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Categories: Steakhouses, Seafood, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
880 S Harbor Scenic DrMon-Thu. 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 4:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sun. 4:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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I made my maiden voyage over to the REEF for a Blade Magazine party and was really blown away by the the ambiance and service. The view is incredible and if you have the chance, head up to the roof patio to take it all in. I sat there and fantasized about having my wedding the entire time I was there, it was that pretty. Definitely a great venue, good food service.
Cant wait to try the brunch! Definitely seems better than what I had at the queen Mary (that cost SO much money per person there)
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Wife and I made a trip out here for an event put on by our local weekly, The District, and as much as we like to support local journalism, we're hoping they never choose this place again for any event they hold. There were so many things wrong here, I've decided to list them in bullet points to avoid being verbose.
* Holy crap this place is out of the way and hard to find.
* The exterior of this place makes you think you're going high-class, but the minute you walk in the door, the decor gets radically outdated.
* Absolutely no greeting at the door. Where's the hostess?
* 10 feet in the door, "whoa, what's that smell? Smells like sewage"
* Stepped into the restroom and the overwhelming smell persisted. The urinals are so close together, you better be good buddies with the guy next to you.
* The bar area is spacious but the sewage smell was stronger here than up front.
* Nice patio with an absolutely awesome view of the city. They had some Polynesian band and dancers performing that was fun, the only reason I'm giving this place any stars at all.
* After socializing for a bit, we sat down on the patio for a meal. The waitress comes by, brings one menu for the both of us, asks for our drink order and then disappears for a very long time.
* The menu is sparse and not a lot of it looks very inspiring. Well, the prices were definitely inspiring me to wish I hadn't sat down.
* Another waitress comes to take our drink order, but we tell her someone is already helping us, or so we thought.
* Original waitress comes back and asks if we're ready to order. We ask for another minute, but we still don't have anything to drink.
* Both waitresses walk by at least 2 more times and neither one stops at our table. We decide to leave and only after we're getting up from our table do they ask if we want anything.
* Walking back in through the bar, "Damn, that sewage scent is awful. Doesn't anyone else smell that? I don't think I'm hungry anymore."
This place blows and you couldn't pay me to eat in a place that smells this badly of shit. For the money, you're better off going someplace downtown like George's Greek.
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I've been here several times for food and weddings. The food is still the same from 4 years ago up until now. It does not taste good at all. In fact, the quality worsened.
Reviewing from the recent wedding:
- The way they set up the buffet was really unorganized.
- The vegetables were really soggy and wet
- Salad was overly drenched with dressing
- Their chicken was really dry....just like last time.
Overall food experience was so horrible, our table went out across the street to get some better tasting food.
Be warned: If you decide to do your wedding here, make sure you taste their food 2-3 times and never to order chicken. Also, don't order a carving station because they will only give your guests a tiny piece of meat. They also clean up so fast. After everyone's been served, they'll clean it up after 15 minutes and not allow anyone else eat anymore.
People thought this was:
We (my girlfriends and family) love The Reef! We have come in for the Sunset Special, Brunch and Dinner and no matter when you come to dine, it's consistently a great experience. I have never left The Reef unhappy! The Sunset Special (4 to 6 PM), in my opinion is one of the best deals in Long Beach, hands down. For $14.99, you get a full meal with soup or salad, an entree and cheesecake with raspberry puree! I always get the Prime Rib, it's soooo good if you are a meat eatter!! I highly recommend The Reef, you will not leave disappointed and the views are to die for! It's a good experience all around, food, service and atmosphere. 5 *****'s!!
Horrible! They mention the specials but are instructed not to tell the prices. When you get the final bill the price is 100% more then the highest item on the menu ($40).
The food quality has really gone downhill. The food tastes like it was prepared a day or two before and just warmed up. If you go for brunch, be sure to ask NOT to be seated upstairs. There is this server/actor wannabe who forces you to applaud when he arrives in the room or he will not pour your champagne (which you paid for). He is loud, obnoxious, and annoying and really ruins your dining experience. The buffet is overpriced for the selection and quality of food that is presented. The Reef really needs an overhaul, starting with the executive chef and ending with the upstairs server. He really ruins your meal (even if you are not sitting in his section you can still hear his fat ass running up the stairs). VERY disappointing.
Also, there is a very damp, musty, moldy smell in this place that really is unappetizing. They have dirty fans all over to circulate the air, but it's really quite gross. It's a shame since this place used to be so nice.
3.5 Stars for the Food .5 star extra for the view on the patio
The Sunday Brunch selection here is great. as was the service and overall experience. I've heard that the Auggie experience is something to try, we'll have to come back for that.
Price: 29.99 includes Champagne with Brunch 24.99 if you make your reservation for 10 am
Parking: Complimentary Valet
Seating: Outdoors, Upstairs and Water Level. Private Banquet Space available.
FOOD REVIEW:
SHORT VERSION: TRY THE:
Pasta Station, Egg Station, Fresh Tortilla Station, Cappuccino bar, and Chocolate Fountain before anyone else.
