Barry’s Beach Shack

Disclaimer: I USED to LOVE this place!!! The new owners killed it, let me explain:
So I had been frequenting your establishment for about 6 – 8 months now and LOVED IT! The food was great, the servers were amazing (Chelsea, Krystle), and the Barry’s Palmer was delicious. I got off of work early for the 4^th of July holiday craving the Palmer in a pitcher only to be told that it was no more! The new owners put a kibosh on it, the menu is boring and all of the good servers were FIRED!!! My best friend and I literally almost shed a tear. The saddest part was watching huge party’s walking in expecting the best happy hour in LB. Only to be told the same thing that I was informed of, watching them all leave, the new servers looking none too pleased. Please come back to Long Beach! I really am craving the tuna melt and a Barry Palmer!

It’s under new ownership. No more Happy Hour. Menu is a severely condensed version of the previous, serving only a few appetizers, burgers, tacos, and salads.
Wow, I think I hate this place now… if it weren’t for them still airing the PPV events with no cover charge. This place is going downhill.

I wanted to like this place, I really did. It’s right by my house, they have good specials, and it seems like the owner really is trying. Went in on a Thursday night at about 8:30 and the place was pretty slow, with only about 4 other tables being occuplied.
It took about 5 – 10 minutes before a waitress came our way… not a good start. We ordered some drinks and our food and about 15 minutes later everyone’s food arrives but mine. Her explanation? Their food came up first and yours will be out in a few. OK, no problem.
10 – 15 minutes later my food arrives. I’m not stupid (highly debatable); someone dropped the ball and forgot to get my order in. Not that big of a deal, but give me something… an apology would have worked beautifully, but I never received one.
My pulled pork was good but dry, nothing a little sauce wouldn’t have fixed, but the waitress never came back to see if I needed anything else. My friends said the burgers were good, and the fries were tasty. Overall a subpar experience, mostly attributed to the service. I might try this place again and give it another shot, and I hope they prove me wrong.

Hey, what’s not to like… I mean honestly… strollers hanging out while the parents are chillin with a cold brew! I think the stroller count was up to 6 from what I can remember.
I can complain about the service or the lack thereof, but I was distracted by the cheesy 80’s Crockett and Tubbs Miami-​esque beach and island mish mash of a scene or should I say décor.
My cocktail of choice hit the spot (hehe-‘cock’tail). Thank goodness for ½ of all drinks during their happy hour every day of the week between 4−8PM. Definitely looks like this bar is a local hangout for current CSULB students, some alums and a handful of locals.
I’m still stuck on the stroller thing… it’s like being that dog owner looking for a pet friendly resto and wham! THE SHACK — is the answer totally baby and stroller friendly. Typical burger joint, but fun loud like you’re at a concert atmosphere. Seems like in this place less is more. Hmmm. (for you boys… hint hint– that’s eye candy). Not bad at all.

If you’re under 30, I recommend the happy hour specials, the wings and fries. We had a good view of the Laker game in HD. No complaints there.
If you’re over 30, I don’t recommend the clientele. Immature crowd, aggressive partiers and lots of smokers walking in and out. Men use the women’s bathroom, too.

Their arnold palmers are too dye for!!! I can’t complain since they are $ 5 during happy hour. They also have fights there and they only charge a $ 5 cover. This is a medium range sports bar (not a dive). For what it is… this place is good.
You can even go next door and get a hot dog and eat it in. They are the same owner. They have delicious veggie dogs!!! Eat them… put them in your mouth!!!
Down side (which is why it is only 4 star)…the fries are like $ 7. You have to get food to get the happy hour price so they get you on that but the drinks are cheap and strong and at the end of the day… you won’t remember how much you spent.

I find it hard to give a sports bar that has a ½ of drinks happy hour special from 4 – 8 any lower than a 4 star review. $ 2.50 for a bottle of blue moon? Hell yeah I’m in.
We went here for Game 2 of the Lakers playoffs vs the Suns. We got there nice and early to settle in and get good seats. I didn’t really have to get there that early. There were so many TVs and any seat you sat in would’ve had a great view of the TV. Unless of course there was a 300 lb guy in front of you. I didn’t have that problem, and I don’t believe there was a 300 lb man sighting… so it was all good.
The burgers were good. $ 8.50 for «The Mess» which was a half lb burger with cheese and grilled onions and mushrooms. It also comes with of your choice. I naturally chose a side of fries.
Now, you have to be warned, they only have steak fries here. I know a lot of people dislike this, but I personally like them. The sweet potato fries are crap. Do not get that.
Then there was the daily special. I went on a Wednesday which consists of 25 cent wings. Good deal, I thought. But ehhhh… wings were dry and I mentioned to my buddies that they had a texture very similar to beef jerky.
Anyway. to sum it up:
+++Great view of the TVs, as a sports bar should be!
+Burgers were good, they run about $ 8-​$ 10.
+Service was good. It was really busy but they did a decent job.
–Sweet potato fries. Ehh.
Definitely a place I will be returning to for future Laker games.

