1438 Best Restaurants in California, USA

If a burger joint is what you've been missing, head to this bustling eatery that serves veggie, salmon, and a few other burger varieties in addition to the usual beef patties. Order at the counter, then take your tray out to the deck, and enjoy your meal under the trees.

Palo Alto is filled with Italian restaurants, but the best in town resides in Leland Stanford’s old brick barn (where Stanford's own wines were briefly produced), on the edge of campus. Homemade pastas are served with an idyllic toothsome al dente texture. Not to be outdone, the puffy Neapolitan pizzas are equally notable and any mozzarella starter is worth an order. Since it’s removed from the slightly congested downtown, the restaurant has plenty of outdoor space in a charming courtyard. The bar is a popular post-work hangout for the nearby medical center and stirs one of the finest Negronis around.

Step into South Coast Winery's dimly lit restaurant, where prices are high but wine pours are generous. Wooden pillars divide L-shape booths where servers deliver favorites like the charcuterie platter, prime rib, and roasted salmon with wild mushrooms; hearty eaters will appreciate the selection of pork chop and grilled filet mignon. Outdoor tables overlooking the lawn illuminated with market lights are equally romantic. Guests at South Coast Winery, or neighboring Carter Estate Resort, can charge their bill to the room.

Patrons of this comfort-food haven across from downtown's 1935 Cascade movie palace wash down elevated pub grub with classic and craft cocktails and wines and beers from California and beyond. The fare includes salads, sandwiches, rice bowls, a locally revered mac-and-cheese, truffle burgers, fish-and-chips, and a few heartier entrées.

Don't let its location above the Lexus dealership dissuade you; this swanky restaurant is designed as three restaurants in one: a formal glass-walled dining room; a lively patio with firepits and cabanas; and the lobby bar with leather couches and a wine shop. No matter where you dine, try the macadamia-and-coconut-crusted sea bass, or the slow-braised short ribs, followed with a cocktail using one of the more than 125 vodkas. For something different, come for “Tuesday Date Night,” which features two entrées and a bottle of wine ($75).

Join the line of UCLA students at the venerable Volcano Tea House, where you can sample from a huge range of delectable bubble drinks. Stick with the house milk tea or brown sugar latte, or get adventurous with sakura jelly or matcha. Seasonal flavors like watermelon slushy will delight, and there are endless toppings and customizations. Volcano also offers a michelada-inspired seasonal option, reflecting the multicultural spirit of Los Angeles. If you're hungry, try the popcorn chicken with add-your-own spices.

This not-so-private restaurant at the Indian Wells Golf Resort offers a glimpse of how the country-club set lives. The service is impeccable, outdoor tables provide views of mountain peaks that seem close enough to touch, and happy hour is a lively scene of golfers bragging and griping about their day on the fairways.

This travel-inspired artisanal ice cream brand famous for its use of malted crunch may have nine outposts across Southern California now, but this is the scoop shop that started it all. The brainchild of an American-Filipino food science major/former mixologist/native daughter of the S.F.V. packs a bag for your palette, taking you to the four corners of the Earth, one creamy sphere at a time. On any given trip to Wanderlust, you could find yourself in New Zealand (Hokey Pokey), Japan (Sakura Crunch), Brazil (Passionfruit Cacao), or the Pacific Northwest (Smoky Road).

A Cali take on a Peruvian cevicheria, this downtown Santa Rosa restaurant with exposed-brick walls and a dizzying tile floor beguiles patrons with nimbly spiced ceviches, empanadas, and other starters that demand one of the two-dozen citrusy craft cocktails on offer. The mains include classics like beef tenderloin and fries, bean stew, paella, a few pasta dishes, and shredded chicken in a yellow pepper sauce.

