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At Last Cafe
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New)
204 Orange AveLong Beach, CA 90802
(562) 437-4837
Announcement
Join us on Valentine's Day for a three-course meal! Make reservations at 5:30 p.m, 7:00 p.m. or 8:30 p.m.
- Hours:
Tue-Sat 11:30 am - 8 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
656 reviews for At Last Cafe
Review Highlights
"The brick chicken I had was absolutely amazing."
(in 276 reviews)
"The mac n cheese was absolutely to die for."
(in 113 reviews)
"the other sister loved her pot roast."
(in 110 reviews)
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656 reviews in English
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Review from Daniel C.
Santa Ana, CA
At last! FINALLY I got a chance to check out At Last Cafe.
After journeying through the backstreets of old LBC, you'll find At Last Cafe on the corner of Broadway and Orange. It's a cozy little joint, and parking is definitely a bummer. Decor leaves more to be desired for, but you definitely get the homey feel to the place--it feels like you're in someones kitchen.
Brick Chicken. Get it. It's burnt-right-off-the-BBQ-pit-good. Served with some mashed potatoes, broccoli, onions and zucchini, the chicken was juicy and tender, and the skin was slightly charred--just the way I like it.
http://s3-media3.ak.ye...
I also had a couple bites of the Cashew Chicken Salad Sandwich. This is my kinda sandwich! Huge chunks of chicken breast were nestled in between two slices of assorted seed bread. It was light and refreshing, with not too much mayo in it. Ohhh then the fries. I know you're thinking, "Whatever fries are just fries." Nope, these spuds sure were tasty. They were cooked perfectly-- crispy and piping hot--the perfect crunch when you chomp into them.
http://s3-media1.ak.ye...
The place is small, so definitely make reservations. The cafe holds no more than 20 people. Each table is really close to each other, but then again it adds to that 'homey feel.' Just be ready to answer lots of questions, because the people sitting next to you will be sure to ask "hey, whatcha got there?" -
Review from Katie H.
San Diego, CA
2/9/2012
If you are an avid viewer of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, then you probably saw this placed featured on one of the episodes. After watching it, I knew I had to go try this place since it was so close to home! Thankfully, they expanded the restaurant slightly and now there is seating for maybe 25-30 people max? Still not much but way better than the 12 or so it used to fit.
Last time I came here it was during Halloween time and they had pumpkin cheesecake as a dessert choice. I WAS SO HAPPY! It was a flawless mix of creamy cheesecake with the spice of the pumpkin. Their mac and cheese is so creamy and rich, I could barely finish half of it! I sampled my friend's brick chicken and it tasted moist and flavorful. Another time I went I had the mahi mahi with a mango salsa of sorts that was very refreshing.
Try your best to make reservations because of how small the place is. It gets pretty packed and parking can take years to find too, unless you're lucky.
I saw some other reviews and they had problems with the service but the two times I've gone, there was no issue at all. I guess it just depends? In any case, I still want to go back and try more of their dishes! -
Review from Stephen T.
Long Beach, CA
So, regular Saturday night, we (my girlfriend and I) had a reservation made for 7:30. We arrive at 7:25 and check in... We proceed to sit outside for 20 minutes just to get in. Not sure if the 4-5 parties that were there when we got there had a reservation as well, but they were all seated before we were. So, why take reservations if you can't keep them?
After we got in at 7:45, we were seated on a wall that had enough space for about 2 to 3 tables of 2 people, but instead they sat 3 couples and a table of 4... So needless to say, I knew what everyone else around me was talking about and what perfume they were wearing.
We sat there for a good 5 to 8 minutes before someone even came over and welcomed us and took our drink orders. We did bring a bottle of wine (they charge a corking fee) and it sat at our table that whole time while we waited. LUCKILY we did get menus when we sat down initially, so we were ready to order by the time our waitress even came over and said "Hello welcome to At Last Cafe".
We ordered / split the brick chicken and a 1/2 serving of the mac'n cheese... Mostly because of the yelp reviews, so thanks for that. The chicken is responsible for both stars... If there was no chicken, I would not even rate this because I can't give 0 stars. The mac'n cheese was also tasty, but nothing to write home about.
You want mac'n cheese as a meal, go down the street to the Yard House, sit in a regular sized restaurant where you can't feel people breathing around you, and order the (Mac + Cheese)^2: chicken breast, applewood bacon, wild mushrooms, cheddar, parmesan, campanelle pasta & truffle oil. Not what they serve, Kraft white mac and cheese with bread crumbs...
If you want BBQ chicken, go to a true BBQ joint like Lucille's on 2nd or Famous Dave's down the street... You get actual smoked flavor... Not grilled chicken with a BBQ sauce on it (we asked for extra when we ordered and it never came).
Now, not to say everything is bad, because I am sure they have some great stuff. But what I had did not blow my mind, the wait was very frustrating, I hate being squished together when I am trying to share a date night with my girlfriend, and overall I just did not enjoy the experience... -
Review from Nicholas K.
Los Angeles, CA
1/31/2012
An incredible dive/diner style setting for upscale American comfort foods.
Lamb Trio
It comes with lamb meatballs, lamb chops, and a chunk of lamb shank. The lamb shank melts in your mouth while the meatball is perfectly seared and still medium/medium rare in the middle. The lamp chops an incredible medium rare, and amazing just by themselves. This feast put me into a food coma frankly!
