I just waited for ONE HOUR between my appetizer and my meal. Need I say more? Oh, and it's Christmas! Yay! Seriously though, we thought this place was going to be pretty good. We had great initial service, got sat down pretty quickly, and at first our server seemed capable... But our first hint that things were going to go sour: she didn't write down our order. Now, this is totally arbitrary because there are fine places with fine servers that are fully capable of remembering what you ordered. So by default, we thought this was fine and normal. So we placed 3 orders quickly and immediately within the first 5mins of us sitting down. One of those orders was a check-in offer for an "Appetizer under $10"--great deal! But that also gave us THE EXACT TIME we sat down and ordered. And within 10mins we got our appetizer. Yay! But then... we waited. For a long, long, long time... on Christmas Day. So a few things run through your mind when you're waiting for an hour between your appetizer and your meal. The first 15mins you're thinking about getting a drink, possibly what the table next to you ordered, you chit chat, hang out with your significant other, and talk about the holidays and Christmas time. The next 15mins you start acknowledging your hunger and you're curious where your food is, you give the server some slack and figure that the kitchen is busy. Around the beginning of the 30mins mark, you realize that your server has come by 3 times already and asked you how you are. Again I repeat, she approached us 3 times and asked if we were "doing good" and NEVER ONCE did it pop into her head that we hadn't received our food yet. Finally, WE ASKED about our food. She promptly gave a blank stare and said "what did you guys order again?" Really? I pretended like I didn't know and gave her some grunt work to do in her brain. Finally, she comes back and tells us that the kitchen is backed up and that our food would come out shortly. Now, as a server, this is the point in the situation where you tell your kitchen staff to hurry the fuck up and cover your ass (pass them a $5 to get things moving!) so that it doesn't look like you forgot. But we knew she was lying because me and my significant other were watching the other tables and the other people who got seated before us, get their appetizers--which is a SUREFIRE sign that our server completely forgot us. And it took another 15mins to actually get our food. Just enough time to cook up another batch! And mind you, after all this, we received our food at warm / room temperature! Audacity! Now, as Downtown Long Beach locals, we're pretty use to good service. There's plenty of places around the corner that are beyond exceptional. But we hadn't ever been to Alegria and we wanted to try something new out. But trust me, don't try something new. Try Gaucho Grill or Agaves... it's a little bit more money, but it's well worth the food AND service. Try Big Catch because they just are great at service and their food is amazing. Try Congregation, try Beachwood, try Michael's, try Coco Reno's off Broadway. Just don't try Alegria, don't wait for an hour for your food like us, and like everyone else in that restaurant on Christmas Day. Just don't. read more

So my friend has gone back home to Palermo,Sicily and we actually had a great time here on 9/28/2014. We used to be concierges at the Hyatt Long Beach back in the early 1990s. Upon entry to the restaurant we were greeted by the hostess. She had a great smile yet I'm unsure it was the same woman that answered earlier in the afternoon. We chose to sit outside because it was rather warm but nice for early dinner. We always loved that corner table for people watching. Our server was Craig and our orders came out rather quickly. He was very accommodating when we asked to split our bill down the middle. We ordered and shared their calamari, which was still crisp and cooked just right. Definitely not rubbery or tough. For dinner we shared the seafood Paella and it was fantastic just as I remembered. I hope to get a Sunday off soon so I can feast on their Sunday brunch! read more

The club itself is ok. But the issue comes from the woman "attending" the bathroom. She would let people cut the line if they tipped her and when the line complained she yelled at us and waved her little tip jar. I hope she steps on a rusty lego. read more

My friend, a reporter at the OC Register, picked this place for a Friday night dinner. It was a good choice. Well, it wasn't really dinner. Our three tapas consisted of Empanada Pollo, Tortilla Maiz and Jamon Serrano -- all good. We had two pints of sangria and then tiramisu for dessert. The Good: prices, service and the flamenco dancers. The Bad: it was a little noisy, even in our section of the place, which was in a more remote corner. read more

