Just like the headlining entertainment, festival food get bigger and better every year. The food at Coachella was certainly plentiful, with stands surrounding the outskirts of the field and lines of people waiting for their grub. There’s a general admission area and a VIP area, but no matter which you have access to you can’t go wrong with the eats. Although the only caveat? Insanely inflated prices, which are unfortunately par for the course at an event like Coachella.
With it being my first time attending and being a natural foodie, I was eager to see what the eating situation was all about — it was more a question of “where and when?” than anything else. After spending three days in the desert (with most of my time being spent at the Heineken House beer garden) I put together the ultimate foodie guide ahead of Coachella Weekend Two. Ya know, for when you’re just craving that late night quesadilla, which I am most definitely guilty of.
Scout The Area
This seems like an obvious first step, but there are so many vendors at the festival, and the options can be overwhelming. Luckily, alongside all those choices you’ll find a plethora of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options for those that need it. My advice would be to do a lap (or two—we did three) and see what you’re craving before zoning in on one vendor.
You’ll wanna make time for this before it gets dark, that way you know exactly where you’re headed before the desert sun goes dim. Trust me, the field gets packed with people, so a game plan (or at least an idea of a location) is definitely a must. Coachella offers everything from Chinese noodles to açaí bowls to oysters to stacked burgers and fries.
Prepare To Pay...A Lot
Your Coachella passes pave the way for your food journey here, but they don’t cover the costs. It’s rare to find any foods under $20, no matter what you order. My brisket mac and cheese was $24, and couldn’t have been more than a few ounces. I mean regular hot coffee went for around $10, so it’s no surprise other drinks were often over $13. Basically, this viral TikTok about two burritos and two coffees costing $60+ really captures it all perfectly.
Pick Out Your Drinks First
Like me, many festival goers opted to grab drinks first. There are some adorable Aperol Spritz stands, a designated Absolut “Land” (AKA a mini club in the center of the grounds), and several other cocktail bars throughout. The VIP section provided a bar smack dab in the middle — with pretty regular drink options — in which I grabbed a tequila pineapple.
My favorite spot to go though, was Heineken House. Besides the fact that it was comparable to one big rager with Dj’s and popping music, you could grab the brand’s newest varietal (a Heineken Silver), the OG Heineken, Heineken 0.0 (a non alcoholic version), Dos Equis Ranch Water (a hard seltzer), or water. I always made a pit stop there before heading out to see my fave artists.
You can check out what a great time I had at Heineken House on Instagram! :)
Do Dinner Early
I'll say it again: 🗣️ Do. Dinner. Earlier. I can’t tell you how many times my friends waited in line for soooo long just to grab some brisket mac and cheese (like I did!). The VIP section was pretty swift, but their seating always lacked unless you opted to eat between 4 to 5PM. Once the clock hits 8PM, people start to swarm for dinner. If you’re in a rush to see an artist you love or visit a new attraction, my recommendation is to get the food out of the way first — plus, it makes room to try out some delicious snacks later!
Grab A Quick Bite Before The Final Show
If you’re a fan of the headliners (this year’s artists being Bad Bunny, Rosalía, and Frank Ocean), don’t wait to snag a snack or dessert until the last minute. Especially if you’re in VIP, the Coachella main stage is located right in front of that entrance, so it starts to get flooded with general admission ticket holders very quickly. Plus, the main acts don’t perform until about 11PM (like Frank Ocean who was late by an hour), so you don’t want to harbor a hungry stomach.
There are several churro stands, fried chicken options, ice cream offerings, and more. The Indio Central Market (next to Heineken House) is insanely busy, but has tons of tables and late night bites. I opted for some delicious poutine fries in the VIP area to get me through the final show.
Don't Skip The Water Stations
One tactic that really impressed me about Coachella was the use of portable water stations, so make sure to take advantage of those. They were located at several prime spots throughout the grounds, which allowed you to refill your bottle easily. What shocked me the most were the prices of water — only $2 a pop — which is pretty much unheard of these days. Coachella definitely wants you to stay hydrated while frolicking in the hot desert!
What are you most excited about for Coachella's second weekend? Let us know on Twitter, and tag us in your looks on Insta!
Disclaimer: Heineken House provided accommodations for Olivia's trip to Coachella.
Header image via Olivia Bria
