Vegan crunch wraps, prawn chip nachos and frosé. Here's what to eat and drink Coachella Weekend 2 - BERITAJA

2026 marks my eighth twelvemonth attending Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. “Whoa, you’re a mega-fan-maniac!” my stepfather exclaimed successful admiration (I think?), erstwhile I revealed this nosy fact.

Over 4 installments, betwixt 2010 and 2018, I attended the show for fun, and since 2023 I’ve covered the nutrient and beverage options for The Times. That operation of acquisition — including 1 twelvemonth spent camping — is what I’m bringing to these recommendations for the champion bites and drinks to effort if you’re heading to Indio for Weekend 2.

With Coachella summons prices and truthful galore different things now much costly than ever — gas, accommodations — I made it a constituent to activity retired affordable bites, which meant skipping the multicourse Outstanding successful the Field meal bid and Nobu omakase. Most of the nutrient you’ll find astatine vendors is priced betwixt $17 and $30, pinch occasional discounted deals for groups, for illustration the Munchies Box from Cena Vegan that comes pinch 2 crunchy tacos, 1 crunch wrap, tortilla chips and nacho food for $30.

I cannot accent capable the value of changeless hydration astatine the festival. There are h2o stations passim the grounds and bottles are priced affordably and often fixed retired for free to forestall dehydration. I besides urge regular stops astatine the Electrolit activation successful the Coachella Courtyard, wherever you could get free samples of the hydrating sports drink.

Hydration accent complete, present are the nutrient recs.

If you’re a VIP summons holder, your first repast of the time should beryllium astatine Kazunori‘s sushi antagonistic successful the Rose Garden, which typically involves a wait. Thanks to my ace planning, I was first successful statement and sat astatine the antagonistic wrong minutes. I ordered a group of 5 manus rolls, which came retired truthful accelerated I was only capable to threat haphazard photos and video. Either way, each rotation — lukewarm and packed pinch scallops, toro and lobster — was delicious and refreshing, pinch plentifulness of omega 3s to powerfulness maine done the remainder of the day.

While you’re successful the Rose Garden, plaything by smashburger spot Love Hour — the Koreatown location is temporarily closed while the edifice undergoes building — for $12 caviar bumps aliases a afloat dispersed pinch caviar, crème fraîche and nuggets.

Fans of spicy nutrient could effort their manus astatine the Buldak crawl, a power situation from the Korean basking condiment marque that involves collaborative dishes from different nutrient vendors, including a foot-long Japanese-style basking canine from Sumo Dog successful Street Food Alley and a birria quesadilla from Birrieria San Marcos successful 12 Peaks VIP area.

One of the champion parts of Coachella is catching the sherbet-colored sunset astatine the extremity of the day. That arena was made each the sweeter erstwhile I paired the existent sunset pinch the Coachella sunset cocktail, which layers citrus and a speared kumquat pinch tequila, served successful a branded cup that doubles arsenic a souvenir.

Chicken pesto crepe from Coachella vendor Gabino’s Creperie, which has locations successful Indio and Palm Springs.

(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)

On Coachella Day 1, I kept seeing show goers carrying griddled crepes successful cones brimming pinch savory ingredients and I knew that I would beryllium seeking it retired first point connected Day 2. I was pleased to find that the crepes came courtesy of Gabino’s Creperie, a proposal connected edifice professional Bill Addison’s updated Palm Springs eating guide, which precocious opened a 2nd location successful Indio. The cheesy crepe overflowed pinch creamy pesto, crunchy lettuce, sliced reddish onions and tender squares of grilled chicken.

Be judge you activity retired astatine slightest 1 hidden speakeasy. Coachella took it easy connected show goers by placing 2 bars crossed the measurement from each different successful Street Food Alley. Look for an old-school photograph booth arsenic the entranceway to an air-conditioned bunker pinch draping ivy, seating and a groovy playlist. A neon cactus marks the different speakeasy entrance, and gives measurement to a rave segment pinch fog machines, strobe lights, wall speakers and — notably — nary seating. Depending connected who’s astatine the door, you whitethorn beryllium asked for a password, but a group of america were fto correct successful without immoderate inquiry.

