The Shanty

I don’t understand why people like this place. Its loud, crowded and smelly. First time i went here was for my 21 birthday back in 2009. I don’t remember the prices or the drinks here. All i remember is the terrible atmosphere.

Edited 1 hr after posted… Ive come to this bar for over 3 yrs… Ive never once had an issue until mike (tall skinny guy that claims hes the boss) started being an asshole. Ill never go back unil he is fired… Ill call corporate that owns you as well. Was an awesome bar until this as.hole. «after an hr of this complaint i was called by this guy and asked to change it…» this place should be ‘shady’ not shanty. I cant believe he had the nerve to call me directly aftet i filed a complaint. More effort than now to contact the person who owns this bar, to fix this. What kind of customer service is this…

Part rickety shelter, part song of sailors, the shanty is everything you want from a bar. Unselfconscious, easy going, attractive yet a bit hungover… this bar is like the best people. I could post up here for hours drinking $ 1 High Life’s and watching nature programs. Something about this place… of the people. Efficient friendly service is the order of the day. As an added bonus, the tagging in the bathroom reminded me of home. I’m glad I’m friends with a local or I may have never experienced this god damn gem of a dive bar.

This is a great little dive bar!!!
We bothered the bartender Mike Jackson waaaay to long.
It has a cool little patio, 1 pinball machine and a few pool tables.
You can order food to deliver to the bar and hang with some locals while you drink.
Thanks

Easily the diviest bar I’ve been to, filled with drunk and stoned locals, limp-​wrist bartenders and a stereo system that was state-​of-​the-​art in 1992. Bums outside might harass you for a smoke or a dollar, inebriated liberals might want to debate you about why we should no longer be allies with Israel. And the place smells, like years of spilled booze and cigarettes and human juices matted down into a shag carpet that an old dog sleeps on. So yeah, it’s pretty good.

The drinks are strong and cheap. The bartenders are pretty cool as long as you don’t piss them off by acting like an amateur. The clientele is interesting because there’s a completely different crowd on different days of the week. I tend to avoid weekends because they get slammed. Arts Alive, music shows and after-​Roller Derby nights are also slammed. If you like crowds you might like it, but I prefer the afternoons and Monday nights when it’s a little quieter. One of my favorite parts of the afternoons is when people bring their dogs. Most people you meet are friendly, but I wish they did a little more to filter out the unfriendly elements (like the occasional homophobe or guy who has clearly drank too much). The jukebox selection is amazing! They also have Pac-​Man, Megatouch games, billiards, and ping-​pong. If you’re in the mood to nurse your drink alone, it’s easy to find a corner to hide out and stare at your phone. This bar is basically my home away from home, even when I’m not drinking. There’s a different special every night of the week, and they’re always trying new things (the «Daphne and Velma» shots, fruit purees, gin fizzes, various liqueurs). Ask for a «Shanty iced coffee» if you want a drink that tastes like a strong, sweet latte but gets you hammered. Enjoy!

Mold? What mold? Where? I didn’t see any mold anywhere. Divey? It is as divey as it seems to get here in this area. Traffic follows through here from bars from around the area. Come here to see the locals get crazy. Come here to get lost, play games and keep company with locals.

Was in Old Town Eureka perusing Vintage clothing shops & antique stores the other day & saw the sign «Shanty»…
Was right up my alley. Came in for a beer Mike was bartending & after answering a few questions from this newcomer, I felt right at home. Went out back to check out the (ping-​pong included patio), and got to speak to a local about the old days of bartending. Crazy & cool drink specials at great prices. No-​frills, but cozy & friendly. Nice ;)

Best dive bar in town. I’ve been going here since I was 21 and I refuse to go anywhere else when I visit home.

I know every local will have their own opinions of the Shanty, but it certainly is the best dive bar in all the land! It has friendly no-​bullshit staff, outdoor seating with free ping pong and a juke box with old and new great to play tracks. The crowd there is always willing to start up conversation and join in a game of pong or pool. I like the vibe, the occasional live show and the drinks that are made. Best bloody mary in the area, hands down!

The pool tables suck. The jukebox sucks. The patio sucks. The décor and lighting suck. The bathrooms are too small. The hipsters that frequent this shithole aren’t hipsters. They are Humboldt County hipsters which means they are actually eccentric lame asses. It takes too long to get drinks on the weekends. Most of the women won’t talk to you unless you are a quasi homosexual. It has a reputation as a gay bar, but the younger locals just call it a dive bar. I would rather dunk my head into the outhouse at the homeless shelter for rehydration than waste my money at this place… All of the male bartenders are undercover douchebags. Fuck the shanty and everybody who loves it.

