The Prospector

This place is truly a dive. hit or miss from availability to good polite service.
Sunday afternoon for breakfast and they don’t have country potatoes.

OK so it’s been a while but still as great as always! Had the steak & lobster early bird special for my birthday and both were amazingly tender and cooked to perfection. Love their mashed potatoes & gravy, plus the toasted garlic bread is special also and I had the side salad with a amazing raspberry dressing that had a little bit of a bite to it like some king of pepper spice that was very good and different. Also tried a new beer that they had which had a amazing vanilla flavor that was really good. Will be looking forward to my next trip here as even the young waitress we had was awesome!

First time here and it was DELICIOUS!
My coworker and I were discussing stake and he mentioned the prospector
We arrive to the location and it looked very old school western themed
My boyfriend and I are big meat eaters and definitely like our steak medium rare, but everywhere we go doesn’t serve them well and there dry!
So we tried it at this location
My order came with clam chowder soup and a salad plus my filet miñon and some fries btw don’t get fries get the mash potatoes
My boyfriend ordered steak and lobster which was also very tasty!
We cut into our stake and it was super mega juicy and the taste was delicious
For the order we only paid 45 bucks it was a great place and good service
Best steak recommendation in town

So I’m very big on STEAK… I can have it anytime, anywhere and any style… yes ma’am I surely will devour a good piece and wash it down with some red wine ²⁴⁄₇ if my poor heart can take it… with that being said on with my review.
I’ve lived in LBC way before Unilocal (maybe) and have passed by this place a grip of time. Why?!? Maybe cuz Its – to me just appears to be a divey Bar and nothing more. So she ain’t no beauty, but thanks to Unilocal I have discovered a GEM.
So I’m @ this stage of my life where I have to be Wise with my dollar dollar bills yo — like most Americans. I can not and will not — dam well Refuse to not eat out… and being the steak lover that I am… I find myself thinking of this place for months — since none of my dam Friends would try it me… I still resent them til now!!! So She’s been bookmarked for almost a year.
I finally convince two to go with me. Why because I said I would Treat. Hmmm bastards.
As you entered go to the left cuz the right will lead you to a dingy bar. Don’t go right dammit and um try to use the bathroom before you come here. Just saying.
The eating area is sorta small but very comfy and homey. Don’t expect good service unless you plan to serve yourself. The menu – I don’t remember the menu I just came for the Steak Special but I did look at the wine list which consist of 3 or was it 4 red wine as my options. go bottle cuz it’s pretty much cheap-​/​priced very well indeed. Whose doesn’t like cheap?!?
Now to the Meat. The steak was good. I loved it maybe more than my eating companions but I love cow. It was juicy – seasoned well and made just how I wanted it (MR). The sides and veg platter was cool too but to be honest I just came here for the steak and will come back again –maybe next time with my own bottle of Red.
No frills just good eats!

I don’t appreciate the waitress talking down to me. She was extremely rude. Service was in my top 3 worst. Will not be coming back here.
*note this review was written in 2012 and I realized it had never posted so hopefully things have changed. still haven’t been there since*

There is no other best words to describe this place! SO AMAZING! Me and my boyfriend love this place, so lovely and such great service always, the food is so amazing good! We never go home disappointed, we always go back for more and more!!!
Forgot to add, it doesn’t matter how the place looks, what matters it’s the quality of the food, but most of all #1 it’s the COSTUMER SERVICE!

