I came here with family on Mother's Day. We had a large group of 15 so it took a while to be seated. Parking is on the street or in the in structure across the street. I heard that the small parking lot in back is for employees. Not sure if that is true since I saw a couple customers double park. The restaurant itself is cozy and old fashioned. The menu looked great and all the food items everyone else had looked appetizing. However, the steak and eggs I ordered was pretty disappointing. Well, just the steak. It was extremely hard and over cooked. It was probably my fault for ordering this at breakfast place but I have never had it so tough and hard. The meat was getting stuck in all my teeth making it a not so pleasant dining experience. *one novelty item ordered by my aunt was a pancake as big as a pizza Not only that, the food took a while to come out which did not make things any better. Our server was friendly and nice but my meal did not impress me enough to ever recommend or return. read more

The Potholder Cafe - Cardboard steak - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Long Beach, California

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We came on a Saturday for brunch at 12pm. We got sat right away, and ordered within 15 mins, but it took 50 minutes from ordering for them to bring out our food. The kitchen is very slow. The atmosphere is like an eclectic Denny's. Old diner but with a little more personality. We opted for the outdoor patio which just looks at the parking lot and street. The Eggs Benedict I would give a 1/5, it's made with a slice of Kraft American cheese that wasn't fully melted and the egg over hard. My boyfriend enjoyed his fried chicken 4.5/5 and we shared a single pancake that was very good, 4.5/5. If you're going to eat here i definitely would order the pancakes! For these three food items and 2 coffees, our bill was $44. Our server was kind and apologized for the wait, and the manager did adjust our bill due to the long wait. However, I don't think we would eat here again due to long wait times for food. read more

Food is delicious. service is good. I love being near the beach and long beach is very LQBTQ friendly so the area is comfortable. Love the patio but it does get quite warm. The drink options seem to be a little limited. Overall it was good. read more

Post COVID this restaurant is horrible. The turkey sausage tasted like it was boiled in dish water. The pancakes tasted as though they were made with the same soap water. And the restroom was the worse ! The restroom was horrific. Smelt like four different-air fresheners trying to mask the chemical smell of what I assumed to be bleach and ammonia to mask the sewer water smell. It's was so over powering. The waitress was nice and sweet with my kids so that was appreciated but we will not be returning. read more

I feel like I'm not typically a harsh reviewer on Yelp as I'm pretty easy to please but my experience here wasn't very pleasant. I came here on a Sunday with my friends for brunch, and I ordered the enchiladas. I normally don't really like breakfast so I steer towards mexican food because who doesn't love Mexican food. My friends got their orders and i found out they messed up my order but I felt that it was no big deal, it happens. However, my friends finished eating their food and I still hadn't received my order. Honestly I really don't care about it taking a while, I understand it was busy, what bothered me was I just got a small "I'm sorry" and that was final. I've gotten my order wrong in the past and was followed by a sympathetic offering of giving me an additional food on the side as I wait or to scratch off my meal entirely on the receipt. I don't know if I simply am just feeling a bit spoiled by other restaurant having the same experience and the service being sympathetic towards me or what but that honestly made me upset. I ended up cancelling my order because my friends were finished and we had to go, I didn't want to feel rushed while I ate my meal. The manager came by to apologize for the situation and offered to get me my meal but I felt that it was pretty late anyways. I'm honestly giving 2 stars because the potatoes I ate from my friends plates that they offered me were delicious LOL. read more

I visited this cafe on the morning of 9/4/2021 to grab something quick and light. Let me just say, everything about this visit, service and food was awful. While I waited to be seated, I noticed lots of dogs on the patio and my son is allergic to dog hairs, however I seen a dog licking water out of a cup . I opted to sit inside. Secondly, I ordered a meal called the couch-received my food & things looked "ok". My son and I shared a meal which had 2 pancakes, 2 back, 2 sausage, and spuds. I begin to cut my son's pancakes up (he is 6), put butter on them, and give him the plate. I begin to pout syrup on his pancakes and out comes a DEAD FLY, right on his pancakes The manager came over and DID give me a new plate of pancakes and a new bottle of syrup. After we were done and my appetite was lost, i receive the bill which was FULL price. Nothing was taken off as a courtesy, no nothing was comped. I was not looking for a discount at all, however...ITS THE PRINCIPLE. Dead insects fall in some food, the manager shouldve been more mindful of consumer value. So the waitress comes to take the ticket, and i ask her "you dont think it would be best practice for the manager to comp a meal or anything?" She says, "yeah he was waiting to see if it would be a problem and if so, he didnt kind giving a DISCOUNT" ‍ Im so confused at this point. So, i have to make a complaint about a problem that is already a problem for a discount?!? Smh. Needless to say, the manager took $5 off of a $16 meal with a fly in it. And the food was nasty too. The mushrooms in the spuds (loaded potatos) were old. Do not eat at this place. The appearance looks nice, but the service and food do not match at all!!! read more

