Ercole's

This Manhattan Beach dive bar has been a staple for locals since 1927. Nondescript and proudly showing its age with initials-etched into wooden booths, Ercoles keeps its regulars happy with legendary burgers, which some like to swear are the best in LA. A dubious claim, but you can hardly argue with thick, juicy beef (fresh from next-door gourmet deli Manhattan Meats) and toppings piled high.

If you need a dive bar anda killer burger in Manhattan Beach, Ercoles is the place to be. Regulars drink cheap beer and play pool in a space that looks like it’s been minimally updated since it opened in 1927, aside from a few faded Budweiser posters. The char-grilled, backyard-style burgers here are among the best in LA, made with beef sourced from the butcher shop next door.

Ercolés: Every beach town needs a good dive bar, and Ercolés is it in Manhattan Beach. This zero-attitude bar may only have a few beers on tap, but the cocktails are strong and the crowd is a mix of young and old, looking for good, no nonsense fun and maybe a game of pool. Do your best to snag a booth, and if you get hungry, the burger is a local favorite.

To keep the party going, visitors can check out local bars like Ercole’s—a storied venue that debuted back in 1929—and the colorful Shellback Tavern, but for cocktail aficionados, X Speakeasy is an essential spot. In addition to boasting an impressive agave and whiskey menu, this sleek venue has also mastered the art of mixology, with cocktails like the cachaça and sherry-loaded Pebble Beach available for anyone in need of a spirit-forward cocktail.

The home of the best burgers on the West Coast, this old dive bar (est. 1920s) is a hot place to hang out on weekend nights after 10. I, like most locals, go to it after Shellback and often bounce between the two. There’s nothing fancy about Erc’s but on most weekend nights, especially after midnight, you can generally find yourself locked into a somewhat drunken conversation with someone of the opposite sex.

This hole-in-the-wall dive bar lies in the local’s hearts as a community favorite. It's no surprise considering drinks are cheap and the food is delicious —especially their award winning Ercs Burger and footlong Dodger Dog. A visit to Manhattan Beach isn’t complete without a night getting comfy in Ercoles’s well-worn booths but unfortunately, they are only available for take out from 10AM to 10PM daily.

If Shellback Tavern brings in the beach-going 20-somethings, Ercole’s is the spot for locals of all ages. People have been blowing off steam here for the last century. Yep, this beer bar and grill has been around since the 1920s, and has the mishmash of memorabilia — old signs, vintage photographs, stained pool table and retro beer logos — to show for it.

Ercoles (1101 Manhattan Ave; Tel: 310-372-1997) is a local dive bar that arguably serves the best, thickest and slowest hamburgers in town. If you go on Wednesday evenings it’s two for one.