad.

It's the only place that is always exceptional (food and service), always makes you feel welcome. Just a special place to have dinner with friends and family.

Great atmosphere, perfect all around. Loved the ultra talented alto saxophonist. Meals were perfection. This is a place to start a tradition.

There are a lot of positives about Wally’s. All of the dishes were well- prepared, meat temperatures spot on, sauces and accompaniments well seasoned. The menu just isn’t that interesting, but I suspect this is a chef trying to tread a fine line between a very old school clientele and showing off what he can do by bringing in a few modern touches. The wine list held some very good values along with many of the more obvious choices. The biggest let down was the service. There was an odd sort of rush/lag cadence, it seemed as though nothing was there when you expected it and then other things came too soon. Honestly it seemed that as the dining room filled up it was just more than their tag-team approach could keep track of. The dining room decor is certainly far from up to date but still manages a certain charm as the numerous mirrored surfaces spread a flattering light and sparkle. The question is can you find a compelling reason to pick Wally’s over its many equal or better performing competitors.

Outstanding food and atmosphere. My favorite restaurant in California!

We had the Tasting Menu for a birthday celebration. Two of us had the salmon, the rest of the group had the filet; everything was delicious and cooked to perfection. The service was excellent. Desserts were beautifully presented with a special 'autographed' plate for our birthday girl. We definitely love Wally's!

Food and service was amazing as always.

Had a girls luncheon on their Fashion Show Friday, which is generally fun. Service was very slow, perhaps too many tables to serve but was very disappointed. Didn’t see too many of the models, perhaps once again, too many tables.

Enjoyable evening before show at McCallum Theater. We had 3-course meal in lounge with excellent cocktails and service from Brian in the lounge area. Will definitely be back soon!

We visit Wallys whenever we are in Palm Desert. It’s perfect for a romantic evening and everything about the place is elegant.

This was everything I had hoped it would be based on their reputation. Loved it start to finish!

After just dining at Wally's 3 days ago, we went back for the Taste of Wally's and were again very pleased with the food and service.

We have been going to Wally’s for 20 years to celebrate my birthday and other special days. It is our favorite restaurant! I love the Dover sole and the Grand Marnier! Delicious!!

Exceptional food and service. Always great to see the owner very active with all the customers at Wally's. It simply adds the personal touch most restaurants do not always do. The entrees were exceptional and a great food experience with an attentive service team. Best Dover Sole, ever.

Love it - great service and delicious food!