{"id":80184,"date":"2023-12-06T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-06T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?post_type=newspack_nl_cpt&p=80184"},"modified":"2024-02-10T10:30:05","modified_gmt":"2024-02-10T18:30:05","slug":"lb-breakfast-spots-recommended-by-readers","status":"publish","type":"newspack_nl_cpt","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/newsletter\/lb-breakfast-spots-recommended-by-readers","title":{"rendered":"Long Beach breakfast spots recommended by readers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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Behold, the pumpkin pancakes from Jongewaard\u2019s Bake N Broil<\/strong> with butter sauce (ignore the coffee spills). Photo by Kat Schuster.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rise and shine, Breakfast Club. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last month, I took a crack at sharing five places to enjoy ~ the sacred morning meal ~ in Long Beach. Today, I\u2019m back with several more breakfast recommendations \u2014 but this time, they come straight from the readers of this newsletter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you live here, I don\u2019t need to tell you that this city has options<\/em> \u2014 ample and abundant breakfast options. But just when I thought I had Long Beach pegged, with just a few greasy spoons left to tear off my list \u2014 I was left feeling a bit like Jon Snow.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ordinarily, when I write about my favorite places to get a hot dog, see live music, host a picnic, etc., I get a handful of emails from readers (you and you and you<\/em>) with messages like \u201cI can\u2019t believe you left out DOGZ<\/a>!\u201d or \u201cLoved this, but you forgot (X, Y and maybe Z).\u201d But when I chose to boldly send a short list of breakfast joints last month I heard from much more than a handful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let it be known here that I cherished this mob of impassioned emails from those who take breakfast as seriously as I do, and I\u2019ve made it my mission to try as many of these places as I possibly can. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a moment, I\u2019m going to share those reader recs with you. And since it\u2019s now ~ the holidays<\/strong> ~ you\u2019re really going to need them. You know, to impress the out-of-town folk \u2014 visiting in-laws, relatives, childhood friends, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But before I give up the list, allow me to introduce you to my new favorite counter in Long Beach: Jongewaard\u2019s Bake N Broil. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have a reader named Niki<\/strong> to thank for this one. She explained that she\u2019s lived in Long Beach for 73 years and has tried a whole lot of breakfast establishments. Then, she gave me the goods: A \u201cmust try\u201d list of places I\u2019ve never been before. Bixby Knolls\u2019 Bake N Broil<\/strong> was the first on that list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlways a neighborhood favorite, always packed, and always good,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First of all, when I walked in, the amalgamated aroma of freshly baked pies, cinnamon rolls, muffins and more practically smacked me in my hungry face. This must be the place, I thought. It was indeed packed, and there was a bit of a wait, but myself and my breakfast co-pilot serendipitously snagged two seats at the counter, where we were able to ogle all the goods, the baked goods \u2014 pies of boysenberry, pumpkin, cherry and cakes of coffee and sour cream pecan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bake N Broil has been around since 1965<\/strong>, so they\u2019ve clearly been onto something right over the years. I don\u2019t know what the place used to look like, but the decor felt a bit equestrian and a little East Coast with a splash of \u201860s Long Beach memorabilia around. Very clean, very sharp, very cozy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon checking out the menu, I nearly fell out of my diner seat \u2014 reasonable prices. I don\u2019t know how often you go out to breakfast, but these days, being able to order pancakes, an omelet, huevos rancheros, what have you, for around $10 to $13, especially in a place as quaint as this, is a rare thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Yours truly, happy as pie, surrounded by half eaten breakfast items at Bake N Broil. Photo by my breakfast co-pilot, Michael. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So, our eyes were bigger than our stomachs, as the saying goes. Consequently, we ordered enough to feed five (the portions are massive<\/em>). We ordered the pumpkin pancakes <\/strong>with butter sauce ($12.95), the vegetarian omelet with bell pepper, tomato, mushrooms, avocado, onions and cheese ($13.50) and the spinach, mushroom and cheddar omelet ($11.95).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro tips: Egg dishes come with either hash browns or hash browns seasoned with bell peppers and onions. Get them seasoned. The server will then ask you if you want an English muffin, toast or biscuits. You want the muffin. We ordered one blueberry<\/strong> and one raspberry streusel. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We walked out stuffed, drunk on nothing but the euphoria of finding a new favorite and with leftovers in hand. (I\u2019m still snacking on my triple stack of pancakes).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you, Niki<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without further gushing, here are some of the places readers have recommended:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MeeMa’s<\/strong> – 4726 Atlantic Ave.\u00a0<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This one is also in Bixby Knolls, but it\u2019s much newer than Jongewaards<\/strong>. According to Niki, its \u201cfull of kitsch, this restaurant is the ultimate in awesome breakfasts. A MUST TRY.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Grain Cafe – <\/strong>4403 E. Fourth Street<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve long peered over at this place while waiting for a seat at Egg Heaven<\/strong> across the street. Now, I\u2019ve got a reason to cross over. A reader named Catherine<\/strong> spoke highly of it: \u201cWe enjoyed your article, but missed seeing one of our favorites.