Walnut Creek’s dining scene has recently benefited from a blood transfusion of established restaurants around the Bay Area and beyond — lending its life force as well as its DNA.
Oakland fried chicken favorite World Famous Hotboys opened a Walnut Creek location. Small Bay Area chain Gott's Roadside and Sacramento’s Broderick Roadhouse continue to be the most reliable places to get a burger in the city. Soon there’ll be a Model Bakery and the highly anticipated Singaporean-Indonesian restaurant SanDai is slated to open soon.
That being said, Walnut Creek has its own popular originals like Va De Vi, a small-plate restaurant with an extensive wine list that arrived in 2003. More recently, Manakish Oven & Grill opened a few years ago, stunning customers and social media with fluffy flatbreads, and Lita opened in 2022 with a clubby vibe and Caribbean flavors. And, of course, there are old-school gems like Morucci’s Si Mangia Bene, a little sandwich shop selling potent cold cut sandwiches for cheap.
Most of Walnut Creek’s excitement happens downtown, where restaurants, boutique shopping and the city’s mall blur into each other. All around the area are amusing Easter eggs like a giant yellow fountain shaped like a baby’s head, a statue of a man with a bull’s head and several colorful pianos where people spontaneously play. I witnessed a woman tickling the ivories to the tune of Beethoven’s somber-sweet “Für Elise,” then she quietly gathered her belongings and disappeared into the busy downtown strip.
Check the boxes to filter by dining features or click on the images to get info on each restaurant.
Morucci's Si Mangia Bene
Click the dots to see more images.
Low-key market filled with rich Russian baked goods.
Right outside downtown, Babushka is a market full of Eastern European and Russian products, drinks and baked goods. The walls are lined with metal racks stocked with sweet and savory snacks and spices. In the fridge section, you’ll find bottled drinks, frozen meats and pelmeni (Russian dumplings) to prepare at home. To the right is the deli section and register where you order baked goods. Try the piroshkis ($5.79), long, yeasted hand pies filled with meats, mushrooms or potatoes. Go with the beef and cheese — the most popular — and ask for it to be warmed up for optimal results. It’s so indulgent that you’ll need to hibernate after. Other worthwhile snacks include flaky samsas ($5), samosa-like savory pastry from Central Asia filled with cumin-scented lamb, or chebureki ($5), a fried turnover insulated with beef and onions. It’s a low-key spot for a quick, rich snack to enjoy outside in the courtyard.
Credit cards accepted • Soft drinks
Burgers with a rock’n’roll meets-Western saloon attitude.
This Sacramento import opened its Walnut Creek location in 2016 focusing on loud, over-the-top burgers. The most sought-after is the Johnny Cash Burger ($18), which is gussied up with crisp onions, bacon, peppers and barbecue sauce. It's a rich, sweet and crunchy burger that feels both nostalgic and timeless at once. For a more adventurous burger, try the extra gamy lamb burger ($19), made funkier with creamy, acidic goat cheese. The inside of the joint has a rock’n’roll attitude mixed with Western saloon, seen in the old-timey light bulbs and leather booths. Broderick’s has a full bar but most folks tend to reach for cold beers as they wolf down burgers and fries. The menu runs the typical bar-food gumut, so expect fried foods like buffalo wings and loaded fries. Broderick is one of the many restaurants run by the Ghaben family, who have been shaping the dining scene in the city for many years. Outdoor parklet seating is available, too.
Credit cards accepted • Full bar
1616 N Main St., Walnut Creek
Click the dots to see more images.
Burmese-inspired cocktails with excellent tea leaf salad and snacks.
Burmese food is one of the many gastronomic joys of the Bay Area, and Burma 2 is one of the best restaurants in Walnut Creek. It’s the sibling restaurant to Burma Burma in Dublin and opened in 2019, impressing locals with tea leaf salads ($15) that are jam-packed with crunchy, juicy and funky ingredients like tea leaves, fried garlic, fish sauce and lemon juice. The salads are well-dressed, with a pleasant fishiness and multitudinous textures. To sip, try the hibiscus mojito ($13), a rum-based drink, which is stimulating with its tart citrus and slightly saline coconut water. A snack like the salt and pepper calamari ($14) opens up the appetite with salty, bouncy fried squid, made even better with a side of sharply fragrant chile oil. Tasty entrees like the dry beef curry ($19), laced with a spiced coconut curry sauce, impress as well. I recommend going spicy, which is actually pretty mild. You can dine in the spacious interior lined with booths, or ask for a table outside.
Credit cards accepted • Full bar
Click the dots to see more images.
Boozy Mexican brunch with homey food and tasty bottomless cocktails.
