Consider This Our Love Letter to Anaheim’s Food Scene

There are many reasons why Anaheim is among Orange County’s sweethearts when it comes to food. Foodie hotspots like the Anaheim Packing District and a little place called Disneyland® Park have helped put Anaheim on the culinary map, and beyond that, the city is known for its culinary diversity, breweries and farm-to-table dining.

Anaheim represents the past, present and future of the area’s food scene. The city is an amazing place to explore today’s most delicious flavors or catch a glimpse into tomorrow’s next trend. Anaheim also serves up a hearty dose of nostalgia. So if you’re new to this OC city or simply dropping by, here are 20 of the best restaurants in Anaheim for bite.

 

Poppy & Seed

Menu Highlights: The sweet and savory stuffed squash blossoms never disappoint, and the pan-seared diver scallops are melt-in-your-mouth tender. Don’t skip the duck fat confit fingerling potatoes (no explanation needed)!

Owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Chef Michael and Kwini Reed, Poppy & Seed is undeniably one of Anaheim’s shining jewels. This gorgeous restaurant, set inside an open and airy greenhouse, is as sophisticated as it is unforgettable—and the Michelin Guide would agree. From plates to cocktails, Poppy & Seed’s focus is on seasonality and innovation, so there’s always something new to try.

 

Okayama Cafe and Bakery

Menu Highlights: If you have a sweet tooth, try the chocolate emoji bun or the strawberry milk cream croissant. If you’re craving something savory, you can’t go wrong with an oyaki pork shumai or curry pan. And if you’re thirsty, order a tasty specialty latte.

There’s always a line out the door for Okayama Cafe and Bakery, and let’s just say, we’ll stand in it. It’s that good. This bakery uses 100% Hokkaido flour, and their dough is entirely free of preservatives and additives. Each visit is accompanied by the cafe’s charming ambiance, signature friendliness and the temptation to try something new. 

 

Tacos Los Cholos

Menu Highlights: Time and time again, the pork belly quesadilla and the ribeye tacos are worthy of repeat orders.

Crowned the winner of LA Taco’s Taco Madness in 2023, Tacos Los Cholos has been a local favorite since opening in Anaheim in 2019. This restaurant’s secret to success isn’t much of a secret at all—Tacos Los Cholos prides itself on using fresh, high-quality ingredients such as Black Angus prime ribeye, and cooking it over a wood-fired grill. From there, the ingredients are put into tacos, burritos, quesadillas, mulitas, tortas and more. You can also dig into specialty creations, like Papa Loka and Cholo Pizza.

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Don Churros 

Menu Highlights: We can’t say no to the traditional churro here—it’s changed our expectations of churros forever—but we think everyone should try the El Don Churro, a huge churro sliced in half and slathered with cajeta (thickened caramel made of sweetened caramelized goat’s milk).

Not far from Disneyland, you’ll find a small food truck serving scratch-made churros with a house recipe that dates back to 1969, when it was served at the family’s original “Churreria” in Jalisco. The dough is made with vegan ingredients and takes three days to prepare, and the churros are always fried to order. This truck is popular for a reason, so try to get there before they sell out! You can also find Don Churros at the Anaheim Indoor Marketplace Thursday through Sunday (nights only).

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THE RANCH Restaurant & Saloon

Menu Highlights: This is the perfect opportunity to treat yourself and go all out: order a farm-inspired cocktail like the Now You See Me and share a 58-ounce Prime Angus cowboy ribeye.

Led by Executive Chef Pedro Garcia and Chef de Cuisine Raul Garcia, THE RANCH Restaurant & Saloon is an innovative and sustainably-focused steakhouse, saloon and event center. On the dining side, the restaurant is known for its show-stopping steaks and culinary honors, like being listed in the Michelin Guide and earning the title of Anaheim’s Restaurant of the Year. THE RANCH partners with local farmers, has its own farm on Edwards Ranch Estates in the foothills of Orange and offers an award-winning wine program supported by ten sommeliers. Next door to the restaurant, you’ll find THE RANCH Saloon, which offers the full date-night experience: drinks, music and plenty of dancing.

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Anaheim White House

Menu Highlights: The Italian dishes shine here, but the restaurant’s menu features dashes of other cuisines, too. If you love or have always wanted to try escargot or frog legs, this is the place!

