John's Place

Jan 2026 We came here after getting an attitude from the staff at the restaurant at the 29 Palms inn. What a refreshing change. Friendly staff, quick service and excellent basic food. Dining area was clean, neat and quiet. Thank you for the nice dinner.

I tried the Philly cheesesteak at John’s Place, and it was okay. It wasn’t the worst sandwich I’ve had, but it definitely wasn’t the best either. The portion was decent, and it filled me up, but the flavor was pretty average and didn’t really stand out. Overall, it’s fine if you’re hungry and nearby, but I probably wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

This place is pretty sweet. I ordered the country fried steak. It came with a house salad. The portions are pretty fair. I have enough fries and steak for leftovers. The employee who took my order was friendly and asked me relevant questions to make sure I got exactly what I wanted.

If you order inside, everything is great! However, I’ve ordered by phone and was told a 15 minute wait. At 45 mins, I had to leave because I would have been late for work, on a weekday, 3 tables sat in the restaurant. I ordered twice on DoorDash (the same day) and my first order was cancelled without notice because they had no avocado, second order came without bacon and with fries (I ordered no fries). Today, I ordered online through their website. After 45 minutes, my status didn’t update online. I called the restaurant to confirm they got my order. They said it went to yucca even though online it said to went 29 palms and it would be ready in 15. I arrived 20 min later and informed them that my order was sent to 29 not yucca. One server argued with me about our conversation stating that the computer was logged into yucca not 29, which makes no sense. I spent 69$ on my meal. 2 Cali BLT’s which were fine, I asked for whipped cream on my waffle and no whipped cream. Almost $20 on a 2 combo for zucchini and fries (I much I was told when I called they had no zucchini) and what I got for 20$ was ridiculous. I’ve included pictures. The picture of the regular fries indicates how much a $6 order of fries gets vs an almost $20 order of fries and onion rings.

Stop here on our way to Vegas. The service was welcoming and friendly. The atmosphere was cheery. They were playing holiday music very upbeat. The food was hot and delicious. They service us promptly and they greeted us as soon as we walked in. Great place the menu has a variety of choices to pick from.

Best burger I’ve had in a while. Big, juicy, and made to order medium in less than 15 minutes. Friendly, kind and caring staff. Also had the chocolate milkshake, yum. Kind of malty, not too sweet. Coming here next time I visit!

I had dinner here and it was great, both food and service. The next day I tried it for breakfast, after sitting at the table for 10 mins, I was asked what I wanted to drink, I asked for coffee which took another 5 mins when the waitress looked over at me and remembered. The food was good but the service on the morning was not the best, maybe the dining room needed 3 people. Btw the coffee was horrible, I could not drink it.

First time visiting. First thing I noticed was the welcoming vibe of the staff. Food was very good as well. It May seem pricey at first but the portion sizes are worth the price & the food is very filing. I love bringing my kiddos here and they always have a great time. I love Waffle House! This is the closest to it in all of Joshua tree area in my opinion. I will return and I highly recommend.

This was our last stop in Twentynine Palms before heading back to Nevada. It was a great place to end our stay in the area. Walking in, it looked a bit like a fast food spot, but it is, in fact, a sit-down and order type restaurant. It also seems to have a good take-out option. We were greeted immediately upon entering and were invited to sit wherever we would like. Everything looked clean. Nothing fancy, but it felt welcoming and comfortable. I had a Denver Omelette with a side of hash browns and an orange juice. The omelette was good and nicely rolled with lots of ham and sweet green pepper and cheddar cheese. I had a side of English muffin. the only quibble was the hash browns could have been a little crisper and the muffin a little more toasted. I would definitely recommend this for a simple no-frills breakfast spot with friendly service, reasonable prices, and good food.

I always get a little nervous when the server doesn't write down my order, especially when I want something substituted I want something made a certain way like a medium rare Burger and cottage cheese instead of home fries and English muffin instead of bread. When they stand there looking at you and nodding, there's always this feeling in the pit of your stomach it isn't hunger. It's worry that they are not going to get it right. But I was pleasantly surprised everything turned out amazing and so fast! It's not easy to make a thin Burger medium rare yet they managed it. The cottage cheese tasted creamy and yummy instead of sour and lumpy like it sometimes does when you go out. Highly recommended if you're looking for a mom and pop greasy spoon in the 29 palms or yucca valley area. The prices are unbelievably reasonable. Bacon and eggs for $7.50 Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. as of February 2024.

Just a traditional, tasty breakfast spot with reasonable prices and lots of selection! I really enjoyed my fluffy pancake with an over easy egg and sausage links. Can't get much simpler than that! Very friendly staff who come around for coffee refills.

