Shenandoah At the Arbor

Amazing little gem of a place. The patio is a piece of paradise. The service is always excellent. The fresh fish is always awesome as is the French dip. And those apple fritters? OMG amazing… The wine list is fantastic.

Wonderful! A little tight but the staff was very attentive, the food delicious, the desserts? OMG!
My friend in Colorado saw my check in and contacted the restaurant, ordered an array of desserts for our table of six, on the sly, with the front desk. The staff happily played along and made the surprise a great success
Highly recommended. Make a reservation

My aunt brought me here for my birthday, it was fantastic! The décor was beautiful, the service was great and the food was delicious. The chicken tomatillo soup is one of the best soups I’ve ever had, and if you’re going to get an appetizer-​get the fried green tomatoes! We are already planning on hosting a baby shower there after today’s visit. Will be back again!

Recommended to me by a cousin and I bless her for the recommendation. Beautiful, delicious Southern cuisine, served by a smart wait staff. A quiet, romantic atmosphere. This is fine dining — Southern style. Eager to return.

Used to be a big fan of this place (although I still think their prices a bit much for the type of restaurant) but this past December 23^rd I made reservations for 8 pm. We got stuck in traffic and showed up at 8:15 pm, just to be told that the restaurant was closed. Mind you there were people sitting down that had not yet received their food. So my question is if you plan to close at 8:30 pm and your website doesn’t state when you close, shouldn’t you have told me when I made the reservation? Also, you know I have a reservation. You really couldn’t accommodate me because I was 15 minutes late? Someone needs to work on their management. Food is good, although a bit pricey. Facilities are quaint.

Need to feel enchanted? This place will charm and enchant you. I was first taken here by a friend for a surprise luncheon. We sat outside in the tree covered patio. The setting is lovely with koi ponds, gardens and so many cute touches. It was dressed with Christmas decorations and details. At night it is lite up with lights in the trees. Very romantic. The patio has heaters to keep the chil away. Our waitress, Karyssa was a perfect blend of delightful charm, great suggestions and impeccable service. It felt like we were being served by a dear friend. She is awesome, and worth asking for. We enjoyed the complimentary yummy apple fritters and butter that came and came, in abundance. Hot and dusted with powdered sugar, they are a nice start. The has a wide variety of different dishes. There’s a southern twist to many of the dishes. They have a nice selection of daily specials including fresh fish. The Salmon Greek salad is really delicious it’s a wonderful twist on a classic Greek salad and it’s really yummy. Their South Western grilled cheese sandwich is really good with Ortega chilies and sliced tomatoes it’s wonderful. Maxim’s tuna salad on grilled sourdough with Munster cheese and sliced tomatoes is a great stand by, especialy good paired with Miss Pearl’s pinto beans. My vegetarian friend swears by the nature’s best veggie sandwich with mushrooms, sprouts, avocados, cream cheese. It looked wonderful. We tried the Sand Dabs, they were really good, served with a garlic brown butter sauce. It’s worth trying as you don’t see you Sand Dabs on many menus at other restaurant. I’m glad I did it was delicious. The BBQ Quesadilla is delish especially, with the avocado on top… its a nice spicy quesadilla with mixed cheeses, chicken, red onion and chipotle barbecue sauce with fresh cilantro. It’s good. They do a nice fried chicken called Granny’s fried chicken it is real southern style cooking at its best. Save room for the dessert, as they have great freshly baked temptation here. The German Butter cake is divine. Their Crème Brule requires a little extra time but is well worth the wait. They have seasonal desserts and all of them are delishous. Take home part of your entrée if you have to, just don’t skip dessert. I like this restaurant for its charm, ambiance, gracious service and a menu that has many classic southern offerings as well as unusual dishes. What l don’t like is the lack of parking. Most likely you will have to park and walk. Plan to linger longer than most restaurants, as it has a leisurely southern pace. Don’t be in a rush here, relax and slow down. You’ll want to have plenty of time to explore the near by gift shops. So many handmade, lovingly crafted objects. They carry upscale soaps, lotions and bath salts. Many unique candles, decorations and textiles. Tons of ornaments and seasonal items. It’s a great place to find a gift, select a scarf, peice of jewelry or a lawn ornament. An enchanting lovely experience awaits.

