The 20 Best Restaurants in Huntington Beach (2024)
Want to know where to go for the best restaurants in Huntington Beach? We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know!
Huntington Beach is one of the best places in Orange County for foodies.
From the coastal California cuisine to authentic Mexican restaurants, there’s a little bit of everything here.
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Best Restaurants in Huntington Beach
Below are our favorite restaurants in Huntington Beach.
Huntington Beach is a city with a rich culinary scene, and there are many great restaurants to choose from.
If you’re looking for the best restaurants in Huntington Beach, look no further than this list.
Our list includes a variety of restaurants, from casual eateries to fine dining establishments.
So whether you’re looking for a quick bite or a special occasion meal, you’re sure to find something to your taste on this list of the best restaurants in Huntington Beach.
1. Duke’s Huntington Beach
Location: 317 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Duke’s Huntington Beach is known for its fresh seafood and price steaks, it’s Hawaiian beach house ambiance, and its stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.
It’s the perfect place to enjoy a delicious meal and take in the beauty of the California coast.
2. bunz
Location: 7491 Center Ave, Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Bunz is known for its delicious and affordable burgers.
The cozy burger joint provides a relaxed atmosphere with heated and covered patio dining, perfect for enjoying your meal.
The burgers are made fresh and are some of the best you’ll ever taste.
Get them however you want them, with whatever toppings you desire.
And don’t forget their cheesy bacon fries!
3. Cucina Alessá
Location: 520 Main St, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Cucina Alessá is known for its authentic Italian cuisine, made with fresh, seasonal ingredients.
The restaurant is also known for its warm and welcoming atmosphere, making it a great place to enjoy a special occasion meal or a casual dinner with friends.
4. Mama’s On 39
Location: 21022 Beach Blvd, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Mama’s On 39 is a popular breakfast and brunch spot in Huntington Beach.
It is known for its delicious food, friendly service, and lively atmosphere.
If you’re looking for a great place to start your day or enjoy a leisurely meal with friends, Mama’s On 39 is the perfect choice.
5. STACKED
Location: 7490 Edinger Ave, Huntington Beach, CA 92647
STACKED is one of our favorite places in Huntington Beach for any meal.
The day before our wedding we took my family here for breakfast since it has a lot of indulgent dishes and build your own dishes.
They have build your own burgers, mac n cheese, salads, burritos, desserts, and more.
On this day I had a stack of pancakes with bananas, Nutella, chocolate syrup, and chocolate chips.
6. Calico Fish House
Location: 16600 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach, CA 92649
Calico Fish House is a popular oceanfront diner on the north end of Huntington Beach, up toward Seal Beach.
They specialize in using local produce, meat, seafood, and shellfish and making their own brines and seasonings.
A really great offer at this place is that all active military eat for free and vets only pay the raw cost, which is about 50% off.
7. Ola Mexican Kitchen
Location: 21040 Pacific Coast Hwy, Unit F200, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Ola Mexican Kitchen is a great restaurant right across from the beach.
It’s located in a popular shopping and dining center in Huntington Beach with great ocean views.
We enjoy their Margaritas, Chips and Salsa, and variety of taco plates.
8. Biergarten at Old World Huntington Beach
Location: 7561 Center Ave, Unit 49, Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Biergarten at Old World Huntington Beach is a German-style beer garden known for its extensive beer list, traditional German food, and lively atmosphere.
It’s one of the only authentic German restaurants in all of Orange County now.
It’s a great place to go for a casual meal with friends or family, especially during Oktoberfest each Fall.
9. Sugar Shack Cafe
Location: 213 ½ Main St, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Sugar Shack Cafe is known for its classic American eats, hearty breakfasts, and surfing memorabilia.
The cafe has a relaxed atmosphere and is a great weekend spot to visit.
10. SeaLegs at the Beach
Location: 17851 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach, CA 92649
SeaLegs at the Beach is literally on the beach.
It’s a popular location for enjoying live music, dancing, drinks, and light meals like tacos.
Time your visit to enjoy the sunset and the night life of Huntington Beach.
