Contemporary Asian American Restaurant from Chefs Peter Lee & Felicia Medina.
"Consider the bao. Chinese in origin, it’s most easily described as a steamed bun filled with something savory. Yet, like the American concept of a sandwich, the bao exploded into a flexible format of untold bounds — served at any meal, filled with you-name-it, completely closed or wide open, with endless regional variants from across Asia and far beyond." - Matt Kettmann (SB Independent)
1 Block From State Street, Easy Parking, Public Lot Nearby, Free 75 Minute Parking, Walking Distance, El Pueblo Viejo Landmark District, Superior Court, Spanish Colonial Revival Courthouse, Santa Barbara Museum Of Art, Courthouse Gardens, Bell Tower, Bao, Food, Restaurant, Asian, American, New, Modern, Fried, Chicken, Octopus, Vegan, Vegetarian, Paleo, Friendly, Dog Friendly, Outdoor Patio, Heaters, Warm, Inviting, Hospitable, Modern Design
Secret Bao reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.
Overall ratings and reviews
Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant
4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
4.9Food
4.8Service
4.5Ambience
4.6Value
Noise • Moderate
Loved For
California Central Coast
Innovative
California Central Coast
Hot spot
Santa Barbara
Best Overall
Santa Barbara
Best Food
Santa Barbara
Best Service
Santa Barbara
Best Value
Santa Barbara
Child-friendly
Santa Barbara
Innovative
Santa Barbara
Healthy
Santa Barbara
Hot spot
Santa Barbara
Lively
Santa Barbara
Most Booked
Review summary
AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Secret Bao in Santa Barbara is celebrated for its inventive Asian fusion dishes and friendly ambiance. Reviewers rave about the "creative, quality, interesting and fabulous" food, highlighting favorites like the "pork belly bao," "hamachi tacos," and "duck spring rolls." The service is consistently praised as "attentive" and "knowledgeable," enhancing the dining experience. Despite some concerns about noise levels, the overall consensus is that Secret Bao is a "must-visit" spot for "amazing" culinary adventures.
706 Reviews
S
Sela
Central Coast13 reviews
5.0
Dined today
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 5
Excellent food and service!!!
DIning on the patio was perfect!
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D
Dee VIP
Central Coast4 reviews
4.0
Dined 3 days ago
Overall 4
Food 4
Service 5
Ambience 4
This was our third visit. Slowly working through the menu! KFC Bao a must. Carbonara was great and a huge portion.
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M
Margaret
Philadelphia6 reviews
5.0
Dined 3 days ago
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 4
Food is so great. Drinks too. Could use cushions on their hard bench
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B
Billi VIP
Minneapolis21 reviews
5.0
Dined on 22 March 2025
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 5
What an incredible dinner! Service was amazing. We loved everything we tried. Can’t wait to return and sample more of the menu.
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s
sbavila
Central Coast2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 17 March 2025
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 5
We ate outside with the heaters. It was nice. The food was terrific. We especially loved the pear/avocado salad, lobster bao, and warm date cake with ice cream.
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DB
DenaB
San Diego2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 16 March 2025
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 5
Great experience! Friendly, attentive server with amazing food!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 9 March 2025
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 4
Need more creative delicious restaurants like this in Santa Barbara.
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CS
CraigS
Los Angeles44 reviews
5.0
Dined on 3 March 2025
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 4
This is one of the best restaurants in downtown Santa Barbara. Creative, quality, interesting and fabulous. Just do it! It is amazing! You will love the cauliflower, broccolini, ribs, shrimp, carbonara, really you will love everything! It is a must go when you are in town - cool, hip, young and delicious! Own it!
1 person found this helpful
A
Alex
Central Coast2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 1 March 2025
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 5
The cauliflower, kfc bao, shrimp bao, and the dumplings were so worth it! So yummy! The lobster noodles I could pass on next time. Get dessert too! Everything is good on dessert menu
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N
Nancy
San Francisco6 reviews
5.0
Dined on 28 February 2025
Overall 5
Food 5
Service 5
Ambience 5
Our dinner exceeded our expectations. Very casual atmosphere but every dish was extraordinarily delicious. The food was presented beautifully and everything was so flavorful and unique. Our wait person, Maya, was terrific as well. I highly recommend! Wish we could go back again tonight!
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FAQs
Secret Bao offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (805) 259-3226.
Secret Bao is rated 4.8 stars by 706 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.
