The Reef

Came here for my Best Friends birthday for Sunday brunch. We had such a great time with our waiter Augie. He made the celebration fun & memorable. Can’t wait to come back for the great service and to see my new favorite waiter!

So of you come to the Reef, make sure you are hungry. There is so much food to choose from. But if you want a REALLY good time, ask to sit in Augie’s section. He is hilarious with his 2 rules of 1) clasp as he comes to the top of the stairs and 2) of the service is bad, his name is Bob. Have fun and go hungry

The bf made reservations at The Reef for our anniversary. We were about 20 mins early but were seated already because it was not busy. We were seated by a booth but still had a view of the water. We didn’t have too much interaction with our waiter but he seemed nice.
We were given bread with butter & pesto butter to start with. It was pretty good. I liked the pesto butter a lot.
For dinner, we opted to do the dineLA deal. I had the calamari, mahi-​mahi, and cheesecake. I enjoyed the meal a lot. I expected a personal sized calamari appetizer but was given the full size which I couldn’t finish. But it was really good. The main entrée was also very good. My bf also had the mahi mahi but didn’t enjoy it as much as me. For dessert, my cheesecake craving was satisfied. But it’s just cheesecake. The butter cake (I think that’s what it’s called) was wonderful. My bf ordered it, but I had some of it. It came with vanilla ice cream also. Delicious.
I would recommend this place and I would come back.

Went here for date night and thought the food was really good! Our server was pretty mellow but our neighboring tables had a server that was hilarious. She would make jokes about what they were ordering and made sure everyone had a great time. For a nice restaurant I loved how she lightened the mood and still kept it classy adding some humor to the night. The view of The Pike at Long Beach was amazing! No self parking is a downfall but we took an über to drink so that did not impact us. I got the Mahi Mahi on bed of rice while my girlfriend got a a mushroom pasta. We went there for restaurant week so the pricing was reasonable. The only downside was the cheesecake which tasted previously frozen and one I would buy from Costco. Everything else we had was delicious and paired it with a Moscato since my girlfriend only likes dessert wines. We’ll be back just avoiding the frozen cheesecake next time.

Had a late afternoon business meeting here in the bar area overlooking the harbor. It was a Monday and we had reservations for a dinner table but decided to grab a couch (or two) instead. We had tea and sat and chatted for about two hours taking in the beautiful sunset reflecting off Long Beach. The staff didn’t cop an attitude about us not fulfilling our dinner rsvp, just took good care of us whole being attentive but not bothersome.
After we wrapped up we decided to stay for dinner after all and were moved directly onto the dining room to another window table.
I had guests who had come from France the day before and although the prices seemed a little daunting to them they all commented on how good the food was.
I used to come here for champagne brunch but it has been more than a decade since. Very glad to see the place still holding up. I would recommend anyone from family to date night to a friendly business get together.
The brunch is getting mixed reviews these days, from what I read, but if one plans well and comes early it can’t be beat.

GREAT-​relaxing atmosphere and friendly staff that enjoy their job. So many food options and make to order stations. The waffles are one of my favorites. Nice view. Everyone there is happy and in good moods, not many places like this anymore. The only thing management should consider is…#1. Change desert vendors, they are lacking. Fix sauce on the eggs Benedict.
*Dress up or come in you shorts and flip flops no judging here, just nice people. I’ve been told (hahaha) that I’m picky so if I like this place chances are you will too.
Note: I used to go to Orange Hill but they’ve got such rude staff and the food is not half as good.

I hadn’t been here in many years and now I remember why I stopped going. Shame on you Open Table for telling me it’s one of THE best brunch spots in the US.
The quality of the food was disappointing, the selection sparse, the service was lacking and the food stations needed to be attended to in terms of cleanliness and supply.
The ambiance was very loud, with a lot of celebratory gathering all around. Had to get moved to a quieter area because it was difficult to carry on a conversation.

Just came here to eat at 2:20pm on a Sunday with my wife and was turned away because they «Close at 3pm»
WTF!!!

I was a little frightened by the negative reviews and had prepared myself to do a salad, bread, and then hunt and peck through the rest. I was braced for absolutely average service, but sometimes you can tell, from the reviews, that the a$$hole may be the reviewer. I’m happy to say that my brunch experience was extremely positive.
There were plenty a great choices. May I recommend the pasta and omelet bars! The salads were good too. Those little waffles are AWESOME … Just get two (or three … I don’t judge) so you won’t have to go back. The ribs were decent and the chicken was well prepared. The roast beef … meh! But we weren’t at a steakhouse, now, were we??? The crab legs were delicious. That leaves the service.
We had over twenty in our party and the service was EXCELLENT! The servers kept our table neat and the champagne glasses a bubblin’. They were polite, generous, helpful, and did it all with a smile.
Enjoy!!!

