Pioneertown: Pappy + Harriet's

It was Pappy + Harriet's that got me to Pioneertown in the first place. Looking for a place to get dinner, it seemed like the most interesting choice in the Joshua Tree area. I was not disappointed.



The backstory, edited from the website:

In 1946, where Pappy + Harriet’s stands today, was a façade used as a “Cantina” set for numerous western films well into the 1950s. In 1972, Harriet’s mother, Francis Aleba, and her husband, John, purchased the building and opened “The Cantina,” an outlaw biker burrito bar. The Cantina rollicked for 10 years, and when it closed, Francis and John made sure the building stayed in the family. In 1982, Harriet and her husband, Claude “Pappy” Allen, opened, “Pappy + Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace.” While the bikers still hung around, Pappy and Harriet’s presence created more of a family atmosphere. With family-style Santa Maria bbq, hearty comfort food, and live music featuring Pappy and Harriet, The Palace quickly became a local favorite with all walks of life getting along under one roof! When Pappy died in 1994 his friends and fans flew from all over the world to be at P+H for a celebration of his life. Harriet sold the bar to a family friend who gave it up after a few years. The next owners were former patrons who loved P+H and wanted to see it back with more music and life the way it was when they fell in love with it. Musicians from Paul McCartney to Lizzo, Belle & Sebastian, Orville Peck, Patti Smith, Taking Back Sunday, The Psychedelic Furs, Lorde, Lucinda Williams, Arctic Monkeys, Robert Plant, Peaches, The Dead Kennedy’s, Gregory Alan Isakov, Jesse Daniel, Everclear, Ani Di Franco, The Zombies, Coheed and Cambria, and countless other eclectic talents have graced our indoor and outdoor stages.



Not a bad lineup! Since I had Willis with me, I confirmed with the staff that I could have my dog with me. They were very friendly and assured me that I could sit on the patio. I loved the decor inside; eclective with plenty of items to look at.



Unfortunately, with Willis in one arm, I couldn’t take any shots as we took a brisk stroll through the restaurant right by the concert stage (which was rocking with great music!) to the door that opened up to the back patio.



We were the only patrons there. The temperature was about 40 degrees outside and the wind was rushing. I was seriously rethinking my choice. However, a heat lamp was immediately brought over and turned on and the staff was super attentive. It was cold as @&*#(, but I figured I’d gotten this far…and I was hungry! The heat lamp provided little comfort from the wind, but Willis and I trudged on; thank goodness I didn’t sell my pea coat when I moved out here from Indiana! Back to the positive part of the story…even the tableware is themed well:



The food was outstanding; my pulled pork sandwich had just the right amount of kick to it, and the mac and cheese was flavorful.



Needless to say, Willis and I did not stick around for dessert. However, I would DEFINITELY come back here in warmer weather! See more Pioneertown photos at my main website.