Alegria Cocina Latina, Long Beach

I went to Alegria's on a Thursday night around 8:00pm and found that there was ample seating. (There is a small public parking lot right across the street, and that seemed to be more crowded.) I was among a group of 6, part of a birthday celebration that had made no prior reservation, and we were seated immediately. Food - Amazing, and you're looking at a minimum of $8 for a plate, ranging up into the 20's. They have a wide range of seafood plates and chicken, with colorful salads and soups, and the staff seemed very happy to accomodate the vegan birthday girl. As for me, try the nachos with chicken! Drinks were reasonably priced, and there is a small dessert menu, but save room, because they all sounded very rich and intense. Service - Really great. Our waitress never strayed for too long, and most of the orders were returned promptly. Very accomodating. Ambiance - Lowered lights, deep red and white silk hangings, darkly painted murals over the bar. It's a small venue: 1/2 a restaurant and 1/2 a bar and stage. There is also ample patio seating outside. The ONLY gripe I have has to do with the live entertainment. Not that they weren't incredibly talented, but just extremely loud. If you want a cozy meal for two with intimate conversation, this was not the time to come. The singer graciously did a happy birthday for our table, and that made up for the fact that we practically had to shout to talk to one another. Think about calling ahead to see when they have live entertainment, depending upon your tastes. An overall delicious experience.