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This Independence Day weekend we flew down to Catalina Island via Long Beach and spent just enough time in Long Beach to eat and drink our way through some local favorites. Here are 5 of the best eats in Long Beach, perfectly paced for one very gluttonous day.
1. Morning buzz at The Birdcage Coffee House
This quirky local spot serves all the cafe basics and has real birds out on the patio! Cash only.
2. Cambodian brunch at Phnom Penh Noodle Shack
Having noodles for breakfast or brunch may be less familiar than omelettes and french toast, but as soon as you taste it you’ll forget you ever wanted anything else in the a.m.
I was super excited to try Phnom Penh Noodle Shack and got the #2 Mo’s Special Noodles with large rice noodles. It was my first “soup out, bone in” noodle soup experience, where you “chase” the noodles with the broth. Add in lots of different types of hot sauce, and it’s so good you’ll want to go back to lunch and dinner, too. (You can for lunch but not for dinner as it closes at 3 p.m.)
3. Afternoon beer and snack at Joe Jost’s
This Long Beach institution is coming up on its centennial in 2024 and it’s no wonder it’s been so successful for so long.
Ice cold beers in schooners, their famous pickled eggs, an unassuming atmosphere, a large pool lounge, and tons of interesting locals make this place an unmissable local favorite. While the pool lounge was a little busy during our Saturday afternoon visit, we had a great couple of hours there chatting with a local vet named Joe (not Jost!), downing a few schooners and some pickled eggs, and finding that at Joe Jost’s, a hot dog is indeed a sandwich (they put the sausage in between two slices of bread!).
4. Dinner at Taco Beach
They don’t mess with the tacos here, and if you happen to be in town for a Taco Tuesday, it’s $2 meat tacos and $2.50 fish tacos. Their carnitas was probably the juiciest I’ve had in years.
5. Dessert & drinks at Yard House
Okay, I know Yard House is a huge chain, but with 250 beers on tap and a gorgeous view of the water, it’s a prime location to wrap up your very gluttonous day. Their mini trio dessert of peach apple cobbler, crème brûlée, and chocolate soufflé cake made me pretty giddy as well.
We didn’t actually eat this route, but these are my favorites from the places we hit up over the course roughly 40 non-continuous hours in Long Beach. We certainly ate this much or more each day though (and are now paying for it at the gym).
Enjoy eating your way through the best eats in Long Beach, and share your favorite finds so we know next time we go!
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