We went here for our annual Christmas dinner (first time) with friend. Trying to find the place was a little difficult but once you get here it’s well worth it. The view from our table was awesome. They had a three course dinner $ 38 (well worth it) which I got the Mahi-​mahi it was cooked to perfection and the Taramasu was the bomb and the service was excellent. Next year this will be the place for our next Christmas party.

The only reason to come here is for the view. The over priced food is good, not the best. The service was seriously lacking tonight. Our server was unpleasant and for the most part unhappy. She never once cracked a smile, when I asked for a to go box she looked annoyed. She did come to refill me drink, but that was only because she brought out our food.
The menu is a bit limited. We each got the 3 piece meal deal for 38. It consisted of a soup or salad, I had the claim chowder, an entrée I had macadamia encrusted Mahi Mahi and a dessert.
Update: Valet tried to give us the wrong car, I repeat valet brought us the wrong car.
My date and I decided this was our last adventure here. When we celebrated his birthday a few years ago, the service was lacking too. Sorry The Reef, in this case 2 strikes and you’re out.

Came here for a late lunch…
Greeting: Hostess stared at a phone call for 5 minutes while I stood idly waiting… Manager finally seated me.
Server: Very attentive and personable
Appetizers:
Clam chowder – no «cup» option; served hot and seems fresh, saltier than I’m used to, lots of potato
Shrimp cocktail – 4 great jumbo shrimp; «homemade» cocktail sauce is some glorified ketchup… could use more horseradish; great presentation
Entrée:
Seared ahi tuna sandwich – wonderful brioche bun; large tuna steak (cold in the middle); buttery Bibb lettuce; would be better without the mayo
Side fries – wouldn’t have gotten them if I’d noticed… average but sea salt is a good touch
Drink:
1944 Mai Tai – very good presentation, well concocted, classic drink
If I had paid 75% of what my bill totaled, I’d give it 5 stars. More like an Applebee’s decorated by my Grandma and serving seafood. But the views of the water are stunning.

I had an event here and despite the fact that the weather attempted to create havoc for us, overall this venue was fairly decent in its accommodation process. After several months of planning and making several adjustments to my event; I was glad with how things turned out. Ideally I wanted to utilize the beautiful picturesque outdoor setting that they offer on a second floor. However due to sporadic climate changes, the summer rain caused most of what I had initially planned to be held indoors.
I’m certain this place will be remodeled soon but the variety in what they offer is definitely worth the time of consideration if you’re planning an event.
The food is good, despite what the other reviews have stated. I attended a formal tasting and really did enjoy the food. As did most of my guests who attended my event. Everything was quality and the customer service was very thorough.
The professionalism and efficiency of this venue seems to be taken for granted by some, but I appreciate what you did for me.
If you want a classy place to hold an event, think outside the box and try this place. Just remember a venue is what you make it. So the creativity is within your control, the event planners here really support any extra creative ideas that you may have in order to make your event special.
Thanks for your all your hard work Jaime!!!

We had an absolute amazing time having and end of year party at the Reef. All staff were flexible and doing everything done in a timely manner. We were able to book the Queen Mary room with the patio included for smoking area or even taking pictures with the DTLB as background. The room holds 30 – 50 guests which is equivalent to 6 – 8 tables. We still had enough room to put 2 tables alongside for gifts and dessert tables. Then, we were able to fit in an open bar which is a great option!
We decided to have our own DJ and photo booth for the entire event and even their set-​up were able to fit in the room, without taking away from the dance floor.
If you ever need an event hall, come to the reef. We worked very well with the catering coordinator manager, Desirei and also Heather. We had minor issues the day before the event with the whole table set-​up and even hours before the event but they were able to fix all that for us right away.
I did take away one star due to the inconvenience of having to go up and down the stairs when loading and unloading our things. They have an accessible elevator but once you’re upstairs, you have to go down a few steps to get to the Queen Mary room. Nonetheless, the Reef overall was awesome!
Restrooms are located downstairs and were fairly clean. The kitchen staff and waiters tend to go in and out of the kitchen a lot, which is understandable because they’re catering for events and a restaurant. Just be aware that the doors are located right by the women’s restrooms doors. It’s a slight accident waiting to happen.