11. John’s Philly Grille
Location: 16061 Goldenwest St, Huntington Beach, CA 92647 and 20379 Beach Blvd, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
John’s Philly Grille is known for its authentic Philadelphia-style cheesesteaks and hoagies.
The restaurant is a favorite among locals and tourists alike, and it is sure to satisfy your cravings for a delicious and hearty meal.
They will close early if they run out of their fresh baked bread, so try to visit earlier in their operating hours than later.
12. Fred’s Mexican Cafe & Cantina
Location: 300 Pacific Coast Hwy, Unit 201, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Fred’s Mexican Cafe is one of the go-to restaurants on Huntington Beach.
It’s balcony dining has great views of the pier and the ocean.
It’s great for visiting on a warm, sunny day to enjoy the weather and to watch the sunset.
Fred’s is known for its fresh, made-to-order Mexican food and its lively atmosphere.
13. Slater’s 50/50
UPDATE: PERMANENTLY CLOSED AT THIS LOCATION
Slater’s 50/50 is a popular restaurant chain in Southern California with fantastic burgers.
Their burgers are made with a 50/50 blend of beef and bacon.
They also have an extensive beer list and a lively atmosphere that is great for watching sporting events.
14. Hurricanes Bar & Grill
Location: 200 Main St, Unit 201, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Hurricanes Bar & Grill is a popular sports bar and restaurant on Huntington Beach’s Main Street.
This restaurant also has great ocean views.
They have a large selection of beers, cocktails, and food.
15. Sushi On Fire
Location: 301 Main St, Unit 103, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
You’ll find Sushi On Fire on pretty much every Huntington Beach foodie list.
It’s a popular sushi place on Main Street known for its creative and flavorful sushi rolls.
It’s a great option for special occasions or a fun meal out with friends.
16. Heirloom a Modern Farmhouse
Location: 18344 Beach Blvd, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Heirloom is known for its seasonal, farm-to-table cuisine and its warm and welcoming atmosphere.
17. The Black Trumpet Bistro Tapas & Wine Bar
Location: 18344 Beach Blvd, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
The Black Trumpet is known for its Mediterranean tapas and small plates that bring you flavors from Italy, France, Spain, Greece, and Morocco.
18. Pacific Hideaway
Location: 500 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Pacific Hideaway is known for its coastal cuisine, craft cocktails, and stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.
It’s a great place to enjoy a leisurely meal with friends or family, or to celebrate a special occasion.
19. Watertable
Location: 21500 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Watertable is a restaurant and gastro bar in Huntington Beach known for its distinct Coastal cuisine, world class wines, handcrafted cocktails, and localized brews.
20. HQ Gastropub
Location: 155 Fifth St, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
*UPDATE: This post was originally updated 4/4/2023.
This blog post originally highlighted HQ Gastropub as the topic of the entire blog post.
Since I still have so much to share about how great of a place this is, I kept the original post below to help illustrate what makes HQ so amazing!
We recently celebrated JP’s 50th Birthday!
For his actual birthday he wanted to do something low-key, just the two of us.
We celebrated with his friends and family previously.
JP decided he wanted to go to HQ Gastropub in Huntington Beach.
We had actually gone to dinner at this gastropub for his birthday the previous year too.
This time we wanted to do it a little bit differently though.
We wanted to make a whole night of just being out and about and we didn’t want to be too full.
So we ordered just 1 menu item at a time until we were ready to go.
It was a busy night, so we decided to sit up at the bar instead of wait for a table.
First Round of Drinks
The first thing we decided on was drinks.
We each started with one while we checked out the menu to see what all we would want to order throughout the night.
We decided on fruity mixed drinks to start.
Gastropub Foods: Sushi
For food, we decided to start with sushi.
I’m not a huge sushi fan unless it’s more on the plain side and not spicy.
We were both able to agree on a Shrimp Tempura Roll.
Each piece was really big and it was surprisingly more filling than I expected, considering we shared it 50/50.
Second Round of Drinks
After this, we decided on our next drinks.
