Eat at Joe’s in Redondo Beach gets third owner in 55 years

by Garth Meyer

Manny is at the grill, in his 42nd year. Jen, Maria and Mari are serving tables, at or beyond their 30th year; and the owners since August, Patrick Mescall and Brian Eldridge, are the third since Eat at Joe’s opened in Redondo Beach in 1969.

Mescall and Eldridge met in El Segundo as bartenders 20 years ago, and now own eight establishments in the South Bay.

“We have been buying up some local classics,” Mescall said. 

Originally from Babylon, Long Island, he moved here at age 21, after two years serving at Smith & Wollensky’s on New York City’s Upper East Side. Mescall started in the business as a 14-year-old busboy.

“There’s no way of getting rid of me now in the South Bay,” he said. 

He used to go to Eat at Joe’s for brunch before bartending shifts. The previous owners were Alex & Michele Jordan.

“They bought it from Joe,” said Mescall. “The reason we bought it is because we love it. Our job is to keep it on its tracks.”

The 20 employees have all stayed for the new owners.

“We have rookies who have been here for 15 years,” Mescall said. “We just want to continue the tradition at 400 Pacific Coast Highway.”

Open 6 a.m. – 2 p.m., the diner still features its John Wayne Special – what the man ate when he came in in the early ‘70s; a bed of potatoes, fried eggs, sausage patties, Spanish sauce and melted American cheese.

The first place Mescall and Eldridge bought was the Torrance Tavern, opening it nine years ago; then the Hula Hula Room, the Bounty Room – both also in Torrance – Patty O’Brien’s on Aviation Boulevard, and the Sly Fox in Lawndale. 

“I figure if we are going to stay in the business, doing it for ourselves would be a fun way to do it,” Mescall said. “At this point, we want to do really cool things and keep really cool things in the South Bay.”

Former owners

Alex and Michele Jordan sold the place after nearly 25 years. They still own the Eat at Joe’s building and the land.

Joe (last name Filkosky) died in the mid-’90s and his children sold it to the Jordans.

“25 years, just tired. Just retired,” Alex said, for his reason to hang it up now.

Filkosky bought the space as an existing restaurant under a different name.

Based in Manhattan Beach, the Jordans were living in the San Fernando Valley in the ‘90s and Michele wanted to move (back) to the South Bay. 

“I said, okay, if I find a business I want to get involved in, we’ll move,” Alex said. “Someone told me it was for sale, I walked in, liked it and bought it. The whole thing took 10 minutes.” 

He had never been to Eat at Joe’s before. He previously worked as a general manager for a franchisee who owned multiple McDonald’s. 

“My gut instinct. I always operate with my gut. I just started (the new venture) from scratch. It kind of was self-run, we just tweaked a few things, added some healthier options,” Alex said. “You don’t need to change anything. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

When it came time for the Jordans to sell it, Alex chose Mescall specifically.

“I picked him because I thought he was going to be the best operator, to keep it the way it is,” he said.

The Jordans never listed it for sale.

“I told a broker,” Alex said. “Over the years, I’ve always had people want to buy Joe’s. People want a good business. 

“People like the same old, same old. If it’s working, why change it?”

Mescall and Eldridge have also signed a lease for the former Brews Hall location on the Hermosa Beach Pier, to open a tiki bar.

“Name still in progress. At the brand girl’s desk,” Mescall said, for the place set to open next spring. 

“Like a Disneyland ride for adults.” ER