Long Beach’s Happy Place: The Eldo Bar & Grill

Story and Photos by John Grossi

Many of you who follow us on Instagram @LB908 know the story of “March Restaurant Madness.” An online tournament we started during the height of the pandemic, when both restaurants and the college basketball “March Madness” tournament were shutdown. 

In order to help promote restaurants and fill the void of ESPN’s annual “bracketology” fun, we created Long Beach’s “March Restaurant Madness Tournament.” We started with 256 “teams” (aka restaurants) and randomly had them “play each other” which meant our Instagram followers would have to pick one or the other by voting through Instagram.

We did these one-on-one matchups all month long until just one restaurant remained standing and then we crowned that champion “Long Beach’s Favorite Spot.”

Well folks, we’ve repeated the tournament ever since 2020, and the last two years we’ve had the same winner making one thing pretty clear… The Eldo Restaurant, Bar & Grill is definitely the favorite spot of our Instagram followers and is “Long Beach’s Happy Place.”

About the Eldo

The Eldo has been a restaurant at the corner of Studebaker Road and Spring Street in East Long Beach since 1957. Long-time residents will tell you it was a popular spot for many decades before losing some of its esteem in the early 2000s as the years went on and ownership changed hands.

However, since South African Chef Trevor Nettmann bought the joint in 2012, its popularity has soared to new heights. The Eldo is an elevated Bar and Grill with both American and South African fare. With bar seating, restaurant seating, and an expansive outdoor patio… whether you’re there to catch a game, catch up with friends and family, or have a beer and a pretzel on the patio with your four-legged-friends, the Eldo is the place to be.

Winner, Winner, Delicious Dinner

Ken TerBorch, one of the thousands of locals who voted for the Eldo in the March Restaurant Madness tournament, had this to say:

"Some of the best food in Long Beach, a fun relaxed atmosphere, and a great beer selection are just a couple of the reasons why we end up at The Eldo frequently. We love it there, and everybody we have recommended The Eldo to have become fans as well!"  

Ken (pictured with his daughter Zada) won a t-shirt and a gift card to his favorite restaurant, The Eldo, for predicting the best bracket before the tournament started!

If you haven’t tried the Eldo yet, maybe this is your sign to give it a try and see if you agree, that it’s Long Beach’s “Happy Place!”