Mushrooms with Polenta
Seared polenta has an incredible butter crunch followed with a slightly grainy corn meal texture that is a good polenta. It comes with their house gravy and cooked portabella mushrooms that are amazingly tender. A HUGE portion for an appetizer, making it an awesome choice!
I had no idea this restaurant was featured on Diners Drive Ins and Dives until I'd paid my check and was leaving, but I can really see why. -
Review from Harold I.
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've always wanted to try Brick Chicken...
So, my sister-in-law and her fiance invited me and my wife to have dinner with them at the At Last Cafe. We had never heard of the place, so of course we said "yes" to the invitation.
Parking was impossible! This is a local eatery, really catering to the neighborhood and those within walking distance. However, the waitress was completely awesome because she lived nearby and let us park our car behind hers in the driveway of her apartment. How cool is that?!?
The menu here was pretty cool, especially the daily specials. It was all-American classics, like liver and onions. As for me, I've always wanted to try Brick Chicken, and they had it on the menu so I could not resist.
For those who are wondering, Brick Chicken is where you partially debone a part of a chicken (usually half), and weigh it down with something heavy (like a brick wrapped in foil) while it cooks. What this does is cook the skin nice and crispy brown, and also cooks the chicken much more evenly. The end result is a chicken that is unbelievably juicy and evenly cooked throughout.
At Last Cafe presented the wonderfully flavorful and juicy half-bird, accompanied by veggies. It was so good!
I also tried the mac-n-cheese, which was shared and a total hit with our party. I would definitely like to come here again soon. -
Review from Wan L.
Like most ppl, I came here after seeing them on DDD. We ordered the famous brick chicken, mac n cheese w/ ham, and a mixed green salad. The chicken was pretty good. A must order. It was moist and the skin was crispy. The mac n cheese was alright, nothing special. The ham was kinda salty though. The salad was actually quite good considering how simple and plain it was. IMO, the best dish was the salad :)
The food is good, but the service, eh, it could be better. The servers hardly came out to check on us. I suggest you make reservations or else expect a LONG wait or worst, you will have to sit outside in the most uncomfy seats on a slanted and crooked sidewalk. Also, come early, the parking situation sucks. We drove around the block at least 5 times before we found a spot. -
Review from Johnie H.
Long Beach, CA
1/21/2012 1 photo
Damn. This one is gonna be a doozy.
Absolutely the worst service I've ever had in the history of well, customer service. I wish I was exaggerating, I WISH SO MUCH, I WISHED I RUBBED A LAMP I FOUND IN AGRABAH AND A BLUE GENIE APPEARED AND GAVE ME 3 WISHES AND WISHED IT WASN'T TRUE EACH TIME. Okay, where to begin, lets see.
1. Parking is awful for starters, I would say there is about 7-9 parking spots on the street block and it's located in the down-town area so be prepared for all the one way streets. So you know, that's not that bad I guess. Can't be helped and we found parking.
2. The place has about 10-13 "seats" so if you do decide to dine here, you should make reservations, as we did. It seemed like they just found random pieces of wood and created tables and seats. An example would be a box and some cushion (not literally but comparable). Cramped walking areas, specials on a blackboard above their register/work area, one restroom and 2 entrances/exits. I didn't mind too much, I just wanted the food people seem to be raving about enough for Guy Fieri to drop a visit and give exposure to.
3. We ordered the French Pot Roast, Brick Chicken and the Meat Loaf. The food came out warm, not piping hot as I assumed it should have since the walk from the kitchen to our "table" was 5 feet away. So I guess maybe the food was sitting for a few mins since it did take a while for the food to come out but nothing outrageous like an hour or something.
-French Pot Roast
http://www.yelp.com/us...
Came with sauteed vegetables, on a bed of Fettuccine. The pot roast itself didn't have any particular noteworthy taste or texture. It just tasted like plain pot roast. It boasts being cooked with red wine as a sauce reduction I believe but I didn't taste. I searched hard for it within the pieces of beef in front of me but to no avail, the flavor experience I seek was no where to be found. SO SAD.
-- The vegetables were, cooked but very oily and lacking any kind of seasonings. Salt and pepper to the rescue.
---The Fettuccine, Al dente, were flavorful and appetizing. The taste was very enjoyable.
The dishes my friends had were actually pretty good. The meatloaf was good, hint of rosemary, not too overpowering. The brick chicken had a nice flavor (except the parts that were a little bit too charred then usual) and strangely enough, slightly tart. It was good!
We decided to get desert at the end and tried some crème brûlée. Well that was a mistake. WORST I've ever had so far. The biggest fault was that fact that they added way too much sugar and it was pretty much too caramelized to the point of being too too burnt. The result was a thick layer of inedible caramel with a below mediocre, WARM custard filling.
Sounds bad eh? I know right? Did I forgot to mention our waitress was no where to be seen at the end of our early dinner. We all sat there looking at her grab her wallet, ciggs and some other crap and small talked and chit chatted with her fellow peers without a worry in the world, before walking out the door.
WAIT WAIT WAIT.
Where's the fucken check. (OH SHIT F-BOMBS DROPPIN')
YES, she left, without telling us, without giving us our check, without relieving her duties to another worker that just came in as I watched her greet him. I then try to flag down 3 workers that are pretty much 5 feet away from our table. I made eye contact with 3 of them and only one of them finally graced us with her attention TO ONLY give orders to another worker to give us the check. There was another worker there that was helping the people dining next to us that KEPT ignoring us. As long as she doesn't see us she doesn't have to help us right? RIGHT?
