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    Shellback Tavern

    3.6 (395 reviews)
    ModerateDive Bars, American
    Open 12:30 am - 2:00 AM, 11:30 AM - 12:00 AM (Next day)

    Shellback Tavern Photos

    Business Info

    SHELLBACK TAVERN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Juke Box
    Divey
    Casual

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    Recommended Reviews - Shellback Tavern

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    Lucy N.

    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!

    Ohhh to be in our 20's again
    Matt G.

    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

    Me wearing a Shellback hat
    Oscar A.

    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.

    Fanta shots!
    Leo B.

    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.

    Beer
    Stephanie K.

    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.

    Terrence Y.

    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!

    Our Famous Chicken Tenders
    Carly C.

    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.

    Nachos
    Amy F.

    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.

    Dave W.

    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.

    a man sitting at a bar
    Maren B.

    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.

    Old Fashioned cocktail with an ocean view!
    Angel G.

    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!!!

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    2 months ago

    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

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    6 months ago

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

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    1 year ago

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

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    Ask the Community - Shellback Tavern

    Do they accept cash?

    Yes

    Does anyone know if they still have the "famous" chicken tenders?

    Yes it's still on the menu!

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    Purple Orchid

    Purple Orchid

    3.8
    (403 reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $

    This was my first time visiting Purple Orchid, and I wanted to try a tiki bar close to home…read more Overall, I had a really fun time! The vibe is very classic, no-fuss tiki bar, and they have two pool tables inside, which adds to the laid-back feel. The drinks were great, and everyone there was really nice, which made the experience even better. The only thing I'd say could use some improvement is the music. Omg, I was definitely wishing the playlist had a little more energy or personality. Better music would take the vibe up a notch for sure. Other than that, the drinks were solid, the people were friendly, and I had a great Saturday night. I'd definitely come back for a casual tiki drink night.

    Wish I could leave zero stars.. This was the absolute worst…read moreMai tai I have ever had. It tasted like sour/rotten juice with some sort of fermented swill floated on top. No mint on top, zero lime flavor, but a cherry on an umbrella. I literally took one sip and pushed the glass back to the edge of the bar. Not one bartender or bar back came to check on my party after sitting our drinks down. After about twenty minutes of being ignored someone came and grabbed my husbands empty glass but left my completely full glass sitting on the bar mat. Another ten minutes or so of still not being checked on and we finally decided to leave. I'm out the twelve bucks for my drink but I consider it a twelve dollar lesson in not coming back here again. Sadly, the only reason we chose to get drinks at this bar was because I insisted I wanted a drink before heading home.

    Photos
    Scorpion
    Scorpion
    Purple Orchid
    Purple Orchid

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    The Hangar Inn

    The Hangar Inn

    4.2
    (288 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    I have driven by the Hangar Inn for many years, and have been there a couple of times for drinks,…read morebut have never tried their food. It is excellent! The first time I got their philly cheesesteak which was good. But what I really liked was their cheeseburger sliders. They cost around $10 for three and were delicious. I might have to try some other stuff, but I will probably get some of those sliders first!

    My son is a huge Green Bay Packers fan so when we were making plans to watch the game, he choose to…read morecome to "The Hanger". When we pulled up, the parking lot in front of the bar was packed with people [the Rams had just finished their game]. We sat outside and ordered the Loaded fries and a couple of beers. The fries were very good and was their Pizza Parlor ale. It was a cold night and eventually we worked our way inside where a very nice couple allowed us to share their table. Inside the vibe was even better as the game progressed. This is undoubtedly a Packers bar but there were were a couple of Bears fans. Even through the game was between the Packers and the Bears, one of the oldest rivalries in football, everyone behaved very well. Some ribbing but respectful and fun. When the Bears came back and won, there were no mean or bad behavior. We also ordered a veggie tray and shared a Philly cheesesteak. Everything was really good and the service was excellent.

    Photos
    Breakfast sandwich!! Gots to try it
    Breakfast sandwich!! Gots to try it
    Hot Wings
    Hot Wings
    Pool table

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    Pool table

    Shellback Tavern - divebars - Updated June 2026

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