LONG VERSION
Met a few girlfriends here and we actually all got here a little after our reservation time, but we were still seated on a nice part of the patio.
TIP - Route all possible directions to this place, you are going to need it. I was BORN & RAISED IN LONG BEACH (sorry, had to shout it out), and I freakin got lost coming here. yeah, it was 11:02 when I pulled up to the complimentary valet, but still - pretty crazy place to find. Thanks Yelp and Google Maps for iPhone!
But once we got here the view was amazing! (check out the pictures :) )
Back to the food. For stations they had:
EGG STATION:
Easily 20 different items to add. Not only do they do over omelets they also offer:
Fried/Overeasy/Overhard
Poached
Scrambled Eggs
and My Fave - SOUFFLE STYLE EGGS! I had mushroom, spinach, jack in a souffle. sooo tasty.
PASTA STATION
They have a good selection of proteins, and veggies for a quick pasta saute and the sauces are pre-prepared from the kitchen Alfredo Cream, Marinara, Pesto.
They have parboiled fettuccine, and penne pasta.
I made a combo of Grilled Chicken, Bay Shrimp, Mushrooms, 3 Bell Pepper, Onion, Garlic, Red Chili Pepper and Cream Sauce Fettucine. with a little more red chili and garlic at the end. Delicious.
The guy next to me had Penne, Bay Shrimp, Pesto, Mushroom, and Fresh Grated Parmesan. We each said good bye with a forkful of each other's pasta and thanked each other for the "sample" (LOL I told him I was sad (insert pouty face here) that I couldn't sample the pesto too since I had so many other stations to visit for my review.
CARVING STATION:
Turkey, Chicken, Roast Beef, Ham
WAFFLE BAR
Pre-Made Waffles, with Strawberry, Whipped Cream and Syrup to top with.
These two stations were side by side and a little confusing and disappointing. They had the horseradish and whipped cream side by side on the waffle bar table. WTH? Also the waffles were all premade. So no magic :( That's my have sound to hear, the DING of the cast iron electric waffle maker. Reminds me of the make your own waffle station at Cal Poly cafeteria...
Apparently the person who is supposed to man this station, does the carving station too. ummm where were they? I dunno. But the "manager?"/guy in suit stood there finishing counting money from the bar till before asking somebody else to help us at the carving station. The lady next to me was about to pick up the knife and start carving away. It was really funny. :) She turned and said, Honey, what would you like for me to carve you?
MEXICAN STATION
FRESH Handmade tortillas. YUM and if you bring cheese, they'll make you a mini fresh quesadilla. Just wink giggle and tip at the chef. I saw the guy next to me do it and it worked for both of us when we asked.
They have Menudo, Enchiladas, Chile Colorado, Beans, Rice.
HOT FOODS:
Bacon - Crispy and Medium (MMMMM Crispy....)
Rosemary Red Potatoes
Sausage
BBQ Short ribs - disappointing!!!!! Like, HOW DARE YOU! But then again, I just had KBBQ at the Elite Mo Dae Po Event 4 days prior ... am I being too mean?
Salmon (perfectly cooked)
and this heavenly thing called:
HONEYSUCKLE CHICKEN - MMMMM reminds me of a home attempted version of Mrs. Knott's - yes, that good!!!
SEAFOOD AND COLD ENTREES
FRESH "Sushi" made in small batches by a person behind the sushi display. Didn't try any but my friends liked it.
Cold Salads
Veggie and Crab Salads
Snow Crab Legs
Mussels
Shrimp
Lox
Whole Salmon
Caviar Assortment
My only criticism was that there were so many people coming through this area, and they didn't restock as often as they should've, but maybe because it was 1230? Brunch ends at 2...
DESSERTS
Juice Bar - Cran, Apple, Orange
Cappucino Bar - Delicious!
Assortment of Cakes and Cheesecakes
Fresh Fruit
Chocolate Fountain - MESSY!! So much so that they ended up putting the chocolate in a Tray over a sterno instead... Not as fun :(
Overall decent food, great view, and very well priced. Will definitely come back again...but maybe earlier next time. But the company is what makes it! :)
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The hubs, cousins, in-laws and I went to the Reef's lauded brunch buffet for a birthday celebration. Bargain hunter that he is, the Hubs noticed that if we hit the brunch before 10am, it was $5 cheaper per person. In our party of 13, that made a big difference, so we woke early and headed out to the harbor.
The grounds are gorgeous--wide-eyed windows facing the water, views of my beloved Long Beach skyline, and the Queen herself. I was pleased with the facilities. Very wedding-worthy. The first thing I could see the moment I walked in the door was a three-tiered chocolate fountain and a whole-lotta fondue sticks. This is going to be awesome, I assured myself. Oh, I was right.
Comparing buffet food to entrees is just silly, like comparing tamales to peel-n-eat shrimp (both of which are available for your pleasure at the Reef). There's no way to duplicate the loving attention paid to a single plate of food when you're preparing to serve three-hundred folks, so keep this in mind while I gush about my favorite items.
