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Categories: Sports Bars, Restaurants [Edit]
144 Pine Ave$3 Drafts, Well Drinks, Margaritas
$4 House Wine
$5 Martinis & Appetizers
Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
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I'm not a sports fan so the only way my boyfriend is going to get me to go to a sports bar is if they have tasty food for me to munch on. I love that Smooth's now has Bouchee's.
We went early enough on a Monday night that he got to watch his precious football game and I got to get half off appetizers. The Korean BBQ wings were the best. The buffalo wings were okay. They only have celery, no carrots. I know, it's kind of weird.
I liked how the place wasn't so loud that you had to yell. The service was fine so I can't complain.
I would have given Smooth's one more star if the cigarette smoke didn't come drifting in while I was happily stuffing my face with wings. I'm a sensitive girl and I don't like smoke.
Once again, we have an instance where there is a major change in a restaurant's format and it isn't a good change.
A restaurant that I'd never been to, Bouchees Bistro, has now taken over the kitchen function of what was Smooth's. They've kept a couple of the Smooth's staples on the menu - wings, spinach dip - but the rest is Bouchees menu.
Their menu has such potential with Ahi sliders and even vegetarian dishes, but their service is non-existant and their food timing is way off. I can't stand it when a restaurant place such lofty expectations as to offer really gourmet food but can't get it all out at the same time. I get it when you go to a restaurant that offers a chocolate souffle and you have to order it in advance. Here they just seem to feel like 'we are creating culinary masterpieces, so you're just going to have to wait'.
Once we were seated, we had to flag someone down just to get water. All of our dishes were as we'd ordered, but it took 28 minutes to get our order in and everyone's food came at totally different times. I would tell you how good the food tasted except for I won't be going back at all anytime soon.
As the one star says: Methinks not.
I think one of the greatest compliments I could give to Smooth's is that they serve high quality… Read more »
What happened to the Smooth's I used to know and love? It was the only place downtown I looked forward to visiting. I would love to ask owner John Morris if this is the end of the road.
Smooth's used be a place to get great drinks, premium beers (not a tap full of no name, tasteless copy micro-brews), decent food packaged with a comfortable sports atmosphere that promoted conversation and socializing. Now it becomes a raucous weekend nightclub full of thugs and undesirables. Along with marginal food and sub-par beverages, it's a miserable place to be on a Saturday.
Sad to see what has happened.
Downtown Long Beach has always disappointed me when it comes to bars and "clubs". Smooth's was not an exception to that rule.
A couple of my friends and I were hanging out in the area and one of them suggested we check this place out. It was about 11:30pm on a Saturday, so we figured there would be a ton of people here. Yeah, not so much. There were about 20 people total...15 were drunk and 10 were cougars.
Bar service was quick because we were the only people buying drinks. No good looking men whatsoever. The cutest person to hit on me was a sloppy drunk Samoan girl who tried to get me to dance with her. The DJ sucked...I think I could've done a better job and I have no experience.
The only plus is that parking is right around the corner. Perhaps they should forget about the nightclub aspect and just stick to being a sports bar.
I am probably at Smooth's at least 1 a week. I love the happy hour drink prices and the happy hour mini-burger trio (tip= get the sweet potato fries instead of the regular). And John and Tony alway make me feel welcomed.
I don't get it.
I really don't.
Why all the hatred towards Smooth's?
I have read all the bad reviews and have heard some of the locals tell me how much they dislike this place but if you ask me Smooth's is a great place to watch a sporting event.
Now I'm not going to tell you this place is perfect, because it is not, but I can think of many more pros then cons about Smooth's. Here is a list of my pros and cons.
PROS
The inside of this place is huge, if you have a big party they will have no problem accommodating you.
They have flat screen HD TVS everywhere the eye can see and also 4 or 5 huge projection screens.
They have Direct TVS NFL Sunday ticket so they televise every single NFL game here on Sunday's.
The food at Smooth's is better then most sports bars that I have been too.
Their happy hour is great. Their HH runs from 4pm to 7pm and consists of $3 draft beers, $4 house wine, and $5 martinis. The $5 appetizers they offer are the nachos, chicken strips, artichoke dip in a bread bowl, Thai chicken, BBQ pork or chicken quesadillas, and a little more that I can't remember at the moment.
Their chairs are super comfortable.
They have a big patio area that faces the inside of the restaurant so you can still see all the sports action.
