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A seafood platter and caesar salad on a wooden table.
Seafood, salad, and cocktails the Bungalow Kitchen
The Bungalow Kitchen.

18 Essential Restaurants in Long Beach’s Diverse Dining Scene

From Cambodian to outstanding breads and Southern barbecue, where to eat well in Long Beach

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Seafood, salad, and cocktails the Bungalow Kitchen
| The Bungalow Kitchen.

Long Beach’s culture is very much its own thing. The city (sized north of 460,000 residents, roughly the same size as Atlanta, Georgia) is far more than just a seaside hangout south of Los Angeles. There’s a whole different vibe here, with plenty of good eats squeezed into Long Beach’s borders, from award-winning to quality Cambodian fare to Filipino options and of course staples like pizza, coffee, and burritos. Here now, from the sandy beach bike bath to the elevated areas around Signal Hill, are 18 of the essential places to eat in Long Beach, presented from west to east.

Added: Aji Peruvian Cuisine, Bungalow Kitchen, Robert Earl’s BBQ, VBurger, Vino e Cucina

Removed: Fluffy’s Sno-Balls, Joe Josts, the Ordinairie, Seabirds

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Edna's Filipino Cuisine

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From pork cracklin’s to Filipino spaghetti to fried rice, Edna’s Filipino Cuisine is a casual stop with serious options, including a whole lechon. Just a note, Edna’s crew needs a week’s notice to roast a whole roast pig to eat at home, so plan accordingly.

Ammatoli Mediterranean Bites

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Owners Dima and Sam Habibeh’s Downtown Long Beach restaurant Ammatoli has a menu straight from the Levant region that encompasses Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Turkey, Israel, Jordan, and Palestine, with dishes that have a familiar and delicious Mediterranean ring. The details are beautiful, with tea service, gorgeous dishes and plates to display the fare.

Sura Korean BBQ & Tofu House

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While Sura may not compete with some of Koreatown’s finest dining gems, one of Long Beach’s only Korean restaurants does just fine by introducing the community to bubbling tofu soups, bibimbap, plus Korean tacos and sopes. Anything to save a trip up north to K-Town (or south to Garden Grove).

Robert Earl's BBQ

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Be patient when ordering at Robert Earl’s BBQ, a laid-back, family-owned restaurant on the north end of Long Beach. Those rib tips are particularly tender, and because they all shine, it’s impossible to decide which side dishes to order.

La Esperanza Restaurant

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Adriana Moran opened Torrance’s La Esperanza Bakery in 1994, with a second storefront operating right in the center of Long Beach as of 2017. Moran continues to serve Guatemalan and Salvadoran dishes in a cozy setting, even as Long Beach’s bakery scene continues to explode.

VBurger

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With a menu that’s full of plant-based burger joint classics, VBurger has Impossible or Beyond Meat burgers on deck, along withbreakfast sandwiches, mac and cheese, quesadillas, and milkshakes. If that’s not enough, they also operate a vegan creperie next door.

Phnom Penh Noodle Shack

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Phnom Penh Noodle Shack started out as a five-seat restaurant in 1985, and eventually worked up to being a neighborhood favorite that’s filled with families on weekends. The local restaurant is right in the heart of Long Beach’s Cambodia Town, offering some of cities best rice porridge, stir fry noodles, noodles in soup, and the classic Cambodian ba-bong.

Storefront of Phnom Penh Noodle Shack with blue signage and bike racks on the sidewalk.
Phnom Penh Noodle Shack
Wonho Frank Lee

Aji Peruvian Cuisine

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When walking or driving by Aji Peruvian Cuisine after 6 p.m. any day, the place will likely be packed. The family-operated business opened in 2014, where Peruvian staples line the menu. The ceviches are a must, as well as the causa de camarones.

Gusto Bread

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Head baker Arturo Enciso prepares far more than just bread at Gusto. Long before moving into in a larger space in 2020, the Long Beach bakery garnered national attention for its pastries, boules, baguettes, and cookies. Stop by to take a look at the day’s inventory, or head to the website for pre-orders.

Baguettes at Gusto Bread in Long Beach, California
Gusto Bread
Farley Elliott

A&J Seafood Shack

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A&J Seafood Shack owner Vannak Tan’s 280-square-foot stall produces a slew of fantastic dishes including family Cambodian recipes, along with traditional from Phnom Penh to Oahu’s North Shore.

