The Best Brunch and Breakfast Spots in Long Beach

The Breakfast Bar is where you can get a home-cooked breakfast or lunch, but without the chore of making it yourself. Owners Josh and Pamela Beadel opened their restaurant in 2002, and they pride themselves on using family recipes handed down from loved ones. Order hearty dishes such as “Uncle Marcee’s Omelet Casserole” or meatloaf and eggs, or go lighter with Greek yogurt, honey, fruit and house-made granola. The restaurant also has a bar, where you can score Bloody Marys, mimosas, bellinis, and other brunch cocktails.

Claire’s is the on-property restaurant at the Long Beach Museum of Art. It is named for Claire Falkenstein, who crafted the sculpture Structure and Flow, around which is Claire’s patio. Breakfast can be a luxurious affair, with Dungeness and king crab benedict, pancakes with goat cheese and Meyer lemon, or crème brûlée French toast, or you can spring for a lighter egg dish. Bloody Marys in numerous styles and craft cocktails are available too.

The casual Starling Diner is a breakfast favorite among locals, who regularly stop by for their stuffed French toast, fresh-baked scones, and seasonal specials. There may be a bit of a wait, as Starling is a popular breakfast haunt, but the hearty portions are a perfect start to a day of exploring.

Saint & Second does seasonal, locally sourced cuisine and cocktails. They offer brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., serving a variety of pancakes, egg dishes, hash, coffee drinks, and brunch cocktails. Rich dishes include the burrata omelet and the pork chili verde, or guests might splurge on the lobster and shrimp waffles with bacon maple butter and syrup.

This Bellflower restaurant is open for breakfast and brunch, with Southern-influenced specialties including shrimp and grits, breakfast poutine, and a hearty plate of biscuits and gravy where the biscuits are deep-fried. Lighter dishes, such as the veggie scramble, are also available. Co-founders Antonio Appling and Michael Lavery explain their origin stories in a series of videos, the first of which you can see below, noting how they named their restaurant “The Nest” after an open mic they hosted at their home when they were roommates.

Blackbird Cafe is an amicable, neighborhood place with a dog-friendly patio. The menu includes all the breakfast staples, plus bowls, wraps, benedicts, and burritos. Cuisine skews American, Mexican and Mediterranean, while beverage options include coffee and espresso drinks, beer, and wine.

This Belmont Shores gastropub serves brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guests can order omelets or eggs, or try some of their more unique dishes. Perhaps you’ll find French toast with a crunchy cereal crust, pork belly chilaquiles, or a hearty breakfast burrito on the menu. Special items are a common occurrence, so frequent trips back are advised. They do bottomless mimosas, but they also have 50 craft beers available at any given time.

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