{"id":142721,"date":"2026-01-21T06:09:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T06:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/142721\/"},"modified":"2026-01-21T06:09:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T06:09:07","slug":"this-orange-county-restaurant-is-on-yelps-top-100-list-for-2026-orange-county-register","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/142721\/","title":{"rendered":"This Orange County restaurant is on Yelp\u2019s Top 100 list for 2026 \u2013 Orange County Register"},"content":{"rendered":"

Only one Orange County spot landed on Yelp\u2019s Top 100<\/a> list for 2026: Fat of the Land<\/a>, located in Santa Ana, came in at No.19 on the popular user-generated review site.<\/p>\n

For owner Robert Paetz, the recognition feels \u201cmoderately surreal.\u201d A former travel and wedding photographer, Paetz pivoted to hospitality after the pandemic shifted his industry, despite having never run a restaurant before.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Working alongside chef Van Duong<\/a>, Paetz said he wanted to recreate a \u201ccool little neighborhood bistro\u201d like the ones he admired in places like London and Spain. \u201cWe opened very, very quietly nearly two years ago,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>. He said in 2025, \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

ALSO READ: Where do Orange County\u2019s top chefs eat? We asked them<\/a><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Past Orange County spots to receive recognition on Yelp\u2019s annual list include Sushi Mura in Buena Park<\/a>, Tama Sushi in Huntington Beach and Paseo at Downtown Disney<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A handful of other Southern California spots made this year\u2019s list<\/a>, 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).<\/p>\n

The No. 1 spot on this year\u2019s list went to Ci Siamo, an Italian joint in New York City.<\/p>\n

Yelp\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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