Shwack Beach Grill

Good food, but horrible service. We placed our order and literally sat for a half hour and never got food. The cashier was super rude and non apologetic when we complained. Like the food but could do without the attitude.

Sorry again Unilocal.Maybe this Texas girl’s standards are too high. I have yet to have a great meal in Orange County. I’m so sad. Everyone has been super nice and friendly but the food just hasn’t been great! When I eat somewhere without checking Unilocal first and it’s mediocre, it’s my fault but I’ve checked every time we’ve eaten in Orange County and it’s just been ok or worse.
This place was ok. Food deserved 2 stars and service 4 so I’m going to round to 3.
The first tacos were hood and tasted fresh but one of my three tacos had almost no fish in it. No biggie. There was a cabbage slaw with it that was definitely straight up shredded cabbage with definitely no seasoning or dressing.
The burger with bacon, onion straws and barbecue sauce was a disappointment. It was dry and very overlooked and didn’t give me any satisfaction. So sad that those calories went into my body.
The potato wedges were big clunky pieces of potato that were deep fried. They were not seasoned but came with a ranch dip on the side.
The wait staff was friendly and nice but I would not waste another precious vacation meal here. What’s up Unilocal?!

Breakfast Experience Only: Went here for breakfast on Sat at 9a. Kinda disappointed. Cashier who takes order seemed distracted, taking order and answering phone simultaneously. Wait for food was at least 20 min even though place was not full. Finally, the omelette was way over cooked, actually tough! Breakfast home fries were not browned very well and lacked seasoning.
Maybe the burgers are good? Breakfast was a big miss.

After a day at the Strand, we headed inland for food after finding SBG on Unilocal.We walked in, sandy feet and all and looked at their menu. Everything sounded potentially good, but because I’ve been on a caesar salad kick, I went with the salad and warm chicken. My friend had the burger and their version of a bloody mary.
The interior is cozy, but the outdoor seating area has that ocean breeze and it’s nice to just people watch while you enjoy your meal.
Staff are all super friendly and attentive. My salad was really good. It needed a bit more dressing — I asked for it to be tossed — but that was easy to obtain. Friend enjoyed his burger and we were glad we didn’t order more because we were pretty full.
Next time I’m in DP, I will visit Shwack again for their burger.

Great burgers and the spuds were awesome too. Nice beer selection and friendly staff. Definitely try it!

This is where my husband and I come often. First it is close to home so the effort to come here is minimal! I just honestly love their BBQ Chicken Sandwich they have here. It comes on the ciabatta bread with tangy BBQ sauce and crispy onions, bacon, and nice sized chicken breast and I add avocado to get a little crazy. My husband loved the other chicken sandwich which is the Island Chick sandwich which is delicious as well. We like to share an order of the spuds which are usually crispy with a good seasoning on it and cannot go wrong with the jalapeño bacon ranch. We always enjoy the beers they have on tap and do switch them out for good local beers as well. Can’t go wrong!

Pretty good food! Service is awesome I am torn on the separate ordering of sides however. Place is always busy (proof they must be doing something right! If you are a local I don’t need to tell you this, but if you are visiting Shwacks is a must try!

Their version of french fries and their dipping sauce are fantastic! I also ordered the ahi burger. The pad itself was good, but the bun that it came on was really kind of dry and ready. If I were you, I’d order the Ahi burger with a different sort of bun, some of the other options look good.

Great fish tacos. $ 5 for 3 on Tuesday! Really good sauce. Came with plenty of stuff to put on tacos. Right down the street from nice view of the harbor. Nice vibe inside as well.
*Would give 5 star if I tried more items, or if they served the tacos I wanted during breakfast.

Great food
Great people
Great vibe
Just dig it here, think I’ll shoot for becoming a regular. The Lowride turkey burger is kickass, and the fish tacos excellent. Good morning, lunch, or evening vibe.

I love the Big Al’s — Bacon Cheeseburger,
The Tuna is good for a Burger alternative
I always get spuds with the bacon dressing, but the potatoes are at times at little well done.
Great spot with Breakfast and Beer Too !

