Raising the Bar for the First Meal of the Day

The Breakfast Bar

70 Atlantic Ave. 

Long Beach, CA 90802

My spring vacation was ending when Katie suggested that I join her and her friends for brunch in Long Beach the day before Mother's Day. Long Beach always seems so far away from South OC, but I figured on a Saturday morning at 10am, it wouldn't take too long to get there. Plus, they let me put together a list of brunch spots I'd like to try. Number one on that list was where we ended up, a place where Katie's friends, Herb and Diana, eat pretty frequently, The Breakfast Bar.

The Breakfast Bar comes to us from a husband and wife team, Josh and Pamela Beadel. These Long Beach locals have worked in the restaurant business in various capacities. Josh has experience in the bar and beverage side of restaurants, while Pamela works the front of the house and food side of things. It seems like the perfect combination for a brunch spot that is known not only for its food but its signature cocktails as well. Throw in their grandmother's and other family members' recipes, and you have what appears to be a hit restaurant.

Opened in late 2013, Breakfast Bar has a very loyal following, with wait times of at least an hour on weekends. Parking can be tricky in this part of town, with much of it being street parking, but you could get lucky and find a spot like Kate and I did in the Travelodge lot, which is right next door to the Breakfast Bar. Even though most people were probably going out with their moms the next day, we still had a twenty-minute wait for a table. Not too bad. We were seated on their front patio, which provided a good view for people-watching.

A full page of the menu is devoted to cocktails and beverages, including a wide variety of Bloody Marys, vodka-based lemonades, specialty cocktails, and of course, beer and wine. The rest of the menu is dedicated to food, with breakfast entrees and appetizers taking up a whole page. Not in the mood for breakfast? There's also plenty in the way of soups, salads, and lunch options for you weirdos that don't like breakfast. So let's look at what we came up with on this rare visit to Long Beach.

Since Katie drove up here, I decided I'd partake in a cocktail, but what to pick? I've always had good luck with Mai Tai's ($12), so that's the route I went with. I'd describe this one at Breakfast Bar as a grown-up version of a cocktail almost always made too sweet. This one wasn't, probably because they use three kinds of rum: orange curacao, Orgeat syrup, and some fresh lime juice. A very well-crafted beverage that brought to mind a perfect one that I had in Hawaii many years ago. 

I had never met Katie's friend Herb before, but judging from his breakfast order, I can assume he's the type of no-nonsense guy that faces the day by saying pitter-patter, let's get at 'er. So first, he had the 2 Eggs N-E Way ($11). This basic breakfast plate included two eggs with cheese, two strips of bacon, and some grilled sourdough. The menu said this also came with a potato pancake, but Herb opted for fries. Herb seemed pretty pleased with this, and he even let me have a slice of his toast and some of his fries. Thanks, big shooter. 

I snapped this picture of Diana's breakfast choice, the Beadel Burger ($19.75 with a fried egg added), before she had them pump the brakes and take it back because they forgot that she had requested a gluten-free bun. This burger is a half pound of beef and comes with a house herb aioli, cheddar cheese, tomato, arugula, and red onion. When this came back, Diana thought this burger lit the lamp with its deliciousness, even though she could not finish it all. The fries are a classic fast food, thin, fried nicely, and plentiful. This got a big Texas-sized 10-4 from Diana, the Puck Bunny.

Katie went a little more adventurous at the Breakfast Bar when she got this Breakie Sammie ($14.75 with avocado added). This good-looking sandwich came on grilled sourdough bread with roasted garlic and herb aioli, jack cheese, arugula, tomato, bacon, and scrambled eggs. Katie loved this sandwich. The crunch of the bread went well with the savory items between the slices. This sandwich had many contrasts going on with it, so it kept you interested. The smokiness of the bacon, creamy avocado, lighter-than-expected eggs, and flavor punch from the garlic aioli made this sandwich a winner. It helped Katie leave Breakfast Bar a delighted girl.

The first thing listed on the brunch menu here is Uncle Marcee's Omelet Casserole ($16.50 with add-ons), and it was what I chose to have here at the Breakfast Bar. It was an excellent choice. This recipe has been passed down for three generations in Pamela's family. It takes 24 hours to make and is baked individually. It tastes like an egg casserole that my mom makes around holiday time. It's made with bread, jack cheese, eggs, and milk. You then add any additional items that you'd like to it. I added cheddar cheese, bacon, and avocado. This was a delicious combination. One of the better egg dishes I have had. Very homey, and I liked the crisped edges running along the sides of the casserole dish. This came with a potato pancake, which was grilled on the outside and soft and pillowy inside. Wish it had been a bit bigger, but I'll probably order an extra one next time.

I always like to mix sweet and savory at brunch, so an order of Pam's Chocolate Banana Loaf ($8) was an obvious selection for me to try. I'd describe this as very subdued. It had a very understated banana flavor, as the chocolate was a bit more prominent. Not the moistest banana loaf I've had, but it was definitely not dry either. A perfect choice for people who want a slightly sweet option to go along with their brunch entrees.

I left The Breakfast Bar wishing we lived a bit closer to Long Beach, as I'd make this brunch spot a habit. Everything we had on this visit was a great way to start the day. The food was bright and fresh, which is how I'd describe the service this late morning hour. Even though they were pretty busy, every employee we encountered on this visit seemed like they wanted to be there, and they were extremely excited to show off their food and make each guest very comfortable. I'm glad we finally made a visit to a Long Beach restaurant after nearly eight years. I know it won't be that long until we make it up this way again.

Out of five skinny houses (because a dwelling in the city of Long Beach holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the skinniest house in the world, located at 708 Gladys Avenue if you want to look it up), five being best to zero being worst, The Breakfast Bar gets 3.5 skinny houses.

For more information about The Breakfast Bar, head to their website here: http://www.the-breakfast-bar.com/