Over 60 small businesses and vendors came together on Saturday May 16, 2026 at Flavor Fest in Long Beach to serve the community, amazing vibes and even better food for the day. Whether it be comforting favorites like mouthwatering ribs or decadent new takes on popular sweets, as part of BruinLife, we
wanted to share the bites that had us craving for more.
1. Oxtail Plate — Tastetastic Jamaican Food
If there was one item that was in our minds coming to Flavor Fest, it was without a doubt oxtails. Out of all the booths, Tastetastic’s timely arrival and trays of stewed meats caught our attention. For $30, a plate is piled high with macaroni and cheese, rice and peas, fried plantains, collard greens and vegetables and stewed oxtails in a dark sauce. A special shoutout to Rose Hill, the woman in front of the booth giving us the run down of all the prices and the juicy details of all their offerings. The oxtails were tender and definitely more of a food that requires dropping the knife and fork to get in with your hands. The star of the show centered on the melty sauce that enveloped the entire meal and seeped in to give an intense spicy yet balanced flavor that enhanced the rest of the sides.
Out of all the accompaniments, the rice and peas were a fan favorite. While simple, they were cooked perfectly and became a savory bite to complement the heavily spiced protein. There was one divisive side that stood out; the macaroni and cheese, also known as “macaroni pie,” containing a less gooey and creamy sauce, instead being baked then cut into blocks, becoming a lighter version of a typical American macaroni and cheese. The noodles leaned more on the chunkier macaroni variety, and were boiled slightly more than al dente. If you were on the search for a macaroni and cheese that bordered buttered noodles, Jamaican style is a path you should explore.
2. Sweet Chili Wings — Seven Plates LA
Frying is one of the most well-loved cooking methods around the world, and this sentiment doesn’t stop in Long Beach. The wait was around 15 minutes longer than the other booths’ instant gratification, thankfully the time spent standing in line was extremely justified. The piping hot wings had us struggling to hold them by the crispy skin and, instead, submitting to the tips of each flat. Not only was the chicken juicy, but the sweet, spicy and thick glaze was sticky and addictive, leaving our taste buds salivating for more. To top it all off, the six-count wings interestingly came with a Hawaiian sweet roll, which could be used as a makeshift mini sandwich. These wings came in hot at $15, but for some, the quality warrants the debatably steep price.
3. Aguas Frescas — Elsa’s Juice Bar
Upon arriving at the festival in the blazing afternoon heat, a giant cup of icy agua fresca was exactly what we needed to freshen up after the long drive to Long Beach. Serving açai bowls, juices and smoothies, Elsa’s Juice Bar was the very first stand we stopped at — and it started the festival day off strong. With the option to mix and match flavors, we opted for mango and pineapple. The mellow sweetness of the mango and the bright citrusy tang of the pineapple came together in a clean, crisp drink that had our team fighting over the cup. And at such a large size, the $10 price felt justified.
Clearly, we weren’t the only ones who thought so. In less than an hour, the stand was swarmed with crowds of festivalgoers and the price had even jumped from $10 to $14. At that point, the price was objectively hard to justify for an agua fresca — but by the time we realized the increase, it was already too late. We still found ourselves back in line later that afternoon, this time for watermelon and strawberry, which ended up being the perfect refreshing balance to cut through all the rich and savory festival food we had been eating all day.
4. “Coffee House Crunch” Blondie —Simply Moore
Simply Moore housed one of the largest and most eye-catching dessert tables at the festival, filled with an inventive spread of sweets ranging from kitchen sink cookies to turtle brownies. Between the endless variety of flavors and generous samples being passed around, the stand was difficult to walk past. But after tasting the “Coffee House Crunch” blondie, we unanimously agreed that it was one of the most unique desserts at the festival.
At $5, the blondie delivered far more than expected. The espresso flavor ran throughout the dessert without becoming bitter, balancing the sweetness of the brown sugar and the toffee-like notes of the browned butter. The distinctive crackly top also gave way to a soft, chewy center that felt dense in the best way possible. The sample disappeared almost immediately and within minutes, we were back at the counter buying a full blondie to take home.
5. S’mores Cookie — Drippin Sweets
Cookies were plentiful at Flavor Fest, from a classic chocolate chip to a less common mango miso. With so many options, booths definitely hoped the cookie crumbled in their favor. We gravitated to a cookie in the middle of the crazy flavor spectrum. At $5, the s’mores cookie from Drippin Sweets caught our eye. Placed on the top was an appealing-looking Hershey’s chocolate piece, but inside was the real treat, with a melty marshmallow pull that showcased how oven-fresh the cookies really are. An element that added to the s’mores theme was the graham cracker at the bottom, which gave structural integrity and the graham cracker flavor that’s often lacking in many s’mores-flavored desserts. Last but not least, the buttery sweet base, though inconspicuous, gave a solid foundation to a truly memorable cookie.
Honorable mention: Egg Rolls from Dotty Rollz Bistro
We could not finish this article without mentioning one of the most unexpectedly memorable bites we had from Dotty Rollz Bistro. We had originally just been passing by the stand when the owners generously offered us a free sample — and the portion was honestly large enough to feel like a full purchase. The egg roll wrapper was unbelievably crispy, shattering with each bite with the kind of crunch that sounded straight out of a cartoon sound effect. Enveloped inside was smoky Caribbean-style BBQ braised pork mixed with sautéed bell peppers, cilantro and Creole-seasoned tomatoes, all finished with a glossy sweet-and-savory glaze. Fresh out of the fryer, the roll was so hot that we kept aggressively blowing between bites, yet still demolished the entire thing within seconds. Had our stomachs not already been pushed to their limits by the festival, we probably would have walked away with a full order.