We were looking for a cheap place with an assortment of foods and this was the perfect place to go. They have all kinds of tacos, burgers, salads, and other kinds of foods. I ordered the tacos which come in a pack of three for only $ 7. I wanted to pick a different meat for each taco but they said that they weigh out their meats in the morning so you have to get the same meat for all three tacos. You can choose from chicken, fish, steak or pork. I got the chicken taco which came with an avocado cream and spicy pico de gallo. The pico de gallo wasn’t all that spicy and there was also a side of cabbage. The tacos were good but the avocado cream was kind of a lot in the taco so it made it really soggy. I just scraped out some of the cream and put in some sriracha in the taco to make it spicier. I wanted to try the burgers too because it seemed like that’s what people went in there for. If there’s anything I would rate 5 stars about this restaurant, it would be the french fries. I’m a big fan of potatoes but these potatoes were so good and unique. It was like a thin french fry that almost resembled a thick potato chip. I love crispy fries and the fries were super crispy on the outside, and thin but warm potatoes in the inside.
The vibe of this place is similar to Islands’ Burgers Restaurant. It’s a very Hawaiian and surf kind of environment. I would recommend this place because it’s super cheap and I would definitely crave their fries.

Big al bacon for lunch and the dawn patrol for breakfast… add that too the great staff and beer, this is a go to spot. Great tacos on taco Tuesday… basically, you have new places with burgers sorta like this place but not nearly as good and well priced. I honestly think the Big Al Bacon Burger is the best tasting and priced burger in all of OC.
Place is epic.

I was so excited to try this place based on a local’s recommendation and Unilocal.Sadly, it was quite a disappointment. I worked a long day and headed over after work. The girl that took my order was suuuuper nice, 5 star friendly, but couldn’t explain the menu to me well. She tried, but couldn’t articulate what their sauce was, how the fish tacos were prepared, what made the spuds special, etc. I didn’t wait too long and they packed it up in a bag for me to bring back to my hotel.
When I opened it up, I was stoked to stuff my face. I got the fish tacos and they were salty to the point of being inedible. I tried to cover it with their «spicy» pico de gallo to tame the salt but it didn’t help. The spicy pico wasn’t spicy at all. I was even warned by the local and the girl who took my order that it was crazy spicy. The spuds were bland in color and taste. Seriously, no seasoning. I guess they used all the salt they had on the fish.
No, I wouldn’t recommend this place. Seeing that all the locals rave about it, I would have to guess that a good spot is hard to find. Totally bummed out.

Friendly service, decent sandwiches, relatively good salad, excellent location, clean bathroom, ok parking and price is very reasonable.
Great for casual gathering, first date and hang out.
The best part is walking down to the look out from the restaurant, BEAUTIFUL view of the Dana Point marina and fun trail along the cliff. Watching the sunset here will be very romantic if you are into that kind of stuff…

Delightful staff. Reasonable prices, especially for the portions. I had the fish tacos plate. You get three enormous tacos. Staff recommended adding fried onions strings and that was a great new move.
I’ve had plenty of fish tacos as far south as zihuatanejo and I wanted to have the «crave» sensation for this one. The fish quality and texture are right on… not a heavily battered nor dried out piece of protein. Unfortunately for me, didn’t have that secret sauce that I look for in 4* and above. My suggestion to the chefs… maybe add lime, some salsa, maybe tomatoes or a white sauce to make this taco sing.
Wife ordered the kids chickadees. A new spin on chicken nuggets and fries. Best described as a fried chicken meatball. The sliced potato fries needs more consistency of thickness for even cooking — came out slightly undercooked.
Given that we came on a Sunday night, perhaps we didn’t get the main chef. Hopefully, the burger I try next time will help sway things in a more positive light.

My boyfriend and I were in the area and turned to Unilocal to find a nice place to try for dinner.
Mmmmm shwack beach grill and fellow Unilocalers; you did not disappoint.
My fish tacos with spicy pico de gallo were superb– definitely some of the best fish tacos I’ve had.
My boyfriend had the doubled shwack burger and delighted in every bite.
We both enjoyed our spuds, too.
A lot of the guests here appeared to be regulars, and much like the workers, were very friendly and excited to share their recommendations from the menu.
Seating is a little tight on the inside, but the food is well worth it and considering the long line they deliver quickly.
I’m very happy we came here, and if ever in the area again, would love to come back.

