For those days you have more than an hour to spare and on-campus food simply doesn’t seem appealing, the community right outside of campus has a variety of local restaurants to choose from and unique food. Don’t settle for anything, expand and go beyond the Cal State Long Beach barriers. From Vietnamese to healthy smoothies to Korean burritos, Long Beach has it all. Here are some unique places to eat all within a 2 mile radius of campus.
Nam Vietnamese Eatery:
0.9 miles from campus
5716 E Seventh St, Suite B-5
Mon-Sun 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Vietnamese, Coffee, Tea
Not only is this conveniently close to campus but the restaurant also has a 10 percent off student discount. Milk tea, passion fruit tea, vietnamese coffee and the list goes on for drinks. The best here is the traditional pho and fried bananas (if you check in on Yelp you get one on the house.) The staff is super friendly and once you’re done eating it’s easy to pop right next door to Afters for ice cream.
Yago Juice:
1.3 miles from campus
2125 N Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90815
Mon-Sat 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sun 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Juice Bar, Acai Bowls
Pressed juices, acai bowls and smoothies are the holy trinity to this health haven. If you want to eat healthy but a salad isn’t going to cover it, this is the spot to be at. The acai bowls are huge compared to the ones at Robeks and for the same price. You have to keep your eyes peeled for this placed because there’s no business sign other than a tiny chalk board stand outside the door (they just opened up last year.) Check out their Yelp page for a 10 percent off discount for first timers. Start eating fresh!
Advertisement – (Story continues below)
Seoulmate:
1.4 miles from campus
4712 E Seventh St, Long Beach, CA 90804
Tue-Sat 11 a.m. -10 p.m.
Sun 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
Korean, Asian Fusion, Mexican
Two words. Korean burrito. This Asian fusion cuisine bursts with flavor with hints of Mexican influence. This is the true hidden gem of Long Beach that will easily fill the everyday starving college student. It’s very tiny and almost hidden but it’s also not hard to miss the bright pink building. Parking is a little difficult but you can receive a free cookie with an apology note from the restaurant on days when it is simply terrible. The outdoor weather-proof patio is poppin’ with string lights and great music playing in the background. What you should go for is the Oldboy burrito with a huge ice cream cookie sandwich for dessert. It’s LIT.
Viento y Agua Coffeehouse and Gallery:
1.8 miles from campus
4007 E Fourth St, Long Beach, CA 90814
Mexican art and coffee. That’s all you really have to know about this place. It has a San Fran-esque vibe but ironically it’s easy to drive by without even knowing it’s there. If you want a laid back place to chill with Mexican hipster aesthetics, you’ve found your true calling at Viento y Agua. There is free Wi-Fi and open mic nights for all the artists out there. The Mexican Mocha is what you would want to get for those late nights doing homework. There are a lot of other unique funky drinks with amazing bagels and pastries. If you have trouble picking one, make it a goal to try all of them!
Fantastic Cafe:
0.6 miles from campus
1180 N Studebaker Rd, Long Beach, CA 90815
Mon-Sun 5 a.m.-11 p.m.
Breakfast, Brunch, Mexican, Burgers
This place is so close to campus you could walk there to avoid losing your parking spot. Right off the freeway, Fantastic Cafe offers breakfast all day, Mexican food, burgers, chili dogs, delicious shakes and more. It has a sort of homey feel inside and cute booths to sit at while munching on the complimentary chips and salsa. Students can receive a 10 percent off discount with a valid school ID and use the free Wi-Fi for homework. It’s conveniently open from 5 a.m. til 11 p.m. so no matter when your class ends, it’ll be open.
Nam Vietnamese Eatery is just around the corner from CSULB and offers a
10% student discount.
It is hard to miss Yago Juice since they don’t have a sign but be sure to look out for their chalkboard.
Yago Juice is fairly new and just moved into town last year. The store offers acai bowls, pressed juices and smoothies.
Yasmin Cortez | Daily 49er
Seoulmate may be hidden but the pink paint makes it pop out in a crowd of bland buildings.
Seoulmate is a hidden gem in Long Beach and serves Mexican inspired Korean burritos and delicious ice cream cookie sandwiches.
Viento y Agua has a Mexican hipster art aesthetic to accompany the open mic nights.
Viento y Agua showcases Mexican influenced art and offers sofas. Get
comfortable in while sipping traditional Mexican hot chocolate and coffee.
Fantastic Cafe is just a walk away from campus and offers a variety of food from Mexican to an everyday burger.
Mon-Wed 6 a.m.-6 p.m.
Thu-Fri 6 a.m.-9 p.m.
Sat 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
Sun 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
Coffee, Tea, Pastries