Well The Prospector in Long Beach is an institution. It’s a staple. It’s certainly not for everyone. It’s a sort of run down restaurant and bar, and has always been a cutting edge kind of place. I’ve been going there so long that I remember when they had a baby grand piano in the bar and on the weekends they would hire a piano player. There were bar stools around the piano filled with grey haired folks, and one mic they would pass around from singer to singer… that was WAY before the word KARAOKE was even a word in America. Punk rockers, locals, young and old, everyone would come in those days to hear the old folks belt out those Frank Sinatra tunes. Over time, the old folks were no more.
The restaurant hasn’t really changed all that much over the years, still needs a MAJOR overhaul, and it always did, but the steak specials are good and very reasonably priced, every meal comes with relish tray (wow,) soup, AND salad (great blue cheese dressing btw,) steak, baked potato, garlic toast, AND a mini pudding dessert. On a Friday you get a rib eye dinner for about $ 15 bucks with all the courses. The wait staff is phenominal, not that the service is spectacular or anything, but because these people are actually happy that you came in. It’s a dynamic that I had to get used to. I’m used to fast service, everything perfect the way I want it, right now. Well, I’ve learned that I need to slow down, enjoy the experience… I can’t explain it except for that maybe it’s like the Cheers TV show. Your waitress might need a few minutes to get your drink, and a few minutes more to take your order. I never was a bar regular, so it’s new to me.
And then when you go to the bar side of the joint on a Friday, you’ve got Lika the doll barmaid, and Wayne with the heavy pour, for $ 5 a drink, maybe, maybe less after several I don’t know, and Karaōke. Hipsters, old crotchety folks, locals, geeky middle aged people like me, straaight/​gay doesn’t matter who you are, most everyone is friendly. The Karaōke is anyting you can imagine, sometimes metal, sometimes old standards from the 40’s, sometimes funk or disco, could be anything. Always a wonderful time… especially after you buy a shot or two for your bartenders, that’s when the magic kicks in. I go on Fridays, it gets packed about 10pm. I recommend the Orange Crush shot, it comes in a short high ball glass with a shot glass in the center that you have to put your finger on while drinking. I think they put vodka and red bull and deliciousness in that large ‘shot.’ I recommend sipping it.
There’s a smoking section outside the bar on Juanipero with benches. Nice, your friends are out there waiting to share a story with you.
It’s not a 5 star restaurant or bar, but it is a 5 star experience for a local hang out

First of all the place is definitely a DIVE.
But my mom and I thought we’d try it… my had been here years and years ago and loved it!
I had the petite top sirloin, mashed potatoes & salad. My mom had liver and onions & salad.
Top sirloin=ordered med rare, came rare & barely warm, very tough (I still ate it though).
Potatoes=barely warm, couldn’t tell if they were from real potatoes or box.
Salad=fresh and delicious!
Mom said all her food was good but also barely warm.
Waitress=good
Décor=old and VERY dirty inside!

Great drinks at fantastic prices.
Had the rib eye steak dinner, came with a tiny soup and a great salad. Also a relish tray, not necessary but thoughtful.
Dining room and bar are separated. Bar area is very loud. The waitress I had was awesome. I believe her name was Mary.
Parking lot out back. Nice.

Love going in on the weekends and seeing Konni, she is great to conversate with. Wished l lived closer to keep going often… Keep up the good work!!!

After a long exodus we gave The Prospector a few more tries over the past few months. Each time we had the experience we had years ago, hence the star increase. Food was very good as was the service. The young lady who was our server this week for lunch was friendly, fast and detailed. You can’t beat the value and the variety of the menu makes it easy to find something to satisfy your breakfast, lunch & dinner needs. Shrimp cocktail is served old school with plump shrimp w/​tangy cocktail sauce on ice, steaks tender & tasty & even chicken livers (a rare find). The atmosphere is still Knott’s Berry Farm’s Mine Ride meets Shabby Chic but for us that’s a plus.

It’s a Dive bar with a restaurant and the best combo when you’re a local.
I have been coming here for years, from listening to bands play, DJs spinning, and even karaōke night! Most of my visits consist of eating here now. The Restaurant side is more uniform of the prospector theme. Very old school! They start you off with a relish plate consisting of carrots, celery, peppercini’s, cherry peppers, radishes, pickles and green onions. If you order off the happy hour dinners, you only get a choice of soup or salad, but with a regular dinner you get both. Dinners come with slice of garlic bread, which is also pretty good. For dessert you get a complimentary shot glass size of pudding with whip cream. I’ve eaten steaks here in the past, which is a great price and pretty good. Nowadays I order the fried chicken dinner… The best fried chicken I’ve ever had here in Long Beach. I am pretty sure you can’t go wrong with whatever you order.

Scotty is no doubt the rudest bartender… spends most of his time getting drunk, texting and chatting with regulars… If you are not a member of the club, exit as soon as possible.

Walked in to this place for the first time. Heard food was good. We sat our selfs near the bar area waited 10 mins didn’t get any kind of service. While being starred at by the bartender yet he still didn’t even attempt to ask if we needed or wanted anything we didn’t even get a hello from anyone. I mean probably the worst service ever. I don’t really review places but this was just a crappy experience. We just walked out.

Went again about 2 weeks ago and brought a buddy Al to check the place out and we had the New York Steak Special for Saturday Night. We both enjoyed it.

Great time, good food, loved the service. The bar is divey. Bring a jacket, can be a little chilly. A shout out to Jamie for excellent service.