So we get the check, we're putting our money together and everything is all set. I sit and stare at the workers as to say "Come get it, we're done"
FOREVER IGNORED.
We sat there for 10mins as we waited to see who will come pick it up. All 4 of them were goofing around, standing around, doing nothing. Then the girl that was helping the people next to us finally comes and says.. wait for it... WAIT FOR IT..
"Do you have any questions?"
HJGSKJDGHDJSJD!!!!!!!!!!
My friend was like, wtf and shrugged off the exceptionally shitty attempt at being helpful and wrote a few choice words on the back of the receipt and we left. The sever that gave us the check was actually outside when we walked out and he was hollering at people across the street since obviously he was helping anyone in the past 5 minutes.
So we got back to the car and I couldn't hold it in. We drove back after being gone for 5 minutes to find parking at the local 7/11 and I walked back in to let them hear and acknowledge my dreadful experience dinning at, At Last Cafe. -
Review from Holly L.
Los Angeles, CA
1/25/2012
Before I discuss how mediocre my meal was, let's talk about how insane the parking situation is in this area. I could not find a spot for at least a full 30 min. It's in a ghetto residential neighborhood with permits, street parking, and limited amount of space. I had to park 6 streets away from At Last Cafe. These are not little NYC blocks. This was literally a 15 min walk.
So, let's just get right on it. I had such high expectations for this place but it couldn't have been more disappointing. The food was not worthy of all the hype it has garnered.
was the brick chicken phenomenal like everyone keeps going on and on about?? hell NO. Not even close to getting my panties wet for. This place uses the same formula for every dish. Meat under a bed of mash potatoes and hard vegetables.
halibut? tasted like canned tuna for $17. it was ridiculous. i absolutely hated this dish. It was probably one of the worst meals I have eaten in a long time.
meat loaf? edible.
I received the same poor service as others have recently complained about. -
Review from Greg N.
1/18/2012
Oh No! So tight!
People encroaching
Sittin' too close to me
Tables too packed for me
Can't help but eavesdropping
Guess I'll just have to make do
Oh No! Not right!
Five stars? Not quite!
Ordered brick chicken
Tasted to me ho-hum
Felt just a little dumb
Wanted it to be plate-lickin'
Drove an hour for this ballyhoo
Say it ain't so
Main dishes are heart breakers
Say it ain't so
Price tags are some bank takers!
Pork osso buco
For the price it was just so-so
Good carnitas it tasted, though
cheap taqueria would rather go
And I say
Inconsistent service had plagued the meal throughout the day
sometimes bad, sometimes cool.
Say it ain't so
Main dishes are heart breakers
Say it ain't so
Price tags are some bank takers!
Good mushroom, soup of cream
A five-STAR STARTer STARTed
Cooked veggies, a real dream
Good HEART food I real HEARTed
Potatoes, with skins on
SMASHED with cream, really SMASHED it
Loved all sides, ate 'til gone
Why can't the MEATS MEET the same fate?
No no no no
Say it ain't so
Main dishes are heart breakers
Say it ain't so
Price tags are some bank takers!Listed in: Singing a Different Tune, Food Network Sing-Along
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Review from Andy N.
I had no idea this was on DDD. I've been wanting to go here for such a long time. My buddy and I came here right after a tradeshow. It was pretty busy with no parking to be found. It took me about 30min to find parking. The restaurant itself is pretty small. The menu has assorted amounts of comfort food. The service is really friendly and they were asking questions when they saw me with a big camera.
We ordered three dishes for the night
Mac and Cheese - A thick mac and cheese with bread crumbs. This thing was delicious. It came in a big bowl with a big serving of it. I should've added bacon and it would've been the best thing ever. Full of ooey gooey cheeses you can't go wrong with this dish.
Brick Chicken - A very tasty chicken with a lightly burnt skin. It also comes with veggies, and mashed potatoes. The chicken very tender and juicy. This is definitely the most popular item here. The food comes out really quick. This entree was a very big amount of food.
Pot Roast - The meat was really dry. The noodles and sauce didn't go together well at all. This was the bunk item of the night. I was not impressed by this dish at all.
Recommendation: Brick Chicken and Mac and Cheese -
Review from Katie M.
Long Beach, CA
2/3/2012
Like the other reviews, my complaint isn't so much with the food but with the customer service. We have 6:30 reservations and get there a little early. We are sat right away which was great. However, no one came to our table for fifteen minutes. I was expecting that because of the other reviews but the table next to us, who got there about five minutes after we did, had their drinks, order taken, and appetizer that came out BEFORE anyone came to us.
Fine, so our waitress wasn't the best. The owner or manager took a special interest in the table next to ours for some reason. We got our food (Mac & Cheese, Burger, and Shrimp Gnocchi - all delicious) and we begin eating and everything is well again. Then, I find a small, black, curly hair in my shrimp. After I suppress the urge to upchuck I ask the waitress to come over and let her know. She was very sweet and said it was gross (which it was) and takes it away. The manager casually walks by the table, and then as if remembering a fly he forgot to swat, asks me - and I quote - if I wanted him to take it off the bill. Seriously? No, I would love to pay $8.75 for shrimp with what appeared to be a pubic hair in it. No free meal, desert, piece of bread. Nada.
