The Potholder Cafe
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One of four Potholder Breakfast Cafes around the greater Long Beach area, Potholder Cafe in DTLB serves up a varied menu for breakfast and lunch, closing by 1 pm. It's within easy walking distance from my place, so decided to make it a spot for a big breakfast as soon as they opened at 8am. Intentionally ordered too much to try two of my favorite things at a California diner: chili and a loco moco. Ended up bringing the former back home, and finishing the latter. Service was good, food was OK. I was the first customer to enter, and was greeted nicely by the early shift server and allowed to choose a booth. Was immediately given a laminated menu, and ice water was brought immediately after I asked. By that time, I had my choice and the food came in a reasonable amount of time. Homemade Chili Bowl w/Cheese & Onion ($8.95). - a normal size bowl. Not chile con carne, but had a healthy amount of beans. Strangely the base tasted strongly like Mexican refried (pinto) beans, not chili or tomato as I expected...this is not a chili my wife would dip her fries in. There was a good amount of cheese and onion, along with some pieces of beef (steak). Maritime Loco Moco ($16.95) - not sure why this is called 'maritime', it was simple but decent. It's a diner, so used easily source able ingredients, like minute rice, brown gravy from a jar, and a quarter pound hamburger patty. The two runny eggs were prepared perfectly and really did elevate the dish for me. The menu description was accurate. As mentioned, service was good throughout. There is a small parking lot to the side that gets filled quickly. There is a small outdoor patio in front for al fresco. Due to the proximity to the Long Beach cruise port, Potholders is a popular breakfast stop for cruisers, expecting classic American breakfast fare. And as usual, value depends on what you choose. In my case, prices were high for what I ordered and got. A better deal would have been more breakfast centric items like their custom omelets or hash.
Returning to this location within walking distance (13 minutes) of our Hyatt Centric hotel. First time we were here, it was a quiet weekday. Today, January 1, 2026, it is BUSY! Not too many solid breakfast spots open today, so we were happy Potholder welcomed recovering NYE revelers. Management positioned a hostess stand out front, but no sign-in sheet. We arrived behind another couple and it wasn't long before another couple arrived behind us. After a couple of minutes, I "boldly" opened the door to make sure we weren't missing something. A server looked up almost immediately, plates of food in her arms, smiled and let me know someone would be out shortly. We were sat about 5 minutes later. While there was plenty of hustle amongst the staff, the vibe was still pretty chill for a business that would be closing 90 minutes later. In fact, they were still seating people 15 minutes prior to close. We happened to be there until 1:15, lingering a bit, and noticing none of the tables were meant to feel rushed. They kept the weekday special - today was Three for Thursday - despite the holiday in a fairly touristy city. That was appreciated. The Thursday specials offer A) 3 eggs paired with 3 bacon or sausage, toast and potatoes OR B) 3 eggs, French toast and 3 bacon or sausages OR C) 3 eggs, 3 pancakes and 3 bacon or sausages. Each option was $12.95. Pretty darn good deal! Hubs ordered option "A" w/french fries, I went with option "C" cuz the word here is the delicious pancakes. Now, y'all, you KNOW I love pancakes, and I know Potholder offers a "Mac Daddy Frankie", an 18" single pancake, but I scoff, that is NOT a lot of pancake! My stack of 3, 8" pancakes were cake-y, fluffy, but dense, in a great way, were STEAMING HOT and had, as another Yelper noted, a hint of cinnamon in that house scratch recipe. There HAD to be more batter in my stack of 3, compared to a single 18" pancake. Don't worry, I polished that stack, but goood! I ordered my eggs "over hard", so I could easily remove the yolks and just have the whites, but 2 eggs must've broke because only 1 egg was visibly intact and the yolk was mixed in with the whites of my other eggs. Bummer. Bacon was done perfectly crisp, not even close to burnt, so good job on that. Hubs eggs were over medium and a little runny, but he declared them a solid 'fine'. He was also happy with his bacon and fries, but the white toast was delayed, so his food cooled a bit whilst waiting for that. We had to catch our server's eye for a coffee refill, but Tyana was friendly and working hard. I wasn't offered a refill of water, which would've been nice. In all, we enjoyed a solid meal at a very fair price and the location was an easy walk from our hotel. We will keep it in our Long Beach list as an easy breakfast spot. Cheers! "CC"
This may look odd but its soo good! They are not kidding about the works. Ive been sick for sometime and this was definitely comforting. The oatmeal was covered in all sorts of goodies such as caramelized pecans, granola, banana and a little too much butter.. but that was ok. They also provide a side of milk and raisins too. We ordered for pick up but we definitely enjoy dining in. Service is always on point. The potholder never disappoints.
