{"id":89551,"date":"2026-08-01T07:40:37","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T14:40:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/?p=89551"},"modified":"2026-08-01T07:50:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T14:50:44","slug":"steak-freaks-home-restaurant-long-beach-mehko","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/side-streats\/steak-freaks-home-restaurant-long-beach-mehko","title":{"rendered":"Long Beach legalized home restaurants; a chef quickly pushed the idea to its limit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>How long can you run a high-quality steak restaurant out of someone\u2019s living room and backyard? Chef Brad Thomas and local ceramicist Clay Wood recently decided to find out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Side StrEATS: Steak Freaks dreamed of running a restaurant in a home\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JSmDKr-ndiE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In a time when many businesses struggle to stay afloat, and in a city where people are always craving a new adventure, they launched Steak Freaks as a creative experiment but quickly realized its limits.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Taking advantage of Long Beach\u2019s new Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) law, the two wanted to combine artistic expression and high-level cooking to give locals a taste of the law&#8217;s potential.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before the MEHKO framework, which the City Council <a href=\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/news\/sell-meals-home-kitchen-long-beach-mehko\/\">passed this spring<\/a> to allow home-based food businesses, Steak Freaks was a transient pop-up. When Wood met Chef Thomas, he was intrigued and offered up his home as a more permanent location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132155\/06-16-2026-chef-17601-944948-6kgnyekk-553896-nSY9dhHm-1024x684.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-89545\" srcset=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132155\/06-16-2026-chef-17601-944948-6kgnyekk-553896-nSY9dhHm-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132155\/06-16-2026-chef-17601-944948-6kgnyekk-553896-nSY9dhHm-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132155\/06-16-2026-chef-17601-944948-6kgnyekk-553896-nSY9dhHm-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132155\/06-16-2026-chef-17601-944948-6kgnyekk-553896-nSY9dhHm-162x108.jpg 162w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132155\/06-16-2026-chef-17601-944948-6kgnyekk-553896-nSY9dhHm-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132155\/06-16-2026-chef-17601-944948-6kgnyekk-553896-nSY9dhHm.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clay Woods, left, and server Symone Parker bring salad to a waiting dinner guest at Steak Freaks, a temporary home restaurant in Long Beach, on Tuesday, June 15, 2026. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI love the pop-up food scene because it reduces so many barriers to entry, and there\u2019s a lot of great chefs and cooks popping up that don\u2019t own restaurants yet,\u201d said Wood.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Soon, Thomas was planning out \u201cmy perfect experience,\u201d a whimsical playground of a restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They began shuffling furniture, turning couches into seating for customers, and extending Wood\u2019s kitchen into the backyard. \u201cToday, in this economy where we\u2019re at right now, a lot of creatives are just being stuffed out \u2026 we gotta survive,\u201d Thomas explained. \u201cSo I\u2019m trying to create a little oasis for creatives to come relax and play and actually make stuff that&#8217;s fulfilling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"534\" src=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132213\/06-16-2026-chef-29001-105702-b2kosoii-283190-ASjgclqp-1024x534.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-89547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132213\/06-16-2026-chef-29001-105702-b2kosoii-283190-ASjgclqp-1024x534.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132213\/06-16-2026-chef-29001-105702-b2kosoii-283190-ASjgclqp-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132213\/06-16-2026-chef-29001-105702-b2kosoii-283190-ASjgclqp-768x401.jpg 768w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132213\/06-16-2026-chef-29001-105702-b2kosoii-283190-ASjgclqp-192x100.jpg 192w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132213\/06-16-2026-chef-29001-105702-b2kosoii-283190-ASjgclqp-400x209.jpg 400w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132213\/06-16-2026-chef-29001-105702-b2kosoii-283190-ASjgclqp.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Symone Parker, a server, walks through the dining area at Steak Freaks, a temporary home restaurant in Long Beach, on Tuesday, June 15, 2026. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Starting in May, Steak Freaks sold out the house with over 20 people per night, multiple nights a week, with curious locals and foodies who found the experience on Instagram or through word of mouth. The price, just $69 per person, was also a huge draw. To keep up, Thomas hired staff, and the in-home restaurant operated with the hustle of a full-service kitchen: a server, bartender, cooks on the frites and grill, a dishwasher, and Wood greeting guests while Thomas ran the backyard.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The lucky visitors who snagged a reservation got a drink of choice between alcoholic and the house cola cocktail, followed by the first course: Thomas\u2019 pimento Basque cheesecake. Starting with dessert was intentional. \u201cThe whole concept of Steak Freaks is selfish. It&#8217;s literally my favorite meal,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a bite that\u2019s meant to disarm you and confuse you, \u2026 but it\u2019s going to be a unique experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"655\" src=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132204\/06-16-2026-chef-27801-281962-qq6uqrgz-964184-rBmaD9a5-1024x655.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-89546\" srcset=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132204\/06-16-2026-chef-27801-281962-qq6uqrgz-964184-rBmaD9a5-1024x655.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132204\/06-16-2026-chef-27801-281962-qq6uqrgz-964184-rBmaD9a5-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132204\/06-16-2026-chef-27801-281962-qq6uqrgz-964184-rBmaD9a5-768x492.jpg 768w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132204\/06-16-2026-chef-27801-281962-qq6uqrgz-964184-rBmaD9a5-169x108.jpg 169w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132204\/06-16-2026-chef-27801-281962-qq6uqrgz-964184-rBmaD9a5-400x256.jpg 400w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132204\/06-16-2026-chef-27801-281962-qq6uqrgz-964184-rBmaD9a5.