Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. California Central Coast
  4. Santa Barbara
  5. Santa Barbara
Secret Bao, Santa Barbara, CA

Secret Bao

4.8
4.8
675 Reviews
$31 to $50
Asian

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 10 times today
  • Innovative
  • Hot spot
  • Lively
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
    Contactless Payment
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Peter Lee & Felicia Medina

What 675 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

Diners' Choice Awards

  • California Central Coast

    Innovative

  • California Central Coast

    Hot spot

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Overall

  • Santa Barbara

    Best Food

  • 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 impresses with its "consistently amazing" and "creative" Asian fusion dishes, making it a favorite in Santa Barbara. Diners rave about the "delicious flavors" and "fantastic" menu variety, including standout items like the pork belly bao and crab noodles. The "friendly" service and vibrant atmosphere enhance the dining experience, though it can get "very loud" inside. A must-visit for food enthusiasts!

675 Reviews
  1. Dara

    VIP

    Los Angeles

    19 reviews

    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Secret Bao is OUTSTANDING. The food is fantastic. I’m only sorry that we didn’t discover it sooner.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Richard and Nina

    Central Coast

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was our first visit and we were blown away with the service and the atmosphere. I can’t believe the flavors of everything we ate. So much so that we reordered a couple of dishes. Our server RJ was on his game. We will be back….

    Is this helpful?

  3. Vicki

    Central Coast

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing yummy dishes, very flavorful and exciting! Great place! We love it!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Paul

    San Francisco

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 16 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Just so consistently good! Great value. The KFC Bao is just the perfect tasty meal. So many textures and delicious flavors. Yum

    Is this helpful?

  5. Edmund

    Los Angeles

    7 reviews

    4.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 14 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Excellent meal, everything we had was delicious , service was great.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Charlie

    Los Angeles

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 12 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious menu -- almost every item is great. Love this place.

    Is this helpful?

  7. velvetwink

    Central Coast

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on 8 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious food and festive joyful ambiance! Loved the hamachi tacos and cauliflower dishes!

    Is this helpful?

  8. Susan

    Central Coast

    7 reviews

    3.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 7 December 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Great Asian inspired cuisine one of the better pics in Santa Barbara. Whose restaurant offers fairs tomorrow middling food. The ambiance is a bit austere could be warmer and softer.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Amy

    VIP

    Seattle

    17 reviews

    5.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on 5 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything was delicious! We had the scallops (must!), kung pao cauliflower (so much flavor), pork belly Bao, duck spring rolls, and honey walnut shrimp. Looking forward to coming back and getting all the things we didn’t get!

    Is this helpful?

  10. Manon

    New Orleans

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on 1 December 2024

    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?

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 675 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 10 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
    Contactless Payment
  • Executive Chef
    Peter Lee & Felicia Medina
  • Additional
    Patio/Outdoor Dining
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2024 OpenTable International Ltd. Alphabeta Building, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo