When you’re hungry in California, you face tough choices. Our restaurant scene thrives on diversity: We have roadhouses grilling burgers so big, you need both hands to hold them. We have vegan cafés and bayside oyster shacks. Celebrity-chef hotspots. Neighborhood pizzerias. Family-run taco shops. Strip-mall noodle houses. Modern, minimalist sushi bars. Old-school taverns with leather booths and moody lighting.
Our state gave birth to California cuisine, but we also celebrate global fare—samosas, adobo, kebabs, pho, falafels, dim sum, empanadas, tandoori, gyros, bulgogi, and more. We embrace bargain bites and 10-course splurges, paper napkins and linen tablecloths, takeout and tasting menus, counter service and five-star service.
With that in mind, we’ve put together an alphabetic guide to a few of California’s 100,000-plus restaurants to help you plan your next dining adventure. Did we have trouble narrowing it down? Absolutely.
A is for Alta Adams
In L.A.’s historic West Adams neighborhood, chef Keith Corbin serves reimagined soul food: fritters made with black-eyed peas, vegan gumbo, and creamy almond-milk yam pie. While you sip a bourbon cocktail on the string-lighted patio, you might bump into Jay-Z, Issa Rae, John Legend, or Tracee Ellis Ross.
B is for Bar Le Côte
Los Olivos’ Grand Avenue brims with top-notch restaurants, but this blue-brick tavern is the hot ticket for seafood with Spanish flair. A five-course tasting menu yields intriguing dishes like beef tartare topped with fried oysters, or you can order a la carte to try plates of caviar-topped potato chips, scallop crudo, dry-aged branzino, and saffron buns dabbed with Santa Barbara sea-urchin butter.
C is for Couldn’t pick just one
The letter C presents an impossible dilemma for list-makers. There’s Chez Panisse, Alice Waters’ Berkeley trendsetter that all but invented California cuisine. And Cotogna, just across the Bay Bridge in San Francisco, a high-end-yet-homey Italian restaurant that turns every meal into a special occasion. In Carlsbad, Campfire’s wood-fired kitchen produces stylish cocktails and grilled meats in an irresistible indoor-outdoor space. Cheeky’s in Palm Springs—a wildly popular brunch spot—has mastered both the bacon flight and avocado toast. And we didn’t even mention Callie in San Diego and Cold Spring Tavern in Santa Barbara and Copper Top BBQ in Big Pine and Connie & Ted’s in West Hollywood. Trust us when we say the Cs could go on forever.
D is for Duarte’s Tavern
Backroads rambling leads to big rewards in Pescadero. Tucked into a few blocks of antique shops and artisans’ studios, Duarte’s 1894 stagecoach stop has been owned by the same family for 130 years. Artichoke soup is the hands-down favorite, but it’s worth a second visit for crab cioppino and olallieberry pie.
E is for El Molino Central
At this roadside stop in Boyes Hot Springs, the standout ingredient is organic masa that’s ground in-house. That extra step results in the best corn tortillas you’ve ever had. But don’t stop there: Load up on halibut ceviche, birria tacos, chicken sopes, pork tamales, fish tacos—whatever you can fit on your picnic table out back.
F is for Farm-to-fork
Since the 1990s, Sacramento-area chefs have rallied around “farm-to-fork” cooking, taking advantage of surrounding San Joaquin Valley farms to procure the freshest ingredients for their culinary creations. Taste the locally grown difference at restaurants like Mulvaney’s B&L in Sacramento, Preserve in Winters, Savory Café in Woodland, Taste in Plymouth, Restaurant Josephine in Auburn, Rosemarys Farm-to-Fork in Dixon, or The Argonaut Farm to Fork Café in Coloma. When just-picked produce doesn’t have to travel far, it simply tastes better.
G is for The Goat & Vine
At this Old Town Temecula eatery, modern-rustic chandeliers hang from an embossed white ceiling, goat murals decorate the walls, and servers deliver hearth-baked pizzas to patrons schmoozing in cozy booths. Your pie might be topped with jalapeño lime carnitas or cremini mushrooms, but its bubbly-thin crust (made from Italian Caputo flour) will capture your attention.
H is for Heirloom
Heirloom’s rotating seasonal menu hinges on the Central Valley’s agricultural bounty, with farm-fresh produce tossed into salads, piled onto burgers and pastas, and muddled into cocktails. Try the tequila-based Spicy Farmer with locally grown watermelon and cherry tomatoes—it’s a Fresno favorite.
