I had to drive down to Manhattan Beach today  for some business. I don't really know so I decided to find some old Manhattan Beach to get a bit of old color. I found Ecoles and it was said to be the oldest bar in Manhattan Beach. Opening in 1927 Ercoles is the real deal. This is what people mean by old school. Cash only goes into their old Mechanical NCR cash registers. Each sale brings a Ka-Ching. Hanging on the wall above one of them is a yellow wall mounted dial phone.
The crowd was 50% old daytime drinking guys and their ole ladies and 50% beach dudes all of them were having a gay old time. While I was there two chicks in chicly dressed in the latest of "resort wear" stepped in took a sniff of the 80 year old nicotine stained walls and décor and backed out. Nothing chic here ladies! This is a dive bar and its just what a dive bar should be. Fun loud and cheap. For 4 drinks the tab with tip was $15. A strong pour? I swear each pour was stronger than the last!
I might have to go to Manhattan Beach more often.
From the burger reviews I've read, this is the place to grab a better than average one for a good price. Â I stopped in today before the lunch crowd showed up, and was the only one there (besides the two people playing pool in the back).
A good selection of beer on tap, but I was jonesing for the cheeseburger. Â On a tip from another reviewer, I ordered two cheese slices. Â It showed up about 10 minutes later - hot, thick & juicy. Â Very juicy! Â The bun barely contained the patty, lettuce and tomato. Â It disintegrated within in minutes, thanks to the burger juice & ketchup. Â Perhaps he put a little too much ketchup on it, as I couldn't even taste the cheese.
For as good as it was, there was no sear on the patty to lock all that juice in. Â Still, a very good burger for the price. Â On my death-row scale (where I'd want this as my last meal), it's close, but not at the very top of my list.
Just a heads up... cash only here. Â There's an ATM inside and several banks within walking distance.
This is the go to dive in Manhattan Beach. Got here around ten pm on Saturday night and the place was absolutely packed. The bartenders and doorman were very courteous. The patrons seemed to be a friendly group of mostly locals. Unfortunately the kitchen had already closed - the food I saw at other tables looked decadent.
Review Source:This is one of those places that make me smile the moment I walk in. It's good that some things never change, same bartender, same food, same people for as long as I can remember. Had my first martini here. One year (in the 1980's) I went with a group organized out of Ercole's on a bus to the DOO DAH Parade. We had a "float" that had the Hyperion Plant Serenaders on along with a keg and an outhouse. Which came in handy during the 7 mile parade. $1 Hotdogs, $2 Sausages, cold beer. Can't beat this place.
Review Source:My girlfriends and I had a fun night here. It was packed on a Saturday night and the perfect little dive bar. It's cash only so be sure to have some on you. We got a couple of pitchers of bud light for $12. We had a fun time and the next time we feel like diving it, I'm sure we'll consider going back here :)
Review Source:The South Bay boasts several 'dive bars,' and this is one of the better. Â It has all the trimmings; eclectic pictures on the wall, neon beer signs, older televisions, classic music, a billiards table, and quality local patrons. Â At any given time you can find (insert name) who is 50+ and lives down the street, or, Suzzy Sorority and her hot friends. Â It reminds me of the sitcom Cheers, the bar has various regulars, and a plotheria of random patrons who come and go. Â BUT, I always have fun hanging here.
One of the highlights is their burgers, KILLER burgers! Â Very tasty, legit patty, similar to a backyard burger, and lots of fresh toppings. Â I always get my burger loaded, and it never disappoints. Â If you are looking for a casual drink, a good burger, and the chance to interact with some local beach folks, this spot is s-o-l-i-d, cheers
When you have a location like this, you can be whatever you want to be and its a-ight. Â I walked into this little dive bar while visiting Manhattan Beach with a friend of mine who desperately needed a beer to wash away the pain from a sunburn. Â Here is how it went down:
In typical beach bum fashion, we were walking back to the car from the beach in wet bathing suits, t-shirts, and flip-flops...sunglasses on our heads. Â
Wallets? Â No.
Idenitification? Â No.
Money? Â No.
Frisbee? Â Yes.
Since we had forgotten our wallets, did not have identification, and only had our frisbee in tow, we felt lucky to get served. Â When it came time to pay, I left my frisbee as collateral and quickly hoofed it to the car to grab some cash.
In the end, a good time was had by all, and I look forward to my next visit to this area so I can try to live this way again.
Locals Dive bar that has been here forever, if you're giving this place low ratings then you're a joke. Everyone who goes here is super laid back and have never seen a confrontation occur, cant say the good same for many other bars in the south bay. They have an insane burger and tacos.
Review Source:Very impressed on our first  visit! Monday Night Football Hotdogs grilled fresh behind the bar were amazing! Can't wait to get back for Mon. Nite Football! Hamburgers also looked amazing fresh off the grill! 2 for ! On Wed. Nites? Oh hell yes! Ercole's is the 1881 of Manhattan Beach! Love a good dive bar...always!