Friday headliner Sabrina Carpenter is down the hidden cocktail den successful Indio Central Market, pinch a vintage elevator doorway marking the entrance. Inside it feels for illustration a vintage hairsbreadth salon pinch pops of pink, ancient furniture, a photograph booth and an espresso martini connected the menu. The tiki barroom is backmost successful the 12 Peaks VIP area adjacent to Menotti’s java stand, pinch tropical cocktails garnished pinch insubstantial umbrellas and bordering Lake Medjool.

One of my favourite show meals came from Smorgasburg L.A. vendor Lobsterdamus. The lobster fries were buttery pinch a generous information of the poached crustacean, positive truffle mayo, mozzarella, ail confit and cilantro. The fries were basking and it made for an ultra-satisfying repast arsenic Night 2 coiled down.

Nothing thumps the power astatine Coachella for illustration a frosé from Dark Horse Wine & Slushie Bar.

(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)

A refreshing frosé slushie from Dark Horse Wine & Slushie Bar is ever precocious connected my privilege database astatine Coachella and usually convenient to grab, arsenic it antecedently had a booth successful 12 Peaks wherever VIP guests participate the show grounds. The vino marque switched it up this year, truthful to prevention you the 2 days it took maine to find the guidelines successful what the representation describes arsenic Terrace South Food, I’ll nonstop you to make your measurement done the Empire Polo Club barroom connected the different broadside of the Beer Barn and adjacent Street Food Alley.

I’ve discovered immoderate of my favourite burgers astatine Coachella and this twelvemonth I added a caller sanction to my rotation. Find Gardena-based Oh My Burger successful the Coachella Courtyard, pinch heavy azygous aliases double smashburgers generously doused successful a spicy typical condiment pinch pickles and melted food connected a croissant bun. And don’t hide an bid of curly fries.

The show stepped up its plant-based offerings this year, pinch options for illustration Civico successful the 12 Peaks VIP area and Smorgasburg vendor ManEatingPlant successful Indio Central Market. The crunch wrap from Cena Vegan was my favourite vegan repast complete the weekend; it tasted remarkably akin to the type I retrieve eating astatine Taco Bell galore years ago, yet lacked the preservatives and different ingredients that mightiness measurement you down.

Villa’s Tacos is much celebrated than ever since proprietor Victor Villa made an quality successful Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance.

(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

I can’t opportunity that the statement astatine Villa’s Tacos successful Indio Central Market is immoderate shorter than the ones astatine Victor Villa’s taquerias successful Highland Park and downtown L.A., particularly aft Villa made a cameo successful Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance. What I could guarantee is that the serving size is the same, pinch 3 full-size, blue-corn quesatacos topped pinch onion, cilantro, guacamole, cotija food and crema Mexicana.

One of my favourite parts of eating astatine Coachella is taking advantage of L.A. spots pinch constricted hours aliases availability, for illustration Delmy’s Pupusas from the 101 Best Restaurants list, which pops up astatine a fewer section farmers markets and could beryllium recovered successful 12 Peaks VIP area and adjacent the Mojave stage, pinch stuffed blue-corn pupusas disposable pinch vegan fillings aliases beans and cheese.

Perhaps the champion and decidedly the about astonishing wound of the play came from Double Dragon BBQ near the Mojave stage. The loaded prawn spot nachos eat much for illustration a salad, pinch tender charred chicken, Sichuan cucumber and woodear mushroom crockery and fermented legume curd aioli strewn crossed the puffy chips. Order a Taiwanese yuzu soda to lavation it down.

There are churro carts passim the grounds, but the type served astatine Mexico City-founded Churrería El Moro — pinch a caller location successful Silver Lake — stands isolated from the remainder pinch cajeta, guava and acheronian cocoa dipping sauces. The blue-and-white building is located adjacent the iconic Ferris instrumentality successful Terrace North. Don’t accent the line. It moves quickly and you’ll beryllium presented pinch a container of piping basking and crispy churros wrong seconds of placing your order.