Wow. I haven’t been to 2^nd Street in ages. Not since my 20’s.
Surprisingly, not much has changed. A long line of eateries and watering holes to choose from. Barry’s is one of the many to choose from.
The décor looks like a surfer’s nightmare garage sale or a mutations of Islands restaurant. The air brushed bikini babes added that extra touch.
I didn’t have any food, but the menu looked standard fare with the added descriptives to spruce up regular bar food items. What really stuck out was the drink special they seem to offer. Half off every day from 4 — 8 pm. Lots of interesting drink varieties, like a mojito or Barry Palmer. It would be nice if they put some alcohol in their drinks ~ or at least give me a box, so I can call my drink a juice box.
The bar seems tailor made for drinking heavily and getting loud. It wasn’t crowded when I came but I can see it would fill up easily. I’d venture to say this spot is for the CSULB students looking for some cheap eats and drinks, or it could be filled with the locals.

I can’t believe it took me this long to write a review for barry’s, but i honestly thought i already had.
I love barry’s i have been coming here almost every single Wednesday since they open. The staff is great, Crystal is a super awesome server, She already knows what we want to order. Abraham, the bartender, is never shy to introduce himself to customers and offer to help or answer any questions. the owner BARRY, is usually there talking to customers and helping the staff. It’s a great place to watch a game, and its has the best drink prices in all of 2^nd st.
Updates:
Wings are WAY bigger and more SAUCY now than when they first open.
I tried the sweet potato fries for the first time the other day and they we’re amazing. You get a huge serving and you can share them with friends.

As much as I am open to new places and experiences I sometimes resist change. Unfortunately, Barry’s was on that list for me for a while. Why? Well, we popped in the first week it opened and, frankly, it was lame. It lacked any sort of energy, they had no beer on tap (which I prefer) and there were many other options we had to spend our money and time.
Fast forward many many months and it’s a different experience. For one, I ended up going during the day which seems to be the preferred option for my friends. ;) But also they have had some time to work out the kinks and to let people discover them. There is a reason I didn’t write a review after my first visit! ;)
What I like about Barry’s is that they are accommodating. You go to other bars at Belmont Shore where they dictate which games you watch and whether you get the sound from the game or just music. This place asked us immediately which TV we wanted to watch and what game. They put the sound on as well. I like the people working at Barry’s– very cool, nice, appreciating our business. They have happy each and every day in the evening. Bonus! The food is good, too. I heard it was just average but I think it is a couple notches above that.
They do have a whopping two beers on tap and a decent selection of beer. I get their audience so this place will never have crazy micro brews but more along the lines of PBR and Coors. That works… they also have mixed drinks, too.
If you haven’t been then I’d recommend popping in. Sometimes one experience doesn’t tell you the whole story!

Yawn.
…
…
…
Yawn Again.
Only PBR and fat tire on draft? I mean, those are 2 good picks… but not too much selection going on. And after seeing the notice they are hiding next door at the dog house about the health dept. issues at barry’s, I’m a little scared of their kitchen. (HOWEVER, the owner did contact me about t his, and explain that the violations had to do with things like beer boxes being on the floor instead of on racks, so that’s that)
It was DEAD in here.
Yawn.
Waitress was nice. It felt dirty inside.

Decent wings, great beer prices. Diggin the draft Fat Tire for $ 2.50!
–Atmosphere was fun, laid back and wasn’t full of frat boys or yuppies
–Interior is predictable but that’s what makes me like it
–Food was good, but I’ll admit you can’t really screw up a veggie plate
–Wings were only $.25 after 7pm
–PBR draft (gross) is $ 1.50 during Happy Hour
–Happy Hour 4−8pm EVERYDAY!
–The waitress was nice and attentive
–The TV’s were conveniently placed for game watching! ++
I will definitely be back for the cheap beer and tasty bar treats!

