There’s a recent article published by WalletHub comparing major cities across the United States and it found Long Beach California is the 9th most diverse city in the country. That’s pretty cool. Although, if you dig a little deeper, you’ll find that Long Beach is diverse in other aspects as well. In Long Beach, you’ll find the cultural diversity in the cuisine across town. Here is a small list of my favorite restaurants in Long Beach that won’t break your wallet.
This list can be extremely long but to shorten it, I decided to include restaurants I frequent and love. Just so you know, they’re in no particular order. I love them all equally.
1. Honduras Kitchen
Honduras Kitchen is located at 1909 E 4th St, Long Beach, CA 90802. It’s a Central American restaurant with a cross-section of delicious cuisine from Honduras. It’s a bargain. The dishes are fantastic. You can feel the authenticity by the decorations on the wall, the customers that eat there, and the quality of the food.
The Honduran dishes include the infamous Soap De Caracol (sea-snail soup.) I get the Arroz con Pollo. It’s my favorite dish. Their coconut rice and fried plantains are great. Considering my father is Central American, this place reminds me of him.
The prices range but the Arroz con Pollo is $11.99. It’s a big plate with shredded chicken and 2 slices of toast. You can’t beat that.
You can check it out for more info here: http://www.hkhonduraskitchen.com.
2. Blue Bird Sushi
Once upon a time ago, there was another Japanese place at this location. When their doors shut, Blue Bird Sushi opened. This gem is located at 1532 E Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90802. On the main gay boulevard!
Blue Bird Sushi has a vegan menu and a regular menu. Their sushi rolls are great. Although, they have more than sushi. This place also has a great poke bowl. To make things better, they give you a bowl of Miso Soup while you wait for your food, on the house. I don’t know about you but I can eat here every day.
My absolute favorite and the reason I want them to be around FOREVER is their ramen. They have three styles of ramen that make your taste buds explode. It’s something Long Beach has lacked for a long time. Suddenly there are several ramen places all over town. Blue Bird Sushi is one I recommend, especially if you’re on a budget.
To give you a “taste” (I know, what a tease) you can get a bowl of their Tonkatsu Ramen for $8.99. Their sushi rolls start at $4.99 and go up from there. They have chirashi bowls and typical appetizers like Gyoza.
I highly recommend putting this on your list of tasty but affordable restaurants to eat while you’re in town.
3. Taqueria La Mexicana
Taqueria La Mexicana is special. Although there are two different restaurants in Long Beach with the same name, this one doesn’t have a website. Also, it’s literally an open window at someone’s house —Relax, it’s perfectly legal. They even added an outside seating area. It’s not like you’re going to a drug dealer’s house trying to score a burrito without anyone looking.
Taqueria La Mexicana is located at 3270 E 4th St Long Beach CA 90814. This place reminds me of taquerias in Santa Cruz where I constantly got my burrito fix. Santa Cruz is where I have some of the best memories of my life.
I should mention this place is cash only. Their food is cheap but authentic. You can get a giant burrito for about $5.
Although this place is rustic, it’s delicious. It’s an amazing addition to the list of places you can visit that will not break your wallet when you’re in Long Beach California.
4. Pho Long Beach
I’ve frequented Pho Long Beach for a decade now. I bring friends and family here. This place is another Long Beach gem. It’s your basic mom and pops restaurant. The decor is minimal. The family all work and help each other out.
Upon discovered them, I’ve been forever grateful. They fill my belly with the most amazing pho ever. They are so inexpensive, they’ve literally raised their prices twice and now my small bowl of pho is $7.95. I should tell you, a small bowl of pho is gigantic. I’ve heard people complain “I got small!” Um… Ma’am, this is small?
I’ve literally wished them the most success of all the restaurants on the list. I love their food so much I honestly shake as I’m eating it.
Pho Long Beach is located in the Wrigley neighborhood. North of all the tourist attractions. This restaurant will take you into another part of our great city. Their address is 511 W Willow St Long Beach California 90806.
Put this one on your list as one of the greatest places you’ve probably never heard of.
5. Flamin Curry
The most recent mom and pop’s restaurant is a tiny, fast-food Indian restaurant. It’s called Flamin Curry. They’re located at 3344 E Broadway, Long Beach CA 90803. It’s on the corner of Redondo and Broadway. A prime location with heavy vehicular traffic and some foot traffic.
I first went to this place a week after it opened. It was mobbed. Everyone loves the idea of fast-food Indian food. When I say “fast food” I mean, they have a small selection of great Indian dishes in a buffet-style, kind of like Subway. You pick a couple of items. You pay at the end. Done deal.
The chicken tikka masala goes for $9.99. A two-piece order of veggie samosas is $4.99. It’s a place great prices in a convenient Long Beach location.
Flamin Curry also has a website. Check it out here: http://www.flamincurrylb.com.
Gotta Love Long Beach Mom & Pop Restaurants
Most of these places have been around for several years (except Flaming Curry, they’re new.) Considering they’re all mom and pop restaurants, some of these lack websites. These all deserve a space in your list of affordable and incredibly tasty places to eat in Long Beach. Next time you’re in town, make sure to visit one, or all places and support a mom and pop restaurant instead of a giant chain.
Due to Covid-19 restaurants in California can only stay open if they have an outdoor space to eat. Therefore some of these restaurants may currently be closed.
Let Me Break It Down For You:
Extremely affordable restaurants in Long Beach that don’t sacrifice taste:
- Honduras Kitchen
- Blue Bird Sushi
- Tacqueria La Mexicana
- Pho Long Beach
- Flamin Curry
A cross-section of restaurants you’ll find in our great town. Although the list can probably increase by a hundredfold. These are the ones I’ve experienced that I can tell you, first-hand, how amazing they are.
Do you have a favorite cheap but tasty restaurant you want to add to the list? Let me know in the comments!
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