The 15 Best Places to Eat in Santa Ana

Distressed wood and exposed brick give this intimate Santa Ana sushi counter the feel of a tavern that took a sharp left turn into Japan. Chef Gino Choi runs an omakase where the mood is warm and unhurried, and the courses keep pace with his evident enthusiasm for the form. The Michelin Guide has it listed. Tucked into a quiet stretch of downtown, it draws the kind of crowd that drives past the freeway exits everyone else takes.

1. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
2. Eater The 38 Essential Orange County Restaurants

Handmade flour tortillas and hand-pressed masa are the foundation at this Mexican gastropub in downtown Santa Ana, where a post-pandemic reset trimmed the menu down to tacos, quekas, and churros and made each one count. The Bib Gourmand reflects that focus. Grilled tomato and dried chili salsa ties the tacos together; habanero salsa does the same for the quekas. Happy hour makes running the whole short list an easy call.

1. Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
2. Los Angeles Times Citrus marinated chicken taco · The 101 Best Tacos in Los Angeles

1. US Coffee Championships #3 · U.S. Coffee in Good Spirits Championship · Glen Ackerman

1. AAA Three Diamonds

1. AAA Three Diamonds

Part cafe, part specialty grocery, Alta Baja Market anchors downtown Santa Ana with one of the largest selections of Mexican wines you'll find under one roof, alongside heirloom corn, beans, and grains worth browsing. The breakfast and lunch menu leans New Mexican and border-crossing, with green chile eggchiladas built on La Princesita tortillas. Order a michelada and you'll understand why people linger here longer than they planned.

1. Eater The 38 Essential Orange County Restaurants

1. Eater The 38 Essential Orange County Restaurants

1. Los Angeles Times #69 · The 101 best restaurants in Los Angeles

1. Los Angeles Times Surtido taco · The 101 Best Tacos in Los Angeles

1. Los Angeles Times Al pastor queso taco · The 101 Best Tacos in Los Angeles

1. Los Angeles Times Carne asada queso taco · The 101 Best Tacos in Los Angeles

1. Los Angeles Times Carnitas taco · The 101 Best Tacos in Los Angeles

1. Los Angeles Times Beef tacos dorados · The 101 Best Tacos in Los Angeles

1. Los Angeles Times World-famous shrimp taco · The 101 Best Tacos in Los Angeles

1. Los Angeles Times Filet mignon tacos · The 101 Best Tacos in Los Angeles