The selection is so varied--the way Vegas buffets are--with choices from across the food genres, and like so many fine Vegas buffets (and unlike the lesser Long Beach counterparts like El Torito or Acapulco) there is someone manning each station, creating something hot and fresh and made to order. The combination of hot favorites like BBQ ribs and enchiladas simmering away in chaffers and a real live human cooking up fresh tortillas from masa and flipping omelets to your exacting specifications brings this buffet up a notch. Someone else is rolling sushi, another cook is behind an array of pastas with any number of ingredients to cook up for you.
They also featured crab legs (lemme at 'em!), muscles, shrimp, caviar (decent caviar!) and smoked salmon. Hot waffles (yes, I stuck one under the chocolate fountain and I suggest you do the same), korean short ribs, fried chicken, chile rellenos (have three-they're awesome), ham, sausage, bacon, eggs benedict (not hot enough--hmm), and about ten different salads.
The carbo-loading section boasted muffins, croissants, bagels, and assorted filled pastries. Yes, please.
Les enfantes will NOT be disappointed. The so-called kids' station was full of wonder and joy: hash browns, mac and cheese, mini corn dogs, every kind of cereal, chocolate milk (!), fruit-by-the-foot, ice cream sundae cups, push pops, paletas (coconut!)--oh man, the twenty-somethings in my party spent more time there than the kiddies!
The desert station was well stocked with more than a dozen cakes to choose from, but I was too busy experimenting with the chocolate fountain to bother.
The service was very nice: the champagne was flowing--every time I turned around my glass was full. And it wasn't Andre's or Cook's.
There is something for everyone--our vegetarian Aunt and my meat-loving brother-in-law found the place equally satisfying. Great spread, gorgeous views, early bird discount? I'll be back next year!
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Long Beach Harbor view + free Salsa/Latin dancing + spacious ballroom = very happy aching feet! =D
Courtesy of http://longbeachsalsac... enjoyed FREE cover, lessons & a special trio performance this past Tues.eve. For an out-of-the-ordinary weekday, didn't expect much until upon arrival, lo' & behold, 100+ ppl showed up to take advantage of the stunning view while dancing our recession blues away.
Perfect summer who-knew-local spot tucked away near the LB bridge? As one reviewer already pointed out: prepare for many U-turns, even w/my GPS, almost couldn't find it.
May come back for brunch as suggested but definitely should again for Salsa! Full bar, cash/credit, kinda pricey drinks: one martini set me back $11 & beer $5! Guess someone's gotta help this joint pay the ludicrous rent. Decor is classic, though not my style nor quite updated. But for the view & good time, all's fair.
Checked it out w/2other gfs, rotating through cordial, helpful, eager but non-aggressive dancing partners. So luckily no cheesy date experience to ruin our moment. =)
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Okay... I consider myself a pretty easy going guy who is mostly and usually optimistic about the stuff that happens in my life.
Not tonight. Not at The Reef.
I had made a reservation at this place on Wednesday night for a Friday night dinner to celebrate our four-year wedding anniversary. The reservation was at 7pm. My wife and I showed up on time in our "smart casual" attire. There were people in shirts, shorts, and flip flops, so we weren't worried about meeting the dress code standards.
We walk up to this maitre d' whose name I won't reveal on here. Already in the waiting area, there's a hefty amount of people waiting for their seats.
"Hi. How many?"
"We have a reservation. 7pm?"
"Name?"
"June"
"oh okay. You know what - the chefs are running a bit behind this evening so it might be a little bit of a wait"
(chefs are running behind? what the hell does that mean?)
"Oh okay. Could you tell us about how long it would be?"
"About 10 to 15 minutes."
"Ok, sure."
"Ok. I'll come and get you when your table is ready."
So we go to the waiting area and sit down.
40 minutes go by. My wife and I notice that the people who were in the waiting area have all been seated, and the ones who came in after us are also seated. We're the only two people left in the entire room.
(with a bit of angry, WTH tone) "Uh, excuse me. About how much longer will this be?"
"Oh. Your name?
(pause)
"June"
"June... oh, right. Well, let me go see how the chefs are doing." (runs off)
Another 5 minutes go by. We're now ready to leave the restaurant in angry temper when the maitre d' rushes towards us. I turn to face him, but he brushes past me to his podium with one finger held to my face as he walks by.
Oh hell no, he didn't.
At that point, I grab my wife and we walk to his arrogant little a$$hole self and tell him to cancel our seat. I've just come to Yelp after writing a rip-you-a-new-one angry letter to the manager of The Reef about this incident.
I hear it's a nice place during the weekday... or if you happen to know someone inside, or you are a regular.
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came here for an end of year banquet.. 42 dollars per person, three course meal.. you are only paying for the view which you could get for free in the parking lot..
BECAUSE THE FOOD SUCKS, it could be that it was a three course fixed meal, but still, it seems like a classy restaurant and i had higher expectations.
