Only one Orange County spot landed on Yelp’s Top 100 list for 2026: Fat of the Land, located in Santa Ana, came in at No.19 on the popular user-generated review site.
For owner Robert Paetz, the recognition feels “moderately surreal.” A former travel and wedding photographer, Paetz pivoted to hospitality after the pandemic shifted his industry, despite having never run a restaurant before.
Working alongside chef Van Duong, Paetz said he wanted to recreate a “cool little neighborhood bistro” like the ones he admired in places like London and Spain. “We opened very, very quietly nearly two years ago,” he said.
In addition to praise from Yelp, Fat of the Land also received kudos from chef-owner Luis Perez of Lola Gaspar, who ranked it among his favorite restaurants in Orange County. He said in 2025, “The hospitality here is impressive. I love sitting at the bar to enjoy their salads and vegetable options, which are just delicious. Great wine and beer selection too.”
ALSO READ: Where do Orange County’s top chefs eat? We asked them
Menu highlights at Fat of the Land include octopus carpaccio, halibut bouillabaisse, rack of pork, Basque cheesecake, cocktails and a Spanish-forward wine menu. You can find it at 700 N. Main St., unit A, in Santa Ana.
Past Orange County spots to receive recognition on Yelp’s annual list include Sushi Mura in Buena Park, Tama Sushi in Huntington Beach and Paseo at Downtown Disney.
A handful of other Southern California spots made this year’s list, including Nam Kitchen of Gardena (placing No. 3), Broken Mouth in Los Angeles (No. 7), Greek Bistro in Glendale (No. 16), which also has a second location in Laguna Hills, and Tsukiyo Sushi of Los Angeles (No. 17). Outside the greater Los Angeles area, two other eateries made the cut: Thanh Tinh Chay in San Diego (No. 21) and Zen Curry and Grill in Temecula (No. 22).
The No. 1 spot on this year’s list went to Ci Siamo, an Italian joint in New York City.
Yelp’s Top 100 results are based on Yelp data, which include the number of reviews and the ratings that reviewers give restaurants, which include diners, fast-casual spots, food halls and more.