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Secret Bao, Santa Barbara, CA

Secret Bao

4.8 (757)
$31 to $50
Asian
1201 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101-2009

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 17 times today

About this restaurant

  • Lively
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Innovative
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
  • Neighborhood
    Santa Barbara
  • Cross street
    Anapamu
  • Parking details
    Free 90 Minute Lot Next Door
  • Additional
    Beer, Gender Neutral Restroom, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 757 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
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Overall

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Food

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Service

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Value

  • Santa Barbara

    Innovative

  • Santa Barbara

    Good for groups

  • Santa Barbara

    Hot spot

  • Santa Barbara

    Great for scenic views

  • Santa Barbara

    Lively

  • Santa Barbara

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Secret Bao in Santa Barbara is a vibrant spot offering "exceptional" Asian fusion cuisine with creative dishes like KFC bao, pork dumplings, and Spicy Hamachi Tacos. "Service is top notch," with attentive staff like Dom and Maya. Though occasionally noisy, the atmosphere is "fantastic," making it a "must-go" destination.
757 Reviews
  1. Leslie VIP

    California Central Coast35 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    This was the first for us. Will definitely be back. Have several items on menu we would like to try next time we are in SB.

    Is this helpful?

  2. martha

    San Francisco Bay Area1 review

    4.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Delicious food. So glad we celebrated a birthday there last night. Will be back!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Charles VIP

    Washington, D.C. Area12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Awesome food and service all-around. Definitely coming back!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Mike

    California Central Coast1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Secret Bao is our special occasion spot in SB. Food is always exceptional!

    Is this helpful?

  5. richard

    California Central Coast3 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 22, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    On their website they advertise Happy Hour Wed-Sun from 5 to 7. We made our reservations for 6 and was informed upon arrival that Happy Hour is on 5-6. They then told us the information shown was from 2022. Food is excellent but theymight want to update things on their website

    Is this helpful?

  6. Lee

    California Central Coast7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food, great service at a reasonable price. I will return to this restaurant in the near future!

    Is this helpful?

  7. Nikki VIP

    San Francisco Bay Area5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We enjoyed pork dumplings, KFC bao, duck spring rolls and kalbi ribs, everything was delicious. Great by the glass wine selection, service was top notch, thanks Dom! Highly recommend!

    Is this helpful?

  8. Robert

    Los Angeles12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Can’t come to SB without a trip to Secret Bao. The Smashed Cucumber Salad is fantastic, the Baos are always special, and this time we tried the Spicy Hamachi Tacos, which we delish. Gonna be card to keep this place a secret!

    Is this helpful?

  9. Edward

    California Central Coast4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    food is good and interesting combinations service is excellent. inside gets very loud as it fills up so loud we couldn't hear each other. the happy hour is excellent also the prices make it quite reasonable.

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  10. Michael VIP

    Chicago / Illinois67 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 16, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    A variety of creative dishes from small to larger sizes, but in any case ideal for sharing. We loved especially the avocado and pear salad, as well as the broccolini - but we liked everything we ordered.

    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 757 OpenTable diners.

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

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. California Central Coast
  4. Santa Barbara
  5. Santa Barbara

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 17 times today
Google Map for Secret Bao

1201 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101-2009

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Anapamu
  • Neighborhood
    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, Gender Neutral Restroom, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Delivery & takeout
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