Secret Bao

Name: Secret Bao
Address: 1201 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara, CA, United States, 93101-2009
Telephone: (805) 259-3226
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.8

4.8

660 Reviews

$31 to $50

Asian

Make a booking

2 people

27 Nov 2024

7:00 pm

Booked 16 times today

Innovative
Neighbourhood gem
Good for special occasions

Modern 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, Paelo, Friendly, Dog Friendly, Outdoor Patio, Heaters, Warm, Inviting, Hospitable, Modern Design

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Asian, Tapas / Small Plates
Hours of Operation
Lunch Wed–Sun 11:30 am–2:30 pm Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
Phone number
(805) 259-3226
Website
https://www.secretbaosb.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Contactless Payment, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Peter Lee & Felicia Medina

Location
1201 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101-2009
Area
Santa Barbara
Cross Street
Anapamu
Parking details
Free 90 Minute Lot Next Door
Additional
Beer, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeaway, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Popular dishes

K.F.C.
korean fried chicken, dragon sauce, coleslaw, umami mayo, pickled red onions
- eaUSD 7.00
Pork Belly
scf pork belly, kewpie mayo, sunomono persian cucumbers, hoisin
- eaUSD 7.00
Shrimp
shrimp tempura, sweet chili sauce, kewpie mayo, sesame slaw, scallions
- eaUSD 8.00
Octopus
crispy spanish octopus, pineapple kimchi, felicia's chili crunch, umami mayo, cilantro
- eaUSD 13.00
Soy Chili Dumplings
steamed pork & rainbow charred kimchi, glass noodles, felicia's chili crunch, sweet soy, cilantro, crispy shallots
- 4 PcsUSD 15.00

Eat Some Veggies

Sugar Snap Peas & BurrataUSD 17.00
tutti frutti farms sugar snap peas, cara cara oranges, burrata, mint, easter radishes, miso vinaigrette
Kungpao CauliflowerUSD 15.00
charred red onion, red bell pepper, japanese dried chilis, kung pao sauce, roasted cashews, cilantro
Mapo Tofu Tteok-BokkiUSD 16.00
korean rice cakes, shiitake mushrooms, mapo sauce, soft tofu, cilantro

Rice & Noods

Hamachi PokeUSD 17.00
japanese hamachi, granny smith apples, jalapeno ponzu, umami mayo, sunomono cucumbers, pickled red onions, avocado, furikake calrose rice
Garlic NoodlesUSD 11.00
sun noodles, caramelized garlic, oyster sauce, parmesan reggiano, scallions, crispy garlic, sesame oil
JapchaeUSD 16.00
korean sweet potato noodles, roasted shiitake mushrooms, caramelized onions, spinach, beansprouts, sweet soy sesame sauce, furikake, sesame oil
Kimchi JjigaeUSD 16.00
braised pork belly, baechu-kimchi, gochujang, soft tofu
CongeeUSD 23.00
5 spice duck confit, pickled shiitake mushrooms, felicia's chili crunch, radish, chives
Katsu CurryUSD 17.00
breaded pork loin, japanese curry, shiitake mushrooms, calrose furikake rice, scallions
Kalbi BowlUSD 23.00
momma lee's korean short ribs, baechu kimchi, red leaf lettuce, calrose rice, sesame oil, furikake, scallions
Pork Belly Fried RiceUSD 17.00
scf pork belly, caramelized kimchi, onions, garlic, jasmine rice, farm eggs, sugar snap peas, scallions, momo sauce
Chicken BulgogiUSD 15.00
grilled marinated chicken thighs, brussel sprouts, furikake calrose rice, umami mayo, scallions, togarashi, red pickled ginger
BibimbapUSD 15.00
spinach, beansprouts, kimchi, soy pickled shiitakes, fresnos, sunomono cucumbers, pickled onions, hooni sauce, calrose rice, sunnyside fried egg, furikake, sesame oil

What 660 people are saying

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

4.8Food
4.7Service
4.4Ambience
4.5Value

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
Innovative
Santa Barbara
Hot spot
Santa Barbara
Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Secret Bao is a culinary gem in Santa Barbara offering inventive, "delicious" Asian fusion cuisine. With standout dishes like KFC bao and duck egg rolls, and a "super lovely and competent" service, it's a must-visit for food enthusiasts. While the ambiance can be lively, outdoor seating offers a quieter experience.

660 Reviews

D
David
Dallas
10 reviews
vip
5.0
10 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent across all categories and good vibe in the space.
Is this helpful?
M
Mollly
Los Angeles
25 reviews
vip
4.0
25 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
We live Secret Bao. Our neighborhood go to. But it gets so loud it’s hard to have a conversation. Hard surfaces bounce sound around. Food is delish. Servers work their butts off and are always polite & helpful.
Is this helpful?
E
Elena
Central Coast
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 18 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
There is no dish that’s below exceptional. Every single item on that menu is prepared in such detail in terms of the combination of flavors, ingredients and presentation that you relish every bite. Absolute pleasure!!
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D
Deborah
Central Coast
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on 18 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Delicious food. Our server and all staff were great.
Is this helpful?
S
Suzanne
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 16 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
We sat outside even though it was very cold ! The heater helped! We would have sat indoors but the indoor seating feels much like a coffee shop and is loud. Patio is more consistent with the menu offerings. Excellent baos!!!! Super cocktails !
Is this helpful?
S
Stephanie
Seattle
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 16 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Delicious food, great service and loved the creative specials.
Is this helpful?
S
Susan
Denver
32 reviews
vip
5.0
32 reviews
Dined on 11 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Celebrating two birthdays with family and loved the food, drinks and service!
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E
Edward
Central Coast
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 9 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
very loud. food excellent, server was outstanding
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EC
EnjoyedChezTJ
San Francisco
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on 3 November 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Nice ambiance and great service, but the food was mediocre Asian. Much of the food was overly salted and sweetened. The fried rice was super salty. The beef chow fun was super sweet. The kfc baos were very good though! The pear and avocado salad was innovative.
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L
Lisa
Los Angeles
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 2 November 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Great food and good ambiance for a small group get together. The crab noodles are outstanding! Ideal place for ordering several different dishes and sharing.
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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 660 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

27 Nov 2024

7:00 pm

Booked 16 times today

Order delivery or takeout

1201 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101-2009

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross Street
Anapamu
Area
Santa Barbara
Hours of Operation
Lunch Wed–Sun 11:30 am–2:30 pm Dinner Wed, Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Asian, Tapas / Small Plates
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Free 90 Minute Lot Next Door
Payment Options
AMEX, Contactless Payment, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Peter Lee & Felicia Medina
Additional
Beer, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeaway, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
https://www.secretbaosb.com/
Phone number
(805) 259-3226

Secret Bao

Make a booking

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

KFC Bao

KFC

Kung Pao Cauliflower

Baos / Dimsum

K.F.C.

Pork Belly

Shrimp

Octopus

Soy Chili Dumplings

Eat Some Veggies

Sugar Snap Peas & BurrataUSD 17.00

Kungpao CauliflowerUSD 15.00

Mapo Tofu Tteok-BokkiUSD 16.00

Rice & Noods

Hamachi PokeUSD 17.00

Garlic NoodlesUSD 11.00

JapchaeUSD 16.00

Kimchi JjigaeUSD 16.00

CongeeUSD 23.00

Katsu CurryUSD 17.00

Kalbi BowlUSD 23.00

Pork Belly Fried RiceUSD 17.00

Chicken BulgogiUSD 15.00

BibimbapUSD 15.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

Does Secret Bao offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Secret Bao restaurant rated?

Is Secret Bao currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information