Barry’s Beach Shack is the latest craze on the Belmont Shore Strip. For those of us who loath the bro-​bars in Belmont Shore, Barry’s is a much better eatery in contrast to such establishments as Legends, Belmont Station and Shannons. They offer excellent food/​booze happy hour prices and a killer set list to enjoy — without the abundance of douche all around. They even have flat screen T.V.s for those of you who want to catch a game.
Barry’s Beach Shack is not located ON a beach, per se, but it does border the Peninsula. Close enough.
You’re not running into Gidget or «doing with bird» with Franky and Annette here. But you will be imbibing with fellow cohorts who happen to love and appreciate good cheap eats.
The décor is predictable; lots of neon, mural paintings, beer signs, booths, tables and indoor dried palm fronds surrounding the bar area. They really do a great job in creating an eatery that is comfortable and unpretentious. It is what it is… a shack with a little bit of style.
My first Barry experience wasn’t all that impressive. I don’t blame the restaurant at all — I mean, who orders a Tuna Melt at a beach shack? Oh, I know… someone who is trying to watch their diet. But it wasn’t like this tuna melt was exactly the healthiest choice; lots of mayo, buttery bread and God know what else is in there. The side salad didn’t help either.
This time around, I had one purpose; 25 cent buffalo wings and ½ tropical drinks! Hell yeah! Screw you, healthy!
If you are a chicken wing lover, you seriously can’t pass up the Wednesday Happy Hour special, which lasts until closing time. Indulge in all the chicken wings you want — they’re a quarter each! And if you ask your waitress for «extra crispy» they taste EVEN BETTER!
They also have $ 1.50 PBR — which means absolutely nothing to me because i do not drink that piss water. But they also have some STIFF specialty cocktails available.
The menu has the usual burgers and fries and anything you can wash down with beer. The prices are reasonable — but the happy hour prices surpass any other HH in town.

Another $.25 wing and $ 1.50 PBR night at Barry’s. And wouldn’t ya know it — they installed some heaters on the patio. I feel like one of those Windows 7 commercials: «Heaters on the patio at Barry’s — it was my idea.» Okay, fine, maybe it wasn’t my idea. But, the owner did message me to let me know they’d be putting some heaters in, and bam! There they are.
That’s the main thing that’s so rad about Barry’s — the owner is all about it. You can tell he loves his business and always seems to be tweaking menu items and such to reach perfection. Plus, he’s super friendly and came up and introduced himself when he recognized us as Unilocalers (although, I saw him introducing himself to others too, so he wasn’t being one of those guys).
I had a great time there this time, service was great, and of course the food and drinks were cheap. The $.25 wings are pretty yummy, and taste quite fresh too, the $ 1.50 PBR is, well, it’s $ 1.50 PBR. I didn’t get a burger this time, but it took all the willpower I had not to tear into the swiss mushroom burger across from me — oh yes, that will be mine next time.

For the challenges and stresses that my group requires, Barry’s Beach Shack rises to the challenge.
The new official home of the Big Kahuna WAKA Kickball division, Barry’s has been ‘blessed’ with the presence of 30+ ‘borderline alcoholics’ for 2 Saturdays in a row now. Each week, I’ve been impressed with the quality of food, the quality of service, and the accommodations provided to a group of our size, including separate tabs and waitress service.
I’ve now had the potato chips (which appear to be homemade), wings, pork sliders, and grilled cheese. My favorite is probably the pork sliders, which is handy considering they give us a group deal on that particular item, but all are tasty and satiating. The portions I’ve seen on other dishes border redonkulous. The specialty drinks I’ve had thus far were also good. Drinks at half price during their 7 days a week extended happy hour (4 – 8) makes everything better too.
I’d recommend this place to any group looking for good food and good times. For comparison, I cannot say the same of our kickball division’s former official bar. A special thanks to KJ for taking care of me the past couple weeks.
ROTD Edit: A special thanks to Nadine for taking care of us the now past few weeks. And for genuinely being awesome.

Along with the Irish pub, the beach hut/​shack seems to be a popular bar theme in Southern California. I wish there were more actual cheap beach-​front bars, but I guess dozens of facsimiles will have to do.
Barry’s Beach Shack pretty much sticks to the formula: dried palm-​frond umbrellas (even indoors), tin Corona buckets holding condiments and napkins, plastic chairs, and rally flags strewn across the ceiling. I wouldn’t necessarily come here for the ambiance, but when you have half-​off drinks happy hour 7 days a week from 4 – 8 pm, well, that’s a pretty good draw right there. Add to that 25-​cent wing Wednesdays (and $ 1.50 pints of PBR), and you have a formula for success.
… well success in the sense that at the end of the night, the 5 of us looked at the bill and were pleasantly surprised at how cheap the damage was, for being relatively satiated. Not really success in the «holy eff, that was I-​need-​a-​damn-​cigarette-​after-​sex good» because it was really just okay. The wings were decent, but not otherworldly, and a friend remarked that the so-​called Best Damn Tuna Melt In the Entire World was the best damn disappointment of the night. She should’ve known better though; I mean, who orders tuna melt at a beach shack? So, Barry’s Beach Shack is more like a C+, which qualifies it as a success, because C’s still a passing grade, right?

