50 Best American Restaurants near Rancho Santa Fe

“Charming cottage has the best food and atmosphere!“

“One of our special date night places when in the San Diego area. Outdoor seating is great and food is wonderful. Rancho Santa Fe in the evening is quiet and you can just have a nice conversation over dinner.“

“Ambiance, service, exceptional food (Dover sole, branzino) - simply elegant“

“This is one of the best restaurants I have been to in all of my travels.

The food is absolutely delicious with impeccable presentation. The service is the BEST I have had. I will definitely return and hope to try the other items on the menu.

Our server Scott was a delight, and his attention to detail was inspiring.“

“Another great meal! We went to brunch today and it was excellent. We had the corn and lobster soup which was amazing. We also had the halibut and the chicken salad sandwich and both were very good. The quality keeps up time after time and the setting is classy and upscale.“

“best biscuits and gravy I have eaten in a while. We'll back for sure!!“

“My husband and I came here once and it’s now our favorite place to come eat! A woman Trudy who works there is an absolute super star! She is always going above and beyond to make the experience even better, the food is a plus ? don’t miss out on the grandmas Mac and cheese. It’s the best I’ve ever had!“

“Ava our server was just so amazing! Such a great attitude and got our food/ beverages out in a timely manner. Definitely would give that girl a raise!“

“We’ve been coming here on and off for the past 15 years and love it. The food, the people and the family atmosphere make this gem perfect! Each time my family comes in I have been reminding (harassing) Chris to let his mom know that we would love for the short ribs to come back on Sundays. Well the good lord answered and the short ribs have returned! The short ribs are perfectly cooked and falls apart with the slightest touch. I am forever grateful that you folks brought it back! Ya’ll are amazing! See you on Sundays!“

“I love Toast Cafe! The quality of the food is amazing, portions are perfect. You don’t leave with a bunch of food left or feeling too full. The price point is very good as well, you can get a full breakfast for around $12. Atmosphere is very calm and it’s counter service, which makes it quick.“

“Great place! Excellent service! Delicious food!“

“Best bartender around! She was lovely, never missed a beat and made a fantastic Old
Fashioned. The food was incredible! Steak cooked to perfection, added on to an amazing salad. I actually came back the next day for the same salad to put some home cooked trip-tip on. 5 stars across the board!“

“Friendly and courteous staff, high quality and delicious food! Love their drinks and desserts as well. The menu is not overwhelming for me to choose! Lovely atmosphere!“

“Beautiful Ambiance, Friendly Servers and Delicious Foods. Highly Recommend this place. Cheers!“

“Have always had a great experience at The Money Pit; except for today (10/28/24). My wife and I stopped for lunch and ordered 2 hamburgers, 1 fry, and 2 drinks. At the time of ordering your employee gave me a to-go carrier for the two drinks, and I told her that we were eating at the Money Pit. She gave me two cups for the drinks. I paid the bill of $20.04 with cash, and she gave me my change. She seemed very put out that I was not taking the drinks and food out. Anyway, when they brought the meal, there were 3 hamburgers, not 2. I said I ordered 2 and she basically told me I was lying and walked away. If you get a server about 30-35 years old, 5'4" tall, with glasses at the Money Pit expect to be treated in a rude matter. Never happened to me in the past (over 10 years of eating there), and I hope you don't have to deal with this employee.“

“Awesome spot!! Good beer and good sandwich’s“

“Great food and great service from a very friendly and attentive staff! Had an awesome date night! Our first time here but won’t be our last.“

“My favourite cafe, you can take your book or laptop there and while having a delicious fresh breakfast and enjoying the view, read or work. During weekends it’s more crowded with families. Love the atmosphere, and freshness of their food.“

“I've been a customer of theirs for a long time and the reason is simple, the food is super healthy and it tastes good too. Also, the portions are generous, and all for all for a good price.“

“Loved eating here the mall that this location in is very nice with lots of seating overlooking the fountain and things to see. The food was delicious, even my picky toddler enjoyed her grilled cheese. Definitely will eat here again when I am in town!“

“It’s a beautiful restaurant in Carmel. It’s delicious. Serving sizes are huge and healthy. I loved all the healthy choices they had. I ended up trying the beat salad. It was amazing!“

“This was the last night they were open, closing for good at the end of Aug.31 with a "fire sale" of wine, spirits, food, tableware, glassware, cookware -- basically everything -- Sept4-7. So, no matter what our experience was, it's of no use to anyone now.“

“Delicious food and great value, great atmosphere“

“First time here. I’ve heard how great it was. Service was great. Food came in timely manor. And they sell homemade pies. Mmm“

“Meet some friends for breakfast, and I can see why they liked this place. I ordered the Loco Moco and wasn't disappointed. The pattie was cooked well and the gravy wasn't salty. The rice was a bit dry but I'm used to the "sticky" style. Looking forward to try another menu item the next time I'm here.“

“Great food, friendly staff, great selection of adult beverages. Butcher shops.“

“I’ve been dining at Le Papagayo’s for 20+ years. I love the atmosphere, ambience, live music, and fabulous food. It’s a down to Earth place and you can come casual or dressed up! This place will not disappoint.“

“It's convenient, friendly & tasty! A wonderful Small Business to support!“

“Awesome drinks ,food-and fantastic service“

“Super attentive service. From the Hostesses, wait staff to buss boys. Food is delectable. Entrees were well prepared, fresh ingredients, served hot & salads crisp. Highly recommended.“

“I enjoyed the Ginger Miso salad“

“Great food, great wait staff. Jenna and Michaela are beautiful, wonderful waitresses. Great place overall.“

