I have to confess, I haven’t spent much time in the charmingly suburban Bixby Knolls. Perhaps that’s because it’s, well, charmingly suburban and I’m just getting older (don’t worry Retro Row, Zaferia and Wrigley — you’re still my favorites). 

For decades, the neighborhood with a quasi-small town feel has been home to a smattering of classic breakfast restaurants like the beloved Jongewaard’s Bake n Broil (est. 1969) and Polly’s Pies (est. 1968). More recently, the area has earned the nickname Brewery Knolls, for obvious reasons — Ambitious Ales, Smog City Brewing (Steelcraft) and Beachwood Brewing have all hopped up over the last few years. 

But today we’re just going to talk about breakfast. Next, we’ll do “A day in Bixby” and certainly, a Beersby Crawl, so look out for those itineraries soon. 

♡ Oh — by the way, happy Hallmark Day. If you still need a last-minute date idea or a Galentine’s itinerary, smash this link. ♡ 

MeeMa’s – ​​4276 Atlantic Ave

This past Saturday, I woke up and decided that I needed to go out to breakfast and probably have pancakes (it had been a while). So naturally, I turned to this trusty list of reader-recommended breakfast havens in town.

A reader named Niki, who has lived in Long Beach for some 73 years, wrote to me a few months ago and gifted me with a healthy list of greasy spoons and her favorite breakfast spots to try around town. That list once led me to the legendary Bake n Broil, so she’s a trustworthy source.

This time, I took her up on her recommendation of MeeMa’s in Bixby Knolls. According to Niki, it’s “full of kitsch, this restaurant is the ultimate in awesome breakfasts. A MUST TRY.”

Agreed.

First off, this place is serving GrandmaCore (that spelling is correct), and the food ain’t bad either. From the antique chandeliers to the shelves lined with old dial telephones, clocks, old boxes of Kellogg’s and the like, every detail carefully conjured a certain nostalgic comfort. 

Before I could study the menu, my eyeballs were glued to the 1960s (or ‘50s?) television set, which was curiously positioned up high among other assorted gewgaws. The original 1969 “Scooby Doo: Where Are You!” was playing on that old TV when we walked in. There was even a VCR up there with it (kids, if you don’t know what that is, here you go.)

Anyway, here’s what we ordered: 

Classic breakfast burrito: Eggs, chopped bacon (subbed for vegan bacon), cheddar cheese, salsa verde and homemade pico de gallo, wrapped in a warm, handmade, flour tortilla.

Avocado tacos: Two handmade flour tortilla tacos filled with diced avocado, farm fresh scrambled eggs, sliced jalapeños and pico de gallo. Topped with homemade salsa verde and cilantro. Sour cream served on the side.

Lemon blueberry ricotta pancakes: Ricotta pancakes, fresh blueberry compote, homemade whipped cream and fresh lemon zest.

For starters, these fluffy, fruity pancakes suffused me with delight; peak breakfast moment. And Everything was exactly how I would envision the archetypal breakfast at grandma’s house would be (mine doesn’t like kitschy grandma things or “old people,” so I wouldn’t know).

I don’t have much to say about the tacos or the burrito other than, “delicious” and I have a feeling that almost anything on this menu would be. Plus, they get extra points in my book for having plenty of vegan and vegetarian options. Also, they let us sub regular bacon for vegan bacon at no additional charge (bless you, MeeMa). 

Thank you again, Niki, for recommending this place. Though MeeMa’s is a bit young (est. 2016) it certainly joins Jongwaard’s and Egg Heaven on my list of favorite breakfast joints in Long Beach.

Couldn’t get enough of that GrandmaCore vibe? Make a day of it and visit The Queen Mary and/or The Ordinarie.

I was serious about that Bixby Knolls itinerary. I have a few places on my list but I’m looking for a few more suggestions. Help me out! Email me, tell me what’s on your list. 

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