CONS
Service can be a little slow, it took our waitress about ten minutes to bring us our drinks after we ordered them. The food also takes a really long time to be prepared and served to you.
If you do not come during happy hour the food and appetizers can be a bit pricey.
Happy hour is not available on Sundays anymore (that is a big booooo) even though their website still lists it as being available.
I think Smooth's is a great place to watch any sporting event, especially on Sunday's when the place is jammed packed full of football fans. All the trash talking that goes on in here on Sundays is hilarious.
If you're ever in the area and want to sit down, relax, and watch a game then Smooth's is defiantly your place. Just make sure you know that the service will be a little slow and if happy hour is over or not offered you may pay a little more then you would like too.
Cool hang out for some good alcohol and some cute guys lol.
I usually go here for club events, but gave had dinner here once. The downstairs dining area is rather cramped when it turns into a club. Here's a very important tip: when getting drinks be sure to check your receipt!!! I noticed that they add a gratuity/tip charge automatically to all drink orders! So make sure you don't give an additional tip... Cause they're already charging you for it!.... Sneaky sneaky!!!
The food was average, nothing worth remebering to be honest!
We went to Smooth's a few months ago and absolutely loved it. So I got a gift certificate. We went back for Halloween this year. Apparently they are changing to Bouchee's Bistro. Bad idea. Even though our receipt, the drink menu, and the name of the establishment was Smooth's, the uppity Bouchee's server would not accept the gift certificate. We decided to stay anyway. She said they are known for the burgers. The burger? All I could taste was the giant bun! We will probably NOT be going to Bouchee's/ Smooth's again any time soon.
On a positive note, the spinach artichoke dip was excellent!
Let me preface this review with saying that I live in Downtown Long Beach and I applaud John Morris (owner of Smooth's) for all that he's done and wants to do for Downtown Long Beach.
However, we had a horrible experience at Smooths on a recent Saturday night. Four of us came in at about 10 PM and the place was not crowded. We were sat at one of the many open tables on the patio. We ordered a round of alcoholic beverages, and a round of waters. The waitress informed us that we could only PURCHASE bottled water. So we said "never mind."
Then I went over the bar and ordered two ice waters that he Bar Tender happily gave me. Our rude waitress, instead of apologizing, came over to inform me that the bar tender should not have done that but he was "being nice because he was not busy."
She continued to be rude to us and kept saying "I don't have to serve water" and we asked for our bill.
She brought the bill with gratuity PRE ADDED for a party of 4 and overcharged us. At that point being at Smooths was ruining our night, and we didn't want to get in a scuffle over the bill so we just paid and left.
Smooth's Management, please do a bit of coaching with you staff about how to be friendly and accommodating to patrons. And please allow your wait staff to serve tap water to paying customers at you establishment. Last time I checked Long Beach tap water is not difficult nor expensive to provide.
I am not big fan of Smooth's for an evening bar hang out BUT their HAPPY HOUR is the best. Food from Bouchee's Bistro never disapoints, Korean Wings, Lamb Burgers and the Mac and Cheese is delicious...creamy with shells like my Mom made. The male bartender that is there on weekdays is super nice and one of the only people in Long Beach who knew who to make my drink, Old Fashioned. Half price appetizers and a well Old Fashioned....Try it!!!
We have stopped by Smooth's a few times... probably because it is within walking distance from my house. I'm pretty convinced that most of Pine Street is a pile of shit, but there are a couple of restaurants that hit the spot, food-wise. I wouldn't say that Smooth's is one of them... but they do have alright bartenders, with the exception of a couple of bad apples. So now we just go for a quick drink or 2. Or 10, who's counting ;)
One time, back in September or somewhere around there, we came to Smooth's and this company called Q-Mania was having a party. All we had to do was sign-up for a FREE website and we ended up getting all kinds of free food and gifts. Cant beat that. Thats probably gave them their 3rd star.
They do have an upstairs "lounge" area that opens up around 10:30 or so.. you can partake in the whole meat-market thing, if thats your thing!
So, bottom line, I wouldnt really go here expecting stellar food. But you probably could have guessed that based on the "Sports" portion of their name. Fun place to drink and watch the game though.
I went there last night for the free salsa class offered by the Long Beach Salsa Club. The class was very fun and the people were friendly and enthusiastic. We were doing our steps on the second level of Smooth's, which is an open patio with its own bar, dance floor and dining area. The downstairs area has a bar and dance floor as well, with several couches and such for seating.
