Ubuntu in Long Beach works to live up to its motto

Ubuntu Café refers to itself arsenic “The Greatest Neighborhood Café.” This would look to beryllium a spot of self-absorbed overstatement, akin to the fast-food concatenation that, years ago, referred to itself arsenic “Home of the Second Greatest Hamburger successful the World.” (All others, I assumed, were tied for first!)

And then, I went to Ubuntu. And, well, yes, arsenic vicinity cafés go, it is beauteous great. In fact, it’s sufficiently large to marque wide wherefore it has specified a loyal, nigh-on obsessed following. Show up for brunch connected a Sunday, and they’re each lined up, retired the doorway and down the steps, blessed to hold for specified indisputable greatness. This is simply a edifice that lives to marque its lawsuit precise blessed indeed.

The sanction “ubuntu,” comes from the Nguni Bantu connection translated variously arsenic “humanity towards others” and “I americium due to the fact that we are.” It’s arsenic overmuch a doctrine arsenic it is simply a word, built astir “the content successful a cosmopolitan enslaved of sharing that connects each humanity.” (Or, arsenic it says connected the menu, “A prime that includes the indispensable quality virtues: compassion & humanity.”)

At Ubuntu Café, that enslaved of sharing comes from nutrient — but besides from immoderate of the astir affable, stress-free work imaginable. The spot whitethorn beryllium packed, but nary 1 is complaining. Not adjacent the galore dogs connected the sprawling extracurricular patio, who happily prevarication nether the tables, taking overmuch needed naps aft a locomotion successful adjacent Will Rogers Mini-Park, oregon on the Colorado Lagoon.

Following the much-loved Long Beach tradition, Ubuntu is, archetypal and foremost, a meal shop, with a smaller luncheon menu, and a overmuch smaller meal menu, which isn’t adjacent referred to arsenic “dinner,” but arsenic “Sunset Hour,” which goes connected till 9 successful the evening — agelong aft the prima has set.

We bash emotion our breakfasts present connected the confederate enactment of LA County. And successful this case, the enactment goes good beyond the aged schoolhouse options of 2 eggies implicit casual with sides of bacon, sausage and toast. This is simply a modernist breakfast, for a modernist age.

Weekdays, it begins with a “Healthy Start” — dishes similar mascarpone food “tangy” toast including Garcia Organic Farm humor orangish segments, house-made citrus marmalade and toasted brioche, a lentil and murphy vessel (with Weiser Farms fingerling potatoes and location fermented Fresno chiles), and “Famous Scrambled Eggs” with farmer’s marketplace lettuce. The eggs are integrated (of course).

Listed nether “Worth Trying” is “Millionaire’s Bacon” — Niman Ranch heavy cut, and gluten-free Brazilian food bread. The breadstuff pudding is built astir caramelized bananas Foster. The acold brew java is “nitro” — of course. (There are frozen yogurt and peanut snacks for “Your four-legged friends.” Nice!

Come weekends, the wildly fashionable brunch paper repeats the meal dishes, and past immoderate — overmuch some. There’s smashed Hass avocado toast, tricked up with a hard-cooked egg, pomegranate seeds and watermelon radishes. There’s a lobster omelette — and is determination thing much indulgent than a butter-packed lobster process for breakie?

There’s an avocado, bacon, food and fried ovum meal sandwich served connected a tasted brioche, with a enactment that if you’re “Feeling a spot French? Get it connected a croissant!” And look astatine this: There are beef abbreviated rib tacos, and a crispy pork belly adobo vessel with brownish fried atom and a seven-minute brushed boiled egg.

Which is not to accidental the lunch, and the Sunset Hour menus aren’t worthy the fuss — they’re arsenic bully arsenic meal and brunch, conscionable not arsenic dense with culinary obsession. The ahi tuna Nicoise is simply a joy, with the added pleasures of drawback peas, heirloom cherry tomatoes and a seven-minute egg.

There’s a grilled food sando (gruyere and American), an Angry Chicken sando (Jidori of course, with cayenne capsicum pickles, and an heirloom herb sandwich. (And wherefore 2 are “sandos” and the 3rd a “sandwich” is simply a enigma to me!) There’s a Niman Ranch beef cheeseburger, and a Beyond Meat vegan burger. As you wish.

And travel the evening, we determination to avocado hummus (isn’t that guacamole?), Prosciutto and goat food crispy flatbread, and a charcuterie committee astatine $346 the astir costly point connected the menu. But then, it should provender 2 with ease. Even three. Which is astir apt what you’ll privation erstwhile you amusement up astatine Ubuntu. This is simply a edifice to spell to with friends and family. As 1 of the translations of the sanction goes, “I americium due to the fact that we are.” All together, we are not conscionable content, but well-fed too. And our doggies are precise blessed indeed.

Merrill Shindler is simply a Los Angeles-based freelance eating critic. Email mreats@aol.com.

Ubuntu Café

• Rating: 3 stars
• Address: 335 Nieto Ave., Long Beach
• Information: 562-498-2021, www.ubuntucafelb.com
• Cuisine: Casual café cuisine successful a casual café mounting with a immense section pursuing for this self-described “The Greatest Neighborhood Café.”
• When: Breakfast, luncheon and meal each day; brunch Saturday and Sunday
• Details: Seating wrong and retired (mostly outside), betwixt Alamitos Bay and Colorado Lagoon. If you amusement up for Sunday brunch, beryllium prepared to hold for a array — the assemblage is precise loyal.
• Prices: About $18 per person
• Suggested dishes: Breakfast ($9-$15), Lunch ($10-$22), Sunset Hour ($9-$36)
• Credit cards: MC, V
• What the stars mean: 4 (World class! Worth a travel from anywhere!), 3 (Most excellent, adjacent exceptional. Worth a travel from anyplace successful Southern California.), 2 (A bully spot to spell for a meal. Worth a travel from anyplace successful the neighborhood.) 1 (If you’re hungry, and it’s nearby, but don’t get stuck successful postulation going.) 0 (Honestly, not worthy penning about.)