For delicious Italian steakhouse cuisine and an elegant atmosphere, look no further than Anaheim White House. The ambiance is nothing short of romantic, and its crown jewel is gorgeous al fresco dining. Anaheim White House is owned by the renowned Bruno Serato, a celebrity chef, CNN hero and philanthropist who is always working to make a positive impact in his community. 

Local Insight: To help feed a family of four, donate $5 to Caterina’s Club, a non-profit that Chef Serato named after his mother.

 

En Familia

Menu Highlights: You’ll want to share dishes here—consider the blue corn empanadas, bone marrow, bluefin aguachile and esquites a la parrilla. Our cocktail picks: the Lumbre and the Frida.

En Familia opened its doors at the Anaheim Packing House in February 2024, and has quickly become a new date-night favorite. The interior design is beautiful with wood and industrial accents and Mexican steakhouse vibe, and the dishes that grace the menu are easy to share. Owned by Chef David Fuerte, En Familia offers carefully crafted cocktails, perfectly cooked steaks from the wood-fired Josper oven, chef-led brunch items and more. And while the dining room is spectacular, the partly shaded patio is a picture-perfect place for an alfresco meal.

 

Mama Cozza’s Italian Restaurant

Menu Highlights: When Guy Fieri and the “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” crew paid Mama Cozza’s a visit in 2010, Fieri said not to leave without trying the pizza. While we couldn’t agree more, we’d like to add that you shouldn’t leave without eating at least two baskets of garlic bread, either.

Remember the motto at Mama Cozza’s Italian Restaurant when you visit: “Everyone leaves satisfied—no one leaves hungry!” The owners live by this saying. Family-owned and operated since 1965, Mama Cozza’s features family recipes that have been handed down through the generations. The menu features dishes ranging from northern to southern Italian cuisine, including chicken pisano, veal osso buco and over 20 scratch-made sauces. 

 

Aleppo’s Kitchen

Menu Highlights: Start by sharing some meze, like the dip trio and the Aleppian beet salad, then dig into delicious braised lamb kabsa, shish barak (Syrian ravioli) or an assortment of mixed kibbeh.

Paying homage to Aleppo’s gastronomical significance, the menu at Aleppo’s Kitchen reflects the city’s influences from Syrian, Turkish, Armenian and Eastern Mediterranean cuisine. Owned and operated by a family who fled Syria’s civil war in 2012, Aleppo’s Kitchen opened in 2013 after months of hard work and earnest planning. To this day, the restaurant proudly offers Orange County a taste of Syrian cuisine with family recipes passed down from the owner’s grandmother.

 

Cortina’s Italian Market

Menu Highlights: You can’t go wrong with a classic Margherita pizza, where fresh ingredients shine, but if you want to branch out, we recommend the Italian White pizza with alfredo sauce, ricotta, spicy aglio olio and broccolini. 

When Papa Tony and his brother Victor opened Cortina’s in 1963, their mission was to share fresh, high-quality food with their community. Today, Cortina’s is still family-owned and operated, and their deli and pizzeria have a positive reputation and loyal customer base—both of which stay true to the restaurant’s values of food and family. The Anaheim location is a great place to grab some market goods and specialty deli items—and no trip is complete without a hand-tossed pizza.

 

Villains Brewing Company

Menu Highlights: To compliment California-style craft beers, the brewery serves up California-style barbecue. Our favorites include the Harris Ranch tri-tip and the smoked brisket nachos, and no one can say no to the ultimate mac ’n’ cheese.

This list wouldn’t be complete without a brewery mention! Alcohol manufacturing has been a major part of Anaheim’s economy since the 1800s, and the culture lives on today with the city’s numerous breweries and distilleries. Villains Brewing Company tops our list for area taphouses. Head there for the sip ’n’ paints, and then stay for the laid-back vibes, tasty beer lineup and mouth-watering barbecue.

 

Savor Stone Hearth Pizza & Wine

Menu Highlights: For those who love sweet and spicy, try the Honey Bear pizza, which features ricotta and hot honey. You can never go wrong with the Farmer’s Market pesto and veggie pizza, too.

Located inside the Sheraton Park Hotel, Savor Stone Hearth Pizza & Wine is the perfect spot for happy hour or catching up with friends over a glass of wine, a charcuterie board and crave-worthy handmade pizza. Savor boasts a delicious menu of wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, so you can expect fresh, simple toppings and a classic Neapolitan crust—thin, soft, bubbly and charred in all the right places.