We didn’t want to keep getting the same drink all night because they had so many different ones on the menu.
So we both moved on to other fruity mixed drinks.
Gastropub Foods: Deviled Eggs
We were ready for more food at this point, since this is a gastropub.
So we went with Deviled Eggs because we get them pretty much everywhere we go and always love them.
Second Round of Sushi
At this point we were still working on our second drinks, so we moved on to some more food.
JP was still in the mood for sushi.
So we went with a Spicy Tuna Roll.
We got this assuming he might eat the whole thing.
Because if it was too spicy I wasn’t going to eat it.
I think he ended up eating a little bit more than me because it started to burn the more I ate it.
I know he enjoys it more than I do, so I let him have it.
Gastropub Foods: Short Rib Quesadilla
After 2 drinks each and splitting 3 appetizers, we were feeling some more indulgent food and we figured this would be the last thing we ordered, so we went with a Short Rib Quesadilla.
It definitely satisfied a craving.
Third Round of Drinks
We took a Lyft to the restaurant so that we didn’t have to worry about how many drinks we had (or parking), so we decided to just go back to drinks for a little bit, take our time with them and go from there.
They didn’t have Irish Coffee on the menu, but they were able to get it for me so that I could “build my own” to my own liking.
JP stuck with another mixed drink.
Dessert
After this all that was left was dessert.
We always try to leave room for dessert anywhere we go because I love chocolate, especially hot, melty chocolate.
For JP’s birthday dessert we both agreed on the Chocolate Molten Lava Cake.
In total I think we spent about 2-3 hours there.
It was nice taking our time and just ordering one thing at a time, mostly just appetizers and small plates, and then finishing off with dessert.
We still ended up overeating anyway, but we got to try a lot of things, so we were okay with it.
Last trip here we had the Fried Zucchini because that is another food we like to try as much as possible.
I think we had sushi too since it was JP’s birthday and it’s what he likes to eat.
There’s much more on the menu I would like to try like Mac and Cheese, but I know it’s very filling and I wouldn’t have been able to eat anything else if I ordered the Mac and Cheese.
Another cool thing about HQ Gastropub is that they have a new Speakeasy.
When we went it was not yet open, but I know it was VERY close to opening, so it is probably open by now.
Next time you find yourself in Huntington Beach, check it out! It’s very close to the pier.
More Great Restaurants in Orange County
Orange County is home to a wide variety of restaurants, from casual eateries to fine dining establishments, offering a variety of cuisines to satisfy every taste.
✅ Best Romantic Restaurants in Orange County
Whether you’re celebrating an anniversary, going on a first date, or just want a nice night out, these are the best romantic restaurants.
✅ Best Restaurants in Orange County With A View
Mountain views and ocean views are plentiful in Orange County.
So many restaurants are known for their views, especially ones where you can watch the Disneyland fireworks.
✅ Best Italian Restaurants In Orange County
Who doesn’t love Italian food?
I could eat pasta every day and I’d be the happiest person if I could actually do it.
So I’ve tried out all the best Italian restaurants in Orange County.
✅ Best Mexican Restaurants In Orange County
There are probably more Mexican restaurants than anything else in Orange County.
Many of these are also the cheapest restaurants in Orange County, so if you want to indulge on a budget, these are the way to go.
✅ Best Birthday Restaurants In Orange County
Orange County is great for celebrating birthdays whether you’re here for a beach getaway or visiting Disneyland.
There are lots of great restaurants that are perfect for birthday celebrations.
✅ Best Steakhouses In Orange County
Who doesn’t love a good steak?
We’ve found all the best steak (and prime rib) places in the area.
Conclusion: Best Restaurants in Huntington Beach
In conclusion, Huntington Beach is a city with a diverse culinary scene and there is something to please everyone’s taste.
Whether you’re looking for fresh seafood, classic American fare, or international cuisine, you’re sure to find a great place to eat in Huntington Beach.
So next time you’re in town, be sure to check out some of the best restaurants in Huntington Beach.
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