C’mon back now, hear?

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Johnny Rebs’, North Long Beach’s landmark roadhouse repository of barbecue, fried catfish and hillbilly kitsch, has closed following a kitchen fire early Friday morning. The restaurant had gained equal renown for its delicious down-home cooking and its unflagging appreciation for all things Southern and Elvis. The walls were hung with license plates and bumper stickers from various Southern states and one corner was a shrine to the King, featuring a life-sized cardboard cutout. A blackboard glossary translated such ‘Southern’ phrases as ‘Jeet jet?’ (‘Did you eat yet?’). The floors were covered in peanut shells and the waiters dressed in red gingham and overalls and called customers ‘hon.’ Yet even the stuffiest Son of the South couldn’t hold a grudge given the quality of their fried green tomatoes, Cumberland stew, collard greens, grits, fried catfish and Carolina-style pulled pork sandwiches. Management is predicting a four-month rebuilding period. The building, now boarded up, has a sign across the front reading, ‘Looks like it’s time to remodel; we’ll be back!’ Sister restaurants in Bellflower, Garden Grove and Victorville are still open.

Johnny Rebs’, 4663 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach (562) 423-7327; 16639 Bellflower Blvd., Bellflower (562) 866-6455; 2940 E. Chapman Ave., Orange (714) 633-3369; 15051 7th St., Victorville (760) 955-3700.

-- Russ Parsons