The only bad thing I have to say about Smooths is the over price drinks! This place is huge and not to mention an upstairs that has a bar too. They play music and open up a dance floor at night. You get a mix crowd of people good and bad. The bathrooms are clean and love that there is a patio out front so you can see all the people that walk by. You can either dress up or down. Its great for birthday parties! If you go on their busy weekend nights..make sure to go before 11pm because they start to charge $5 bucks for a cover.
I like this place.
It has been a victim of the unfortunate placement of a Hooters two spots down, but Smooth's is a classy sports bar and grill that has a good food menu. It's like a sports bar for adults, which this area sorely needs. My favorite item on the menu is the New York Steak salad -- it's made pretty close to what they have over at the YardHouse, and it's always very good.
They have a great beer selection, and enough plasma televisions that you could shake a stick at.
Leave before 7pm!!!
The happy hour is the only reason I continue to come to Smooth's. You can't beat 3 dollar draft beers and 5 dollar appetizers. I do suggest you stay away from the ahi tuna appetizer; you only get 3 small pieces. I would say choose the nachos or wings, both are extremely delicious. Do sit in the lounge area in the center, not at the bar. The bar tenders are more concerned about hitting on one another than actually refilling my damn beer!!
This place is like Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, for happy hour you have your laid back beer drinking sports fans. But once 7pm rolls around and happy hour is over, that's when it alllllllllll changes. The overweight over the hill gentlemen come in with their tucked in button down shirts bursting at the seams. The younger scantily clad women come in with hopes of winning the lotto with an older gentlemen. Normally I don't mind this activity seeing how it has nothing to do with me, but at Smooth's it's different. It becomes border line disgusting. Im trying to drink my beer in peace and all I see is a bruised legged woman talking to a man 40 years older than her. I guess one mans trash is another mans treasure. Enjoy you fat bastards.
This is only a review for the Happy Hour here. Lately I have been on a happy hour kick, and trying to find the best one around. I usually am turned off by sports bars and Pine Ave. in general, but I was told by a friend that this is a good place for the HH hunt.
$5 Appetizers, and $3 Drafts(Newcastle). Win/Win.
As I was waiting I was contemplating what the "catch" was as far as the appetizers. I had just assumed that there was going to be major skimping on the portions, due to the location and all. I may has well have ordered some crow to eat, because I was grossly mistaken. The spinach artichoke dip was served in a cantaloupe-sized bread bowl, and the nachos were big enough.
I would have given it 4 stars, but they were playing the absolute worst music I have ever heard in a bar of that nature. It was like 90's megamix of just shitty girl-pop. Put on some classic rock or Motown please, just not that.
Went for dinner. Seated us quickly and waitress served our drinks quickly. Kitchen was slooowww. Took 35 minutes to get our food served.
No worries, I can transform from your avid sports fan to your average wanna-be club goer faster than you can say....."THIS PLACE SUCKS!"
For a place that claims to be an upscale sports grille/bar, this place is painfully ordinary. The place itself is easy on the eyes, though. Been here several times, not because we want to, but because it's a convenient spot for us to meet. I'm not a martini drinker, but some have said their martinis are decent. Their food is barely a step up from Denny's. They swear that by garnishing stuff with mint makes it top notch sh!t. WRONG! I've had better frozen phillysteaks from Costco than from here. As far as service goes, shooooot, I can grow a goatee in the amount of time it takes to get a brew.
After 7pm or so on the weekends, this place turns into what one would try to imagine is a club. Seriously, I can do a better job DJing the place with my iPod and headphones than some of the DJ's these a$$wipes have hired.
The only decent times, I've had here are the ones I can't remember. If you catch my drift. Trill.
So my boyfriend made the funniest comment while eating here the other day "Wow! I should compliment the owner on making me feel like I am back home in England"
This is NOT and I repeat NOT a compliment at all.
Food in England SUCKS and Smooth's was able to leave that same sour taste in our mouth.
Ordered the following:
Seared Ahi Tuna - tasted like day old peppercorn stake out of a box, never saw a grill, I can guarantee you that.
Pear, Gorgonzola & Walnut Salad w/ Mustard Vinaigrette - What an awful use of ingredients, the dressing reminded me of McDonald's mustard and the salad greens were wilty.
Kobe Beef Sliders - HA-HA wheres the beef? The patty's were nearly microscopic, my tomato slice was bigger than the patty, enough said!
