The Shack

I have nothing but great things to say about The Shack—it’s truly a neighborhood gem. 1. The food is incredible—hands down the best burger in town. I grew up in the area and my family has been coming here for 20+ years, and it’s never disappointed. 2. Karaoke on Fridays is always such a blast and one of my favorite ways to spend a night out. Recently, I decided to host a 30th birthday party here, and it was honestly the best decision I could have made. Joey and April were amazing to work with—so helpful and accommodating from start to finish. We already knew the food and drinks would be top-notch, but the staff went above and beyond and truly exceeded our expectations. We had a live band inside, April customized their digital signage with the birthday boys’ photos, and we were even able to decorate early. The team was super flexible—they let us in before opening to set up, but during business hours we made sure to step aside so the restaurant could continue to run smoothly. After the band wrapped up, they helped us seamlessly transition into karaoke, which made the night even more fun. The whole experience felt personalized, well-coordinated, and full of energy. On top of everything, it was surprisingly affordable for such a great venue right by the beach. I may be biased, but this was one of the best parties we’ve been to in a long time, and The Shack played a huge part in making it so special.

Super dog friendly place - they even cut the Pattie for the dogs without asking! Yummy gourmet burger thats well done …mmmm…mmmm good. Great find, will be back.

Stopped in for a late lunch after visiting the beach. We’ve been coming here occasionally for many years now. The decor and ambiance have not changed. The food is reliably good. Our vegetarian guest was delighted to see the Garden Burger on the menu. As we were all enjoying our meal, the cashier came by with some complimentary French fries, which did not go to waste!!

A local gem. There's a reason this place survived covid, food is across the board a 10/10 as long as you know you want burgers. Drinks aren't insanely priced either. The culture of this place is extremely local based and will make you feel at home. Park near the beach, walk over to the shack, order to go, and eat on the beach. Perfect spot for a family lunch, date, or simple drop by to pick up a meal.

Just go in! Don’t worry about what this place looks like from the front outside- it is called “The Shack” for a reason. Love the out patios; the one up in front (pocket-sizes patio), and especially the larger one in the back. Dog friendly patio. Good service (bar service and food counter service). Delicious Bloody Mary. I like the low key vibe.

Treasure gem of a spot to get a good burger. The Playa Burger is a favorite that comes with bacon and avocado. Burgers come with fries for about $12. Salads are delicious, I like the BBQ chicken and their Cobb Salad. 2024 Edit ** Recently I’ve been coming for their fries, they make hot fresh fries that are thin, salty and perfectly crispy. Truly the best fries in town. You can smoke while you drink so long as you smoke on the patio. Eating is allowed there too so if you’re a smoker, this place is very comfortable to be at. Employees have been there for a long time and are super nice, adding to the perfectly beachy local feel. Relaxed and casual vibes. Full bar. Credit cards accepted. Park along the streets.

Absolutely loved my first visit here from the reviews. I had to come check it out looking been for a new burger place that was local and something I haven't tried yet. Was not disappointed at all the atmosphere was great welcoming the staff was wonderful will definitely come back and try more menu items. My burger and fries were delicious thank you for a great first visit!

Fist time here.. loved the burgers and of course had to try the funnel cake fries 😋with icing to dip. So good. Also had the zucchini fries, very good. From the outside, you prob won’t give it a second look. But worth the stop. Parking is challenging, but what’s new in Cali 😎

I have nothing but great things to say about The Shack--it's truly a neighborhood gem. 1. 2. The food is incredible--hands down the best burger in town. I grew up in the area and my family has been coming here for 20+ years, and it's never disappointed. Karaoke on Fridays is always such a blast and one of my favorite ways to spend a night out. 3. This is where you host your next event! Recently, I decided to host a 30th birthday party here, and it was honestly the best decision I could have made. Joey and April were amazing to work with--so helpful and accommodating from start to finish. We already knew the food and drinks would be top-notch, but the staff went above and beyond and truly exceeded our expectations. We had a live band inside, April customized their digital signage with the birthday boys' names, and we were even able to decorate early. The team was super flexible--they let us in before opening to set up, but during business hours we made sure to step aside so the restaurant could continue to run smoothly. After the band wrapped up, they helped us seamlessly transition into karaoke, which made the night even more fun. The whole experience felt personalized, well-coordinated, and full of energy. On top of everything, it was surprisingly affordable for such a great venue right by the beach. I may be biased, but this was one of the best parties we've been to in a long time, and The Shack played a huge part in making it so special.

UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is my 2nd time here. The first time I came was in 2023 during 4th of July so the wait for the food was long but understandable because it is a large crowd! But on a regular Saturday should not be 45 min . On a positive; the cheese burger and chili fries are delicious !!!$!$$

Absolutely appalling experience. I wouldn't recommend The Shack to ANYONE--certainly not anyone planning a special event. I reached out about months ago to host a "beer, burgers, and babies"-themed baby shower on their back patio for 50 guests. After weeks of silence, I finally got a confirmation via text from April, their events contact. She said we were locked in for June 28. When I needed to push the date back two weeks due to a family emergency, I called and emailed repeatedly. No response. A random staff member finally told me the new date was fine--so I sent out 50+ invitations. Then, just 10 DAYS before the shower, April calls my husband (not me) and suddenly demands a $1,000 reservation fee. Not a deposit, not applied to a minimum--just an arbitrary, last-minute shake-down. I had already told her I was spending over $3,000 on food and drinks. Then she casually adds: we'd have to move the time earlier because "it's summer," can't play music, and everyone would have to order food individually at the bar. For FIFTY guests. So what exactly is my "reservation fee" going towards? I never got an answer... I texted her immediately to clarify. She ignored me. I had to call her to try to get a straight answer. Then, today, without warning, I get a cold, impersonal message: "We are no longer holding the patio space." No phone call. No apology. No accountability. I followed up, asking for the name and email of her manager or the owner. No response (of course) I'm 7 months pregnant, traveling for work, with a hospitalized parent--and April left me scrambling to replan a 50-person event because she couldn't communicate like a professional. And let's be honest: The Shack isn't nearly popular or good enough to act this entitled. The food is just ok, the service is worse, and the people running it couldn't care less about your experience. Fortunately, I've already found a better venue--nicer team, better food, more accommodating. The Shack lost my business forever--and if you value respect, reliability, or basic decency, I strongly suggest you go literally anywhere else.

The shack is an all time favorite. I've been visiting for the past 20+ years. The Cheers of playa del rey! Where everybody knows your name, and they are damn sure glad you came. And we are definitely glad to be there. The atmosphere the family life the friends you make its a great place to visit. The food is good. The drinks are Awesome, the Bartenders, the owners the cooks the preparers the people. You got to love them all. On a scale of 1 to 10. They are are all 0nes. #1 a 10 on the rector scale and 100 awesome. We have loved and lost some great people, but truly never forgotten. Thank you Shack for some of the best years.

I loved the Pineapple burger. It had the perfect amount of Teriyaki sauce. Also a juicy pineapple on top.It tasted sooo good!! Loved this place I have a feeling I'm going to become a regular here!!

Ordered via phone and went over. Immediately was told "we are closed." Well we ordered over the phone so wtf. So snobby. The kitchen hours states it goes to 9 and they say they close at 8:45pm. Get it together.

Simple dive bar with a medium sized patio. Close to beach and some other bars and restaurants. Kind of a cool theme near the beach but could be executed a bit more. Service was quick. I did not try any food but some of it sounded good like the Hawaiian food night!

It is a beach "hole in the wall" restaurant exactly what it is. If you know what to order, it is good. Once upon a time they are burgers were amazing but with the surge of other burger places like HiHo, Stout, etc, their burgers are just average for the price. The real prizes are the sides and grilled hot dogs. They make great potato skins. Beers on tap a little disappointing (too domestic but it is personal preference). Service is usually friendly, they are all local and know most people who come here. It is good now but the prices go any higher, I don't think it will be worth going here.

Great burgers although one of the workers spat on my hand when explaining the menu that's why I rate it a 4. It had an umbrellas outside the store but the floors inside were kinda sticky and the paper towels in the bathroom didn't work but the ambience was decent.

