Schooner or Later
Best Waterfront Breakfast in Long Beach · CA
The Mess on the marina
Schooner or Later is a Long Beach breakfast institution on the marina, a bustling patio café overlooking the boats where locals line up for oversized morning plates. Its famous 'The Mess' — eggs, potatoes, cheese, and the works piled high — earned a spot on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Open early with a full bar and marina views, Schooner or Later has been the Long Beach waterfront's go-to weekend breakfast for decades.
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Founding cohort: evaluated in 2026 on public evidence available then, labeled 2025. Selection follows the published criteria; Schooner or Later met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. A long-established Long Beach operator with a multi-year track record.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Long Beach.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep, sustained public track record across years of operation.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Long Beach regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Named best waterfront breakfast in Long Beach for 2025 for decades of marina-side breakfasts and its famous scramble, The Mess.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. Own this business? Claim the listing to manage it, or ask us to remove it.
Award record
2025 Centurion Award
Best Waterfront Breakfast in Long Beach Long Beach, CA · Awarded under the 2025 evaluationVisit Schooner or Later
The details, verified.
Clean, checkable facts about Schooner or Later.
- Legal / trading name
- Schooner or Later
- Category
- Restaurant
- Location
- Long Beach, CA
- Centurion Award
- Best Waterfront Breakfast in Long Beach — 2025
- Record last verified
- July 2026
A signal you can check.
This is a dated award record published by The Centurion Awards after reviewing public evidence for Schooner or Later against the 2025 criteria for its market and category. The business did not have to apply for this page to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. The criteria are public. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. If an award stops holding up, we may revoke it. For anything current, like hours or bookings, go straight to the business itself.
Frequently asked questions.
What is Schooner or Later?
A longtime fixture on Alamitos Bay, Schooner or Later serves its famous Mess to a dockside crowd that has made it a weekend tradition for decades.
Is Schooner or Later award-winning?
Yes — Schooner or Later is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Waterfront Breakfast in Long Beach, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best waterfront breakfast in Long Beach for 2025 for decades of marina-side breakfasts and its famous scramble, The Mess.
Where is Schooner or Later?
Schooner or Later is in Long Beach, CA.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.