Review Source:Cheap eats & Cheap drinks a block from the beach.. need I say more?!
The big, bloody, Manhattan Beach Meat burgers here are killer and for the price, you just can't beat it. The place is old, dirty, and doesn't want anyone with loafers and white jeans to visit. Yup, my kind of place! Do yourself a favor... stop in, order a burger and a beer, and just hang out.
I'm so glad that in 2012 we have iPhones and yelp apps. Â My buddy and I were in Manhattan beach, and just figured we'd go to some stupid restaurant on Manhattan Beach Blvd, but the prices were more indicative of the gaudy decor, rather than the quality of the food. Â Being conscious minded consumers, we promptly said "fuck that" and walked out to find something more befitting of our meager funds. Â Punched up the old yelp app, and low and behold there was a good old fashioned dive bar around the corner that serves burgers too.
Yeah, it's a dive bar so don't expect uppity decor or tables and chairs that are unnecessarily high so that you can look down upon others. Â But they have fairly priced drinks and food, and the burgers are big and made to order. Â Plus it's cool that the place has been there since the early 1900's... Although I'm sure in another 5 years or so they'll decide to tear it down to make way for the 15th Starbucks in a 1 mile radius... Stupid corporate America!!
Piece of shit bar, horrible drinks but what do you expect from a dive bar.
I guess what can you expect from a dive bar but still. Â I don't like beer being spilled on me, down the my back while sitting down. Â I stood up, glanced over and the f'n ass was staring smiling. Â Lucky one of my friends was there or he'd be dealt with. Â If this place would burn to the ground, they'd deserve it.
I love Ercoles because:
1) It's an oasis of no pretense and normal people in a sea of yuppies, hipsters and annoying know-it-all, I-must-eat-organic-I must-drive-a-hybrid beach people
2) It's fairly cheap
3) You can get a Dodger dog with your beer for a buck
4) Bartenders and grill chef are cool
5) Delicious burgers
6) It's been there since 1927 and has the layers of grease, worn surfaces and dimness to prove it, but it's still somehow great
It's not hip, it's not happening, it's laid back. Â Yeah, some older people go in here, so what. Â They're cool and probably have some good stories. Â Good place to sit back and watch the world go by while you enjoy your beverage.
Stop by Ercoles occasionally, and it consistently a fun place to grab a beer, have a burger and watch some sports.
First day of football and bar has a decent crowd. Burgers are on the menu. Bar is understaffed (took 10 min for bartender to restock cooler to get a Newcastle). Since it's a beautiful day, no worries...made the beer that much better when I got it
If your looking for the young, hip Manhattan Beach place to go, head somewhere else. Local crowd 40 plus
Ercolés is like a game of bingo with booze.
It's a standard bar with decent prices, but the crowd is a little on the geriatric side. Just be prepared to reminisce about Nam or your favorite Leave it to Beaver episode.
The do have an awesome sign that says, "play today, work manana", with three provocative, neon lit dancers on it. Â I want it for my bedroom.
I have been coming to Ercs for years! It's a dive bar, and you need to bring cash as they don't accept credit cards. They make a stiff drink and the prices are reasonable. They have a pool table in the back, and there is usually a wait to play.
It's a great place to stumble into on the weekends, not much of a who's hot scene, low key and fun.
Their cheeseburgers rock, and the meat is very flavorful and juicy. 2 for 1 on Wednesdays. Martin knows how to put it together. Served with a bag of chips & pickle. This is definitely an all that and bag of chips kind of deal!
I love dive bars, and Ercoles definitely delivers. Â
First of all, i love that its in downtown Manhattan Beach surrounded by a bunch of yuppie stuff - which is totally cool and all, but I just don't have the funds to drop $50 on a couple rounds... so when I put up on my facebook "omg, dt. Manhattan tonight!!" (not really), I get to look cool, even though I'm just hitting up Ercoles. What I'm getting at is that I think its unique to have a decent dive bar in a posh downtown area - thats freakin awesome. Â
I dig the funky decor, the dim lighting, the cramped space, the booths, the stiff drinks, the crowd (very diverse - everything from scrubs to super polished people, and all different ages too.) Actually I think my bf and I, who are in our early 20s we're the youngest people there, haha.
They've got food too, but nothing that I would eat (I don't do burgers or dogs). if this is your thing, Â $6 plus a giant pickle spear and a bag o chips, thats quite the steal. Â I'll just stick with the booze :)
I really don't understand the less-than 5-star reviews. Â Ercoles is a Manhattan Beach landmark (since 1927) - kind of like the Formosa is a West Hollywood landmark - no, really, it's officially a landmark, they can't tear it down. Â Ercoles is really the purest definition of a beach dive bar:
- salty, interesting characters
- cheap, stiff drinks
- great eats
- dark, Â like a cave
Best time to go is for Burger night on Wednesdays (2 for 1 burgers) or Taco night - Tues/Thurs. Â They get all their meats fresh from the MB Meat Market right next door - their food is great!
