Best restaurants in Long Beach: Critics' picks
It's a little bit Long Island, a little bit Queens and maybe even some San Diego thrown in there. However you describe Long Beach, this bohemian city is a fun and delicious place to be ... especially in the summertime when travelers pour off the train, ready to walk the boardwalk — and party.
This best bets list of 10 restaurants has been compiled by a Long Beach local (me). It includes some town favorites as well as under-the-radar picks that make the barrier island's culinary scene unique.
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There's a German beer hall, multiple Italian spots, a longtime Jewish deli and even a seafood-themed cocktail bar. Long Beach also has some excellent bakeries and bars, so we've included a few of our favorites at the bottom. Hang 10!
Das Bíergarten
1148 W. Beech St.
This festive mural-lined drinking hall is the home of Das Boot, a gigantic beer mug shaped into a foot. But most revelers are lining up at the bar drinking regular-sized Oktoberfest beers, and snacking on German-ish appetizers like potato skins with melty Muenster cheese.
Das Biergarten is one of those rare German beer halls that also has pretty legit food, and you won't go wrong with the trio of wursts ($24). The platter comes with three pork sausages, a boatload of kraut, red cabbage and warm potatoes. Pair it with a side of spaetzle and you've got yourself a feast. More info: 516-897-2437, dasbiergarten.com
Gino's
16 W. Park Ave.
Gino's Pizza manager Madeline Ortega carries out fresh pies from the Long Beach restaurant. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
Sure, every town on Long Island has their own beloved red sauce joint. (Or five of them.) But there's something special about Gino's in Long Beach, which has been dishing out Italian-American fare since 1962. Maybe it's the retro sign and the location, right across the street from the train station on Park Avenue. Or maybe it's the ginormous portions and the pastas that never skimp on melted cheese. The pizzeria is popular here but you'll have a better meal in the dining area, especially if you order the decadent tortellini alla panna ($23.55) which is doused in cream and diced prosciutto. More info: 516-432-8193, ginoslongbeach.com
Grotta di Fuoco
960 W. Beech St.
Grana Padano cheese is grated on the spicy Diavoloa pizza at Grotta di Fuoco in Long Beach. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
Long Beach is not a fine dining town, but if you ask any local where to get a nice meal, chances are they'll mention Grotta. This industrial chic basement spot is all about the wood-fired oven that puts out smoky, blistered, terrific pizzas. The Diavola with soppressata and hot honey is a sure bet ($22). But the fresh pasta dishes also rock. The lemon chitarra with plump shrimp may be smaller than the pastas at Gino's, but does Gino's have uni butter?! More info: 516-544-2400, grottalbny.com
Laurel Diner
300 W. Park Ave.
Laurel Diner has been a community hub since 1932. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Why don't all diners look this spiffy? This community hub has been in business since 1932, but it got a glow-up in 2014 when brothers Andrew and Peter Loucas remodeled the restaurant to look like the Art Deco movie theater that used to be next door. The spot gained some extra cred this year when it was featured on the Netflix TV series "You." But the menu is still classic diner fare, like Pat LaFrieda burgers, diner omelets and a pretty solid club sandwich. ($20.65). More info: 516-432-7728, laureldiner.com
LB Bistro
150 E. Park Ave.
Coq au vin at LB Bistro in Long Beach. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
The best seat at Matt Hisiger's French bistro is at the bar, or if you're lucky, one of the tables at the front by the window, where you'll find a couple splitting a bottle of red wine. If you can ignore the cars speeding down Park Avenue or the soundtrack of '70s folk rock, it almost feels you're in Paris for a minute. But it helps to have a bubbly French 77 cocktail in your hand as you split a bowl of meaty mussels ($22), using the bread to soak up that beautiful white wine butter sauce. The menu leans more classic than seasonal, but they sure do make a satisfying beef bourguignon ($36). More info: 516-992-0014, lbbistrony.com
Lido Kosher Deli
641 E. Park Ave.
Lido Kosher Deli is known for its robust deli offerings and overloaded bowls of matzah ball soup.
