El Barrio Cantina Verified listing

El Barrio in Long Beach (also home to the stellar Tokyo Noir speakeasy) is a gem—and one that, particularly as of late, feels underrated. I’ve always said that Chef Ulises Pineda-Alfaro’s food comes from that old-school ideology that food should speak for itself—leaving aside seemingly endless conversations about food diasporas, what defines the undefinable, such as “authenticity,” and the politics of food.

No matter how you dice it, though, you can’t help but notice how the very neighborhood that shaped the chef—Los Angeles—plays a role in all the food at El Barrio in Long Beach. This particularly shines in one of his best and most comforting dishes to date: birria lasagna. Or fideo layered with squash. Or Mexican sushi.

For us in SoCal, we often take for granted the kaleidoscope of cultures that come to play with us side-by-side on a daily basis—and that includes dishes in which two separate cultures firmly shake hands to create something magical.

Even more, El Barrio in Long Beach is becoming the epicenter of assuring that those who are unable to eat out can. The Mexican-meets-SoCal vibes space has officially launched an all-you-can-eat tacos special every Wednesday for $25. This is on top of their “recession menu,” which they launched in 2024, proving to be one of the city’s best happy hour menus to this day.

Written and photos by Brian Addison.

For Brian Addison’s latest feature on El Barrio Cantina, click here.