A&J Seafood Shack, Long Beach
A&J Seafood Shack
Cathy Chaplin

Sophy's Fine Thai & Cambodian Restaurant

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Dubbed the Cambodian capital of the United States, Long Beach is home to one of the largest populations of Cambodians outside of Southeast Asia. As such, it is quite the place to get a taste of the herbaceous, curry-heavy cuisine. Sophy’s is widely considered to be the standout restaurant, with everything from morning breakfast soup to evening lok lak.

Tacos La Carreta

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José Morales Jr. and Sr. opened their taco cart (la carreta) in a Compton tire shop six years ago. The father and son ugraded to a truck last year where they produce some of Southern California’s best Mazatlán-style tacos. The truck is typically parked on the northernmost border of Long Beach, where they serve chorreadas, vampiros, tacos de carne asada, and papas locas. Check the Instagram for hours and availability.

Tacos La Carreta truck
Tacos La Carreta truck
Matthew Kang

Reno Room

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Open in 1945, the Reno Room has established itself as a popular and longtime dive bar in a city that’s absolutely crowded with them. The pool table and reasonably-priced drinks certainly help, as does the menu of wet burritos, tacos, and asada fries.

Vino E Cucina

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The scent of the kitchen at work will keep diners at attention when eating inside at Vino E Cucina. It’s a cozy space with wooden chairs, tables, a great wine list, Mediterranean colors throughout, and a menu that includes a rotating risotto every week.

The Nest: A Breakfast Joint

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The vibes are immaculate at the Nest. Owner Antonio Appling is all about daytime eats, and channels an undeniably Black Southern menu. But the food is also distinctly Southern California. Case in point: the biscuits and gravy are incredible, but don’t skip on the breakfast torta with roasted pork.

Sushi Kinoya

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This unfussy strip mall gem is a solid standby for maki rolls and cheap-as-heck lunch specials, and while it may not satisfy stuffier sushi diners, its menu and prices are just right for Long Beach.

The Bungalow Kitchen by Michael Mina - Belmont Shore

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In Long Beach the party is most definitely at the Bungalow Kitchen, the multi-faceted Belmont Shore space with peekaboo views to the water. From the second floor of the 2nd and PCH complex diners can taken the music, the color, the flash and the fun of a restaurant crafted by two hospitality veterans, Michael Mina and Brent Bolthouse. Pair a cocktail with some raw bar starters and a phyllo-crusted sole for a not-so-serious night out on the town.

A seafood platter and caesar salad on a wooden table.
Seafood and salad from Bungalow Kitchen.
The Bungalow Kitchen.

Little Coyote

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Right after opening on Retro Row in 2020, Little Coyote’s casual New York-style pizza regularly sold out of pies. The operation proved so popular, a second location opened in 2021, where pizzas, salads, pasta, and well-priced beer are plentiful.

A stack of white boxes of pizza with olives on the topmost pie.
Little Coyote
Matthew Kang

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Edna's Filipino Cuisine

From pork cracklin’s to Filipino spaghetti to fried rice, Edna’s Filipino Cuisine is a casual stop with serious options, including a whole lechon. Just a note, Edna’s crew needs a week’s notice to roast a whole roast pig to eat at home, so plan accordingly.

Ammatoli Mediterranean Bites

Owners Dima and Sam Habibeh’s Downtown Long Beach restaurant Ammatoli has a menu straight from the Levant region that encompasses Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Turkey, Israel, Jordan, and Palestine, with dishes that have a familiar and delicious Mediterranean ring. The details are beautiful, with tea service, gorgeous dishes and plates to display the fare.

Sura Korean BBQ & Tofu House

While Sura may not compete with some of Koreatown’s finest dining gems, one of Long Beach’s only Korean restaurants does just fine by introducing the community to bubbling tofu soups, bibimbap, plus Korean tacos and sopes. Anything to save a trip up north to K-Town (or south to Garden Grove).

Robert Earl's BBQ

Be patient when ordering at Robert Earl’s BBQ, a laid-back, family-owned restaurant on the north end of Long Beach. Those rib tips are particularly tender, and because they all shine, it’s impossible to decide which side dishes to order.

La Esperanza Restaurant

Adriana Moran opened Torrance’s La Esperanza Bakery in 1994, with a second storefront operating right in the center of Long Beach as of 2017. Moran continues to serve Guatemalan and Salvadoran dishes in a cozy setting, even as Long Beach’s bakery scene continues to explode.

