The Top 100 Places to Eat and Drink Near Shootz
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Rank 1. Shootz
Asian/Hawaiian
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Rank 2. Heritage Barbecue
Texas Barbecue
Daniel Castillo's barbecue shop in San Juan Capistrano draws crowds at dawn for Texas-style smoke and ritual. Brisket arrives charred and lustrous; a bowl of brisket chili paired with cheddar-jalapeño biscuits follows. The devotion here runs deep, and deservedly so.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Best Chef: California · Daniel Castillo
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
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Rank 3. Mayfield
Modern Mediterranean
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Rank 4. Raya
Pan-Latin
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Rank 5. Bourbon Steak Orange County
Steakhouse
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Rank 6. Truly Pizza
Californian
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Rank 7. Kahani
Modern Indian
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Rank 10. Selanne Steak Tavern
Steakhouse
A converted house on Pacific Coast Highway offers multiple dining rooms—Loft, Wine Library, Tavern, Terrace—each with its own rhythm, though the bar hums loudest. The beef arrives tender and marbled, finished with butter and expertise; seared mushrooms in Madeira reduction and creamy potatoes complete the picture. This is steakhouse comfort executed without apology.
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In a Laguna Beach shopping center, Chef Jordan Nakasone runs a quiet counter where tradition and invention coexist with ease. Nigiri spotlights pristine fish—yagara, nodoguro—while kitchen dishes like chawanmushi with black cod and miso butter show restraint and ambition. Service disappears into the background, leaving only the meal.
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Rank 12. Oliver's Osteria
Italian
A sun-lit room near the Pacific Coast Highway where Chef Erik De Marchi draws on Italian tradition without pretense: zucchini blossoms stuffed with ricotta and anchovies, bucatini all'amatriciana that tastes both familiar and alive, house-made desserts that close the meal on an honest note. The banquettes and bar invite lingering.
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Rank 14. Marché Moderne
Modern French
The Marneaus' dining room glows with the confidence of a place that knows exactly what it is: a modern kitchen fluent in French tradition, where coq au vin and lobster flambéed in Courvoisier emerge from an open kitchen with the same precision as the house charcuterie sliced on a vintage Berkel. Seasonal cocktails and generous wine pairings bracket meals that feel both familiar and alive.
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater The 38 Essential Orange County Restaurants
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Rank 15. Knife Pleat
Contemporary French
Nestled above the fashion boutiques of South Coast Plaza, this third-floor dining room glows with the warmth of an open kitchen and a sheltered patio. Chef Tony Esnault's French foundation—steelhead with fennel, barley risotto with chestnut—yields gracefully to global inflection and composed desserts that taste of clarity.
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
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- LAist 2024 · Smashburger · Best Bites
- Eater The 38 Essential Orange County Restaurants
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · #91 · The 101 best restaurants in Los Angeles
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Rank 17. Sushi Ii
Sushi
A spare coastal room overlooks the highway while the chef moves through kaiseki's ceremonial rhythms: tofu crowned with Bafun uni, belt fish paired with dashi-simmered tomato, nigiri of wild flounder and baby sea bream rendered with surgical precision. Seasonal Japanese imports and local catches arrive meticulously composed, each plate a small argument for restraint and timing.
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Rank 18. CHAAK Kitchen
Yucatán Mexican
Smoke and spice from the Yucatán arrive in Tustin through careful hands and an understanding of the peninsula's layered culinary traditions. Charred habanero salsa clings to crisp corn empanadas; cochinita pibil, marinated in citrus and achiote, yields to a fork beside fresh tortillas. It's cooking that takes its ingredients and history seriously, without performing either.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- Eater The 38 Essential Orange County Restaurants
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Rank 19. Fable & Spirit
Californian
Overlooking Newport Harbor, this bistro marries seaside elegance with unfussy cooking, from inventive vegetable dishes to a showstopping 12-hour Kurobuta porchetta. The room crackles with the energy of diners who come for more than the views.
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Rank 20. Hana re
Sushi
A ten-seat counter hidden in a Costa Mesa strip mall becomes a sanctuary of unhurried precision under Chef Atsushi Yokoyama, who moves from delicate composed dishes—chawanmushi crowned with blue shrimp, braised abalone with uni—into nigiri with the inevitability of ritual. What emerges across the evening is a argument for restraint: excellent fish, simply prepared, allowed to speak for itself.
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Rank 21. Vaca
Rustic Spanish
Amar Santana's rustic tapas bar in Costa Mesa pairs an extensive Spanish wine list with consistently executed small plates in a quirky dining room where the semi-open kitchen holds court. The bikini sandwich—jamón ibérico, Manchego, truffle oil on grilled bread—and golden croquetas de pollo suggest a place more interested in precision than spectacle.
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Rank 24. Farmhouse at Roger's Gardens
Californian
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Rank 25. A&J Restaurant
Dim Sum Chinese
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Rank 26. Bello by Sandro Nardone
Italian
Low light and large canvases frame an open kitchen where Sandro Nardone, drawing on his Italian heritage and mastery of wood-fired cooking, executes contemporary dishes with precision. Pizzas emerge blistered and austere; house-made rigatoni in guanciale and tomato sauce carries just enough pepper to sing. A room designed for lingering, and food that justifies every moment.