On a brighter note the waitress Kristin was decent, however I wanted to complain after I paid and she was no where to be found...oh well probably a good thing for her.
If I haven't made this clear enough, I truly had the WORST meal I have had in a very long time here
The food was really good, but the service was horrible!!!!!! I didn't give the waitress a tip because she didn't deserve it. We waited a long time to be given a menu then waited longer to be offered drinks then longer to actually order.
I will definitely not go back despite the good food.
Nice and Smooth.
This place appeals to the true sports fan. They have 1 zillion flat screen TVs with sports going all of the time. They are the only joint around that plays rugby matches on the TV. Great stuff.
The wings aren't too bad. The pizza is pretty good. The ahi salad is really tasty. I'd say try it.
I went there for a Qmania party on the front patio. That was fun. There was a DJ and people getting crazy. They have a great front patio for parties like that.
Don't half step. Hit happy hour and grab some cheap appetizers.
I saw a picture of their pizza in the District Weekly that made me mentally bookmark this place even though I avoid pine from the pike on.
Went for a pizza and beer. Pizza has a thin costco style crust, sweet pasty tomato sauce and browned cheese. At 12 bucks for a smallish pie it was disappointing. A sad, uninspired place.
It gets kinda boring here but maybe due to the low spin tech of the DJ. i remember only like 10 people on the floor and they didnt carry and mountain dew for pure poison drinks! that totally hurt but it was ok i ordered some crown 7's instead. however, maybe its cause it wasnt a well drink it was a tad pricey. but for a sports bar place its quite acceptable and no cover.
Maybe when Long Beach finally starts getting to be a little bit bigger of a party scene this place might have some potential. We went here as part of a house warming get together for a friend, and wandered here as part of helping to explore the neighborhood. Generally older, beginning to tip the scales crowd... more of the just finished work at the office, got nothing to do, so we'll go hang out with other people with nothing to do... "Yeah we're 40, but damn it! We're gonna party like we're 25!"
Didn't stay here long enough to try the food. Maybe that would have ended up swaying our opinion of the place.
Coolest thing here? Probably the hanging formula one car on the ceiling as you walk in.
Maybe better to come here for lunch or happy hour...
Local hang out for Long Beach movers and shakers. I often see the mayor, members of the city council, ........ local business owners having lunch.
The food is okay but their hot wings are out of this world. The wings are fried to a perfect crisp with ample hot sauce poured over the wings. The sauce has a good kick filled with many different spices that I can't seem to identify.
Great place to go for happy hour and if you want to catch a game or two on the tube. Smooths has 20+ HD TVs that will be switched to your channel at your request. Although a sports bar, the decor is nicely done. Definitely classier than Yankee Doodles, Nationals ..... which deters the idiots from coming in. On Sundays during football season, they don't allow patrons to wear any clothes with Raiders logo nor individuals with their hats worn backwards.
Little caution. Smooths is located on Pine which is fine. A block north, south, west and east of Pine is little sketchy. And because the neighbored is little sketchy, there are a lot of cops in the area. So if you go there after 9ish, please be cautious and bring a designated driver.
Pros
- Bad dancers, made for great comedy!!!!
-Intimate tables with lounge seating
-Friendly bartenders who create designer drinks on request!
-Rooftop bar/lounge
- No cover
-Outdoor sidewalk tables
-Beefy security guys to squash any potential drama
Cons
-Drink prices suck--$12 martinis, $10 well drinks
-Small dance floor
-A horrible strobe light positioned on the DJ turntable. I felt like I was eye level with it & it killed me. Almost had to reach for the Hollywood lenses.
I live four blocks from Smooth's and have been there about 4-5 times in over 2.5 years. Last night, for the heck of it, I went down to Smooth's for happy hour at around 5:30 p.m. The bar was full, but they had a lot of tables that were open.
Okay, let me break down my review in three easy parts: drinks, decor, service.
Drinks: Happy hour seems to be pretty good here, they have a full menu of food and drink items available during the 3:30 - 6:30 p.m. HH timeframe. I'm thinking if they started at 4:30 - 7:30 p.m., people might stay longer? Who knows. Anyways, draft beers are $3 and I had a Pyramid Hefe, and a Fat Tire. Other draft beers included, Bud's American Ale, Samuel Adams Winter Ale, Heinkein, Stella Artois, and others. Not a bad selection for draft brews. I didn't have any food, but they had about 12-15 items on their HH menu.
