Shack Bar & Grill

Best bartenders and staff ever. I can only have certain ingredients and Charlie figures out ways to make an amazing cocktail within my restricted options. Mel, Brittany and Charlie make it a great place to come and get away from it all, our very own Cheers. Food is far better than standard bar fare, kudos to kitchen staff! Especially the chicken tortilla soup, it is to best I have ever eaten! Doggie friendly too! Love all the puppies on the patio. Its a great local La Jolla institution, much love! Support the local, love The Shack!

Very attentive and hot bartender. Good drinks, great food, and clean. good atmosphere. just easy, Great experience for an out of towner

Wanting a quiet Monday place to grab some food and a beer or two while I worked on some design projects. I decided on the Shack and just so happened the bar and patio were kinda full. Turned out the bartender Nicole was running solo and even tho she was super busy, she hit me and 3 other tables within 5 minutes. Impressive. Not only did she maintain her bar, the patio and me, she was super sweet, addressed me by name and did it all solo. It’s been a while since I’ve been here and I’m not familiar with the other employees that may work here, but by all means come when Nicole’s working. I used to bartend for years, so I know great service when I experience it. Nice job!

It is funny that when I search on Unilocal for a chilled seafood (bat and grill) restaurant to fill my empty stomach, this place doesn’t come up. It’s such a pity b’coz it is a very cool place! Interesting Hawaii decoration, pool tables, sport channels playing (I don’t give a care). Only one waitress but she is fast and attentive. Hot looking blond bartender ;))
Menu is typical American grill and chill. Some Mexican dishes. I order Fish&Chips. Big portion. Very tasty… reminds me of New Zealand… my second home country.
Overall, a great place to chill. It gets a little loud later on as all dudes (and females) scream out to their teams (on a tv)

We stumbled upon the Shack while looking for a place to eat near our La Jolla rental.
It is a family friendly and fun place that is busy with locals and their dogs.
We opted to sit inside at one of the high top tables. The boys watched the basketball game while the girls listened to the good music.
The cigarette smoke was annoying.
The grilled cheese was good, the tots were lukewarm. My husband said the pulled pork burger was good. My son has the bacon cheeseburger sans veggies and gave it a thumbs up. My daughter ordered the ham and pineapple grilled cheese, but didn’t read the entire description, it had chili mayo. She doesn’t like mayo or spicy so she was bummed. The server was willing to make her a different sandwich but we declined. She did comp her sprite, which was nice.
It’s a casual fun place to get a neighborhood bite to eat.

This is one of the worst bars I’ve ever been to. The people (including bouncers) are phenomenally rude. They have a line but don’t let more people leave when others stumble out complaining about how bad the bar is. Avoid this place at all costs.

Love this place. It’s got a great outdoor patio with a fire, heaters, sufficient (and free) parking, good food, great/​friendly service, fun jukebox you can play from your smartphone, and TWO coin operated pool tables! Great local spot, and you can walk to the beach from there, too.

Poor service poor food. Waitress messed up our order, perhaps if she wrote it down she would have gotten it right. Patio is very dog friendly so be warned. Food was very bar divey. Not a fan. Also, how can a place have a dog menu and not a kids menu? Shrimp tacos are very salty.

Could be a cool laid back bar in an otherwise uptight La Jolla. Instead bouncer Scott makes this place a concentration camp after last call. Our experience was shared by many at 1am when the bartender made last call. 5 minutes after ordering our last round of beers the bouncer, ‘Scott’ began yelling across the bar, «finish up! Time to get out of here!» No need to be rude. We had at least 20mins by satellite time, yet his clock is all that matters. After the third round of this he came directly to our table and told us directly, «Time for you guys to leave». We told him we were finishing the beer we ordered at last Calland he said, «stop drinking, it’s time for you guys to leave».
Choose another place for your local bar for vacation celebration because this place will spoil your evening just when you think it might end well. In a place where bars are a plenty The Shack is a glass of soured milk amongst delicious, albeit expensive cream.

Great place to come to hang out and drink in La Jolla. Great thing about this place is that it won’t cost you an arm and a leg like every where else in La Jolla. $ 4 beers and $ 5 well drinks. They have a margarita night also with happy hour drinks and food.
The staff was quick on their feet and very fun to be around. Food here is good too! Typical bar food but tasty. Burgers, wings, tacos, fries, etc.
I came during a heat wave in San Diego which made being inside the bar unbearably hot. Nothing in San Diego has AC! But the patio was great with partial views of the ocean and ocean breeze.
I give this place 5 stars. I am definitely coming back here next time I’m in La Jolla looking for a drink or two. The only thing I would suggest is to get AC in the bar.

The Shack is a nearby spot where we like to get takeout from. It is a bar, but they do have great sandwiches/​burgers! I like the bacon bleu cheese burger or the mahi mahi sandwich. You get your choice of fries, tater tots, coleslaw, or side salad and I always opt for their tots. My husband likes the teriyaki chicken sandwich.
They are super dog friendly, so we have dined in with our dog. He loves the attention he gets from them. The staff is pretty friendly, but service can be a bit slow. Drinks are decently priced and they do offer happy hour specials every day.
You’re not going to get a gourmet experience here; it’s a bar. But, this definitely hits the spot if you’re looking for a casual spot to drink and hang out with your dog!

