Eastern Sierra
Tasty barbecue food, flavorful smokey pulled pork and ridiculously cheesy baked mac 'n' cheese. The redneck taco comes with homemade cornbread piled with…
Must-see restaurants in California
North Coast & Redwoods
On the Samoa Peninsula, the popular Samoa Cookhouse is the dining hall of an 1893 lumber camp. Hikers, hippies and lumberjacks get stuffed while sharing…
Central Coast
Happy-hour snacks from 4pm to 6pm segue to dinner at this bistro featuring the flavors of the Med. Housemade charcuterie and shared plates, such as crispy…
The Peninsula
Pull over to this roadside coastal-view haven for hearty barbecue plates and sandwiches to wash down with beers brewed on the premises. Self-proclaimed …
Coastal Orange County
There's an extensive hand-scrawled menu hanging over the counter at this humble local joint where traditional deli fare is served alongside Mexican…
Oakland
A warehouse-sized space in Uptown, this social gathering spot is just as good for date night as it is for groups getting ready for a night out. Peruse the…
Russian River Area
Occidental has two old-school American-Italian restaurants that serve family-style meals. The Union is slightly better and serves a delicious,…
The Haight & Hayes Valley
Find moments of clarity on foggy Hayes Valley nights with restorative, eye-opening bowls of proper ramen. Housemade broth brings bottomless flavor to…
Silver Lake & Echo Park
A proper panaderia (Mexican bakery) is always a beautiful thing, especially when it stubbornly resists the hipsterfication of a neighborhood. The tamales…
Pasadena & the San Gabriel Valley
This roadside stand's been a place of pilgrimage for doughnut aficionados since 1972. Its pride and joy are the seasonal doughnuts, overstuffed with…
San Francisco
When windy Ocean Beach leaves you feeling shipwrecked, drift into this chic beach bistro for organic Californian comfort food. Brunch demands Dutch…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
The name is a throw-down of pizza credentials – '00' flour is the secret to puffy-edged Neapolitan crust – and these pies deliver on that promise, with…
The Mission, Dogpatch & Potrero Hill
Paula Tejeda bakes empanadas fresh daily at her deli in the Mission's historic 1915 Redstone Labor Temple (check out the murals inside). Her savory pocket…
Silver Lake & Echo Park
What’s not to love about this '60s-throwback cantina? It’s cozy, it’s fun and it makes a mean, off-the-menu camarones a la diabla (shrimp in spicy sauce)…
Japantown, Fillmore & Pacific Heights
The Fillmore may be foggy, but your lips will feel tropical heat at Isla Vida. Chef Jay Brown lives up to his soul food reputation with savory, fluffy…
San Luis Obispo
Local bounty from the land and sea pervades Luna's globally inspired small-plates menu meant for sharing, as is the big paella served straight from the…
Central Coast
Superlative gourmet burgers make this place located in a compact shopping mall worth seeking out. Classics like beef and bacon share the menu with ritzy…
La Jolla
Shhh! Don’t tell anybody that the stuffed French toast, eggs La Jolla (with Canadian bacon, mushrooms, spinach and garlic, and balsamic vinegar), fish…
Joshua Tree National Park
This neighborhood-adored lair is in the business of thin-crust pizzas ranging from classics to creatives like the David Bowie: white pizza with mozzarella…
Silver Lake & Echo Park
In a retro strip mall on Sunset is this toasty, super-popular ramen spot. You'll probably have to wait for a table or a seat at the counter, but the wait…
Excelsior
This is a true Filipino eatery, where the clientele show up as big family groups and eat their silog (garlic fried rice), sisig (marinated pork and…
San Diego
An institution in Solana Beach, the Gonzales family turned their home into a restaurant in 1946, when people would line up to sample their proper Mexican…
Los Angeles
Locals (rightly) drool like fools at the mere mention of Scoops, which has several branches across the city. It's famed for its artisan ice cream and out…
Central Coast
Rich espresso and pour-over brews, wood-fired pizzas and garden salads make this coffee-roaster's shop a real find. Rotating exhibitions from local…
Coastal Highway 1
There is no Sicilian-style simplicity to these pizzas, they are pure Californian with piled-high organic ingredients such as cremini mushrooms, Canadian…
Giovanni’s Fish Market & Galley
Central Coast
At this family-run been-here-forever joint on the Embarcadero, folks line up at the window for batter-fried fish and chips and killer garlic fries along…
San Diego
At this respected local seafood chain, lunch is heavy on sandwiches (and famous fish tacos), while dinners are fancier with dishes like marinated…
Santa Barbara
A longtime favorite for its fresh-off-the-dock fish and seafood, rowdy atmosphere and salty harborside setting. Slightly less claustrophobic tables on the…
The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers
Equal parts bar and grill, Balboa is a mainstay for classic cooking in a pub operational since 1913. The decor retains an old-world look, with massive oak…
Redding & Around
The combo sounds weird but it works: big, excellent hot dogs with toppings from roasted garlic to homemade chili or blue cheese – or go vegetarian with…
Greater Palm Springs
There's a lot to love at Lulu: prime downtown Palm Springs location, chic atmosphere, busy bar and a menu of straight-down-the-middle classics like…
North Beach & Chinatown
Like a greatest-hits album, Lai Hong's menu features remastered dim-sum classics: properly plump shrimp dumplings, crisp Peking duck, baked barbecue-pork…
San Francisco
Upgrade from drive-thru dinners at Super Duper, serving made-to-order burgers with top-quality, humanely raised beef, non-GMO fries, and dreamy milkshakes…
Marin County
At this vintage 1930s roadhouse perched over Tomales Bay, trophy heads are mounted on knotty-pine walls and there's a roaring fireplace. Book a window…
Long Beach & San Pedro
The Belmont Shore branch of this Manhattan Beach favorite. It serves tasty burgers, a terrific salmon sandwich, wood-fired pizzas and a huge craft-beer…
Los Angeles
This 'White House' has been peddling moreish thin-crust pizzas since 1955. Jonathan Gold, LA's erstwhile, Pultizer Prize–winning restaurant critic, swears…
Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey
This local mini-chain of organic supermarkets just opened this location in 2016, and it's the perfect fit for New Venice: stylish, health-conscious, good…
Downtown, Civic Center & SoMa
Escape down an SF alleyway to a sleek French cafe, with zinc bar, umbrella tables outside and staff chattering en français. Lunch is served all day and…
West Hollywood & Mid-City
Traditional southern Italian cuisine, by way of, um…Toronto? Facts is facts, and you will love the carpaccio di tonno, the thin-crust pizze and exquisite…
Big Sur
The old truism about the better the views, the worse the food just doesn’t seem to apply here. The resort’s clifftop terrace restaurant and cocktail bar…
