Highest-rated restaurants in Santa Maria by diners

Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to stick to our morning routines, rewatch movies we've seen time and time again, and hit up the same tried-and-true restaurants when going out for a meal. In fact, 35% of Americans say they rarely or never try a new restaurant they haven't been to before, according to a 2024 survey of more than 1,500 diners from TouchBistro.

But those numbers look quite different when you focus on younger generations—67% of Gen Zers and 40% of millennials in the U.S. say they visit new restaurants once a month or more. When it comes to deciding which new restaurant to try, younger generations are also more likely to rely on social media or online restaurant reviews, through sites like Yelp or Google. The TouchBistro survey found that 52% of Gen Zers have opted to try a new restaurant due to positive feedback on social media, and 67% of millennials have gone to a new dining spot solely because of favorable reviews online.

New restaurants in particular tend to garner a lot of online attention. About 50,000 new restaurants open each year in the U.S., and that number continues to rise. An analysis by Yelp published in June 2024 found that new restaurant openings were up 6% from May 2023 to April 2024. But some of the best restaurants in your neck of the woods might be those established eateries that customers have been visiting for decades.

To help you determine which spots—both new and long-standing—to try out, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in Santa Maria, according to Yelp reviews from diners as of January 2025. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews and a 3.0 rating were considered. Read on to find some inspiration for the next time you dine out.

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#30. Firehouse Subs

- Rating: 4.1/5 (50 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 469 East Betteravia Road Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Fast food, Delis, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#29. In-N-Out Burger

- Rating: 4.1/5 (254 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1330 South Bradley Road Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Burgers, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

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#28. La Vera Pizzeria

- Rating: 4.2/5 (73 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 239 Town Center West Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

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#27. Taco Ranchero

- Rating: 4.2/5 (100 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 108 East Jones St. Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Mexican, Salad, Soup
- Read more on Yelp

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#26. Thai Hut Restaurant

- Rating: 4.2/5 (281 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 120 East Foster Road Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Thai
- Read more on Yelp

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6 / 30

#25. North China Restaurant

- Rating: 4.2/5 (616 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 113 North Broadway Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

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#24. Chef Rick's

- Rating: 4.2/5 (261 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 135 East Foster Road Santa Maria, California
- Categories: New American, Sandwiches, Vegan
- Read more on Yelp

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#23. Vaqueras

- Rating: 4.2/5 (69 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 908 North Broadway Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Mexican, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

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#22. My Place Coffee and Juice

- Rating: 4.3/5 (76 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 525 South Broadway Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp

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#21. FoodTrip

- Rating: 4.3/5 (107 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 230 Betteravia Road Ste F Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Filipino, Barbecue, Noodles
- Read more on Yelp

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#20. AL PHO

- Rating: 4.3/5 (622 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1201 East Main St. Ste B Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Vietnamese, Barbecue, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

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#19. Zoe's Hawaiian BBQ

- Rating: 4.3/5 (559 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2880 Santa Maria Way Ste A-2 Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Hawaiian
- Read more on Yelp

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#18. Cugini's Pizzeria & Trattoria

- Rating: 4.3/5 (391 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 230 East Betteravia Road Ste G Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Italian, Pizza, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#17. Tom's Take Out

- Rating: 4.3/5 (140 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 826 West Main St. Santa Maria, California
- Categories: American
- Read more on Yelp

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#16. Urbane Cafe

- Rating: 4.3/5 (374 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 655 East Betteravia Road Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Sandwiches, Salad, New American
- Read more on Yelp

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#15. Papa Napoli Italian Deli

- Rating: 4.4/5 (289 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 325 East Betteravia Road Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Delis, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#14. Mariscos El Picosito

- Rating: 4.4/5 (66 reviews)
- Address: 510 East Main St. Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Mexican, Venues & Event Spaces, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

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#13. Cubanissimo Food Truck

- Rating: 4.4/5 (51 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Cuban
- Read more on Yelp

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#12. Bill's Take Out

- Rating: 4.4/5 (99 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 523 North Broadway Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Burgers, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

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#11. Lidos

- Rating: 4.4/5 (31 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Cheesesteaks, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

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#10. The 'A' Street Cafe

- Rating: 4.4/5 (96 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2445 A St. Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Cafes, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#9. Woody's Butcher Block

- Rating: 4.4/5 (264 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 700 East Main St. Ste 104 Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Butcher, Cheese Shops, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#8. Jaffa Cafe

- Rating: 4.6/5 (396 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2530 South Broadway Ste A Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

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#7. SB Restaurant

- Rating: 4.6/5 (72 reviews)
- Address: 2508 South Broadway Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

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#6. Luvie's Deli

- Rating: 4.6/5 (41 reviews)
- Address: 4869 South Bradley Road Ste 106 Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Delis
- Read more on Yelp

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#5. The Garden Mediterranean

- Rating: 4.7/5 (765 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 122 East Boone St. Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Mediterranean, Vegetarian
- Read more on Yelp

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#4. BBQ In The Stix

- Rating: 4.7/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Barbecue
- Read more on Yelp

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#3. Yummy Donut & Deli

- Rating: 4.7/5 (91 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1609 South Broadway Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Donuts, Sandwiches, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

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#2. Deli Delicias & Fresh

- Rating: 4.7/5 (68 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 110 South Pine St. Ste 105 Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Mexican, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

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#1. Capuno's Lutong Bahay

- Rating: 4.8/5 (31 reviews)
- Address: 2025 South Broadway Ste B Santa Maria, California
- Categories: Filipino
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 318 metros.

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