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I recommend the Long Beach Potholder. The food portion seemed bigger and quality of food was better in LB. The service was great in both places read more

Always trying out different breakfast spots and this place has always been on the list. Place has been around for years with really good ratings. Food here was really good and the portions on the dishes are fairly large that you can share. Prices are fair and not overpriced but avg. For the market with breakfast dishes for dinners. Service is great as the food comes out quick and the servers are always ready to help. Overall great experience and worth coming out. read more

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Hopping for breakfast at 10am on a Saturday. Say without waiting on patio, and ordered after a brief delay. Waitress friendly and kept our coffee mugs full. Food took a bit of time to come put and was a bit underwhelming--under-seasoned moco loco and ungenerous filling of the ($13) "mondo" burrito. Grapefruit juice was also oddly effervescent, as though it were a mimosa but no champagne. I won't rush back but could imagine going there again if someone else wanted to and we were in the area. read more

This will be my favorite breakfast spot to go to! I bring my family & friends everytime they visit. It's a Long Beach staple. I love that it's walking distance and it's such a cute place! Service is always good read more

Service is great. The omelettes are delicious and generous portions. Big fan and we'll be back again. read more

The Potholder Cafe - Sandra enjoying her yummy seafood omelet at Potholder Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Long Beach, California

Pleasantly surprised. Service was excellent and the food was pretty good. I' would go there again.

The Redhead who greeted us was very nice and that's the only good thing about this place. My food was disgusting. It had zero seasoning and what looked like jello snot on top, It looked and tasted bland and just bad with soggy bread. My friends burger was cold and she didn't finish it, same with my friends chicken and waffles. We all agreed it was bad. I asked if the orange juice was fresh like the menu says and I got it and it was from a box, you can taste it. I have no idea why this place has good reviews. Had to walk to the counter to ask them to refill my own soda. Waitress was rude and never came back to the table after stopping once, and had an attitude like she would rather be anywhere else on earth. As a server myself, they need to hire nicer staff. read more

The Potholder Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Long Beach, California

Enjoyed breakfast at the downtown location. Service is always great. Food comes out quickly and hot and tasty. Definitely like this location as well well. read more

Looking for a nice breakfast/Brunch with good customer service rather than cranky people? look no further. This place right here has it all. From the start, the staff is great. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood which in the morning can be hard to find at certain restaurants. In regards to the pricing: Well, everything in CA seems to be going up so expect about $11-15 per person. Their portions are pretty big tho, so I'll give them that. The food itself is good. Although,the chilaquiles could use a bit more flavor and less,nacho feel,if that makes sense. Check them out for yourself and follow our travel vlogs on instagram @thehungrynomadz read more

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We walked here for breakfast the other day. It's best to go early when they open to avoid the rush. My husband and I enjoyed pancakes, cream cheese stuffed French toast, potatoes, bacon, sausage, and eggs. The portion sizes were great, and we will most likely visit this local business again. read more

Great place for breakfast and a nice bloody mary . Always see a line to get in so we went during the week.

We usually enjoy breakfast here, but not today. Service was bad, pancakes were terrible, and my usual plate was ok. Quality of food not as good as we are used to. read more

I've never had a problem with this place. It's my go to spot for breakfast or brunch. I don't know why but I always crave a cup of Joe from them and would walk all the way over just for that. They give pretty good sized portions and they also have special deals each day. I love Monday Machaca, and Wednesday waffle day. What's also great is that they have a gluten free option for pancakes and waffles too. The staff here is personable, friendly, and on top of their service. I have yet to try their bottomless mimosas which I heard was an awesome deal. They have a great patio that is dog friendly so I like to bring my pup along. They have a small parking lot that is also part of the churches parking lot. Make sure you watch where you park or the church members will come after you. I live just a block down so I always just walk. I will keep on coming here and bringing people as long as I'm still in Long Beach. Oh yeah don't forget to try their Mac daddy pancake. Server suggested at least 7 people to attempt to finish it. My mom and I ordered it and it was a no go. Shout out to my server Dennis! Excellent service and if you had coffee for breakfast you can take a cup of coffee Togo. read more

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Yelp steered us in the right direction once again! This place looks like it was probably an IHOP or Dennys but now has a beach theme inside with royal blue vinyl on the booths and seats and cute beach themed tables. Food was extremely filling, I had the chilaquilas lots of cheese eggs jalapeños and avocado and a side of fruit, my husband had the aptly named D-Fib chicken fried steak with over medium eggs, bacon on top of fresh biscuits and smothered with gravy, to make it healthy he opted for tomatoes on the side instead of the potatoes lol. Will definitely visit this friendly diner again! read more

