For George’s on 2nd owner Nicky Clair, her Greek restaurant in Belmont Shore is more than, well, just a restaurant. It is an inherent connection to her family—particularly her parents, George and Rodoula Loizides, who opened the first George’s in DLTB in 1999—and, in a very deep sense, to herself.
“This area has always been with me, ever since I was a child,” Nicky said, noting that she grew up near the Traffic Circle. “The Shore was where I always wanted to be. My mother, bless her soul, always suspected I had a boyfriend because I would be down here so often. I loved the vibe. I loved walking around… Belmont Shore holds a very special place in my heart. And I just couldn’t let it go.”
For those who don’t know, “letting it go” has much more weight than it conveys. It is not that George’s on 2nd faced any dire situation that would prompt a closure. Its success has been riding high for 20 years now in the Shore. It was an immense loss that forced the Loizides family to question how, in nearly every capacity, they would continue George’s Greek food legacy in Long Beach.
For Nicky, it meant a little resilience, a helluva lotta work, and maybe a new, every day happy hour.
Loss, self-discovery, and evolution: How the death of George and Rodoula Loizides forever changed the presence of their endeavor in Long Beach.
On Dec. 20, 1999, George opened George’s Greek Deli in what is now The Omelette Inn, just north of 3rd Street on Pine Avenue in DTLB. Just shy of a decade later—and shortly after they opened the Belmont Shore location in 2006—they would rebrand as George’s Greek Cafe and moved to what would be her father’s ultimate restaurant space on Pine Avenue just south of Broadway. Lakewood opened in 2009.
For those who had the pleasure of meeting George or Rodoula, they would know that their presence was synonymous with their spaces—especially the DTLB location for George, who would be found daily, greeting longtime customers and strangers alike with a warm hug and food.
Upon George’s death in October of 2019 and, devastatingly, the death of “Mama Rodou” a week later, With the loss of their parents and a brother unable to work due to a lung transplant, Nicky and her brother Jimmy didn’t have the bandwidth to run all three locations. Nicky chose Belmont Shore; the other two were sold and, to much dismay, her father’s legacy DTLB location was shuttered because of bad operators
“When I called you about it closing, I have to tell you, one of the saddest moments of my life,” Nicky told me, remembering the time she drove up to “make sure it was actually closed. And I looked over where my dad used to stand. And I lost it. I lost it. Like, all of those memories, all those years, all of that… The struggles we went through, and the passion—just to watch someone disrespect it so dismissively. It makes this space all the more special.”
Nicky Claire carries the legacy of her parents with George’s on 2nd.
In that sense, Nicky’s choice not to let go of George’s hand on the 2nd becomes more complicated, driven by both emotion and admiration for her strength. And her words, having to process that disrespect, make her decision to hold onto George’s on 2nd all the more endearing.
Her father’s kleftico recipe? Intact and alive. The space’s deeper dives into the Greek culinary annals with specials like spetzofai? Willing and able. When you eat at George’s on 2nd, you’re eating history. Resilience. Loss. Love. Memories. And a taste of a Long Beach childhood that was steeped in the uplift of Greek food.
“As I grow, I realize more and more how important these face-to-face interactions are,” Nicky said, shortly after introducing a patron who, when she flies out from the East Coast to visit her daughter, makes sure to have a pitstop at George’s. “Sometimes it really is that simple: Come in. Have a glass of wine. Eat some lamb chops. Talk with us. Tell us about life.”
In that vein, George on 2nd’s happy hour is part of that joie de vie. Or, in the words of Nicky, “There is no reason to break your bank to come in, have a glass of wine and snacks, and enjoy our space and company.”
Wait—what about that happy hour?
Available daily from 2:30PM to 5:30PM for dine-in only (excluding holidays).
Small Plates — $5
- Spanakopita (2)
- Dolmathes (2)
- Vegetarian Dolmathes (3)
- Gyro Falafel (2)
- Falafel (2)
- Garlic Feta Fries
- Greek Salad
- Kale Salad
- Horiatiki Salad
- Garbanzo Bean Salad
Delicious Dips
Served with pita or cucumbers.
- Choose one dip — $5
- Choose two dips — $7
Dip options:
- Tzatziki
- Hummus
- Spicy Feta
- Melitzanosalata
- Kalamata Spread
- Skordalia
Happy Hour Extras
- Chicken Sliders (2) — $6
- Fried Shrimp (6) — $8
- Pita Pizza (Cheese, Veggie, or Supreme) — $5
- Two Lamb Chops — $12
Happy Hour Beer
- Modelo — $5
- Stella — $5
- Kona Big Wave — $6
- Trusted Gut — $6
- Hillas (Greek Beer) — $6
Happy Hour Wine — $7
- House Chardonnay
- House Pinot Grigio
- House Moscato
- House Champagne / Mimosa
- House Cabernet Sauvignon
- House Pinot Noir
- House Merlot
George’s on 2nd is located at 5316 E. 2nd St.
