Cool place to take a stroll in garden and palm tree garden.. informative film about history of shields garden and date palm groves-production.. free to stroll the 30 minute walks. Cafe closes by 2pm - 6pm w-sun. .. we did the date coffee milkshake and date samples .. All tasty

The date shakes here are really sweet and tasty. Before coming here I've only ever been to hadleys date farm and there's definitely a noticeable difference. 1: Shields offers only 2 flavors coffee and vanilla and no vegan option. 2: Shields has a thicker consistency. 3: shields is sweeter 4: Hadleys tastes more like dates and has more chunks as well. I really wanted to give shields a 5 star for the awesome date shakes, but I didn't really like the fact that they charged so much for their credit card usage. In no situation for card present do you pay 4%. The employees have been brainwashed to say that they are just passing down their credit card costs charged to them by the bank, but in reality they make a small profit from when you use your card because they are definitely not getting charged 4%. I did my research and found out the truth if things.

This place is a hoot. Americana has so many kitsch roadside attractions and Shields Date Garden, which has a shop, eating venues, and a little theater, is no exception. This venue is in Indio, California. The reason I decided to go out this way was because there was one of the Coachella Valley's few urgent care providers that was on my in-network list according to my insurer, and, when I got there, the list was no longer valid and they wouldn't see me. However, I had gone to Shields Date Garden before looking for the urgent care place, so it took off some of the frustration with the insurer and the urgent care place. First, I immediately noticed that Shields Date Garden has been in operation for 100 years. I asked an employee when their actual birthday was or would be. He said they opened on Christmas Day. That's great! Happy birthday and Merry Christmas. Upon arriving, the parking lot is ample. The store looks sort of wide, and that's because there is a little theater as well as places to eat. The theater's program is about the "romance and sex life" of dates. I'm not joking. Dates are actually "gendered." The little theater looked hokey and I didn't have time, but it's interesting for those looking for an easy to grasp science lesson. Note that the Shields Date Garden cafe' only serves breakfast and lunch, so it closes at 2:00 p.m. However, there are exceptions, and there is a Taco Tuesday option available at slightly later hours. Shields Date Garden's store has many packaged renditions and groupings of dates. There are also many types of dates, just like there are many types of oranges and lemons. The most common date is the "Medjool," which rhymes with "pasta fazool," the incorrect and more Jersey Shore name for pasta with fagioli. The package pricing is high but, then, dates are never cheap as they are an exotic fruit that seemingly has been elevated to delicacy status. My parents liked them a lot while I thought they had a weird appearance and consistency. As I ate more of them, I came to like them. There are smaller and less expensive gift packages of dates if you look for them. There are also plenty of gift items, be it apparel, trinkets, postcards, etc. Store employees are definitely helpful, but, if it's busy, you have to work at getting their attention and your questions answered. Inside the main store is what looks like a counter from an old fashioned malt shop. They serve some food as well as beverages. They tout their famed date shake. Note that it is $9.95, but it is big and filling. It's also creamy and tasty. It probably has nutritional value since dates are, for the most part, good for you. Now, if I was a resident of the Coachella Valley, their price hikes described in other reviews might have me scratching my head ... and it's already why I'm not giving them 5 stars. Do not miss the date garden in the back. As you look at it from the parking lot, you would almost expect a camel to saunter by. It looks like something from Egypt or Morocco, but it's also true to form for the Desert Southwest. The garden is quite large and has a path, with many marked shrubs and water features. Note that there is religious symbolism along the path, obviously steeped in Catholicism, but keep in mind the history and demographics of this area, and the fact that it was created a long time ago. I say, "If you don't like it, lump it" ... in that case, you don't have to go into the date garden, which is free of charge to begin with. I will always chuckle at the fact that I've been to Shields Date Garden in Indio, California. I've known about it for a while. Not only that, it reminded me that dates are a really tasty sort of "Mediterranean" food and I was able to finally tick off trying a date shake, which was better than I had expected.

If you're in search of the ideal pit stop between AZ and CA, look no further! And if you have never savored a date shake, you can thank me later. Shield's is easy on/off the I-10 and their date shakes are INCREDIBLE! I guess they should be for $10, but still. It's a special treat. And a walk around the garden is a perfect way to stretch your legs before getting back on the road.

Although we didn't eat here, the patio dining looked pretty nice. The life of Christ walk was really neat! It's an expansive garden, and was pleasant to walk through. I also bought some of their Date BBQ sauce, which is delicious!

I took a couple of friends here to treat them to their first desert date shake - and we were pleasantly surprised! The food was pretty good and everything was appropriately sized. The main dish that WOWed me was the stuffed dates. The way that blue cheese meshed with the saltiness of the meat, spice of the jalapeño, and the sweetness of the date was perfect. Make that a must! Everything else was good too, but I wouldn't call them flavor explosions. After our meal, we were able to walk around the gardens which was a cool sight to see. Give this place a try if you want to see where these magical dates come from!

I have my share of date shake and I have to say, this is the best damn one of them I have ever had! Smooth, creamy and dates mince tiny for an easier slurp! Gotta stop here if in the area!!!!

Shields is a huge date plantation which has lots of date trees and a self guided tour of their garden. It is a but off that it's mostly a religious tour which is cool but not really related to dates. Inside there is a cool theater which explains how the dates are grown as well as a cafe which sells a bunch of date related desserts including date ice cream and date shakes. I LOVE date shakes. Although it's very sweet, I still really liked it especially in the blazing hot heat. The ice cream was also really good and actually less sweet compared to the shake. Lots of chunks of dates. Overall, everyone was nice inside and the dates were delicious. Lots of cool stuff to see and the tour and walking the grounds are completely free. Lots of parking as well. Staff were all very friendly. I think it's a must see while in Palm Springs.