“Was a great idea stopping to Islands Food was great and waitress so wonderful I really recommended Thank you“

“Good food and coffee, perfect set up for business professionals, meetings, laptop work etc. good vibes overall, staff is super friendly as well. I randomly found this place on Google and a year later it is still my favorite place to work from. “

“All aspects are relatively in line with my standards. The food is good. Maybe the portion is too small for those with big appetites. I still can’t eat it. ?Photos will be uploaded when I have time. ?The rolls are good. The ice cream is also okay. The main presentation is good.“

“Good home cooked type food, excellent service, clean and very well run.“

“Amazing food and service. You must try the Bread Pudding. I loved the one of a kind drinks with the adorable garnishments. The atmosphere was warm and inviting.“

“Met some friends at Amalfi Dockside about a week ago. The food was superb!!! We also enjoyed the wonderful entertainment provided by Relic Ruckus....“

“Family friendly. Dog friendly. Nice patio. Mimosas. Biscuits and gravy. Corn beef hash. Chocolate chip pancakes. Rueben sandwich.“

“So many options in their menu, it made it hard to choose. We all loved the burgers! I didn’t see a difference between Medium Rare and Medium but it still tasted good. The only issue was timing. I think we waited for an unreasonably long time until our meal was served but they must have been busy. I would go again!

Kid-friendliness: Kids loved the meal. The quesadilla looked like something I would want to order!“

“The girls of Girl Scouts troop 2999 want to thank Debbie’s Pie shoppe for the wonderful pie!! It was tasty and wonderful. Thank you #girlscoutstrong“

“The fish special tonight was great! Thank you“

“We decided to try Bellamy’s for the first time and happened to mention to the hostess while making our reservation that we were celebrating our 64th wedding anniversary. When we arrived, We were warmly welcomed first by the bartender who seated us and then by the hostess who enthusiastically congratulated us and offered something special. Our waiter was friendly and attentive and perfectly timed our meal selections. The food was outstanding. First we had the watermelon salad which was wonderful. Then the calamari and shrimp appetizers - yum! My husband enjoyed the cioppino and I had the seabass - all perfectly prepared and delicious. We topped it off with a creme brulee and the butter cake! Needless to say we enjoyed every bite. This was a perfect choice for our anniversary and we intend to return for another culinary experience at Bellamy’s.“

“Great food, fun and quirky vibe.“

“They offer a great menu with a good variety!
Larger and delicious portions!

Heads up for those that haven't been here:

Although the atmosphere is nicer than most breakfast spots it's pretty cold in there so I would suggest to bring a sweater or jacket.

The staff is friendly, however, the wait time for food and drinks is longer than average.

Lastly, if you're contemplating of getting the beignets, don't. They don't compare to the original ones. Go for the fried green tomatoes instead!“

“Here visiting from NC. I by chance stumbled upon 7 Mile Kitchen. The food was absolutely amazing and the service was just as wonderful. Henry greeted me with such an amazing smile and made me feel so welcome. He gave great suggestions of his favorite dishes when I asked. He made sure I had everything I could possibly need, loved the personal touches. I also, met Lindsey and she was very welcoming as well. They both were very engaging in conversation and I appreciated it very much seeing as though I am traveling for work. At no time did I feel like a stranger. Thank you 7 Mile Kitchen for a wonderful meal, great service and a warm home away from home feeling!“

“I absolutely love this place. I have been going here since I was a teenager and now love coming with my two little boys (my dates). We sit outside and watch the cool surf videos on TV and enjoy the laid back atmosphere and incredible food. This has truly become our go to when we want to get out of the house and enjoy a great meal, some fresh air, and lovely staff.
I stopped in after work recently with about 30 minutes to spear before I had to be somewhere. I mentioned this to Jason who greeted me when I arrived, and we quickly started chatting about our children and other related things. He knew I was in a hurry and immediately took my order when I was pretty sure he was a Manager and doing this just to be accommodating. My meal and drink arrived almost immediately and I was approached several times by him and the waitress after that to check on me and see if I needed anything else. I was out of there with time to spare and so grateful for the kindness I encountered there, especially after the week I'd had. I am grateful for this little spot so close to home and appreciate every aspect of Islands from the food, the staff, the ambiance, and the yummy drinks. Thank you Islands for doing what you do so well and caring about your customers, and thank you Jason for being such a bright light in a dim week. Your kindness and willingness to go above and beyond to make my visit so pleasant was appreciated more than you know!“

“Love eating here! Great customer service, delicious food, and a perfect ambiance. Immediately a new favorite and looking forward to our next visit!“

“Chef Felix and family put together an excellent meal. Every. Single. Day.I've been going here for 4+ years and am still going back. Everytime Chef curates, weekly, a menu and will even still make you almost anything you can cook on a skillet. From flatbreads, to home made soups, and a Cubano I would fight you for, they make a bit of everything.¡Provecho!“

“I like Applebee's because it's predictable - I know the menu and there won't be any surprises. Parking is very convenient. The staff was friendly last night, including the manager. Seating for my older friend was better at a table with chairs - the booth seats are so low that a part of your anatomy that shouldn't rests on the table, lol! Our food was decent, though my friend's steak had a fair amount of gristle. I had to wait until more than halfway through my meal for the promised bread sticks because "there weren't any fresh ones" when the server brought the meals. He was maybe handling a lot of tables, but was hard to find when we needed something. However, we were seated right away during the peak dinner hour and appreciated that. I'll be back - it's not exciting, but reliable, and I like that I can catch glimpses of the football games in the bar area.“