You want a classic, home-y, comfy diner feel for breakfast? This is your next stop. I would hear about this lil cafe and would always be piqued to try it. I finally had an early Sunday morning to beat the rest of the Sunday crowds. I was in a party of 3 and was sat indoors. Which was perfected because it was pretty gloomy and humid and I'd rather eat my breakfast out the dumpster than be in humidity. Needless to say they have both indoor and outdoor seating. I ended up ordering the Frankie's special which was the perfect balance of protein, carbs and fats. Their sausage was REAL sausage meaning it wasn't the small little sausage links that remind you of your ex. I'm unsure if it was pork chicken or turkey but it was pretty savory and flavorful and gave a nice balance for the eggs and French toast. The egg wash/dip for the French toast was the best bath for the bread. I didn't even need to use syrup, the powdered sugar was plenty sweetness for me. I ended up sharing the Mia's stuffed French toast with strawberry cream cheese with my additionals. I really enjoyed the corn flake crispy crust on it was nice to have the texture of a crunch with the softness of the bread. Service was average or subpar to average. Our waitress wasn't the friendliest and had the whole "I don't want to be here it's 9am Sunday" attitude was there it was off putting but it didn't ruin our breakfast. Overall I'd come back when I want to have the home feeling diner. Parking is street parking otherwise there's a parking structure conveniently across the cafe.
Came here for breakfast the other day, and must say the few times I've been here, it's always been good. Nice portions. Good service. This past visit not so much. Food was great, been better before. But I ordered an iced tea, and the server returned to let me know they forgot to brew it. So I got a club soda instead. But never got a refill. Sat at the counter. It was slow. But the servers were too busy chatting or doing roll ups.
Pay attention to the little things and the big things won't go wrong. This was the lesson I was taught over and over while learning the restaurant business. So, they have a podium which says, please wait to be seated. And then no one is there to seat you. So, just to see how long it would take I started a stop watch. 4:35 later, one of the servers tells me someone will be with me shortly. What are your standards for greeting your customers? Is 4 minutes and 35 seconds appropriate when there is literally not a single customer in sight? Then, I wanted to sit at the counter. Which is fine, except literally half the counter was turned into a silverware rolling station. And... I want given silverware until I asked for it after the food arrived. Little things. Now, I ordered the Waffle Wednesday special. 2 eggs, choice of 2 meat, a waffle and 2 eggs any style. I thought I asked for hash browns to go with it. It was missed. Little things. The eggs and sausage were brought out right away, since the potatoes were missed, I waited for those as well as the waffle. The orange juice came with no straw. Little things. The staff is friendly. They were simply unfocused. Teach me to show up 15 minutes before closing. The total bill with tip ended up being just over $30! Yikes! The food was very good, but, $30 for breakfast?!?
The food was great. I love a good Cornbeef hash. They seemed short staffed at the time I was there but service was still on par for the course. It was breakfast time so the ambiance was the sun shining through to get us going. Indoor or outdoor seating available. Nothing to complain about. I'm going back for more.
