"When it comes to old-school Mexican restaurants in Long Beach, people might point you to sports bar-ish Los Compadres, late-night hang El Sauz, or fusion-y Enrique’s near the Marina. But we like Rivera’s, a homey, family-run place on East 7th that has been open since the ‘90s. We love the retro wood-paneled dining room, glowing string lights on the ceiling, and the odes to Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo covering the walls. Still, the highlight is the food, made with noticeable care in all the little details (even the salsa that comes with the free chips here tastes like freshly roasted chiles). The hefty carne asada nachos and wet burritos are excellent, and the best menudo and pozole in the city are served six days a week. Our sole quibble is that the margaritas are agave wine-based, though that’s never kept us from ordering one." - garrett snyder, nikko duren, brant cox
