The Café

"We were there last night. The food and service were great. The best part is that the musician who was performing had patrons come up to sing with him. So much fun. Candy, the owner, even sang and blew us all away. We had such a blast!"

"I don't like to leave negative reviews unless the experience warrants it but this was one of the worst meals I've had in Long Beach and possibly Long Island. We should have taken the hint when we walked up on a Saturday night and, while surrounding restaurants were all packed, this place was nearly empty. We sit down outside since the indoor section had loud music playing. After a while, the owner(?)/ server Candy came over to take our 3 orders (a burger, fish and chips with a summer salad, and the chicken francese, nothing super complicated) and 3 Arnold Palmer mojitos. I went to the (questionably clean) bathroom and found out the hard way that the lock on the door didn't work. I came back to the only redeeming part of the meal which was the fresh croissants that were actually very good. Had I know we were in for an hour+ wait on the food coming out, I'd have rationed the croissant and drinks accordingly (our waters were never refilled). Our "Arnold Palmer half and half mojitos" came out which were mostly ice, some lemon, mint leaves and some type of alcohol in a small mason jar (a massive rip off for $15). The owner kept coming over to tell us our food was about to come out soon over the course of an hour which was very strange since we were really the only ones there dinning (besides a few people at the bar and out on the patio who all already had food and I assumed were either employees/friends of the owner because she kept going over to talk to them). The food came out and was mediocre at best. Parts of my ($30+ burger) were cold, and others very hot and the fries were just disappointing. The fish and chips were described as "hush puppies without any seasoning" and the Chicken pasta dish was a pool of sauce with some pasta and chicken in it. While a disappointing end to the meal, we weren't done yet. Right as we're finishing up the food, another round of drinks shows up, that had been ordered much earlier while we waited for the food (again, at this point there's nobody else there, so there's no excuse for drinks to take THAT long but hey what's another $50 on the bill right?). Now that were done eating, we arrive at my favorite part of the meal, the check. Candy arrives with the bill and announces that they don't take credit cards, just cash and Venmo like we're at some bodega in Queens. At this point I've already been embarrassed taking 2 new business partners here, so what's a little more, we do a tableside Venmo transaction. It's at this point that I notice a $41 "custom item" at the bottom of the bill (along with prices that I only now realize were slightly more than on the menu) that turned out to be the "tip" Candy automatically put on there for a table of 3 (which kind of just soured me in the way that it was done since I would have tipped more anyway despite the atrocious service). Overall, Bad food, bad service, bad location, and bad vibes. Will not be going back, nor recommending to any of my LB friends."

"I was extremely disappointed by this restaurant. We came in when there were less then 5 people in the establishment and had to wait ages for anything to come out, both food and drink. The food seemed pricey but not overly so for the area. The meal started off well so I was expecting good things, but the warm croissants did not make up for all 3 of our entrees being terrible. Then, to top it off gratuity was automatically applied to the bill as a food item, and we were asked to pay the check by a person to person Venmo transaction. So not only was the food and service bad, but it was sketchy financially. Just go somewhere else."

"Great experience my first time at The Cafe. A gentleman named Dennis greeted me at the door, he was quite warm and friendly. I came in for brunch on a rainy Saturday morning and at first I was skeptical, as the place feels a little rough around the edges — like an unfinished work in progress. I’m glad I gave it a chance, because the food was just exceptional! The Florentine omelette was lovely, well presented, incredibly tasty, fresh, and perfectly made. Served with a side of slightly charred asparagus (delicious!), sautéed potatoes with peppers and onions, and a warm croissant on the side. Beautiful piano music gives the place a classier ambience, despite the otherwise casual décor (which is currently in the process of being upgraded). Floor to ceiling windows make for a great dining experience drenched in natural light. Outdoor al fresco dining available as well. They offer free wifi too! Overall, I’m glad I gave it a chance. The Cafe is a sweet little locally-owned spot nestled right in Long Beach town and I will definitely be back."

"First the staff are nice and welcoming, The foods was good, I had fish and chips, it was delicious also has the vegan options and it was great!!!The fried brownie dessert surprised me. They Played some live great music while we ate. Lovely place. Definitely coming back:)"