This place is honestly the best place ever!!!! Staff was super friendly, the service was SO fast they are some if the best people ever. I got the swiss and avocado omlette and it was AMAZING!!! Good prices and the environment was sooooo funnnnn!!! Definitely a place to check out if you are in the area. Gonna need a SAN DIEGO location!!!

Stopped by for breakfast and they have an awesome deal. For under $8 you get 3 eggs,toast and 3 bacon. I was surprised how excellent the breakfast was. The bacon was thick cut and cooked to perfection! Same with the hash brown, it was golden and crispy A+ breakfast for a steal at under $8 I'll definitely be stopping by again!

My husband, sister-in-law and I dined here once while in town. I had chicken fried steak with lots of white gravy. The meat was fine. I had baked potato with sour cream and butter. My zucchini had grill marks but seemed steamed and soggy; it came with soggy grilled red pepper. I didn't like the veggies but the side salad was large and good with ordinary ingredients of lettuce tomato cucumber. My husband had fish and chips. He did not like its breading, but the fries were fine. My sister-in-law ordered a hamburger and was happy it came well done as requested. Her fries were fine. We split a lemon cake. It was very good. I liked the filling. I didn't like the whipped topping which seemed artificial. The server brought us dessert but did not take away our dinner plates. We put them on a different table to make room to share the dessert. This seems like a good place to come for breakfast with a variety of egg, waffle and pancake offerings. I was not thrilled with our dinners.

I get a little overwhelmed when in a new place and don't know what the options are for lunch. I don't want to go to the place with long lines because I'm not a line standing kind of yelper. Of course I yelped and found John's Place. It was close to where we were driving and the food looked great for my husband and I with two kids in tow. It was a great pick for lunch. Really good old school diner food. I had to go with the Patty melt with Zucchini Fries. My kids were like ew Zucchini. No, do not turn your nose up at these fries. Dip that little joker in ranch dressing and its a fine treat. My kids took a little taste and couldn't get enough. My daughter got the Club sandwich and my son got the BLT and husband got the Burger. There was not a single complaint from anyone. They were busy so the service was spotty at best. But the food more than made up for the lack of service.

Previously placed 2 pick up orders and this time my husband and I decided to go in and eat at the restaurant and I'm glad we did. We had amazing food amazing service from Michelle . She was super sweet they only except cash tips so make sure you take cash for the sweet waitresses that are in their running around, delivering you large servings of food. Other customers and they were nice and it was just a really nice experience to have breakfast there highly recommend and we will be coming back.

Food is pretty good, like a Denny's but better quality. Service has really gone down hill. Even on slow days it takes a while for you to get your drinks refilled. Don't even bother coming in on busy days. Completely got forgotten about after we ordered drinks. Got up and left after we saw a table that got there after us got their drinks before us. The restaurant is clean and the dining experience is the same as any diner.

Good food for solid prices and friendly staff. A quaint little diner and the best home style food you will find in 29 palms. Would recommend the milkshakes!

Always give someone a second chance, so that is what we did with John's Place and I am so glad we did. Not sure if there was a change in staff or management, but what a difference a year makes. I called our food in, the girl who ansered did so quickly, was really pleasant to speak with and took down my order by repeating it, which I alwasy love. I then drove up to the window (it is not a drive thru, but you can pick up the food), to be met by the nicest person. The food was exactly what we ordered, it was fresh and hot, and tasted so delicous. This was a 180 degree difference from the last time I ordered. Before the phone would ring 10 times before they picked up only to leave you on hold for over 15 mintues, not exaggerating, and then the food was not good. Whatever they did to change this, kudos to you becuase I know will eat at John's Place when I drive through 29 Palms FYI, great keto tip. Order what you like and swap out the tortillas or bread for keto friendly options that you need to travel with. Whatever it takes to stay commited while trying not to be food difficult

The staff were really helpful and nice. Food is good, generous portions, dining room and bathrooms are clean. A gem of a local restaurant we were glad to have eaten at after a long day of hiking and exploring. We ordered a variety of dishes and were all happy with what we had. The salad greens were fresh and crisp - I usually end up picking out at least a few pieces too wilted to eat but my entire salad was great. My daughter's fruit cup was full of fresh ripe fruit, not a squishy blueberry in the whole cup. The zucchini fries were the surprise hit. I was impressed by the quality of ingredients.

Food is fresh. The Greek salad and omelettes are amazing!! The shakes are also so good- I haven't had anything I didn't like.

