1438 Best Restaurants in California, USA

Across the street from the Del Mar racetrack, this classic old-fashioned, family-owned, steak and seafood house is a high-roller's heaven and a perennial favorite with jockeys celebrating their wins. The food is simple but good, and the menu highlights roasted prime rib in addition to filet mignon, pan-fried scallops, and such starters as lobster bisque and jumbo shrimp on ice. Everyone from the pianist to the waitresses is well aware that smiles and prompt service can result in tips as generously sized as the gigantic Australian lobster tails that the menu demurely lists at "market price."

This colorful Spanish-style tapas/pintxos bar deserves a spot especially if you need a quick bite with an appetite-stimulating vermouth-based aperitif before heading off to dinner. The food is delicious, with delightful ambience, and it's a not-to-miss for anyone who could use a night off from Italian. Try the fun pintxos bites like jamon croquetas and sobrasada bocadillo, a paprika-spiced soft salumi (sobresada) slathered on a roll and wedged with nutty Manchego cheese.

For a real cup of joe without any sense of pretension, join the savvy construction workers, Giants fans, and young suits at the Embarcadero's seven-decade-old waterfront classic, where the coffee typically follows a double cheeseburger on sourdough and a cold beer, and the gorgeous view of the East Bay is priceless.

Blink and you'll drive right by The Remy, a recommissioned steak house completely renovated in 2023. Once inside the lounge that sports a hipster-ish hunting lodge vibe, you can sidle up to the bar for a handcrafted cocktail or grab a table to enjoy a thick slice of perfectly prepared beef.

Regionally farmed fish and other foraged and cultivated Northern California ingredients go into seasonal plates, turned out in an open kitchen that faces a bar serving large-format cocktails and wines by up-and-coming producers and Wine Country mainstays. St. Helena–based designer Erin Martin supplied the mildly offbeat interiors, though most patrons dine on the Tuscan-theme courtyard patio in good weather.

Elegant and dimly lighted, with wood paneling, lace curtains, and an oft-glowing fireplace, "The Gnome" is where locals go for a romantic dinner. The overall feel is French, but the menu goes beyond the Gallic, with entrées such as calamari amandine, sausage pasta, and bacon-wrapped scallops and shrimp. The French onion soup always satisfies, and the roast duck with orange sauce and barbecued pork ribs are excellent as well. The crème brûlée makes for a sweet finale. For lighter dinner fare, check out the café menu.

Crystal chandeliers and fountains worthy of a French château supply the pizzazz at Restoration Hardware's street-side café, and the all-day menu's starters (charcuterie, crispy artichokes, burrata with charred peppers and sourdough), salads, and mains (from a burger modeled on one from Chicago's Au Cheval restaurant to whole grilled branzino) easily live up to it. The prosciutto is flown in from Italy, the greens are ever-so-fresh, and the plating impresses.

In the Mission District, the owners of the popular Ritual Coffee Roasters have plunked their roaster in the back of the café, so you know where your beans—usually single-origin, rather than a blend—were roasted when you order your espresso or drip coffee.

All the burgers at this laid-back spot, part of a popular Bay Area mini-chain, are responsibly sourced, and the beef is 100% grass-fed. Choose a patty (beef, bison, vegetarian, elk, or turkey), then select a preset "style" or invent your own from the many creative toppings. The homemade quinoa-, brown rice-, and black bean-based vegetarian burger might be the finest of that increasingly competitive genre in San Francisco. A market salad rotates frequently as a solid option for the burger-averse. Kombucha, shakes, house-made sodas, and beer and wine are also available, as is a kids' menu.

Comfort food crafted with care makes a trip to this low-slung restaurant on downtown's edge a pleasure whether you dine inside at linen-topped tables or on the dog-friendly, street-facing patio. Several burgers, one vegetarian, another named for a local winemaker, entice the regulars, but don't overlook dinner entrées that might include shrimp curry, lamb and grits, or grilled Indian-spice tofu with pistachios and Sriracha.

