Billy Reed’s: A Palm Springs Legend!

If you blink when you enter Palm Springs, you might miss this little time capsule tucked away beneath the trees and bougainvillea. Established December 7, 1975, as the menu states: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner served anytime. This place is old school; we are talking OLD as in you just don’t find places like this anymore. The service is excellent, the menu is expansive AND good, and the prices are affordable, especially when taking into consideration the large portions! And even an oldster like me felt young going here, as I looked around at the customers. Most had walkers, and you could tell they were probably all regulars. This is the kind of place that takes care of their customers and as a result, they come back.



Like many restaurants of its time, there is a covered entrance, perfect for dropping off the family before you park (and those who might have difficulty walking). If you need a restaurant with a hefty social media presence or a whiz bang website, this place is not it. About the most info you’ll find out is gleaned ffrom the short description on their Facebook page (and yes, I corrected the typos):

Billy Reed’s is a palm springs landmark with great food at affordable prices. Billy Reed and Robbie opened Billy Reed’s in 1975. They sold the restaurant in 1987 but remained owners of the property. The 25 year lease was up April 1st 2012 and they bought the restaurant back. As of April 1st Billy Reed and Robbie and new owner David Scott are now managing the restaurant.



Make sure you catch the BR at the entry rails (that stands for Billy Reed’s in case you didn’t figure it out):



Walking in, you feel like you might have taken a turn into the Golden Horseshoe Saloon at Disneyland:



I recommended this restaurant to one of my most faithful readers. This is what he wrote to me after he dined here:

Billy Reed's was a gem in the desert. The outside doesn't forewarn about the interior. You don't even get an idea about what you’re in for until you pull into the lot, go around back and THEN see the entrance, only seem from the non-street facing side. Unreal. Billy said he started collecting when he was a kid and didn't stop. He’s had to expand his restaurant to 3 different locations just to house it all. The food was also the highlight of the trip. There's a lot of good places we ate, I mean everyone goes to Pinocchio's sooner or later but Billy’s was just too good to be kept this quiet. It deserves more attention.



I’m a sucker for red glass light fixtures.



For this visit, I ordered the Chicken Pot Pie En-Toureen with a Crispy Crust. At first, I thought the $21 seemed expensive. But considering the portion and that the price also included a good sized salad and a small loaf of delicious date and nut bread…well, it was more than fair!





The menu does not really give much history, but once you get to the dessert section, the creative touches abound:

A Word From Billy ...IN OUR OWN LITTLE “BAKE SHOP” WE MAKE ALL OUR PASTRIES BY HAND, JUST AS YOUR GRANDMOTHER WISHED SHE COULD MAKE THEM. IT TAKES TIME AND TENDER LOVING CARE. IF WE HAD A FACTORY PERHAPS WE COULD HAVE EVERYTHING, EVERYDAY ... BUT WE DON’T.WE THINK YOU WANT THE VERY BEST PASTRY IT IS POSSIBLE TO MAKE, SO EVERY DAY WE MAKE AS MUCH AS WE ARE ABLE ... FORGIVE US IF WE RUN OUT. TRY AGAIN, NEXT TIME. ONE SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING SWEET, AND SHARING IS BONDING TOO. AND FOR “GUILDING THE LILLY” ICE CREAM, WHY NOT? IT’S ALSO KNOWN AS “ALA MODE!” WE HAVE BOTH KINDS. VANILLA AND DARK CHOCOLATE CAPPUCCINO. GREAT ON ALL PASTRY.

I especially love the description for the Chocolate Cream Pie:

A VERY DEEP DARK VELVETY CHOCOLATE PUDDING WITH JUST A TOUCH OF MOCHA. TOPPED WITH WHIPPED CREAM AND CHOCOLATE SHAVINGS. IT’S NOT POSSIBLE TO KEEP A PIECE IN THE FRIDGE OVERNIGHT, “THE DEVIL NEVER SLEEPS” BUT YOU WILL WHEN IT’S GONE!

And at the bottom you can see this:

COMPLIMENTARY Boston Cream Pie ON YOUR BIRTHDAY (HONESTY COUNTS)

Good food and complimentary birthday dessert…need I say more?

See more Palm Springs photos at my main website.