LBJ’s mac’n’cheese. Photos by Brian Addison.

When walking into LBJ’s Soul Food in North Long Beach, one will immediately notice that the restaurant’s humble appearance matches the aura of its humble workers. Next to framed pictures of family members and daytime television playing on a big screen, you’ll be greeted usually by one of three folk: front-of-house woman Sherry, back-of-house cook Raul, or head cook and owner Aunt Rita.

Chef Rita has been operating the hidden Southern comfort food hub in North Long Beach for nearly 22 years, and every day, she serves up Mississippi-and-Arkansas-style soul grub that ranges from BBQ to smothered pork chops, succotash to mac’n’cheese while huddled up in her hole-in-the-wall that sits next to a flower shop.

Your best bet—for timing and wallet alike—is to venture into the joint for lunch, which runs from open to 3PM and offers you far too much food for a price that isn’t overwhelming.

Even better are the fish prices, which stay steady all day: you can score a half-pound of fish—from sole to to tilapia, whiting to red snapper—for $5.50 (and for 45 cents more, you can have ‘em fry the filet Southern-style).

Vegetarians shouldn’t be frightened by the joint either, even if they want some greens. Aunt Rita, against all that is sacred in Southern cooking, makes every side entirely vegetarian. That’s right: her greens may lack hock or bacon but still provide incredible flavor. The succotash—a classic Southern dish with corn and okra—is subtle and sweet. The mac’n’cheese—though facing stiff competition from places like At Last Cafe—is still worth the carbs.

LBJ’s peach cobbler.

But what single-handedly takes the cake (literally) are Rita’s sweets. Her cornbread is arguably the best in Long Beach: without a single need for a dollop of butter (but I am sure Sherry would insist), this perfectly sweet round of honey-saturated cornmeal, flour, and egg is honestly perfection.

And the peach cobbler? Stacks of thin butter dough create shale-like crisps layered and soaked between marinated peaches and brown sugar.

Pretty sweet for 22 years and running.

LBJ’s is located at 6617 Cherry Ave., (562) 422-3606

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