I is for In-N-Out
Legendary? Revered? Cult favorite? Yes, all that. Even diners who usually shun fast food will confess to an In-N-Out obsession. Family-owned since 1948, the burger chain with 276 California locations has built a solid-gold reputation on fresh cooking—no microwaves, heat lamps, or freezers. The menu lists burgers, fries, shakes, and sodas, but devotees swear by the not-so-secret “secret menu” of upgrades, like an animal-style burger with added pickles, grilled onions, and extra sauce.
J is for Jocko’s Steakhouse
The Central Coast is well-supplied with steakhouses serving Santa Maria–style barbecue, and each joint does its own riff on the grilling method popularized by 19th-century rancheros. Nipomo stalwart Jocko’s stands out for longevity (a family business since 1925), authenticity (meat sizzling over red oak logs), and no-frills decor (cattle brands emblazoned on wood-paneled walls). Like all Jocko’s entrées, the signature dry-aged Spencer ribeye comes with an army of side dishes including juicy pinquito beans, a local tradition. Taste more Santa Maria–style ‘cue at The Hitching Post II in Buellton, Far Western Tavern in Orcutt, Shaw’s Steakhouse in Santa Maria, and Firestone Grill in San Luis Obispo.
K is for Koreatown
The home of America’s largest Korean community, this L.A. neighborhood is packed with eateries serving flame-licked barbecue, fiery cabbage kimchi, and soju-laced cocktails. Start your tasting tour at Dan Sung Sa, a 27-year mainstay known for spicy pork stew and skewers. Continue with pork ribs at Ham Ji Park, oxtail soup at Sun Nong Dan, pork belly at Woo Hyang Woo, spicy acorn noodles at Kobawoo House, and beef bulgogi almost everywhere.
L is for La Super-Rica Taqueria
Santa Barbara locals like to debate whether this was really Julia Child’s favorite restaurant, but the fact that she was a regular here plants this no-frills taqueria firmly in the “culinary institution” category. Wait for your turn at the register, then ask for the Super-Rica Especial: al pastor layered with roasted pasilla chiles and smothered in melted cotija cheese, gently resting on house-made tortillas.
M is for Michelin
Awarded for consistently exceptional cooking, a Michelin star is the kiss of success for the most ambitious chefs. California’s restaurants boast more Michelin stars than any other state: 66 have one star and 18 others have two or three. San Francisco and Los Angeles spots dominate, but plenty of honorees are farther afield, like San Diego’s Addison, Oakland’s Commis, San Jose’s Adega, Yountville’s The French Laundry, Carmel-by-the-Sea’s Aubergine, Healdsburg’s SingleThread, Sacramento’s Localis, and Elk’s Harbor House. If you hope to score a table, reserve months in advance.
N is for Nepenthe
Perched on a precipice 800 feet above the vast Pacific, this Big Sur hideaway lives up to the Greek meaning of its name, “isle of no sorrow.” The redwood edifice built by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright has hosted Jack Kerouac, Henry Miller, Clint Eastwood, and millions of Highway 1 travelers since its 1949 opening. Kick back on the sprawling open-air patio and nosh on an Ambrosiaburger—ground steak and gooey cheddar smothered in secret sauce—while you soak in Big Sur’s ethereal beauty. Check Highway 1 road conditions before traveling.
O is for Oysters
Fifty miles north of San Francisco, Tomales Bay is one of the country’s best oyster-growing regions, and Hog Island Oyster Company has been farming them here since 1983. The delectable bivalves grow in the shallow waters right next to the picnic tables where you eat them, either raw with mignonette or grilled with chipotle-bourbon butter. If you can’t get a reservation or the line is too long, there’s more half-shell-slurping nearby at The Marshall Store, Tony’s Seafood, and Nick’s Cove. In San Francisco, sample oysters from far and wide at Swan Oyster Depot, a legendary Polk Street haunt since 1912. The cash-only, counter-service raw bar—Anthony Bourdain’s favorite—is decked out in old photos, NFL jerseys, and signed dollar bills.
P is for Pho 79
Since 1982, Garden Grove’s famous pho shop has stood out as a shining beacon of Orange County’s Little Saigon, having earned a coveted James Beard America’s Classic award. Chefs turn out steaming bowls of aromatic, noodle-rich broth made with oxtail, tripe, beef, or chicken. Star anise and cinnamon are key players, but only the chef knows the other secret spices.
Q is for Q Sushi
Californians are obsessed with sushi, whether it’s served at high-end omakase and kaiseki restaurants or strip-mall sushi bars. Los Angeles is the state’s epicenter with eight Michelin-lauded raw-fish luminaries, including Q Sushi. Score a seat for the 17-course omakase ritual so you can experience chef Hiroyuki Naruke’s minimalist nigiri perfection.