Landed at John's Place looking for food since our regular spot was closed til 4 pm. Read the reviews for John's Place and decided to give it a try. Past reviews mentioned that the service was bad and food was good. Well both were fantastic! The young lady at the counter was super nice. She greeted us the moment we walked through the door. She also took our order and waited on us the entire time. She was professional, super nice and got everything right! I ended up getting the bacon burger which was delicious. Ate it all! The fried zucchini was also really good. Crispy and thin cut. This place is a great place to grab a bite to eat. Outside doesn't do this place justice. The inside is clean and modern. The music playlist was also on point! Thank you for the great meal and ambiance John's Place.

John's Place may look like a fast food restaurant at first glance, possibly even an old KFC, but it's far from that. The lack of organization in taking and bringing out orders initially had me worried about the food. However, once the food arrived, all concerns vanished. The food was absolutely delicious, and even the picky eaters in my family loved every bite and asked to go back. Despite the confusion, the quality of the food makes it worth a visit.

We literally sat down for 30 minutes and no one came to take our orders. This restaurant does not deserve to be called a restaurant. It's a building that serves horrible food. Do not come here especially if you are on vacation. It will slow down your day and you will not be served timely.

Food was filling and tasty, get your standard breakfast, lunch and dinner items. Lots of choices. The service was fantastic- our waitress remembered 4 people's orders w/out writing anything down. Ambiance is what you'd expect of a small town diner. Come for the food/service.

Had the burger and fries with an appetizer of onion rings. Food was excellent and prices were decent. Wasn't sure how it was going to be based on how the outside looked. The parking lot was full which was a good sign. Noticed while I was there that the waiter and waitresses seemed to know everyone that walked in. If the locals keep coming in, there's a reason...great food!

3 tables came in after we did got menus and drinks prior to us even being treated. Then the waiter took our drink order then went and took food orders for the 3 other tables then we went to counter to ask about it and finally go menus and our drinks, staff was rude to us when they messed up the food order. Our food was cold by the time we got it.

Found this place by accident we left La Quinta to visit Joshua Tree figuring we would find somewhere to eat along the way but we never did see a place so we drove through to the other side to 29 Palms and turned into the first street that looked like we would locate somewhere to eat. And bam there was John's place. We walked in they said if we wanted to eat in take a seat they would be right with us. When you walk it you see plenty of tables and chairs but also a walk up order counter so we were not sure how to order so luckily they said have a seat if you like to eat here so we sat. They brought over some menus asked if we would like something to drink so we ordered up our sodas took a look at the menu surprised they had a fairly good selection with plenty of choices breakfast / lunch / dinner our table of 7 ordered a variety of different foods I ordered the bacon burger which was great it had thousands burger cheese onions lettuce and tomatoes. Very good I ordered the onion rings too they were ok Others had the BLT, pancakes, Philly cheesesteak sandwich, avocado burger and club everything was good no one complained everything hit the spot Parking was easy they have their own lot they even have a drive through you can also order for pick up Would defiantly recommend this place

You'll be hard pressed to find a better burger anywhere else. Quite literally one of the best burgers I've ever had. Tried both the 1/2 pound gourmet burger and the bison burger and both were top tier. Can't get much better than that. Perfectly cooked, sauced, seasoned, with fresh and balanced toppings. A true perfect classic burger. I was a bit disappointed at first that the chili fries didn't come with cheese... until I tasted the chili. Chili was delicious and the fries were still crispy even after being coated in that rich flavorful chili. Quaint diner vibe with absolutely amazing food and friendly welcoming staff. I come out to 29 Palms a lot for work. This will be my go to place without a doubt for at least one of my daily meals. 10/10 I'm really looking forward to trying their breakfast and other dinner items in the future, but as far as burgers are concerned, I can definitively say look no further. You've found the best one here!

A hidden gem in the area. A busy place on Sunday morning but the short delay was worth it. Staff was friendly and efficient with menus, coffee and water. Was impressed with the memory of our waitress as she took our entire order without writing anything down and not a single mistake when the food was delivered-tasty and hot! Bacon was crispy the pancakes fluffy and reasonable prices all around. After a long day or night at Joshua Tree -John's place was a solid stop.

Coming from NJ, I was surely surprised to find out that diners in every town is really just a Jersey thing but John's Place is certainly the closest piece of home I've found in the Morongo Basin. What you have to understand about diners is that the food is at best 3/5 but you go for the convenience of a wide array of options at an affordable price. You want breakfast but your friend wants a salad and the next person wants a steak? The diner is the place to go. And this region - John's Place is where you have to go! The coffee sucks, the food is nothing to write home about but that's just the beauty of it. You have to experience it to understand it. Service is spectacular and I always feel right at home whenever I visit.

