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Secret Bao, Santa Barbara, CA

Secret Bao

4.8
4.8
665 Reviews
$31 to $50
Asian

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 18 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
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Contactless Payment, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Peter Lee & Felicia Medina
  • 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

What 665 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
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

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.

665 Reviews
  1. Manon

    New Orleans

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Very good food we especially appreciated the excellent service . Duck spring rolls is a must

    Is this helpful?

  2. lellebelle

    Central Coast

    36 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    36 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We have been here many times and I think it’s just getting better. It seems like the kitchen has toned down the sugar content in all of their dishes which allows all of the other flavors to come through. We had the hamachi tacos, cauliflower, pear salad, beef chow fun, and the squash dumplings. Aside from the dumplings everything was five star. The dumplings had a lovely flavor but they were lacking in a bit of crunch texture(even though they had pomegranate seeds). So fours stars there. We will be back!

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  3. Susan

    Chicago

    10 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lovely menu, well-priced, helpful and courteous staff and very tasty.

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  4. MikeS

    Los Angeles

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Secret Bao is a pleasure. The food is delicious, and the staff is helpful and attentive. It was a great experience, and the other diners around us commented similarly. We'll definitely go back and have already shared our experience with friends and family.

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  5. Lisa

    San Francisco

    7 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delectable food and great service. Creative bao flavors and everything from cocktail to noodles to baos to desserts were perfectly flavoured with nothing too sweet, salty or overpowering. Love that they offered happy hour until 6pm, even on a Friday.

    Is this helpful?

  6. David

    Dallas

    10 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined 7 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?

  7. Mollly

    Los Angeles

    25 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    25 reviews

    Dined on 22 November 2024

    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.

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  8. 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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  9. 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.

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  10. 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?

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 665 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 18 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Secret Bao

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
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  • Terms of Use
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