“Five Stars, of course If you are reading this review one of two things are true.
a) you are really hard to convince. Every other review of this place is 4+ stars of raves.
b) you are looking for something different. Lucky, you are now going to get what none of the others will tell you.
You have heard about the pickled eggs; as you belly up to the draft station of a bar ask for two of them. But stop the bartender before he moves and ask him to put one in each schooner and have him fill it up w/ ice cold PBR. The schooner will frost over hiding the treasure within. As you deliver this to your friend or co-worker, mention nothing. You might be able to taste something, but that’s only your mind f**king with you. I think that this is good, but only once and then you can say that you are in the very most elite of Joe’s. PS the place rocks”
“Love this place. Great ice cold beer, so cold that it gives you a brain freeze if you drink it too fast. Pickled eggs and pretzels? Yep. Never thought I’d crave such a thing, but after having them here, now I do.
When it gets crowded here on Saturdays, it is quite the party. Lots of regulars and friendly people.
I heard about this place after meeting a guy at the blackjack table at the Riverside Casino. He was wearing a Tee shirt from here. I promised him I’d stop by to check it out. I did. Thank you kind stranger. I love it.”
“I haven’t been to Jost’s in many years; something made me look it up to see if it was still there. (Maybe it’s just that there is nothing like it here in the Bay Area and I’m dyin’ for a schooner, a special and a coupla eggs. I used to be a semi-regular from just out of high school until I left LB, back when they served Eastside instead of PBR. I still remember what it looked like before they painted over the 50 years’ worth of tobacco stains on the ceiling back in 1980 or so. Probably the best non-hard-booze bar I’ve ever been to. Hope they last another 80 years.”
“Love this place! Great beers and peanuts!”
“Pabst on tap. Pickled eggs. (YES PLEASE) Pool tables. They sell ties and other memorabilia with their logo. No hard alcohol but in a Cheers-like environment such as this, you almost feel like you have no desire other than to sip on a cold one. And they are icy cold here.”
“The kind of place with frosty glasses, wholesome beer, and a small yet tasty menu. You’ve read about the eggs, the incomprehensibly delicious split-pickle/hot-dog/mustard on rye, but did you know there are secret menu choices you can order? Perfectly coincides with its speak-easy past.
Psst! Ever wonder why the storefront boasts sandwiches and root beer only? That dates all the way back to prohibition days. In fact, little has changed.
This bar is so long on history and atmosphere, with its deep dark wood and cozy booths, it has been featured in a Hollywood film. They tried to play it off as an East Coast joint, which ought to tell you something.
But how could they pull that off when Joe Jost’s is an institution, its classic tees spotted all over the world? (Probably ‘cuz they figured no one would see the film)
Well, even if I don’t always enjoy the movie, I love seeing local Long Beach joints showing up on the silver screen. Gives me one more reason to cheer for our landmarks.”
“Hot dog sliced in half with mustard on freshly baked rye and some pickeled eggs? Sign me up.”
“My Dad Ron Sr. was feeling down about the stock market. I had him pick me up at LAX last weekend then steered him back to Long Beach to Joe Jost’s. He used to hang there when I was a baby back in the early 60’s but has not been back in decades. His face beamed when he walked in and his spirits lifted! He said it looked the same just like back in the day. We had some pickled eggs and the JJ Special—and Schooners…life was suddenly better. Some things don’t need to change so fast—thanks for keeping it real and life sane. We’ll be back—maybe even more often in today’s economy and times!”
“Prior to this review, I’ve discussed the idealities of locality and its connection to satisfaction. The character of any business can make the most seedy of bars seem almost ethereal in nature. Again, I express the same feeling for Joe Jost’s.
It’s undeniable. If you’ve been raised in Long Beach, then you probably have some strange, yet astounding connection to this place;It’s an establishment where many a citizen have experienced some “rite of passage” as they perused their city of origin as a young soul. Joe’s may serve only beer, sandwiches, and hard-boiled eggs (which are amazingly neon green in color), but it’s all just fabulous. I can’t think of another place where I’d rather consume 32 gargantuan ounces of bitterly cold Pabst Blue Ribbon while discussing the trivialities of my employment. When you’re there, you know you’re bound to enjoy the experience and even take something away…just not any of the hundreds of “Joe Jost’s t-shirts around the world” pictures on the wall; those are for us all.
Even if you aren’t from the area, take a trip to Joe Jost’s and surround yourself with that all-encompassing neighborhood bar experience. You may be drunk and full of egg, but you won’t be sorry.”