The cheap brew and local flavor keep regulars coming back and newcomers biding time for a stool to call their own.

The old-as-salt bartenders can spy a newbie from stools away, and those doomed fresh faces are in for a not-so-warm welcome. It's an initiation ritual of sorts for a bar that's been around longer than some of the crowd has been alive. This Hermosa Beach staple offers no frills. The bar pulls in thirsty beach-volleyball players as well as low-key visitors strolling down The Strand. On Fridays, regulars get there by 8pm to beat the line: When the clock strikes 8:30pm, a keg is tapped and emptied into large cups (which only cost a buck) until it's gone. Be sure to have both hands free. —Sarah Spada