Our random Date nights led us here and was a different vibe then what we usually go for but we enjoyed the atmosphere, caught a Laker game, sunset and great food that we wanted to try after hearing they had Viral chicken Tenders that are off the menu. Our server was great, very quick to get our drinks and put our order in. When our food came out all I said was "WOWZERS" the tenders were a very big portion and you can def share and they come with fries. Their onion rings were good but I keep going back for the fries instead. I did love that they had their own ranch and dips they were both great. We also got an order of their distracts and those were my favorite and will probably get them again, delicious, crispy and their salsa was really good and flavorful. Loved that the tortilla was crunchy usually they are soggy in other places and the topping usually fall out but these were 10/10. The ambiance was a mix of people but it's basically a super neat Bar with Great foot by the Pier/ Beach and has been there for many years. There's a lot of history in the walls and it's super neat that they've kept the place looking like this. There's bathrooms were a bit funky but did the job when you gotta go. They were clean tho. Def would be back to hang here with friends and catch a game. I highly recommend the Tenders!! read more

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The zucchini was awesome. Served hot with ranch for dipping. Good crunch on the breading and flavor to boot. Nothing bad to say here. Ordered " The Surf" large just because it looked so damn good! Icelandic Cod battered on location fried hot and delivered fast. Dinner was so darn good it'll make the return list! Maybe a Philly or Burger but the Fish just hits different! read more

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Shellback is one of my favorite dive bars! It's the perfect place to unwind and hang out with friends or coworkers. It's located near the Manhattan Beach Pier, so the sunsets are always guaranteed to be stunning. I love that you can easily see the ocean from the bar. A few musts: you have to try the Fanta shot, and you have to buy a Shellback cap (fun fact: I already have about six in my collection lol). Don't sleep on the food either...my favorite are the sliders, which are seriously delicious. If you're looking for an authentically divey bar in a great location, Shellback is the perfect spot. read more

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A good small bar for those post-dinner drink cravings. It's what you expect for a bar in Manhattan beach. Buy a hat for the memories

Love the nostalgia of going to a place we frequented 20 years ago. Friendly staff, great view and fun trucker hats. Keep the bathroom gamey! jk read more

Shellback Tavern - Ohhh to be in our 20's again - Dive Bars Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Fun place! Good selection of drinks and food. I snagged a spot by the window to watch the sunset, and also watch a baseball game. Great view of sunset. Good and quick service. Popular place. Fun decor. You must check it out if you are in town! read more

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One of our go to bars while hanging out at the beach. Some people can get intense at night but if you can keep it fun and light, its nbd! During the day, we had fun getting to know the bartenders and its a fun tiki bar theme read more

Stopped in after walking to the pier after spending the day at the beach. After downing the famous Fanta shots, we had beers and hung out, people watching and ocean watching. Did not eat, but maybe next time as food looked and smelled pretty good. lots of local vibe charm and old school beach/sport decor. read more

Shellback Tavern - Fanta shots! - Dive Bars Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

We stopped in after a walk on the beach. The bartenders were very welcoming. The food looked good. Wish I was hungry. It's a very cozy atmosphere. read more

Shellback Tavern - Beer - Dive Bars Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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Been coming here since my days at UCLA and it never disappoints for its atmosphere and location. Shellback's is the definition of an old school bar. It also happens to be steps away from the pier and beach so it has great views and is always packed. Everyone here has a good time and the bartenders and servers do a great job of getting food and drinks out quickly so you can keep enjoying. Drink up my friends! read more

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Shellback is your atypical dive bar, but probably has the best views of any dive bar I've ever encountered. What's not to like when you can grab a beer on an old sticky high table and look out at the Pacific all at the same time? Pros - Great atmosphere and friendly service Cons - Not the cheapest to the say least. Drinks will set you back $12 bucks and eats are close to $20 for dive bar food. Place is small and always crowded it seems. And last but not least, the trucker hats. Seems like these things are the new VonDutch trend going around. read more

Great bar food and right near the water Good food for value A great place if you are going for a beach walk read more

As a local, shellback tavern used to be the best place to go on a weekend. However, as of lately it has become a tourist trap where obvious special treatment is given to tourists with connections. The bouncers here are unbelievably rude and the line system is non existent. Save your time and go to hermosa. read more

Was visiting for work & told to check this place out. Everyone deserves to try these chicken tenders at least once in their life. They are famous for a reason! Ranch was also 10/10. read more