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Rank 28. The Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar
Californian
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Rank 29. Omakase by Gino
Sushi
A sushi counter in downtown Santa Ana where distressed wood and Japanese touches frame Chef Gino Choi's assured hand—yuzu cream cradling house-cured ikura, flame-kissed tuna over miso. The udon arrives thick and creamy with uni and black truffle, a dish that tastes like joy.
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Rank 31. A Restaurant
New American
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Rank 32. Hook & Anchor
Seafood
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Rank 33. Populaire Modern Bistro
Modern French
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Rank 34. Nep Cafe
Modern Vietnamese
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Viet Nguyen
- Eater The 38 Essential Orange County Restaurants
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Rank 35. Terrace by Mix Mix
French/Italian/Filipino
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Rank 36. Nardo
Southern Italian
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Rank 39. Lola Gaspar
Mexican
Downtown Santa Ana gastropub where Chef Luis Perez's streamlined menu—handmade tortillas, masa-based quekas, churros—reflects a deliberate turn toward quality. Grilled tomato and dried chili salsa tops tacos filled with carnitas and shrimp; vegan mushroom quekas come with confit potatoes and guacamole, cheese optional. The editing is ruthless, the execution isn't.
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Los Angeles Times 2024 · Citrus marinated chicken taco · The 101 Best Tacos in Los Angeles
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Rank 41. Alta Baja Market
Mexican
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Rank 42. Brodard Vietnamese Cuisine
Traditional Vietnamese
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- Eater The 38 Essential Orange County Restaurants
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Rank 43. PhởHolic
Noodles
At this Westminster pho shop, beef broth simmered with anise achieves an almost meditative sweetness, drawing everyone from grandparents to Gen Z devotees. The kitchen forgoes shortcuts despite gentle prices, sending out massive bowls of uncomplicated, deeply satisfying comfort.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · Fifty Under $50
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Rank 44. LSXO
Vietnamese
Tucked within Huntington Beach's Bluegold, LSXO trades ocean views for a cooler, louder energy—a speakeasy with real conviction. Pork, shrimp and crab dumplings arrive with a peanut-spiked black vinegar that catches fire; the cháo, a silky broth of crab and white fish, justifies the difficulty of getting a table.
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Rank 45. Fonda Moderna
Mexican
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Rank 46. Haven Craft Kitchen + Bar
Californian New American
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Rank 47. Gabbi's Mexican Kitchen
Regional Mexican
The cooks honor regional Mexican traditions through refined dishes like citrus-kissed achiote pork panuchos, refusing substitutions because they know what they're doing. An open storefront spilling onto Orange's antique-lined street and backlit tequila shelves create an warm, unpretentious setting.
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Rank 48. Taco Mesita
Mexican
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Rank 49. Taco Nazo
Ensenada-Style
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Rank 50. Alebrijes Grill
Mexican
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Rank 52. Bandito Taqueria
Tijuana-Style
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Rank 53. Angel's Tijuana Tacos
Tijuana-Style
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Rank 55. Phở 79
Noodles
Phở 79 has been ladling oxtail-enriched broths since the early eighties, earning its reputation as a Southern California standard. The spartan room with its yellow walls fills nightly, a small price for broth that justifies the wait.
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Rank 56. Valle
Modern Mexican
Chef Roberto Alcocer's modern Mexican kitchen overlooks Oceanside Pier, its tasting menu balancing whimsy—corn chowder ice cream, mushroom tetelas—with genuine flavor. A fireplace warms the dining room, while wines from Valle de Guadalupe anchor an ambitious list.
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Rank 57. The Ranch
Steakhouse
An urban steakhouse playing cowboy without irony: beef-forward, but anchored by vegetables from their own farm. The prime rib arrives impossibly tender with cast-iron potatoes and horseradish; popovers come with homemade tomato jam. A place built for sharing and for appetites that match its generous portions.
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Rank 58. Carnitas Uruapan
Mexican
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- The Pinnacle Guide 2026 · 2 Pins
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program
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Rank 63. Paradise Dynasty
Chinese
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Rank 64. The Rooftop Bar
Mediterranean
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Inside a nondescript mall corridor, Chef Ben and Ayako Sato run an intimate sushi counter where the menu changes nightly by hand. Kanpachi arrives barely kissed with heat and finished with yuzu; firefly squid yields to tender flesh beneath nori and scallion. What matters here is not the setting but the deliberate care—warm service, precise technique, a kitchen that understands restraint.
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Rank 66. Yigah
Authentic Korean
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Rank 67. Dija Mara
Indonesian
An industrial Indonesian spot with garage-door entry and cheeky murals where serious cooking unfolds in dim light. The nasi goreng layers fried rice with shrimp, pork belly, chicken, and a sunny yolk; charred eggplant meets smoked tomato sambal and crispy shallots. Creative low-ABV cocktails built on house ferments pair neatly with the spice.