This place has great drink specials, cheap prices and an eclectic mix of people. They have a beer garden (that allows smoking) with heat lamps, a pool table and a Ping pong table. There’s also a good variety on the (non-​digital!) juke box and the owners are wonderful and always throwing special event parties for everything from Fat Tuesday to the Oscars. The occasional build your own Bloody Mary bar, the pinball & Pac Man machines, cool art work as well as fresh squeezed juice drinks in the summer and homemade mulled wine and apple cider in the winter make this the best bar in Humboldt. The staff doesn’t tolerate drama, which is nice for patrons who feel the same way. (I’d venture to say that any negative reviews on here came from people who lack in the humor department and thrive off of drama…)
It’s usually my first stop when I come to visit because The Shanty is awesome!!!

I have nothing but good things to say about this place.
It is amazing dive, with amazing people, kick ass bartender and fun vibe.
There’s not a lot of room to dance, or a lounge area, but you can get trashed and chain smoke in the back while meeting new, friendly people.
It is cash only so that helps you to remember your limit and not turn into an asshole (not that I’ve ever had that happen…)

The Shanty takes the cake for Humboldt’s Best Bloody Mary by far– soo delicious and so necessary for a hungover morning. (Although the Alibi might give them a run for their money)

Ok, third time in Eureka, 2^nd time with the girl and first time here. Rainy night and this place just fit us perfectly for the girl’s 21^st! A safe spot with a great bartender and the usual conversations with random peeps. The jukebox is just fine. Thanks Mike, we will be back.

This place is my Cheers, best dive bar in Humboldt.

The Shanty is your classic dive bar. I always run into friends and acquaintances every time I visit. Get a pitcher of beer and make your way to the ping pong table!

Smells bad. Dirty, disgusting bathroom. Everyone smells like cigarettes… the back patio is gross… ash everywhere. I don’t think you are allowed to serve food, and have dogs running around in the same location, but somehow this place gets away with it. Hipsters everywhere, drinking PBR in cans of course. Bartenders are waayyy too cool… worst bartenders in town, unless of course they know you… then you get drinks. This place is just a scene… plain and simple. There are many better places to drink in Eureka. I just ‘don’t get’ this place.

Price = 3
Experience = 3
alright but small… and you can’t even step outside the door with a drink??? There is a small area behind a nice fence, but no drinks there??? It’s stupid!

My friends bring me here all the time because it’s their regular spot and most of them will swear by it.
I was not a fan of their St. Patricks Day «Specials» — where as traditional Irish drinks were normal price, and all other drinks were raised to $ 1 more than usual. Totally felt exploited. Bad form. I don’t think any other kind of business could get away with that.
If you’re going to socialize, use the outdoor seating area. It’s really nice, decked out with gas heaters, pool tables, lots of open and covered seating, fenced off and accessible only from inside the bar so no old-​town shufflers, and plenty of room to move around and talk. Only real con is that since it’s outdoors, the entire area allows smoking, and since I don’t smoke and have asthma I’m often bothered by other people’s fumes.
The inside non-​smoking seating area is pretty cramped though, and there is a constant traffic jam of people either backed up for drink orders at the bar, or trying to shove past to get to the bathrooms or outdoor seating area. I got elbowed (while seated) pretty frequently. Conversation is pretty impossible indoors most nights — then again, The Shanty is a bar, not a lounge.
Control of weirdos is non-​existent. Gettin creeped on erry day.
This guy in our group was over-​served pretty much all the time. Like to the point that he gets massively ill. You’d think the bartenders would, I dono, figure it out after, maybe, a couple years.
Then, on a different day, some weird guy feigned a handshake, and instead grabbed my friends’ hand and tried to put her fingers in his mouth.
(Speaking of, it bears saying that walking up to someone you’ve never, ever spoken to before — haven’t even drank with — and using «wanna go to my place and have sex?» as a pickup line may seem daredevil to certain people, but to most people it’s a hilarious novelty of the drive bar and nothing more.)
Other than the occasional freak, and compared to any bar in Arcata, especially on the Plaza, The Shanty attracts a pretty chill crowd of people though.
The table tops with built in vintage video games are incredibly cool. I do have to give the owners major props for that. It’s a unique idea that adds flavor to the room and what’s better than drunk Pac Man with friends?
As for drinks, believe other Unilocalers when they say the drinks are strong for their price range. If you like strong drinks, this place is where you’re going to get the most bang for your buck. I’m still getting heckled for refusing to drink my Irish Coffee on St. Patties Day because it was dubbed «Jet Fuel» by my wussy girl self — and I had told the bar tender I’m a wuss before he made it.