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Long Beach has to be excited about this one: Beer Belly is opening next week, right on Long Beach Boulevard. The plans for owner Jimmy Han to expand into the southern stretch of Los Angeles County have been in the works for quite some time, but now it looks as though Friday, November 11 will mark the official launch point for all that craft beer and hearty food.
Han’s Koreatown original has been a hit basically since day one, giving locals a place to congregate over rare taps and big eats by way of chef Wes Lieberher, from duck fries to one seriously ambitious pork sandwich. Now with the move to Long Beach, the team will be able to open themselves to an entirely new market, while simultaneously expanding their own lineup to include a full liquor license. That means a full run of cocktails as overseen by Karen Grill, who has been pulling drink shifts at Koreatown’s dive bar deluxe Frank N Hanks (also a Jimmy Han-owned joint), but now jumps on to consult over the opening bar menu.
The freestanding Beer Belly Long Beach covers nearly 3,000 square feet near the Promenade, with a MAKE Architecture-designed space that hews decidedly nautical. Expect bow truss ceilings, lots of wood framing, booths, bar tops, and more. There will also be 24 taps along the bar, and late night hours almost every night of the week.
The move also helps solidify Long Beach as a craft beer destination unto itself. Beer Belly will join the already-open Ballast Point along the water down that way, while Smog City’s new taproom isn’t far behind. Even noted chef Eddie Ruiz is in the mix with his beer bar spot Public Beer Wine Shop.
Beer Belly Long Beach officially arrives on Friday, November 11 at 5 p.m., with running hours thereafter from 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. On Sunday those shorten to midnight, while weekdays the place opens for 5 p.m. dinner call time, and closes at midnight or later. In the meantime if you want your first beer at the new space to be just $1, you can sign up for the Beer Belly Long Beach mailing list.
Beer Belly Long Beach
255 Long Beach Blvd.
Long Beach, CA
