The Best Restaurants In Huntington Beach, California

Huntington Beach Sunset
Huntington Beach Sunset | ©Jeff Turner/Flickr
Angela Lee

Situated on the west coast of California, Huntington Beach is a popular site for surfing. Every summer, big surfing competitions are held, making the most of the massive waves. Bustling with lively residents and visitors, this lovely beach city offers a selection of great restaurants, and we’ve picked the 10 best.

Degrees

Restaurant, American, Pub Grub, $
Located along the Huntington Beach Pier, 25 Degrees is an American burger joint with a twist. The restaurant makes unique and unbelievable burgers and is named after the precise temperature difference of a raw and well done burger. Aside from its dishes, 25 Degrees ensures that its guests enjoy their food in a warm, lively environment. For entertainment, the diner plays hip music as customers eat and chat. Meanwhile, the waiters and waitresses swiftly and smoothly manoeuvre their way around the room to make certain that each customer is comfortable and satisfied.

Secret Spot

Restaurant, American, Mexican, Vegetarian, Vegan, $
A vegetarian and vegan friendly restaurant, Secret Spot is a local family favorite. It has gained a reputation of being the place that serves ‘kind healthy food from kind healthy people,’ providing guests with the healthiest options, while maintaining the succulent flavors of Mexican, vegetarian cuisine. Many customers dine in during breakfast and brunch hours specifically for the restaurant’s famous breakfast burrito and mango blueberry pancakes. By dedicating itself to serve healthy comfort food in large quantities, Secret Spot has attracted a large following. Furthermore, by accepting online orders, its name has spread to neighboring cities such as Fountain Valley and Cost Mesa.

The Black Trumpet Bistro

Restaurant, Mediterranean, $
A popular, relaxing nightspot in Huntington Beach, The Black Trumpet Bistro presents a vast array of Mediterranean cuisine in the form of tapas with hints of Italian, French, Spanish, Greek and Moroccan influences. It also displays a wide selection of traditional dishes such as Moroccan chicken tagine and handmade Italian pastas. The atmosphere is comparable to that of an underground dinner club, dimly and romantically lit with a dozen of bar stools lined up along a tall counter and tables squeezed in. Even though the restaurant does not take reservations, it is generally full, especially over the weekends.

Speakeasy

Restaurant, Pub Grub, $$
Hidden in the Old World Village of Huntington Beach, Speakeasy is an extraordinary gem that tricky to find but worth a visit. Once inside, guests are greeted by a welcoming staff and a low-key, comforting atmosphere. The interior décor has a Bavarian village theme, with decorations that represent the Alps. The room is dimly lit and pleasurable with sets of board games available on the expansive bar. Though the outdoor patio doesn’t have a great view, it does provide customers the option to dine in the fresh outdoor air.

The Sugar Shack Café

Restaurant, American

Breakfast Pancakes

The Sugar Shack Café is owned by the Williams family and has been in operation since 1967. In the beginning it was extraordinarily small, capable of housing a maximum of 22 customers with only indoor dining available. After the founders, Pat and Mary Williams, decided to hand the restaurant over to their second child, Michele Turner, and her husband, Tim Turner, in 1979, the restaurant expanded. The indoor dining area now fits 34 customers and includes an outdoor dining space, a front dining area and a back dining space. Thanks to the extension, many more regulars return to The Sugar Shack, and some even return multiple times during a single day.

Thai Gulf Restaurant

Restaurant, Thai

Pad Thai

As the name suggests, Thai Gulf Restaurant features authentic Thai cuisine. Though it is hidden within a strip mall full of stores and other restaurants, it is a popular spot particularly during the afternoon. Not only are the dishes spectacular but also the prices are shockingly cheap and the portions large. As a result of the reasonable prices, excellent service and quality of food, many customers claim that dining at Thai Gulf is a must.

North Shore Poke Company

Family operated North Shore Poke Company presents bowls full of mouthwatering Hawaiian poke, a salad that consists of cubes of raw seafood and is often served as an appetizer in Hawaiian cuisine. Chef Shawn Gole is one of the first chefs in America to introduce the mainland to this interesting mix of raw ingredients. Not only does he maintain the authenticity of the traditional poke dish, but he also uses poke as an ingredient for his own creations such as poke tacos and sashimi sandwiches.

Matsu

Restaurant, Japanese, $

Sushi

One of the best Japanese restaurants in Huntington Beach, Matsu presents a massive menu, whatever it is that each customer requests, Matsu’s talented chefs create every dish perfectly as if it has been prepared in Japan. The professional teppan chefs and sushi chefs unwaveringly prepare the dishes, while casually conversing with customers, a multitasking skill that requires an intense amount of concentration as well as practice. As a result, guests comfortably relax with friends while watching in bewilderment as the chefs majestically prepare the meals in front of their eyes.

Red Table

Restaurant, American, $

Red Table

Red Table is an American restaurant that revolves around the color red. Before the restaurant was established, the founders, who had been friends for years, desired a place where people can relax, eat and drink. They decided to open a restaurant, and using the first letters of ‘relax,’ ‘eat’ and ‘drink,’ they developed the name ‘Red,’ which led to the creation of red tables and the restaurant name Red Table. The red tables symbolize the founders’ conviction that people need to stop every once in a while to gather around a table to eat and bond with one another, and Red Table is the perfect place to do so.

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