The food is good here, but don't expect any appreciation for your business or hard earned money. Expect more that they are blessing you with the very presence of their food and may or may not come to your table whenever they like.
Needless to say, we will not be back. -
Review from Sonia M.
1/16/2012
Warning: If you want to eat here, make a reservation!
I only say this with love, because my party of three made a mistake of not making reservations on a Friday night, and ended up wating 60+ minutes (really) for a tiny table that was only supposed to seat two people. I don't blame the restaurant. I blame our ignorance! (Oh, and note that they close pretty early.)
Anyway, on to the food. I ordered the salmon (a special of the day), and while it was good, I wasn't blown away. I'm hard to please salmon-wise, though... My fiance had the brick chicken, which was really good but was, to me, a bit too saturated with the sauce. The sauce was all over the plate.
The other diner ordered the macaroni and cheese, and I got to taste a little. Oh man. If I didn't care about calorie content, I would have ordered this dish. It was so good, I literally just licked my lips right now. The ratio of noodles to cheese to butter was perfection.
For dessert we shared the apple crumble with vanilla ice cream. Halfway through I started regretting not having ordered an entire one to myself. It was so good- not overly sweetened, and not too rich in the way you feel uncomfortable afterword. This was simply a delicious dessert.
Other than the food, there is a nicely sized and priced wine list. The interior of the restaurant walks a fine line between proper and casual, with the service pushing it more to the casual side. The service was fine, don't get me wrong, but it was more matter-of-fact than polished.
Was it worth the wait? Yes. I guess that means it was pretty damn good, overall. Let's push it to 4.5 stars. -
Review from Will H.
La Verne, CA
1/19/2012
I took the advice on here and made reservations for 1/14/12 - glad I did. Found out about this place online, looks like it was also on Diners, Drive ins and Dives.
I took my girlfriend here for her birthday. Neighborhood is old and parking is horrible - so be patient.
I ordered the pot roast. She ordered the Mac n cheese. Food was pretty good, but it could have been hotter temperature wise. We also shared a bread pudding - also very good - extremely hot. Prices were decent.
Now, why the 1 star right? Why?
BECAUSE I GOT FOOD POISONING FROM HERE!!
About 4-5 hour after we ate, I got violently ill and had explosive diarrhea. I had an insatiable fever that would come and go, sometimes hitting 103 degrees. It has taken me nearly 5 days to recover from this illness. I've lost a few days of work - so that's lost money. Also now I have copays/medical bills from the doctor that will show up eventually. So eating at this restaurant literally cost me hundreds of dollars.
My girlfriend also got sick for about half a day. We both shared the same foods. But I had a different drink than she did. Whatever it was, it was from this place. I don't get sick that often, so this was quite a surprise. I wish I could give negative stars to counteract a few of the 5 stars.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
This place is definitely a DIVE. -
Review from Jessica T.
Long Beach, CA
1/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
My Dad insisted on trying the At Last cafe after seeing it on TV. Personally, I could have cared less about that tidbit. We came in on a Saturday before 12 and were seated immediately. The atmosphere was cute and homey from the beginning. As we were seated, a waitress came around handing out mini cupcakes for Halloween. I would describe the food as contemporary American. My Dad ordered meatloaf, a personal favorite, which he loved. I chose the flattened chicken, which was beyond satisfactory for the price. We finished the meal with a big slice of Pumpkin cheese cake.
Service was friendly and prompt. I found the restaurant's atmosphere quaint and pleasant. The food was really good, not incredible. But at that price I'd have no problem returning. -
Review from Drew P.
Hayward, CA
1/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
My Dad loves the show on the food network drive ins, dives, and bars. So on our recent trip to LA we had to stop here.
WARNING: It took us a solid 20-25 minutes to find a parking spot, and another 45 minutes to wait to get a table.
MAKE RESERVATIONS
Besides that this place is 100% worth it. The wine list is a steal! The food prices are a steal, and they are all PHENOMENAL!
We tried the Brick Chicken, Seafood Bisque, MAC n Cheese, and Salmon all were excellent choices, especially with out bottle of Pinot Noir.
To Finish we had a apple crumble with ice cream....mmmmmm
After our meal the chef/owner was walking around - really nice guy - said hi.
One of my best dining experience and the best dining experience for under $70 with a bottle of wine and 3 people! -
Review from Rho L.
1/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Much like the masses, I too saw At Last Cafe on DDD. Pulled it up on yelp and added it to my bookmarks. Opportunity struck when my honey had a gig in Long Beach and I told him I'd come down to have dinner with him.
It's street parking which can get busy, so try to time your visit against bfast, lunch or dinner. We arrived at about 5ish which worked out since it was still empty.
The menu is small, so is the restaurant itself, but you can tell it's teeming with life inside. The seating is a bit odd, with upholstered benches along the walls, but definitely not grounds for any real complaint.
We ordered the infamous brick chicken, rib eye, mac and cheese, friend later joined us and ordered the stuffed pork chop, and of course creme brulee. The pricing was reasonable, and the wait time, not too bad.
By the way, when the food came out, it was all plated beautifully.