 

206 BCE Noodles

Menu Highlights: While 206 BCE Noodles is known for its photo-worthy Anti-Gravity Noodles, our favorites are the butter garlic shrimp and Cajun calamari.

Named after the originating year of Chinese noodles, 206 BCE Noodles features a flavor-packed menu specializing in garlic butter noodles, pho and Cajun seafood dishes—the largest and most enticing of which is the crab and shrimp platter. Don’t forget to check out the market section! It features all sorts of Asian snacks and sweets, like lobster crackers, chocolate-covered potato chips and matcha cookies.

 

Koftegi

Menu Highlight: Hands down, share the Turkish breakfast tray. It’s a delicious assortment of fresh pita, strong tea and all the fixings. We recommend adding sausage to the eggs.

A star of Anaheim’s Little Arabia District, Koftegi is a local favorite for delicious halal Turkish cuisine. Known for scratch-made dishes and bakery items, Koftegi is a wonderful place to visit regardless of your familiarity with the cuisine. One family-friendly item is the lahmajun, but you can never go wrong with classics like köfte, döner and—of course—baklava. 

 

Desert Moon

Menu Highlights: Sip on some mint lemonade, share some toshka and dig into a mixed chicken and meat shawarma platter. And don’t be shy to ask for more pita—it’s fresh from the wood-fired oven.

Another gem of Little Arabia is Desert Moon This family favorite Anaheim restaurant serves heaping portions of delicious Mediterranean and halal food. We recommend ordering family-style in order to try a bit of everything. Our go-to (for purely nostalgic reasons) is the toshka. If you’ve never tried it before, toshka is similar in concept to a quesadilla. Expect cheesy, melty goodness all wrapped in a fresh pita. 

 

La Casa Garcia

Menu Highlights: If you’re someone who loves a challenge, La Casa Garcia offers a free t-shirt if you can finish the 5-pound King Burrito. Still, the star of the show will always be the sizzling fajita platter.

When Frank Garcia was 13, he began his restaurant career as a dishwasher and eventually became a cook. He dreamed of opening his own restaurant, and that dream was realized when he and his wife first opened La Casa Garcia near Ponderosa Park. After three years, the couple moved the business to its current location, which has been operating for over four decades —thanks to their delicious food and loyal regulars. 

 

Extra Helping: Where to Eat Near Anaheim

In case you didn’t get your fill of eateries in Anaheim, here are some additional nearby restaurants that are worth the short drive.

 

Phở 79

It’s hard to imagine this stretch of California before pho restaurants—and that’s partly thanks to Phở 79 in Little Saigon. When they opened in 1982, owners Thọ Trần and Liễu Trần introduced Southern California to beef pho, one of Vietnam’s most important dishes.

Local Insight: Phở 79 earned the prestigious James Beard America’s Classics honor in 2019! 

Location: Garden Grove

 

Sauced BBQ

Right across the Santa Ana River, you’ll find Sauced BBQ, one of Orange County’s best BBQ restaurants. The authentic, slow-smoked Southern meats pair perfectly with their menu of craft beers, cocktails and spirits, and it all comes together in a laid-back atmosphere. We recommend the pork belly burnt ends, but be warned: they sell out, so get there early!

Location: Orange

 

The Cauldron

Love a spooky theme? Head to The Cauldron for spirits, booze and bites. We love their wicked take on bar food and cocktails, especially when paired with the dark and eerie ambiance. The Wicked Frites pairs well with the Grey Witch cocktail. But, you could always ask the Ouija board for some recommendations.

Local Insight: If you’re one to celebrate Halloween year-round, be sure to also check out Burnt Umber coffee shop in Garden Grove and The Witches Brew Night Market in Santa Ana.

Location: Buena Park

 

Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant

Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant first opened its doors in 1934, when Mrs. Knott and her kids first served customers in their tea room. Since then, it has grown into one of the largest restaurants in California, and the kitchen still uses Mrs. Knott’s original fried chicken dinner recipes to this day.  This is definitely a nostalgic spot for anyone who grew up going to Knott’s Berry Farm!

Location: Buena Park

Want even more recs? Visit www.visitanaheim.org/restaurants for a full list of the best restaurants in Anaheim!