The Best American Food in Riverside
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The best American food in Riverside, according to the experts: the Michelin Guide, Vogue, and the Spirited Awards have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Bar Cecil comes out on top, and the good stuff runs deepest in Palm Springs.
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Cheeky's and 4 Saints hold the next two places. The Michelin Guide shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with AAA next.
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Rank 1. Bar Cecil
American
Walls hung with Calder and Warhol set the tone at this American restaurant and bar, where the design hovers somewhere between garish and glamorous and reservations disappear weeks out. If you didn't plan ahead, arrive before doors open and angle for a bar seat. A precisely made martini is the move, and the burger has earned its reputation as a signature. The Michelin Guide has it listed, and the crowd dresses accordingly.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Vogue Vogue: The Best Restaurants in Palm Springs
- Spirited Awards Spirited Awards: 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. West
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Vogue The Best Restaurants in Palm Springs
- Spirited Awards 2026 · Regional Top 10 Honoree · Best U.S. Restaurant Bar – U.S. West
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Rank 2. Cheeky's
American
The bacon flight, five strips in rotating flavors, is reason enough to brave the wait at this daytime-only brunch spot in Palm Springs. Text-ahead seating lands you on a covered patio full of sunglasses and no particular hurry. The weekly-changing menu leans on local produce and runs from breakfast quesadillas to proper coffee cake, with housemade pastries at the counter for anyone too impatient to sit down.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Eater Eater: The Best Restaurants in Palm Springs
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Rank 3. 4 Saints
Southern
On the seventh floor of the Rowan Hotel, this fine dining room has the highest rooftop in downtown Palm Springs, with the San Jacinto Mountains spread out in every direction. The chef riffs on Southern cooking, grilled steaks and seasonal produce with a warm-weather looseness that fits the setting. Date-infused Old Fashioneds arrive while the light goes gold. Prices float as high as the altitude, but so does everything worth watching in Palm Springs.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
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Rank 4. Mel's Drive-In
American
The awards
- AAA AAA: Approved