There's a lot of hype associated with the brick chicken, so I think i set my expectations a little too high for it. I took the first bite and agreed this was some nicely done chicken, but I'd be hard-pressed to say it was divine. The mash, veggies and gravy were delish. Now, portion to price, the rib eye pretty right. They cooked it medium rare, and he seemed to enjoy it. Now the mac and cheese, absolutely grubbin'. It was creamy, sinful and the most inviting dish among the rest. Didn't get to try the pork chop but our friend killed the plate in what seemed to be just minutes.
Creme brulee, yes please. The sweet, crunchy top blanketed a rich custard underneath--the only way to end the meal.
The chef came out and greeted everyone table to table. Thought that was cool.
In the end, I still walked out a little hungry, but that's not to say I didn't enjoy my meal. I'll be back sometime in the near future. -
Review from Matt C.
1/20/2012 2 Check-ins Here
We had a disappointing experience...
Lots of positive revs for this place.... It was my second time here and the first time I was here for lunch I had a good time. We had a dinner res for I think 7:30 pm... We finally left the restaurant at 9:00 pm as they closed the doors behind us...
But in between that time was a bizarre sequence of events:
1. One of the waitresses walked out onto the sidewalk, picked up a stray cat, petted it, then later served us our food... Left me wondering if she washed her hands...
2. The seats are painfully, PAINFULLY uncomfortable. I was sitting on a wood bench type thing which was shared with several other tables, its about 12 inches wide and very uncomfortable. The bench makes a 90 degree turn for the backrest to more uncomfortable plywood. I didn't come out to eat to have a tree-house or college dorm sitting experience....
3. They brought the trash out (around maybe 8:30-8:45 pm) and walked it thru the restaurant while we were still finishing our meal... Literally bumping into my girlfriend with the overflowing trashbags... It was actually quite gross. Can you at least wait til the restaurant closes officially to do this?!?... I realize the help is eager to go home but that's not what I come out and pay for to experience...
Won't be coming here again. -
Review from Sandra H.
Long Beach, CA
1/13/2012
I was a fan, but now I'm not.
I honestly think that you should only eat there to have a good experience, b/c I did my first visit. But today's experience was by far the worst that I have ever experienced anywhere. I was really looking forward to the food, and this is probably my last order at at last cafe... You can argue that I had a poor experience from ordering to-go, but having things to-go does not excuse them from burnt food and poor customer service. I've had plenty of properly prepared to-go food from other restaurants before.
Things I ordered:
- 2 roast beef french dip- ALL the bread were BURNT... AND they forgot the dip!! Who the heck forgets to give the dip??
- fish and chips- I was walking home, and I started to smell something like dog pee, and I thought it was coming from fresh paint on the light poles. I found out that it was the fish and chips that I was holding. Maybe the fish was old? The fish wasn't not properly battered and the fries were soaked in oil.
- "Linguine with roasted eggplant, tomato, zucchini, garlic and basil" (I got it with bacon for an extra $2) - SOMEHOW there were chunks of sweet potato in there. It didn't even go well with the food which was already very sloppy and bland. My bacon was burnt too!! My food also had mushrooms and yellow bell peppers in it, but I don't know why it wasn't listed in the food descriptions if it listed other veggies in their menu. Why not just call it veggie linguine? It seemed like they just decided to throw in any vegetables they had (too many components - it's not a linguine salad...)
3. Mac and Cheese - good
Note to At Last Cafe: Please treat your customers equally and keep your food consistent. Don't let the chef's slack off no matter how busy it gets and pick up your phone. -
Review from Rose S.
Long Beach, CA
1/13/2012
We ordered take out both times that we tried this place - the gf went and picked it up, and said that it's hella awkward getting the stuff when the place is crowded, so be aware.
Four stars instead of five because the sides weren't consistent - the first time, there were tons of mashed potatoes, tons of side veggies. The second time they kinda skimped on both, and the veggies had no seasoning, no butter the second time around. The first time was a lunch order, and the second was dinner, so they might have been running out of stuff? Not sure...
The main courses, however, were RIDICULOUS. We sounded like a couple of cavemen, hunched over our Brick Chicken and Stuffed Porkchop, shoveling food in our faces like there was a vacuum cleaner waiting to suck all the deliciousness off our plates before we could finish. (in a manner of speaking, there was - each other. I was totally eyeing her chop, and she got her hand smacked a couple of times for reaching into my damn chicken.)
The second time she wised up and got her own chicken, while I was adventurous and tried the skirt steak. OMG she tried stealing that too - more caveman growling on my part. Our cats looked pretty sad - they didn't get any table scraps, even though they were doing their damnedest to look adorbs and hungry.
I just wish that the equally ridiculous potatoes and veggies had been piled into our boxes and properly seasoned the second time - I'm spoiled! -
Review from Diva K.
Cypress, CA
1/13/2012
Last night was our monthly birdy feast so we decided to go to At Last Cafe.
We ordered the fried calamari as an appetizer and it was delicious! Perfectly fried and the sauce was delicious.
Main Meals: Pot Roast, Mac & Cheese w/ bacon, and the Pork Chop. The three of us ate family style which was an excellent idea.
The Pot Roast was probably the most delicious thing I have ever had. The meat was so tender and juicy and the sauce was unbelievable. Mac & cheese was full of flavor and the bacon was a great added bonus :] The pork chop we could have done without. The server convinced us to get that instead of the brick chicken. It was good and I did enjoy the apple stuffing, however, I don't think I would want to order it again.
