El Gallito sits off the main road (Hwy 111) in Cathedral City and is about 15 minutes from downtown Palm Springs. It's a cute little cottage. It looks like it was there years before the rest of strip malls were built up around it. The building is something you will notice as you drive by on Hwy 111.
Parking your car is not a problem, parking your rear is. There is always a wait here. Come early and get your name of the list then wait. My one complaint is that they have no bar or anyplace to wait. They have a few small benches on the outside and that's it! On weekends in season the wait can approach two hours!
The food is good and the service is fast paced but friendly. I really like their cheese enchiladas, chile rellenos or their burritos. The salsa here is one of the best I have tasted. I am not a mole fan, but my friends tell me it's numero uno here.
The place is small and noisy. You quickly get pulled in the whole El Gallito atmosphere and it's a lot of fun. The employees seem to have a good time working here. They do a great job of moving folks in and out of here quickly.
I enjoy the food and atmosphere here and when we go, we try to go early. I have also found lunch seems not to have the same endless lines and waits.
We do find El Mirasol in Palm Springs has truly the best Mexican food in the desert, but this ranks a close second. El Gallito has a better atmosphere and it seems to draw the crowds. Be warned they don't take credit cards, but the prices are right and it won't cost you a king's ransom to eat here.