Ercoles Bar: Best Neighborhood Bar

On a recent Tuesday morning, three old friends sat at the bar near the front of Ercoles and pondered, among other things, the nature of a good hamburger, the good manners of bartender Tom Amorosi, and what it was the kept them coming back to Ercoles. “Not me,” said Norm Lowthorp. “This is the first time I’ve been in here.” It turns out, however, Lowthrop has been a regular since September 1958. “He hasn’t been thrown out yet. It’s a miracle,” said Randy Thompson, who also offered a theory as to how and why Ercoles has established itself so firmly in the community that a bar established in 1927 is still going strong when nearly everything surrounding it in downtown Manhattan Beach has departed or changed. “It’s very eclectic,” Thompson said. “We even have liberals here. We have a lot of locals, but people also come here from all over the world. It’s just a friendly crowd.” A few barstools away, Mike Toumajian offers another theory. “Best hamburger in town,” he said. This is all pretty much in line with owner Gary Moore’s idea of what a neighborhood bar should be. He’s owned the place since 1972, and says the key to its success are its good deals — Dodger dogs for a dollar, two burgers for the price of one on Wednesdays and three tacos for $5 on Thursdays — and the use of higher quality liquor for its well drinks than most other bars. “I just run a simple neighborhood bar,” Moore said. “Free cheetos and pretzels on the bar — places don’t do that anymore. And we’ve got cold beer and strong drinks.”
Ercoles Bar, 1101 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, 310-372-1997.
Runner up: North End Bar & Grill, 2626 Hermosa Ave., Hermosa Beach, 310-379-5379.