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Grain Cafe <\/strong>offers Oaxacan-inspired vegan fare. Catherine recommended the tofu scramble with a side of yams and toast; the mole burrito; the chik\u2019n curry wrap; the breakfast burrito and the veggie omelet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hof\u2019s Hut –<\/strong> 2147 N. Bellflower Blvd.<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I know, I know, it\u2019s ridiculous that I haven\u2019t been here yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A reader named Gordon<\/strong> said: \u201cWith respect for your breakfast listing, I must note that I have been breakfasting at Hof\u2019s Hut since 1955 (yes, 1955) and never found it wanting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, Gordon says you\u2019ll find a large selection of breakfast dishes, including a \u201cfine quesadilla that is wonderfully tasty and filling.\u201d You heard the man. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another reader, Janice, told me that Hof\u2019s is \u201calways a winner for breakfast.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Small Cafe – <\/strong>5656 Second Street<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve long heard that Naples<\/strong> has a good many breakfast offerings. Aside from Hof\u2019s Hut, Janice<\/strong> recommended The Small Cafe. <\/strong>Upon looking at their menu, I\u2019m particularly interested in trying their breakfast burrito and \u201cspecial spud<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Village Cafe<\/strong> – 4148 \u00bd N. Viking Way<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A reader named Paul<\/strong> simply sent me an email exclaiming: Village Cafe<\/strong>! With a thumbs-up emoji. This is another place with an impressively affordable menu. I\u2019m eyeing the huevos rancheros ($13), chorizo and eggs ($12, soyrizo also available) and The Duke<\/strong> \u2014 corn tortilla covered with home-fried potatoes, two eggs, Spanish sauce and melted cheese, surrounded by pork sausage or Louisiana hot links ($13).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sunrise Cafe – <\/strong>4101 N. Lakewood Blvd., Lakewood<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Jonathan<\/strong>, another reader, wrote in to let me know that I \u201cforgot\u201d a crucial Lakewood<\/strong> breakfast staple: The Sunrise Cafe.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe owner Ken<\/strong> and his staff are top notch and the portions are great.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve driven by this place before. You can\u2019t miss it and its giant \u201cHomestyle Country Cooking\u201d sign. Aesthetically speaking, It looks like my kind of joint \u2014 kitschy, cozy and colorful. It might be next on my list just for those evil photos of banana pancakes I keep seeing on Yelp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heritage Family Pantry – <\/strong>2601 E. Carson St., Lakewood <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Another Lakewood<\/strong> rec from our friend Jonathan. He says they\u2019ve got HUGE PORTIONS (yes, the sentiment was in huge caps too). And I believe him. Their slogan is \u201cenjoy delicious food in big portions.\u201d On their website, they say, and I quote, \u201cWe are known for our big portions!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if you\u2019re hungry<\/strong>, go here. Plus, they make their own bread and the breakfast menu is also (uppercase) Huge. I\u2019m eyeing the L.A. Marathon: <\/strong>Three eggs, two French toast triangles, two pancakes, bacon, ham, sausage and home fries, all for $15.49. Yep, that\u2019s a lot of food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, these: Fried Eggs & Meat Sandwich, <\/strong>the Brunch Burrito <\/strong>and Breakfast Quesadilla<\/strong>. There are so many ingredients and possible sides that I\u2019m not going to bother trying to list them all. Here\u2019s the menu<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This place also quenches my thirst for classic diner aesthetics. I would absolutely have no problem sitting at their counter and enjoying 22 coffee top-offs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I could go on and on (and on), but I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve got somewhere to be, presumably one of these fine establishments we just gushed about. Thank you to all of the readers who kindly shared their breakfast secrets. Do you have some recommendations for me? You might just find your tips in my newsletter.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Kat Schuster<\/strong> is the editor for the Long Beach Post. You can reach her at kat@lbpost.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Huge portions, affordable menus and diner aesthetics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":302,"featured_media":80186,"template":"","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"hidden","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","disable_auto_ads":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32199],"tags":[],"newspack_nl_advertiser":[],"coauthors":[9454],"class_list":["post-80184","newspack_nl_cpt","type-newspack_nl_cpt","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-off-the-clock","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_nl_cpt\/80184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_nl_cpt"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/newspack_nl_cpt"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/302"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_nl_cpt\/80184\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81494,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_nl_cpt\/80184\/revisions\/81494"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80184"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_nl_advertiser","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_nl_advertiser?post=80184"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=80184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}