Big Dean's Ocean Front Cafe • 1902

Claiming the title of oldest bar in Los Angeles, this Santa Monica boardwalk institution has poured drinks and served burgers at the foot of the pier since opening in 1902 as Laring's Lunch Room. The double-meat, double-cheese Big Dean's cheeseburger—billed as the burger that made Santa Monica famous—comes slathered in Big Dean's special sauce, while the New England clam chowder and fish tacos feed beachgoers on the outdoor patios. With 35 TVs broadcasting sports, lifeguards and bodybuilders mingling alongside tourists, and celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Cary Grant having bellied up to the bar over the decades, the kitschy beach bar pre-dates the Santa Monica Pier itself and still delivers cheap drafts, solid bar food, and unmatched people-watching just steps from the Pacific.