Top 10+ High Desert restaurants we wish made USA TODAY's list of best in the US

The USA TODAY Network has unveiled its Restaurants of the Year for 2026, and among them is El Mexicali Café II in Indio.

But it was difficult to pick just one spot out of the entire state.

While California hosts an abundance of world-class restaurants, great flavors can be found in every city and town in the High Desert.

Sloppy chili cheese fries smothered in onions, tender prime rib, thick milkshakes topped with a cherry and spicy birria: the High Desert sure knows how to cook.

The Daily Press has compiled a list of the top 10 restaurants in the High Desert we think you should try in 2026.

The restaurants on this list were chosen based on the highest Yelp ratings and the most Yelp reviews. Here are customers' favorite eateries in the Victor Valley:

Hesperia

Los Amores de Julia

• What: A 3.9-star Mexican restaurant with dark lighting, Instagrammable cocktails, and delicious meat plates. Customers return for the restaurant's $24 carne en su jugo dish and the $22 birria tacos.
• Where: 12728 Main St., Hesperia
• Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays & Saturdays
• Price: $$

Havanazucar Cuban Restaurant

• What: A 4.7-star mom-and-pop Cuban restaurant right off Main Street. The cozy atmosphere is comparable to a relative's home, and the Cuban dishes are some of the only ones available in Hesperia. The $12 Cuban coffee and $7 flan are popular quick orders, and customers prefer the $14 ropa vieja and $13 pollo asado for a heavier meal.
• Where: 15550 Main St. Ste. C14, Hesperia
• Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
• Price: $$

Outpost Cafe

David Garry and Destini Sharp, both from the High Desert, star in the short horror film “Smile,” which is being shot at the Outpost Cafe in Hesperia.

• What: A 4.3-star cafe in a convenient stop off Highway 395 with hearty soul food. The vintage wooden interior and wrap-around stool bar are classic diner chic. Popular dishes include a healthy helping of $7.75 chili cheese fries, $20 chicken fried steak and a $9 French toast plate that comes with eggs and sausage.
• Where: 8685 US-395, Oak Hills
• Hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
• Price: $$

Victorville

Apollo Restaurant

• What: A 4.3-star burger joint with larger-than-life hand-helds. Apollo's was voted Best of the Desert from 2011-2014. Customers eat at Apollo for the gourmet burgers and the double bread sandwiches, both oozing with meat. The $4 classic burger is a great place to start for first-timers before branching out to try the famed $8.65 Mannimal bread-instead-of-bun Apollo burger.
• Where: 14950 7th St., Victorville
• Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sundays
• Price: $$

Molly Brown's Country Cafe

• What: A 4.6-star American diner with country home charisma that is so tasty, there are two locations in Victorville. The $9.89 cinnamon roll French toast is one of the most popular items on the menu, as well as the $14.59 Paul Bunyan breakfast bundle and the $14.49 chicken fried steak plate.
• Where: 15775 Mojave Drive and 13778 Hesperia Road, Victorville
• Hours: 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily
• Price: $$

Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steak Burgers

• What: A 4.1-star burgers and ice cream joint that was founded in 2002 on the East Coast and now has 500 stores nationwide. A fast-casual restaurant, Freddy's offers freshly churned frozen custard treats and popular burgers like the $7.49 original double steakburger.
• Where: 12032 Amargosa Road, Victorville
• Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
• Price: $$

Samurai Sushi

• What: A 4.3-star sushi restaurant with reliable weekday specials. Situated right off I-15, Samurai Sushi is acclaimed for its spicy tuna, volcano and California rolls.
• Where: 14464 7th St. Ste. F, Victorville
• Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays
• Price: $$

Paulina's Mexican Grill

Paulina’s Mexican Grill in Victorville will temporarily close after a recent fire set by the homeless resulted in damage to the building.

• What: A 4.6-star Mexican restaurant where "mi casa es su casa." Established in 2007, Paulina's owners pride themselves on authentic, homemade recipes "completely made from scratch." Customers return time and again for the $12.95 carne asada wet burrito and the $14.95 chicken enchiladas.
• Where: 14845 Monarch Blvd. Ste. G, Victorville
• Hours: 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday
• Price: $$

Apple Valley

Steak and chicken, anyone? A sure thing at Rusty Bull Roadhouse.

Rusty Bull Roadhouse

• What: A 4.4-star steakhouse and sports bar with rustic charm. Fireball bottle lights and a barrel hostess stand give Rusty's character, and live music makes the steakhouse come alive on the weekends. First-timers must try the $17 Yard Bird sandwich or the $30 Dale Evans rib-eye.
• Where: 13685 John Glenn Road, Apple Valley
• Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
• Price: $$

Mama Carpino's Italian

• What: A 4.3-star Italian restaurant established in 2003 where "everything is made from scratch." Situated between Navajo and Central roads, dogs are allowed in the outdoor patio area, and large groups can be accommodated at Mama Carpino's. Popular dishes include $18.50 ravioli and $12 mixed greens and pizza lunch.
• Where: 22010 US Hwy. 18, Apple Valley
• Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, closed Tuesdays
• Price: $$

El Mexicali Café II | Indio, California

Want to try USA Today's winning pick in California?

In a region with no shortage of great Mexican restaurants, El Mexicali Café II has legions of devotees drawn to its friendly, familial atmosphere, menu heavy on classic, time-tested dishes and, perhaps most of all, the famous Chiles Gueritos Rellenos de Camarón. That's the beloved appetizer consisting of six yellow peppers stuffed with shrimp that family matriarch Carmen Murguia brought to California from the border town of Mexicali, creating what may be the area’s most popular Mexican dish and inspiring countless imitators. A more spacious and vibrantly decorated alternative to the original restaurant in downtown Indio – both have the same menu – El Mexicali II’s spot near Interstate 10 makes it a popular stop for those traveling between Southern California and Arizona. — Paul Albani-Burgio, Palm Springs Desert Sun

Brett McGinness of the Reno Gazette Journal and Paul Albani-Burgio of the Palm Springs Desert Sun contributed to this report.

McKenna is a reporter for the Daily Press. She can be reached at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: 10 High Desert restaurants we wish made USA TODAY's list of best in the US