The Best Burger in LA? Why Locals Swear by Ercole's in Manhattan Beach

Ask ten Angelenos where to find the best burger in LA and you'll get ten answers. Ask a Manhattan Beach local, though, and there's a good chance you'll hear one name: Ercole's.

A true Manhattan Beach original

Ercole's sits at 1101 Manhattan Avenue, a short walk from the pier, and it's the oldest bar in town. The neon out front says 1927, though local historians put the opening at 1929, in what is now the oldest commercial building in Manhattan Beach. It started as a sandwich and ice cream parlor during Prohibition, went through a few lives, including a Western bar and a Dutch-Indonesian restaurant, and became the burger-and-beer institution it is today.

Inside, it wears its age proudly: wooden booths carved with decades of initials, a pool table in the back, a jukebox, and a crowd that's equal parts old-timers and surfers fresh off the beach.

The burger

The menu is short, and that's the point. The burgers are char-grilled, backyard-style, and made with freshly ground beef from Manhattan Meats right next door. Add a cold beer and you have one of the most satisfying meals in the South Bay. The Dodger Dog is a local favorite too.

Is it really the best in LA?

That's a debate for your own taste buds. What's not up for debate is that Ercole's delivers exactly what a beach-town burger should: juicy, unfussy, and best eaten a block from the ocean with sand still on your sandals.

Know before you go

• Order at the bar. There's no table service, so grab your food and bus your own table.
• The bar is 21 and over, but there's a take-out window where guests of any age can order a burger to go.
• It gets packed on summer weekends and during the Manhattan Beach Open volleyball tournament.
• The long-standing "cash only" rule is gone: cards and Apple Pay are accepted now.

Hours, menus, and storefronts change often in LA. Check before you go.