Decor: Smooth's is billed as an upscale sports bar, but me thinks they have a bit of identity crisis on their hands. They have flatscreens all over the place and sports souvenirs hanging from the ceiling and photos on the walls, etc. Yet, they're piping in music to the place. Hmmm, why not pipe in the audio feed from on the marquee games that's on the tube. I mean, the Lakers were playing Minnesota when I was in there, couldn't they let the audio feed fillin the room? To me, the makings of a great sportsbar - upscale or not, is the bar ... that sets the stage for everything else (see Pete's Tavern in San Francisco). I kinda wish that they had a huge U-shaped bar to serve as the central point for the establishment, cuz at the moment it's just a restaurant that has a bunch of sports related stuff tacked up on the ceiling and walls.
Service: the bartender was attentive, but I was surprised they only had one barback on a Friday night, he was busting his hump getting orders our for the waitstaff, while still getting the folks at the bar served.
Conclusion: I know that John Morris is no idiot, and is looked upon as a pioneer for Pine Avenue, but Im still not sure about Smooth's. I'm not sure how Smooth's biz compares to Mum's, but I'm going to guess that it's down, and not just because the economy is in the tank. When I left the joint, I noticed that L'Opera was humming - lot of diners, and a stream of cars at the valet stop.
I came here last night- since I remember there was a decent place called Mum's. Decided to try it since supposedly management and cooks are the same. Dissapointing is the word, but I know they are going in a different direction.
I guess 10 years ago- Mum's was new - classy and trying to be yuppie oriented- so you had business goers, convention attendees, and a more professional crowd.
Smooths- well they cater to the local crowd which is not that fancy. You have guido types rolling in- older folk that obviously are looking for the cheers atmosphere. The food is now - sports bar food- which is average at best.
The service is not bad- except when I asked for some ranch- it never came. The check took forever- and valet parking is now $10???? Even DTLA is only $7!!! This is LONG BEACH- you know sort of GHETTO LAND????
Sorry to say - but most likely never will go back. The sports bar is not that nice to drive into LB for. Typical place you can find in MDR or South Bay.
Cougars and silver foxes abound.
Last time I was here, I was offered a private lesson in eating box.
Judging by the crows feet, I'm pretty sure it may have been a leather handbag instead. Unless there's cock in that box, no thanks, not interested.
*Revision*
I realize this review isn't very informative and I really don't want Yelp HQ to pull this, so here are three caveats:
1. No drinks from the upstairs bar.
I'd rather collect my ball sweat in a cup and guzzle that down before I order another drink from that bar. Then, I may actually get a buzz.
2. Nothing more complicated than a hamburger.
You may thusly avoid a 45 minute wait for a steak so rare it still has cowhide on it. Plus the french fries that come with your overprised burger are so good, it'll make you wanna slap someone's momma.
3. No requests with multisyllabic words.
Have you seen the waitresses? Hotties, right? The more doable the waitress is, the shorter your words should be. I was this close to pantomiming my order because our darling and incredibly hot waitress had the IQ of a soap dish...and the comprehension of a derilect octogenerian.
Enjoy your Kool Aid martini and that order of hot steaming botulism.
I came here at the suggestion of my homie, E for lunch. I gotta say I love the set up and the bar is well stocked!!
I ordered a Santa Fe salad and a Hef beer which was so strong it spilled itself and didn't need my usual help in spilling food and drink everywhere.
The food came out very quickly and was fresh.
I def will come back here for dinner/happy hour/crunk time!!
Why have so many of my Friday and Saturday nights been spent on the rooftop patio of Smooth's? Maybe because my BFF's cousin had the "in's" on Friday nights. Maybe because they had an awesome Halloween bash. Maybe because a high school classmate deejays there. Maybe because they never have a line on Saturday nights. Maybe because the other choice is usually V-tweezy (blech).
Yes, I have been charged $15 cover (are you kidding me?) after 10:30pm. Yes, they are, like, the only bar to automatically charge gratuity. Yes, the ladies' restroom always has a line. No, I've never seen an attractive boy there (except my bf).
Truth of the matter is, I always have a great time when I come here. I'm pretty sure its because of the people I'm with/the occasion we're celebrating. The staff and patrons are not pretentious and they play good music (hip hop/pop).
Friday nights (Asian nights and they have go-go dancers), the downstairs and patio are packed but the wait for drinks is not long. Saturday nights (mixed crowd) is way more mellow on the roof top but the deejay is still spinning downstairs.