A hidden gem in the heart of downtown LB. Alegria Cocina Latina is a cool joint with lots of character. My boyfriend and I decided on this place for our weekly date night (book your reservation on OpenTable, you'll sit right down). The atmosphere was fun and mysterious, and the live music was a hit! Highlights: - Paella Oceano: the BF has this and it was so yummy in my tummy. My mom used to make paella growing up and it warmed my heart because it reminded me of my childhood. - Tiraditos: ahi tuna ceviche? Yep, believe it. Ammaaazzziiinngggg. - Pescado Negro: my favorite dish by far! The jalapeno mash complimented the butterfish and everything together made a party in my mouth. - Sangria: YUM! - Mango mojito: YUM YUM! - Service: probably some of the best service I've ever received at a restaurant. The dishes were always cleared and our server was super attentive. I can't wait for another date night because we will be coming back here soon. Next time we'll take a taxi so that both of us can drink an entire pitcher of sangria! Stop by Alergria Cocina Latina if you'd like your taste buds tantalized! read more

Came here for my sisters' November birthdays. It was after Thanksgiving, so the streets in LB were empty, but the atmosphere brightened with the live guitar in the restaurant. We started off with the sangria which was ok--it was definitely boxed and fruit was added to it. We ordered a Calamari appetizer to start. They were delicious, crunchy, and fried to perfection. I tried a bite of the Mole Enchiladas which my sister loved (have to point out that it's a Mexican dish however). My mom enjoyed fish of the day (?halibut) which was partnered with mango. The reason for the 2 stars however, is the Paella Oceana. How can you screw up Paella at a Spanish restaurant? It was almost inedible. Let's start with the fish being overcooked and the rice tasting like tomato sauce. Majorly BLAND. It had none of the bright, bold flavors of Valencia. Definitely won't be returning here for Spanish food. read more

The staff took excellent care of us! From the Bartender "JC" to Vip bottle service! Music was pumping and the vibe was on point. Appetizers served hot ready to dig in! Andrea our cocktail waitress was very knowledgeable and friendly, security was always on the lookout, Mario and his team had flashlights to guide us thru the club! We will most definitely be back! Thank you for a good time! read more

Alegria - The girls loved this! Calamari and nachos with black beans....so delish. - Spanish Near Me - Long Beach, California

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I bought a Groupon for this place to bring my dad for his birthday. I had a party of 5 in total. We started with the calamari as an appetizer which was just ok. A little greasy, but good overall. My dad and I both got the lomo saltado. Portion was appropriate for the price and the meat was tender. The potatoes were soft and from what I've had before not your traditional lomo saltado. Service was really awesome. Natalie really made sure we had everything we needed and was really friendly throughout our visit. My hubby got the tacos dorados which were hard shell tacos with rice and a side salad. Those were pretty legit and so was the guacamole that came with it. They should advertise that guacamole. I'd definitely come back to try other things on the menu or my favorite..happy hour lol. read more

Alegria - Lomo saltado - Spanish Near Me - Long Beach, California

Came back again for the Friday Night Flamenco dinner show. The sangria here is consistently awesome, and the paella valenciana was good but not as good as several things I've had on their regular dinner menu. The 5 star rating is all about the two guitarists and the flamenco dancer. I've been all over Spain and seen my share of Flamenco, but never until Alegria really learned much about it's origin. The dancer gave little bits of history between tearing up the stage. Apparently, Irish step dancers have Flamenco to thank for their roots. read more

Awesome restaurant bar with latin theme, latin theme great music and happy hour deals are great whenever you are there look for steve he will take good care of you great vibe since the moment you walk in staff if very friendly well recommended!! read more

Alegria - Awesome restaurant bar with a latin theme grear food and drinks - Spanish Near Me - Long Beach, California

Like the Xmas reviewers earlier, Alegria could not handle the heat for New Years Eve. We ordered our meal in 2015 and it arrived in 2016. The place was clearly understaffed and overcrowded. It wasn't out waiter's fault that he could not navigate the crowds to take care of us. I think they comped a bottle of wine by the end of the night, but I am going to try to erase this meal from my memory. read more

