Is La Traviata Still Open? Mystery Diners Update (Long Beach, CA)

In 'Something Smells Fishy' (aired 2012-10-26), Mystery Diners investigators looked into a head chef at La Traviata in Long Beach after the owner suspected seafood substitution affecting the menu's pricier dishes. Hidden cameras recorded the chef substituting cheaper fish for the higher-priced varieties listed on the menu and pocketing the difference on ingredient purchases, a pattern the episode traced across several deliveries. Investigators walked the owner through specific clips of the substitution and the receipts involved, comparing invoiced fish against what was actually plated, and the episode showed the owner confronting the chef with the footage in the kitchen.

According to Wikipedia's article on the series, citing its sources, later episodes carried an on-screen disclaimer noting that certain depicted events may have been staged or re-enacted for dramatic purposes. The restaurant continues operating as La Traviata Italian Restaurant at 301 N Cedar Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802. Checked on 2026-09-08, the business's own website, hosted at latraviata301.com, showed an active online-ordering option and catering and private-event booking pages, though the hours text captured showed only a Saturday evening block rather than a full weekly schedule. Google Places separately listed the business as operational as of the same check, corroborating the website. Between the two independent, contemporaneous sources, the restaurant is treated as currently open.