Paid to Uber here and they were closed over an hour and a half before their posted hours. I understand that it is a Sunday and it may be slow, but if a business posts hours they should stay true to the hours that they have posted so that customers may plan their night accordingly. read more

If you want to have a fun safe night do not come here! I left crying and pleading with the security. I guess I should have expected this when our Uber said it was dangerous or when the security guy up front tried to first tell me my very real I'd was fake. However I gave it a shot... worst idea ever. It's packed like sardines, unsafe and the security does not listen to customers being physically assaulted. While my girlfriends and I were there, a creepy man kept harassing my friend. He followed her, touched her ,and called her a bitch for not talking to him. When she went to the bathroom I saw him follow right after her and that's when I decided to tell the security. Luckily they listened to me and removed him. Finally things were peaceful... Until a group of people, perhaps his friends, perhaps just drunk, began to chuck ice at my friends and I. The huge chucks from the bottle tin at the table. It almost took out my eye and hit my friend in the head leaving her with a head ache. We instantly ran to the security manager outside checking ID's and what he said to me shocked me and enraged me so deeply. That he had already helped me, and that they had received complaints of me taking drugs off of a table. To this I responded how dare you, make me take a drug test, make me walk in a line, check the cameras you'll see them throwing ice, this is ridiculous. I never even stopped at a table. He did not listen to me, he did not believe me and instead of doing his job as security and protecting the vulnerable he decided his job was over and physical abusers would not be held accountable. It was my first time in this establishment as well as my last. I will be calling later today to find out who the owner is and I will call over and over until I receive an apology or some sort or help to hold the man checking ID's up front accountable. A truly sickening experience. I am a strong patient woman who can ignore all the name calling in the world, however am 5'1, and can only defend myself so much. That was assault and I am writing this at 2:20 am because I am truly disgusted by this experience and the response of the personal of this establishment. DO NOT GO, not worth it. Crowded and dangerous, security will not protect you and will probably call you a liar too! never again! Let less people in, you can't control your business environment. read more

Came to Shelter on Halloween weekend, excited to escape the MonsterBash crowds downtown. D Street was still pretty crowded, but the bouncers at Shelter were efficient, and my group was in in no time. My friends had a table, which was super useful since the dancefloor was packed most of the night. As crowded as it was, no one in my group was ever waiting for a drink for more than a few minutes. My biggest issue with bars in other beach towns is having to wait forever to pay for a crappy drink. The bartenders were all fast and friendly, and the drinks were strong. Even at night, the open air vibe was tons of fun. The music was perfect for the night, and it was so refreshing being in a younger crowd that wasn't just a bunch of frat stars. Although it did seem a bit crammed, there was never too long a line for the ladies room which is a big big big plus!! Can't wait to check this place out in the daylight! read more

For a place that's named after a safe haven or welcoming space, I certainly felt uncomfortable in Shelter. The staff accommodated me last, behind many customers whom I had arrived before; and there was a discriminating air given of. I would not recommend Shelter to those seeking quality nightlife unless changes are made to ensure a more welcoming and accommodating environment for all. read more

Best drinks in town, if you don't like the club atmosphere just come on a weeknight. It's great!

Love trendy places. Walked by this place recently and had to duck in for a cocktail on a Sunday afternoon. Only draw back is they don't serve food but, they do allow its patrons to bring food in. I enjoyed time there. Good way to spend a lazy afternoon on a warm day. Good job Encinitas. read more

Shelter - The bar and, my drink! Cool place to hang out on a warm Saturday afternoon. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Encinitas, California

Shelter...come on, please. 6pm, only 7 tables occupied and it takes 25 minutes to get served.... Only because I went directly to the bar. Tsk Tsk.... read more

The vibe here is purely Encinitas. With the retracting roof and comfortable booths, Shelter boasts a chill environment that only Encinitas can attest to. I came here with friends on a Thursday night, and the DJ was spinning some chill tunes. Made for an awesome night filled with lots of laughs and lots of champagne! Great time! read more