.. the salad was .. very dinky with arugula and ONE TOMATO.. the bread was disgusting.. .it had powder cheese on it that made it taste... undercooked i dont even know how to describe it .. the chicken on mashed potatoes was not bad.. and then DESSERT.. was a cheesecake that was not good at all... it had a very fake taste
i loved the atmosphere, and our banquet room even connected to an upstairs patio to take pictures, and the room had a wall that was just a window towards the ocean
did not see the allure of this place at all. the view was nice but the remainder of the space was rundown, dark and a little dank. service was shoddy and the food sub-par. i liked the eggs benedict and waffles. that's it.
got a feeling we were in for a (not so special) treat while being seated. rather than make sure our table was ready and available before walking us in, the inept hostess walked our party of 5 throughout the entire restaurant trying to find an open table. it's supposed to be brunch..not follow the leader! once we finally found one suitable it took awhile for her to find someone to get it ready and we ended up moving things around on our own.
my favorite part of the meal was asking for ketchup and getting a few individual ketchup packets. i'm sorry, am i at mcdonald's? i could handle getting it in a little dish or having to use a pump to get my own bowl, but i'm paying $35 for brunch and i get a ketchup packet? hmmm. i tried not to be too food snobby about it since it wasn't my call and i was with friends for what was supposed to be a lovely sunday brunch but the reef was anything but. dine if you dare!
People thought this was:
I came here yesterday from LA for our end of the year banquet for an organization I am apart of at UCLA.
I must say the view was marvelous the wide glass windows with a view overlooking the bay and harbor is just breath taking. The water was so clean and beautiful and the lights from the lighthouse and nearby luxury condos sent chills up my spine.... but its a restaurant and I did not come here for the view.
$42 per person was cost at the banquet. Most of it probably went towards the view. The food eh... wasn't that good at the all maybe its just because we had specific foods to choose from but in terms of a fancy restaurant man I've had Spagos, The Cut, and a multitude of other Wolfgang Puckish restaurants. Though this might not be expensive its still expensive none the least and especially for such crappy food.
My girlfriend and I came here for the brunch, and I think it I truly discovered what gluttony is. So much food, so much sparkling white wine, and they park the car for you. If you are trying to have 2200 calories a day, this brunch will not help you because you will leave stuffed!
I stopped by briefly to wish a friend a "Happy Birthday" but did not join them for brunch. SO this review is not based on food.
Valet: I pulled up with Isadora (my dog) and asked if I could self park. He very nicely told me where to go for shade and charged me $5 (which was fine with me).
Host: a bit disorganized. Restaurant was very busy with large parties and lots of kids running. She gave me exact directions as to where to find my party once I got her attention.
Waiter- Augie was a star- very accommodating and the whole floor (It is a 3 story restaurant) would cheer for him every time he walked up. As busy as he was he was quick to find me a chair, a glass of water and champagne
Food- if you like buffets- it seemed to have something for everyone: crab legs, prime rib, pasta, waffles and corn dogs...
Lots of cheap champagne and freshly squeezed OJ
I stayed for 30 minutes and then left, as Ms Isadora was waiting comfortable in the shade for me (but nonetheless waiting...).
The decor is not my favorite (carpet, lots of kids, lots of noise and cheering) but everyone was so nice along with the views... I could eat here if a good friend invited me.
People thought this was:
I love the Reef for the view. I believe it is one of the best city views in Long Beach. We eat here before 6pm and get the special prime rib dinner with all the extras including dessert for 14.99. Service is great if you ask for Jenny, otherwise hit and miss service.
This is one of the first restaurants here in Long Beach. Lots of history hanging on the walls here. Many rooms to dine in. We always get a window table, a must for the full view experience.
Have had other dishes here and other wait staff and would rate prior experiences as a 2 or 3 until we figured out how to make it work well for us.
A must for the value, view and food if you know when to go and what to order and what wait staff to use.
Food 4 stars
Ambiance 5 stars
Service 4 stars
Location 3 stars (difficult to find if you are not familiar with Long Beach Area)
Price 3 stars
Drinks 3 stars
Parking 5 stars
Alright, call me spoiled...
But yes I cannot resist restaurants with amazing view of the ocean in the evening.
This place is very easy to find yet.... If you get lost... here comes your worst nightmare. (It's actually right off the freeway... and if you do have navigation, do follow their direction... cause if you sidetrack, then you will be lost among the containers and gigantic ships and have to drive past countless harbors)
Amazing ambiance and fresh food,
This restaurant is pretty big. There are at least 3 different rooms and 2 floors to accommodate the customers,
Family room, for couples and bar/ lounges for singles/ couples.
Their halibut is unbelievably tasty and fresh just melted in my mouth.
I loved their strawberry lemonade with little strawberry on the top with real strawberry juice instead of concentrate/ syrup.
Great food great views great place overall...
People thought this was:
Fantastically gorgeous setting right on the water. I'm fairly sure that's what you're paying for, since the food wasn't fantastically good. BUT. It wasn't bad either.
