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 record was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. 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.
The details, verified.
- 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
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.
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. The verification above is from the latest published award. Open a year for that year’s citation.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Waterfront Breakfast in Long Beach Long Beach, CA · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 award →Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
Visit Schooner or Later
A signal you can check.
This page is the standing record for Schooner or Later (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
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 for free to manage it, correct it, or remove it. If you want the award kit (badge, certificate, and announcement), you pay after you claim. Through December 31, 2026, publishing is $99. The evaluation itself is free. The $99 covers the first year only. Renewals are $199/year. That fee never buys selection.
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.