The Shanty Cocktail Lounge

White Russian! God help me. Love this little Beach dive!

I live so close and I wanted to love this place, but the weekend bouncer is just rude and condescending. I will probably not be back for a while because he was very off-​putting and there are plenty of other places to go out for a drink in the area.

Let’s look at this the way it is. It is a dive bar, not a fancy cocktail lounge… and they are the best dive bar around, hands down. The place is clean, including the bathrooms. My wife has never had an issue using the ladies room which is a huge plus. There is a covered smoking patio for those of you who partake. Drinks are cheap, always good and always strong. Pool tables and cues are in good shape plus they have a pinball machine and new Golden Tee arcade game! The staff is very polite/​nice, but are locals so don’t go in with an attitude and expect them to grovel. Oh, and they always have the sports games on, football, golf, baseball, soccer, etc. All in all my favorite dive bar in North County SD. And their annual Halloween Party… CRAZY AWESOME!

This place has been hiding in plain site for years. Glad I finally stumbled upon it (and ultimately, out of it.) Great spot for drinks with friends.

Without question my favorite dive bar in Southern California. A staple of North County since I can remember. Good place for a nice evening with friends, after party drinks or a random beer in the afternoon. A fun mix of derelicts and beautiful people all drinking together in peace and harmony while sitting on stools purchased during the Nixon Administration. Jukebox, pool tables and a dart board are some of its attributes. Bring a lot of cash as they don’t take plastic. And parking is a joke so you’re better off on the street.

Yup. 5 stars. My kinda dive bar. Friendly staff, cash only bar with no tabs. Clean bar. Foozball table, pinball machine, pool table and juke box. Segregated smoking area. What more could you ask for from a dive bar?
Anyone expecting anything more than what a dive bar is should go elsewhere. Open till 2am.

Unfortunately, they wouldn’t let me in even though I am 29 and have a full beard. My wallet was stolen the night before and I only had an expired passport. My group of 25+ friends said this place is a joke. Way better off going to Del Mar.

I dropped my drivers’ licence in front of the door man and he accused me of being too drunk to enter his fine establishment. I re-​approached him 30 minutes later and asked him more coherently than he spoke if he would reconsider and he asked me to leave the premises. I never saw the inside but my –1 rating is based on the inability of the FIRST person I met from this business who was unwilling to be logical in a conversation.

Perfect to escape the sun and get some normally priced beer at a bar. (you know those places you drank before brewery tasting rooms were a thing) As well as shoot some pool in shorts and a tank top, classic beach dive bar without the gross parts they usually have.

I used to really like this bar until I had a friend from New York come visit. The bouncer was a complete ass and refused to let my THIRTY year old friend in because his ID didn’t seem real. Makes sense since he has so much experience looking at New York licenses… I will never go or recommend this bar again.

My favorite bar to play pool. Drinks are cheap & strong. Pool is less than a dollar a game. Jukebox still plays tunes (pretty good ones too) when no one has fed it money. I like playing pool to music but sometimes I’m not inclined to play any and neither is any one else. The radio plays in the pool area when the jukebox is off, It’s what puts this place above all others for me: music playing all the time (hugs Shanty). It’s a cash only bar w/​ATM on sight. Great vibe

As I’ve said repeatedly, I love me some dive bar. While this place isn’t quite springboard and lifeguard, it’s still pretty awesome. You walk in to a dark, wood-​heavy décor. There are two pool tables in their own separate little room, the island bar, a (smoking?) patio, and the main bar area. The main bar is an island with tons of seating and there is plenty of space to stand around if that’s your thing.
As far as booze selection, it’s better than your average dive bar, but not stellar. They have a couple of bigger craft brews on tap (Stone, Sierra Nevada, Goose Island) and your usual-​suspect domestics. Their booze selection follows suit with one or two bottles that you might not expect but your usual staples as well.
The vibe is good; very laid back, very Cardiff. The people are nice and eclectic, so you’ll get everybody from the owners of the stupid, gigantic houses with ocean views to the surfers that just packed it in for the day.
Prices are right where you’d expect, which is nice because it’s cash only and you can’t run a tab (unless you’re a regular, I’m presuming). This is a nice little place in an area with slim-​pickings when it comes to bars.