I’m surprised I haven’t found this place sooner: great setting with a large heated patio and koi pond but also has a cozy dining room w beamed ceilings and and old school home look. The menu is simple but with plenty of varied choices. We had the mushroom appetizers as well as the shrimp Diablo which was perfectly cooked in a light sauce with fresh jalapeño slices – fantastic! I ordered the Galveston pasta which came with penne in a Cabo sauce which is essentially cream sauce with lime, tequila and seasonings. Very light but with a perfect after-​kick.
The service was familiar and friendly, an overall great experience. I’m very glad I stumbled upon this, will be back!

Shenandoah
When you walk into the restaurant you feel as though you are home, the restaurant is in a quaint home style building with beautiful dining in the back patio area. Our table was located in the back patio area with a beautiful white table cloth. We came on Christmas Eve and the décor was festive. They have string lights hanging from the large arbor trees above, and also included large ornaments. It had a lovely and warm ambience, in addition to a quartet playing classic Christmas carols. It was the perfect atmosphere for having Christmas Eve dinner.
Our server, Jan, was friendly and did not come across as overwhelmed, even though it was a busy evening. She explained the dinner specials well and started our dining experience off on a great note. I chose the wine for our family to enjoy, and our sever was kind enough to bring a splash of both of the wines that I was considering to let me chose from. I was very impressed that she offered to do so, and in the end we decided on having both– Woodwork Pinot Noir and Taken Red Wine from Napa. She performed great wine service while pouring for our table.
We were also given water right away and warm apple fritters. Another server brought the warm apple fritters to us in a beautiful large basket, where she took out two for each guest and placed them on our bread plate. They were sweet and flavorful, as well as covered in powdered sugar!
Each entrée came with a choice of either soup or salad, and I chose to have salad with blue cheese dressing. The dressing was the best I have ever had, not too thick or thin, and had nice chunks of cheese. What I also enjoyed was the display of the the fresh veggies that the server brough to us in her basket, which she then asked us what we would like to have. It included mixed greens with cucumber, sliced carrot, onion, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes. It was fresh and fun!
I ordered one of their traditional entrees, Grandma’s Fried Chicken with garlic mashed potatoes. The boneless chicken breast was large and moist, and I did enjoy the breading. It did not taste like it was tossed in the fryer, and I also asked for gravy on the side. My only hesitation on the garlic mashed potatoes is that it was cold when I got my plate, and quite garlicky. Overall it was so wonderful and I did not feel too heavy after finishing my meal. I also ordered the Dixie cut, which mean I had one breast instead of two.
The support staff cleared our plates quickly and refreshed our water. The atmosphere made the dining experience lovely and sets the scene for a great evening with friends and family. I would highly recommend Shenandoah for any occasion! It takes you out of Los Alamitos and into a relaxing backyard in the south.

My wife and I had the distinct privilege to get married at Shenandoah. Our ~50 honored guests were expertly waited on by their courteous and extremely attentive staff, and the meal we were treated to was exquisite and thoroughly enjoyed by all. Allie and Clint worked with us at every step to help us create a unique and beautiful experience tailored to our needs, while keeping to their Southern taste and aesthetic. Highly recommended for a meal out with friends, a wedding, and everything in between.

This is one of the cutest restaurants in the area! They have a beautiful outside sitting area decorated with lights for a romantic date night or an adorably decorated tea house for a tea outing with girlfriends. Very adorable regardless! The food is delicious! I usually get the pork chops.. yummy! I also love the mint tea.. a must try! They also give you amazing apple fritters as appetizers! Love this place. Just a little pricey so come prepared to spend $ 30 min per person! :/

Very nice local restaurant. Good food with many choices. Good service and nice people.
Check into their specials, they tend to be great!

Great place. Sit outside. The atmosphere is great. Great apple fritters and salads. The blood orange memosas are great. After lunch be sure to shop at Flags with a Flair.