Well, I guess it’s true… that every now and then, when someone writes an ROTD… a Unilocal-​reader is influenced enough to try out that place. And so it was today; my wife and I had an induced «Shwack Attack»… which ultimately fulfilled the «ROTD-​Driven-​Visit.» Thank you Gregory L!!!
We visited for the first time this past Sunday around 1pm. It was «busy-​plus.» All indoor tables, and even the bar, were occupied. Luckily, we got an outdoor table. I ordered the Veggie Burger with wedge cut potatoes for my wife, and I had the fish tacos. I actually started out thinking I was going to order a burger, as when I walked in there was this guy sitting next to the line at the counter. And his burger looked really, really delicious. Even the counter guy said the fish tacos were, in his opinion, a better menu item. Both items were very, very good.
You walk in, assuming the line isn’t out the door. And you order at the counter. Give them your name and your order is brought to your table. It’s pretty easy. I suggest you read up on the menu before you get there. Their menu seems to be made up, primarily, of what appear to be tasty sandwiches and salads. But oh boy, oh boy… the fish tacos are going to be hard to beat!!! Thanks to Greg’s ROTD… Shwack Beach Grill has earned a «returning customer.»

Went for dinner with a friend — got the fish tacos — they were really good! Light breading, not oily, tasty!
Check out the Schwack!

I like the Shwack! I think their décor and ambiance are better than their food, but every time I come here I leave happy. I’ve had the fish tacos, and they are very good. The fish is cooked well (not over-​cooked), fresh, and well-​seasoned. I also like most of their appetizers. Their shwack spuds with the jalapeño bacon ranch are AMAZING, like potato wedges but better! I don’t really like their queso (something about the cheese they use that I don’t like?), but the spuds on their own without the queso are great.
The décor is awesome and very surf/​beach themed. The people that work here are friendly and service for me has been good. Their draft beer selection is pretty good too, and they have a lot of California beers on draft. I would come here again!

Ordered the fish tacos and a regular hamburger. The fish tacos were amazing! Definitely recommend trying them, the fish is light and not battered, and just melts in your mouth. Come in on a TUESDAY and get them for $ 5! The hamburger was good, I really liked the buns because they were not like traditional hamburger buns. The fries were amazing! definitely recommend trying those too.
The parking lot is small and was full when I went, so be prepared to walk down the street. But other than that, this is definitely a nice place to go grub at after a day at the beach! Good tasting food at an inexpensive price!

The fish tacos were ugly and flavorless. It was probably tilapia that was sitting around all day.
The slaw mix they serve with it is straight from the grocery store premixed and cut garbage. Needless to say the fish tacos were awful. Additionally the «spuds» (fries) were super stale.
Everyone likes this place and it’s always busy. I don’t see what the hype is, maybe I’ll try something else and give them a second try.

Pretty Good for a quick bite and inexpensive!
Seeing a Unilocal rating of 4, I expected a bit more truthfully. I went for the first time with my wife and daughter so we tried a few different items and only the salad was «GREAT». The prices however are extremely fair. Don’t change that guys!
LOCATION and AMBIANCE (Rating 4) — This place has great curb appeal and with the Dana Point «remake» of the city streets it makes it even nicer. They have a great patio /​porch dining which we enjoyed. It was surprisingly smaller than I thought it would be when we went in. The inside is definitely café /​bar and it feels a little like Wahoo’s truth be told. (Nothing wrong with that). It almost has a saloon feel to it.
SERVICE (Rating 4) They were super friendly and when they saw I was on crutches they took my beer out to our table without asking. Nobody came around during a meal to ask how it was however, but overall for how busy they were they did a good job.
PESTO CHICKEN SALAD (Rating 4) — This was a delicious salad with a relatively light pesto dressing. I say relatively in comparison with typical pesto sauces, not salad dressings. The taste is wonderful and the heavy grated parmesan compliments it perfectly.
FISH TACOS (Rating 3) I read a few reviews about «Best Fish Tacos». I was truly disappointed based on my expectation of a 5 rating. They are actually quite tasty with a wonderful citrus after taste and fish that cooked just right which was nice. But there were 2 things I didn’t like. First, they they were too spicy. I like spicy, but these went beyond what was needed and detracted from the rest of the flavors of the taco. (Bummer). 2^nd, Where’s the fish? Take a look at my photo of the tacos. There was only one taco on the plate that had «almost» enough fish on it to call it a fish taco. And even with 3 tacos this was by no means a full meal for most healthy male appetites. I actually ordered a chicken sandwich and finished that too with no problem as neither were large.
ISLAND CHICKEN SANDWICH (Rating 3) — This sandwich had a great flavor the first couple of bites. The sweetness of the pineapple with the tangy BBQ sauce and a delicious bun made the first impressions great! As I took a few more bites however, I found that the pineapple core was not cut out. I had to spit out a core. (Really?) Why would somebody not cut the core out of a pineapple. «Training, Training, Training please…» Second, the chicken was overcooked. Even with these two issues the taste was great, which leads me to believe that if the chef knew how to cook the chicken and core a pineapple, this sandwich could be a 4 or 5 star in my book. Too bad…
VEGGIE BURGER (Rating 2) — My wife got this and she is usually pretty happy with veggie burgers. Well not this time. It was soggy and didn’t taste great in her opinion. I wasn’t about to take a bite of that.

