This may be your first or ninth semester at Cal State Long Beach, but for whatever reason you still don’t know the area very well. Where do you go if your first class doesn’t start until 11 a.m. or to cram before a huge test?
Long Beach has some of the best local independent coffee houses and breakfast restaurants around and here are a few.
If you have a few hours to kill before class and you want to start the day off right, I recommend going to get a real breakfast and get some of that good ‘ole brain food.
La Creperie Cafe at 5110 E. Second St. in Belmont Shore, offers a wide variety of omelets and breakfast crepes, so you can start the day off right. You may ask, what is a crepe: a crepe is a thin pancake made from egg whites orginally from France. I know it sounds weird, but even the everyday IHOP has crepes.
For those students with a sweet tooth, I highly recommend the Romeo and Juliet crepe. It is a sweet crepe filled with strawberries, bananas and Nutella (a chocolate and hazelnut spread from Europe). If you’ve never had Nutella, then this crepe would be a great to try for the first time.
If you’re looking for something more hearty, then The Stallion crepe maybe a winner. The Stallion is filled with potatoes, caramelized onions, green bell peppers, sausage and scrambled eggs, similar to a pastry burrito.
With each crepe priced between $7 to $9 dollars, this breakfast won’t break the bank. La Creperie also serves lunch and dinner and is usually open until midnight on weekends, so if you have a craving at nine o’clock at night, you won’t be lucked out.
Another favorite Long Beach breakfast place is the Potholder Cafe located on 3700 E. Broadway Ave. The Potholder offers many different types of omelets and scramblers for the early riser.
One of my favorites is Tim’s Dugout, a mix plate of a small avocado, bacon and cheese omlete and a large side of “super spuds” topped with steak. “Super spuds” are breakfast potatoes covered in cheese, mushrooms, sour cream and avocado. Tim’s Dugout also comes with a slice of French toast, but I usually swap it for one of their delicious pancakes, which have a hint of cinnamon in them. The Potholder also offers hazelnut coffee, so if you’re looking for something new versus the old cup of Joe, then order hazelnut coffee.
The Potholder is usually packed on the weekends, so I recommend going during the week. They usually offer breakfast specials during the weekdays also. This grand breakfast place is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily and almost all dishes are under the $10 mark. The portions are hearty, so you won’t leave hungry.
Another great breakfast place for your buck is the Coffee Cup on 3734 E. Fourth St. The Coffee Cup offers a slinging of fresh omelets and other egg dishes, with some of the freshest ingredients I have ever tasted.
The veggie scramble is a heaping mess of spinach, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, cheese and other veggies for a great dish to obtain your daily vegetable intake. Most egg dishes are accompanied by breakfast potatoes and/or bread. If your looking for a new spin on your eggs, I recommend having some chicken sausage placed in your omelet for a new, leaner edge than the old pork sausage.
Most dishes are usually priced between $7 to $9 and the portions are huge.
Like the Potholder, Coffee Cup closes in the afternoon and is usually packed on weekends, so rise and shine with the Coffee Cup.
Now, if you’re looking for a good place to cram before the midterm crunch, then here are some comfy coffee houses to suit your caffeine needs.
A great one to begin your caffeine adventure is the Portfolio on the corner of Fourth Street and Junipero. This coffee house offers free wireless Internet. All they ask is that you purchase something. So, take a seat in one of the many comfy chairs and enjoy a creamy latte. Every Wednesday night is a free open music, for anyone who enjoys music.
The Library at 3412 Broadway Ave. is another local favorite. Besides the usual coffee drinks, the Library also offers ice cream and various sweet drinks. The walls of this coffee house are lined with various books, which any patron can purchase for $1. It is open until midnight most nights and also offers wireless Internet.
So, if you are looking for coffee or eggs or just a quiet place to hang out, try some of these off campus hang outs.