Stopped next door at the ⁷⁄₁₁ to get some iced tea and use the men’s room. I was informed that they didn’t have a public bathroom:(We went next door to the Shack Bar & Grill where I could take care of my emergency. When I came out there was the wife sitting at a patio table with a glass of iced tea and two waters, each with a straw and lemon, on the table! The restroom was clean, the female servers were smiling and friendly and the tea was only $ 2. We asked for another tea, but «to go» and were given a plastic cup and an apology that they had no lids. No extra charge, what a nice gesture! Looks like a nice little local beach bar with an interesting menu. Check them out, happy, friendly, kind, and accommodating staff, looks like a fun place!

We had decent hopes for this place. Being local, we had driven by hundreds of times before finally finding parking four blocks away, and decided to check it out.
We visited on a Sunday afternoon with our six year old daughter. Perhaps we are bad parents for bringing her… maybe we were just naïve. As it is always gorgeous out, we selected a table out on the patio. While we understand the patio is for smoking… we still hope for fresh air.
We were greeted with really kind service and ordered our drinks while we decided on appetizers. The menu is typical for a restaurant/​bar. * Note that we did not realize the emphasis was much heavier in BAR going in. Again, probably our fault. Sometimes it’s good to thicken a kids skin.
We ordered our apps and another family seated next to us, which was really reassuring. That is when shit hit thy fan. Next two us was a double date with two of LJ’s finest and fanciest gals. I really feel bad for the two guys, as they certainly did not expect to be buying dinner for trash. The profanity and drunken slurs being spewed by these women was appalling. We confronted them, which only escalated the woman, and caused the dates to immediately start planning an exit strategy. We realized this was not going to get better and decided to leave.
While the staff was vey kind and even took care of the bill for the food we didn’t get (we offered to pay), it was clear that they do not put a drink limit on patrons. This will be our only impression of the restaurant sadly. These women were well beyond inebriated, and there did not seem to be a care in the world. As responsible servers, this team should have been on it. I would guess the other family likely left, as they appeared to be taking our lead.
I am sure this is a great local dive bar and hang out. It reminds me if Cheers back in Orlando, or anywhere else for that matter. This is NOT a place to bring anyone under 18. It is a great place for Bill Cosby to take a date. Too soon?

Rounding up a bit. I recommend stopping by here before or after a visit to the Windansea beach that is literally down the street, preferably during the day.
Dropped by here on a weekday afternoon for Happy Hour, which is 7 days a week, 3−7pm…$ 1 off draft beer, appetizers, and well drinks. Not exactly the biggest savings, but still doesn’t hurt.
When deciding to sit outside or inside, the outside patio definitely won me over, which is why I suggest come here during the day… natural lighting! The inside seemed a little too dark for my liking, but I’m sure it’s better at night time. Pool tables are inside, too. As for the outside patio, there’s a fire pit, which seemed like a good idea at first since we came on an overcast kind of day, but a word of advice: don’t sit directly next to it, it gets too hot! Still a nice touch though
Moved to the granite bar that’s facing La Jolla Blvd… can’t see the ocean from here but still enjoyed the openness and watching the cars go by.
Since we just stopped by for Happy Hour, I ordered the Long Island iced tea, which was a $ 1 off and my friend ordered a Strawberry Mojito. To pair with our drinks, we enjoyed some tortilla chips w/​salsa and queso dip and it sure comes with A LOT of queso, yummmm. I recommend their TERIYAKI GARLIC WINGS, good amount of sauce and not dry at all. Both apps were $ 1 off for happy hour. All of these together came out to about $ 30…not bad. Good for two people, for sure.
Wouldn’t say I would come out especially for this place, but it’s convenient if you’re looking for drinks by the beach.
A note to dog owners: this place is dog friendly and I even noticed something on the menu that you can order for your furry friend :)

This place really is more of a 3 star spot but I went to school up the street and I guess the extra star is for the nostalgia factor. Every time I’ve come here over the years there is always someone that either my fiancé or I know (we went to the same school).
They have a pool table which is great, dogs are welcome and drinks are cheap. The bloody mary is delish.
Never been during the day time but I bet it’s nice for a Sunday funday or a drink before/​after the beach.
Regardless there are very few bars in La Jolla which pretty much makes every single one of them way more exceptional than they really are. If you live nearby check it out!

Awesome local dive bar. Their soup is amazing. Prices are fair, and the beer is always cold.
It’s a pretty awesome set up and the atmosphere is sweet. i suggest sitting outside on the porch. The service is ok. It was a little crowded when were there midday on a weekend. The carne asada fries are sub par which was my only real complaint. No guac, no sour cream. Ehh, i’ve definitely had better elsewhere. Everything else was good though and if your local this place is definitely work checking out. I hear it gets pretty crazy at nights.