This place gets incredibly busy (for good reason), so if you want to avoid waiting for a table, come by 11 am (and you may still be able to get some parking in their little lot).
I came by Shenandoah At The Arbor last Saturday with my husband to meet a friend of ours for an early lunch. She suggested that we get there by 11 am because parking is pretty bad. We both arrived a few minutes before 11 am and were seated outside since it was a lovely day (there are some umbrellas out, but outdoor seating is not covered). Actually I did not see anyone request to sit inside since it was just perfect for an outdoor meal (but there was a few bugs outside that was bothering this large party sitting near us though).
When our server came by, she brought us a pan of their signature apple fritters. They are fried and covered in powdered sugar, which reminds me of donut holes. These apple fritters are best consumed warm/​hot (you are able to get refills, which we had another pan brought out). I love these apple fritters and all I wanted to do was just eat those (not healthy for you and I was here for lunch, not dessert or breakfast).
Anyways, after browsing through the menu, I ended up getting the Georgia Chicken, $ 15.95 prior to tax. This special menu item is off their August lunch special menu, so I am not sure if this is available year round. This entrée comes with your choice of any side (you can choose from grilled vegetables, a salad, cole slaw, rice, potato, etc). I opted for grilled vegetables and asked if they could use half the amount of the oil they may normally cook it with (my server said that was fine and can accommodate my request). My lunch also came with this delicious melt in your mouth dinner roll (haven’t had a dinner roll quite like this one. It kind of reminded me of a pop over, but more tender).
When my entrée was brought out to me, I thought it was just beautiful. The chicken is pounded out thin and breaded, topped with a sweet sauce made with sliced peaches and seasoned berries (a really nice summer dish). My grilled assorted vegetables were placed in a small cup off to the side and was not too oily, as I had requested. The chicken was tender and easy to chew. The fruit sauce was a really nice touch and went really well with the chicken. The portion size of this dish was perfect for one person (and enough to share a little with another if they wanted to try some).
My husband got the Shenandoah Wagyu Cheeseburger, $ 13.95 prior to tax. My husband asked for the patty to be made medium and requested that his side that comes with this dish to be cole slaw. When they brought out this burger, it was bigger than what I was expected. I only had a bite of his burger, but it was juicy and flavorful. The cole slaw also had a nice light taste and wasn’t overly dressed.
Service was friendly and attentive.
Overall, I really enjoyed having lunch here and would love to come back.
By the way, as mentioned earlier, if you do not want to have trouble finding parking, come right when they open. Their little lot can only hold roughly ~10 cars. There isn’t a whole lot of street parking (this place is located next to a boutique and is an easy miss on Los Alamitos Blvd).
Also want to mention that the woman’s restroom (located outside of the restaurant) was clean upon this visit.

Shout out to my girl Ryan P. who put together a PYE cause I probably would have never stumbled upon this place without her. Despite how far I am from Shenandoah, I will definitely come back the next time I’m craving some good old southern comfort food. With a really outdoor seating, I definitely suggest coming when there’s some daylight so you can enjoy the full effects of the garden and pond area.
We came in a party of 12 and we sat indoors due to the humidity outside. It was nice since we were the only people inside so we could laugh and talk as loud as we wanted to without disturbing others. Mary was our sweet waitress who kindly took our orders accurately and would bring us ice from time to time for our drinks, even before we had to ask for me. This younger bread basket girl seemed less than excited about her job, but that would be my only complaint about service. Everything else was great. The bill splitting process was as painless as it gets for a large party!
Complimentary Apple Fritters with your meal! I actually don’t detect much apple-​ness to it and it could have used a bit more powder sugar, but still pretty tasty. Plus it was free, so that’s nice.
50% off appetizer if you Facebook and Instagram — Make your shout outs and show it to your lover waiter or waitress before the check comes. They were nice enough to let us use it on two of the appetizers, given that at least two of us posted the picture of course. We had the FRIED GREEN HEIRLOOM TOMATOES ($ 9.25) and RICK’S SAUTEED MUSHROOMS ($ 9.45) and those were pretty good. The Heirloom Tomatoes were topped with andouille sausages and it was somewhat unique. On the other hand I felt like the mushrooms were a bit mundane.
For my entrée I had the COUNTRY FRIED PORK CHOPS ($ 20.95) and it came with a salad or soup and one side. I got their house special chicken soup with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. I felt like the soup was okay, but the garlic mashed potatoes were disappointing. Needs more garlic! The pork chop itself came with an apple-​sauce and a creamy dipping sauce. I definitely preferred the creamy dipping sauce with my pork chop. The pork chop was so flavorful and just perfectly coated and crispy on the exterior. Definitely a good decision on my part.
I also tried a few of my fellow Unilocalers entrees’ since we like to trade food and I definitely give thumbs up for their food here. If you’re in the area looking for some good old comfort food, I highly recommend this place. Worth every calorie!

