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.
Hungry? Sign up for The Eat Index, our weekly food newsletter, and find out where to eat and get the latest restaurant happenings in Orange County. Subscribe here.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.
Related Articles
OC Restaurant Week announces 2026 lineup Seven must-try restaurants during Pasadena Cheeseburger Week Puesto postpones ‘Taco Takeover’ with chef Arturo Rivera Martínez How years of high-stakes cooking led Michael Campbell back to the beach Sweetgreen opens first Long Beach location this weekHence then, the article about this orange county restaurant is on yelp s top 100 list for 2026 was published today ( ) and is available on The Orange County Register ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( This Orange County restaurant is on Yelp’s Top 100 list for 2026 )
Also on site :