Beachwood BBQ & Brewing in downtown Long Beach bills itself as a gourmet barbecue restaurant and micro brewery. It certainly is an impressive space with a large outside patio area, and the menu is varied enough to satisfy any cravings in what is really a fun place to visit.

This is their second location, the first one having opened in Seal Beach a couple of years ago, and I bet there will be more in the near future. Ambience is not too loud and the high ceilings mean you can carry on a conversation with nice spacing between the tables.

Build out for this space was about 4 months, and the nickname of “Where the Fork meets the Pork” is a good summation of the menu. I just loved the Pulled Pork North Carolina style sandwich dipped in a red wine vinegar sauce and Pork Chicken sandwich with mustard-braised cabbage and shallot that were both served on a pretzel bun.

If you like crawfish, then the Crawfish sandwich ($10) was just right. Served on a grilled baguette and also stuffed with bell pepper onion, celery, garlic, cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Another winning appetizer is the Fried Green Tomato Salad ($12) with fried green heirloom tomatoes smothered in a tangy Tabasco vinaigrette. It goes perfect with one of the Belgian style pale ales.

All the meats like the ribs, ham and brisket are served “dry run” without any sauces, and are dry rubbed and slow smoked with applewood, almond and oak. However, the sauces are plentiful on the table if you insist on smothering your meats. Extras like French fries, baked beans, coleslaw, etc. are served extra for about $3.50 a pop including the Skillet Baked Cornbread.

Most of the beers here are priced at about $5.50, and even at that price some punters even balk, demanding the lower priced American beers. They are doing themselves a disservice, as they will be missing out on such gems as the Belgian style Hop Drops, German Hef Leppard or the Hops of Brixton, a classic British-style extra special bitter.

With the dessert of mixed berry cobbler, I tried a sour beer called Trois Dames, a perfect way to end a meal here at this fun place. Their latest beer, which was sold out in a matter of days, is the Imperial Armenian Coffee Stout aka “System of a Stout.” It is sold on tap at the restaurant, but I will have to try it on my next visit when they are back in stock.

Brewmaster Julian Shrago concocted this one from blackstrap molasses, green cardamom, and a custom Armenian coffee roast blend from the Portola Coffee Lab in Costa Mesa.

Beachwood BBQ & Brewing
210 East.3^rd Street
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 436-4020

Average price dinner for two w/beer  $65
Free Parking-3 hours w/validation