The Attic — Restaurant in Long Beach

The Attic – A Culinary Gem in Long Beach

We needed a meeting spot between Orange County and Los Angeles, and The Attic in Long Beach seemed like the perfect choice. The drive from LA was lovely—crossing the bridge, passing the cruise ships, and seeing the hardworking longshoremen at the docks—a surprisingly emotional and beautiful experience.

📍 Arrival & Seating Our reservation was for 11 AM, and upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by the hostess. We requested a table for three and were seated between the patio and the bar, with my seat positioned in the aisle. While the restaurant was nearly empty, I immediately wondered why we were placed in such a high-traffic area.

In hindsight, I should have requested a different table. Throughout our meal, the barback, waiters, hostess, and even customers brushed or bumped against my chair, making it uncomfortable. Pro tip: If you visit, avoid sitting in the walkway—you’ll feel it the next day!

✨ Ambiance & Space The restaurant itself is spacious, offering a variety of seating options, including indoor dining, front and back patios, and a full bar area. It comfortably accommodates at least 75 guests, making it a great spot for groups and gatherings.

🍽️ Food – Absolutely Outstanding! Now, let’s talk about the real star of the show—the food! I ordered the Vego Mi Ego Sando, and let me tell you, it exceeded my expectations.

The housemade bread was perfectly toasted. The veggie patty (a flavorful blend of beans and other ingredients) was thick and satisfying. Topped with roasted eggplant, avocado, whole-grain mustard, onions, and perfectly blanched kale. A fresh squeeze of lemon tied everything together beautifully.

🔥 This was, without a doubt, the best vegan burger I have ever had!

🥤 Drinks I ordered a pineapple juice, and it was incredibly refreshing. The best part? The server didn’t add ice, allowing me to enjoy the pure, fresh pineapple flavor without it getting watered down. Whoever juiced it knew exactly what they were doing—it was perfection!

🤝 Service & Staff – Warm, Attentive, and Friendly Regardless of the seating hiccup, the staff was attentive, welcoming, and genuinely warm. They weren’t aware that they were brushing against my chair, and neither were the customers passing by. Apart from this minor issue, the service was outstanding.

The entire team was kind and gracious, making us feel welcome from the start. Our waiter recommended the burger, and I salute him—he knew exactly what he was doing! The staff checked in frequently, ensuring we were enjoying our meals and making us feel like valued guests.

Even as the restaurant got busier, the service remained top-notch—quick, friendly, and accommodating. The team handled everything with ease and professionalism, making for an all-around great dining experience.

👍 Final Thought Despite the seating issue, I would absolutely return for the food alone. Next time, I’ll make sure to request a more comfortable table.

✅ Pro Tip: Ask for a good seat, trust the staff’s recommendations, and get ready for a fantastic meal!

📸 Note: My photos do not do this meal justice—you’ll just have to try it...

The Attic: Where My Hopes Went to Die (Cold and Underseasoned)

Ah, The Attic—not just the name of the restaurant but also where my excitement for Southern cuisine went to gather dust. I walked in with high hopes, fueled by glowing reviews, only to be met with an invisible host stand and a game of Guess Who Works Here? Three other groups joined in this fun little social experiment before I managed to wrangle a staff member to seat us.

We were first placed outside, sans heat lamp, where we enjoyed the brisk ambiance of mild hypothermia. After some shivering and subtle teeth-chattering, we were relocated indoors—where it was somehow still cold. The door kept swinging open like a haunted house feature, but hey, they eventually lit the fireplace, so I suppose I should be grateful for eventual warmth.

Now, let’s talk about the food.

The Biscuit & Sorghum Butter ($8)

This biscuit had the texture of a well-loved hockey puck—crispy, crumbly, and determined to resist the sorghum butter’s attempts at melting. The butter itself was thick, so I assume it also had given up. The honey had a floral rose undertone, which was the most elegant part of this experience.

Braised Oxtails & Carolina Gold Rice ($40)

Served in a hot stone dolsot bowl, the rice developed an aggressively scorched texture—because nothing says "Southern comfort" like wondering if your meal is supposed to taste like a gas leak. The oxtail was decent but had the unmistakable aura of not being quite done enough. Possibly finished under a broiler, the meat was dry in some parts, underseasoned in others, and a general exercise in culinary confusion.

Fennel Pollen Pork Chop ($44)

This dish came with caramelized apples and creamed kale. The apples? A salt bomb. The first bite punched me in the face with briny aggression before shifting to an inexplicable sourness. I ate it because my mother raised me to persevere, but I questioned everything. The pork chop itself was cooked well enough—medium rare with a nice fennel aroma—but the seasoning was uneven, with some bites being just right and others being an exercise in sodium endurance.

The server checked in, and when I mentioned the overly salted apples, the kitchen confirmed, yes, they were aggressively seasoned. They kindly offered to make a new batch, but honestly, I wasn’t ready to relive that trauma. The server was nice.

Overall Experience

For the price, I expected a higher level of execution and warmth—both literally and figuratively. Instead, I got a chilly game of musical chairs, food that needed a second draft, and a deep-seated regret for not going somewhere else.

Would I come back? Only if I develop a sudden craving for cold drafts, crumbly biscuits, and existential...

Wow today was honestly one of the best breakfasts that I’ve had all year. I drove down from West LA specifically for this location and feel it was more than worth the drive. This breakfast restaurant is a south eastern fusion and is honestly terrific. I enjoyed breakfast so much that I want to come for dinner. I would not classify it as a diner, more of an elevated breakfast restaurant. Inside is quite large and they have indoor and outdoor seating. They have a small free parking lot in the back otherwise neighborhood parking is pretty easy to find. The menu is not very large, but it has a lot of great options on it. They have some unique takes on some classic dishes and it was refreshing to try something new. Our server was really polite and everything that we ordered arrived pretty fast.

To start I ordered a Tres Leche Latte and thought it was fantastic. It was the perfect level of sweetness and had a great flavor. For my meal I chose the Up Country Benedict which was extremely unique because one of them was shrimp and grits, and the other was a smoked pork croquette that tasted like a crab cake. It was the first time I’ve ever had a shrimp Benedict and I honestly loved it because the shrimp was marinated and cooked, and it just had great flavor. Finally for dessert we finished off with the Beignets and really enjoyed them. They are basically oval shaped not the traditional square shaped, but they serve it with the most amazing strawberry jam on the side. You can tell it’s homemade. We also ordered Biscuits for the table and I thought they were some of the best buttermilk biscuits that I’ve had in a very long time. I would go here specifically for those biscuits alone. Overall, a fantastic meal and I will definitely be back soon even though I don’t live...