I came here last Sunday with my family to celebrate my sister's birthday. Pretty nice day, warm and sunny. I hate valeting, but luckily it's complimentary here. Going up the walkway I felt like I was supposed to be in a rain forest or something, and I got a definite touristy feel. Anyway, you walk in, and enter the main area where all the food stations are set up. There's a mexican food station with enchiladas and tamales i believe, the meat station with turkey and ham, egg station, pasta, dessert, and a kids area which I was particularly fond of. It had hash browns, mini corn dogs, macaroni & cheese. I liked that station more than the others! The line for the eggs was ridiculously long and freakin slow as a turtle. One poor guy working it by himself, with a line full of at least 20 people. Their dessert station was bomb because of the chocolate fountain. They also had seafood, though it was difficult to crack the crab legs. We sat outside on the patio which was very nice and pleasant until it got really hot after noon.
While I didn't find the food at gourmet level, this is the closest thing I have found in the area that is comparable to the buffets in Vegas. Obviously the selection isn't as big, but for the environment and the food that they do offer, the Sunday brunch here seems to be a big hit. I believe it's about $25 per person, and you get free champagne!
People thought this was:
For Dinner, non-reservation:
Third time is not the charm. I never would have bothered with The Reef if not for gift cards. If you love heavy, rich sauces, don't mind compounding one whole week's worth of fat and calories into one dinner, by all means, dine here. I love heavy food as much as the next glutton, but oof, not one item on the menu is light.
I've never had a problem with non-reserved seating, service, or the cool view of the lit-up LB shoreline. The pre-dinner bread with cold butter and parmesan-pesto spread are awesome.
The first two times I came here were xmas-time '07 and early/Spring '08. Parking was easy both times, I knew the menu was "fine" dining, and I expected not to have great vegetarian options. Those times C ordered the Sea Bass and loved it. I don't remember what I ordered, but I do remember the salad dressing being excessive (ask for dressing on the side). I think I caved in and sampled some caesar salad (dressing was extra-fishy) and crab stuffed mushrooms with hollandaise sauce (too rich and very boring). Desserts look much tastier on the display tray- save yo moneys, we had a few and they were not great. The strawberry shortcake is white cake with jam, wtf?
Two nights ago for dinner #3, I saw online that the menu had changed. I planned on ordering the Vegetarian Ratatouille with Gnocchi and did just so. C ordered the seafood collage and gushed over the lobster but not the linguine/white wine sauce. My ratatouille was not what I expected; I expected more of a tomato-based something because "saffron sauce" is ambiguous. The ambiguity revealed a rich cream and butter sauce that had separated and congealed. The two types of gnocchi were interesting: plain with cheese(?) and pesto or spinach (awesome). I ate all of the eggplant and red and green bell peppers, leaving much of the gnocchi. Oh yeah, there was a big special occasion event that demanded the entire parking lot to be valet, so, we drove all the way around and back to park on the street, Queensway Dr. Sometimes I don't need to valet, y'know?
The dollar amount for each dish equates to the number of minutes you will wait for the dish you order.
I dunno, there's something mediocre about this restaurant that is like Nelson Muntz in a tuxedo. Trying too hard. Just not right.
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The Omar teas are still as awesome as I remember them.
All it took for me to get shit-faced and openly confess to being caught performing sexual acts in public was three Omar teas and a beer.
I would try to describe the Omar Tea experience, but I'd be doing both the drink and the awesome bartender that concocted such a tasty nectar a huge disservice. Let's just say that for a Long Island Iced Tea, it's the booziest, lightest looking cocktail and one will get you nice and buzzed. Two will make your clothes come off. Three Omar teas will make you confess, like you're in church.
"I pleads the fif, your honor".
People thought this was:
Don't eat here. Have a drink instead!
Omar is the only reason I step foot into this joint. His Teas…
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What a little shop of horrors. From the decor, which is too-too much (a fake white Christmas tree! They still exist!), to the totally run of the mill menu and features 'fresh Atlantic salmon', to the snooze alert of a wine list... yeah. Total waste of a free dinner on the in-laws.
The view is great, sure. The gnocchi, though? Actually made me nostalgic for La Paroloccia on Broadway. Not good.
People thought this was:
Place: The Reef
Date: Sept.19,2008
Time: Evening
Event: Dinner
Group: 5
Weather: 67dgrees (clear skies)
Humidity: 56%
Wind: From SW at 7mph
************************************************** ****************************
Ambiance: Simple,relax,romantic,semi elegant accompanied by old style decor.
The large windows throughout the restaurant offer an amazing view of the Queensway Harbor and the downtown Long Beach skyline.
(Grade: B-)
Service: Attentive,friendly,courteous,prompt
We were properly greeted and reservation was honored and we were seated within minutes when our entire party arrived.
Our server was friendly and patient,that left a good impression on me since I'm all about service.I find if an establishment provides you with above and beyond the call of service..that may make up for other weak factors that they may encounter.
I also like the simple courtesy provided by our server by checking in on our table periodically throughout dinner.
(Grade: B)
Food: I had the filet mignon,it was cooked to medium rare as I requested.
The filet was juicy and tender..and tasted pretty good.It takes a serious clown to really mess up on a filet mignon.The mashed potatoes were good,not run down or soggy.The vegetables were crisp and not overly cooked.
I also shared a variety of appetizers which I thought was pretty good.