It may have an urban contemporary look, but this is one of the longest-running Jewish delis around. Father and son team Wally and Russell Goetz took the business over in 1986, but before that it was a place called Bernard's for more than 30 years. Today Lido is known for its robust deli offerings and overloaded bowls of matzah ball soup. Lido also makes a mean pastrami sandwich, which is brined with salt and spices before being cooked and loaded onto rye bread. This may be gilding the lilly, but think about getting the Pastrami Plus with pastrami and chopped liver together on one sandwich ($21.95). If you can finish it, it's a mitzvah. More info: 516-431-4411, lidokosherdeli.com
Lost & Found/Lost at Sea
951 W. Beech St., 888 W. Beech St.
Charred octopus with lemon and chickpeas at Lost & Found in Long Beach. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
This pair of bistros is the beating heart of Long Beach's culinary scene, and currently on Newsday's list of Top 50 Long Island restaurants. The larger concept Lost & Found is a passion project for chef-owner Alexis Trolf, who keeps his menu tight and local and writes it on paper. Part of the joy of this restaurant is watching him and the other cooks prepare your food before they set it in front of you. (Don't sleep on the hummus.) Across the street, Lost At Sea is a tiki-themed seafood spot where co-owner Stephan Magliano greets diners warmly as he mixes superlative cocktails. More info: 516-442-2606 (Lost & Found); 516-632-5263 (Lost at Sea), instagram.com/lostandfoundlbny/?hl=en
Nagahama
169 E. Park Ave.
The Chanukah roll with yellowtail, avocado, cucumber, salmon, and scallions, topped with tobiko, at Nagahama. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
The barrier island has more than a few choices for sushi, but this spot which means Long Beach in Japanese is one of the oldest — and with good reason. On the spectrum of Long Island sushi, it consistently scores high. You'll find all of the usual suspects, from nigiri sushi to hot appetizers and inventive specialty rolls, as well as plenty of beer and sake. Much of the staff has been here for over a decade, and they know the regulars who flock to the intimate dining room many nights. (It can get pretty busy, so plan ahead). More info: 516-432-6446, nagahamasushi.com
Ra-Kang Thai Cuisine
895 W. Beech St.
This family-run restaurant serves reliable Thai standards in a lovely dining room of parasol-concealed lights, intricate carved details and dozens of little bronze bells. ("Rakang" means "bell.") Spring rolls, pad Thai and papaya salad are well executed, as are less common dishes such as crispy duck panang with bright green beans in a coconut sauce. Tiki cocktails abound on the drinks menu. More info: 516-442-1313, rakanglongbeach.com
Swingbellys BBQ
909 W. Beech St.
St. Louis style ribs, cornbread and baked beans at Swingbellys BBQ in Long Beach. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
On our list of Long Island's best barbecue spots, Swingbellys starts with the basics — pulled pork, brisket, chicken, ribs — and spins them into dozens of inventive dishes. A two-meat platter like the chicken and rib combo is moderately priced at $28 and arrives stacked with side dishes like a saucy corkscrew mac-and-cheese and two glorious hunks of crumbly cornbread with honey for dipping. During the summer, Swingbelly's is a certified lovely place to be, with the salty beach air flowing in from open windows. More info: 516-431-3464, swingbellyslongbeach.com
Other notable places to eat and drink
Baked by the Ocean
919 W. Beech St.
Owner Cat Schimenti at Baked by the Ocean in Long Beach. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
The cuteness quotient at this West End bakery is off the charts. But Baked by the Ocean has the technique to back it up. Owner Catherine Schimenti was executive pastry chef at Michael Mina in San Francisco before she returned home to Long Island to open her own shop, which specializes in whimsical treats like Whoopie pies, cupcakes, Linzer tarts and brightly-colored rainbow cookie bars. Schimenti, who is sensitive to gluten, always has some gluten-free options on hand. More info: 516-889-2253, bakedbytheocean.com