VBurger

With a menu that’s full of plant-based burger joint classics, VBurger has Impossible or Beyond Meat burgers on deck, along withbreakfast sandwiches, mac and cheese, quesadillas, and milkshakes. If that’s not enough, they also operate a vegan creperie next door.

Phnom Penh Noodle Shack

Phnom Penh Noodle Shack started out as a five-seat restaurant in 1985, and eventually worked up to being a neighborhood favorite that’s filled with families on weekends. The local restaurant is right in the heart of Long Beach’s Cambodia Town, offering some of cities best rice porridge, stir fry noodles, noodles in soup, and the classic Cambodian ba-bong.

Storefront of Phnom Penh Noodle Shack with blue signage and bike racks on the sidewalk.
Phnom Penh Noodle Shack
Wonho Frank Lee

Aji Peruvian Cuisine

When walking or driving by Aji Peruvian Cuisine after 6 p.m. any day, the place will likely be packed. The family-operated business opened in 2014, where Peruvian staples line the menu. The ceviches are a must, as well as the causa de camarones.

Gusto Bread

Head baker Arturo Enciso prepares far more than just bread at Gusto. Long before moving into in a larger space in 2020, the Long Beach bakery garnered national attention for its pastries, boules, baguettes, and cookies. Stop by to take a look at the day’s inventory, or head to the website for pre-orders.

Baguettes at Gusto Bread in Long Beach, California
Gusto Bread
Farley Elliott

A&J Seafood Shack

A&J Seafood Shack owner Vannak Tan’s 280-square-foot stall produces a slew of fantastic dishes including family Cambodian recipes, along with traditional from Phnom Penh to Oahu’s North Shore.

A&J Seafood Shack, Long Beach
A&J Seafood Shack
Cathy Chaplin

Sophy's Fine Thai & Cambodian Restaurant

Dubbed the Cambodian capital of the United States, Long Beach is home to one of the largest populations of Cambodians outside of Southeast Asia. As such, it is quite the place to get a taste of the herbaceous, curry-heavy cuisine. Sophy’s is widely considered to be the standout restaurant, with everything from morning breakfast soup to evening lok lak.

Tacos La Carreta

José Morales Jr. and Sr. opened their taco cart (la carreta) in a Compton tire shop six years ago. The father and son ugraded to a truck last year where they produce some of Southern California’s best Mazatlán-style tacos. The truck is typically parked on the northernmost border of Long Beach, where they serve chorreadas, vampiros, tacos de carne asada, and papas locas. Check the Instagram for hours and availability.

Tacos La Carreta truck
Tacos La Carreta truck
Matthew Kang

Reno Room

Open in 1945, the Reno Room has established itself as a popular and longtime dive bar in a city that’s absolutely crowded with them. The pool table and reasonably-priced drinks certainly help, as does the menu of wet burritos, tacos, and asada fries.

Vino E Cucina

The scent of the kitchen at work will keep diners at attention when eating inside at Vino E Cucina. It’s a cozy space with wooden chairs, tables, a great wine list, Mediterranean colors throughout, and a menu that includes a rotating risotto every week.

The Nest: A Breakfast Joint

The vibes are immaculate at the Nest. Owner Antonio Appling is all about daytime eats, and channels an undeniably Black Southern menu. But the food is also distinctly Southern California. Case in point: the biscuits and gravy are incredible, but don’t skip on the breakfast torta with roasted pork.

Related Maps

Sushi Kinoya

This unfussy strip mall gem is a solid standby for maki rolls and cheap-as-heck lunch specials, and while it may not satisfy stuffier sushi diners, its menu and prices are just right for Long Beach.

The Bungalow Kitchen by Michael Mina - Belmont Shore

In Long Beach the party is most definitely at the Bungalow Kitchen, the multi-faceted Belmont Shore space with peekaboo views to the water. From the second floor of the 2nd and PCH complex diners can taken the music, the color, the flash and the fun of a restaurant crafted by two hospitality veterans, Michael Mina and Brent Bolthouse. Pair a cocktail with some raw bar starters and a phyllo-crusted sole for a not-so-serious night out on the town.

A seafood platter and caesar salad on a wooden table.
Seafood and salad from Bungalow Kitchen.
The Bungalow Kitchen.

Little Coyote

Right after opening on Retro Row in 2020, Little Coyote’s casual New York-style pizza regularly sold out of pies. The operation proved so popular, a second location opened in 2021, where pizzas, salads, pasta, and well-priced beer are plentiful.

A stack of white boxes of pizza with olives on the topmost pie.
Little Coyote
Matthew Kang

Related Maps