Dessert: Chocolate Bread Pudding & Creme Brulee. MMmmmmm
As you can tell, we went a little crazy but it was totally worth it - it was a pretty cheap meal! About $30 each and that included the bottle of wine we split!
The only thing that sucked about this place was the parking. But it's Long Beach, so get over it. -
Review from Karen T.
1/11/2012
A great little gem of a cafe in the LBC. I made the trek to visit a friend who suggested At Last for lunch. We stopped in around noon on NYE, and while there were plenty of patrons, it thankfully was not suffocatingly packed.
I suffered a case of the "I want everything on this menu" itis as I started to indecisively go back and forth for a good 15 minutes, eventually glazing over the print. It features a good variety without being too suspiciously extensive, and better yet, everything is so reasonably priced. Even more better yet, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and quantity of food.
My friend and I decided to share the polenta and mushrooms, a salad, and the mac and cheese (with added chicken). We were presented with hearty portions of everything, which I didn't expect. We barely made a minor dent on the bowl of mac and cheese after having started with the appetizer and salad. While everything was pretty solid, the polenta and mushrooms gleamed a little brighter amongst the other stars of the meal, and ended up being my favorite.
Good food, good prices, and good people @ At Last Cafe. Looking forward to further exploring the menu the next time I'm in the neighborhood. -
Review from jimmy a.
Long Beach, CA
1/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
Etta james, where you at????
The woman and I decided to take early dinner at this cozy spot. I ended up with the Yellowtail dinner....my my, it was lovely.
Although the protein was great, I was REALLY impressed with the vegetables and the flavor that really came through. The fish was complemented by the execution of the vegetables: Perfectly cooked and not overly seasoned.
Service was great - my cup was never empty and always refilled with the lemonade.
A+++++++....oh wait..this isn't ebay. lol 4/5 stars. Why am I missing one star? Location: they need to relocate to an area with better parking.
---oohh crap----
i just found out she passed today =X -
Review from Patrick N.
Irvine, CA
I had bookmarked this place after seeing it was on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. I was pretty hungry and couldn't decide between the brick chicken and the macaroni and cheese. I ended up getting the mac and cheese.
It is pretty good, and I can definitely see why lots of people love it. It's creamy, cheesy, with crunchy breadcrumbs on top. I found myself getting a little bored with it though.
Next time, I will go with the brick chicken.
This place has a cool atmosphere about it, and I like the way it looks inside. -
Review from Garrick F.
Long Beach, CA
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
I can't believe it has taken me my entire life living in long beach to try this place. I've made probably 5 attempts to eat here before, but this past weekend I FINALLY was able to delve into their delectable delicacies. damn. We got the:
- stuffed artichoke: dude. this sauce is the bidniss. im not even a big fan of artichoke but man the sauce mixed with the sea salt and thin slices of cheese shavings. ughhh so. damn. good.
- brick chicken: i wanna lick the brick that they cook this chicken with because it was awwwsumm
- mac n cheese: it was so ooey gooey and so cheese sleazy with a slight hint of truffle duffles and it left my tastebuds saying ummy yummy.
- pot roast: this one was pretty good also. -
Review from Allison G.
Long Beach, CA
Updated - 1/7/2012
The food is delicious. It's beyond delicious. But the service is poor. The bus staff was very nice and attentive but the waiter was distant and disinterested in helping.
If At Last Cafe only takes reservations, they should clearly state this on their website or a sign on their door.
If they will only treat the people with reservations nicely (and not give them a time slot to eat before their table is up for grabs) then they need to answer their phones. I tried calling 4 times and it didn't go to VM.
If you absolutely crave the food (which I don't blame you for-as I said, it's great), then you have to call ahead and hope it goes to VM and request a reservation the next day or later. I only know this after asking.
As I said in my last review, the low rating is for the low quality service. If the staff was attentive, nice, or even just understanding that their restaurant is busy, they would get 5 stars. If you can't accommodate a party, just nicely say so.
It's not worth it to me. But maybe I've just got one of those kinds of faces people just don't like serving and I'm the only one who will ever experience this problem. Meh.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/31/2011
My horrible rating goes to service and service alone.
My two roommates and I just moved in across the… Read more »
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Review from Alison H.
Stockton, CA
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
The brick chicken should be illegal, it's THAT good. I literally savored EVERY bite.
Their daily soup today was crab bisque and it too was delicious! My bf got the swordfish which was prepared in a lime ginger sauce and was prepared perfectly. We took a slice of the smores cheesecake home for later and I can't wait to crack into it.
We'll for sure be coming back here. Even if there's a long wait, it's worth it! -
Review from Iska B.
12/20/2011
This place is such a treat. I can definitely say it's been my favorite place to eat in Long Beach.
If I could sum up this place in a word I'd say it's like home. Home cooked delicious food that's so satisfying without being pretentious or uppity.
I've eaten quite a few dishes here and I've never been disappointed. Quite frankly, I don't think (as far as I've seen) that there is anything on the menu that was not up to par. One of my recent favorites was a smooth-as-silk butternut squash soup. Absolute heaven. It had the texture of velvet and tasted so rich. I want some right now just thinking about it! I've also tried the beet salad (which came with an impressive scoop of delicious goat cheese) and the special of the day which happened to be lamp chops (cooked so perfectly rare and absolutely divine). Other favorites from friends include the brick chicken (a must) and the mac and cheese. The portions are always hearty and the prices are extremely reasonable for the size and the quality. It's all just so warm and comforting! The wine list is also really good and there's nothing on there that's ridiculously expensive so drink away!