Come for seafood with a view: sky-high aquariums dominate the dining room, and the bay is just beyond, but the food should be an equally notable attraction. Every fin and shell of the sea, from the oak-grilled octopus to the black cod caught in the ocean right outside of San Francisco, is sustainably sourced. Speaking of that view, no restaurant has a more prime vantage point of the Bay Bridge than this one, though the full dining-with-a-view experience is more enjoyable on the patio or in the spacious front dining room than in the rather dim rear dining area.  For a special occasion steakhouse with a view, head to Waterbar's next-door sibling, EPIC Steak.

Watch deer graze in the meadow while you dine in the romantic, candlelit dining room of the whitewashed Wawona Hotel, which dates from the late 1800s. The American-style cuisine favors fresh ingredients and flavors; trout and flatiron steaks are menu staples.

While Wax Paper has a few outdoor tables set up for dining, this tiny sandwich place in Frogtown is tailor-made for to-go orders. The modest selection of brilliantly prepared sandwiches are made with fresh ingredients and named after NPR hosts; they're best enjoyed along the river or at a nearby park. They come in hearty helpings, so bring your appetite.

This energetic and upscale American tavern owned by TV chef and personality Tyler Florence is rich with upscale turn-of-the-20th-century Americana, including brick walls, comfortable booths, and a billiards room. It also tips its hat to tradition—and comfort—on the menu with deviled eggs, fresh seafood, and several signature dishes that are considered the best of their categories in the city (the burger with Marin Brie, for one), plus noteworthy cocktails that complete the full experience.

A nautical theme and a tasty "between the sheets" pizza-style sandwich are signatures of this creative pizzeria, which is housed in the 19th-century landmark building that was once home to the Pioneer Boathouse. Indoor deck chairs and a picnic table complete with umbrella add a playful air.

Dating back to 1949, the original cocktail lounge roared back to life in 2024, luring patrons-in-the-know for daily Martini Hour from 4 to 5 pm, and shaken elevated classics like Pink Royale, Rolls Royce, and Truffle Old Fashioned. The reasonably priced menu leans toward “let’s share a few” no-regret dishes including duck meatballs, lobster roll dip, whipped buttermilk ricotta, and Maine scallops. Grab a booth where famed regulars, including Ted Geisel (Dr. Seuss), once lingered over drinks and dreams. Regardless of belly space, make room for Budino dessert, Italy’s version of creamy custard. It’s discrete, it’s iconic, and it’s the closest thing you’ll find to a speakeasy in La Jolla.

With window service from its colorful, street-art-adorned kitchen and outdoor seat-yourself tables, this is an ideal spot for a quick bite, but that doesn't mean it's not substantial. The outdoor eatery serves savory and delicious abundant plates of traditional Filipino pork, sausage, and chicken dishes, along with signature snacks like lumpia (Filipino spring rolls) and their head-turning purple ube pandesal (bread rolls). Come hungry, and plan on taking some to go.

Those fueling up for a day on the trail or famished after a high-country hike will appreciate the all-you-can-eat, family-style breakfasts and dinners in this tiny dining room. Mashed potatoes, big pots of curried vegetables, and heaps of pasta often grace the tables in this cozy out-of-the-way place.

Inventive dishes—made with 100% organic and locally sourced ingredients—live music, and a friendly staff are among the reasons why this intimate, ocean-to-table eatery is packed on weekends. Everything is fresh as it gets, from fish-and-chips, Monterey Bay bouillabaisse, and whole roasted fish of the day to local greens with spicy vinaigrette.

The sticky buns at Wild Flour are legendary in western Sonoma—they're often all gone by the early afternoon on weekends—as are the rye bread and sock-it-to-me scones in flavors like maple banana pecan and Meyer lemon blueberry poppyseed. The coffee's good, too.

This market with a juice bar and a small café sells prepared salads, deli items, cheeses, and picnic provisions. There's a good selection of local wine and beer.

