Owners Fernando and Flora Guerrero have been delighting diners in the Coachella Valley since 1998. Fernando is a retired bullfighter from Ecuador, performing there as well as in Mexico and Spain. Original paintings and photos of his performances adorn the walls of South of the Border. You will usually find him behind the bar or wandering through the restaurant greeting his customers with a welcoming smile.

South of the Border is a favorite with locals and visitors alike. It was featured in the "Press Telegram" Travel section in August, 1998, and then again in their Favorite Places to Eat in the Coachella Valley section in December, 2002. South of the Border was also written up in the New York Times in early 2003, and Fernando appeared on "Cooking with Jackie" on the Time Warner Cable Network in February, 2003.

Everyone who has had the fortune to discover this hidden gem raves about the wonderful food, service and atmosphere. Read below what just a few of the patrons say about South of the Border.

"I am writing to tell you what a wonderful restaurant you have. We love the food and the atmosphere there. Your employees are great.

We came to dinner at your restaurant both on August 3rd and August 4th. On the 4th, we were celebrating our son's 15th birthday and your waiters brought him a flan, san Happy Birthday to him and took a picture of him with a sombrero on. He was thrilled by this and my husband and I greatly appreciated what was done for him. Mr. Guerrero, we met you Saturday the 3rd, at the bar, when we went in to tell you how much we appreciated the great service we obtained. We discussed your bullfighting days, from the pictures on your wall.

Whenever we come to Palm Springs we now make it a point to come to your restaurant for dinner. We came for dinner 3 out of 4 nights when we were in Palm Springs from July 19-22. We first discovered your restaurant in July 2001, by accident and are very glad we did.

You can be assured that we are recommending your restaurant to our family, friends, and my clients that are going out to Palm Springs. I am a travel agent and have enclosed a business card.

Thank you again for the fantastic food and service." - Rosa and Patrick M. - Anaheim, CA.

"On 12/03/02 I was celebrating my 70th birthday and I wanted to throw a birthday party for myself. I remembered that South of the Border had a separate room in their dining room that could accommodate about 25 people. I requested that the two tables in the bar area be taken out so I could have my guests mingle over cocktails with Chips and Guacamole for an hour. We then went into the separate dining room for dinner. My guests ordered whatever they wanted and the food was served in a prompt manner. The drinks and food were excellent. The cost of the party was well below what I expected it to be." - Gil W. - Desert Hot Springs, CA.

"We make it a point to bring all of our visitors to South of the Border because the food is incredible and affordable, and Fernando and his staff are the best! One of the reasons we moved here to Desert Hot Springs is the small town atmosphere, and when going to South of the Border, we feel as though we're part of a wonderful family. We won't eat at any other Mexican restaurant "North of the Border." - Madeline P. and Michael B. - Desert Hot Springs, CA