Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Loading...
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
BBQ shrimp braised in beer are a popular menu item.
High Hat Cafe
The pastries at Lagniappe Bakehouse are worth waking up for.
Lagniappe Bakehouse
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Ōmori Nori Vending Machine
Parkway Bakery and Tavern has been slinging these sandwiches since 1929.
Parkway Bakery and Tavern
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
You could probably take some of that stuff out.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Pack Light for a Long Trip?
Ripples in the land are remnants of the field walls that once held rows of native sugarcane and sweet potatoes.
Unearthing the Mysteries of Hawai'i's Ancient Agriculture
Petrified Forest National Park.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States California Long Beach Appu's Cafe
Gastro Obscura

Appu's Cafe

One doctor's retirement plan included opening this award-winning Mexican-Indian eatery on the ground floor of a hospital.

Long Beach, California

Added By
Luke Fater
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  ommmar
  br5464
  lukeysmommy2015
  Fifi C./used with permission
  naturesguru
  Fifi C./used with permission
  Elizabeth C of Northern California
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Indian-born Vinod Venkataraman is an international polymath. He’s a classically trained jazz drummer. He’s studied mathematics and medicine, starting his own medical practice in Los Angeles. If the overwhelming praise for his Indian-Mexican fusion cafe on the ground floor of a Long Beach medical building is any indication, he’s a decent cook, too.

The man who goes by “V.R.” opened Appu’s Cafe as a way to retire from his career in medicine. He used advice long-extolled to former patients in crafting the simple, all-vegetarian menu that reads as East-meets-West, without the meat: oatmeal and masala omelets on the breakfast side, samosa chaat and cheese quesadillas for lunch. Rich soups range from a classic mulligatawny to both black and yellow lentils, to which he adds extra ginger when the doctors upstairs (including his wife, who has a practice at Woodruff) tell him the flu is making its way around. Rather than cook with the season’s produce, he cooks for the season’s illnesses.

Perhaps his most sought-after item is his "Maharaja" burrito, where turmeric rice, pilaf, lentils, and saag paneer get a coat of “special sauce” before being rolled up. It earned the top spot for California on Insider’s Best Burrito in Every State list. For what it’s worth, the cafe itself winds up on Yelp’s 100 Best Restaurants year after year. 

Opening the cafe, he told OC Weekly, was always on his bucket list. “Next, I want to write a cookbook,” he said, “and at 70, I want to bungee jump from a plane.” The sky is the limit.

Related Tags

Fusion Foods Mexico India Hospitals Vegetarian Jazz Music Eggs Soup Disease Omelets

Know Before You Go

There is no outdoor signage for Appu's Cafe. To get in, drive around the building and follow signs from the back door.

Community Contributors

Added By

lukefater

Edited By

chadjwilson24

  • chadjwilson24

Published

October 23, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://appuscafe.us
  • https://lbpost.com/hi-lo/addison-appus-cafe-maharaja-burrito-best/
  • https://ocweekly.com/appus-cafe-makes-indian-soups-burritos-breakfasts-and-more-at-woodruff-medical-center-8238598/
Appu's Cafe
3816 Woodruff Ave
Long Beach, California, 90808
United States
33.828067, -118.115468
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Cerritos Sculpture Garden

Cerritos, California

miles away

The Skinniest House in America

Long Beach, California

miles away

Astronaut Islands

Long Beach, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Long Beach

Long Beach

California

Places 5

Nearby Places

Cerritos Sculpture Garden

Cerritos, California

miles away

The Skinniest House in America

Long Beach, California

miles away

Astronaut Islands

Long Beach, California

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Long Beach

Long Beach

California

Places 5

Related Stories and Lists

A Guide to the World's Most Wondrous Vegetarian Eateries

List

By Anne Ewbank

Related Places

  • This rich, flavorful broth simmers for hours.

    Chabangtiko, Thailand

    Maksu Soup Chormalee

    Slow-simmered beef soup pairs surprisingly perfectly with an omelet at this Thai-Muslim institution.

  • The museum

    New Orleans, Louisiana

    Treme's Petit Jazz Museum

    This museum tells a lively, personal, and wide-ranging history of jazz music.

  • What remains of the corner of 12th Street and Vine.

    Kansas City, Missouri

    Goin’ To Kansas City Plaza

    This classic Kansas City song reference is the place for anyone who wants to stand at the corner of 12th Street and Vine.

  • A mural on the side of the building was painted by local artist Alexander Austin in honor of area native jazz great Charlie “Bird” Parker.

    Kansas City, Missouri

    Mutual Musicians Foundation

    Soak in the soul of Kansas City at the oldest continually-operating jazz club in the country.

  • A plaque marking the area where Charlie’s Place, a bustling nightclub that attracted both Blacks and whites during the mid-20th century, once stood.

    Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

    Site of Charlie’s Place

    Once a safe haven for Black patrons and performers—including Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington—during the Jim Crow era, portions of this nightclub and motel have been restored to welcome a new kind of visitor.

  • The exterior of a large, elaborate theatre at dusk

    São Paulo, Brazil

    Theatro Municipal de São Paulo

    Ella Fitzgerald, opera singer Enrico Caruso, and dancer Isadora Duncan all performed in this lavish, supposedly haunted theater.

  • Tokyo, Japan

    Kimi-Chan

    This sculpture bears a tragic backstory that may have inspired a hauntingly beautiful children's song.

  • Mandeville, Louisiana

    Dew Drop Jazz and Social Hall

    This 19th-century benevolent society and jazz hall was rescued from abandonment to again host live music.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.