As far as dive bars go, this one has all the necessities. Beer, check. Pool tables, check. Patio, check. Weirdly constructed bathrooms, check.
This place has a pretty decent location, just off the 101 near other Cardiff area shops, and restaurants. The tap list was limited, but that was to be expected I guess. We played a round of pool — only 75 cents, so not a bad deal.
It’s CASH ONLY, and they have an ATM in the place. Annoying to me (it’s 2014!) but whatever.
The women’s bathroom is a single stall in what looks like it may have been a closet at one time. There’s an oddly place door frame, and it’s just. weird.
The beers and the people were good. A little Cardiff hole in the wall.

CASH ONLY (there is an ATM inside the bar though)
Fun vibe. Mellow crowd. Jukebox music. Pool tables and foosball. Bartenders were nice. Came here after the Kraken and the A/​C felt amazing. Not a great place for dancing, but a cool place to meet people and hang out.
The bummer was only one restroom. I’ll definitely be back.

Pool tables, good juke box, some video games, fooze ball table, fairly priced cocktails, beachy crowd… what’s not to like? They don’t serve food, but you can order from restaurants nearby and bring it in (like Besta Wan for example). Great local divey spot!

I was conflicted in writing this review because one of the things I love about this place is that I never have to wait to get in. It’s a mellow bar with personable bartenders. The wood paneling on the walls gives the bar a unique character that is appreciated by most it’s patrons.
There are 2 pool tables in good enough condition to play a meaningful game.
There is a smokers «lounge», which I cannot review because I don’t smoke, but those that do look like they are having a great time in there. I watch from behind the glass like I’m looking at gorillas at the zoo.
The pours are always good and prices are just right.
Cash only and there is an ATM inside.
And it’s also nice that they don’t charge for the air conditioning. They throw that one in for free which is great on a hot day.

Always a solid time at the shanty. Strong pours, cash only, two pool tables, fosball table, golden tee and an enclosed smoking room… it’s prettay legendary. The place can get pretty packed on Friday and Saturday night but typically is mellow other nights.

Like some version of an alcoholic Friday’s, many so-​called «dive» bars try to manufacture such an image. Throw in some disjointed knick knacks and some eclectic décor and BOOM, you’re a dive. The Shanty, however, is the real deal. And that is a beautiful thing.
Located in, well, a shanty, just blocks from San Elijah State Beach, the décor here doesn’t give a sh*t what you think about it. And in return, The Shanty doesn’t care who or what you are, you are all welcome. Inside you’ll find a warm welcoming staff and crowd of diverse ages and origins; scattered businessmen mingling with bearded bikers and local surfers. All there for the inexpensive well-​poured drinks and the cool laid-​back vibe. And one of the only patios you will find in the area where you can smoke.
Every night we went to shanty ended with us having made knew friends. And that, itself, is pretty cool. While I certainly am missing my trip to the Ocean Cities, I think I miss you most all, Shanty!

A group of us came down to visit a friend and attend the camp shred surf demo. After the event we walked down to the Shanty from her house, it was only a few blocks. Got there around 10pm, showed our id’s and headed to the bar. Might I say the bouncer and bartenders were all in a good mood and really nice, this was my first impression… the next was that I love a bar that keeps the bar stools there after 10pm :) … they have christmas lights, pool tables and other games, ok I’m def a fan of this spot and would come back.
It’s cash only and drinks/​beer was $ 4.50, my guy friend kept complaining that it should be $ 4 or $ 5 the .50 was annoying to him ha-​ha… didn’t bother me much I think they do it so you leave alittle extra for the bartender.
The crowd seemed pretty chill except this one drunken slob that kept kicking my bf’s pool stick while he was trying to shoot. Thinking back I should of just had the bouncer kick him out but he wandered somewhere else shortly.
CASH BAR
1 stall bathrooms (this is a negative)
bar stools set up all night
2 pool tables
foosball table
christmas lights

Whew, I’m still recovering from my visit here last night. As other reviewers said, the pours are very generous! There are nice bartenders who keep a tidy bar, it is cash only, but there is an ATM. There seems to be some regulars, but everyone was very friendly. There are a couple of pool tables, but I didn’t see any dart boards (maybe I missed them???) Four and a half stars because there is only one ladies toilet.
I’ll be back sometime!