The shack is one of my favorite bars over in Playa Del Rey. We have been here a handful of times and it's always the best time. Always have the best games going on the TVs and great selection of drinks. Super friendly staff and people who are at the bar. The outside is dog friendly, which is also a huge plus. It's a weekly occurrence.

Because its the Shack. We love it And we love Joey, We have attended so many gatherings over the years, Always a fun time.

I love the shack. Been coming here since I was like 17. Shoutout to the fake id that said I was 6'4 when I was maybe 5'10. The Shack Burger is a staple to absorb some of the drunken mistakes you might have made at the other bars prior to. I always allude to the shack as a beach bar with food reminiscent of a backyard barbecue with your relatives. It's not a destination that you necessarily seek out, but an oasis that you stumble into thinking you're just going to have one, but end up having several. Even now as I approach 28, I still love the shack.

Came here to watch Sunday football and it was a lot busier than we had expected for a local dive bar. Inside is not big so it filled up fast but love that they had the outdoor area. However the outside only had one tv with a speaker that couldn't be heard over people when they were talking outside. The drinks are relatively reasonably priced. Felt bad as there were some annoying drunk men that were really getting on the bartenders nerves so wasn't the best atmosphere but feel like you can find that at most dive bars, just seemed they had low tolerance for drunk people haha! Overall a cute joint and would recommend visiting if you're a local as they're talking about closing due to the increase of rent which is sad as the shack has been around for over 50 years and shouldn't be shut down as it's part of playas history. The food was alright, nothing impressive but priced aren't bad and paired well with the many beers. We got the small chili cheese fries which were decent and more generous than the small basket of onion rings which we ate quick!

I smelled the food from afar. The staff is so friendly and kind. The food is AMAZING! Shack burger is delicious and I completely devoured. I will be definitely back.

Great spot walking distance from the beach for laid back burgers, hot dogs and salads at a decent price! Large covered back patio that's airy, open and fun. Indoors can be a bit dark. Front has an indoor patio with high stools as well. Restrooms available. You come in, order, they take your name and your name will be called once your order is ready. Chili cheese hot dog and burgers are delicious. Fries are yum as well. Salads are nothing fancy, very simple. Great spot.

Horrible service... everyone who works at the Shack is terribly rude.. the food is NOT worth putting up with the waiters and bartenders attitude. Save your money and go elsewhere

After a round of golf, we were looking for a bite to eat. One of our buddies suggested "The Shack". I'd remembered passing by this spot years ago, but had never stopped in. Upon arriving, finding parking was a nightmare lol, but that comes with the territory, literally...by the beach is always a headache. When you enter, the atmosphere gives off very "local" very "dive bar" vibes. You order at the register and then go find a seat either inside near the low-lit bar/inside seating area or outside at the more welcoming tarp/windsail covered seating area. Once your food is ready you're called over a loudspeaker and you go to the bar/register area to retrieve your food. Since we were all hungry, I figured at best I'd be full/less hungry when I left. Unfortunately, not exactly how it played out. I left feeling...hmmm, indifferent, disappointingly full and my buddies felt the same. - Garden Burger (2 out of 5) - bland and underwhelming - Shoestring Fries (3 out of 5) - typical taste, but overly greasy and salty - Coke (5 out of 5) - it's Coke lol Overall: I give it 3 starts, which could have been 2, if not for the friendly staff. Would I come back for a redemption trip, possibly.

BEST HOT WINGS!! Ask for double dipped and be sure to specify to add sauce as well. Great place for a light beer, football, and a down-to-earth local old school beach bar vibe. Afterwords walk down to the beach and watch the sunset and the planes take off from LAX.

Great burgers. Very casual and good service. Street parking so can be hard to find parking during busy times with beach crowd.

One of the best cheese burgers on the west side, I put it up against all the pretentious restaurants around here. If you haven't stopped by the shack you're really missing out on an authentic experience.

