Highest-rated fine dining restaurants in the Santa Maria area by diners
Highest-rated fine dining restaurants in the Santa Maria area by diners
Fine dining in the United States isn't what it used to be. Many customers are no longer interested in classic white tablecloths and 16-ounce New York strips; these days, it's all about cutting-edge culinary experiences.
Although steakhouses have defined fine dining in America since the 19th century, that started to change in the mid-1990s. Elite chefs like Thomas Keller and his three-Michelin-starred restaurant, French Laundry, unearthed a whole different kind of tasting experience (with 40 courses), and a new age of fine dining was born. Soon, prix fixe meals—a French style of serving with a set menu—became the norm for fine dining in the U.S.
Between the rise of chefs' tasting menus and consumers' continued desire to have diverse culinary experiences, the restaurants that grace the pages of top-tier restaurant reviewers like Zagat or the Michelin Guide look very different today than they did 30 years ago. Restaurant goers aren't just looking for high-quality food. They want the type of menu that will tell a story. They want creative ingredients they've never tried before. They want to be transported into a whole new world.
With so many innovative menus and restaurant experiences popping up across America, it can be challenging to choose where to go for a special evening. Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated fine dining restaurants in the Santa Maria area using data from Yelp. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself.
Only businesses with at least five reviews and at least level 2 pricing (i.e., $$ to $$$$) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with five or more locations nationally (based on Yelp data) were not included. Restaurants in certain lower-cost categories (like "diners," "buffets," and "food trucks") were excluded. Data is as of June 25, 2025.
Read on to find a potential restaurant for your next special meal out!
#19. Vintner's Bar & Grill
- Rating: 3.4/5 (55 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3455 Skyway Drive Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Bars, American
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Crumbles Café & Bake Shop
- Rating: 3.6/5 (207 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1635 South Broadway Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Bakeries, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
#17. The Century Room
- Rating: 3.6/5 (99 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 801 South Broadway Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, American
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Cool Hand Luke's
- Rating: 3.7/5 (389 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1321 Nicholson Ave. Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Steakhouses, Wine Bars, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Adelina's Bistro
- Rating: 3.7/5 (135 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1645 Trilogy Pkwy Nipomo, California
- Categories: New American, Bars, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Far Western Tavern
- Rating: 3.8/5 (520 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 300 East Clark Ave. Orcutt, California
- Categories: American, Cocktail Bars, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Magic Dragon Asian Cuisine
- Rating: 3.8/5 (301 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 800 South Broadway Ste 105 Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Chinese, Seafood, Soup
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Jocko's Steak House
- Rating: 3.8/5 (2863 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 125 North Thompson Ave. Nipomo, California
- Categories: Steakhouses, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Shaw's Steakhouse & Tavern
- Rating: 3.9/5 (851 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 714 South Broadway Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Steakhouses, Barbecue, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#10. SizzlinGogi
- Rating: 4.0/5 (621 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1841 South Broadway Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Korean, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#9. The Swiss Restaurant and Bar
- Rating: 4.0/5 (454 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 516 North Broadway Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Steakhouses, Bars, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Thai Villa
- Rating: 4.0/5 (259 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 626 West Tefft St. Nipomo, California
- Categories: Thai, Chinese, Beer, Wine & Spirits
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Trattoria Uliveto
- Rating: 4.1/5 (482 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 285 South Broadway St. Old Orcutt, California
- Categories: Italian, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Chef Rick's
- Rating: 4.2/5 (275 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 135 East Foster Road Santa Maria, California
- Categories: New American, Sandwiches, Vegan
- Read more on Yelp
#5. AL PHO
- Rating: 4.3/5 (641 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1201 East Main St. Ste B Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Vietnamese, Barbecue, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Zoe's Hawaiian BBQ
- Rating: 4.3/5 (572 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2880 Santa Maria Way Ste A-2 Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Hawaiian
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Hitching Post
- Rating: 4.4/5 (551 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 3325 Point Sal Road Casmalia, California
- Categories: Barbecue, Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Pizzeria Bello Forno
- Rating: 4.5/5 (366 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 119 East Clark Ave. Orcutt, California
- Categories: Pizza, Wine Bars, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#1. The Garden Mediterranean
- Rating: 4.7/5 (780 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 122 East Boone St. Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Mediterranean, Vegetarian
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 319 metros.