R is for République
This powerhouse of California-French cuisine is housed in a 1929 brick building with a chateau-style atrium arching over a tiled courtyard. The remarkable Los Angeles compound contains a bakery, café, and bar in front—perfect for lingering with friends over brioche and croque madame—and a more formal dining room in back, ideal for sharing black truffle risotto and braised short rib on date night. Eater calls République “the ultimate all-day neighborhood canteen,” a truly apt description.
S is for Slanted Door
In 1995, the late Charles Phan launched a hole-in-the-wall restaurant on San Francisco’s Valencia Street. Diners flooded in to try mostly unfamiliar Vietnamese foods like shrimp- and pork-stuffed spring rolls, shaking beef, and green papaya salad. Business was so brisk that Phan moved to a larger location, garnered dozens of awards, and opened several satellite restaurants. The Ferry Building location is permanently closed but now downtown Napa has its own Slanted Door, a stunningly modern 8,000-square-foot space with glass walls, a curved bar, and a tree-dotted outdoor patio. The menu includes old favorites, new dishes, and—this being Napa—an outstanding wine list. In spring 2025, a new Slanted Door is slated to open in its original location.
T is for Trokay
At this Truckee hideaway, chef-owners John and Nyna Weatherson dream up an ever-changing tasting menu of impeccably plated local delicacies. The evening’s offerings might be Mount Lassen trout, morel mushrooms, wild nettles, or meadow sorrel, all accompanied by a full-throttle wine list. Add in a mountain-chic dining room with stone walls and rough-hewn timbers, and you have a Tahoe dinner that hits all the right notes.
U is for Union
Named for the bike-friendly, one-way street that fronts it, Union is Old Town Pasadena’s neighborhood spot for northern Italian cuisine with a California accent. Owner Marie Petulla and her crew turn out handmade pastas with undeniably Californian flourishes, like bucatini with Santa Barbara pistachios, spaghetti with Fresno chili, or polenta with local wild mushrooms.
V is for Vegan
California’s 500-plus vegan restaurants are pushing boundaries and making serious carnivores reconsider their eating habits. San Diego’s Kindred, beloved for its skate-punk vibes and heavy-metal music, serves plant-based chimichurri skewers, cauliflower steak, and jackfruit barbecue at dinner; weekend brunch is tofu Benedict and banana pancakes. A few miles north in Oceanside, The Plot offers vegans a fine-dining experience with chayote squash ceviche, lentil caviar, and lion’s mane mushroom cakes. Monterey’s El Cantaro cooks up plant-based tamales, chilaquiles, tacos, and empanadas in authentic Mexican style, Sacramento’s Buddha Belly Burger creates a tasty banh mi burger topped with pickled carrots and jalapeños, and San Francisco’s Shizen prepares vegan sushi with vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds.
W is for Wahpepah’s Kitchen
Crystal Wahpepah was the first Native American chef to appear on the Food Network’s Chopped, and her Oakland restaurant honors Indigenous ingredients and cooking techniques. The East Bay native and member of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma creates contemporary dishes that connect to the cuisines of multiple tribes. Try the blueberry-infused bison meatballs, Cheyenne River bison short loin, sweet potato taquitos, or Northern Ute yellow corn bread.
X is for XiAn Biang Biang Noodle
In the San Gabriel Valley, nearly 20 percent of the population is of Chinese or Taiwanese descent, so that’s where L.A. diners go for outstanding Sichuan, Hunan, Shandong, or Cantonese fare. Towns like Monterey Park, Alhambra, Rosemead, Temple City, and San Gabriel teem with outstanding Chinese restaurants like XiAn Biang Biang Noodle. Here, chefs prepare the cuisine of Xi’an, the city of the famous terracotta warriors. The namesake dish is a bowl of ultra-wide wheat noodles, hand-pulled until they’re stretchy and chewy, then doused in spices and hot oil. Stir-fried lamb and Chinese hamburgers are also Xi’an staples.
Y is for Yaks on the 5
This burger joint has put tiny Dunsmuir on the map, especially for hungry I-5 drivers. Yaks cooks up a dizzying array of burgers—specifically Prather Ranch’s grass-fed beef patties piled high with onion strings, chipotle sauce, lime aioli, pickled jalapeños, and almost anything else you can imagine. Top picks are the crispy-gooey Bacon Overload and umami-seasoned Cilantro Bomb, but any burger you get will be a game-changer.
Z is for Zuni Café
If there’s a quintessential San Francisco gathering spot, it’s light-filled Zuni Café, the anchor of Market and Gough streets since 1979. Take a seat in the two-story dining room or at the long, copper bar, and you’ll instantly feel like you’re a part of something warm and welcoming. You can make a two-person meal out of a Caesar salad and six-inch-high “haystack” of crispy shoestring potatoes, but many diners insist on Zuni’s classic dish: wood-fired roast chicken and warm bread salad.