The classic Japanese omakase experience (the chefs select the sushi and other small bites) gets a seasonal Californian influence at Adam Tortosa's hip, modern restaurant. The raw fish preparations are magnificent, and it's a relative deal where diners can name the price between $109 and $209, depending on their desire to splurge.

An international, vegetarian-friendly dining experience awaits you at this cozy East Village cottage. Dinner choices include chiles relents, grilled Skuna Bay salmon, lamb curry, and grilled pork chops. Lunchtime's extensive salad and sandwich menu embraces burgers and tofu alike.

This family-friendly restaurant is fun for classic rock lovers, with murals and photos of rockers like KISS, Led Zeppelin, and The Rolling Stones lining the walls. It's located just down the street from Knott's Berry Farm, serving messy bacon cheeseburgers, rockin' wings, and a variety of pizzas. Since “Brews” is part of the name, there is a wide selection of local craft beer offerings. 

For four generations, recipes have been handed down the line of this Sicilian family who opened their first restaurant in 1920. From Milwaukee to Julian, they set down roots in the quaint pie capital in 1982 and never looked back, creating this casual, red-checked-tablecloth kind of place, where you can dine outside in good weather. The menu is consistently on-point with Sicilian classics like spiedini—stuffed slices of rolled beef on skewers—calzones that are big enough to share, pizzas, and pasta dishes. All sauces, dressings, ravioli, breads, and desserts are made from scratch. There's a small bar (serving beer and wine only) that's popular with locals.

This popular sunset view venue in South Laguna is at the top of Casa del Camino Hotel. Find a seat for sunset cocktails such as flavorful mojitos or a pomegranate martini. Menu items include a Mediterranean chop salad, crab cakes and ahi poke wonton tacos. Weekday Happy Hour has food and drinks for $10 or less, from 2 to 5 pm. 

Traditional Indian dishes get a captivating, innovative spin at this hot spot near Oracle Park. Look for curry leaf–dusted dosas with wild mushrooms and chicken pepper fry tacos, complemented by equally inventive cocktails (the Negroni includes goat cheese and truffle oil) and a splashy, colorful space. Sometimes the noise can reach lounge-like levels, but there's no doubt that this is more of a proper sit-down restaurant where the food is the main focus. Note that there is an equally great location in Palo Alto, as well.

This beloved Southern California institution has been serving up its signature comfort food to everyone from Stevie Wonder to President Obama since 1975. The no-frills eatery, still in its original location, offers a unique combination of crispy, well-seasoned fried chicken alongside fluffy, golden waffles—a pairing that has become legendary in the region (just ask Snoop Dogg, one of their most ardent and frequent customers). The menu features various chicken cuts and waffle combinations, as well as classic soul food sides like collard greens, mac and cheese, and cornbread. While the wait times can be long, especially during peak hours, many patrons find the experience worth it for the generous portions and satisfying flavors. The restaurant's low-key, diner-like atmosphere adds to its charm; while there are other locations now, the original location is the best ambassador for this unique dish.

Roscoe's is the place for down-home Southern cooking in Southern California. Just ask the patrons who drive from all over L.A. for reasonably priced fried chicken and waffles. The name of this casual eatery honors a late-night combo popularized in Harlem jazz clubs. Friday and Saturday nights, Roscoe's Hollywood location stays open until 4 am.

Dual concepts sit side-by-side with a shared patio always buzzing with activity. Start your day with a matcha latte and freshly baked pastry from Secret Sister; in the evening, it's time for oysters and natty wine at The Rose Wine Bar.

The East Bay is saturated with excellent pizzerias, but arguably the best of the esteemed group is hiding in plain sight on busy University Avenue, right by the heart of downtown Berkeley. Day and night, diners enjoy whole pies (no slices) in the cozy dining room and pleasant back patio. The pizza style is a crispy but not crackery thin crust—kind of its own personality. And those pizzas sure are delightful, whether topped with broccoli rabe and garlic confit or burrata, olives, and capers.

