Long Beach Restaurants

I am looking for restaurant suggestions for Long Beach. We enjoy Italian, fish and vegetarian places. Thanks!

RB

I am looking for restaurant suggestions for Long Beach. We enjoy Italian, fish and vegetarian places. Thanks!

 

RB

For Italian take a cab or Uber to Michael's on Naples.

http://www.michaelsonnaples.com/

For seafood, look at King's Fish House.

For just a great restaurant and experience, look at Sir Winston's on the Queen Mary.

I am looking for restaurant suggestions for Long Beach. We enjoy Italian, fish and vegetarian places. Thanks!

 

RB

I will assume that you are staying somewhere in the Downtown/Convention Center area of Long Beach. There is no real reason to need to take a taxi out of the area, you have a large number of restaurant choices of all types in walking distance.

Between the Aquarium and Shoreline Village, on the waterfront, there are a string of restaurants...Most of these are chain restaurants...but there are all sorts...From West to East: Bubba Gump, Chili's Outback, PF Chang, Gladstone's, Tokyo Wako, Famous Dave's BBQ, Yard House, Tequila Jack's, Shenanigan's Irish Pub, Queensview Steakhouse and Parker's Lighthouse...(Parker's Lighthouse has great harbor views!)

Obviously, most of those are chains and you either are familiar with them and like them...or you'd rather go somewhere you won't find back home. Gladstone's is the third branch of a local institution-the original Gladstone's 4 Fish in Pacific Palisades/Malibu...a sea food favorite for generations of Southern Californians...

If you head up to Pine Avenue, across Ocean, there are many more restaurants...including Rock Bottom Brewery, L'Opera Italian, Pier 76 Fish Grill, King's Fish House (a local seafood chain) and LOTS more...

I can't think of too much "vegetarian"...Seafood sort of rules the day in Long Beach...

The nice thing about that list of restaurants is that many will have menus on their websites. My family goes a lot to our local Yardhouse...it's like a sports bar type of place (a big variety of beer, but I'm not a drinker) and all sorts of spicy, unusual combinations of food choices.

Okay, seriously...... Bubba Gump, Chili's Outback, PF Chang, Gladstone's, Tokyo Wako, Famous Dave's BBQ???? Some of the most mediocre chains known to man??

Michael's on Naples is one of the best Italian restaurants in Southern California. It is #10 on Zagat's list of the Top Fifty Restaurants in Los Angeles.

Given that the OP asked specifically for Italian, getting a cab or Uber makes a lot more sense than walking to bad chain restaurants.

Gladstone's is shockingly bad and only survives because it is in tourist locations. Parker's Lighthouse is similarly bad and survives for the same reason.

Okay, seriously...... Bubba Gump, Chili's Outback, PF Chang, Gladstone's, Tokyo Wako, Famous Dave's BBQ???? Some of the most mediocre chains known to man??

 

Michael's on Naples is one of the best Italian restaurants in Southern California. It is #10 on Zagat's list of the Top Fifty Restaurants in Los Angeles.

 

Given that the OP asked specifically for Italian, getting a cab or Uber makes a lot more sense than walking to bad chain restaurants.

 

Gladstone's is shockingly bad and only survives because it is in tourist locations. Parker's Lighthouse is similarly bad and survives for the same reason.

Seriously, Scott?

Everyone's taste in restaurants is different...What is mediocre or even "shockingly bad" to you may be great to somebody else.

I've never eaten at the Gladstone's in Long Beach, but grew up very near the Original Gladstone's and eating there was, or me, a family tradition...Similarly, I live just a couple of miles from the Kings Fish House in Calabasas and find it to be an enjoyable place to eat. I have eaten a couple of times at Parker's Lighthouse and have also found it to be enjoyable...and love the overall experience and harbor views.

Michael's may be a good restaurant, but, for me, when traveling, grabbing a cab to go several miles across the city in each direction is not what I'm looking for...For that matter, the OP could also take a taxi or Uber each way and eat at Spago...just wouldn't be the best use of time or money...

When I cruise, I look for something nearby and comfortable. I'm going on a cruise ship and eating really well fr the next week or two. For that night before, I just like to know I have some choices...

Zagat lists L'Opera as in the "best restaurants in Long Beach " category but says it is expensive.

Do you guys know if The Sky Room is still open?

Their Happy Hour looks like fun! We like small plates at dinner.

Zagat lists L'Opera as in the "best restaurants in Long Beach " category but says it is expensive.

 

Do you guys know if The Sky Room is still open?

Their Happy Hour looks like fun! We like small plates at dinner.

Yes, it is...

http://www.theskyroom.com/

And, yes, if someone is looking for a very elegant gourmet dinner...and willing to pay a fairly large amount for dinner the night before the cruise, it is a fairly special restaurant.

L'Opera is a little pricier than most Italian eateries (pastas in the $17-22 range, chicken/veal $28-40)...but still not as prcey as the Sky Room...

Happy Hour plates at the Sky Room are only $6 or $9 so well within our budget!!

Seriously, Scott?

Everyone's taste in restaurants is different...What is mediocre or even "shockingly bad" to you may be great to somebody else.

 

I've never eaten at the Gladstone's in Long Beach, but grew up very near the Original Gladstone's and eating there was, or me, a family tradition...Similarly, I live just a couple of miles from the Kings Fish House in Calabasas and find it to be an enjoyable place to eat. I have eaten a couple of times at Parker's Lighthouse and have also found it to be enjoyable...and love the overall experience and harbor views.

 

Michael's may be a good restaurant, but, for me, when traveling, grabbing a cab to go several miles across the city in each direction is not what I'm looking for...For that matter, the OP could also take a taxi or Uber each way and eat at Spago...just wouldn't be the best use of time or money...

 

When I cruise, I look for something nearby and comfortable. I'm going on a cruise ship and eating really well fr the next week or two. For that night before, I just like to know I have some choices...

Yes, everyone's tastes are different, but in a lot of cases it is because they have never experienced anything different.

There was a time, many years ago when Gladstone's was a good restaurant, but they had to close locations because the restaurant could not stand on the food and didn't have the location of the surviving ones. Being in a great location made Gladstone's stop caring about quality, not even the new owners were able to improve it.

As to Michael's, the OP asked for "restaurants in Long Beach.... Italian, etc" and never mentioned "within walking distance". Michael's is in Long Beach and is actually higher rated in Zagat than Spago is.

I like L'Opera, but it is no where near the quality of Michael's.

Without knowing where you are staying, I'll tell you that we had a nice meal at Gaucho Grill (traditional Argentine restaurant). It's at 200 North Pine.

http://gauchogrillusa.com/

.

We've eaten at L'Opera a couple of times and enjoyed it very much. We'll be back in Long Beach in November and plan to eat there again. I do have to agree about Parker's Lighthouse - very mediocre to our taste. Chains are chains and are usually consistent which is their claim to fame. A chain restaurant may be what you're after if you don't have the one you want to eat at in your home town.

If you're looking for a breakfast place, we like the Long Beach Cafe but be aware, the portions are large but very good coffee. We also want to try George's Greek Cafe for lunch.

There is an incredible steak house call 555 East. I wish this place was in Chicago!

http://www.555east.com/

I HIGHLY recommend it.