Laurel

excellent food. good service. fair pricing. line out the door all the time. I go less often because of the lines. a 20 – 30 minute wait for eggs is a bit much.
the steak and eggs are exceptional. if you like steak, this borders on ridiculous, and you should try it.
the specials are really good too for lunch or dinner.
I do wish they would just raise the prices, say 20% so less price shoppers would come, and keep the quality high. keep raising price until the line is 10 mins long. even though it’s the best, I don’t like going and standing packed so tightly for 20 mins or more for breakfast. I think the bottom line is, it is pretty hard to make anything _​that_​good.
but it’s the best in long beach, and it’s just the best executed diner for about 30 minutes driving time.
it’s a five star diner, I dropped a star for the long lines. how about making an app for the wait list?

A Long Beach staple that has been around for years. The history of the Laurel includes many owners and the cherry lime Ricky. This place is always great. The food is great, I have liked everything I have ate here. I could go on for hours about this place. It is always worth the wait.

It always takes me a long time to write reviews for local places that I frequent so often. It’s so hard to sum up something that you have grown to love like an old blanket in one review and really explain what such a place — kind of like explaining why you love your dog to someone that has never had a pet.
Anyway, I love laurel and I have frequented the spot often solely due to the closeness to my home… until now. Now I actually go because I love it. They were recently renovated (the spot has a great history which can be seen in the black and whites on the walls) and along with the physical renovation came a newly renovated menu.
They were always known for their award winning pancakes (yes, they are superb) and their extremely long brunch line on sunday mornings (definitely worth it, but if you want there is an always empty diner directly across the street). I could rave about this place forever but I’ll just say that the pancakes are amazing, eggs benedict perfect, omelettes are my favorite and customizable, the portions are extremely generous and the service both in diner and delivery wise are quick and efficient. The lunch items are very good — especially the greek, santorini and prasini salads as are the staple items such as chicken fingers, sandwiches and fries.
One of the last old diners around and there’s a reason that it’s so packed. Nice lunch counter and décor is fun and clean.
Highly recommended. Great staff, salads, breakfasts and everything in between at a reasonable price with fast service.

In response to Terence V.
I have been a patron of the Laurel Diner (and the Laurel Luncheonette before that) since 1966 having lived right around the corner and literally growing up on their «burger specials». I have found both the food and the service to have been exemplary throughout the years. What I have also found out throughout the years that it’s almost always people that have miserable lives and some deep seated inadequacies and way too much time on their hands that usually post absurd comments on websites. Perhaps you can pick up a new hobby like tracking the next asteroid to strike the planet in your free time. The Laurel doesn’t need customers like you and I’m sure their business won’t be effected by your negative review that you will share with your two friends.

Food is good. I am a regular but some of the waitress need an attitude adjustment. I had an incident where i got the wrong food and the waitress looked at me like I was insane and I was in the wrong. Look Lady, say you are sorry for screwing up my order and I would have let it go. I think I know what I ordered and what I said. What was put in front of me was something else. how can she think she was right?

Okay, so here my puzzlement.
When I go to a diner, I usually order a cheeseburger deluxe. My wife and I have eaten here both before and now, after the renovation and with their special mention about their exclusive «burger oven»
I must tell you. their burgers have NO TASTE!
With the demolition of Mitchells Diner in Oceanside, which we frequented even as LB residents, I found myself ordering a BLT at The Laurel last time around. and I remain. perplexed!

Great diner always packed and with good reason
Just bought a place in long beach and this will be regular go to for sure
Great menu and good food

I order for pick up often. The food is consistent, the service is suspect. The person taking the order and the person packing the order make mistakes every time. These things happen but the way they handle their mistakes is poor. I was overcharged for my burger and my soup was missing from my bag. The manager or whoever works the register did a poor job handling my issues and didn’t give me a refund or properly compensate me. Very disappointed!

Updated review. Have been here a ton of times since my first review and breakfast here is always great. Not sure what happened that first time but this place rocks. Always crowded so you know it’s good.

I love the laurel the staff is super friendly and with the huge crowds that gather there the hostess does an awesome job !! I love their farmers omelet and their burgers.