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I am only giving a 2 cus of the service was good. Oook wth HAPPENED where did the chef Go? Did they get new cooks cus the food was questionable. They went down on the portion side I get that but the quality of food has truly gone down. The steak pieces not chunks like they had been. The Soggy French toast never again. Potatoes were so under cooked the studs are well used to be the fav part of the meal. Idk what happened but the food is crap. Won't b going back. It's sad because I remember the food being soo much better. Service was always a toss but the food always made up for it but today idk what we got but No read more

Such amazing service by Roaiza!!! It was a long morning and her bright bubbly energy was appreciated. The restaurant wasn't very busy. It was a Wednesday morning. read more

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The food was over greasy, the mushrooms not cook at all. The customer service I give them 3 stars. 1st and last time to this place. The sad part is that they have 4 stars and I normally go to places they have 4-5 stars of reviews. I will never come to this location because of the food. read more

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This place is the best! We've been here a few times and it has NEVER disappointed! Service super quick, food so good....the French toast is to die for. Ambiance is cool and casual. Great staff! Can't wait to go back! read more

Went in today and waited around 20 minutes to be seated. That was okay, it was a gorgeous day and we took them being busy as positive sign. I wish we had just gone somewhere else. Disorganized would not being to describe the experience. We had 3 different serves the time we were there which was fine but we still received awful service. We constantly had to wait to coffee refills and didn't place our meal order for about 20 minutes after we were seated. Then the wait began. It took roughly 45 minutes to get our food and to top it off, every single order was cold! Three people, three cold meals. The quality of the food however was definitely good. Beyond that, it was a truly bad experience. read more

Experienced racism here with my kids. We will never come back. Waited 5-10 min no one came and said anything to us but they served other families who were white. And kept us the black family waiting. read more

Perfect. Exactly what you want when you think of diner/breakfast food. Spot on service and great food!! Just slightly out of downtown area and perfect at that. read more

First of all, this low rating is not about the service of the wait staff or the food. Everyone was very accommodating and we all enjoyed our breakfast until . . . . . . we were seated in the large booth in the corner to the right as you enter the restaurant. We had 4 adults and 2 toddlers so we were occupied with keeping them busy with the crayons and art sheet. All of a sudden we notice the roach trap right above us, about 12 - 18 inches. That was disgusting and gross. Then on the outside of the large picture window, there was a large 2 inch roach. We felt very uncomfortable after seeing the roach trap but then to see the large roach on the glass of the window. They should seek a professional to assist them with traps that are not in the open or in plain view of the diners. I paid about $100 for breakfast so it was quite a disappointing experience. read more

What has happened to this place? I went 3times and each time it was awful, no taste, over done and order was incorrect, It took for ever to get our orders and when we do IT WAS COLD! This place was so good and now... not so much sadly. Hope they get it together soon. read more

Amazing tofu scramble, welcoming service, and lots of coffee refills. I was staying in downtown Long Beach for the marathon and wanted to get a solid breakfast the day before. Really appreciate they have excellent traditional breakfast along with vegan and gluten free GF options. And when you leave they offer more coffee and if you take out they think of everything, extra butter and all that. And prices are reasonable. I also saw a parking lot with a few spots. Street parking meters too. read more

We had amazing service by Shannon, who was charming and excellent at her job. I particularly recommend the breakfast quesadilla, which was perfection. My daughter had the breakfast burrito and loved it as well. 10/10 - great place if you are looking for casual dining experience, delicious breakfast food, and friendly service. read more

The Potholder Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Long Beach, California

Considering my experience at The Potholder Cafe's other location on East Broadway, I'm much more impressed with this Downtown Long Beach Location on West Broadway. For starters, I like the layout much better. There's one entrance and a host station in the front. Less confusing than the East Broadway location where you enter through the front door and a waitress barks at you to check in at a different entrance. Sigh! No one is barking at us in Downtown Long Beach though. The service is very friendly, even if there is less than an hour 'til closing, they are inviting you to come in. As they clean up the other tables around you, they don't rush you to leave. Although, it would be polite for customers to wrap it up so they can close :) The first time we had a late lunch here, we didn't even realize that they close in the middle of the day. It wasn't until my second visit when I noticed the hours posted. But like I said, the waitress invited me to come in and relax. She even recognized me from my last visit. Potholder Cafe gets points for having a small vegan-friendly menu. I've had the Vegan Benedict at the East Broadway location and it was okay. However, since coming to this location, I've discovered the deliciousness that are the Vegan Burritos. Tofu, green peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes wrapped in tortilla, topped with red sauce and avocado slices. Yum!!! It also comes with a side of potatoes but I like to sub it for tomato slices. http://bit.ly/1LeoRWS One of my interns also ordered from the vegan menu. He seemed to enjoy the Veggie Spuds. It's a plateful of potatoes, sautéed spinach, mushrooms, red onions, green peppers, green onions, tomatoes and avocado. http://bit.ly/1IiMs5K Legit vegan options in Downtown Long Beach. It's especially convenient if I'm spending time across the street at the Main Library. However, if you're not already parked at the Civic Center parking structure, Potholder Cafe has free parking in the small lot on Cedar Ave. behind the restaurant in between the restaurant and the church. If the lot is full, there's plenty street meters nearby. read more

