FoodTrip › Cities › Santa Ana

Where to eat in Santa Ana: a 3-day food itinerary

Three days of lunch and dinner, with breakfast where FoodTrip has a pick, in Santa Ana, CA, at about $120 a person a day. FoodTrip built it from its 33 picks in the city, of which 5 hold a MICHELIN Guide distinction and 4 carry a James Beard Foundation honor.

Plan Santa Ana for your dates and budget

Day 1: about $87 a person

9:00 AM · Breakfast

NEP Cafe

Vietnamese · $$ · about $26 a person · Fountain Valley · 10836 Warner Ave

James Beard semifinalist

Best Chef: California 2026: semifinalist (Viet Nguyen)

12:30 PM · Lunch

Taco María

Mexican · $ · about $16 a person · Costa Mesa · 3313 Hyland Ave

James Beard finalist

Best Chef: California 2023: finalist (Carlos Salgado)

7:00 PM · Dinner

Phở 79

Vietnamese · $$ · about $45 a person · Garden Grove · 9941 Hazard Ave

Bib Gourmand

America's Classics 2019

Day 2: about $77 a person

12:30 PM · Lunch

Khan Saab Desi Craft Kitchen

South Asian · $$ · about $32 a person · Fullerton · 229 E Commonwealth Ave

Bib Gourmand

7:00 PM · Dinner

Fable & Spirit

American & Other · $$ · about $45 a person · Newport Beach · 3441 Via Lido

Bib Gourmand

FoodTrip has no breakfast pick left in Santa Ana for this day.

Day 3: about $77 a person

12:30 PM · Lunch

Poppy & Seed

American & Other · $$ · about $32 a person · Anaheim · 350 S Anaheim Blvd

James Beard semifinalist

Best Chef: California 2023: semifinalist (Michael Reed)

7:00 PM · Dinner

Strong Water

Bar & Pub · $$ · about $45 a person · Anaheim · 270 S Clementine St

James Beard finalist

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program 2024: finalist; Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program 2025: finalist

FoodTrip has no breakfast pick left in Santa Ana for this day.

About $241 a person for the three days. Prices are estimates for food, tax and tip, without drinks. Times are suggestions: check each restaurant's hours and book ahead.

26 more places to eat in Santa Ana

The planner swaps any stop for one of these, and uses them when your dates, meals or budget are different.

Lola Gaspar · Bar & Pub · $$ · Bib Gourmand
Chaak Kitchen · Mexican · $ · Bib Gourmand
Taqueria Zamora · Mexican · $ · Eats Ranked pick
Taquerias Guadalajara · Mexican · $ · Eats Ranked pick
Taquería HOY! · Mexican · $ · Eats Ranked pick
Brito's Taqueria · Mexican · $ · Eats Ranked pick
Tito's La Especial · Mexican · $ · Eats Ranked pick
Navarro's Taqueria · Mexican · $ · Eats Ranked pick
Taqueria Los Grandes · Mexican · $ · Eats Ranked pick
Tacos Los Cholos · Mexican · $ · Eats Ranked pick
Taco Nazo · Mexican · $ · Eats Ranked pick
Taquerías Guadalajara · Mexican · $ · Eats Ranked pick
Taqueria HOY · Mexican · $ · Eats Ranked pick
Tasty Dim Sum House · Chinese · $$ · Eats Ranked pick
Sookdal · Korean · $$ · Eats Ranked pick
Panchito's Taqueria · Mexican · $ · Eats Ranked pick
Los Cotijas Taco Shop · Mexican · $ · Eats Ranked pick
Mo Ran Gak Restaurant · Korean · $$ · Eats Ranked pick
Thirsty Cow · Korean · $$ · Eats Ranked pick
Mo Ran Gak Restaurant Korean BBQ · Korean · $$ · Eats Ranked pick
Ensenada's Surf N Turf Grill · Seafood · $$$ · Eats Ranked pick
Tacos Los Cholos Fullerton · Mexican · $ · Eats Ranked pick
Palette Dim Sum · Chinese · $$ · Eats Ranked pick
Tio Flaco's Tacos · Mexican · $ · Eats Ranked pick
The Dim Sum · Chinese · $$ · Eats Ranked pick
Tim Ho Wan · Chinese · $$ · Eats Ranked pick

How this plan was made

Every place on this page holds a MICHELIN Guide distinction or a James Beard Foundation honor, or was checked by hand for Eats Ranked. Chains are left out and no restaurant pays to be listed. For each day FoodTrip picks dinner first, then lunch and breakfast, keeps to the budget, uses a different cuisine each meal and keeps the day's stops close together. No place appears twice.

This is one plan out of many. Open it in the planner to set your own dates, meals a day, budget and party size, swap any stop, reserve a table and add the meals to your calendar. See every city FoodTrip covers.