2 years ago
Kind of noisy street-side cafe' but not a lot to choose from early in the morning. Service was better than good. Food was decent and the bloody mary was the first with bacon on top that I tried. I recommend. read more
1 year ago
My California omelette was supposed to have, among other ingredients, sliced out pieces of turkey breast, but what i I got was full of gristle and fat. I couldn't eat it. I pulled it all out and ate the rest, eggs with tomatoes, avocados, and cheese. The server agreed that it did not look like turkey breast. and she offered to bring me a new one, but with a plane to catch, I thanked her and said I'd eat around the icky meat. I was already turned off, wondering how in the world the cook thought they could get away with putting these scraps in an omelette. The tomatoes were not ripe. The coffee and toast were good. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
The coffee sucks so much, both decaf and regular. I was done by the first cup and free refills didn't even sound good to me. I can't describe the taste of the coffee but it was nasty and cold. I ordered the 2egg breaks fast combo. That plate was pretty good comes with two eggs, 5 pieces of turkey bacon or bacon or sausage of your choice, hash browns & toast. I orders the Mickey cake, and it was just a bunch of pancakes (no nutrients or protein whatsoever). I don't think I'll be coming back for coffee but I may come back for breakfast but not the Mickey cake for my son. read more
5 years ago
I've been here twice now and neither time did I really enjoy it. Most recently, I met a client there for an early breakfast meeting. This isn't a great place for that sort of thing. Booths are small and they want you to GET OUT. Also, the menu is just enormous and they don't seem to have any "smaller" things that are good to order when you're meeting. I asked if I could get avocado toast and was told "No, but I can bring you an avocado and a toast". I believe something similar happened on a Seinfeld episode with a "Big Salad." I was brought some relatively dry toast and a half-rotted avocado. Gross. On my first visit, we sat outside in what might be the most uncomfortable chairs I've ever encountered in a restaurant. My SO had French toast that was just OK, I had a mediocre omelet and we shared a plate of biscuits and gravy that were tasted of nothing but flour and undercooked dough. Can't recommend. It's always crowded, but waiting for this food is not time well spent. read more
10 months ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
2 years ago
I love this place, and Ive been eating here for years. Great food great service. All of those locations in Long Beach are great but I go to the downtown Long Beach location. Highly recommend. read more
Great service, comfy seats, delicious food. Need I say more? The coffee kept coming and we were not rushed. My kid liked getting a gumball. A long wait is a good sign...but for Saturday on a holiday weekend...20 mins is reasonable. read more
10 months ago
4 years ago
After arriving exhausted and hungry in Long Beach, we were on the hunt for some breakfast. The Potholder came highly recommended by a friend who is local to the area. After seeing how beloved this place is on Yelp, I was certain we would be in for a long wait to get a table. However, we did not have to wait at all on this particular Saturday morning! We were quickly greeted by a friendly server and our order was taken. I settled on the baked potato omelette, and my mom went with the flaky French toast. We decided to go halfsies on our entrees so we could each taste a bit more of the menu. Our food arrived quickly and piping hot. After each taking a bite, we knew we made the right choices for our meals. I've never tried anything quite like the baked potato omelette, which says a lot, as I have sampled many omelettes in my day. The flaky French toast was also quite good. I was afraid it would be super sweet and overwhelming, but it was not at all. It was delicious. Overall, I cannot recommend this spot enough if you're in Downtown Long Beach. It is more than worthy of the hype it receives. read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
Always faster service at the counter but if I bring friends or family I do have to wait for a table. add another Talley mark to the good visit for Cinco de Mayo visit. I just the decorations from my other breakfast spots in the past, they were like a calendar with the decorations. Ambiance is typical for a potholder cafe. read more
1 year ago
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1 year ago
2 years ago
Generous portions for the price, and the staff is wonderfully attentive and friendly. Plus, finding parking is a breeze with their own parking lot - a delightful rarity in Long Beach! read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
I attended the potholder cafe this morning. When we first arrived we weren't greeted the host just asked us how many. We sat down and ordered food. I ordered the veggie spuds. When my plate came this weird looking piece of material was mixed in with my plate. Luckily it was so big that it stuck out and I was able to notice it right off the back. I notified the waiter and see first said maybe it was a stem to the food. There was no way that was a stem from anything in my plate. It was a piece of cooked plastic or something. She exchanged my plate. However, considering the incident. I feel that I shouldn't have been charged for the food. I feel that my plate should have been taken off the bill as being a part of good customer service. I will not be going back. I heard that their other location is 10 times better. Now I see why this location gets a lot of bad complaints. read more
2 years ago
Great little spot tried breakfast the menu is expansive so there are many options good for group breakfast will definitely be back read more
Overall experience wasn't great. Our waitress was dismissive and men. We had to send back the potatoes because they were cold and sent the pancakes back twice because they gave us the wrong ones. The manager ended up being our server and was very kind. Food was just ok, diner style. read more
2 years ago
We decided to give this place a try because of the rating we saw on yelp. After trying it I must say I don't know what people were talking about. The food was not good at all. I ordered the chicken and waffles (this place adds bacon inside the waffle) and must say I was disappointed. The waffle was hard and stale and the chicken tenders were just bland. My wife ordered the country fried steak. Boy was she disappointed as well. The gravy on the steak was watery, the steak was paper thin and the country potatoes were horrible. Some of the potatoes were cut into cubes and she also got half of a potato in the same mix. I don't understand how everything could be so flavorless. I wouldn't recommend. read more
August 2021 - Super cute place!! Service was nice and attentive! So much to choose from on the menu. Ordered Tim's Dug Out and loveddd it!!! Wait was about 20ish minutes but we did go around 11am on a Saturday. Will be back if I'm in the area! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
This place is fine! Nothing exceptional but solid and not crazy expensive. The toast is yummy :) the omelette tastes like an omelette ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ My gf got the vegan tofu scramble which she said was "fine" read more
Business owner information
Michael P.