(Grade: B-)
Drinks: Decent selections and okay
(Grade: C+)
Cost: Average for fine dining
(Grade: B)
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In conclusion,I didn't really find anything spectacular about The Reef.Granted they have a nice view which I thought was the highlight of this restaurant.
Their dinner menu is pretty standard and I rather go somewhere else for my primes.I also have my prefer restaurants I go to for fresh delicious seafood.
However,I would consider coming back just to try out their Sunday Brunch since I've read some positive reviews.
(True Review 3.5 stars)
People thought this was:
I've been here 3 times. I dropped by for lunch yesterday (my first time here during the day) I was reminded how beautiful this place is. The waitress I had was very warm and took her time to explain her recommendations. The food took awhile which surprised me because there was really no on here at this time. The view is to die for. Located right next to the Long Beach harbor it makes a great place for a first date, valentines day, business dinner, wedding, etc etc. They have different rooms for different events and they even cater to weddings outside. It's a bit expensive but definitely worth it!
I ordered a blacken salmon which wasn't that great. IT came with a pineapple sauce which was a bit weird to me. The sweet n salty taste did not please my taste buds. The sweet portion also soaked into the mash potatoes which just ruined it for me. On a separate note my girlfriend ordered the seafood collage which was kick @ss.
Food: 4
Service: 5
Environment: 5
Price: 4
People thought this was:
If you're into views and cheesburgers...read on.
As a Long Beach resident, this restaurant takes the cake for reminding you how beautiful Long Beach is. The views from ALL windows are picturesque.
Came here for a quiet saturday lunch and ordered the Kobe Beef Cheeseburger. All I gotta say is DAMN. I've been on the search for the best burger in LA, and this has got to be up there.
Factor in:
-Quality of Beef (Kobe, c'mon can't get better than that!)
-Burger Bun (along the lines of King's Hawaiian Bread/toasted yet soft)
-Fixin's (Onion Straws, White Cheddar Cheese)
(you can also order real bleu cheese, mushrooms or bacon)
That's pretty much all i need in my burger. I hate burgers where you have to squeeze it to fit it in your mouth. Definitely not a sign of a good burger, for me. I want to taste the beef with hints of everything else.
For once in my life, I actually took my time to eat this burger, bite by bite.
Nice local spot thats has quality burgers and awesome views. Bring a camera!
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And so my birthday weekend continued.
So it was our first time here, we got lost trying to find this restaurant which seems hidden along the outskirts of an on ramp of the 710 near the Queen Mary. Just note, you will make a few U-turns before you find this place. We arrive, we valet our vehicle and we are seated immediately. The party of 8 sat in what seemed to be the banquet room. It's well lit, surrounded by windows which overlooked the gorgeous bay.
We came here for their Sunday Champagne Brunch. So much to choose from. Seafood, Meat, Salad, Cereal / Grains, Fruit, Pasta, Omelette and a BBQ section. Food was great! Yes, of course I had the crab legs. I'm such a sucker for steamed crab claws dipped with melted butter and a dash of lemon. Yummy! Our brunch was accompanied with champagne too! Oooh, fancy!
Overall, I loved the food, service was excellent, ambiance could use a little remodeling. The restaurant sort of looked like it was launched in the 80's and hasn't been updated since. But the view, AMAZING! We ended up taking pictures outside.
What a gorgeous way to start our Sunday!
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Went here for Valentines day with my bf. They had a 4 course dinner already set and brought the first course appetizer right away. I am a vegetarian and there was no vegetarian option for that one nor did they bother to accommodate. My bf said it was just.....allright.....he wasn't to impressed. The second course came and it was good, but nothing special. It was 2 soups, one was clam chowder and one was a sweetish carrot type soup. They did make me a special entree for my dinner and it was pretty good, nothing I haven't had before though or that I couldn't make at home for myself. For the desert they only had one choice and it was gross, I did not understand it at all.
All in all it was nothing special, wish I had chosen some place else. =(
Went over for the brunch from 9am to 3pm, wonderful food every where you walk. The only down side about going during brunch is that everyone else goes for brunch, I think that there was too many people there, but the wait service was excellent, checking on us every few moments, refilling our glasses. Free valet service which was great, Overall, I would give them a "B" and will return again.
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Sunday Champagne Bunch
Defeated by the wrath of tourist gluttony, I had: champagne, dinosaur-nuggets, and a strawberry-cream ice cream bar. They were good. :)
*large selection, poor quality and atmosphere, service was good.
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SO it took some doing, but I finally got some help from the Yelpers in Long Beach with the name of this restaurant. Even though I couldn't remember the name...it was the ambiance and experience that has stuck with me since my over nighter in Long Beach in February of 07.
If you read my last two reviews, you'll see that I'm reliving that over nighter through Yelp right now. Not a bad thing to remember though.
The Reef was conveniently located between where our cruise ship was supposed to be docking, and the hotel we were forced to stay at in the meantime.
With the words of the Carnival broad "Enjoy your stay in Long Beach, Live it up! Have steak and Lobster...it's on CARNIVAL!" echoing in my head...we did just that. We sought out our steak and lobster and ordered a bottle of bubbly to boot!