This place is cool as heck. It's a laid back bar with diverse clientele and a great place to grab a beer, a burger and fries, and hang outside to watch a game/be in public with your pup. They have veggie burgers, which makes me happy, the fries are exactly what you would expect, and the beer selection is fine--not awe inspiring, but not too shabby either. Haven't ever had a mixed drink here. I assume it's the kind of place where you're best served ordered a Jack & Coke and not a craft cocktail, but what do I know. If you're looking to go somewhere and be catered to, this ain't the spot for you. Service is relatively non-committal--people are friendly enough, but they're not there to cater to your every whim. It's a sports bar with a kitchen, okay? Come expecting that vibe, eat your burger and sip your beer(s), and you'll be a very happy camper.

We came here as the second spot to our local pub crawl for my friends birthday. It was a large group of us, about 20-30 people, all above the age of 30. I say this to give you an idea of the maturity level of the group and how polite we were coming in. Most of us coming in had less than 2 drinks, so we were not intoxicated, or where we giving any reason to not feel welcomed. As soon as we walked in one of our friends excitedly said to the female bartender that it was our friends birthday, to which her response was "I don't give a fuck, I need to see your IDs!" Of course we were happy to give her all of our IDs, and my friend responded, "that's fine, I'll give you my ID" and then the woman behind the bar said, "Fuck off, go to Prince or Whales!" At this point we were all pretty perplexed, as we were not doing anything to warrant this bizarre and very aggressively rude behavior. My friend who's birthday it was said "Okay, you just lost 30 customers who would have tipped well" and she again said, "I don't give a fuck!" The people who were previously at the bar before we got there all looked confused, it was uncomfortable and made everyone feel really unsettled. Most of us are locals to the area and will no longer be going to this establishment as there are many others to chose from where we aren't treated with such disrespect and malice. I know the woman must not own this bar as no one who owns an establishment would want to lose so many costumers in one night. In my opinion, she wasn't only rude to us and the others in the bar who had to witness her behavior, but she was incredibly disrespectful to her employer who she robbed of so many costumers. I couldn't imagine hiring someone and trusting them to take care of my business and then having them do something like that. I hope the woman gets the break she needs to help her get her head on straight. Clearly, lack of money wasn't her issue.

Love The Shack! Been going there for years! Great food, cold drinks and great staff! Great for entire family! It's right near the beach, great after a bike ride. Stop and grab The Shack Burger and a cold beer!

Bar food, nothing fancy but decently satisfying. The fries are hot and salted, the blue cheese bacon burger was made to taste. Asked for the sauce to be on the side in case I didn't like it but it's a good one and made the flavors worth it. Came out fast and hit the spot for the afternoon. Good pours from the bar and plenty of TVs always playing. There's two outdoor seating areas; front for people watching and back where there's a lot more tables. Local place that seems to be one that will remember you if you frequent enough.

Definitely a dive bar. Small place, close to the beach. Good fried bar food, nice and crispy.

Bar service is great, and the staff is unbelievably friendly. Recently learned of this spot due to the passing of a friend and coworker of 12 years. The Shack hosted a gathering of his friends and family for us to come together and celebrate his life. The staff was there with us, making sure we had what we wanted or needed and kept the drinks flowing. It's a very nice classic surf bar with a nice outdoor patio with patio heating in the cooler months. A great place to stop for some drinks and food (they have a very nice menu, but unfortunately, I wasn't too sure what I'd be able to order due to my NCGS.

A group of us were starving after a @pasadenapubrun event at The Goodr Cabana. A friend was pretty insistent about us eating here so how could we couldn't deny him?! And we have no regrets. We ordered The Shack Burger, which came highly recommended from our friend. The Shack Burger is a 1/4 pound patty, with ketchup, mustard, pickle, onion, mayo, lettuce, tomato, topped with a Lousiana sausage link. No joke, it was quite the tasty. We nearly ordered a second burger to share so that we can taste it again. So good, we didn't even capture a good photo (Yelp fail). Along with the burger, we shared fried zucchini sticks. If it wasn't so early in the morning, we would have ordered a couple beers to stay hydrated. Beer selection looked pretty good. Dive bar feel. TVs playing the sports games. Plenty of seating. Good food. Decent service. There's no doubt we will be back for another Shack Burger soon.