Had awesome service here! Food was good for the price. Will be coming back for more. My waitress was quick and amazing!!! Very laid back atmosphere. Wish there was a drink menu to order off of.

Great place! It’s full of character and the food is a great deal. The music ranges from reggae to punk and different things always going on. Strong drinks for a great price are always a plus! Sunday football is busy and fun! Been coming here for over 10 years and continue to because it’s that good.

Look, depending upon your style, this is probably not the place to take a first date to. But — having said that, the wait staff are always friendly, there are tons of repeat customers (doesn’t that say something?), and the food is pretty darned good every time we eat here. For the $$, you might find some place equivalent, but not better.

Great little hole in the wall tucked behind a bar. They have great daily specials at reasonable prices. we normally frequent here on Monday nights that is the prime rib special that my husband loves. It is also the chicken dinner special which I would normally order. It’s very good. But I must say I was suggested to try the burger and it was excellent! Our waitress Terry was very attentive and had a great sense of humor I’m glad she recommended the burger to me. Overall if you are in the Long Beach area you should try this spot. Good food great service, and you get a lot! You get a relish tray to start, soup, salad, your entrée you pick, garlic toast, and then they finish you off with a cup of pudding. you will literally roll out of there! Lol!

I got there at 5:15 to beat the 6 o’clock early bird special. The waitress brought me a soup and then continued to take my order. I received the bill for $ 17. I told her I thought this was the early bird special, she said gave me soup so this was her excuse to charge me full price. I received the credit card info and she charged $ 22 instead including her tip. Very disappointing.

–_​_​–
Seriously definitely not.
A while ago, I wanted a steak dinner and read that this place does it up for a great price. I got here and ordered the works: Bloody Mary, lobster, steak, potato. That came with free cheddar broccoli soup and crackers which was the only decent thing. The meat was medium rare but so hard to chew through, the drink poured with a weak ass hand and the lobster was like so small! Sure, it was $ 30 including tip but that’s not impressive because here they specialize in steak dinners so idk how the fuck they are serving people this.
I’m going to Outback next time –_​_​–

Dinner and service for the dining room was great. After the dining room closed, myself and about 8 friends went to the bar where we were met with poor service and long wait times. Which is nothing unusual for a Friday night at a bar. However, at the end of our evening, I waited nearly 15 minutes for someone just to ask me if they could help me, and all I wanted to do was cash out. When the male bartender told the elderly-​aged woman that I had been waiting, she waited on two other customers prior and said «f*** him.» Not only once, but 3 times. Each instance louder and more clearly directed at me.
She proceeded to wait on a third, yelled at me to ask me what I wanted, I told her and she claimed she didn’t hear it. I told her again, my name and she got very clearly upset and she told me «don’t yell at me!!» I took it in stride and paid my bill. I’ve gotta tell you, for the first time in 35 years, I didn’t leave a tip. I’ve had service that was absolutely atrocious before, but I’ve never in my life had someone in the service industry that looked directly at me and used profanity to insult me. What a horrible experience in the bar.
That all being said. The service in the dining room was great and our server was very helpful, efficient, and friendly. She treated us very well and was tipped well. I appreciate everything she did, and would be happy to eat at the restaurant again.
We’re not people that are hard to please, but when you start swearing about me, and insulting me not only to my face, but in front of my guests, I’m sorry, but I’m gonna say something. Never again will I go to this bar until I know that woman no longer works there.
You servers, and hostesses on the other hand did a great job, and hopefully we’ll see you soon, after that miserable bartender is fired.

I won’t lie, it’s not the prettiest place or in the best neighborhood. But the food is excellent and you get allot! Every meal comes with soup AND salad and a desert!
The place is hidden behind a bar and it would be great if it had a separate entrance especially since kids dine here. It could also use some renovations. Although it looks like they are trying (new carpet and chairs) so little by little.
Overall a hole in the wall with ALLOT to offer

Good food, good booze… can’t go wrong here!
Go for karaōke nights on Wed or Friday :)

Came here not sure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. We ordered the Saturday special, a HUGE NY strip steak, which came with a ton of food. First Minestrone soup, then a salad, then our entrees came with fries or baked potato, garlic bread, aaaand chocolate pudding for dessert! Oh plus they give you a relish tray to start consisting of carrots, celery, peppers, and pickles. Whew! Lot of food. The steak was amaaazing. Well cooked too. Too bad we live in AZ. I’m still going to rave about it back home.