What a find on vacation! Great atmosphere, friendly staff, good service, and yummy food! We were in a breakfast food mood so we got pancakes. I got the multigrain pancakes topped with fresh blueberries, strawberries, and walnuts– 3 huge pancakes! I could not finish it! My husband had the apple pancakes and he couldn’t finish his either. Enjoyed the meal. Definitely recommend!

Stopped in while exploring LB during a morning ride. Service was quick and food was good. What else do you need from a diner?

A great place to come for breakfast. This was my first time back here in quite a number of years and first time after the renovations. My friend and I both ordered the eggs and chorizo with home fries. The sausage was phenomenal. Both my wife and my friend’s fiancé ordered pancakes. My wife’s pancakes were fluffy and flavorful. Just amazing. If you are a pancake lover, this place is a must.
Service was great. Our server was always coming around and very friendly. Still a little tight, even after the renovations but a nice place just the same.

As far as diners go, this one is great. The staff is amazingly nice and the food is really good. I recently went with three other people. Each one of us got the same exact thing (salmon burger) and everyone said it was the best they ever had. The spinach pie we had to start with was great, as was the matzoh ball soup (but you do have to add a bit of salt).
Décor: this is your typical diner, nothing fancy. Some booths, some tables, etc.
Selection: Like a diner should be, with a huge selection of food.

I liked this diner even before they refurbished, but since they reopened –it’s even BETTER! It’s kinda hard to call this a diner because the décor is cool & vibrant and the food is not your typical diner menu/​food. They offer some item on the menu that you don’t typically see on a diner menu… like chorizo sausage to accompany your eggs for breakfast to the large, juicy burgers for lunch or dinner. Haven’t had any problems with the service (yet anyway). Come and enjoy!

First visit back since the reopening. Slight higher prices, slightly smaller portions and slightly poorer service.
The chicken gyro was much smaller then in the past. The chicken was very thinly sliced and pressed pieces which was very salty. Not the gtilled chicken pieces as in the past. No glasses of water brought to the table, no coffee refilles or iced tea refills offered, had to hail down a bus boy. Had to ask twice for a to go container to be brought to the table. I’ll give them another try soon!

The Laurel Luncheonette may have been redecorated, but the food is merely mediocre. We ordered delivery last night — I had the tuna salad plate and my husband had the pastrami Reuben. The tuna salad was a pile of white meat tuna mixed with mayo — just okay, at best. The cole slaw and potato salad that came with the platter were pretty awful — the cole slaw had no taste and there were hard pieces of potatoes in the salad. Regarding the Reuben, the pastrami was cut too thickly and the melted Swiss was almost non-​existent. The cherry lime rickeys were tasty, but apparently the Laurel thinks lemons are limes. The best part: the chocolate layer cake and coconut layer cake that we ordered for dessert. Very disappointing.
I should mention that I have been coming to the Laurel since 1971 –when we called it «Selma’s» for the woman who owned it and surfers were welcome dripping wet. I fondly remember tubs of pickles and cole slaw being served with the burgers that started at something like 69 cents and then 10 cents was added for each topping (cheese, bacon, whatever). And breakfast was something with the same kind of cheap-​o deal. Those were the days, my friend, we thought they’d never end…

Can not wait for the Laurel to reopen. I love this diner and will not go to any other diners in long beach. Great place, everyone should try it.

I know they are remodeling now but my friend Steve J. and I have been going there for (mostly) breakfast for years. Rarely a wait on Thursday mornings, the food is always consistent, hot and delicious. The wait staff is great and attentive and I can’t wait for the «new» Laurel. Enjoy. It’s great.
UPDATE! The new Laurel is remodeled and it looks fantastic. Great décor and still the same owners and staff. Always feel welcome and the food is always great.

Classic luncheonette on Park in Long Beach. Was packed compared to Long Beach Diner across the street. Now I know why. Very good service, coffee carafe so I can refill myself! The breakfast specials kick it up a notch as I had eggs Halifax, basically eggs Benedict with lox instead of Canadian bacon. The place was buzzing. will come back to try lunch.