Came here for Sunday brunch. Includes bottomless mimosas but since I don’t drink, it wasn’t worth the $. It cost about $ 80 for two people to have brunch. The food is diverse from salads, pasta, omelette station, chocolate fountain, desserts, sushi table, bbq ribs, fried chicken, Mexican to breakfast foods. My only complaint is that some of the dishes were lukewarm in temperature and the fried chicken was a bit dried out. I didn’t like how the stations were spread a part so far from each other. The place has indoor, outdoor and upstairs seating. There’s a full bar, too. The view of the water is amazing. The service is professional and friendly. I’m just not into buffets these days so I wasn’t too excited about stuffing my face because I hate that feeling of leaving full. Well, I left with a full stomach. You can’t self park here. It’s valet only and the ticket suggests a $ 3.50 tip.

Fun brunch at The Reef ! Food was great! Sat in waiter Augie’s section had us cracking up the whole time. The view is beautiful! Can’t wait to go back!

Made reservations for my hubby and I to celebrate his birthday on a busy Saturday night. We were seated right away and had a beautiful view of the marina and downtown LB. My hubby loves seafood so we were really looking forward to the food. I am glad to report, it did not disappoint! I ordered the Bacon fried rice with shrimp and scallops and it was DEEEEELICIOUS! If you want a romantic, special occasion restaurant in Long Beach, then this is your place!
The only reason why I didn’t give it 5 stars is because our waiter had a serious cold and kept coughing every time he checked on us (kinda gross) but other than that, everything else was great!

Do not book an event here, especially in the Howard Hughes room.
I’m not typically someone to leave a bad review, however, for an upscale establishment it was a pretty poor experience in terms of a venue.
We recently booked my parents vow renewal reception. For a room they market can hold up to 80 people, one would have thought that having 50 people could have been suitable to keep the room cool enough. Literally, the temperature stayed between 80 – 82 degrees in the room! We literally had to ask 8 times for a manager or someone to help as guests left early. One of my friends got sick and had to leave due to the heat, one lady actually became disoriented and tripped and fell on her face, giving herself a bloody nose.
There were other issues minor to the heat, such as the wrong table cloth colours and no follow up from the restaurant as of a week later to see how our event was. As well, the cake ended up melting. Additionally the day of the event our coordinator had us placed in a side dining room, only to have a lady very rudely try to usher us out.
While we all tried to be good sports about the conditions it made for an unpleasant evening, dripping wet from sweat, which was not even from dancing as it was much too uncomfortable to do. The temperature never went below 80.
The redeeming qualities is that the food is actually very good, and the servers are pleasant.
If you want dinner or brunch, you’ll be fine, if you are looking to hold an event, look elsewhere.

My family from Long Beach hosted my grandma’s 85^th birthday bash here which was taken place at their large ballroom. The seating was probably more than 150+ guests. The event included a private deck which had multiple bon fire pits and a beautiful view of downtown and the lit-​up bridge.
The view was spectacular. My family and I enjoyed cocktails and lounging in their back patio while also enjoying the comfort of the intimate birthday party for my grandmas inside the ballroom.
The food that is specially catered by The Reef includes: Ambrosia salad, fresh chicken salad, salmon, chicken stuffed with mushroom and sauce, fresh toasted rolls, asparagus, pilaf rice, and a skirt steak station. Everything was excellent tasting. The meat was tender & moist which was the main attraction of the food bar. There is a beautiful coffee station with lemonade too!
Overall, my experience at The Reef was wonderful. My family had a wonderful time celebrating and eating. The Reef did an excellent job taking care of us as well as the bartenders at the bar. My family was continuously ordering shots and cocktails while also going back & forth at the meat station lol so the service did an excellent job handling us.
Great restaurant for events!

The Reef is a waterfront restaurant with a fantastic view just down the road from the Queen Mary. Ok, kinda down the road. Lucky I was not driving, the roads in that part of the harbor is undecipherable. We did finally get there and was seated at a great table overlooking the harbor. While at the same time the rest of the nation was under a deep freeze, it was a sunny afternoon in SoCal. The service was warm and very helpful. I ordered the Shrimp Linguini. The shrimps were huge and plentiful. The sauce was a delicate balance of garlic, olive oil and Italian seasonings. The pasta was al dente but unfortunately there was not much of it. Oh well, helps me cut down on the carbs.
Next time? Gonna try one of their burgers.