We had our reception there today and the waitress was horrible and rude to our guests! That old waitress was mean and none of my guests where happy! And we will never return! That old waitress didn’t deserve any damn tips from my group!!!
The good was that great and half the order was wrong! The prices was too high for the shitty food.
First time and last!

I stopped in on my way home for a drink and some food. The drink was super stiff, and the waitress was really nice, but it took forever to get my food. And I ordered the simplest thing on the menu! How does it take an hour to bring me a burger and fries? I ended up sitting in this booth by myself for two hours. I don’t mind eating alone, but I was starving. Luckily I am relatively patient. Sometimes. I had a drink so I was okay.
Then the burger finally came. I saw the waitress come around the corner with a steaming basket in her hand. The anticipation was killer! She put the basket down in front of me and I knew instantly that it was worth the wait! Thick, hot and juicy. I made a mess and it was awesome. I will definitely be back!

I really want to give this place a 4 star but it’s barely a 3 ½
I live close to this area and have always been intrigued by their daily deals.
One night my Lil sis and I wanted to give it a shot and decided to take this meal adventure together:
Waitress was quick and efficient. Friendly not so much but it’s fine as long as my water is filled and I get what I asked for you I’m satisfied.
Prices Are Way Better Than Dennys and a better portion.
She brought out a veggie plate which was surprising since none of us expected that. It was decent, nothing fancy just a wonderful gesture from the restaurant.
On to the food.
We ordered calamari as an appetizer since its a good go to, oncethey game out they looked likebreaded fries which were heavily breaded and undercooked. The dough inside was still doughy so we just gave up.
Prime Rib Meal:
Portion of special was more than enough to feed two gals
Came with soup and salad. The salad was standard, waitress was nice enough to give us 2 dressings since we couldn’t decide.
The soup was unexpectedly tasty. I would like to come back for this.
Prime rib was undercooked. I had asked for a medium rare but it came out very pink. Photo is posted. I took a few bites and just sent it back to get reheated. The au jus sauce helped the flavor of the meat.
The bus boy couldn’t move any slower, like seriously. Asked for things and they will slowly come
One of the waitresses yelled at him telling him he’s not doing his job which made the table awkward and everyone else around to hear the conversation
Be back? Maybe to try one more to see if this is something I would go on rare occasions.

I came here with friends to see a punk show, and I really hated the atmosphere of the whole place. It was full of hipsters and totally not for me. What’s even worse was that this place was insanely crowded. Luckily, their beers were not overpriced, so that’s good. Also, the bathrooms were pretty well maintained, but they are small. So if you’re looking to go to the ladies room after 10 pm, you will be standing there for a while in line.
I can’t speak towards the food here since I’ve never tried it, but the dining area was secluded from the bar area and the ambiance over there seemed nice, so I would be open to coming back here to try the food during the day.

This place breaks my heart.
The chef should stop serving any protein besides chicken and ground beef.
I came here with a large group for dinner.
My mom was part of the group, and she ordered prime rib cooked medium.
I ordered the bacon wrapped filet mignon cooked medium rare.
My damn steak showed up raw (rare) and hard to cut through.
My mom’s prime rib was rare too, but she was eating the edges and not fully understanding the reason why she couldn’t cut her food, because of her visual issues.
I sent my filet mignon back, because there was no way I could eat it.
Our waitress said the cook needed to hear that he cooked it improperly, because this was a constant issue (go figure).
I asked for a new steak, and then was told that whoops, sorry, that was the last filet mignon.
So I was given a NY steak instead, and THAT showed up like seared ahi tuna.
It was embarrassing at a place with so many steak and prime rib options.
I eventually spoke up about my mom’s prime rib (because she didn’t want to cause another fuss).
The cook made her a prime rib to go (because it took so long and everyone had cleared their plates).
THAT prime rib ended up rare too upon going home.
The waitress was a fireball, and I actually can appreciate her attentiveness.
She was never rude, and always honest.
Thanks for the tons of butterscotch pudding, but I don’t see myself returning unless I’m heading to the bar.

Someone took me here for a first (and last) date. I am very open to all kinds of experiences, but this is not somewhere I would desire or recommend for a first date.
It is VERY divey. Pretty dark inside. Customer service was okay — nothing negative, that I can remember — just meh… she was there, nothing over the top, but I do not recall having to look for her.
They DO give a lot of food, which normally I love, but the taste was just okay. Nothing spectacular. Pretty bland.
The margaritas I had were very strong. They were the best part of the date!
I would not return.