festivals

Coachella is rapidly approaching. While you’re figuring out your artist itinerary, have you bothered to ask yourself what you’re going to eat? That might seem like less of a priority while you’re figuring out how to juggle seeing all your favorites hit the stage but you should probably know that like the musical lineup this year, the food lineup is stacked.

You’re not just going to be choosing whether to grab a slice of pizza or a cheeseburger, you’re going to have to decide if you’re down for a 16-course omakase and sake pairing, which Michelin-starred restaurant is worth your valuable time and money, which innovated chef is going to blow your mind and… well, which slice of pizza or cheeseburger you’re going to pick up.

With over 60 food vendors and hundreds of dishes, it’s a lot to take in, which is why we’re simplifying the process for you by shouting out the 10 food and drink spots and dishes we’re most hyped for. Since Los Angeles-based restaurants, bars, and food spaces are making an appearance this year, I’ve had a lot of personal experience with many of these menus, so I’m going to lean towards those since I can guarantee they’ll be mind-blowing. But, there are a few gems here from out of state that also come with a lot of hype.

I’m also going to put a special emphasis on handheld foods that you can eat on the go. As dope as a family-style dinner is, you’re at a music festival, so I’m going to assume you’re here for the music. Let’s get you back on the grounds ASAP. For a preview of the full culinary lineup, check out our exclusive look here.

Whether you’ve copped a VIP ticket or you’re just going general admission, every section of the festival gets some love on our list. We’re also telling you where on the grounds to find each vendor, and our best guess for the price (don’t expect us to be 100% on this, but expect us to be eerily close, we have our ways).

Let’s dive into the dishes and vendors you don’t want to miss at this year’s Coachella.

Bang Bang Noodles — Szechuan Garlic Noodles

Expected Price: $16

Where To Find:

12 Peaks VIP

Why It’s Essential:

Started by brothers Nelson and Robert Lee, this LA street food turned brick-and-mortar food spot quickly gained notoriety and attention thanks to Robert Lee’s eye-catching mouth-watering flavor-packed take on Chinese Biang Biang noodles. Lee has extensive culinary experience and cut his teeth cooking in Michelin-star restaurants, which is why we’re excited for the Coachella crowd to get its first taste of Bang Bang’s now-famous Szechuan Garlic Noodles.

The noodle dish, which is served with your choice of beef or mushrooms, utilizes hand-pulled noodles, a gentle but flavorful Szechuan sauce, and appetizing garlic, onion, and cilantro aromatics that make the dish a treat for all of our senses.

Camphor — Le Cheeseburger

Expected Price: $20.99

Where To Find:

12 Peaks VIP

Why It’s Essential:

One of Downtown Los Angeles’ culinary gems, Camphor is a modern bistro led by respected chefs Max Boonthanakit and Lijo George and is all about combining casual and elevated eats (with a strong influence from Southeastern Asia) with classic French flavors and culinary techniques. It’s incredibly modern, and while the special Family-Style tasting menu the restaurant is bringing sounds appealing, we’re going to suggest you keep it simple with the Le Cheeseburger.

Hitting up a super trendy LA bistro and getting a burger might seem like a waste of Boonthanakit and George’s culinary expertise, but then sitting down for a family-style dinner in the desert also sounds like a vibe killer. The Le Cheeseburger will keep you on your feet while still treating your tastebuds to one of the best burgers you’ve ever had.

Seriously, the way the meat melts in your mouth is unlike any burger you’ve yet to experience, guaranteed, and the way it combines with the smoked gouda is absolute culinary perfection. Don’t forget the fries!

Dave’s Hot Chicken — Chicken Sliders

Expected Price: $16

Where To Find:

V7

Why It’s Essential:

Have you ever had a chicken sandwich that makes you exclaim after first bite, ‘This is the best chicken sandwich I’ve ever had’? Well, you will, once you bite into the Dave’s Hot Chicken Slider, and trust us when we tell you that, we’ve been ranking chicken sandwiches for a while now and while Dave’s has yet to appear on a list, right now in 2023, it’s our top pick, no contest.

Available in seven different heat levels (no spice, lite mild, mild, medium, hot, extra hot, and reaper), this slider is topped with earthy kale slaw, thick-cut pickles, and Dave’s sauce, and instantly ignites your tastebuds and floods your brain with serotonin. The sauce is a mix of savory mayo, a bit of citrus, and a heavy blend of pepper, cayenne, and paprika, for a creamy and complex sauce that will blow your mind.

Yes, it’s that good. Go with whatever heat level you’re comfortable with, but we strongly suggest opting for mild or medium for the best experience that doesn’t feel like a challenge.

Kogi — Loaded Korean BBQ Fries

Expected Price: $14

Where To Find:

Indio Central Market

Why It’s Essential:

When I found out Kogi wasn’t going to be bringing its delicious Korean tacos and burritos to the Coachella grounds, I was incensed. But knowing that they’ll be bringing the Loaded Korean BBQ fries in tow… I ain’t mad. A tricked-out take on the brand’s Korean Spiced Fries, the Loaded version features the same bed of beer-battered fries tossed with chili salt topped with cheese, caramelized kimchi, salsa rosa, crushed sesame seeds, and Kogi’s short ribs.

It’s the perfect marriage of Mexican and Korean flavors offering up a taste of Los Angeles that makes clear why the city is the ultimate culinary destination. That’s right, I said it, come at my NYC and Texas.