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Rank 68. Matsu
Modern Sushi
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in San Diego
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Japanese Restaurant · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 69. Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen
Southern/Italian
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Rank 71. Sababa Falafel Shop
Middle Eastern
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Rank 73. 24 Suns
Noodles
Chef-owners Nic Webber and Jacob Jordan compose a seasonally restless noodle menu in a converted dive bar, where shrimp jiaozi in fermented bean butter and a butterscotch black sesame budino justify the casual fine-dining tightrope. The wine and sake list rewards ordering without restraint.
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Rank 74. Albaraka Restaurant
Palestinian Middle Eastern
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · The 101 Best Restaurants in California
- Eater The 38 Essential Orange County Restaurants
- Los Angeles Times 2025 · #32 · The 101 best restaurants in Los Angeles
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Rank 75. Tiendita
Mexican
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Rank 76. Jeune et Jolie
Nouvelle French
The dining room glows in pale rose, light streaming through windows onto tables where Chef Eric Bost's nouvelle-French cooking unfolds with precision. Grilled leeks meet buttermilk and black truffle; roasted duck arrives with parsnips; the milk bread alone justifies the visit. A cocktail program of genuine craft steadies the elegant mood.
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- The New York Times 2025 · Fraise · The 14 Best Restaurant Desserts We Ate Across the U.S.
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Rank 77. Tacos Los Cholos
Mexican
- LAist 2023 · Tacos · Best Bites
- Los Angeles Times 2024 · Filet mignon tacos · The 101 Best Tacos in Los Angeles
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Rank 78. Poppy & Seed
Modern Southern
Inside a greenhouse bar overlooking citrus trees and herbs, Michael and Kwini Reed compose dishes from local farms and waters—shrimp over creamy grits, charred eggplant with steak tartare, Brussels sprouts candied with bacon jam. The setting enforces what the kitchen already knows: restraint and regional sourcing can feel like luxury.
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Michael Reed
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 80. Kareem's Falafel
Middle Eastern
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Rank 81. Tanner’s Prime Burgers
American
A fine dining chef trades tablecloths for a counter, grinding single-source USDA prime into burgers built on brioche and dressed with caramelized onions or bacon. Fries arrive twice-fried in beef tallow, crackling at the edges; a vanilla tallow ice cream sandwich or Dutch chocolate shake seals the indulgence. This is unpretentious cooking with serious technique.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in San Diego
- San Diego Magazine 2025 · Best Pizza in San Diego · The Best Restaurants in San Diego
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Rank 82. Lilo
New American
Guests circulate through heated patio and intimate counter to watch Chef Eric Bost work with kinmedai, wagyu, and abalone in a sequence that builds from savory precision to a striking orgeat ice cream crowned with celery root and caviar. The meal unfolds as theater—composed, ambitious, and engineered to surprise.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- The New York Times 2025 · The Restaurant List
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: California · Eric Bost
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Rank 85. Khan Saab Desi Craft Kitchen
Pakistani Indian
Chef Imran Ali Mookhi wields spices with precision, letting beef sirloin kebabs and Khan biryani sing on a menu that respects carnivores and vegetarians alike. The bright, hip dining room and craft mocktail bar make this South Asian outpost a welcome anomaly on a Mexican-dominated stretch.
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Rank 87. Campfire
Contemporary
A midcentury Quonset hut houses a 12-foot wood-burning hearth that imparts smoke to everything from charred vegetables to grilled octopus, the kitchen's playful obsession with fire matched only by the patio's teepee and pile of props. The s'mores arrive with live coals for toasting house-made marshmallows, completing this glamping fantasy with a knowing wink rather than earnest reverence.
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Rank 89. Fuoco Pizzeria Napoletana
Neapolitan Pizza
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Rank 90. Ramen & Tsukemen TAO
Noodles
A modest storefront in an open-air mall houses bowls of ramen made with uncommon care. The spicy red miso arrives rich and creamy, noodles snappy beneath the surface; the chicken broth runs lighter but no less purposeful. Twenty seats, no pretense, every visit a reason to return.
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Rank 93. Kaori Sushi
Sushi
Lanterns crowd the intimate dining counter at Kaori Sushi, tucked into a Fullerton strip mall where the chef's nigiri—golden eye snapper, toro with wasabi, saba layered over shiso—proves the setting irrelevant. The focused menu balances sashimi's clarity with cooked experiments like mara udon and crab risotto, each plate executed with restraint that rewards close attention.
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Rank 94. Forn Al Hara
Middle Eastern
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Rank 95. Koi Japanese Cuisine
Japanese
In a Seal Beach strip mall, experienced chefs command a spare sashimi counter where regulars arrive like family. Orange clams and pristine kampachi give way to delicate nigiri—seabass kissed with yuzu kosho, scallop crowned in uni—while tempura-fried zucchini flowers stuffed with scallops bridge the meal like a palate-cleansing interlude. The place trades trend for craft and rapport.
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Rank 97. Tacos Los Cholos
Mexican
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Rank 99. Angel's Tijuana Tacos
Tijuana-Style
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