Looking for bar/club/lounge that is low-maintenance but not a dive? Smooth's may just be the answer. I recommend arriving early (10ish) to avoid paying cover and remember, you will have to park in a structure or a lot so have cash.
Pine Street Crawl and Puke (cont'd)
After leaving Sevilla, I was quite satisfied that I've maintained a posture detached from drunken stupor. Don't get me wrong--I'm all for pushing the limits of my tolerance, but rarely do I stray across the line drawn in the sand and slap sobriety in the face.
I'm not one to yak on myself with all the expensive alcohol I just drank. I'm not one to pass out and skip the remnants of the night. I'm not one to black out and be unable to recount the details of a glorious evening. Until I got to Smooth's.
Seriously.
It was like a dream.
We floated through the front and passed the bouncer without having to check ID or pay cover. This cloud I was on whisked me straight to the uncrowded bar. A shot of wild turkey and a flute of champagne. Make it a pair. Before my liver had a chance to play Jiminy Cricket, I clinked shot glasses with my drinking buddy and down it went.
Luckily, Smooth's has a covered outdoor patio out front so I fired up a Kamel Red as I continued my bewilderment of why I was chasing Wild Turkey with champagne (a team of researchers and top secret scientists have concluded that champagne is not a good chaser let alone to add to your mix of alcohol already ingested...at least that's what grandma says).
I chatted with my buddy for a bit. For all I know, we could've been talking like babies to each other since I don't remember anything cohesive.
"A googoo gahgah weebly boobly?"
"Woogie smoogie heehee Mel Gibson."
After a profound conversation, we took our flutes of champagne upstairs to the club and bumping music. With a refreshing coastal sky over our heads and people dancing the night away, there stood two dudes with flutes of champagne. Do you know how hard it is to emanate machismo while holding a skinny glass of bubbly? It's like getting barked at by Hulk Hogan and then watching him take a sip of his soda pop through a straw. Who looks tough drinking out of a straw?
But I digress. People were around me. I made friends with them. I chatted with them. Then a flash of bright light caught my attention and I was suddenly teleported to the downstairs bar. Whoa. We were surrounded by girls. We took shots of Jagerbombs. I pushed the fat one towards my drinking buddy. Sorry.
It was at this point, blackouts ensued. I don't remember how much more we drank or where else we went. Somehow, I was now passed out in my car. Then, a friendly face was helping me into her car. Then I stood in an underground parking lot puking my guts out as I tightly clinged to my drinking buddy's shoulder. Then, it was 730 in the morning and I was wearing someone else's shirt.
Hungover, I wake up on a futon and call my other nearby friend. She humorously agrees to drive me back to the scene of the crime. Thanks, buddy. Before leaving, I check on my drinking partner passed out on his bed.
"Dude, we were so ripped last night."
"I can't believe [censored]..."
"You even threw up in your car."
"WHAT?! I FUCKING YAKKED IN MY CAR? UGH."
"Uh...no...no you didn't. I was just kidding."
"Ok. Phew. I'm gonna go get my car. Laters."
Fast forward. We arrive to my car. It's still there! No one broke in. No ticket on the windshield. And I didn't lose my car keys! Victorious! Just before the doves were about to fly over me and rainbows decorate the sky, I opened my car door and notice a red splatter and pools of yak between the door and seat. I don't know why, but I come in closer for a whiff. It smelled of piping hot garbage that was salivated on by aliens. And it was still warm.
I brushed the lava off the doorsill and it plopped on the concrete at Pine Street. I have officially left my mark. At this point, this is where a sensible person would say "I am never drinking again." And yes I did say that the morning after, but my fingers were crossed. Until next time.
I have been to this place dozens of times and the food is OK. Nothing spectacular. The menu is fairly extensive and does include salads for the healthy. They seem to raise prices for special events which seems to be Silas Marnerish in my book, but the owner apparently has bills to pay too.
Typical sports bar.....If you have seen one, you've seen them all.
Venue manager has no communication with club promoters who rent out the place at night.
Day and night is like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde here.
I would enjoy their garlic fries and a beer during the day
but when the sun goes down, we should burn the whole place burn down as well.
Poor management = 1 star
Lots of televisions so I'm sure it's THE place to be on Game Day in Long Beach. Miss L. invited me to come for the Obama/McCain debate- it was a packed house but there was always a television within view and the servers managed the crowd well.