The lobster was decadent. I remember it being some of if not the best lobster I have ever had! I drizzled lemon from one of those cute little lemon socks...I dipped it in delicious drawn butter...I laughed with the man who was about to become my husband.
Sorry if that sounded cheesy but, it was one of the best dinners I have ever had. Our server helped that by doing her best to please us, as we told her we were "already on the honeymoon"...we felt like we were.
I will absolutely eat here again when I go back to Long Beach. It was definitely pricey but the views from the patio are too amazing to care...especially with the city all lit up. Very romantic!
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My wife and I attended a wedding reception here Labor Day Weekend. It is a good place to have a reception but there are a few things that make it not that great. The room we were in and a very small foyer that had the buffet, bar, gift table and guests all packed into it. Until the room was ready, it was not opened to guests. There was no place for all of them to wait aside from standing outside in the parking lot and the staff kept bumping into them as they walked in and out of the room to get it ready. We had actually considered this place for our wedding reception last year, but felt this would be a big issue for us. The other reason we did not like the location was due to the color of the walls. They have since been painted white from the awful greenish color of years prior.
Once we were inside the room though, everything was great. Since The Reef Restaurant sits on the water of Long Beach Harbor and Queensway Bay, you were captivated with the beautiful views of the Long Beach Skyline. The dance floor is a pretty good size and the spacious arrangement allowed for people to move freely between tables. The food was delicious as expected. We have eaten there many times in the past and have yet to have a terrible meal.
If you are looking into a location similar to this one for a wedding reception, then consider The Castaway in Burbank. The pricing for packages is similar as they are part of the Specialty Restaurant Corporation (Orange Hill, The Odyssey, etc.).
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I've been here a few times and the view is tops. The food is pretty good and has definite flavor, not very adventurous but nice. Drinks were excellent and they have a well rounded and affordable wine menu.
The service was prompt and friendly but the waitress was older than my grandmother and I'm not lying. I felt bad having her wait on me and I wanted to help her. Once I reminded myself that I don't care about other people and looked at the amazing view of the skyline I felt better.
The place is kind of quiet but not stuffy. It's a little dated but it fits with its location. When the Queen Mary gets a fresh coat of paint this place should too. The place has character and I like going here. You won't find a better view.
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The Reef has the best view in Long Beach, by far - better than the Queen Mary, Parker's Lighthouse, or the Sky Room. Every room in the restaurant has huge bay windows, and the view is spectacular.
I used to come here occasionally with my family back when it was The Quiet Cannon, as it was one of the few places in Long Beach that my grandmother liked to go when she was in town. As a kid, all I remember is what most kids remember about buffets -- dessert. And that all the grownups were drinking champagne, and my aunt gave me a sip and freaked out my mom.
Fast forward to the present, the Sunday brunch is all about location. The venue is impressive not just for the view, but for the many rooms available for large groups, and the seeming decadence of the buffet, ice sculpture and all. There is also an outdoor patio on the roof, which is available for weddings, etc.
Unfortunately the food is all about quantity, not quality. There is a whole bunch of food, but none of it is any good, nor does any of it seem very fresh or well made. The meat was dry, the seafood was fishy, the desserts were runny, and the bread was stale. But there is a whole lot to choose from. Best bets are probably the fresh omelet and pasta stations, as it's hard to go wrong with that.
I was in a room with a private party, and the service was noticeably poor. There never seemed to be anyone around to pour drinks when we needed someone, but then we got rudely chastised for serving ourselves. On the other hand, there were some good moments, such as when one of our party ordered some ribs downstairs, but they were all out at the time, so when they were ready they brought a plate up to our room. She was quite surprised, as by then she had forgotten all about it. Too bad the ribs were too overcooked to eat, though.
The food is 2 stars or less, but I'll bump up the rating for the great views. I don't see myself returning anytime soon, as for the same price I could get a smaller selection but better quality brunch buffet elsewhere.
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Sensational place to have dinner on a weekday evening. Avoid the wedding parties, birthday dinners and all the other weekend "events" and you'll find this place is a top-notch seafood restaurant with an amazing view of Long Beach (especially the downtown area and the bay). The steaks and lobster dishes are really good, but their seafood soups and stews, which were popular items, are not offered anymore.
I don't recommend sitting in the patio area. The furniture is cheap and dirty, and you'll see and hear people yelling from the 200-person tourist boat tours running up and down the little bay.
How can you eat when you're busy waving at German tourists every 3 minutes?
Had Sunday brunch here in January. Our party sat outside on the patio. The view is amazing. If the weather is nice get an outside table.
The food was good but not great. Go for the shrimp and crab legs, stay away from the Mexican food items. I didn't care for their omelets either. It was very reasonably priced. It's probably one of the best brunch deals in the LA area. The champagne they serve is not half bad either. The service is excellent. They kept the champagne glasses filled and quickly took away the dirty plates.
The restaurant is hard to find, and because the lot is small they have valet parking. Also as others have mentioned there is a funky smell coming from the bathrooms.