It’s not often that a day-drinking brunch spot actually makes tasty drinks, but such is the case at Capullo. Weekend brunch is when the place, especially the parklet, comes alive with young folks trying to catch a buzz. The bottomless drinks are priced at $20, with your choice of mimosas or cantaritos. The latter is the better option, a Tequila cocktail that’s a refreshing, sweet and tart combination of lime, grapefruit and orange juice. Soak up the alcohol with snacky, homey molotes ($13), a bean-smeared bolio topped with chorizo, potatoes, cheese, pico de gallo and cilantro. Or go traditional and get a heaping portion of chilaquiles rojas ($15), saucy tortilla chips with scrambled eggs and a side of black beans. The inside of the casual Mexican restaurant is a bit of a hodgepodge: exposed bricks, foliage, black leather-bound booths and kitschy barrel-shaped light fixtures. The menu isn’t regionally specific, so there are burritos, tacos and other Mexican favorites, too.
Credit cards accepted • Full bar
925-476-5150 • capullococinamexicana.com • Order online
1105 S California Blvd., Walnut Creek
Uncomplicated Italian deli to stop by for a sandwich.
Genova is a classic Italian deli. Inside, you’ll see salami hanging over the display cases. Take a number and order a sandwich or prepared hot foods. It also functions as a market, so you can peruse Italian goods while you wait. The sandwich options are unfussy. Most tend to go for the baked turkey or combo mix ($13 with cheese), and I prefer the latter. You can order it on a well-browned sourdough roll, sliced bread or Dutch crunch. In it goes mortadella and salami along with your choice of cheese and veggies. Ask for Dutch crunch for extra texture, and grab a jar of calabrian chile spread or spicy giardiniera for some much-needed spice on your sandwich or for your pantry at home. Complete the ritual with a bag of kettle chips and an Italian soda. The deli doesn’t offer any seating but there are a few tables out front for an outdoor lunch. Or make a picnic out of it and take your goods to Alma Park or Civic Park.
Credit cards accepted • Soft drinks
1275 S Main St,. Walnut Creek
Beloved Bay Area burger joint with burgers, milkshakes and seasonal sandwiches.
Gott’s is one of the most reliable places to find a tasty burger in the Bay Area. Perhaps more enticing are the extra crispy fries, which are among the best in the land, particularly the garlic fries. Part of why it works is the high-quality sourcing; the beef comes from Niman Ranch and the seafood from Osprey Seafood. A classic cheeseburger ($10) is a good rendition of the California burger form filled with seared beef and crucial produce like crunchy lettuce and tomato. But, if it’s available, try the soft-shell crab sandwich ($20). The palm-sized crustacean is breaded and fried, giving it a much harder and crunchier shell. It’s a scrumptious sandwich that lets the crab take center stage, with a final squeeze of lemon for much-needed acidity. If you have a sweet tooth, the soft serve is dependable, but the seasonal milkshake flavors like the strawberry shortcake ($8) are a better choice. Dine inside the spacious restaurant or nab one of the many tables outdoors.
Credit cards accepted • Soft drinks
925-954-6243 • gotts.com • Order online
Click the dots to see more images.
Go to this Cuban tapas-style restaurant for snacks and a proper mojito.
When it’s hot in Walnut Creek, Havana is like a hazy mirage with a steady supply of cooling mojitos. The restaurant specializes in the refreshing cocktail ($11) and has a roster of them, some flavored with passion fruit or guava. The walls are lined with floral-print booths and in the middle is a long, communal table with stools. Weekend brunch service is the busiest, when customers fill up the parklet and share plates of paper-thin plantain chips with smashed avocado ($10.95) and bottomless mojitos ($22). The bubbly ropa vieja empanadas ($14.95) make for a superb appetizer with a smoky, spicy chipotle aioli. The Cuban sandwich ($13.95) is also good for sharing, as it’s cut into bite-size fourths. If you’re in the mood for a whole meal, go with the fittingly charred chimichurri steak ($28.95), which comes with sweet potato mash and paprika-spiced corn.
Credit cards accepted • Full bar
925-939-4555 • havanarestaurant.net • Order online
Come for the going-out aesthetic , delectable fried things and refreshing drinks.
Lita, a Caribbean restaurant with a nightclub vibe, is the latest concept by the Ghaben family — Walnut Creek royalty whose empire includes various restaurants in the city. Here, you can bite into squishy-centered, crispy fish fritters and delectable coconut curry chicken empanadas. If you have a keen eye you’ll spot the spit-roast jerk chicken on the menu, which is shaved for tacos. The chicken is pleasantly spiced with warm Caribbean spices and served on a big tortilla, but a bit overpriced ($12). The tripleta sandwich ($19), named for its three kinds of meat, is formidable too, with stacks of steak, pork loin, ham and crunchy shoestring potato. Even the drinks are energized with creative ideas and quality booze, like the tart Isla de Tigre ($16). But then there are baller-bait food items like the $37 lobster corn dog, which is barely passable. Lita is still figuring out its culinary identity, but the vibe is plenty enjoyable. The attractive interior is full of cool colors, gold trim and ferns that hang over the dining room. One wall in the back colorfully lights up to match the rhythm of the Reggaeton blasting through the speakers. Arguably the best seat in the place is the bar covered in marble stone, simulating lavishness before a night out in Vegas or Miami.
