The Shellback Tavern is a Manhattan Beach landmark, a great place to grab a cold beer and good food just steps from the ocean and the Manhattan Beach Pier. The beer at Shellback is the coldest in town, and has a thermometer on the wall to prove it- it always stays at 28 degrees or below, the perfect refreshment after a long day in the sun. It draws a good crowd on the weekends, and breakfast is served on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
The Tin Roof Bistro is located in the Manhattan Village Shopping Center, across the parking lot from the main mall complex. The restaurant has the look and feel of a rustic Napa Valley winery. Tin Roof Bistro is a solid example of casual fine dining, with an emphasis on American comfort food.
Sloopy's Beach Cafe has been a Manhattan Beach institution since 1953. Customers enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner on a beautiful outdoor patio. Speciality menu items include eggs Florentine, the mushroom and chedder burger, and shakes and malts in dozens of flavors.
Ercole's, a casual beach bar that's been around since 1927, is located only two blocks from the Manhattan Beach pier. This dark bar, with low lighting and wood paneling, features exposed wooden beams that create artificial separation among parts of the bar. Ercole's lends itself to surfers, beach bums and locals looking for someplace simple and unpretentious to tip one back. The TVs are tuned to whatever game is on, and the sound of balls clinking on the pool table can be heard from the back of the bar. If you're hankering for a late night bite, burgers and hot dogs are the primary menu items, but after a few rounds they'll seem like caviar and filet mignon.
The nearly 20-year-old Manhattan Brewing Company became BrewCo restaurant and bar in October 2009. The restaurant features 48 domestic and imported draught beers, which rotate frequently and include beers from local breweries like Balast Point and Strand. The menu includes a variety of standard pub grub prepared from scratch, including house-made salad dressings. Come in for weekly food and drink specials and to check out what's on tap.
This family owned and operated, SoCal-based restaurant chain is known for offering tasty Baja-style cuisine in an atmosphere that's a mix of sports bar and local beach hangout. About 40 TVs adorn the walls among surfboards and Mexican, nautical and Polynesian decorations. The menu is focused on mesquite-grilled Mexican food, which complements the beach theme perfectly. Nightly specials, weekly events and sports viewing parties frequently take place here and the restaurant is available to host banquets and provide catering.
In business since 1975, Grunion's is easy to miss, as it's located in a narrow building on a busy stretch of Sepulveda Boulevard. Part casual restaurant, part happening bar, the place has a diner vibe throughout the evening, offering everything from prime ribs to fish. Around 9pm, the bar scene kicks in, attracting a mix of young and old Manhattan Beach residents. Breakfast is available on the weekends.
True to their tagline, "a great place to land," look for the tail end of the small plane that's "crashed" into The Hangar Inn, and you will know you are in the right place. With two pool tables and a dartboard, The Hangar Inn is a fun place to hang out with friends over some beer pitchers and cocktails. This bar also has a kitchen that serves up a good cheeseburger.
