{"id":89594,"date":"2026-08-06T09:44:46","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T16:44:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/?p=89594"},"modified":"2026-08-06T09:47:06","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T16:47:06","slug":"curleys-cafe-history-oil-signal-hill-chili-coldest-beer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/eat-see-do-2\/eat\/curleys-cafe-history-oil-signal-hill-chili-coldest-beer","title":{"rendered":"Curley\u2019s Cafe’s secret chili, cold beer and oil history have kept it strong for nearly 100 years\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When John Toman bought Curley\u2019s Cafe 15 years ago, he was given a piece of advice: Don\u2019t mess with the chili.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To this day, it\u2019s still handmade following the same secret recipe used since 1965. Toman estimates they make around 15 gallons each week. It\u2019s one dish, but the chilli and Curley\u2019s signature \u201ccoldest beer in town\u201d are a symbol of something bigger. Curley\u2019s has a deep local history and continuity that\u2019s kept it running and beloved for 94 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think the key is earning the trust of people,\u201d Toman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n Link<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Curley\u2019s opened in 1932 as a watering hole for the oil workers who crowded into Signal Hill to tend thousands of derricks that sprang up<\/a> after the discovery of crude. Curley’s was loud and rowdy, a place where roughneck arguments often broke out, according to an interview with Curley’s son Ewing Turner recorded in 1989 and now stored in the California State University Digital Archives<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curley himself, whose real name was Everett Turner, eventually sold the bar to his son. Since then, it’s changed hands multiple times, losing some of its edge along the way. It’s now more of a family diner than a bar, but it’s kept its connection to Signal Hill’s oil industry origins<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The walls are adorned with photos from the oil boom showing the fields full of oil drills. An oil derrick is still the restaurant\u2019s logo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A display above the bar shows the current temperature of the beer at Curley’s Cafe, which says it serves the coldest beer around in Signal Hill on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the menu, items like \u201cThe Roughneck\u201d (3 eggs, 3 bacon strips, 3 pancakes, a sausage patty and a side of hashbrowns or home-cut potatoes) and \u201cThe Driller\u201d (2 eggs, 2 bacon strips, 2 slices of French toast, and a side of hashbrowns or home-cut potatoes) pay homage to the restaurant\u2019s origins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if, by chance, you\u2019re still looking to cool down after a long hot day on an oil rig, Curley\u2019s prides itself on beer that\u2019s kept between 28 and 31 degrees and served in a frozen cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Toman himself didn\u2019t understand the charm of Curley\u2019s when he was first given the chance to buy the restaurant. \u201cI drove by, and I was unimpressed,\u201d he said. \u201cThe whole front corner was all thorn bushes, and just from the street, the first thing I saw was not good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Working oil rigs greet customers at Curley’s Cafe in Signal Hill on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A couple of years later, after the price was lowered, Toman decided to give it one more shot. He took his friend to have breakfast there and was immediately sold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His friend wanted his food prepared in a very particular way, with his bacon cooked perfectly and sliced tomatoes on the side instead of potatoes. The server, Gabby, didn\u2019t take any notes on their order, but brought out everything they asked for. The chef, Gustavo, cooked it all exactly as they wanted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGabby and Gustavo are the reason I bought this place,\u201d Toman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gustavo died of cancer a few years ago, but Gabby is still a server at Curley\u2019s Cafe after more than 20 years. Toman said familiar faces like hers are key to building so much trust with customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe people trust the core. That’s what keeps us going,\u201d Toman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A neon clock on the wall of Curley’s Cafe in Signal Hill on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. Photo by Thomas R. Cordova.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now, Toman proudly tells tales about Curley\u2019s history himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to one Toman tells, the building that stands today is the third iteration of the restaurant. The original building allegedly blew up after someone turned on a faulty light switch. Then, as Willow Street expanded, the second building was removed and replaced with the current building further back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that he\u2019s found his place in it, Toman says he\u2019s committed to keeping Curley\u2019s history alive. All he wants is for the restaurant to keep going strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere’s nothing like this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curley\u2019s Cafe, 1999 E Willow St. in Signal Hill, is open Mondays through Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Curley\u2019s was born as a hangout for Signal Hill’s oil workers. Now, 94 years later, it’s still a landmark.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":207,"featured_media":89577,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"Curley\u2019s was born as a hangout for Signal Hill's oil workers. Now, 94 years later, it's still a landmark.","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32365],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[32346],"class_list":["post-89594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-eat","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89594","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/207"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89594"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89594\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":89603,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89594\/revisions\/89603"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89594"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89594"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89594"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=89594"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=89594"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}