Cool place on bustling Pine Avenue in downtown Long Beach. We came on a busy night, the host looked super pissed that we were there, but he found us a table nonetheless. Drinks were good, atmosphere is fun, prices reasonable. I ordered a paella, and I asked them first if there was any pork in it, as I don't eat pork. Server assured me that it can be made without pork. We got our food, and I was enjoying it a lot until I see a piece of sausage in my bowl. I ask the server what kind of meat the sausage was and she tells me it's pork. Seriously? I decided to give them 3 stars because in general this is a decent place, they just made a critical error. Not sure if the server was simply dumb or lied to me or if there was miscommunication with the kitchen, but restaurants should not be making mistakes that affect patrons dietary restrictions. read more

Came here for taco Tuesday. $7 all you can eat tacos and five dollar margaritas. The seven dollar cover fee is for the all you can eat tacos only and they except cash only and there is an ATM there. The carne asada tacos were the best of the three selection. Chicken and Carnitas were the other two selections. Came here around 930p and it was not crowded at all. We left around 11 o'clock and it was getting busier but still not very crowded. There is free parking on the side streets after 9 PM. Overall I would come back here for taco Tuesday again. read more

Alegria - Spanish Near Me - Long Beach, California

So I spent $33 for two pre-made margaritas that came out of some murky glass container. We couldn't finish them as they were nasty tasting and so my girlfriend and I left. Her and I just had a full on Mexican meal with amazing strong margaritas for $3 less at another restaurant in Long Beach. If you're going to charge premium prices for drinks then sell premium fresh made-to-order drinks, lol... read more

This place is pretty poppin on a Saturday night! I didn't expect much from this place when I saw it from the outside but when you step in it's like walking into a sea of color! On top of the visually pleasing decor my date and I walked into some hip shaking, soulful live salsa music. I haven't been to many places that provide live danceable music but I will say that this place is the spot. The only downsides is that the dance floor is kinda on the small side, it's close to the bar so when you're trying to spin your lady she might bump into someone standing around that area. Lastly, the most important quality that any place should invest in: restrooms. Sadly this place only has one toilet for the ladies and the guys. Drinks! I only had the sangria here and it's up there in taste. I'd give it a 3.5/5. I'm used to sangria having more of a fruity, thick taste but this one was on the thinner, smoother side. Don't get me wrong, it was good and the fruit that they add inside is part of the yum part...just be careful. Remember when you eat the fruit last, don't be surprised if it's bitter and strong. Also! They charge a cover for guys starting at a certain time and for ladies too at some point. It was $10 but they give you a drink ticket so it's like you're only paying around four bucks to get in...which is still lame considering it's LONG BEACH but whatever...it is what it is. AND DONT FORGET TO WEAR YOUR SALSA DRESS! read more

DELICIOUS Appetizer, DELICIOUS Sangria, DELCIOUS Paella, and even better with the live music! FOOD: 5 Stars AMBIENCE: 4 Stars LOCATION: 4 Stars SERVICE: 4 Stars PRICE: 4 Stars read more

Paid way to much to get in to this small club. How can it be legal to only have 1 bathroom (only 1 toilet) for women? They should anticipate busy nights and have the nice mobile bathrooms available. While I waited literally an hour to pee, a fight breaks out... waiting longer. Friends actually left to find another place to pee because of the line. After they came back We decided to leave after another fight had started in the bathrooms. Management... get the bathroom situation under control! read more

The food was pretty tasty, but the server literally needed to be taught how to do his job, he walked by our table probably 4 times then finally the manager came by and asked if we had been helped yet (which we had not so we said no) and the server finally came by After that, he greeted us then just stood there and asked what we'd like for dinner (keep in mind this is the first 10 minutes of sitting down) so I told him we'd like to order drinks, then appetizers, then dinner. He agreed and went on about his business. i have had much better food with way better service, if you're an actor who has struck out and moved to Long Beach; own it, don't be pissed off and be a lousy waiter. read more

