At Last Cafe

This place is way too small. The food is good but not good enough to wait for a table if I decided spare of the moment to get up & go to At Last Café. I had the Polenta meal and John had the brick chicken. EXCELLENT food. Very tasty and moist --EXACTLY the way it's supposed to be. The chicken had crispy skin and was so savory! My polenta was very creamy and flavorful! Just delicious!! The service, however, doesn't exactly match the food and, like I said, the place is super small. That is why they lose stars with me.

DO NOT EAT AT THIS FILTHY RESTAURANT! What I experienced just now in their restaurant I have never even witnessed in my 35 years of living in Southern California.



Upon walking in I was told to sit anywhere that's clean. I understand that they didn't have a hostess but to be told to by Cesar the waiter to sit anywhere that's clean, means that you could care less where I sit. Once I sit I ordered a lemonade but switched to Orangade by the waiters recommendation. I was brought a lemonade. That's OK. Then when our food came one of the plates had a hair in it. Its OK just take it away. But as they take the plate, me and my guest notice that Claudia the salad prep is denying the fact that its a hair and is calling it a cucumber vein. Meanwhile she is not wearing gloves or a hair net. They have an open kitchen so Claudia the salad prep keeps on giving our table and my guest dirty looks. Very disrespectful for simple lunch guests. I was on a business lunch with an up and coming jewelery designer. Simple business lunch. Food is not even the objective. Business was our objective.



Then as I'm finishing my meal I pull a six inch black hair out of my mouth. OUT OF MY MOUTH!!! I tell the waiter and within seconds my table is being bombarded by menacing staff acting aggressively towards us. So without a gripe or demand I asked for my check, paid it and walked out the door. As I was in front of the restaurant talking to a girl who lives in my building, the bigot owner and head chef John McLaughlin stormed out the back door and yellled loudly in the street for me and my guests to "go do drugs or something", when we are all drug free, in front of my neighbor to witness. Then he hastily and angrily approached us and had to be held back by Cesar his waiter.



It was literally so offensive to us that it felt like something out of a civil rights movement and then, to actually have to pay for it. I have never been treated as poorly as i was by any restaurant or any business ever in my life and by the staff at the At Last Cafe. It was literally something out of a redneck movie from the 50's. DO NOT AT HERE!!!! THEY ARE BIGOTS AND HORRIBLE SERVICE PEOPLE!!!!

When was the last time the Chef/Owner came out from the kitchen to ask each and every diner if they enjoyed their meal?



This place is THAT place.



The food is wonderful! I had the special Yellowtail which was moist, delicious, and cooked to perfection. My husband had the stuffed porkchop that took up the entire plate.



Make sure you make a reservation, because the restaurant is tiny, and I imagine packed on sunny weekends.



Highly recommend At Last Cafe!

This cafe is worth the drive to Long Beach. It is a small intimate, casual setting with great food. Service is excellent and prompt.