Made it at last, and worth the wait: At Last Café!

At Last Caf̩ РMenu

Parking: Street Credit Cards: Yes

I have been hearing about this place called the At Last Café for the last two years now, but until last week I had never made it over there for a meal. After a couple of failed attempts (they don’t do breakfast, and they are closed on Mondays), Taylor and I finally made it on Wednesday night before going on Swoop’s World Radio, and man was it worth every second of the wait. We met up with our good buddy J Hughes and snuck in right before closing time for a dinner that I will not soon forget.

The At Last Café is located on the corner of Orange and 2nd. It is very small so you almost always need a reservation for dinner. Another obstacle that you are going to have to tackle before you are able to sit down is finding a parking spot. It is street only, and if you are a Long Beachian you know that parking in this area can be a total pain in the ass. I dropped Taylor off to get our name on the list and then found a spot just across Broadway. When I walked up, Taylor was seated outside (since we had no reservation) and there was an iced tea waiting for me, since you cannot have alcohol on the sidewalk/patio. While we waited for J to meet up, we browsed the menu and the specials, and then ordered three different things so that we could sample the many tempting options. We also ordered the polenta appetizer, one of their specialties that my buddy Jerry had told me I had to try. Before the appetizer made it out, J had shown up and we were offered an open table inside, and we jumped at the opportunity.

We got seated at our table right by the window and I quickly noticed that there are only seven or eight tables in the entire place, making this just the kind of quant establishment that I dig. We ordered up a bottle of cabernet and patiently awaited our food. The polenta was served in two thick cakes sliced into thirds (polenta, in this case, is fried corn meal) and covered in Portobello mushroom gravy. The flavor was rich, the texture was right on, and the massive cuts of mushroom made the gravy irresistible. I can totally understand why this is one of the specialties. As soon as we finished licking the plate, our entrees arrived.

The three of us passed around our plates family-style. All of our entrees were served with beautifully presented vegetables and smashed potatoes and gravy. I ordered the meatloaf on a hunch, although I am generally wary of ordering meatloaf out because restaurants often try to do too much with it, like adding too much sausage or covering it with tomato sauces. When I want meatloaf, I want beef with a good seasoning and gravy and this is just the way that it was served here. The meatloaf was not heavy or greasy, and the gravy was homemade and delicious, making this just what I was looking for.

Taylor decided on the French Pot Roast, and it was so tender that it fell apart with the slight help of a fork. The flavor over took your taste buds like the Germans invading France. The tender beef, served over fettuccine in a red wine reduction, melted in my mouth and left me eyeing Taylor’s dish for the rest of the meal.

Last but not least, J Hughes had one of At Last’s more popular dishes, the Brick Chicken. They take a deboned, beautifully seasoned half-chicken, flatten it under a brick, and grill it to perfection. The chicken was moist, with a delicious flavor accompanied by an array of spices. The portion was too much to finish even with all of us eating off of each other’s plates. If you are not a chicken lover when you walk in the door, you will be when you walk out!

We finished up our meal with a piece of Homemade Peach Pie a la mode. It was a real treat, with flaky, buttery, handmade crust. The peach filling consisted of real slices of peaches, not the gooey jelly stuff that you find in many restaurant pies. It was very much like the pie that you would find cooling by your grandmother’s window.

We really enjoyed our meal at the At Last Café. The small size of the restaurant allows for a level of service that you rarely find. It is not unusual for the chef to ask you how you enjoyed your meal. The portions are generous, and the prices are reasonable. Next time you are looking for a great comfort food meal, call and make reservations, and make a trip over to Orange and 2nd. You’ll be glad you did.

Until Next Time, Keep Eating Long Beach,

Cliv