Bar Review! I ended up here for a 'Wine and Canvas' painting event. Wine and Canvas is an awesome company that has pop up locations. They go to restaurants, provide canvases, easels, paints, etc. You spend the night boozing away while making works of art. It's fun. This time around they were at Alegria. I didn't get to try the food, however the bar service was great. Quick and attentive. Restaurant staff was graceful as we took over one of their rooms to paint and drink. read more

Came for the DineLA and really liked this place a lot. Totally empty on a Wednesday night, but the live pianist was very good. AC was broken so we sat outside, which was nice. Got a crabcake appetizer, followed by ribs with mashed potatoes and onion rings, and a three part dessert featuring a brownie of some sort, chocolate cake, and some sort of pudding. Everything was excellent (though I passed on the brownie due to it's having cinnamon haha. The main course was the best part as the ribs and potatoes were both very soft and melt in your mouth quality. Parking sucked. Didn't have coins to street park (not LA), and valet was like 8 bucks. Alas. I read the sangria was noteworthy but I'm not 21 yet... read more

Love it!! Got here a little early (avoided the lines) and had some hookah. I was really surprised to see hookah set up, but it was actually very cool. Only $20 bucks for the hookah and $9 for refills, they also use nice quality stuff and their staff knows how to maintain it tasting smooth. Once we were done with the hookah, we went inside and checked out the music. The dj was fantastic and played really awesome latin music. They also had an AMAZING live band that played some great latin music. Can't wait to be back!! read more

So they finally opened and we used our travelzoo. The waiter was very attentive considering we were the only people there. The sangria was pretty good and strong. We got the seafood paella and the gaucho steak. The paella was good but it was salty, I've had better and it was pretty pricey over 20 dollars and was only enough for one person. The steak was really good and I would say it was worth the $25. Overall, I would not go here again because the food is overpriced. read more

Alegria - Spanish Near Me - Long Beach, California

Amazing food and amazing service!!! Thank you to Stephanie for the Mexican candy w/ Long Island shot!!! First timer but we will definitely come back!! read more

I'm sorry but I tried really hard to like this place. With the 4 stars on yelp and our initial greeting by the manager, I thought this place was going to be great. The hostess sat my wife and i quickly upon arrival on a Saturday night in the bar area. but we were greeted by the manager immediately who offered us to sit us in another part of the restaurant that offered a view of a flamingo dance show that was about to go down. Great! We took the offer The show was pretty cool and the performers were fun and outgoing, the manager checked in a couple times to make sure things were going ok. I'm telling you, I wanted to like this place. The food killed it for me. We tried their 3 tier appetizer platter which included some of their most popular dishes, said the waitress. We also added on a few more sides to try. We basically walked out of this place paying 55+ dollars on cold nachos, a couple tiny street tacos, and meatballs that were absolutely not edible with the amount of salt that was put into them. And the food took awhile to come out to top it off. I hate giving a bad review to this place because the people were super cool but the food was horrible and over priced. Maybe it was just an off night for us that time. read more

Service was poor, we had to ask several times just to get a water. The waiter forgot to put several of our appetizers orders in... Our second server kept apologizing for the terrible service the entire evening. Maybe she should have focused on improving the service rather than insincere apologies. Food was okay, nothing was particularly memorable. My favorite dish of the night was probably the Humitas Chilenas. The menu describes it as a corn tamale souffle but its really nothing more than a corn tamale with shrimp and a sauce; the flavors were good though. read more

The two stars are for the food. It's really not very good. That said, the bar is great!! The Salsa band that plays late Friday and Saturday night is excellent!!! No Cover is also a plus!!! read more

Be warned that this review might be biased solely based on the reason that I had my best first date here. That night, we had ceviche, paella and sangria and there were flamenco dancers in the background. Food was good and atmosphere was amazing. Couple months later, I married the dude that took me there. So...yeah. Pretty much one of my favorite restaurants. read more