Excellent food, great prices, relaxed atmosphere, but the service could use a little help. I’m not going to go as far as «bad service,» but i so wish it would get better and i could give them 5 stars!
The food is «bar food,» but its the best damn bar food i’ve ever had! We got the fried jalepenos, sweet potato fries, zuccini sticks and one of each flavor of the baby burgers. we also got a LOT of half price drinks.
The burgers were to die for! Specifically the mexican burger and the italian burger. The one thing that Barry’s does to make their food special is the sauces! For every appetizer you buy, you get to pick two sauces/​dips. Every dip was so delicious and really made the meal.
We went on the day of the belmost shores xmas parade, so it was crowded, but the service was just soo slow! We waited for about 15 minutes after we had sucked down the last drops of our drinks. We would have probably had twice as high of a tab at the end of the night had the waitress come back more often. Although they were slow, they were definitly really friendly and even took shots with us towards the end of the night.
Overall, it was a fun experience and i would love to go back and get those baby burgers and the half price drinks!
oh.. .. and the sauces!

Well it seems to be the week for new suggestions from my brother for places to grub. Mind you most of the time his choices blow just as bad as I do after 10 margaritas!
I walked in to get a «to go order» and one of the female servers directed me to the bar; that’s where you place your to go orders and very clever too.
I was greeted by this football player bod type of guy who’s name escapes me (boy am I losing it these days when I forget a [guys] name) who heard me out as to what I wanted to grub on for a lunchtime snack-​a-​roosky.
After much ado I opted for their Cobb Burger (love Cobb Salads) packed with a juicy Beef Patty, Lettuce, Tomato, Bleu Cheese on Sourdough Bread with Onion Rings (HDL-1,000, LDL-​0). Since their burgers are made to order (it took about 15 minutes) at which time he and I were exchanging bar talk, different shots etc.
BTW, He shared with me he just turned 21 and was digging his job; I in turn told him I was old enough to be his dad; one of the girls whispered «no ‘effin way!» «My dad doesn’t look [that] good!» I got her name so I could put her in my last will and testament!
Guess what Hazel Q.-I enquired about theirs beers figuring I’m not much on drinking in the non-​vampire hours. I told him how I served up my Blue Moon Beer with an Orange; he added a bonus he said «have you ever had it with a TBSP of orange juice then the beer, in a glass!» I gave him the look of no just do it. Like a scene from the Honeymooners-​BANG ZOOM ALICE! I will never drink Blue Moon any other way!
I got my grub home and I must say that burger was tasty, filling, and delish! Their onion rings are sort of an orange color, aren’t greasy and full of taste bud titalation.
This place does remind me of The Tiki Room at Disneyland but, that’s the ambiance of this place and it’s a sports bar; there is no need for my Carson Kreesly attitude here, I liked it!
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Just a final note: They have a full bar, lots more specials than stated; they are open 9 AM-​12 midnight week-​ends & 11 AM-​12 midnight week-​days. Also they have buttloads of specials on everything and I would be happy to list them here but, they are to lengthly to list in my review.
Guess you’ll just have to go and check them out!

OK, the place is kind of a dump, the college football was way frickin’ loud, and the flies buzzing around in there are huge, fat, and lazy. But damn! For bar food, it was delicious. I had a grilled cheese, completely crusted on the outside with Parmesan (albeit the powdered shit from a can) and full of gooey goodness. Very nice sweet potato fries as well, and a whole array of dips, superb for a condiment whore like me. The Buffalo sauce was excellent! My SO had a burger with bacon, cheese, and a runny egg on it, served on an English muffin — he loved it. He said the potato chips were obviously homemade and wonderful!
The drink menu looked good too, and they were having $ 15 bottomless Mimosas and Bloodies. Very cool! We’d totally go back, despite a preponderance of bratty, screaming kids (a little weird for a bar, even at lunchtime).

Barry’s has been bumped to 3.50. Jonathan and I popped in to check out happy hour after a long bike ride and I have to say that we had a good time. The restaurant no long resembled a ghost town, it was packed! Our waitress (I think her name is Stephanie) was really sweet!!! Drinks are two for the price of one so for an absolute soda with a splash of cranberry it was only $ 2.25! Can’t beat that! We shared mini burgers (two Mexican one American) and a basket of fried jalapeño rings! YUMMY! I’ve never had friend jalapeño rings (or even heard of them!) What a FANTASTIC idea! They were delicious!!! The Mexican burger was SPICY! Big jalapenos that were loaded with seeds! (Seeds=HEAT!) For me this is a good thing! I love hot and spicy food!
Service: Great, friendly, quick
Ambiance: Fun
Food: Wishing I had a basket of jalapeño rings in front of me right now!
Downside: No food only happy hour– only drinks. But the low prices of drinks I suppose make up for that (a little.)