It was fine. I only got fries but they were perfectly fine. I look forward to the day I can go for a proper meal. The staff were efficient and nice and the place is clean.

Always good I love the family burger specials super cheap and yummy! Love the avocado omelette...

Great food, along with some of the worst service I've had in recent memory. - never brought us water even though we ordered and asked for it again half a dozen times. I had to go get my own water from my car! - didn't bring us our coffee, even though we ordered and asked after it three times. I managed to flag down someone as they refilled our neighbors -- and finally success - i ordered eggs over easy, and got scrambled. managed to flag someone down ny going to the front as my server wasn't noticing me - kids meal came with a drink we chose apple juice it never showed up... again had to go up front - we never got refills on coffee until again we noticed someone ELSE getting refills and flagged someone down. The food however was DELICIOUS. Went to pay and come to find out, while they take credit cards, tips are CASH ONLY. This being the 21st century, I couldn't tip and I noticed the people in front of us paying also didn't tip. At which point I'm like -- oh now I see why the service is so bad. HEY MANAGEMENT ALLOW PEOPLE TO TIP WHEN THEY PAY WITH CREDIT CARDS SO YOUR POOR SERVERS CAN MAKE TIPS AND PEOPLE LIKE ME CAN ENJOY YOUR LOVELY FOOD WITHOUT HAVING TO WORK THE STAFF TO GET MY ORDER FULFILLED. thank you

Employees are always great but the food quality and portions have gone down. It's better just to go elsewhere.

You cannot tip on the card at this establishment so you need cash to tip here. Asked for eggs benedict they didn't have it so I went w/ country fried steak and eggs instead. It was fine. It was a Sunday and they were busy but the service was fine overall.

The workers are sad and miserable and it reflects in the food and service. I almost feel bad for them but if their poor attitudes I'm honestly not surprised that's the place they work.

The food was quite good. I had the Philly cheese steak sandwich. The server was very cheerful. Reasonable prices too.

Always Good, Always clean, Always friendly everything on the menu is good they take time in preparing your food highly recommend family, friendly, coffee, shop atmosphere

Located in an ex-fast food building the first impression isn't great if you're looking for a diner. The interior is clean and they did a decent job of making it feel like a diner given the space they had to work with The menu is pretty large so it's good for families with a broad range of tastes. I ordered a Greek salad and it had real Kalamata olives and feta with good quality lettuce and pita on the side. The dressing was pre-mixed but good. Much better than i expected when we pulled up.

This place might be our regular go-to whenever we visit Joshua Tree. My friends and I were visiting for the day and just stopped here to grab some lunch and we loved it. Everything tasted fresh with generous portions to get the most bang for your buck. Very divey-style burger place, but sometimes that's what you want on a road trip right? Exactly. We really like the zucchini fries. Other places we've tried those at haven't been good, usually very soggy. But John's zucchini fries were crisp and fresh and delicious. Definitely stopping by here again the next time we're driving thru town.

Waited 20 minutes for somebody to take her order never happened so we left. Very sad. Been going there for years.

Just picked up food from John's in 29 Palms. These photos are what was suppose to be a BLT. See the MOLD? Called the restaurant and was told the manager would call back. Didn't happen. Called the John's in Yucca looking for John. A manager assisted us instead. All she could do was call the other manager. We were then told that we had to return the food or no refund. She did happily say she could provide us with a free BLT next time we are in the restaurant. She also apologized and said 'things happen' It's a 15 minute drive to return the MOLDY sandwich for a refund. Needless to say we didn't eat another bite of any of the rest of the food and will never again eat at either John's. I'd give it no stars if I could.

Tried this place tonight because my husband & I saw they have a Saturday special of 10oz New York Strip potato choice and soup & salad choice for 14$. When I say it slapped, it slapped! Soooo good! The steak was cooked perfectly medium rare as I asked. It was so juicy with the garlic herb butter on top and asparagus! I would highly recommend you check out their daily specials they have some great deals! Can't wait to try more!

Really great, friendly service and delicious food served fast! We got the burgers, fries, onion rings and sodas. Everything was perfect! Highly recommend this place if you're in the area or visiting the National Park nearby. Worth the few minutes extra drive for a local, authentic diner with good food and great service! Add to all that, the place is very clean! Restrooms, tables, floors - all superior cleanliness! We were greeted with smiles and a friendly hello when we walked through the door and staff was extremely friendly the whole time! I noticed that they're very friendly to diverse clientele so you can feel comfortable giving them your business!