Came here on 6/29 for brunch and used a Living Social Deal for 2 brunch entrees and unlimited mimosas or sangria. Unfortunately Living Social did not specify that our brunch entree choices were limited to three - steak, chicken or salmon. The food took waaaaay too long to arrive for how empty the restaurant was. Both the chicken and salmon entrees were liked however the "poached" egg on both steak orders were overdone.... like hardboiled egg yolk status. So the eggs got sent back and it literally took 20 minutes for us to get our new eggs (my plate was empty by then). The server was apologetic, mentioned that he had told the manager about the mishap, but no manager came over to apologize or offer any sort of compensation. I am a huge supporter of local businesses and I love a good deal via Groupon or LivingSocial but unfortunately I feel like when you mention that you have an offer you are automatically going to get horrible service from the staff. With all the awesome new additions on Pine for brunch, I definitely will not be returning to Alegria. read more

Came here with a Groupon worth $30. I had ordered over $60 of food from the regular menu at regular price to comply with the Groupon. I also ordered $30 worth of drinks because it was Happy Hour. They didn't want to grant my Groupon because I had ordered Happy Hour drinks, regardless of how much I had spent to satisfy the Groupon. After some haggling, they agreed to give me the Happy Hour drink prices. I don't like to haggle, just do what's right the first time and treat your customers right. The food was ok. I ordered the Whiskey Salmon with sauteed vegetables and jalapeño mash potatoes. Sauteed vegetables turned out to be a bunch of broccoli and I couldn't taste the jalapeño in the mash potatoes. Salmon was decent. Others at my table also said the food was ok. Regardless, we made the most of our afternoon sitting outside on a nice day in Long Beach. We most likely will not return as there are other great looking options around here. read more

Good food, good service, and it was fun to see the Flamenco dancer. The place looks old, and feels like it needs a good power wash. The restrooms smelled, and paint is peeling everywhere. But if you can look past that, it's very good authentic Latin food. The chicken fajitas were really good and you can't beat a good flan for dessert. read more

Alegria - Spanish Near Me - Long Beach, California

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Wow. Fantastic, warm, friendly service. I was in long beach for work and tired. A group of us went out for dinner (and we have different levels of picky eaters among us) and this place delivered. Food was great. Wines were really reasonably priced and a nice selection of tequilas. We ordered 5 different entrees and I tasted each one, including: butterfish with jalapeno sauce/emulsion. great sauce (i didn't taste the fish here). it was completely consumed. pasta with chicken, sundried tomatoes and chipotle cream. great smoky flavor. I didn't order this one but finished it. paella (both versions). really nice and flavorful. chicken mole enchiladas. good, not too sweet. didn't have the sangria but one person did and loved it. finished the night with a reserva de la familia tequila. mmmmmm. We were all happy. read more

Restroom sucks at this place after 10pm do not try to go to the restroom make a line and stinks after 10pm personal do not care

Alegria, where have you and your sangria been all my life? My friend/co-worker AC and I decided that we needed a little celebration in our lives - and we heard about Flamenco Fridays at Alegria and thought it would a cute place to hang out. We were so pleased with the entire place! We perched ourselves on the bar and ordered a carafe of sangria and some empanadas. The empanadas came out piping hot and the sangria was smooth with the right amount of kick. We ended up drinking ourselves silly with sangria as we watched the Flamenco show. Then we moved ourselves to a dining table and we were joined by two other girls. I ended up getting the Ropa Vieja - shredded beef, rice, beans, plantains - I was in heaven! AC got the El Gaucho - skirt steak with chimichurri sauce and she couldn't help but exclaim, "it's a party in my mouth!" She got the chocolate mousse for dessert while I opted for flan. Muy bueno! I can't wait to come back for more Latin food, flavor, and fun! read more

This is a pretty cool place in Long Beach where I had a pretty solid meal. I was joined by several people and we ordered several tapas items to share: Tapas Frias, Ropita Vieja, Humitas Chilenas. For my entree, I had the El Gaucho. By far the Humitas Chilenas was my personal favorite. Another favorite, the strong and tasty Cadillac Margaritas. Yeah. Pretty strong... Definitely inexpensive and I thought I heard salsa music and saw dancing there one night? Might have to go back when next in Long Beach... read more

