The Attic

The thing I love most about LA is the thing I hate most about it too: it’s so goddamn BIG. It’s shitty when you need to commute from the east side to the west side for work and incorporate the costs of having a car into your budget, but when it comes to wining and dining, you will literally never run out of things to try. I actually mean literally. Even if you made a career out of trying everything LA has to offer, there will be new rounds of restaurants, breweries, and pop ups every step of the way.

This past Saturday, Sean and I decided to venture to the southernmost tip of LA county for some crazy Bloody Marys and Mac n Cheetos at The Attic in Long Beach. We read that there’d be a wait and indeed there was. About 45 minutes to kill before we got to get our hands on some cold Bloodies and grub. We miscalculated the part of Long Beach we were going out in and the beach down the road ended up being an overlook to the beach that was more complicated to get to than we had time for. We decided to get some drinking done to make up for staying in on St. Paddy’s day (I lied, I hit up a couple of spots in El Segundo, courtesy of work). Luckily, there was this fab dive bar across the street called Reno Room.

After pounding a couple of drinks, we crossed back over to the Attic and were seated in a half inside half outside table by the bar. We started off with Meaty Man Bloodies, mostly for the pulled pork slider garnish, but the bacon, slim jim stuffed olives, and jalapeno infused vodka also helped sway my decision. The slider was delicious, we both agreed that it was the best part of the drink. I like a good Bloody Mary, but my standards may be high. I felt like this one was ice and garnish heavy. With celery salt! Who actually likes celery and why would anyone coat the rim of a glass with it?? Anyway, it was worth a try, no regrets there.

We were already sold on the mac n cheetos before we arrived, so we scanned the menu for a second dish to split. We ended up going with the Hey Shorty mac n cheetos and the My Boy Blue Burger.

Hey Shorty consisted of a cheesy helping of mac n cheese with pulled pork topped with hot cheetos. It was everything we dreamed of, we wished we’d gotten two. On one hand, it was a $12 bowl of mac n cheese but on the other hand, 10 boxes of Kraft mac n cheese, some pulled pork, and a bag of hot cheetos would not have hit the same spot. It was a perfect level of cheesy and, as we learned from our Bloody Marys, The Attic could whip up some killer pulled pork. The cheetos were stale, but I think they’re more for aesthetic appeal and the wow factor that hipsters go gaga for.     

My Boy Blue Burger was not a winning pick for us. Described as a cajun spiced bison patty with blue cheese, fried shallots, bourbon BBQ sauce, and candied cayenne bacon on an onion brioche bun, I don’t feel like it delivered all that. And for a whopping $16, I feel like it should have. The bleu cheese was intense. It was creamy and present but, in my opinion, too present and I am a huge fan of all cheeses, including bleu. I didn’t dig the onion brioche bun either, too sweet for my taste. The meat and bacon were alright, but the cheese and bun overpowered all of that. Overall, I wasn’t thrilled with the burger or its hefty price tag, but I drowned it out with a couple more bites of mac and washed it down with a cool Pizza Port IPA.

For newcomers, I would suggest trying one of the unique cocktails with a hearty bowl of mac n cheetos. I also recommend finding a way to incorporate the pulled pork. The menu is exciting enough that it’s worth experimenting with, but be prepared to throw down some serious dough.

Would I come back? You wouldn’t have to drag me here, but I don’t think I’d trek out of my way. I’ve read up on a lot of great stuff in Long Beach and most definitely plan on venturing out again to try some new spots. Maybe SteelCraft, the food lot made of converted shipping containers or some of the many places that showcase Long Beach’s booming craft beer scene.

Where? 3441 E Broadway Long Beach, CA 90803
Price Range: $15-20
Parking: Street parking