Ronan — Margherita Pie

Expected Price: $23

Where To Find:

12 Peaks VIP

Why It’s Essential:

Helping to make the case that LA is just as good if not better than New York as a pizza hotspot, Chef Daniel Cutler’s Ronan delivers Neapolitan-style pizza that is always prepared with local produce and the finest ingredients and is the pizza spot at Coachella we’re the most psyched about. That’s partly because of the three or four in attendance, it’s the only one we’ve tried, but we wouldn’t suggest a pizza joint to you if it wasn’t absolutely mind-blowing.

While my instinct is to suggest the Spicy Chomper, which features tomato, soppressata, and a four-cheese blend, we’ve given enough love to the meat-eaters in this list, so we’re going to take some time to highlight the equally good Margherita.

Made with San Marzano tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and pecorino Calabrese, this Margherita pizza is fresh, fragrant, sweet, savory, and light, while still satisfying the way a meat pie does with the perfect fire-charred crust.

You don’t want to miss this pizza spot, especially if you’re an East Coaster who thinks the great pizza debate is settled.

Block Party — Malamente

Expected Price: Unknown

Where To Find:

Outdoor Theater Bar

Why It’s Essential:

No bar captures the magic of Los Angeles quite like visiting Block Party at golden hour. With a great soundtrack and communal vibe, the Highland Park staple is one of our very favorite bars in all of Los Angeles so I’m excited to see how Block Party brings its magical vibe to Indio.

Since Block Party is bringing a special menu of headliner-themed drinks to Coachella, it’s a little hard to pick just one to be excited about so I’m just going to go with Malamente (not pictured), since it’s named for Rosalía, the artist I’m most excited to see.

The Malamente includes Malfi Gin with pink grapefruit, rosemary, and some CO2 for a fizzy body.

El Chino Grande — Chashao Roast Pork ’n Rice

Expected Price: $20

Where To Find:

Craft Beer Barn

Why It’s Essential:

El Chino Grande serves up Taiwanese night market street fare by way of modern San Francisco cuisine. With a menu headed by Chef Christoper Yang, a San Francisco Magazine Rising Star Chef award winner, we couldn’t be more psyched to try El Chino Grande’s Chashao Roast Pork ’n Rice which features a bowl of short grain rice topped with roast pork belly, chashao tare, cabbage slaw, pickles and togarashi mayo.

El Chino Grande is one of the few culinary experiences at Coachella I haven’t yet experienced, but the food pop-up is part of Hén-Zhì, the team of Marcelle Gonzalez Yang and Chef Christopher Yang who are also behind the SF Mission District food spot Piglet & Co, which is excellent! Considering El Chino Grande comes from the same genius minds, we’re psyched and confident enough to make the recommendation.

Cena Vegan — Big Vegan Nachos

Expected Price: $20

Where To Find:

Indio Central Market

Why It’s Essential:

Admittedly, there aren’t a lot of vegan food spots on this list. So, we couldn’t let you go without giving at least one strong suggestion for those who only consume a plant-based diet — be sure to hit up Cena Vegan. Not only is it one of the food options we’re most hyped for at this year’s Coachella, it’s one of the best vendors selling Mexican food at the entire festival, and I’m not sure if you know this or not, but you can make some seriously delicious Mexican food using only plant-based ingredients.

With a menu inspired by authentic Mexican street food, we can’t wait to try Cena Vegan’s Big Vegan Nacho Boat, which features the plant-based meat of your choice (al pastor-style, carne asada-style, carnitas-style, birria-style, polla asado-style, barbacoa-style) over a bed of freshly made tortilla chips, pico de Gallo, salsa, and guacamole. It’s so good even hardcore meat-eaters will be won over by the fresh flavors.

Trill Burgers — Trill OG Burger (Vegan Trill OG Burger)

Expected Price: $15 / $18

Where To Find:

V7

Why It’s Essential:

I know we already highlighted a burger, but all do respect to Camphor and its ‘Le Cheeseburger,’ sometimes you just want a classic, greasy, no-nonsense smash burger, which is why we’re hyped to finally get a taste of Houston staple Trill Burgers.

The smash burger concept is beloved by Travis Scott, Buster Rhymes, TI, Juvenile, and Fat Joe, and if it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for all of us! The Trill OG burger features two smash patties, curly caramelized onions, American cheese, pickles, and trill sauce, offering up all the classic burger staples without any of those watery vegetables like lettuce and tomato getting in the way.

Best of all, the Trill burger is also available with a plant-based meat patty, which means this is truly a burger spot for everyone!

PDT — Sweet Tea Smash

Expected Price: Unknown

Where To Find:

Secret Speakeasy Terrace South (access by finding a phone booth in the terrace)

Why It’s Essential:

The famed NYC speakeasy from the East Village, PDT (which stands for Please Don’t Tell), is coming to Coachella and even though I’ve never been to the OG PDT I have to admit, I’m intrigued. Partly because I’ve heard nothing but good things about PDT from east coast friends, and mostly because the speakeasy is located underground. We’re not talking about the NYC location, we mean at Coachella, PDT will be underground.

What does that mean? What will it look like? What will the vibe be? We just have to find out, and we’re willing to bet you feel the same way.

This is another place we’ll be going into blind so I’m just going to suggest the best-sounding drink on the menu, the Sweet Tea Smash (not pictured), which features iced tea, Smooth Ambler Bourbon, lemon, peach, and mint.