Fellow Unilocalers you failed me a bit. This place definitely has more hype to it than it should. I was not impressed after leaving. We were told it’s the best burger but I have to say it’s probably about average. If youve ever been to Hopdoddy in Dallas then you know this place isnt the best burger. I ordered the Big Al’s burger but added avocado and a fried egg. I asked for it wrapped in lettuce since I’m allergic to flour and can’t have the bun. I also ordered a side of their potato wedges. My burger came out wrong. It was missing the bacon, avocado and cheese. Two of those items come on it standard. When I brought it back and told the guy who took my order he actually said «so do you want me to add them?» Um yes seeing as how THATS how I ordered it I would appreciate it that way. They brought it out finally and it was fixed. Although by this point it was now cold. Unlike most places, rather than just remake it they threw everything on the original one.
The burger itself was ok. The meat was thin but decent. The Big AL burger gets pretty messy with all the sauce they put on it so load up on napkins. The potato wedges were ok. They were huge chunks and not seasoned very well. Basically a baked potato chopped into large pieces.
Before our meal ended one of the waiters yelled out «why the f*** is country playing?» Not only was it inappropriate to use such language when there were children around but it was unnecessary. Not everyone will like the same music that’s what makes people different. Someone at our table asked him to not cuss and he went off on a rant using more inappropriate language about how horrible country music is. If you don’t like the music don’t work there. I was surprised the manager didn’t stop him. It was completely unnecessary to cuss like that and especially in the presence of children. If those were my kids I would have been so mad.
Overall I give 2 stars. Food was average, atmosphere was ok until that horrible employee decided to put a damper on everyone’s night. We vacation in the area often and will never be back.

Came here for dinner with Dena and her parents after we spent a whole day at the OC Fair. Apparently there is a small parking lot in the back but we found street parking immediately so we just opted for that. It seems like there is always a line here, ever since Westways mentioned it, but the line thankfully was not very long when we got there. It was longer by the time we left, however, so I would recommend going early if possible. Seating can also be a challenge; thankfully a table opened up while we were in line so Dena’s parents went to go claim it. The seating indoors is pretty limited, but they do have outdoor seating as well. And water is available near the back wall of the restaurant (where the soda machines are).
I got the following:
THE SHWACK BURGER: We feature vintage beef, choice prime with no antibiotics or hormones and ¹⁄₃ pound hand-​shaped patties. Lettuce, tomato, marinated red onion, and shwack sauce on a fresh packed bun.
– I added cheese and avocado on this. I don’t understand why places serve burgers without cheese… it’s such an important part! The burger was quite good; whatever that shwack sauce is, it is delicious. The burger is not amazing, but it is pretty good and I enjoyed it. The avocado definitely helped; if you love avocadoes, I would recommend adding it!
SHWACK SPUDS: Fresh baked Idahoes finished in our Zero Trans Fat Canola oil and served with our homemade Jalapeño Bacon Ranch
– These are thick potato wedges and not french fries. They were a nice addition to the meal and I liked the ranch sauce that came with it, although I did also use ketchup too.
I enjoyed my meal here; I just wish that they had more seating/​space available. We left as soon as we were done with our food since there were people waiting for available tables… it would be nice if we could have stayed a little longer to chat. But clearly this place is doing something right if the line is neverending! ;) 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for the review.