This place is great!!! The food- tastes amazing, priced perfect, portions exactly the amount you'd want! The atmosphere is great... when 3 teens say it's great-we will make a point of coming back!!!

I can't say anything bad about this place... the service was great, food great and the ambiance fit the title of the restaurant. I had their guacamole burger with a veggie patty & fries and it was delicious!! To wash it all down I had mimosas that were equally delicious. Come here if you want to meet down to earth people and have good food!!

THE SHACKBURGER! THAT SAYS IT ALL... I used to live in PDR 40 some years ago, and I still jones for a shackburger.

This place is great! Reasonably priced. Great service (food came out in like five minutes). Nice people. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. It's more of a local watering can, hole in the wall type place, but it's an enjoyable time out. Food was better than your average bar food. Close to the beach. We walked to the beach from there. Good place to go after playing volleyball at the beach or hanging out at the beach for laid back atmosphere and food/drinks. I would go back.

I have never tried anything more delicious than a Louisiana hot link on top of a burger with American cheese. If you love burgers and fries you gotta come to this place it's a wonderful little place tucked in the back right near the water. I definitely recommend a shack burger

Let's start with how good my Burger was: amazing. I got the pineapple Burger every time I came and I was not disappointed at any time. I also got a side of fries and they were some of the best I could ask for. Everything was good perfectly and tasted great, no complaints whatsoever. The atmosphere when we came was calm, but thats during lunch and when they open so not too many people. But when some regulars show up, its gets loud with laughs and plenty of friendly customers that get to chat it up with the staff. All in all, I enjoyed my visits. Came here 3/4 days I was working in the area and all 3 times were exactly the same. Sadly this is not my home and I probably won't be back anytime soon, but for those in the area, you're lucky because I recommend this place .

Very cool place. According to Boris (a long time customer who I sat next to) it hasn't changed since he first ate there in 1977. The customers are fun and the bar tenders are awesome! I had the Shack Burger with cheese is amazing. I wasn't expecting it from the description but it was recommended to me by a local friend: Gary. It might be the best burger that I have ever had. Great place. Check it out if you are in town!

I stopped in here one day to grab a beer with my then girlfriend who is a professor at nearby Loyola Marymount after we had enjoyed some food right down the street from this place and was heading to the beach to enjoy a little sun. It smells and feels like a dive bar/good bar food type of place and even though we only had a couple beers before heading out I'll be sure to revisit this place again in the future. FYI- This whole area is great and has many great spots to eat, drink, shop or just walk around since it is right beside the beach. Enjoy!

They make an excellent burger. I had a single cheese burger & my husband got one with a link on it. We ordered onion rings & my husband added it to his burger. He was very happy with it. When we got there a baseball game was on. We sat on the back patio. It was pretty big. Didn't realize it waking in. When we left there was an open mic going on. Not sure if it was music or comedy because we saw both happening at 9pm. We would've stayed but we were tired from a long day at the beach. The food orders are separate from the bar.

My boyfriend has lived walking distance from here for 7 years so he wanted to do a local bar hop for his birthday at all our favorites in the neighborhood. Every bar was so lovely except this one. We started at the Grain, then came here as stop 2. The bartender saw us walk in and as we tried to order drinks, she was extremely rude right off the bat and said she didn't "give a shit about anyone's birthday" and to "go fucking drink somewhere else". We obliged, but wow, it was so uncalled for and really soured the night for about 20 mins. We were just shocked that after coming here so many times over the years, she was just such a jerk for no reason literally the second we walked in. Needless to say we won't ever be back. We went straight to Harbor Room which was a blast. Pete is a solid bartender, tied with Rocky at Prince o Wales. We love the neighborhood community vibes we feel hanging out there, so I'm really happy we could salvage the night after such a shocking experience at the Shack. Do yourself a favor and just go next door! Wish the owners would do something about this woman, it would be great to have this bar back on the list of cool local spots.

