Mike and Chris Simms opened their beer-focused gastropub Simmzy’s four years ago in a space that had seen numerous failed restaurants come and go and in a community that was just in the cusp of the craft beer craze.
“I just came from a selfish point of view, really – I wanted a place to drink good beer close to home,” Mike Simms said. “I had been working in West Hollywood, and there were some pretty good beer spots around there. The closest one here was Naja’s, and you can’t really take your wife and kids there. We wanted a place where we could.”
Simmzy’s was an instant hit and, despite an outgrowth of bars and eateries in downtown Manhattan Beach in recent years, a seat on the breezy Simmzy’s patio is still one of the most coveted in the South Bay.
Neither Mike nor his brother Chris expected the lines that have become a frequent phenomenon outside Simmzy’s front door.
“Every day, it still shocks me,” Mike Simms said. “Way beyond our expectations.”
Simmzy’s holds onto its reign as best craft beer spot on the beach thanks to the help of cicerone Pete Shuey and his curation of the draft list.
“We are constantly looking for the next new brewery out there,” said Shuey. “We pride ourselves on relationships and trying to stay ahead of the game, so to speak….We are fans of the small guy, family-owned places. It’s cool to give ‘em a shot and see where it goes.”
229 Manhattan Beach Blvd, MB. (310) 546-1201. www.simmzys.com
Runner-up: Naja’s Place, 154 International Boardwalk, RB. (310) 376-9951. www.najasplace.com