Shellback Tavern - Our Famous Chicken Tenders - Dive Bars Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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If you're looking for a good local dive this is your spot. I love that a good portion of people are even wearing shellback hats! Which you can buy from the bar. I wouldn't say to come here for the food but vibes are high and drink prices are decent. Although we did have their chicken wings and those were pretty good. Now the nachos I would pass on next time and I'm a huge chip feen. read more

Shellback Tavern - Nachos - Dive Bars Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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At the bottom of a steep Avenue overlooking Manhattan Beach is Shellback Tavern. The exterior of this building was pretty photo worthy. Inside it looks like everything a beach bar should look like and you certainly know you're at a beach by being in there....open air breeze and all. If you start a tab, they automatically hold $100 on your card and have a sign saying so. I personally think this is a schmuck move and unnecessary. It's not that i am not going to spend that much anyway, but if someone else wants to have half of that, they now have an extra hold for the unspent portion for multiple days. They don't even do that here in Vegas nor did they do that anywhere else we went in Hermosa Beach area. Annoying concept. The bartender had a fun personality and the burger i had was simply okay add $2 extra for fries with it which was a little nickel and dimey of them. It was a cool divey beach bar i guess but I encountered much better options during my visit. read more

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Absolutely loved this place. We found it by chance via Yelp as we were in town for a conference. Order a cheeseburger at this place you won't regret it as it tastes homemade. This is a fun place to hangout with friends. The service is amazing as the bartenders are very attentive to everyone there. read more

My SO has a history with this place so I grudgingly agreed to have a few drinks here. My first impression was a combination of horrified and curious. This place is definitely divey and its last update was IDK, 1972? I did not have the greatest attitude at first. That started to change after our drinks came and our exceptionally cool and friendly server helped us find an outlet to charge our phones. Drinks were quite good and despite staying for over two hours, we were never neglected or made to feel unwelcome. Everyone here seemed to be having such a good time and I realized that I was too. I think the original concept for this bar was tiki and there is still a little of that but it's mostly a dive bar if you ask me, and a damn good one at that. Yes, the bathrooms are truly terrifying but it's a fun, friendly, relaxed place and they know exactly what they are, have embraced it and are very much in on the joke. I've even joined club beach trash. Cheers, and see you at Shellback, fellow beach trashians. read more

Shellback Tavern - a man sitting at a bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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Had a very unsettling experience at this place. We were overcharged and later became unexpectedly sick after only a small amount to drink. The effects lasted for days. Something didn't feel right, and I'd urge others to be cautious here. There are signs posted that roofie isn't allowed which is a red flag to any venue. read more

Next to the beach, great food & drinks plus wonderful service, what more could you want? Well, how about a historic building & trucker hats in too many colors. My group loved the whole experienc! read more

Came here with a couple friends as it was recommended by some colleagues at my office. I really love this bar, the staff, drinks & ambiance are amazing with views of the Manhattan Beach Pier! Mikey was our bartender, he was extremely nice and attentive and served up our drinks quickly with a big smile. Mikey is one of the nicest bartenders that I've met in a very long time, he was very genuine and made us feel right at home. He's super funny and very welcoming, I love that he always remembered what we were drinking and he kept the drinks flowing all day long! Shellback is now my new favorite bar in the South Bay! I would highly recommend you visit Shellback & if you want the best service from one of the nicest bartenders in town, make sure you ask for Mikey!!! If I could give Shellback & Mikey 10 stars I totally would!!! I can't wait to come back this weekend!!! read more

Shellback Tavern - Old Fashioned cocktail with an ocean view! - Dive Bars Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Great beach bar after a day bumming it on the beach . Nice locals and you know da rulz.

The Shellback is a fun local hangout that is welcoming to visitors. The bartenders are quick and work with a smile. Many of the locals are chatty and will offer golf, food, or sightseeing advice. Plenty of TVs to watch the game of your choice and a good mix of music. The decor is awesome! With everything from a NASCAR hood to political candidate signs to an inflatable marlin. Eye candy everywhere. Stop by after a day on the beach or a day in town. You'll have a great time. read more

Shellback Tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

What a great spot, love the old school look and feel of the place. They have some coolest bartenders I've met in a long time, really love to chat and make you feel welcomed. Didn't get a chance to eat, but the drinks were solid enough, I just had a classic Coors myself. One of my favorite views of the pier and really cool hats above the bar for sale! Can't wait to come back one day. read more

Classic dive bar in Manhattan Beach. Came here on a Tuesday night around 7 and there were a few people there, but it wasn't as crowded as it typically is on weekends (when it's packed with people). Indoor seating only, not outdoor spots. Credit cards accepted. If you sit by the window, you can get a pretty nice sunset view. The women's restroom is towards the front of the bar and there's a big step in front of the toilets, while the men's restroom is in the back left corner of the restaurant. The well tequila was smoother than I was expecting. They do have some food options if you're feeling peckish. The atmosphere is really laidback and casual. read more

