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Anaheim Restaurant Trends: How Dining Has Changed Over the Past Decade

By Anaheim Life Editorial7 min read
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Illustration of a wooden citrus crate used as a serving tray, holding a bamboo steamer of dumplings, a folded flatbread, four small beer glasses and a halved orange, seen from above on a cream table.

The biggest Anaheim restaurant trends of the past decade: new dining has clustered in a few distinct places. Downtown's Packing District grew around independent operators starting in 2014, Downtown Disney swapped older tenants for chef-driven anchors in 2024, West Anaheim's Brookhurst corridor was officially named Little Arabia in 2022, and OC Vibe's food hall is targeted for early 2027.

This is a description of where notable openings and changes have happened, not a statistical count. We did not find citywide data on restaurant openings by neighborhood, so treat the pattern below as a map of the big moves rather than a ranking.

Downtown: one food hall becomes a district

The turning point for downtown came on May 31, 2014, when the Anaheim Packing House opened inside a renovated 1919 former Sunkist citrus packing house built in Spanish Colonial Revival style. Wikipedia describes it as a 42,000-square-foot food hall and notes that the building joined the National Register of Historic Places in 2015 as the Anaheim Orange and Lemon Association Packing House, the only remaining packing house in Anaheim.

Visit Anaheim calls it "Orange County's Original Food Hall," says it opened to a crowd of 5,000, and says it is "now home to nearly 30 culinary artisans." The Orange County Business Journal counted "more than 20 restaurants" in its September 2024 anniversary profile. The two numbers come from different sources and are likely counting different things.

The developer behind it, Shaheen Sadeghi, explained the approach to OCBJ: "The LAB stands for Little American Businesses... the idea for The LAB was to create a place for like-minded small companies to gather." The same OCBJ profile reported that only two restaurants in his properties closed during the pandemic, and pointed to Georgia's Restaurant, Gretchen Shoemaker's soul food concept, which later opened an outpost at Irvine Spectrum Center in Irvine.

Growth followed. In January 2016, Sadeghi's LAB Holding bought four development sites in Center City Anaheim from the city for $10.1 million, with plans that included a 10,510-square-foot MAKE building for onsite craft brewing and wine production (OCBJ). Today Visit Anaheim describes a district of four historic landmarks about two miles from the Disneyland Resort:

  • Anaheim Packing House: the original food hall.

  • Packard Building: a former car dealership, now home to En Familia Modern Mexican Kitchen and Monkish Brewing.

  • Farmers Park: Poppy and Seed, and 18 Folds dim sum.

  • MAKE Building: a 1917 former marmalade factory with Unsung Brewing Company, Pali Wine Company and Stone Groove Stillhouse.

Visit Anaheim also notes the Packing House has hosted weekly live music, monthly markets and community classes, which is a big part of why it reads as a neighborhood spot rather than a tourist stop.

The Resort area: from themed dining to destination chefs

Downtown Disney District, which opened January 12, 2001, went through two rounds of change. In summer 2018, Rainforest Cafe and ESPN Zone closed ahead of new hotel construction, along with an AMC cinema and smaller tenants (Wikipedia). Then Catal and Uva Bar, both opened in 2001, served their last day on April 14, 2023, after 22 years (Spectrum News).

Their replacement arrived in 2024. A May 2, 2024 Patina Restaurant Group release announced three concepts from Michelin-starred chef Carlos Gaytán: Paseo for elevated dining, Céntrico as a hacienda-inspired social hub with a cocktail bar, and Tiendita for quick service. Reservations for Paseo and Céntrico opened June 1, 2024. Gaytán said in the release that sharing "my love for my home country, my family, and cooking" with guests "is truly an honor."

On July 1, 2024, Din Tai Fung opened nearby. The Disneyland press room calls it "the only freestanding Din Tai Fung location built from the ground up."

More is coming, without dates. Porto's Bakery & Cafe will take the former La Brea Bakery space, and the New York Post reported in April 2026 that it will be Porto's seventh location and its first with table service and a full bar. As of September 8, 2026, Laughing Place reported no official opening date, plus a boba café, Bopo Go!, under construction on the former Jamba site.

A block east, Anaheim GardenWalk opened June 14, 2008, and Wikipedia describes its restaurant mix as largely national and regional chains, such as The Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen and Bubba Gump. House of Blues Anaheim opened there in March 2017.

West Anaheim: Little Arabia makes it official

Little Arabia was not built by a developer. LAist reported the neighborhood had been informally known by that name for decades, with about 100 businesses serving Middle Eastern and North African communities. On August 23, 2022, the City Council voted to designate Brookhurst Street from Broadway to Ball Road as Little Arabia (Fox LA).

"I am a daughter of Little Arabia. I learned from these business owners how to hustle, how to work hard," Rida Hamida of Latino Muslim Unity told LAist. Visit Anaheim's Little Arabia page highlights Sababa Falafel Shop, Forn Al-Hara for manoushe, Zankou Chicken and Victory Sweets for baklava and knafe.

A James Beard nod

Strong Water, an Anaheim tiki bar, was a 2025 James Beard Award nominee for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program, the only Anaheim name in that category. The award went to Charleston Restaurant in Baltimore (Resy).

Next: Katella Commons at OC Vibe

The next cluster is planned for the Platinum Triangle. The City Council approved OC Vibe on October 4, 2022, and Wikipedia describes about 100 acres at roughly $4 billion, with a first phase targeted for early 2027 that includes Katella Commons, five restaurants, a 5,700-person amphitheater and an urban park. Culture OC reports Katella Commons will be a 50,000-square-foot, two-story market hall with 21 chef-driven stalls and six bar and lounge concepts, curated by chef Rémi Lauvand, with Debbie Lee opening Pado and Mokja. Treat the early 2027 timing as a target, not a confirmed date.

Where to eat now, by area

  • Packing District (downtown): independent stalls, breweries and casual meals, plus community events.

  • Little Arabia (Brookhurst, Broadway to Ball Road): falafel, manoushe, rotisserie chicken and Middle Eastern sweets.

  • Downtown Disney: occasion dining at Paseo or Céntrico, or Din Tai Fung. Check the operators directly for current hours and reservations.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

When did the Anaheim Packing House open?

It opened May 31, 2014, in a renovated 1919 former Sunkist citrus packing house. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

What restaurants replaced Catal and Uva Bar at Downtown Disney?

Catal and Uva Bar closed April 14, 2023. Chef Carlos Gaytán's Paseo, Céntrico and Tiendita debuted in that space in 2024, with reservations for Paseo and Céntrico opening June 1, 2024.

When is Porto's opening at Downtown Disney?

No official opening date had been announced as of September 8, 2026, according to Laughing Place. It is planned as Porto's first location with table service and a full bar.

Where is Little Arabia in Anaheim?

The City Council designated Brookhurst Street from Broadway to Ball Road as Little Arabia in August 2022. LAist reported about 100 businesses serving Middle Eastern and North African communities there.

When will Katella Commons open?

Katella Commons, the planned 21-stall food hall at OC Vibe, is targeted for early 2027. That is a target, not a confirmed opening date.