Harbor View Café: A Long Beach landmark
By Cara Pridemore
Harbor View Café stands as a landmark and gathering place for the community of Long Beach. The restaurant has developed a loyal, multigenerational customer base, from former high school employees now returning with their own families, to college students stopping in during breaks, to long-time regulars who sit at tables unofficially reserved for them.
“It’s an institutional type of place,” Robert Bass, the restaurant’s owner, said. “Everybody and their brother pretty much knows Harbor View.”
Originally founded in 1994 in Pass Christian, Harbor View was temporarily relocated to Long Beach after Hurricane Katrina. The restaurant was later moved by its original owners to its current location on Jeff Davis Avenue.
In 2016, Bass purchased the café, wishing to preserve a sense of continuity for the patrons.
“We told the former owners, ‘We’ve got to keep the name. We’ve got to keep the people. We’ve got to keep the recipes. We’ve got to keep everything just as it is,’” Bass said. “And that’s been our philosophy, ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.’”
The café’s long-standing menu is part of Harbor View’s appeal. Many customers return for their reliable favorites and weekly specials, including Military Monday, which offers a 20 percent discount for active-duty service members and veterans, Taco Tuesday, Prime Rib Wednesday, and weekend morning breakfasts. Signature items include the club and Reuben sandwiches.
Beyond the food, though, Harbor View offers an atmosphere that feels welcoming and homey. Bass makes a point to learn customers’ names, greet them personally and create a space where people feel seen. Over the years, he has seen customers become vulnerable and share personal stories, and he aims to continue cultivating that sense of trust and familiarity.
“That’s essential in today’s business environment,” Bass said. “For people to know that they’re not just a dollar walking in your door, walking out. When you come in, we want to know who you are, we want to identify you, we want to learn about you, and we want to support whenever we can.”
As the former mayor of Long Beach, licensed attorney, and accountant, the restaurant and hospitality industry is completely new for Bass.
“If this restaurant were depending on me to cook, we’d have been in trouble about ten days after we took over,” he said. “We’ve got people that we rely on, who are very, very good at what they do and very creative.”
Although Bass lacks culinary experience, he has a generous, people-oriented mindset, which has sustained Harbor View and allowed it to flourish.
“Long Beach has been good to me, and I just wanted to do something that would help preserve some of the traditions,” Bass said.
Looking ahead, Bass hopes to continue offering affordably-priced meals, despite rising food and labor costs, and remain active in Long Beach. He says affordability and community involvement are central to a restaurant’s longevity and its status as a local landmark, and Bass hopes to uphold both by being there for his customers.
Bass says some of his favorite memories come from conversations with regulars, including a 93-year-old Vietnam War veteran.
“He’s been coming in here for years now, and it’s kind of a regular date that we have every Sunday morning,” Bass said. “When people are able to let their hair down and open up, that’ll tell you about what’s special about this place.”
