This Retro Steakhouse Once Served The Biggest Celebs Of The '50s

Have you ever wanted to walk in the shoes of celebrities from the past and visit the places they have been and the restaurants where they have eaten? If your favorite stars were big in Hollywood during the 1950s, they may have visited The Palms at Indian Head in Borrego Springs, California. The resort was a hot spot for some of the biggest celebrities of the time — albeit under a different name — and some ate at what is now Coyote Steakhouse.

At the time, the resort was called Hoberg Resort, and it was only open during the winter season, opposite its summertime sister location in Cobb Mountain. It was built in '47 and became an escape for popular film, TV, and music figures looking for privacy and respite from the public. Some celebrities who crossed the threshold included Bing Crosby, Clark Gable, Elsa Lanchester, James Arness, Leo Carrillo, and Marilyn Monroe. Frank Morgan, the wizard in the 1939 version of "The Wizard of Oz," was a regular, but it's unclear how often other stars visited. In a Daily Pilot article, though, writers Vic Leipzig and Lou Murray noted, "Stars and socialites flew their private planes to an adjacent landing strip, tying their planes outside one of the 56 bungalows [...]"

Unfortunately, only remnants of the original Hoberg Resort remain. There aren't many details about what dining was like, but there was an on-site, fine-dining steakhouse. Like dining in general in the '50s, the celebrities and other guests probably dressed up for dinner, practiced proper table etiquette, and chose from fewer menu options. You can still have a similar experience at the Coyote Steakhouse at The Palms at Indian Head, which currently resides on this historic site.

Not all steakhouses are considered fine dining venues, but Coyote Steakhouse checks that box. In an email to Daily Meal, Melissa Huston from The Palms at Indian Head said, "Coyote Steakhouse at The Palms at Indian Head carries forward a tradition of desert hospitality by pairing premium cuts and fresh flavors with one of the most breathtaking dining settings in California. Guests come for the food but stay for the sunsets, the stars, and the sense of timeless escape that Borrego Springs offers."

Creating an "intimate and memorable" dining experience, the tables have beautiful white tablecloths, linen napkins, and elegant chairs. Also, the menu features prime-grade beef, so it's the kind of steakhouse where you want to know the rules for cutting steak before you visit. That includes when to start cutting, how to hold the fork and knife, and which way to cut the meat.

Blending such classic favorites with locally inspired and seasonal dishes, you'll find a variety of fresh appetizers and entrées — from baked brie, wedge salad, and shrimp cocktail to New Zealand rack of lamb, fresh Maine lobster, and pork shank ossobuco. For dessert, the steakhouse makes a cobbler of the day, which reviewers love. And, if you want to drink like 1950s celebs did, consider ordering an old-school cocktail from the decade. The blue Hawaii, for instance, was invented in 1957 — the year before the original resort tragically closed — and is one of the specialty cocktails that Coyote Steakhouse serves.