Although it's open morning until night, this cozy café is most synonymous with brunch. Sleepy-headed locals turn up for delights like the smoked ham, fried egg, and Gruyère breakfast sandwich; evening favorites lean toward roast chicken, pastas, and seasonal-rustic fare. The ingredients are top-notch, the service is friendly, and the seating is in comfortable booths and at tables and a counter. Heaters above the outdoor tables keep things toasty when the temperature dips.

This casual eatery always commands a crowd, thanks to the explosively flavorful sliders they call "lil' masterpieces." Despite their small size, Rosemarie's sliders pack a punch, from the spicy Nashville hot chicken to the deliciously messy Little Munchies. They recommend two per person, but we won't judge if you order more.  Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 2:30 to 5 pm, with specials on sliders, fries, beer, wine, and cocktails.

The Design District is filled with chic, breezy showrooms and galleries that evoke the California "good life" vibe, like this excellent restaurant from chef Dustin Falcon and the Omakase Group. The menu is a seamless blend of Italian and Californian influences, where vadouvan spaghetti with duck sugo might precede king salmon and a citrus sabayon. It's worth noting that this is the very rare sit-down restaurant that is open for lunch on every weekday in the city, and the patio is a perfect spot for a sunny-day meal.

On sunny weekend afternoons, the enormous tree-covered, creekside beer garden of this countryside dining icon feels like the epicenter of Silicon Valley. It’s a popular destination for professors and graduate students to enjoy brews and sandwiches, located just beyond campus in the pastoral town of Portola Valley. And over a century ago, it was a saloon that lasted through California's rapid growth in the late 1800s and then Prohibition. Nowadays, it's a gathering spot for local families, out-of-towners looking to eat in a quintessential Northern California setting, and the many cyclists who go on rides around the nearby rolling hills.

This charming establishment from an all-star chef trio has quickly become a favorite for classic bistro cooking with plenty of unique elements. A vintage Parisian dining room and marble-topped bar set the stage for fresh takes on French cuisine with a Californian accent. Dungeness crab potato pavé bites are the early signature starter; then there are equally magic mains, like black cod with lobster sauce and miso creamed leeks.

Chef Fabrice Roux, who hails from France, worked at lauded Parisian restaurants for more than a decade before coming to Carmel Valley to wow diners with his contemporary takes on traditional French-Mediterranean cuisine. The eclectic menu, with mostly small and large plates meant for sharing, focuses on local ingredients procured that week—perhaps crispy duck leg confit, tuna tartare, or braised wild-boar bourguignon. Order sandwiches, beignets, and French-style egg dishes for brunch and lunch. Save room for house-made desserts like Meyer lemon cheesecake and crème brûlée.

Credited with popularizing fish tacos in the United States, Ralph Rubio brought the Mexican staple to San Diego, opening his first restaurant in Pacific Beach where it still stands today. The original beer-battered fish tacos have fried pollock topped with white sauce, salsa, and cabbage atop a corn tortilla.

The sibling of a popular namesake restaurant in Placencia, Belize, Rumfish y Vino serves up zesty Caribbean fare with a California Wine Country twist in a courtyard venue just off Main Street near the mission. Eat in the beach-chic dining room or on the heated patio with a roaring fireplace, and perhaps enjoy one of the live music shows offered several nights a week. The seafood-heavy menu changes depending on the local catch.

The makers of Pliny the Elder and Younger operate this cavernous brewpub with a vast lawn and outdoor patio on the site of their state-of-the-art brewing facility. Choose among 20 beers on tap to wash down beer-compatible pub grub—chicken wings with Pliny sauce, a malted-bacon burger with cheddar fondue, fish-and-chips, sliders and sandwiches, and a few salads.

A Santa Monica mainstay, the seasonally changing menu at this farm-to-table wine bar and seasonal kitchen consistently upends norms and has even earned a Michelin nod. The homey, minimalist space offers sweeping views of Wilshire Boulevard. On any given night, the menu of California cuisine may include bay scallops with Weiser Farms sunchokes or a heritage bone-in pork chop with apple butter. Everything is made in-house, down to the sea salt. Ask the knowledgeable staff for suggested pairings from the never-ending wine list.