Wonderful ambience, great seating on the back porch and great appetizers like the complimentary apple fritters and butter muffins. Yum!
We ordered the butter garlic mushroom appetizers. Really delicious garlic chunks with gently melted butter cooked right.
I had the cashew chicken crossiant sandwich with the creole coleslaw. That was pretty good.
The gumbo special is also very nice, it has a good ratio of meat chunks to rice, and the soup is flavorful. But in case it isnt, they also have two spice salsas that go great with the plate. The jalapeño is more spicy than the mango but both are good.
The Texas fried chicken salad is also quite good. If you like pecans, you HAVE to try the salad. They season their pecans, almost like carmelizing them and giving them a rich sweetness.
The Granny’s fried chicken is pretty standard to a real homecooked fried chicken.
The only downside I have is to the kale that they add for presentation on the dish alongside their orange wedges. I found some cob webs on mine, suggesting they dont rinse these even though its just for decoration… its touching the meal.
Hopefully they correct this as the place has great potential to be a fantastic restaurant.

Shenandoah is a quaint restaurant that is reminiscent of a bread and breakfast with the country kitchen/​country living décor within its interior. Los Alamitos has a variety of restaurants that appeal to families but this one is different from the rest!
From the exterior, you really don’t know what to expect. It doesn’t really look like a restaurant and it’s easy to pass up. However, as you walk through the entry way, you’ll notice that Shenandoah has a cozy cottage-​like décor. There are a few crank-​style windows however the cranks have been removed. Small square-​shaped tables are placed throughout the restaurant with enough seating for a group of 4 people. There is also an outdoor seating area with a large fountain that grabs a lot of customers’ attention. Given that I am terrified of bees, wasps, and most other insects, we dined indoors and admired the patio area from afar.
The menu consists of meals that you’d find in the northeast and southern states. When browsing for the ultimate meal, your hostess will stop by and offer you some freshly baked apple fritters! My boyfriend opted to indulge in this tasty morsel and he was very fond of them. Being a health conscious individual, I politely passed on the apple fritters and focused on the fresh fish selection. I ordered the Halibut but chose to have it served plain sans the bacon and hazelnut crust. They had a sauce that was supposed to be similar to lemon butter however the texture and flavor were a bit different. Feeling open-​minded, I felt that it would probably compliment the grilled fish and potatoes.
When my meal arrived, I was taken aback by how amazing it looked. The halibut steak was of a generous size and you could see the grill marks crisscrossing one another. The potatoes were light and fluffy with steam rising from them. The lemon butter sauce was brown and had a smooth but thick texture.
As I used my fork to separate some of the meat on the halibut filet, I took note as to how flakey it was. It was cooked well and had a beautiful shine to the meat. Upon my first bite, I became pleasantly surprised as to how good the halibut tasted. Then I placed some of the lemon butter sauce on the halibut itself. The combined flavors were quite interesting. The sauce was sweet and thick but didn’t truly have that lemony flavor to it. However, I was impressed with the creativeness that their chef had in creating a uniquely flavored sauce. The mashed potatoes were good as they were perfectly blended for a smooth texture,
I have no complaints about Shenandoah at all. Our waitress was very patient and accommodating when it came to our order and modifying the meals. The interior décor reminds me of my grandmother’s home in Virginia and it felt nice to have dinner in a place that felt like home!
If you’re looking for a great neighborhood gem to enjoy a tasty meal with friends, family, and loved ones, this is the place for you!