The only real negatives, as others have mentioned, are that it is a very small place and it's very popular so sans a reservation you might be shit out of luck. It would also be difficult to accommodate very large parties. Just make sure to make a reservation and you should be golden. Once we were going to late and couldn't make the reservation on time but the restaurant was nice enough to push it up about an hour (though we had to do this in person since they weren't answering their phone. That was annoying) and as the area has quite a few bars, this was an easy fix. Parking is also a concern I admit. You might have to look and you might have to walk a couple of blocks since there is no designated parking and the area is notorious for difficult parking. Get some exercise. It's good for you.
Overall it's pretty much one of the best restaurants in the LBC and if you're in the area, you have to try it out. -
Review from Nell S.
Long Beach, CA
1/31/2012
The food is GREAT, but the service sucks. Especially, if it's dinner for 1. The other day I was told I have to have reservation. Bright light they have one server who was nice enough to squeeze me in.
Now I just go ask for take out. However, the last time I did take out we out a cheeseburger that we requested to be meduim and brick chicken. Cheeseburger was rare....uh very rare and the chicken was raw on the inside. We took it back and the nice server apologized and gave me a $15 gift certificate for my trouble. But when I got home with our order. The cheeseburger was still red and my chicken had changed into a meatloaf. Surprise :-( -
Review from Car E.
Long Beach, CA
1/13/2012
According to Yelp 2 stars = Meh. I've experienced better. Which is exactly how I feel about this place.
The description:
They only have one red wine by the glass--a shriaz, boo. We decided on a $17 bottle of pino noir that probably would have been $7 at the store. Oh well, it's a restaurant.
We wanted the lobster bisque that was a special--they were out. We ordered shrimp gnocchi which was very tasty, creamy, and cozy.
For dinner I had the brick chicken, my husband ordered the New York steak over the flat iron steak because our server told us the New York came with onion rings and rosemary on top. We also ordered a half order of the mac and cheese.
My brick chicken was tender and flavorful and the fresh veggies were tasty. The smashed potatoes were decent.
My husbands steak was extremely bland and over cooked and did not have either onion rings or rosemary on it. When he asked about it, we were told that they probably ran out of the onion rings. Thanks for telling us.
Our mac and cheese never came.
They charged us full price $16 for the NY steak even though it was missing part of the items.
Overall, it was ok, but not great. Coincidentally, it kind of tasted like food you'd get at a wedding and this place is run by a catering company. -
Review from Jeff M.
Torrance, CA
1/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
Had the pleasure of having dinner with my wife and daughter my daughter lives
walking distance to this quaint little place. She has raved about this place I was impressed Mac an cheese was very good my daughter had the brisket that also was very good, my wife had just a burger and the patty was huge and cooked to her taste she could only eat half. I would definitely go back to try the pork chops and maybe the duck they both looked good next time I'm saving room for their cobbler I recommend AT LAST CAFE -
Review from Stacey R.
Costa Mesa, CA
12/4/2011
I saw this place on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and decided to check it out.
Having nothing to do with the restaurant itself, I still feel the need to mention:
1) It's not in a nice neighborhood. Not the end of the world, but this matters to some.
2) The parking situation was soul-sucking.
That said, the food and reasonable prices made up for all of that...
The boyfriend and I had:
- glass of pinot grigio
- caramelized pear salad
- stuffed pork chops
- French pot roast
- strawberry shortcake
For all that, the bill (including tax and tip) came to about $43. Not bad, not bad.
The pear salad was very good - not the best salad I've ever had, but definitely flavorful and yummy. I loved the strawberry shortcake - just right on the amount of sweetness. The only thing that was disappointing was the pot roast - though the flavors were good, it was kind of dry (both the meat and the amount of sauce).
The pot roast, however, was AMAZING. Wow, truly the star of our meal. I would brave the crappy parking again for that pot roast. -
Review from Saundra H.
El Cajon, CA
1/23/2012 3 photos
Delicious! Huge portions. The chef/owner comes out to ask you if everything is to your liking. Best cream brule a I have ever had! Highly recommend. Don't forget to make a reservation they are really busy all the time. This is how a restaurant should be.
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Review from Ed S.
Alhambra, CA
--HIGHLIGHTS--
*Pork Chop = Best I've ever had
*Roast Beef = Needs more gravy!!!
--THE ATMOSPHERE--
Crowded little place with very-hard-to-find parking around the neighborhood. I was never really sure who our waiter/waitress was. Maybe they were tag-teaming us.
--THE FOOD--
The pear salad was interesting, but I really just liked the pears. The rest of if would have been great... if I were a rabbit.
My girlfriend ordered the pork chop which was amazing. I wished I had ordered it. I ordered the roast beef and it was dry and lacked enough gravy to make up for it. They should serve it with a nice little gravy boat or something.
If I go again, I'll try the brick chicken. -
Review from Don N.
Torrance, CA
1/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
We got their signature dishes - French Pot roast, Yellow tail and Stuffed Pork Chop. All very good and for the price great. I will give them 5 stars for the price. The place is still small, but we got a good table and place by arriving before noon. After noon the line built quickly. A great place I will return to many times.
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Review from Amanda L.
Garden Grove, CA
1/20/2012
My best friend and I had been wanting to try out this place for the longest time ever since she had seen it in food network, and we finally did!! Yay!