Took a quick pit stop here before heading to dinner.
This place is interesting the décor is unique and very shack like.
Our server was great, we only orders a couple of drinks, he was fast and the drinks were cheap.
I’d stop by here to grab a drink after the beach but wouldn’t go out of my way to make it here

I’m not particularly keen on this place, it’s definitely a dive bar and I don’t frequent dive bars to often. I’ve never gotten the best service here, not that I’m expecting 5 star dining but at least an acknowledgment within 5 minutes.
Yeh it’s in the La Jolla/​PB area but it’s quite dirty inside. People seem to love it though, I have a friend that loves coming here so I’ve been with him a few times. The drinks are okay, a bit more expensive for a dive and definitely more than what you’d get at PB pub or the Silver Fox that are 2 other dives close by.
We did get some food a few weeks back, I enjoyed the pretzel that I got, it tasted good, very buttery and it came with a cheese dip. My friend got the nachos which were a decent size and they were $ 13.95, easily shareable between 4 – 6 people.
I’ll come back if my friends are going here but it wouldn’t be my pick.

Having lived in La Jolla and then North County most of my life I never ventured much to the part of town where this place is. Frankly there isn’t much to do there. But being hungry and wanting a drink recently I let Unilocal help find a place closest to where we were and Shack Bar & Grill was it.
It was surprisingly empty on a weekday at prime lunch hour. That can sound like a good thing, but it raises the question where the customers were. We scored a nice table outdoors near the fire pit. Although the «view» is a busy boulevard, the ambience is actually pretty low key.
The first thing I saw in other reviews was about cheap drinks. Maybe cheap compared to The Ritz in midtown Manhattan but our 4 drinks were $ 32 … more than our lunch. While that’s not outrageous and I certainly have paid much more, let’s be real — those were not cheap drinks.
On that subject of their prices, the one thing that would cause me to write this place off as 0-​stars is the comment left by Nikki L. (the owner) to a La Jolla local’s customer review. It was so rude and snotty that it sounds like one of those reality shows about the world’s worst business owners. Then I read some of her other responses to customer reviews. She may really want to reconsider if she is in the right business for her temperament. I was struggling with even posting a review about this place for fear of getting my head bit off by her.
So, other than expensive drinks, how was the food? Well, I had the Mahi tacos. All things considered they were pretty good, though they had little resemblance to the website photos. I would not rank them as the best I’ve had but I would recommend trying them, especially if fish tacos are something new to you. At less than $ 7 for two they are ridiculously cheap considering the touristy area, so they did help bring my final rating up.
We had none of the bad attitude so many other reviewers experienced. No fights, no one being thrown out, no drugs (that we saw). Our server, Melissa, was in fact quite pleasant.
Final note: if you are visiting the area for the first time you should be aware that business’ in this area have a flair for romanticizing the mundane. «Steps away from the beach» is slight exaggerated and frankly Windansea isn’t the kind of touristy paradise with miles of pristine white sand you might imagine. Not that it isn’t a great beach (to me every beach is a great beach). If you go, expect that your actual view will be of a busy boulevard, a liquor store and a 7-​Eleven.
Remember, at Unilocal 3-​stars does not mean bad or even average … it means A-​OK.

If we had better service, this would be a 4 star review. We ate dinner at The Shack on a Sunday evening. The entire patio (which is great) was full, save one table. So, that’s where sat. The table was pretty dirty with ash from three ashtrays and some food from the previous diners. The table was dirty to the point it smelled smoky. It took awhile for the table to be cleaned, and the server remarked she had been trying to get to it for 2 hours. Based on the smell from before it was clean, I don’t doubt it.
After the table was cleaned, it took some time to get our drink order and starter out. We decided to go with the «queso» and salsa. First, the bad: the queso is not queso in a traditional sense. It’s pretty much liquid nacho cheese in a bowl, not a cheese sauce made with peppers and onions. So, buyer beware. But, the salsa was fantastic. It was among the best I can remember having, it had the consistency of pico but also was a little liquidy like more traditional salsas. Great ratio of ingredients, just a fantastic salsa. We devoured it.
To eat, I ordered the spicy blackened chicken sandwich. What I received was the BBQ chicken sandwich. I was pretty hungry and since service had been dicey, I decided to just go ahead and eat the BBQ sandwich; I didn’t want to wait for another one to be made. The chicken breast is large and grilled well. The sauce was too sweet, could have used more heat. But, there was WAY too much of it. The sandwich was messy and drippy to the point of absurdity. I had to resort to a knife and fork very early in the meal.
The sandwich comes with a side, and I chose tater tots. These were great, and you get a lot. Easily enough to share, they took up half the large plate. Crispy and seasoned well, these were fantastic.
The Shack has a decent craft beer selection; I’ve been a couple of nights with friends to have a beer or 2. The joint is comfortable, particularly the patio, but I just haven’t had great luck with service. I’ll probably return, hopefully I can try the blackened chicken sandwich…