Secret Bao

4.8

659 Reviews

$31 to $50

Asian

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 24, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 21 times today

Innovative
Neighborhood 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
Website
https://www.secretbaosb.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Contactless Payment, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Peter Lee & Felicia Medina

Location
1201 Anacapa St, Santa Barbara, CA 93101-2009
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

Popular dishes

K.F.C.
korean fried chicken, dragon sauce, coleslaw, umami mayo, pickled red onions
- ea$7.00
Pork Belly
scf pork belly, kewpie mayo, sunomono persian cucumbers, hoisin
- ea$7.00
Shrimp
shrimp tempura, sweet chili sauce, kewpie mayo, sesame slaw, scallions
- ea$8.00
Octopus
crispy spanish octopus, pineapple kimchi, felicia's chili crunch, umami mayo, cilantro
- ea$13.00
Soy Chili Dumplings
steamed pork & rainbow charred kimchi, glass noodles, felicia's chili crunch, sweet soy, cilantro, crispy shallots
- 4 Pcs$15.00

Eat Some Veggies

Sugar Snap Peas & Burrata$17.00
tutti frutti farms sugar snap peas, cara cara oranges, burrata, mint, easter radishes, miso vinaigrette
Kungpao Cauliflower$15.00
charred red onion, red bell pepper, japanese dried chilis, kung pao sauce, roasted cashews, cilantro
Mapo Tofu Tteok-Bokki$16.00
korean rice cakes, shiitake mushrooms, mapo sauce, soft tofu, cilantro

Rice & Noods

Hamachi Poke$17.00
japanese hamachi, granny smith apples, jalapeno ponzu, umami mayo, sunomono cucumbers, pickled red onions, avocado, furikake calrose rice
Garlic Noodles$11.00
sun noodles, caramelized garlic, oyster sauce, parmesan reggiano, scallions, crispy garlic, sesame oil
Japchae$16.00
korean sweet potato noodles, roasted shiitake mushrooms, caramelized onions, spinach, beansprouts, sweet soy sesame sauce, furikake, sesame oil
Kimchi Jjigae$16.00
braised pork belly, baechu-kimchi, gochujang, soft tofu
Congee$23.00
5 spice duck confit, pickled shiitake mushrooms, felicia's chili crunch, radish, chives
Katsu Curry$17.00
breaded pork loin, japanese curry, shiitake mushrooms, calrose furikake rice, scallions
Kalbi Bowl$23.00
momma lee's korean short ribs, baechu kimchi, red leaf lettuce, calrose rice, sesame oil, furikake, scallions
Pork Belly Fried Rice$17.00
scf pork belly, caramelized kimchi, onions, garlic, jasmine rice, farm eggs, sugar snap peas, scallions, momo sauce
Chicken Bulgogi$15.00
grilled marinated chicken thighs, brussel sprouts, furikake calrose rice, umami mayo, scallions, togarashi, red pickled ginger
Bibimbap$15.00
spinach, beansprouts, kimchi, soy pickled shiitakes, fresnos, sunomono cucumbers, pickled onions, hooni sauce, calrose rice, sunnyside fried egg, furikake, sesame oil

What 659 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

4.8Food
4.7Service
4.4Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

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.

659 Reviews

M
Mollly
Los Angeles
25 reviews
vip
4.0
25 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
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.
Is this helpful?
E
Elena
Central Coast
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
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!!
Is this helpful?
D
Deborah
Central Coast
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Delicious food. Our server and all staff were great.
Is this helpful?
S
Suzanne
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 16, 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?
S
Stephanie
Seattle
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 16, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Delicious food, great service and loved the creative specials.
Is this helpful?
S
Susan
Denver
32 reviews
vip
5.0
32 reviews
Dined on November 11, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Celebrating two birthdays with family and loved the food, drinks and service!
Is this helpful?
E
Edward
Central Coast
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 9, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
very loud. food excellent, server was outstanding
Is this helpful?
EC
EnjoyedChezTJ
San Francisco
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on November 3, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Nice ambiance and great service, but the food was mediocre Asian. Much of the food was overly salted and sweetened. The fried rice was super salty. The beef chow fun was super sweet. The kfc baos were very good though! The pear and avocado salad was innovative.
Is this helpful?
L
Lisa
Los Angeles
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 2, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Great food and good ambiance for a small group get together. The crab noodles are outstanding! Ideal place for ordering several different dishes and sharing.
Is this helpful?
JC
JessicaC
Seattle
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on November 2, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Amazing food, great service, a little pricey, and fairly loud
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 659 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 24, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 21 times today

Order delivery or takeout

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

Website
https://www.secretbaosb.com/
Phone number
(805) 259-3226

Secret Bao

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

KFC Bao

KFC

Kung Pao Cauliflower

Baos / Dimsum

K.F.C.

Pork Belly

Shrimp

Octopus

Soy Chili Dumplings

Eat Some Veggies

Sugar Snap Peas & Burrata$17.00

Kungpao Cauliflower$15.00

Mapo Tofu Tteok-Bokki$16.00

Rice & Noods

Hamachi Poke$17.00

Garlic Noodles$11.00

Japchae$16.00

Kimchi Jjigae$16.00

Congee$23.00

Katsu Curry$17.00

Kalbi Bowl$23.00

Pork Belly Fried Rice$17.00

Chicken Bulgogi$15.00

Bibimbap$15.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

Does Secret Bao offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Secret Bao restaurant rated?

Is Secret Bao currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information