Legendary South Bay Bar A Favorite Watering Hole Among Many Locals
It was a locals’ hangout and a haven for those in their 30s and above to go out, enjoy great cocktails from well-trained bartenders – some of whom became fast friends with their customers – and a central gathering and party place after events like Smackfest, the Summer Concert Series and the AVP beach volleyball tournament.
As well as regular Friday and Saturday nights, especially during its twice-a-day Happy Hours.
And now it’s closed.
On a Thursday evening after Labor Day weekend, just as the sun was setting over the Pacific Ocean, the last patrons filed out and were standing in the adjacent small parking lot. It marked the end of a bar that had been open since seemingly there was a bar in Hermosa Beach.
For decades, the Mermaid was a dive bar that was the regular watering hole for the, well, “traditional” Hermosa Beach bar drinkers. It also had sensational food; the sauteed mushrooms were “orgasmic,” as a girl once described to PubClub.com.
When Killer Shrimp took it over, it went from an occasional place to have a beer or cocktail to a drinking destination for the 30s-and-up crowd of the South Bay. People would pack the place for its twice-daily Happy Hours, which were seven days a week, and they quickly became fans of the lively bartenders and the sensational drinks they made while vigorously shaking those shakers behind the bar.
The Mermaid was a home-away-from-home, the kind of place you went to when you just want a drink, when you were meeting out friends and when showing off Hermosa Beach to visiting friends.
Losing it is a significant blow to Hermosa Beach’s bars and the LA beach town’s nightlife.
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• Mermaid Bar & Killer Shrimp Restaurant Closed
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