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The main course at Steak Freaks, a temporary home restaurant in Long Beach, served on Tuesday, June 15, 2026. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Next was the signature \u201cCheesy Garlic Brad\u201d bread, a salad that changed daily, then the main event: steak frites, grilled and locally sourced, served with what Thomas called an \u201centre-faux sauce,\u201d since \u201cthe French would murder me\u201d for adopting the name. The sauce is rich and buttery, with a hint of bone marrow and herbs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Four dessert courses follow, from dark cherry tiramisu to a cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche ice cream with wagyu tallow caramel and crispy fries on top. The night would close with homemade limoncello from lemons grown in Thomas\u2019 yard, optionally paired with a smokable cigarette, joint, or candy cigarette.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\">\n    <a href=\"#XHECJQES\">Link<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know how long we\u2019re going to be able to do that,\u201d Thomas said last month in the midst of his experiment, \u201cbut for now, we\u2019re going to have as much fun as we can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was right. The limitations of MEHKO soon arrived, as the Long Beach law caps them at selling 90 meals a week and $100,000 in annual sales. While the revenue cap seems sizable on paper, it is tighter once food, staff, and utilities are factored in. Kitchen and sanitation inspections are now required, and alcohol is prohibited \u2014 a rule Wood and Thomas said was incompatible with the culture they built.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"520\" src=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132137\/06-16-2026-chef-06401-872257-xypfmi5b-546755-Av318Mc8-1024x520.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-89543\" srcset=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132137\/06-16-2026-chef-06401-872257-xypfmi5b-546755-Av318Mc8-1024x520.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132137\/06-16-2026-chef-06401-872257-xypfmi5b-546755-Av318Mc8-300x152.jpg 300w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132137\/06-16-2026-chef-06401-872257-xypfmi5b-546755-Av318Mc8-768x390.jpg 768w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132137\/06-16-2026-chef-06401-872257-xypfmi5b-546755-Av318Mc8-192x97.jpg 192w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132137\/06-16-2026-chef-06401-872257-xypfmi5b-546755-Av318Mc8-400x203.jpg 400w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132137\/06-16-2026-chef-06401-872257-xypfmi5b-546755-Av318Mc8.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clay Wood sweeps the front porch of his home while getting ready for guests, turning his house into a temporary restaurant in Long Beach on Tuesday, June 15, 2026. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Their experiment has turned out to be shorter than either of them expected. Steak Freaks served its last dinner on July 26. But they teased something new would come soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, Wood is moving out of the house that hosted the dinners, and ownership of Steak Freaks has shifted as Wood turns toward other passion projects of his own. For Thomas, the idea was never meant to be permanent. \u201cThis was always supposed to be sort of just like a launch project for me,\u201d he said, \u201ca way for me to kind of find myself as a chef again.\u201d According to him, it worked. \u201cWe broke every single rule,\u201d he admitted, and the demand simply outgrew what a backyard could hold.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"620\" src=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132231\/06-16-2026-chef-40801-517964-tytug9bf-787177-Y0jgSTND-1024x620.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-89549\" srcset=\"https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132231\/06-16-2026-chef-40801-517964-tytug9bf-787177-Y0jgSTND-1024x620.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132231\/06-16-2026-chef-40801-517964-tytug9bf-787177-Y0jgSTND-300x182.jpg 300w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132231\/06-16-2026-chef-40801-517964-tytug9bf-787177-Y0jgSTND-768x465.jpg 768w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132231\/06-16-2026-chef-40801-517964-tytug9bf-787177-Y0jgSTND-179x108.jpg 179w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132231\/06-16-2026-chef-40801-517964-tytug9bf-787177-Y0jgSTND-400x242.jpg 400w, https:\/\/img.lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/07\/30132231\/06-16-2026-chef-40801-517964-tytug9bf-787177-Y0jgSTND.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Chef Brad Thomas speaks with a guest after a Steak Freaks dinner at a temporary home restaurant in Long Beach on Tuesday, June 15, 2026. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>So Thomas is rebranding, same energy and a new name, and is touring restaurant spaces for the next phase, hoping to create an upscale diner by day, serving the best pancakes and burgers around alongside his steak frites \u2014 then turning into an avant-garde tasting menu by night, cooked with chef friends making whatever excites them rather than what they think will sell.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever form it takes, Thomas says the spirit isn\u2019t going anywhere. \u201cSteak Freaks is coming with me wherever I go. I am Steak Freak,\u201d he said. \u201cThis whole project was for me to find myself again and get some spark and get going again. So I think it did its job.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Steak Freaks took diners \u2014 and the visionaries behind it \u2014 on a rollercoaster culinary journey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":207,"featured_media":89544,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","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_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"above","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"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":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32365,32101],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[32390],"class_list":["post-89551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eat","category-side-streats","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89551","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/207"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89551"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89551\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":89561,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89551\/revisions\/89561"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89544"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89551"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=89551"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=89551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}