Beach Wine & More
515 Long Beach Blvd.
The Long Beach Boulevard corridor of auto shops and gas stations is the last place you'd expect to find a natural wine shop. Owned by Derrick Sherman, the petite but stylish Beach Wine offers a well-curated selection of natty wines and additive-free spirits, often local with cool-looking labels. If you're curious about orange wines, which get their color from grape skin coming into contact with the juice during fermentation, this is the place to go. They got me hooked on the $20 liter bottles of Gulp Hablo from Spain, which is almost like a sauvignon blanc but with more body and kick to it. There's also a nice selection of canned cocktails for summer beach parties. More info: 516-208-6151, instagram.com/beachwinelbny
Blacksmith's Breads
870 W. Beech St.
On the West End, one of Long Island's most superlative bakeries doubles as a bustling coffee shop. The tiny cafe has a view of the open kitchen where organic grains and natural starters yield crisp-crusted French baguettes and sesame semolina breads, as well as brioche, English muffins and an array of sweet pastries. Their ham, egg and cheese on a housemade English muffin ($11.25) has become a weekly treat. But if you're just grabbing something for later, try a bag of the maple granola. It's great. More info: 516-490-5530, blacksmithsbreads.com
Bright Eye Beer Co.
50 W. Park Ave.
Ashley Pagartanis and Lauren Basso at Bright Eyes Beer in Long Beach. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
In 2020, two siblings and a friend transformed this longtime five-and-dime into Long Beach's only craft brewery, complete with a 15-barrel system, striking bar and brews that run the gamut from red ales to saisons to fruited sours. Now the two-level space also hosts vintage markets and gallery shows. Though there's no kitchen, guests are welcome to order in food from nearby restaurants. More info: 516-543-5736, brighteyebeerco.com
d'eCaffè
151 E. Park Ave.
This impressive Italian bakery is from the award-winning pastry chef Francesco Manfredi, who recently decamped from San Diego back to Long Island to open a shop with his wife, Micah Mea. She works the counter, serving up espresso drinks as well as gorgeous cakes and croissants dipped in chocolate and pistachio ($4.75). The lobster tails ($6.75) are also fantastic, with flaky shell dough that gives way to a fat layer of custard. More info: 516-726-7005, decaffeny.com
Marvel Frozen Dairy
1 National Blvd. on the Long Beach boardwalk (original location at 258 Lido Blvd., Lido Beach)
Rebecca Dombrowski, of Huntington, enjoys an ice cream cone at Marvel in Lido Beach. Credit: /Debbie Egan-Chin
There's a reason this old school stand is on our list of Long Island's best ice cream shops. Marvel has been in business since 1951, making the original Lido Beach location one of the oldest purveyors of soft serve in the world. Current owners the Fragioudakis family opened a second location at the Long Beach boardwalk in 2020. But the vibe is still the same. Folks still line up to get Marvel's signature brown bonnet, wherein a fully loaded cone or cup is upended and then dipped into a vat of melted chocolate that instantly hardens, forming a crisp shell. More info: 516-240-1159, marvelfrozendairy.com
Shine's Bar
55 California St.
Brendan Dwyer of Shines serves up classics on Long Beach's West End. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
In the Irish-American stronghold of the West End, Shine's Bar has been pouring ales since 1912, making it one of Long Island's oldest bars. And you can tell the place has been through a thing or two. It survived Prohibition, for example, and was flooded by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. But the unassuming gem still attracts a robust crowd of regulars who enjoy playing pool and downing pints of Guinness. More info: 516-432-9248, instagram.com/shinesbar/?hl=en
Sorrento's
768 W. Beech St.
The beloved Italian market is looking bigger and better these days. In fact, it practically takes up the whole block. There's the butcher shop and deli area, which prepares an addicting broccoli salad I can't get enough of. And now next door there's a small dining area which serves sandwiches and family-style dinner entrées from a chalkboard menu that changes daily. Next to that, the new Caffe Sorrento's is a lovely place to sip espresso and nibble on Italian pastries. But the best thing to order may still be the pizza, especially the artichoke and mushroom with a thin crackly crust, blistered with char marks. More info: 516-962-9635, sorrentosoflb.com
Newsday's Erica Marcus and Marie Elena Martinez contributed to this story.
Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.
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