I was hoping that this would be one of those places that look unassuming but have the best burger of your life. I heard good things about the food so I ordered a double cheeseburger and fries. It wasn't bad but I wouldn't say it's worth coming for. This is a skip for me, better places close by.

Went on a Wednesday afternoon. Website said there are specials everyday. Fiesta Wednesday offered 2 Taco & chips for $ 6, and pitchers of Pabst for $9. Got there and asked about the Fiesta Wed. special and was told they don't do that anymore. So why is it still on the website? The woman who does that hasn't updated it. Asked about the PBR pitcher for $9. "We don't have PBR anymore, and Bud light is $11 for a pitcher. All other beers are $17 a pitcher." Dishonest advertising. Burger was average. Fries were good...very similar to McDonald's. No big deal. Not likely to return. Don't believe any Specials on the website. They don't have them anymore. Nice patio!

First time in all these years and we absolutely loved it. The Shack. We needed to eat somewhere close to the airport, not too expensive or fancy. I found this place online. It was just what we were looking for. A "dive bar," with a great atmosphere. We saw parents and kids enjoying their Saturday evening dinner. A group of friends catching up over beers. A group of regulars around the bar. Order your food in the kitchen and your drinks at the bar. I ordered the bacon-blue-cheese-burger with fries. My boyfriend ordered the turkey BLT. Funnily enough the "hero" of the evening was the "funnel fries" that came in a basket.... nearly funneled fries with powdered sugar on top and a tub of icing. I do not have sweet tooth, but I couldn't help myself. Good pub food, reasonably priced, friendly, a great smile from the barkeeper. What's not to like? We will definitely be back!

Food was good, service was okay and the ambiance was not too bad. Sometimes when I eat burgers it's too sloppy but this definitely wasn't. Very nice and well fitted.

Neighborhood dive bar with reasonably priced food & drinks. Some evenings they have karaoke & live musicians. The parking lot is now the outdoor seating area but there's a pay for parking lot across the street. 5/5 Shack Burger is a must try if you're visiting. It's always delicious and juicy. 5/5 Onion rings & fries

The best burgers for the price around. Actually, you would pay more for the same at most places and not get the same quality. The staff is fantastic. The ambience is what you expect for a beach burger bar nothing out of the ordinary, but quite cool.

Solid food and lackluster service. The lady who took our order either seemed sleepy orrrrer like she didn't want to be there. It was maybe a mix of both? Hahah I'm not sure. Anyways! We had 2 orders of chicken wings, 1 shack burger, 1 Ortega burger and 1 regular cheeseburger and a chili cheese fries. The chili cheese fries could have been way hotter and left more to be desired, the wings were piping hot (which is great)! They were cooked really well but the sauce tasted like BBQ Moses with hot sauce?.... not feeling that. The Ortega burger was the booooomb! No complaints about the other two burgers! This place is our go to when we're on this side of the beach. They pour stiffys here!

The shack is a nice place to come If you are in the area there used to be one in Santa Monica but no longer the prices are good and the people are friendly. Don't expect too much and you'll be pleasantly surprised one major draw is the huge tvscreen on the patio and it is dog friendly. The shack burger is solid and it comes with a hot link on top. Not very many beers on tap I think like four, but it is a good little place with clean restrooms.

Great, fun, dive bar type environment. They have a nice patio area and the staff is usually friendly. The burgers are pretty good and the prices are reasonable.

Go 5 times and the Shack can be your cheers. Wonderful people, great bar food, and the kind of karaoke where everyone sings along and joins in.

It's a pretty perfect beach shack--delicious juicy burgers perfectly seasoned and cooked on a brioche bun. I had to try the Shack burger because what?!? Sausage but next time I'm going for the Playa burger - Swiss avocado! Chili fries were good. Maybe needed more cheese or something to make it as decadent as the burgers.

We were just driving by and decided to stop. As soon. As we walked In Joey whom I believe is the owner as super friendly and welcoming. Food was delicious. I had the shack burger with cheese, we also oreder a grilled lemon peper chicken sandwich, an order of mild wings(which were huge) and a kids chicken strips. Everything was hot fresh and delicious. There is an outdoor seating area and inside is a bar.