Customer service was horrendous, the staff was very rude and didn't want to wipe our table down. We waited more than 10 minutes just to get the table wiped down, that's absurd. They have no they only carry pork a beef which is almost unheard of in this climate. Portions were small, my pancakes were cold. But the price wasn't too bad.

Nice Simple place. It was a bit warm and had to ask for milk (1/2&1/2 not avail) for my coffee (other than the coffee mate provided), but the service was perfect, breakfast simple, tasty, and just what we were wanting before getting back on the road. Ambiance and lighting is good and gentle on the eyes. People very welcoming.

My husband and I absolutely love this place. The food is delicious and the people are friendly. They have different creamers for your coffee and breakfast is all day. They are beyond reasonable. The place is well picked up and cleaned. My husband and I plan on making it once a week thing.

I ate here last Friday, and have been sick ever since. I am LITERALLY at the hospital dealing with the food poisoning this restaurant gave me!! I figure what better way to pass the time while getting an IV, than to WARN future patrons!! I ordered a tuna melt and fried zucchini. Needless to say I WILL NEVER BE EATING HERE AGAIN! Next is a call to the health department.

Driving by, we stopped for a late lunch. The place looked nice and clean inside, and the lady at a counter was welcoming, so we stayed. Pastrami sandwich was great, tuna salad - pretty average, New York steak - practically unchewable, and Philly sandwich - just ok. The worst part of the experience - the girl at a checkout told us that we owe $66, but when I looked at a check 1.5 hours after we left, turned out she charged us for our order and added another meal for $16, so the total was about $82. My bad for not checking twice, but lesson learned - we won't be back.

My last experience 3 years ago was horrible. This time waiting 20 minutes and our order not taken...we left. Loud bad music blaring, poor wait staffing, multiple tables not cleared. I'm never trying the place again. Food options nothing special.

Man! The first day we ate here it was good. We were happy. The second time we came it was bad but they were so polite and took one of the meals off the check (we dined in person this time) and they were all so helpful and sweet. Today we went in and did take out.... we're so sad to say we won't eat here again. It was really bad. As you can see our fries and onion rings are not cooked ... almost raw to be honest. My burger was falling apart and the meat wasn't cooked through. My husbands French dip was plain and also falling apart, which is odd because the first time he came and got the same thing and it was fine. Super bummed out. We thought we found a new good spot but it was bad twice in a row now. 12/9/21 | 1:41pm

The steak was a bit pricy ($20) considering it's size, but it was quite tastier than I expected! Fries and salad were great too! Even the iced tea was good. We like to go shooting nearby at a private range. This is always a good stop for a nice meal afterwards!

Food is okay most of the time, but be ready for slow service and incorrect orders. Multiple times I've placed an online order only to show up at the pickup time and the order is not ready. Multiple times items have been left out of orders. Today I showed up at the pickup time the system gave me, waited nearly 10 minutes in the pickup line and was told it would be another 10 minutes. They then forgot a drink, the fries were undercooked and the sandwich had so much mayo it was oozing out of the sides and was falling apart. So I spent most of my lunch break waiting for food that I couldn't eat. They said this was because they had two large orders come in and the cook has a broken hand. I can sympathize with all that but it's not an excuse for the repetitive poor service/mistakes

Horrible service horrible food what a slop hole waitress are under staff poor seating poor food Came in for a cheeseburger combo and was very disappointing by the appearance and presentation of food waitresses are very unfriendly and very rude So this is the only place around so you have to eat this

Small diner, great menu. I had the 1/3 lb burger special, it was good. Service was very good. I would recommend it!

Stopped here based on Yelp reviews after the place we wanted to go was closed. Mistake. Terrible service. Waited approx 40 mins to get food. Waited approx 15 mins to order. Good house salad and Greek salad. Ok burger and catfish sandwich. Waitress got order wrong and gave son fries instead of onion rings. When we politely told her of the mistake, she insisted my son pick up his sandwich and transfer it to an empty plate. She then threw the fries in the trash. We then waited another 15 mins for the 4, yes 4, onion rings she brought out. Homemade but horrible. No flavor to the crust and not cooked throughout. She also forgot my soft drink/part of the up-sell combo. Why do restaurants charge extra for cheese on cheeseburgers and not include fries with burgers??? Come to think of it, she forgot my sons soft drink on his up-sell combo too? Pass on this place!

Nice morning staff. Food is pretty consistent. Value not too bad. Will go back to John's Place. Call ahead if are in a hurry.