Georgia’s Restaurant is just so good, its owners Nika-Shoemaker Machado and “Nana” Gretchen Shoemaker’s regard everything they do as being “Soul-Delicious.” Nika and her family are from Louisiana, and moved to California in the 70’s, her father handed down their family recipes. With its Creole inspired menu, you can’t go wrong.
They play soul, Motown music, which adds to the overall atmosphere. There’s a nice outdoor covered patio. Its model is counter ordering with wait staff delivering your meal. My server was Presley, who was named after The King, Elvis. She was very sweet and pleasant. There is definitely a bunch of Southern Charm here, and it reflects in every bite. It’s a very well oiled movement, everyone has their part to make Georgia’s experience run like clockwork, and it is a huge success.
Here’s what I tried:
Drinks:
Non-Alcoholic Lemonade, so delightful, with rich lemon flavors.
Hurricane with Rum, orange, pineapple juices, and grenadine. This cocktail is not too sweet; it hit all of the right notes.
Sangria, with white wine with peach cocktail and ginger. Very fruity with a nice balance of acid, but the best part is it goes down real easy.
Starters:
Corn Muffins with honey butter, just the best muffins and the honey butter – is out of this world!
Cajun Fries, with Cajun seasoning, very delicious.
Onion Rings, I am a connoisseur of onion rings, these were crispy and thick, with great flavor, I would order these every time.
Salad:
Shrimp Salad, with spring mix, roasted corn, red peppers, red onions, tomatoes, and mango sauce. A perfect salad especially with all of the lovely shrimp.
Sandwich:
Shrimp Po’boy on a French roll, with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, dill pickles, garlic mayo, and lemon aioli. A very hearty sandwich, with deep fried shrimp that is succulent and moist, a great dish.
Entrée:
St. Louis BBQ Ribs, a rack of slow roasted pork ribs in signature BBQ sauce. I just can’t say enough about these ribs, they fall off the bone, and the sauce is just remarkable.
Sides:
Mac & Cheese
Corn on the Cobb
Collard Greens
Gumbo
Every side dish was amazing, with completely different flavor profiles. The Mac & Cheese, and the Gumbo were my two favorites.
It is so worth a trip to either Long Beach or Anaheim to try this truly unique Southern Cuisine. There will be some other locations coming in the near future.
Their General Manager Joshua Gonzales was very accommodating. He says, “Georgia’s is good fast casual dining”. Their most popular dishes are Fried Chicken and Fried Catfish. They were featured on KTLA, The Food Network, and Travel Host Magazine.
Georgia’s Restaurant is at the Long Beach Exchange, which in itself is worth the trip, with lots of fun shopping and restaurants. The day I was there they had a small women’s only vendors flee market, which was really wonderful.
Georgia’s is open every Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm, and every Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm. There are 2 locations, Long Beach and Anaheim – 440 S. Anaheim Blvd #209A, Anaheim, CA 92805, (714) 906-1900.
Facebook @georgiassoul and Instagram @georgiassoul.
Georgia’s
4104 McGowen Street, Suite 155
Long Beach, CA 92630
562.420.5637
