Best Restaurants in Laguna Beach (Budget-Friendly Guide)
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Whenever I need a pick-me-up, Laguna Beach is one place that’s guaranteed to lift my mood and make me feel like I’m on vacation. I’m convinced it has the prettiest beaches in California — plus, the whole downtown is so cute and artsy, and there are so many fun restaurants, shops, bars, and more, making it a perfect day trip or weekend getaway.
With that said, Laguna is definitely one of the pricier places you can visit, and as someone with an admittedly high bar for food, I’ve had more than one meal there that’s overpriced, overhyped, or only worth it for the view.
After my years of living in Southern California and countless visits to Laguna, I’ve found that these are the best restaurants in Laguna Beach — they’re all places I return to, find good value in, and recommend to others. I don’t recommend anything outrageously expensive, because that’s just not where I eat, but this guide will include a range, from casual and low-cost, to higher end.
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Best for Breakfast in Laguna Beach
The Orange Inn
I came across this spot during a birthday weekend trip to Laguna, when searching for an affordable breakfast place. The breakfast burrito was great value — and perfect if you like a simple, filling, and satisfying burrito. The vibe is also really cute and cozy, with colorful surf boards across the ceiling and beachy Laguna-themed art everywhere.
It’s also a local institution — the restaurant actually dates all the way back to 1931, but it moved to its current spot in Laguna Beach in the ’80s. I didn’t try one, but their smoothies are also really popular!
Active Culture
If you’re looking for something on the healthier side, Active Culture has things like wraps, bowls, smoothies and juices, plus some breakfast options.
I’ve been to a couple of their locations including the Laguna Beach one and it’s a solid choice if you’re looking for something lighter! It even has a small art gallery thanks to its partnership with Laguna’s Festival of the Arts, which is cool to check out while you wait for your food to be ready.
Casual Lunch and Dinner Spots in Laguna
Coyote Grill
Finding affordable places to eat in Laguna is seriously a challenge — and although there’s amazing Mexican food all around Southern California, I’ve had some disappointing Mexican food in Laguna.
But I was impressed with Coyote Grill, which is not only a reasonably-priced Mexican spot, but is just a block or so away from the ocean, meaning you can still get a little bit of an ocean view if you sit outside.
It’s further south, close to Table Rock and Thousand Steps (which is one of my favorite beaches in Orange County!).
Wigz
I think one of my favorite things to do in Laguna is just enjoy a sandwich on the beach (preferably Treasure Island Beach or Victoria Beach), and this Laguna spot is also surprisingly … pretty budget-friendly? Wigz serves a solid variety of grinders, classic sandwiches, and melts, with a decent number of vegetarian options. (I have my eye on the Wigz Grinder for next time, which comes with your choice of turkey and salami or roast beef with spicy cream cheese and pepperoncinis.)
Pizza Bar
I’m from New Jersey, meaning I have a super high standard when it comes to pizza. One of my biggest bones to pick with the California food scene is how hard it is to find delicious — but not fancy — pizza. So with that said, I’m always ready to be disappointed when I try a new pizza place, but Pizza Bar really met my high expectations.
It’s super casual, with limited seating, but you’ll find a couple of outdoor tables. It’s located right in Downtown, in front of Laguna’s Main Beach.
Don’t skip the lemon ice!
Urth Caffe
Although I’m a bit of a chain-hater (sorry, I’m snobby, I know), I do make an exception for Urth Caffe, which has about 10 locations around Southern California.
It was super trendy in the earlier days of Instagram, and nowadays, some of that allure has worn off (luckily). But I honestly do think it’s worth the hype, and it’s still one of the best restaurants in Laguna Beach.
It’s a reliable place if you’re in the mood for healthy-ish food like sandwiches, salads, bakery items, coffee, etc. They have a wide variety of options, serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and have never disappointed me!
I love picking up a sandwich (especially their caprese or panini el diablo, which has grilled chicken, monterey jack, jalapeño, and chili sauce) and a cake here, and eating it right on the beach.
My favorite, slightly fancier dinners in Laguna
Nick’s
Nick’s is an upscale, but approachable American restaurant with a few locations in Southern California. I’ve visited the Laguna Beach location as well as a couple others such as the one in Long Beach, where I live, and I’ve always enjoyed the food and drinks. For some reason, this restaurant always makes me feel like I’m on vacation, and it weirdly reminds me of Florida — I can’t tell you exactly why, but I digress.
Their fried chicken sandwich as well as their fish sandwich are my go-tos!
Alessa
If you’re in the mood for Italian, Alessa is good (and I’m pretty picky about my Italian food). I enjoyed both the pizza and pasta that I tried (I can’t remember what I had exactly, and it looks like a lot of their current menu has been updated), as well as their dessert (I do remember that I had the panna cotta, and loved it!).
They have a varied menu, with lots of homemade pastas, pizzas, and other entrees.
The Cliff
Ok, like I’ve said, Laguna does have its fair share of places that are overpriced. And while I usually would advise against going to a place like that, The Cliff is one exception.
The food is good, but I don’t think it really matches the price point. However, its location is seriously unbeatable. It overlooks the beach, and is honestly the ultimate sunset dinner spot.
So for that reason, I’d highly recommend coming here for an appetizer or dessert, just so you can sit in front of the beach. (You need to order food in order to sit at one of the low tables with the best view — otherwise, you have to stick to bar seating.)
Finney’s Crafthouse
Finney’s Crafthouse also has a number of California locations — and I actually first discovered it during my time in Santa Barbara. Expect casual bar food that’s slightly nicer — options range from appetizers, burgers and sandwiches, wings, tacos, etc.
The Laguna location is also really cool, since it’s located in a building dating back from 1918! It’s one of the city’s oldest buildings, and was formerly the White House Restaurant. Before its closing in 2019, it was one of the oldest restaurants in Orange County.
The Lumberyard
I recently tried The Lumberyard for the first time for lunch, and enjoyed my experience. Don’t skip the skillet cornbread with green chile! I had a halibut sandwich with avocado aioli, but I want to go back and try one of their pastas, since they looked even better.
Planning your Laguna trip
Looking for all the best things to do, which beaches to visit, and where to stay? You’ll find all of that in this Laguna Beach guide.
