The Social List is a Modern European tavern on Retro Row in Long Beach that is known for its tasty brunch.  

They host various social events that make everyone feel like family, including whiskey tasting and art shows.  Their ingredients are fresh and locally sourced, and everything is made in-house.

The Social List is known for its tasty brunch.

We visited over the weekend for brunch and the first thing I noticed was that it was busy!  But what can you expect with fresh ingredients and bottomless mimosas?!  I had the Chicken Fried Steak and Eggs, with my eggs over easy.  Their homemade gravy includes pork chorizo (yum!), and the biscuit is fresh-baked. 

Their homemade gravy includes pork chorizo, and the biscuit is fresh-baked. 

I also got a side of their homemade salsa that they make daily in small batches for brunch. It was oh-so-fresh and the perfect amount of spicy for me (Take a small bite first if you don’t like spice – it packs some heat.)  The breading on the chicken somehow managed to stay crispy underneath all the gravy (lots of gravy!!) and the chicken was moist.  I probably could have split this entree with a girlfriend because it was rich and filling.  

Their homemade salsa is made daily in small batches for brunch.

My first drink was a mimosa, which you can get bottomless at brunch for $16.  It was refreshing, and you could tell the OJ in it was fresh-squeezed. 

For my second drink, I wanted to try something The Social List is known for, so I asked our server, and he recommended the Triple Crown.  It’s their take on a Whiskey Sour, but a strong one, in my opinion.  It came with their logo on the top of the foam, which I thought was pretty cool.  It also had a bit of a kick, so I asked our server what made it spicy and he told me they make their own honey habanero syrup, which they use in place of a simple syrup that would go in a traditional whiskey sour. 

They make their own honey habanero syrup.

He also told me their staff tastes every batch of the honey habanero syrup, because peppers vary in spice (something I knew from my serving days!  I used to get a lot of complaints when customers would order the same jalapeño dish twice and the first time it was medium spicy and the next it was practically inedible!). The staff tastes each batch of the honey habanero syrup and rates it for spice level.  Then it’s labeled so the bartenders know how much to use to keep the spice level constant in their drinks.

Kids’ meals were $6 – grilled cheese, mac n cheese, chicken tenders, spaghetti and meatballs, or PB&J.

They had kids’ options as well.  Prices were $6 for grilled cheese, mac n cheese, chicken tenders, spaghetti and meatballs, or PB&J.  They come with fries and milk.  I thought $6 was really reasonable for a kids’ meal.  If I wanted to bring mine for brunch, I might call ahead and ask for a corner table, if possible.  They’re 1.5 and 3.5 years old so they tend to get up a lot and on a busy weekend, I wouldn’t want them to get underfoot.

Everything is fresh and locally sourced.

Prices in general were reasonable.  They were closer to the high-end when compared with similar dishes at other restaurants, but when you look at the fact that everything is fresh and locally sourced, that’s to be expected.  I’m okay with paying a dollar or two more to get quality ingredients.  (Burgers/sandwiches were around $12 to get an idea.)    Speaking of prices, they also add a 3% surcharge to every bill to cover health insurance for all full-time employees.  You are not required to pay it, and if you don’t want to, you can ask to have it removed from your bill.  I think it’s great that they offer health insurance, so to me an extra 3% is worth it (and even more reason to continue being a patron!)

They offer health insurance to all full-time employees.

You can find The Social List menu on their website. You’ll see they also have some Vegetarian and Vegan options.  They have a happy hour from 3pm – 6 pm, Monday – Friday.  I will definitely be back to try more of their dishes!