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Secret Bao, Santa Barbara, CA

Secret Bao

4.8
4.8
706 Reviews
$31 to $50
Asian

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 33 times today

About this restaurant

  • Innovative
  • Hot spot
  • Lively
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

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
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Contactless Payment, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Peter Lee & Felicia Medina
  • Delivery & takeout
  • 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 706 people are saying

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

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

    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
  1. Sela

    Central Coast13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined today

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food and service!!! DIning on the patio was perfect!

    Is this helpful?

  2. Dee VIP

    Central Coast4 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    This was our third visit. Slowly working through the menu! KFC Bao a must. Carbonara was great and a huge portion.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Margaret

    Philadelphia6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Food is so great. Drinks too. Could use cushions on their hard bench

    Is this helpful?

  4. Billi VIP

    Minneapolis21 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 22 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. 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.

    Is this helpful?

  5. sbavila

    Central Coast2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 17 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. 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.

    Is this helpful?

  6. DenaB

    San Diego2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 16 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great experience! Friendly, attentive server with amazing food!

    Is this helpful?

  7. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 9 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Need more creative delicious restaurants like this in Santa Barbara.

    Is this helpful?

  8. CraigS

    Los Angeles44 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 3 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. 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

  9. Alex

    Central Coast2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 1 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. 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

    Is this helpful?

  10. Nancy

    San Francisco6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 28 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. 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!

    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 706 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 33 times today
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
  • Delivery & takeout
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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