A bowl of croutons, a glass of wine and thou..... I remember when this place opened. Same owners as L'opera. They have one of the best Sangria's in Southern California. It definitely packs a punch, especially if you eat the fruit...don't be afraid. I have two recommendations... If you go in a group, I recommend the 3 tier tapas combination. If you go to the restroom, be sure to double bolt it. read more

Went here after Sevilla was a nightmare to get into. We got there after their kitchens closed, but we were looking for a place to drink, so it hardly mattered. We ordered a couple of pitchers of sangria, and it was delicious. I'm not a big fan of red wine, but the sangria made me happy. I also tried their mango mojito, which was pretty good as well. I have on one occasion had their shrimp dish, which was delicious! I really recommend this place if you just want to have a relaxing time, a couple drinks, and some personal space. They have a live band that keeps the music going, a small dance floor as well. Definitely good times! read more

Alegria is a nice, free joint to chill at on a Saturday night, but maximum occupancy was definitely exceeded. It's a small, nicely decorated restaurant / bar, but it's just too pequeno to be like a bar / dance club. I did enjoy the establishment as a nice place to chill at while listening to the live entertainment, but the amount of human traffic was suffocating. In between the Salsa band's break, the DJ would spin a collection of top 40s with a mix of the Latin flava where you would naturally want to get down, but again, my gripe is that it's just too packed to really be enjoying it. I guess you can't really complain since it's free and Sevilla is charging a ridiculously overpriced entrance fee of $30. I'd rather spend the extra $10 dollars at a club in LA, but since this place has no cover, it's cool. The food that was coming out of the kitchen looked very appetizing, so I'd be curious to try out the food here with all the positive yelp reviews. Ladies, the restroom situation here, considering the amount of people, was a bit of a pain. There are two single stalls and the ratio of male to female using el bano was 1:6, so naturally the women took over the men's. read more

4 stars for their yummy sangria. 2 stars for their food. In my opinion, I don't think the food quality is up to par to many of the Spanish restaurants I've been to.... It's rather bland and flavorless. However, I love love their Sangria!! It doesn't taste that strong, but it will deliver a punch! I still don't understand why they serve you complimentary "croutons" instead of something else. So I suggest go to dinner somewhere else before you go here. Take your date here, order a pitcher, and you'll be guarantee to be tipsy by the end of the night!! Tip: Call for reservations if you have a huge group...Also come before 10:30 to avoid the cover charge (I think it's 10 bucks and it includes a glass of sangria). Pros: Sangria, live music and dancing during weekend evenings. Cons: Food and one restroom stall per sex???? How do you expect people to be drinking copious amounts of sangria/liquor and then wait in the endless line at the restroom? There are times I've seen the ladies sneak into the guy's restroom (I've been tempted a few times.) However, now there is a sign that says "Men Only." Also, the area around there is REALLY GHETTO and pretty dead. If you're a girl, DO NOT be walking around the area alone, especially late at night! read more

As you can tell from the ratings from other yelpers, this place has amazing, good quality food. I had the Paella Oceano (spelling?) and it was delicious. If you are a seafood lover and rice lover like me, this is a gift to you from God. Also had Tiraditos, bomb. Ahi tuna chunks marinated with cucumbers. Also sampled their Mole sauce. Def getting a dish with this on it next time. It says sweet and spicy, but it is really more sweet than anything, didn't taste anything spicy. Sangria! Bomb! Only bad thing is parking, but its Downtown LB. Or should I just say Long Beach (and then you will already associate it with bad parking right? ;) read more

On the pricey side, but the atmosphere, flavor and live music make it up. The paella is great! So are the meatball appetizer - I forgot the name, but it was awesome, texture and flavorwise. The bread under the meatball thing got soggie, but I'm not sure if that is what it's suppose to be. In any rate, I work in Long Beach, and wlil hit up this place again to begin a weekend with a lovely dinner. read more