Sometimes, the thing that gets you to pay attention to a restaurant is the name, the food on the menu, or the long line of people who got there before you.
Other times, it’s a scent that carries across the air to draw you in.
That was the case when my boyfriend, Juan, and I were in a Walmart parking lot in Long Beach. Juan was fixing my car’s AC and in between pumps from the refrigerant kit, an amazing smell of cooked meat cascaded our way. As soon as Juan finished, we had a new, yet equally important, task at hand: to find the origin of the smell that we couldn’t get enough of.
Only problem: we were running late for dinner.
So we made the search a fast one. We scanned the parking lot and saw a BBQ flag in the distance. Making our way over, we ran into Jessie who runs the pop-up, After Hours Flavor. He let us know that he sets up at the location weekly and stays open until he runs out. While we were unable to try the food at the time, we promised to return. And only two weeks later, we did.
This time, we came hungry and ready.
What immediately stood out about After Hours Flavor was the feeling around it. It’s a small setup in a parking lot that somehow carries the energy of something much bigger. Smoke lifting into the air, people waiting patiently nearby, conversations happening between orders makes it felt less like a quick stop and more like a light community gathering centered around good food.
And then there was the food itself.
The kind of BBQ that commands itself before you even take a bite. Smoky, rich, comforting. The sort of meal where sauce ends up on your fingers and you stop caring after the first few bites because it tastes too good to worry about being neat. And yes, you absolutely lick your fingers clean. Napkin? No thanks.
Every part of the meal felt like it was made with care and patience. The meats were tender, flavorful, and cooked in the way BBQ should be: slow enough that each bite feels worth the wait. It’s the kind of food that makes conversation briefly pause at the table because everyone is too busy appreciating what’s in front of them.
What I loved most about After Hours Flavor was that nothing about it felt overcomplicated. It was just really good BBQ made by someone who is clearly passionate about what they’re creating. And honestly, some of the best meals happen exactly like this. Unexpectedly, in parking lots, and simply following a smell through the air and trusting it enough to see where it leads.
In this case, it led us somewhere worth returning to and we’ll definitely be back.
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Address: 3705 E. South Street, Long Beach, CA 90805
Phone: N/A
Hours: Friday through Sunday – 11:30 am to Sold Out
Social: Instagram
