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Last updated Winter 2025

ORANGE COUNTY, CA

My home base and where my earliest food memories were born.

★ - All-time favorite / ✸ - Changing menu / Must-orders are bolded

  • Like having dinner at your cool friend’s house with their cool friends. My favorite restaurant in OC.

    Order notes: Brunch - Shakshuka, french toast. Dinner - Whipped feta, little gemmy, mac n cheese, Ahba burger, half chicken, carrot cake.

    Website / Instagram

  • A casual, modern Vietnamese spot that I’ve been going to since I was nine. Tell John I sent you!

    Order notes: Banh Mi, grapefruit salad.

    Website / Instagram

  • A piece of old Newport and the best classic breakfast in town - since 1957.

    Order notes: Chili cheese omelet, french toast.

    Website / Instagram

  • Coffee shop meets surf shop meets gift shop meets place for hot people to look hot. If you haven’t been here, you’ve probably seen it on Instagram.

    Order notes: Matcha latte, oolong tea latte, rose cardamom latte.

    Website / Instagram

  • Daydream Surf Shop’s boozy sibling.

    Order notes: Go on Thursdays for jazz night and rotating chef pop-ups.

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  • My Vietnamese father’s favorite pho. Get there before opening (11 am) to ditch the line.

    Order notes: Egg rolls, pho tai.

    Website

  • The best pizza I’ve ever had (yes, even after living in Italy). The sourdough crust is the star of the show.

    Order notes: Ceasar salad, meatballs, margherita pizza, mushroom pizza.

    Website / Instagram

  • The French bakery where my carb dependency started.

    Order notes: Butter croissant, raisin brioche, palmiers, deli sandwich.

    Website

  • A hole-in-the-wall Japanese restaurant that’s been around since the 80s. Ask for Hiro!

    Order notes: Grilled yellowtail cheek, hamachi ribs.

    Website / Instagram

  • “Socal Soul Food” with great patio dining (bonus for bright orange umbrellas). 

    Order notes: Lamb empanadas, Scottie’s nuggets, locals salad, steak sandwich, steak tacos.

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  • Hands down the best fried fish tacos, as long as you’re cool with sitting in the parking lot.

    Order notes: Fish tacos with beans and rice, side of guacamole.

    Website

  • A coffee shop that doubles as a bodega with a disco ball and kids' movies projected on the wall.

    Order notes: Hojicha latte, matcha latte. 

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  • A contemporary American outpost on PCH since 1926. I grew up in this restaurant and have taken many naps in its red leather booths. 

    Order notes: Hamachi crudo, spicy yellowfin tuna, 1855 beef carpaccio, caesar salad, filet mignon, bistro fries, mac n cheese.

    Website / Instagram

  • My favorite ramen shop and a partner of Michelin-starred Hide-Chan Ramen.   

    Order notes: Gyoza, chicken paitan ramen.

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  • A small Mexican joint that packs a punch with multiple locations in SoCal.

    Order notes: Classic burrito with a side of chubbie sauce.

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  • A Restaurant’s scrappy little deli sister. 

    Order notes: Breakfast sandwich, tuna melt, Patsy’s salad.

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  • An adorable lunch spot within the Sherman Library and Gardens.

    Order notes: Buttermilk chive and gruyere biscuits, the dahlia salad.

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  • A good and true bakery that makes everything look beautiful.

    Order notes: Country sourdough loaf, chocolate croissant, seasonal granola.

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  • The final boss of Mexican food, boasting 20+ stalls in a food-court-style dining hall.

    Order notes: Birria, ceviche, tamales, carnitas, churros, horchata.

    Website / Instagram

  • Quintessential beachside eats with plenty of surfer regulars.

    Order notes: The wakey wakey breakfast burrito, Blackie’s sammy.

    Instagram

  • THE restaurant for Chinese food with a killer name.

    Order notes: Fried tofu with spicy salt, honey walnut shrimp, egg fried rice, gravy-style beef chow mein, Singapore-style rice noodles, Hong Kong waffle.

    Website

  • A solid brunch + lunch spot where you’ll always run into an old friend.

    Order notes: Breakfast - Buttermilk pancakes, all American scramble. Lunch - Chicken & date salad.

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  • I don’t want to know how many takeout orders I’ve placed at this strip mall Thai restaurant.

    Order notes: Pad see ewe, pineapple curry, Thai fried rice.

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  • The best to ever do this combo. I have a soft spot for the Long Beach location.

    Order notes: Scoe’s, fries with a side of gravy, mac n cheese.

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  • My go-to for authentic Italian - the owners are Sicilian.

    Order notes: Polpette, Orecchiette alle Cime di Rapa, Napoli pizza.

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  • A tiny but mighty beachside coffee shop.

    Order notes: Lavender matcha.

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  • Modern, seafood-focused Mexican food with the most iconic bathroom wallpaper. 

    Order notes: Artichoke hummus, crispy fish tacos.

    Website / Instagram

  • Woo-woo California people food, but in a good way.

    Order notes: Fiesta bowl, Mediterranean bowl.

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  • My favorite place for Persian food in OC.

    Order notes: Tadig, kebab koobideh.

    Website / Instagram

  • My childhood dim sum spot. 

    Order notes: Har gow, bánh bao, shrimp mi xao, beef chow fun, lo mai gai, bánh cam.

    Website

  • Your ole reliable family Mexican restaurant that tops their tacos with enough cheese to choke a horse.

    Order notes: Crispy shredded beef taco with beans and rice, albondigas soup.

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  • A charming coffee shop with the friendliest staff that’s always buzzing with locals.

    Order notes: Spiced chai latte, bueno bowl, Alta veggie sandwich, chocolate cake.

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  • Where every Newporter gets their Thai and Vietnamese food.

    Order notes: Grilled shrimp spring rolls, crispy rice noodles with beef, wonton noodle soup, vegetable curry, mango & sticky rice.

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  • My most frequented spot for breakfast and the occasional dinner. The Newport location is superior.

    Order notes: Breakfast - Chilaquiles, Chow buttermilk pancakes. Lunch/Dinner - BBQ salmon salad, shrimp tacos.

    Website / Instagram

  • An OG specialty coffee shop where I like to think avocado toast was born.

    Order notes: Breakfast burrito, avocado garden toast.

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  • Stripmall sushi is a motif in the US, but K’s Bistro elevates the stereotype. Windowless and wood-paneled, K’s has that truly sophisticated sushi bar feel and the food exceeds the standard.

    Order notes: Lunch Special

    Website / Instagram

  • One of South OC’s only creative upscale restaurants. Located on Lido Island, Fable & Spirit maintains California cool while offering a bold and seasonally forward menu.

    Order notes: Guinness brown bread, wood fired octopus, Hawaiian blue prawns, kale romaine caesar, fish & chips, cracked pepper bucatini, 12 hr. Kurobuta porchetta

    Website / Instagram

  • Habana has been at the LAB since the mid-90s but I consider it underrated. Dining on the patio at night is the real treat—greenery hangs overhead and orange candles illuminate the space while generous portions of Cuban food fire out of the kitchen. 

    Order notes: El Churrasco

    Website / Instagram