Linus we appreciate you coming in. Hope we see you again soon.
5 years ago
Customer service: excellent. We were attended quickly, and regularly checked on while waiting for our take out order. Every team member was super helpful and made sure we had everything we needed. Food: Already can't wait to go back. Everything from the eggs to the sausage, French toast and spuds was delicious. The spuds are a type of loaded potatoes that come covered on mushrooms, cheese, sour cream and avocado. They were super tasty and had great flavor Located in Downtown Long Beach across the public library, this breakfast joint is worth the wait! They have a few tables for outside dining and are all socially distanced properly. They also have mimosas and micheladas for those in look for a good time read more
Business owner information
Michael P.
Alyeska thank you. We hope to see you again soon.
2 years ago
I visit my cousins 2-3x a year, and every Sunday morning, when I head back to the Bay, we come here. Everything is always good and the service is friendly. They have an outdoor area, which is nice too if you have dogs read more
2 years ago
Food was great and service was nice. Easy walk from my hotel. Came on a Thursday and go there Thursdays special. They have a deal for each day so take advantage. Pancakes are huge read more
Business owner information
Michael P.
Jon thank you. We hope to see you again soon!!!
2 years ago
First time here and we were lucky to come in on a beautiful day where the sun is out but breeze is cool. Outdoor seating is comfortable with umbrellas and shady spots for those who prefer it. Servers were kind and quick and the food was tasty. For me the super spuds were the shining star and I'm glad I got some on the side. read more
4 years ago
I'm a lover of breakfast cafes and always try to find a good place when traveling. This cafe seemed to scream local to me and I love that. The place looks a little rundown and I won't lie smelled a little funky, but I was committed and excited for some breakfast. I sat inside at a small booth even though they have an outdoor patio which looked inviting. My server was very attentive and knowledgeable. I ordered the Thursday special which is 3 eggs, 3 slices of bacon and 3 slices of French toast. I paid a little more for the specialty French toast which is strawberry cream cheese filled and coated in corn flakes. I was worried it would be too much and too sugary, but it was delicious! It was just the right amount of everything. I ate it all! This place is a little divey and unassuming, but give it a chance! They have tons of options and alcoholic beverages as well if you're looking for a boozy breakfast/brunch option! read more
3 years ago
1 year ago
More info about The Potholder Cafe
301 W Broadway
Long Beach, CA 90802
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(562) 432-6824
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https://www.thepotholdercafe.com
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Ask the Community - The Potholder Cafe
Do you take reservations? Looking for a table Christmas morning?
We do not take reservations. We are closed on Christmas. So sorry.
Do you allow pets? We like to take our two well mannered dogs with us to outdoor restaurants.
We love pets. Our outdoor patio is very accommodating!! Hope we see you soon.
Do you have unlimited mimosa for Sunday as well?
Although we serve mimosas everyday we currently only serve bottomless mimosas on Saturdays.
Can you order lunch items at breakfast time?
Yes full menu at all time Hope to see you soon
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The Potholder Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated June 2026
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