Restauranteurs John Resnick and Eric Bost—of Jeune et Jolie and Campfire—are keeping Carlsbad on the culinary radar with their latest creation housed in an 8,000-square-foot former boogie board factory. This is where people come to grab-and-go or spend the entire day with a laptop open ordering brioche French toast and fresh pastries for breakfast, grain bowls and wood-fired sandwiches for lunch, and pizzas and rotisserie chicken for dinner. Despite the casual vibe, there’s an elevated approach to the menu with homemade bread, pasta, and pastries. The street-facing patio and full bar make it easy to lose track of time.

This hip, bustling Union Street destination proves that plant-based cuisine can be exciting and delicious, along with being virtuous for the body (well, at least most dishes are) and better for the environment. The highly eclectic menu includes dishes from wild mushroom "zeppole" fritters to a spicy yellow Thai curry. The plant-filled space has a fun, breezy vibe with a bar on one side, plus plenty of sidewalk seating, and many seats are filled by diners who don't follow vegan or even vegetarian diets.

Willi's occupies a corner storefront with street-side outdoor seating and a compact dining room that curls around the full bar. The warm Maine lobster roll with garlic butter and fennel remains a hit among the small, primarily seafood-oriented plates, with the ceviches, local barbecued oysters (also Buffalo-style crispy), and bacon-wrapped scallops among its worthy rivals.

Salads, several hot sandwiches, and filling signature entrées like the chicken potpie, French dip, and spaghetti and meatballs appear on this pale-yellow and lime-green eatery's lunch and dinner menus. Sunday brunch is elaborate, and breakfast the rest of the week—specialties include hot creamy polenta and house-made granola—is American down-home solid.

This café and cider-tasting room is about as charming as it gets, with a wraparound porch, rocking chairs, and views of Wilshire Peak. In winter, cozy up by the fire with a hot caramel apple latte, or linger longer for wood-fired pizza topped with pulled pork, apple slices, and mozzarella. Other eats include quiche, sandwiches, salads, and pastries. The “Shed” is also home to the Mercantile gift shop and the Oak Glen Tobacconist where you can light up the night.

When you combine 12 food vendors with a full bar, game arcade, and live entertainment, you get one happy family. Located within Carlsbad’s iconic Windmill building, this upscale food court appeases finicky eaters with a variety of cuisines ranging from Mexican and Italian to Vietnamese and American. Although you can’t go wrong with any choice, top spots include Lobster Lab, Craft Pizza, and Thai Style. Grab a table inside for live music, or head to the patio for outdoor entertainment, including an antique car show held on the third Sunday of every month. Even weekdays draw a crowd with Trivia Mondays, Karaoke Tuesdays, Wine Wednesdays (bottles $15), and Drag Queen Bingo every second Wednesday of the month. Food stalls open daily from 10 to 9 other than the coffee and donut shop that are ready for early risers by 7 am.

Diners at this second-floor restaurant view the sunset through giant picture windows. Meanwhile, fresh fish and other dishes incorporating local ingredients emerge from the wood-fired oven in the open kitchen, and oysters on the half shell beckon from the raw bar.

Order any one of just seven menu items and then dig into mouth-stretching sandwiches on the small patio with communal picnic tables. The turkey with Swiss comes on perfectly toasted sourdough, while the Philly cheesesteak is heaping with shaved New York strip and pickled peppers; just about everything pairs well with their selection of beers on tap, and of course the beef-fat fries. As many customers who roll in for the food, there are just as many coming to grab cuts off the block from the butcher. 

Consistent, inspired cuisine served in an elegantly simple dining room or an outdoor deck makes Wolfdale's one of the top restaurants on the lake, albeit among the most expensive. Entrées that might include a Thai seafood stew or Tuscan risotto merge Asian and European cooking in imaginative ways.

This homey, diner-style café just north of Klamath serves the sort of hearty American fare that'll fuel you up before a big day of hiking. The cooks prepare breakfast sandwiches, Belgian waffles, and chicken-fried steaks in the morning, and deli sandwiches, salads, and pizzas throughout the rest of the day. Overnight cabins and a small market are also part of the same-named compound.