Familiar Faces

Joe Jost’s would not be the legendary spot it is today if not for generations of loyal customers that have made our humble establishment their home away from home since Joe started pouring ice cold beer back in 1934.

So, pull up a barstool and meet some of our regulars.

 

Gene Gimenez

  • Has been a regular at Joe’s since 1963 when he was going to Long Beach State.
  • He met his first wife there.
  • He has introduced dozens of people to Joe’s over the years.

“I remember when you could order a schooner of Eastside Beer and get change back from a dollar.”

"The clientele has changed a little over the years.  I remember when they used to have a cash drawer at the end of the bar, near the cooler, which was used to cash Social Security checks for some of the older customers.”

“It’s one place that if you didn’t go in for ten years, you could go back in and there would be someone you knew.”

Over the years you build relationships with people like Kenny, Shawn and a guy I remember called Dipper Dan that used to work there.”

“It’s a one of a kind place.”

“Joe (Sr.) was a very friendly man, very businesslike, always behind the bar working hard to make sure customers were taken care of.”

“Joe Jost’s is really one big happy family.  In the 40 plus years I have been going there, I can’t remember seeing a fight or even an argument; which says a lot about the establishment.”

“I was there the day they switched from Eastside to Pabst.”

 

Dale Barringer

  • Has been frequenting Joe Jost’s since 1962.
  • After fifty years of constant use, the bar stools finally needed to be replaced in the late 1970’s. Ken Buck decided to raffle off the old stools, with the proceeds going to a local charity. Dale was lucky to win one of the much sought after stools and uses it to this day to file flight plans at his hanger at the Chino Airport.

 

“One of the great joys of my life has been to bring folks to Joe Jost’s for the first time and introduce them to Joe’s Specials, pickled eggs and cold schooners of beer.”

“Anyone and everyone can relate to Joe Jost’s in one way or another. I have never brought people into this place and have them say they didn’t like it or that it’s not my kind of place.”

“Joe’s draws in all walks of life; from the homeless to the mayor of Long Beach.”

“… back then, there weren’t that many women that came into Joe’s. It’s not that they weren’t welcome, it just that I think that they sensed that this was a guy’s place and that they would let the boys do the boy thing. It was kind of a refuge. That of course has since changed.”

“Joe’s has just been a wonderful experience for me, I hope to be able to keep coming back for the rest of my life to enjoy the friendships, the Specials, the eggs, the beer…”

“The unique thing about Joe Jost’s is that you can travel anywhere in the world, and because of the t-shirts, people will walk up to you and say “Hey, I’ve been there! Aren’t those pickled eggs the greatest things since… popcorn.” This has happened to me on numerous occasions, all around the world. I have found the nicest people wear Joe Jost’s t-shirts.”

“To the credit of Joe Sr., he put both of his boys through USC Business School and to the credit to the two boys, they were smart enough to know that they had an operation here that didn’t need to be tweaked.”

“Ken has a great crew here and to his credit he runs a very good ship – as far as taking care of his employees. I doubt very much that there are many establishments such as this that set up 401(k)’s for their part-time employees, college kids. He really cares about his guy’s futures. Ken has great group of guys working for him.”

 

John Tate

  • When the movie Bambi came out (1942) Joe Sr. told John stories about deer hunting and the deer heads on the wall of the bar.
  • John’s father owned a camera shop across the street from Joe’s. He and Joe were close friends.
  • As a child Joe would feed John a hot dog and an egg anytime he went in the bar.

“My dad first started taking me to Joe Jost’s in the 40’s, after WWII. I was just a kid back then but can still remember my dad treating me to a Joe’s Special and a root beer. Those were special times. It was a very uncomplicated world back then.”