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Service was good, my champagne glass was never empty nor was my ice water glass. However, the food sucked. You walk around and the seafood looks dry. Many hot items were in deep pans with only one piece left or was out of food entirely. The carving station was unmanned and the stir fry station was just...weird and out of place. It was a good idea, but how about making crepes instead of mongolian bbq? They have to make up for the lack of quality desserts. I thought that the kid's food section looked better than the regular food assortment! The kids had several packaged ice cream cups, ice pops, and fruit snacks plus bowls and bowls of candies galore. It kinda made me wish I was a kid to enjoy this stuff.
Drive on, this place is not worth the money for brunch! PLUS you can't even find the place! U turn after U turn...you almost want to give up.
Great view....like a really nice painting
The food was ok, but a nice place for a date
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Four and nine tenths stars are are for Augie, of the Augie Experience (he can share one of the stars with the view). His dining room is run like a private little grand duchy with a gorgeous view of the Long Beach harbor, and there are RULES when you eat there for Sunday brunch. First and foremost you MUST have fun, and the rest center around having even more fun! It's kinda like the Pee Wee Herman Show for drunk adults. Kids think it's a scream too. Well I musta looked idle because next thing I knew I was instructed to refill "champagne" glasses. Boy are people thirsty! Augie's regulars are very welcoming, but demanding, but I didn't care one diddly because I was drunkety-drunk-drunk by that time...The Reef is not known for its vegan cuisine, but I had salad, hash browns from the kiddie bar, fruit and the accommodating and lovely sushi girl Camille custom-made us some inside-out cucumber maki rolls, but it just wasn't soaking up all the alcohol fast enough...oh, and we started off with bloodies...but if you love heaps of crab legs and peel-and-eat shrimp you'll probably end up appreciably less wasted than I did. Mission accomplished, as I was plastered.
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I won't lie, the view is great. Especially if you're seated outside on the dock on the water. You have that nice air from the waters and you're allowed viewing of the bridge (that rainbow looking bridge lol sorry I don't know the name) and the sky high buildings of downtown Long Beach across the way.
They do take reservations and the decor has a very intimate feel with a touch for romantics =) Their food is decent, nothing too great. Just love the feel of the place .. especially for a date night. Bring a light sweater at night if you're going to sit outside .. it tends to get a little chilly.
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My boyfriend's friend had his birthday this weekend, and asked that we find a place for dinner for Saturday night. Now, we don't know the Long Beach area well at all, so it was a bit of a task to find a place, last minute for a group of six.
After much looking around, and callng for reccomendations we were able to book a table at The Reef, which boasted scenic harbor views, and excellent seafood. We were all pretty stoked, they were very accomodating with our last minute reservation, and everything seemed to be in place.
When we arrived, the place was a lot more fancy than we'd anticipated, and there was a wedding reception, as well as quite a few prom dinners going on. However, we were seated promptly once our party was there, and things still seemed to be going well. Our waitress took our drink orders, then hurried off, to, as we assumed, get them. She came back five or ten minutes later to take our dinner order, but we still hadn't gotten our drinks!
I ordered the filet and shirmp scampi, with the rissoto, as I just found out I'm lactose intolerant :( So very, very sad for me). We were finally given delicious bread to munch while we waited, and eventually our drinks came out. The view from our table was gorgeous, and we were in a bottom floor dining room area which was relatively private. We were sharing the room with a prom group, and an older couple.
The problems with the drinks were the least of our worries. Our food took forever to come out, and when it arrived, she had mixed up my order and brought me a baked potato instead of the rice. When I explaied I couldn't eat it, she said "Oh, well do you still want to just keep it?"
FOR WHAT?! To look at it? I accepted and let someone else eat it, but I was disappointed. There was a rather large hole on my plate where my second side dish belonged. However, both the steak and shrimp were VERY good, and the vegetables that came with it as well were tasty. The waitress said she'd return right away with my rissotto. However, fifteen or twenty minutes later, when she returned to clear our plates, still, no rissotto.
"Oh, did you still want that?"
Yes, yes I did still want that, it was part of my meal, and I was still hungry.
When they finally brought out my plate of risotto, right around the time they brought out dessert, I was more than disappointed. The rissotto tasted a lot like oatmeal, and after waiting that long, come on.
The prices were pretty reasonable, the food was great, but the service left quite a bit to be desired. They weren't even that busy, so it's not like that would be an excuse. I don't know that I'd come back here the next time I'm in Long Beach.
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Granted, I was told lunch and breakfast were not every good choices especially with the lack of quality.
HOWEVER. Their dinner is amazing. I took my date here and we had a really nice view of Long Beach. It was a weeknight and the place wasn't packed at all.
I ordered steak and my date ordered salmon. Both were extremely delicious and cooked just the way we asked. Our glasses were never empty and our waiter didn't spend too much time bugging us while we ate.
Dessert was phenomenal. I believe we shared a caramel cheesecake that spelled heart attack all over it, but I could care less because it was sooooo good.
Definitely come here again for a weeknight romantic dinner. Not too thrilled when the place is filled with gluttonous tourists.
The place is also a bit hard to find if it's your first time, but a bit of Google or Yahoo maps can go a long way.
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