Every time my girlfriend pass by a certain restaurant near our favorite dessert place, we always talk about going in the near future. Well, that future has come to the past. Sometimes, you may to enjoy the past to enjoy your brighter future. With a place like this, you’ll be wanting to come back to the simpler fine dining in the past. When you hear a name like this, you feel like you are in the field in the south. Let’s enjoy eating at home at the countryside at Shenandoah at the Arbor in Los Alamitos.
Located on the southwest corner of Los Alamitos Blvd and Sausalito St., you will find several wooden structures in plain view. One of them is home to Shenandoah at the Arbor. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was buying a home or sent back to the past to live out the simple life. There is parking on the Los Alamitos Blvd street or you can park in back. There are a limited amount of spaces in the back. When you walk up the front entrance, you are basically walking into a home. The porch is your main welcome to Shenandoah.
As you walk in, you are transported to the past. The wood creeks like a typical home, but that the echoes of the footsteps make it sound like it was your home in the quietest part of the country. You have two choices to dine. You can eat inside or at the patio area in the back. We decided to eat indoors since we would have the dining area all to ourselves. Plus, the kids were in the back running around and making too much noises. We had a nice window view of the neighboring business. We saw the owner start the close as if it was our neighbor throwing the trash out. Our hostess of the evening was Mary.
Before even opening our menus to browse, one of the staff brought over complimentary items appetizers. First, they have the Dinner Roll. It crunchy and just served so magically for the taste buds. OF COURSE, their famous Apple Fritters. I am already in love with it. It so fluffy and delicious! We started with our drink orders. My girlfriend ordered a Pepsi ($ 2.95) and I ordered an Unsweetened Iced Tea ($ 2.95). As we glanced through the menu, we felt so at home. The other guests that were outside felt like the cousins that we didn’t want inside. Sorry… lol!
The menu has many variety of options from greens to fish to many varieties of meat. When you think southern food, you think greasy. Well, don’t think that way. You can get food that sounds so unhealthy turn into the most delicious and health conscious food served to you. Shenandoah also serves a Mini Pre-​Fixe Menu ($ 34) It’s basically a 3-​Course Menu with select options to fill your tummy. When Mary came back, it was going down with our meals. My girlfriend ordered an Alaskan Halibut ($ 30.95) with mashed potatoes with her favorite: lemon butter sauce. I ordered something that sounded dangerous, but it was in the salad. I got myself the Texas Fried Chicken Salad ($ 14.95).
The wait for our order would be about 15 minutes. Again, looking around felt like we were part of history reliving the simpler days. Of course, you would hear cars honking… better yet cows Mooing. Mary brought our order in a great fashion. My girlfrend’s dish look marvelous and my salad just looks as great. Its not any order salad. What makes this SUPER delcious?! The Pecans: Sweetness from corn and crunchy texture of the pecans with every green that you bite on. Oh wait… I did forget to mention the sliced, crispy, boneless fried chicken on top of the salad. It was fantastic. I devoured my whole plate. Why did I clean my plate?!
When you think its over?! I had to partake in getting more Apple Fritters. Really Ryan?! Yeah, I can’t leave without getting more before I leave. Shenandoah you stole my heart and you sure did make an incredible impression on my girlfriend. I so look forward to coming back to steal it back, only to have it stolen back from me. I hope you understood that. If you drive by Shenandoah, come dine in and see what you’ve missed. You’ll be wishing to buy this home and gobble up the food.
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A charming, shabby chic restaurant with a Southern vibe. It feels like you stepped into someone’s house! The patio is the place to be sit, enjoy the breeze, your company and delicious food. Our waitress was very friendly and helped make the experience more enjoyable.
I loved that upon sitting down, we were offered corn bread and fresh hot apple fritters to snack on until our entrees arrived. I’m not a huge fan of corn bread because I find it too dense but this was one of the better corn breads I have ever had. It was dense yet fluffy in the middle. We could not stop eating it! We started with the Fried Green Tomatoes, which we gobbled up quickly. I could’ve easily eaten a whole plate of that as a meal. I chose to have the Granny’s Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes and gray and my sister in law went with their Rattlesnake Rib Eye (a recommendation by our waitress). While my boneless friend chicken was tasty, I wish I had gone with the Rattlesnake Rib Eye myself — it looked great!
I’d love to come back to try their dinner menu in the future. Parking is a bit of a hassle unless you get lucky but when isn’t it in Long Beach?!
Next door, they have a little store too that you can peruse after your meal to burn off those calories. My sister in law got a very cute onesie for my nephew that was 50% off!

This place is heavenly! As always, I found it casually on a little stroll down Sauselito Street in Los Al.
Service is amazing! Our waiter was super friendly and so was the bus boy. And the inside décor is like shabby chic meets vintage. The outside patio is beautiful too!
Now let’s talk about the FOOD!!! As you come in you get complimentary apple fritters which tasted more like beignets to me lol. No problem because they were delicious either way! I had the tomatillo soup topped with tortilla chips and cheesy goodness. Needless to say, one of the best soups I’ve ever had! Then I had the bbq salmon which was also equally delightful!
Great service, great food, great scenery (koi pond)…what else could you ask for??? I heard that at night they have live music too! Give it a try, you won’t be sorry!

Back in 2011, I had the pleasure of dining here with my aunt for the first time and it truly is a winsome site.
Absolutely love the patio seating and the quality of food is symmetrical with the tone of the restaurant. An «A+» for effort on the appealing apple fritters. For lunch, I ordered the Tri Tip Sandwich with sweet potato fries and some type of iced tea, while the aunt had Granny’s Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes and a Passion Iced Tea. Plates were certainly appetizing. Lots of «A» words utilized in this review…
The server was very informative and swiftly assisted us.
My return is way overdue! If I lived closer, I would unequivocally dine here at least once or twice a month.