The Propeller Grill - BORREGO SPRINGS

A hidden gem in Borrego Springs! Wonderful, unpretentious hangout with stunning views of the mountains. Both staff and customers are low-key and friendly. We had the Cesar salad and turkey chili, and both were tasty. Got lucky on a Saturday night and were treated to a live performance by Enter the Blue Sky trio. Very clean restaurant, bar, and bathrooms. Cool aviation murals and memorabilia. Not many of these small airport restaurants are still around, so it's especially good to support this local business.

On April 9, 2022, I updated their hours on Google Maps instead of just complaining, as I received a voicemail from someone named Sally. We’re definitely looking forward to checking it out soon, so stay tuned! For now, I’m giving them a rating of 3 stars.

The food is absolutely incredible! The staff are very friendly! We will definitely be returning frequently!

On February 24, 2024, I finally decided to call again, and this time I spoke with the owner. We made plans to drive from Carlsbad to eat there—a journey of 78 miles one way. Since we needed to head back after dinner, we requested a reservation for 4:30 PM. Their Facebook page indicated they are open from 4 to 8 PM, but the owner asked if we could come at 5 PM instead, as they were taking a break. We arrived at 5:02 PM only to find a sign stating they were "out flying." There were others waiting on the roof deck. Needing a restroom, we checked and saw the door was open. We met Vincent, the barbecue chef, who was quite friendly but unable to serve us without the owner’s presence. We glanced at the menu, which had been simplified to basic bar food (see image), and decided to leave. The owner finally showed up around 5:47 PM. He seemed like an interesting character—a British gentleman in his 80s with a history of managing bands like Black Sabbath. I would have loved to chat with him, but I was so disappointed and frustrated by the experience. This place has the potential to be fantastic, given its fun artwork and great location, even if it's outside the main town area. My wife managed to find a way to enjoy ourselves, but ultimately, this failed reservation consumed seven hours of our day. I could envision a much better menu, live music, and people lining up outside, yet it feels like the place is poorly managed and perhaps operating as a hobby for the owner in retirement. Their website is down, and the last post on Facebook was a month ago. Interestingly, the owner also runs the Borrego Sun, which makes it puzzling that, despite having a platform to promote his restaurant, he can’t seem to attract diners. It raises concerns about the future of both the restaurant and the paper. We ended up going to Coyote Steakhouse on the other side of Borrego Springs, and it was fantastic.

I was thrilled to hear that this restaurant had reopened, and it met all my expectations for Borrego Springs. The food was fantastic, the atmosphere was delightful, and the hosts were incredibly friendly. They even prepared a special meal for our 3-year-old, which was very thoughtful. I can't wait to come back!