Ready to plan a fun, casual night out with a Latino flair? I recommend checking out Alegria Cocina Latina in Long Beach.
The Locale
We were recently invited to dine at Alegria Cocina Latina to celebrate the relaunch of their dinner menu. Located in Downtown Long Beach, the restaurant is close to the waterfront and arts center. Alegria Cocina Latina’s main room and accompanying patios are decorated with colorful Spanish decor and provide a great casual atmosphere to watch sports and would be a great place to catch up with friends. The cuisine is a fusion of Spanish, Mexican and Latin American flavors, and they serve yummy fresh fruit-infused Sangrias.
Our Picks
We had a delicious assortment of dinner starter and entree offerings. We began with starters Muscovy Duck Barbacoa and Humilas Chilenas. The Muscovy Duck Barbacoa was insane! Shredded braised duck legs, pan-roasted with Chipotle tomato sauce, sweet fried plantains, baby arugula salad with crumbled feta cheese make up this delicious dish. The Humilas Chilenas were fresh, homemade corn tortillas filled with an ‘ahhh-inducing’ mix of sauteed shrimp, peppered cream sauce and chives.
You may not want to share the Muscovy Duck Barbacoa. It’s that good!
Humilas Chilenas
For entrees, I ordered the Pescado Negro plate which is a blackened fillet of sole, potato puree, oven roasted roma tomato, grilled cactus, with jalapeno avocado sauce. Double yum – the portions were plentiful, the ingredients super fresh and the flavors provided the perfect mix of sweet and heat. My husband chose the El Gaucho – grilled skirt steak, citrus-scented chimichurri sauce, fried steak potatoes, and herbed sauteed vegetables. The chef prepared it medium well, as requested, and there was a noticeable lull in the conversation as his plate was quickly devoured.
El Caucho
Pescado Negro
The current menu offers many tasty offerings, here are my top picks for our next visit.
– Shrimp Al Ajillo: Sauted jumbo shrimp, garlic, white rum, guajillo chili butter, fresh tomato and cucumber served with Spanish steamed rice.
– Paella Valenciana: with Spanish sausage, skirt steak, Parma ham, Manila clams and a fresh fish of the day.
Children’s menu item – Cheese Quesadilla
More Details
Prices for dinner items were in the average to mid range depending on the items. Overall the pricing scale seems competitive, and worthy of the relaxing night, attentive service and tasty food. In addition to these grown-up meals, there is a children’s menu with (the obligatory, but necessary) chicken nuggets, Pasta y Queso, Baby Burrito and Cheese Quesadilla. They are open all week for lunch and dinner, and on the weekends dinners and a Sunday brunch. Check out their website for other weekly events, including Fun Flamenco Fridays and live music.
The interior is colorful and the atmosphere is upbeat!
Alegria Cocina Latina Restaurant
115 Pine Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802, United States
For reservations, visit Open Table or call (562) 436-3388.
* Alegria Conia Latina hosted our dinner. his will in no way sway our opinion of the product or service. The review is in our own words and is our opinion. Your results and opinions may differ.