Credit cards accepted • Full bar
2905 N Main St., Walnut Creek
Click the dots to see more images.
Everything from the fluffy flatbread to the cheesy kanafeh desserts is impressive at this restaurant.
Manakish Oven & Grill, a Mediterranean restaurant that opened in 2019 is full of charming details like the blue and yellow color scheme, patterned tiles near the register and dangling Turkish mosaic chandeliers. The casual-sleek spot is social media friendly, often utilizing influencers for marketing, but don’t count that against the food. The menu is divided into five sections: manakish — pizza-sized flatbreads — wraps, bowls, kebab plates and brunch on weekends. The manakish range from simple, spiced only with za’atar, to involved, topped with meats, veggies and cheese. The lahm-bajin ($12) is one of the less complicated options, with only beef that’s intensely perfumed with cardamom and parsley. The flatbread base is plush and adaptable for creating catchy, yeasty melodies. Even the more American-geared items like the tri-tip shawarma loaded fries ($13) with tahini and cheese are credible choices. Make sure to try everything with a side of spicy harissa and garlic sauce. Finish off the meal with baklava ($7), which has rich biscuit qualities instead of the usual sticky-sweet renditions, or kanafeh ($11.50), a sweet, intricate formation of crisp phyllo and stringy cheese topped with crushed pistachios.
Credit cards accepted • Soft drinks
925-949-8334 • manakishoven.com • Order online
Click the dots to see more images.
Deli with no frills and reasonably priced sandwiches.
There’s a quiet confidence that radiates from Morucci’s, one of Walnut Creek’s favorite delis. The oven-roasted turkey ($9) is the first thing on the menu and is the most popular behind the Italian sub ($9), my go-to. The latter is stacked with salami, hot coppa, mortadella — each salty and slick with fat — and provolone on a flour-dusted ciabatta roll. The bread is the unsung hero of this sandwich, crusty in all the right places. It comes with all the usual produce of lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and peppers but pesto is a common addition if you’re looking for more flavor. Usually the line is out the door, and when it’s not, the deli’s regulars are quick to express surprise and delight. Nonetheless, the sandwich artisans keep the line moving efficiently. All the sandwiches are priced under $10, which means that your lunch is likely to be under $20 including a drink and chips. There are a few seating options inside and more outside.
Credit cards accepted • Soft drinks
1500 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Walnut Creek
Pop in for a quick slice in four different styles.
Tony Gemignani is one of the most prolific pizzaiolos in the country with several pizza concepts spread across the Bay Area. The Walnut Creek location of his simplest, Slice House, opened in 2016. There are four styles to choose from by the slice or whole pie: New York style (thin and flat), Sicilian (thick and doughy), grandma (thin and square) and Detroit (pan-cooked). The small pizza shop usually has one of each kind at the ready, classics like N.Y.-style pepperoni ($6.10) or dense grandma slices ($6.50) adorned with ricotta cheese. Each slice is thrown into the oven to bring it back to life. The N.Y.-style pizza has those stiff but pliable qualities that make it so admirable — and easy to eat with one hand.
Credit cards accepted • Beer and wine
925-448-8077 • slicehousewalnutcreek.com • Order online
1394 N Main St., Walnut Creek
An Oakland hot chicken favorite spreads to Walnut Creek with a more complete location.
Compared to the Oakland location, the Walnut Creek Hotboys feels like a half concept. The first thing that’ll catch your eye, before entering the restaurant, is the huge mural depicting Walnut Creek landmarks. Inside the chicken restaurant is an incredibly busy scene of hundreds of flags and string lights stretching across the ceiling. By the windows, to the left, are colorful booths and to the right is a long bar counter with small, old CRT (tube) TVs set up with video game consoles. So you can fiddle with nostalgia and play “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater” or “Tekken” while you wait for your fried chicken. In spite of opening only in early 2022, the place feels lived in and is a cool hangout for kids or — let’s be real — adults still clinging onto childhood. The thing to get at Hotboys is the sandwich but the bone-in chicken also deserves its due. I like to order the quarter dark meat ($11), though the breast is juicy too, at the medium level, which is properly spicy but not enough to land you in the hospital. If you need more heat, sprinkle some Louisiana hot sauce packets for an infusion of acidity and heat. There are also picnic tables outdoors if you want some air.
925-393-5579 • worldfamoushotboys.com • Order online
Cesar Hernandez • cesar.hernandez@sfchronicle.com • @cesarischafa
Janelle Bitker • janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com • @JanelleBitker
Bernadette Fay • bfay@sfchronicle.com
Chronicle Photo Editors, Photographers, and Contributors
Danielle Mollette-Parks • DMollette-Parks@sfchronicle.com • @daniellemparks
Alex Fong • alex.fong@sfchronicle.com • @alexkfong