Working Class Kitchen, located in the super hip Zaferia District in Long Beach, is a test kitchen and butcher shop that prepares and cuts all the meats for the Long Beach-based Michael's family of restaurants.
As with the other Michael's restaurants, Working Class Kitchen supports local farmers and artisans, and only partners with ranchers who humanely and sustainably raise their animals for human consumption.
While this might not seem like a big deal, trust me it is - you can taste the quality of the food with every bite.
The menu rotates daily and has a large selection, of what else, meat-based sandwiches and burgers, sausages, salads and sides. The chef also likes to prepares something unique and yummy, like the Fried Chicken on Fridays and every month on the 10th the chef has a special menu, because - why else? It's a TEST kitchen. (Check-out the special events calendar here.)
While the restaurant is small, eating on-site is ideal because you get this behind-the-scenes feel when eating at the community table, or get to checkout the neighborhood when you eat at the doggy-friendly patio. Eating at the restaurant also gives you the opportunity to try the restaurant's different beers on tap, wine selection or even bottled artisan soft drinks.
But if you must, you can order anything on the rotating menu to-go, or anything behind the refrigerator case, including their freshly made salads, marinated meats, smoked pigs feet (YUM!) and house-made sausages.
On my recent visit with my hubby and Maya, we tried a selection of their most popular items, including the world-famous Chianina Burger (also served at their sister restaurant Chianina Steakhouse), Weisswurst Blue-Corn Corn Dog, and Poutin.
The chef also brought us their potato salad and beet salad to try. While I'm not a fan of beets, the salad was made with goat cheese and walnuts. And what can I say? I'm a fan of cheese. So there you go.
Working Class Kitchen if your perfect Long Beach lunch spot, but for non-locals, like me, I would take a refrigerated case and order some of their sausages, meats and salads to-go.
Working Class Kitchen is open seven-days a week and is located at
1322 CORONADO AVE.
LONG BEACH, CA 90804
562.494.0306
Ana Lydia