When you're tired of the frat party going on at Hennessy's, stop by Ercoles, you'll feel like a grown up!
Diiiiiivvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeee bar.
Manhattan Beach Style.
Or at least 2010 Manhattan Beach style, funny place to order a 3 dollar bud and notice the guy next to you not only drinking the same thing but also sporting a 15K watch.
Leave it alone on weekends, place gets super packed unless you're into that kinda stuff.
Also CASH ONLY, but the parking meter outside will take your visa/mastercard/amex, What gives??
With its sawdust, malodorous restroom, decaying interior, and all in all, dumpster dive design, what other reasons could there be to find yourselves at Ercolés? A pool table and cheap drinks, you might ask? Sure, that too.  But what about burgers, baby?!  Yes, that's right. Ercolés's best kept secret is their classic burgers that melt in your mouth. Each burger comes with a thick, well-seasoned, handcrafted patty, complete with all of the usual fixings, a slice of pickle on the side, and your choice of potato chips.  All for a price that's hard to beat, especially Wednesday nights when they offer two burgers for the price of one!  Surprised?  I sure was the first time I stumbled into this hamburger heaven inside the clutches of dive bar hell!
Review Source:I am a dive bar kinda gal, so on my first day in LA, just wondering around Manhattan Beach, I was drawn here. My friend and I had a couple quick drinks here. It was the middle of the afternoon, so it wasn't crowded, but it wasn't empty. There were lots of jolly, day drinking old people (+1). The beer was cheap, the atmosphere was nice and the bartender was friendly. At one point a lady ordered something I had never seen before. It was some kind of off brand or international brand grape flavored energy drink and Stoli Blueberry. You drink it like a Jager Bomb. My friend and I were intrigued and ordered one to share. It was awesome. I would definitely make this a regular spot for me if I didn't live thousands of miles away.
Review Source:Reasons why this place is awesome:
-kinda scary old guy sitting at the front checking IDs
-decent drink prices
-weird older guys awkwardly hitting on you (I couldn't make this up if I wanted to--this guy pretended to find a sticker on my cousin's skirt that said she was a visitor at a sanitarium and used that to strike up conversation)
-cool decor
-sweet music
Reasons why this place is not so awesome:
-the booths are too small--they only hold two people on each side and makes it a little awkward for larger groups
-cash only
What the F does the name mean anyway??! Â We were giving friends directions and kept telling them, "Air-koo-lees".....They'd say, "What?? OH, Hercules, okay...". Â Man, I don't know if that was why they never found us or if they did find it, took one look inside, and ran scared. Â Or maybe 'cause the gray-bearded bouncer didn't even know the address.
Although, the place that night was filled with good looking 20 and 30 somethings all dressed kinda nice....like they were at some hip bar or something. Â I didn't even spot any staple old locals sitting at the bar...hmm, strange. Â The closest I got to grimy was surfer dudes....who turned out to be the coolest people we talked to!
Then comes my favorite part of dives...ordering drinks. Â There are always colorful bartenders working these kinds of places....friendly, funny or fascinating. Â Our order: Â 2-voka+crans, 2-vodka+sodas, 1-vodka+redbull...grand total = $27! (cash only)
The maaajor bummer was the bathrooms--1 measly toilet and 1 friggin sink separately contained in 2 small cramped rooms...ugh.
Although Ercoles is grimmy, dirty, crowded, and laden with beer-crusted counters and floors- not to mention the patrons, it holds a special place in my heart. Â Why? Â I'm not sure, but usually by the time we stumble into this joint my friends and I are FUBAR, so that's probably why we end up having a pretty good time. Â I don't recommend coming here sober.
Review Source:Oh by the great bolts of zeus! Â this place is pretty cool. Â very quaint and old school. Â When i say old school i mean the normal crowd is 50+. Â BUTTTT the drinks are cheap, the crowd is friendly and is a pretty casual/intimate location. Â Its pretty awesome to stop by grab some booze and run.
nom nom nom
James
This place used to be nice and mellow and it is during the week. On the weekend nights...not so much. But no biggie. It's still a good place to hang with your friends and just kick it! It's unpretentious and like the Mermaid in Hermosa...keeps it real in Manhattan! :)
FOOD:
I haven't eaten a ton here but they have a GREAT deal on Dodger Dogs during the day! I think they're only $1.50 and it's great to pop in (or get one from the window off the sidewalk) and get whatever you want on it...cheese, relish, onions... Cheese is an extra add-on, but hell, I doubt you can even get a Dodger Dog at Dodger Stadium for a $1.50?!! (Oh and this is ONLY during the day...they stop serving food at a certain point...not sure what time.)
DRINKS:
The bartenders are great and if you get a martini, you get the drink in the martini with a little side car with the leftovers from the mixing. The beers are nice and cold too...so definitely good stuff!
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