The Potholder Cafe - Veggie Spuds - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Food here is delish. Love their omelettes (bonus: mimosas)! Excellent, friendly service. The back patio is a great place to chow with your dog nearby. read more

Great food and service!! Stuffed French toast was yummy as well as their omelet and homemade biscuit!

This place is just a great breakfast/lunch place. I remember the first time I came here I didn't know what to expect and it was just awesome. Parking can be scarce here so you might have to park down the street on meters. I usually don't have to wait very long here so thats pretty cool. We tend to come here pretty early so that could be the reason why. The staff is always super friendly and attentive. The food is awesome The max daddy is a must when you come here with a party of four or more. It's 18 inches of a think pancake. We've ordered their omelets and potato plates and their all pretty delicious. Their coffee is a typical breakfast diner roast. Plenty of refills to go around. We've started to bring our little 10 month old. This place is very kid friendly. Thank you potholder! read more

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I didn't know about the Potholder Cafe until I wanted pancakes for lunch and my friend mentioned Potholder Cafe Too (this downtown LBC location is closer to my work than the original). It is also less crowded, bigger and has a private parking lot or metered parking all around the restaurant. I knew the old property was an old Mexican restaurant that went out of business. No kidding, the pancakes here were SUPER DELISH. I ordered the breakfast special for lunch which included a side of 3 big pancakes on the side. Kid you not, these pancakes ranks high up there compared to Uncle Bill's (Hermosa Beach) and the Griddle Cafe off Sunset in WesHo. I love pancakes and at first bite, I felt a flavor explosion of a buttery batter mixed with maple syrup. Potholder Cafe also serves up CANNED corned beef hash. LOVE IT! I loved the canned style. Their service was awesome...and the Potholder hires very nice wait staff...very nice looking and very nice and attentive. :) Go for their breakfast and lunch! read more

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"Mac Daddy"...we came, we saw and we FAILED! The 18 inch round pancake was declared the victor against 3 ppl (2 guys and a gal)...boohoo! The pancake was okay...nothing special. The same goes for their other dishes (corn beef hash, eggs, sausage and toast). It's your typical breakfast joint... Service was Eh... Only time we saw our server was when she came to take our orders and to give us the check...tsk tsk... Would I come back? Maybe... Parking available behind the restaurant or on the streets (metered) read more

The Potholder Cafe - 18 inch Mac Daddy Pancake - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Long Beach, California

Ventured out with a friend on Saturday morning to The Potholder Cafe. If you love great diner food with good service, then I can't recommend this place enough. When we arrived (before 9am), there were plenty of tables indoors and outdoors. The staff was very nice and helpful - answering all of our questions and offering suggestions on menu items. My friend and I ordered the the Chicken and Waffles and Chicken Fried Steak. The chicken was boneless tenders (huge win for us) and were cooked well and not dry. The waffle had a hidden bacon surprise. The Chicken Fried Steak was a comforting with country gravy. A good portion for the price point. I'll be visiting this spot again when I'm in Long Beach again. read more

Nothing special, food is good but it's just like a regular cafe. I really expected a different experience based on reviews and highly recommendations. Service is Good but also not the best. I had my hopes a bit higher I think. read more

'Twas a Sunday morning, and meeting up with my cousin for breakfast. She suggested this place and it looked good. Indeed, it was good. I had eggs the day before so trying to watch my egg intake. Studied the menu to find that perfect dish, and there it was. A.J.'s Health Nut - scrambled egg whites with feta, spinach, tomatoes, dried cranberries, walnuts. It included a nice portion of potatoes (hash brown style). Squaw bread, buttered. It hit the spot nicely. I walked out of there feeling pretty 'healthy'. The Hubbie had The Rancher - corned beef hash. I forgot to taste his dish. Looks like he enjoyed it...as it was all gone... Will I be coming back here? Definitely. Thanks "The B" for the suggestion! read more

The Potholder Cafe - AJ's health nut, good n healthy. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Long Beach, California