1. Make reservations. This is crucial since the sitting area is limited, and this place is OFF DA HOOOK.
2. Be prepared to roam around the neighborhood for a parking space. We got lucky and found parking after looking for it for about 5-10 minutes. It was pretty far though... two to three blocks away on the opposite side of the street. Us gals were pretty scared to walk in the ghetto neighborhood but you should be fine if you are with your man..... :(
3. Good service. The waiter was okay...nothing amazing about his service but I was impressed that the chef himself came to our table to ask us how the food was. I felt like I was a valued customer! :)
4. Food was AMAZINGGGG. OMG.
We got Polenta and Portobello Mushroom for appetizer. My mouth is watering right now thinking about that dish....so good! You must get it! He makes the polenta out of scratch! If you're a mushroom fanatic like me, you must try this dish!!
For the main dish, I got the stuffed pork chop since so many people seemed to have enjoyed this dish. I'm so glad I did!! It was so filling and savory. The meat literally melted in my mouth as I ate it. (my mouth watering again!!!) The stuffing was also very nice. The sauce.... indescribable!
My friend got the mac and cheese with ham. We had both been wanting to get this, and of course I got a bite. It was freaking good. so gooooood. It was different from other mac and cheese's i've tried before. It was very creamy... I really want to know what type of cheese the chef uses to make this dish. So good!
For dessert, we got their bananas foster cheesecake. I think we weren't too impressed by it because 1) we were already so full 2) the appetizer and the main dishes were superb 3) it really wasn't that special...
5. Price. For the quality of the food, the money was well worth it.
FINAL VERDICT: YOU MUST TRY THIS PLACE BEFORE YOU DIE!!!! ... or at least before the place gets too popular that it will be hard for you to even get a reservation. I see that happening soon since the restaurant is so tiny. (When I was there, there was this person taking pictures of the food with some fancy camera. I believe he was there to write a review! So go before it's too late!!) -
Review from Christina C.
Belmont Shore, CA
1/24/2012
Super Yummy! tight seating areas but worth it....make reservations if you can.
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Review from Heather T.
Long Beach, CA
11/11/2011
I've been trying to get here forEVER, but for one reason or another, it has never panned out. Until last night!
Wow, it is SO worth the wait because this food is amazeballs. The mac and cheese is super creamy and rich (and can be ordered as an appetizer, which we did because we're pigs and wanted to eat everything on the menu), the meatloaf has a hint of sage and comes served on top of a pile of mashed potatoes. My pork chops were divine and they were sent over the top by being stuffed with apple stuffing. The chef here is a gd genius.
And here's the other thing: It's all really cheap. We thought this place was going to be on the spendy side, but it isn't at all.
Walk off your stuffed tummy by going to Fern's for some drinks after dinner and you've got yourself a lovely evening.
New favorite restaurant in Long Beach, holla! -
Review from Kim T.
Los Angeles, CA
10/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
A little hole in the wall with alot of heart. OK not so much a hole in the wall since it's completely packed all the time and you basically need a machete to hack through the crowd and get a seat but it's surprisingly good especially for the price.
The first time I came here I was literally forced after talking trash about Long Beach's dining options and my gf insisted this place would change my mind. Although it's not blow you out of the water awesome, it's a place I could go to on a regular basis. Affordable, fresh and yummy!
The mac n cheese is to die for here! Creamy, rich, flavorful and when you add ham into it the slight saltiness melds with the cheese to create a cacophony of delight in my tummy.
The brick chicken I thought was slightly bland but very succulent and moist.
I'm totally a fan of the meat loaf. Full of flavor and just totally awesome. I could eat that for days.
All in all everything is fresh simple and tastes like home. I would totally eat here every week if I lived in the area. -
Review from Angela T.
11/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Helpful hint: Come here at least 30 minutes before your reservation. Why, you ask? Because there is no parking!!
This is a great neighborhood restaurant, emphasis on neighborhood... and emphasis on packed! neighborhood. There's not a lot of people around, but you know they're there because of all the cars parked in all the parking spots.
Once you get over the frazzle of finding parking, you'll be greeted with a relaxing and small, cozy restaurant that has friendly service and a great array of menu items. We tried a variety of dishes and everything was fair to very, very good. The brick chicken was delicious - extremely moist on the inside, and just a warm, comforting dish. The veal ragu I had was cooked well.. although it was served at room temperature like it was sitting around too long. Tasty, but I would've preferred it served hot. The mac 'n cheese was great! I would definitely recommend that. My sister and I shared the caramelized pear salad (it was a special), and we were amazed at the flavors contained in a humble salad. Absolutely delicious. My 3-year old daughter also had her first taste of chicken pate here, so thank you, At Last Cafe, you've made her a fan!
This is a great place for a small group dinner or for a casual, cozy date. Enjoy! -
Review from T M.
Garden Grove, CA
11/14/2011
The bf and I saw "At Last Cafe" on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" and wanted to try out this place for ourselves. We fell in love with the food after the first bite. I chose the pot roast dish and he got the special for the night, veal pot roast. The meat was so tender and juicy... to die for.
The only thing that I wasn't so crazy about was the service... Rather than being greeted or helped by the employees, we had to flag them down for service. I noticed every table had water trails from the glasses.
But other than that, it's a cute little cozy cafe to enjoy some great american comfort food.
