The 14 Best Restaurants in Santa Ana
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The best restaurants in Santa Ana, according to the experts: Michelin Guide, Los Angeles Times, and US Coffee Championships have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Lola Gaspar comes out on top.
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MoonGoat Coffee Roasters and Antonello Ristorante hold the next two places. Los Angeles Times shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with AAA next.
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Rank 1. Lola Gaspar
Mexican
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.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand
- Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times: Citrus marinated chicken taco · The 101 Best Tacos in Los Angeles
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Los Angeles Times Citrus marinated chicken taco · The 101 Best Tacos in Los Angeles
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The awards
- US Coffee Championships US Coffee Championships: #3 · U.S. Coffee in Good Spirits Championship · Glen Ackerman
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Rank 3. Antonello Ristorante
Italian
The awards
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Rank 3. Darya Restaurant
Persian
The awards
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Rank 5. Alta Baja Market
Mexican
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.
The awards
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Rank 5. Tacos Manuel
Mexican
The awards
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The awards
- Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times: #69 · The 101 best restaurants in Los Angeles
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Rank 8. Alebrijes Grill
Mexican
The awards
- Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times: Surtido taco · The 101 Best Tacos in Los Angeles
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Rank 8. Carnitas Uruapan
Mexican
The awards
- Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times: Carnitas taco · The 101 Best Tacos in Los Angeles
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The awards