Broken Spirits (subtly) rebrands, leaning into its lead as an affordable barbecue space

Broken Spirits Distillery—soon to be “Broken Spirits Barbecue & Distillery,” but more on that in a bit—continues to be a beacon for affordable barbecue. With a brand-new lunch menu featuring plates under $10 and hearty bowls at $15, it remains a space that caters to those who can’t afford the now-common $30 lunch. Even more, for Long Beach Food Scene Week, they’ll offer a $35, four-course dinner menu. (More on both of those offerings below.)

“We’re sticking to our guns as being an accessible, affordable barbecue space for Long Beach,” said co-owner Isaias Hernandez. “And we feel like a little bit of rebranding needs to be achieved in order to make sure folks know that.”

But before we head into that…

For those of us that don’t know: What is Broken Spirits?

Broken Spirits Distillery opened its doors back in May of 2024 in Downtown Long Beach, taking over the former Portuguese Bend space on The Promenade North. The move marked a huge shift in Long Beach’s distilling scene. We saw Willie’s Tin Shop in Cal Heights and the soon-to-follow-distilling endeavors from Beachwood at their Bixby Knolls basically take the helm from Portuguese Bend. And Portuguese Bend itself was the defining hallmark of Long Beach distilling by being the first grain-to-glass concept.

They conceived Broken Spirits as a speakeasy‑inspired refuge, where the ambiance evokes a bygone era: vintage lamps, exposed brick, plush seating, and aged books lining the shelves. But ultimately what makes this place unique is its truly grain-to-glass: everything in the distilling process is done on site.

And that, ironically, is also proving to be its crux.

The subtle rebranding: Why is including the word “barbecue” so important?

“We know we need to remind people we have food,” Isaias said, laughing. “Because people understand we’re a distillery: We had a one-off Pride vodka and sold 280 bottles of it. People know we’re a distillery. But we’re not just a distillery.”

When Isaias talks about “people think the place is just a distillery,” it’s not a crazy claim to make—especially when it comes to, well, distillery enthusiasts statewide. Broken Spirits inherited a license that, at the time Portuguese Bend opened, was the first in the state. Historically, distilleries across California were unable to operate a self-branded restaurant or serve tastings on-site. The Craft Distillers Act of 2015 altered that—and Portuguese Bend took advantage of that.

However, that lingering reputation—distilleries are just places that sell bottles and give tours—very well could likely linger. So the small rebrand makes sense. But even more importantly, they’re sticking to offering greatly affordable barbecue in Long Beach. And affordable barbecue? That’s a rarity, no matter where you are.

A look into their (awesomely affordable) lunch menu.

From a trio of $9 slider lunch combos to $15 bowls (that will likely leave you taking home leftovers), Broken Spirits wants to welcome back a lunch crowd that has largely disappeared from DTLB or shows up in roller coaster-y like waves.

Miso Ribeye Bowl: Shaved Shaved Ribeye | White Rice | Cucumber Salad | Sweet Thai Chili Dressing | Pickled Napa | Shredded Carrots | Sweet Miso Teriyaki | Green Onions | Sesame Seeds

Smash Sliders: Ground prime beef | White cheddar | Pickle | House sauce | Criss-cut fries

Carne Asada Bowl: Wagyu Carne Asada | Red Rice | Black Beans | Guacamole | Chipotle Crema | Avocado Salsa | Green Onions | Pepperoncinis

BBQ Sliders: Prime beef brisket | Coleslaw | House-made Hatch chile queso | Pickle | Fries

What Broken Spirits is offering for Long Beach Food Scene Week.

Long Beach Food Scene Week 2025 will kick off come Aug. 1 through Aug. 10—and will feature the city’s best restaurants, cafes, and popups as 80 spaces have confirmed their participation for the third iteration of the annual celebration.

And Broken Spirits Barbecue & Distillery is not disappointing: a four-course meal for $35. Here’s what you get…

Course I — Smoked & Grilled Tri-Tip: Smoked tri tip (12+ hours) | Salsa macha | Yuzu sour cream

Course II — Smoked Omaha Brisket: Smoked burnt ends | Hatch chili queso | Coleslaw | Pickle

Course III —Trinity of Smoked Beef: Smoked brisket | Grilled tri-tip | Smoked beef rib | Seared loaded mash potatoes

Course IV — Brownie S’mores: Smoked dark chocolate brownie | Graham cracker | Marshmallow