Great Happy Hour specials, but that $3 margarita will run you $7 after that.
Spinach and Artichoke dip in a sourdough bread bowl- Yummy
Pizza just OK- sauce was kind of sweet.
Wings not spicy enough for my taste.
All in all an A-OK place and I'm not opposed to returning.
One star because I can't give zero. My boss and I were working through lunch. I had brought a little Trader Joe's noodle thingie and was content on eating that. He didn't want to eat alone so he encouraged me to get lunch with him. He was going to Smooth's across the street. So far in my 8 months of working across the street I had only eaten there once, on the patio, and had a "safe" salad.
I popped onto their website and saw Chicken Quesadilla, $9.50. It sounded good enough.
There is a word that kind of rhymes with Quesadilla and it starts with a D and they make all sorts of products to combat this word (one being Pepto Bismol, which advertises with a funny song and dance about this word). This word hit me about 2 hours after I ate that quesadilla and it was SO BAD that I had to leave work and almost didn't make it home. I only live 10 minutes away. I drove down Broadway going about 80 mph.
I turned blotchy red and felt flush too. Embarrassingly, I had to tell my boss I had to go home, suddenly and REALLY FAST. I almost couldn't get my car keys out fast enough.
I will never eat at Smooth's again, thank you very much.
My boyfriends mom worked here as an accountant of some sort last summer. She invited us up for lunch with her boss and a few other employees. Since we received great service and all the food we wanted, I'm only rating them on the ambiance and taste of the food.
I ordered a chinese chicken salad and my boyfriend had some sort of burger. All of us at the table shared cones of parmesan fries too. The salad was very very good and the fries were delicious! I didn't try my boyfriends burger, but he liked it.
The restaurant was also very nice inside. I don't go to bars yet, but the dining area was comfortable with nice lighting. I probably wouldn't go back here on my own only because it's a bar kind of place, but the food is definitely worth a try.
Great Martini's!! Even better for the price. Didn't get a chance to taste the appetizers but they looked delicious and happy hour prices were nice. You get the feeling of sophistication with a fun sports theme and the waitresses were welcoming. Don't let the surrounding construction discourage you from goin' in.
Schizophrenia. -noun. a state characterized by the coexistence of contradictory or incompatible elements.
So there I sat in an establishment that didn't know what it wanted to be. Swanky lounge? Not quite. Raucous sports bar with loud, obnoxious fans? Not really.
Smooth's, I suppose is a hybrid of the two genres. You'll go in and feel at ease with its fly dcor and dim lighting. The booths are dark leather and feel as comfortable as they look. Dark wood tables, which would do well in the lounge at the old Gaylord on Wilshire, are prominent. The only things missing are a white baby grande and it's tux-adorned piano man.
What's impressive is the gallery of flat-panel HDTVs. You can catch your game at any angle and any seat. The owner will also turn up the volume of the game of the majority's choice. The bathrooms are clean and well kept. I also peaked at a private dinner lounge near the back that looked perfect for a private party.
Typical bar fare, plus a few "fusion" appetizers. As UCLA choked on the great stage, Ms. K and I munched on mediocre buffalo wings and awesome seasoned fries. The best part of the fries is watching the cook shake and pop them after they've danced in hot oil. It's a sight to behold, really.
The service is adequate. Well actually it's the bus boys that truly up the service a notch. I asked one gentleman for hot sauce and a few other items and they were brought to me right away. If it wasn't for him, this join would get 1 star. All in all, this place fits perfectly in Pine Avenue's sexy big city theme. Its lavish enough to bring your lady and modest enough to attract any sports fan.
The LOWDOWN
Minus 1 star for mediocre buffalo wings. Come on, you're a sports bar.
Minus half a star for UCLA losing. (Consider this when you go --- its not Smooth's' fault)
Minus half a star for not getting their orders right. Ms. K was asked four times if the long island ice teas were hers.
Plus 1 star for successfully being "swanky lounge" and "raucous sports bar."
Plus 1 star for the awesome support staff. I personally gave the bus boy his own tip.
Plus 1 star for being so close to me in the LBC. Stronje.
happy hour!
Long Beach, CA
Kids Eat Free
Los Alamitos, CA
Long Beach, CA
Category: Dive Bars
Long Beach, CA
Category: Sports Bars
Long Beach, CA
Category: Irish
Long Beach, CA
Category: Pubs
Long Beach, CA
Category: Dive Bars
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