Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace
53688 Pioneertown Rd, Pioneertown, CA 92268
THE LEGENDARY PAPPY + HARRIET’S PIONEERTOWN PALACE has been delighting locals and travelers alike since 1982, with its Santa Maria barbecue, live music, dancing, and friendly service. There is also a long history here. In 1946, Pioneertown was founded by a group of Hollywood investors with dreams of creating a living movie set — an 1870s frontier town with facades for filming and interiors open to the public.
ON THE OUTSIDE were stables, saloons, and jails, and on the inside, ice cream parlors, bowling alleys, and motels. Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Russell Hayden, and the Sons of the Pioneers (for whom the town was named) were some of the original investors and personalities who helped build and invent Pioneertown. More than 50 films and several television shows were filmed in Pioneertown throughout the 1940s and 1950’s. In 1946, where Pappy + Harriet’s stands today, a facade was used as a cantina set for numerous western films.
The cantina changed ownership several times over the years, and in 1982 Harriet and her husband, Claude “Pappy” Allen, opened “Pappy + Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace.” In the 1990’s, Joshua Tree National Park exploded with visitors, the secret was out, and Pappy’s was the place to be. Pappy’s has become famous for its list of entertainers including the likes of Lizzo, Robert Plant, The Zombies and none other than Paul McCartney counted as visitors.
“PAPPY + HARRIET’S REMAINS A CULTURAL INSTITUTION BOTH LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY, CONTINUING THE LEGACY AND TRADITION OF WORLD-CLASS LIVE MUSIC FOR ALL, GREAT BBQ, GOOD TIMES, AND UNMATCHED VIBE. IN MEMORY OF PAPPY, HARRIET, AND ALL THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE AND AFTER.”
Unfortunately for Parade attendees, Pappy’s is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so if you are interested in going, it will have to be on Thursday or Friday. They are open from 11 AM-11PM. No reservations and no takeout meals.
Visit their website for more information. Remember, this place is in the middle of the desert!
https://pappyandharriets.com/info/
Driving Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/b4TKayQic8B8njtA7 (50 miles/1 hr, depending on traffic)