Having experienced the comforting surroundings of public houses (aka pubs) in England, I can appreciate the look and feel of Hennessey’s in Manhattan Beach. But beyond the cozy feel, great service, and Guinness propaganda all over the place, the food is what keeps me coming back.

Particularly on Tuesdays.

Every Tuesday, all Hennessey’s locations (there are 10 total, 3 in the South Bay) feature the “Two-Timin’ Tuesdays” special. This offer lets guests buy 1 breakfast entrée or a burger and get another one free. They have other specials also, including a happy hour, but this is the one that makes my mouth water because their burgers are pretty good.

This past Tuesday, Nicole and I stopped in Hennessey’s to meet a friend for lunch. We were quickly seated outside on the patio and dove right into the menu. There are 15 burgers to choose from and many more if you include the options for breads, cheeses, and meats: you can choose turkey or beef.

I chose the Western Burger, a hunk of beef “bigger than an Irishman’s heart” or so the saying goes. Its covered with barbecue sauce and two strips of bacon. I added cheese and asked for my sauce on the side.

After perusing the menu for a while, Nicole decided on the Bleu Cheese Bacon Burger. It comes toped with a sauce of bleu cheese crumbles and bacon bits. She decided on a turkey patty.

One of my favorite burgers on the menu (which our friend decided to get) is the ‘Bama Burger, which is almost a meal within a meal. They start with the burger patty then add cole slaw, fried chicken strips, and honey mustard dressing. Finally, they top the bun with two French fries. To finish it might require an appetite, but very little encouragement!

Speaking of French fries, at Hennessey’s they’re ordered separately; their burgers aren’t served with them. Don’t fret just yet! Instead, their burgers are served with crispy potato chips that pair nicely with the meat. If you do order fries, though, you won’t be disappointed with the large basket which is plenty to share with a few hungry folks.

Oh, here’s an insider’s tip. Don’t think that you will be out of luck if you have an odd numbered party; you can still get your free burger out of the deal. The first solution: order a fourth burger (or sixth if there are five of you, and so on) and then arm wrestle for it. The winner takes the burger home. The second solution, order the hamburger sampler from the appetizer menu. It’s a full sized burger cut into quarters with each section done up differently and served on a dinner roll. The samples include grilled mushrooms, guacamole, melted cheese, and bacon with barbecue sauce. I guess this method might still involve some jockeying for position, though, since you might have to fight for which piece you want! I snagged the bacon and bbq sample pretty quickly.

Outside of the great food at Hennessey’s, the service is top notch too. We had our main server but other servers, including the manager, would check on us as they walked by. Our order came out quickly and cooked to order while our water glasses were filled as needed. The only thing we had to ask for were additional napkins; we were constantly licking the yummy flavors from licking our fingers.

If you’re celebrating National Burger Month this May, I highly recommend a stop by any Hennessey’s location. Especially on a Tuesday if you’re looking for a great deal!

Hennessey’s

313 Manhattan Beach Blvd
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
http://www.hennesseystavern.com/index.html

[rating:4/5]