Shellback Tavern - Drinks / Inside area - Dive Bars Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Good bar to visit, an iconic one with a long history in MB! Gets super hot inside and really crowded, but I honestly feel like that's an intentional part of its charm. I like how popular the hats they sell are, yet they still sell them at a reasonable price. Drinks and food are overpriced, but with it being a few steps away from the beach and being a bar in a downtown beach cities area, I feel it is to be reasonably expected. I like how it is a bar where you'll see anyone from old high school classmates to parents catching up after work. It is very much a bar trying to be a dive bar, and not a genuine dive bar, but I feel it fits the needs of downtown MB perfectly. read more

Roach on the table! Walked in for lunch and ended up with an unwanted visitor. They did remove my chicken sandwich but kept my two beers. Rushed out of there asap. It happens but this is experience was up close read more

Shellback Tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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Me and my friend were stuck on the side of the rode because her chain had popped off. This amazing guy named Mikey thankfully stopped to help us. He is a bartender at this restaurant. I 100% recommend going there for their wonderful services!!! (he should also get a raise) Super fun, nice, caring guy! read more

Location and atmosphere are 5/5! Had a jalapeño margarita and found it average, more like a plain margarita. Had a hard time deciding on dinner and went with southwest salad topped with chicken. The chicken had a lovely grill flavor and portion was generous. read more

Shellback Tavern - Jalapeño margarita - Dive Bars Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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The vibes are everything, food is decent it's just typical bar food but it's good, service is also great!

We came this bar tonight . After 30 min, we had half of our drinks, this guy came to our table and ask us when we leave because people who want to order food are waiting. I told him we just got here why you asked us that kind of question, and then he said our servers need to make money. Again! We didn't stay there hours !!!! 30 min later we got drink , at half of our glasses, this guy asked us to leave !!! My point is he didn't ask other tables the same question!! He came to us straight and told us servers need to make money!!! This happened because we are all girls or we are Asians ?? We orders food but if a table needed to order food in 30 min, they should have told us so at the beginning. read more

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This place has one of the few views of the ocean, great staff, great vibes, amazing views! BUT THE WORST BATHROOMS EVER, damn man remodel the bathroom! read more

This is a mandatory stop for all (drinking) locals as well as those of us from Redondo/Hermosa whenever we want a beachside bar with good eats in Manhattan. This is to Manhattan what North End is to Hermosa. IYKYK read more

Shellback Tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

I honestly love this place. A good classic beach dive with really nice people serving & behind the bar. We got their Cadillac margarita (pretty good, 7/10) but I loved their boneless Buffalo tenders & fries. We got a half order to share and I honestly impressed with the portion. This place is right on the strand with good views of the beach. A fun place in Manhattan beach for sure. read more

Shellback Tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

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When you serve a beer with a hair in it and my son complains, get him a new beer! That is disgusting! Service here has been going down hill, this just tops it off read more

Cool little spot we discovered while visiting. Great atmosphere with many things to look at including tvs! Service was excellent. Chris was the gentleman who helped us and he was keeping up with serving tables and bartending by himself! He was very helpful in serving us food and drinks and brought a great energy to the place. Definitely stop by for some good bar food and drinks! read more

it's always a great time at shellback's. their staff is very efficient & know how to manage a big group. this place is for the environment and ambiance. i also loved their calamari read more

View is amazing and with the exception of a few beers on tap, there isn't a lot of variety. Only thing that sucks was ordering a glass of beer and 1 High Noon and the bartender told me I owed him $22. Wow. I know covid was a bitch for everyone, inflation is ongoing, but $22 for 2 non-mix drinks is as close to robbery as you get. Look elsewhere. read more

Cold beer, the game, off the beach. What more do u want? U can hope for more. But that makes u a loser. Go have a real drink at a real bar. This one. read more

Shellback Tavern - Cold brewsky! - Dive Bars Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Meh used to be a regular. Beer prices up like everywhere else. $10 for a 12 ounce pour of Mexican beer seems really high. Pitchers are probably a better value. Not a fan of the tipping devices here now. I always tip 20%+. Management set it up so 20% is minimum, going up to 35%. You have to tip on the service regardless if it's good or not, and you are tipping on top of the tax amount. Not a fan of this. My opinion doesn't matter as they are busy most nights, but Shellback used to better. read more