If I could give zero stars I would. I came here from out of town with a bunch of friends... we're from Vegas so we know how bars should treat us. We get to the bar, have a drink then decide to check out the bar next door.. I guess they're owned by the same people. We didn't like the scene of the other bar so decide to go back to Shelter. When we get back in line the bouncer says we're not allowed back in either bar.. Dumbfounded I ask why? And he walks away. I tried to speak to him again and he said I wasn't allowed to speak to him and just leave... yeah so it was the rudest and most confusing experience I've ever had. Will not be back. read more

This could be the place to be in Encinitas. Saturday night the line was long. Longest of all the bars open past 10pm. We past dealing with the line because we are all over 45 except Silvia. She has never left 28. Anyways we decided to stop buy when the opened Sunday. This is a cool looking bar. That's all it is. The staff that was there was super friendly and the bartender knew his drinks. The decor was very cool. It is a building without a roof. So for clear days and night the site is great. Remember when you stop in tell them Mike sent you. They will not buy you that drink but they may tell you where some good food is. They did for us. Enjoy read more

I went with my bf and a friend of his and my bf was not allowed in because of the SD hat he was wearing and plane tshirt he had on, he literally looked at him up and down and said "na you're not getting in, especially with that hat and shirt" as he let some white ppl in wearing the exact same thing! Bouncer was white, tall with black hair that was slicked back. Unbelievable. Racist much? Never again with this shit bar. Ppl of color beware! read more

To enjoy this bar, you must either be: A. Heavily drugged B. 19 years old Prepared to be shoved....excessively. read more

Went there on Friday night. Had a glass of wine. Went home about 45 minutes later and felt terrible. Went to the hospital. Needless to say someone put a roofy in my drink. I went here about 2 months ago and I thought I had food poisoning or mixed hard alcohol with wine. After going here the 2nd time, well it likely happened twice. I feel it is the bartender as he kept winking at me, but maybe not. DO NOT GO HERE IF YOUR A SINGLE ATTRACTIVE FEMALE. read more

THIS BAR RUINED MY BIRTHDAY, first off, I chose to come here for my 21st birthday. Which is a night you'll never forget. They didn't let me in, it was midnight on my birthday and they were giving me and my friends (who are all beautiful girls) a hard time, which caused me to cry ON MY BIRTHDAY. Mind you, my mother was already in the bar waiting for me wth a bottle of champagne, and they only Let me in 20 MINUTES LATER when she demanded her money back for the bottle of champagne she bought for my birthday celebration. Overall, they ruined my birthday! Do not go here, check out union or carlsbad village instead. Seriously, so insulted as I had been here many times with a fake ID and the one time I can finally use my real ID to get in they don't let me. Go somewhere else. read more

Loved the videos. Way too distracting though. Great time. Amazing weather too which was good read more

This is a cool place but there are some things that suck . First getting a drink can take some time it's so busy and super packed , but I don't mind that too much. The staff for the most part are great the bouncers and bartenders. Sometimes this place smells funky with all the people read more

The location, vibes, music and most of the staff are great. This 1 star review is solely for the security Mike. As I was making my way to the restroom, he stopped me to ask if I saw him walking past (apparently I forgot his red carpet). When I asked him the same question back he proceeded to use profanity and threatened to kick me the f**k out... just for trying to pass through to the restroom like everyone else around us. Instead of being a proactive problem solver to the overcrowded bathroom situation, he deliberately chose to disrespect a woman (maybe he's unsure what the purpose of a security guard is?). The cherry on top though was when he saw me speaking to the manager outside and interrupted us to tell me "that's not my manager". At this point, he not only disrespected me but decided that wasn't enough and needed to harass me. Lets put aside that he was on the clock and that my table spent over 1k last night, a grown man willing to treat a woman with such lack of decency is a highly questionable act on its own. read more

The head of security is stealing from Shelter's lost and found. He stole $100 and an iPhone from my friend... When she used 'Find My Phone', it lead her to his home. What security takes a phone from someone's purse back to their home? What a joke. I don't recommend this place to anyone -- super shady. read more

Nice environment and perfect customer service. I bit slow and also pricey. We had good time here. I'm not sure about next visit

Tyler is awesome! Serves up a delicious drink, fast service and cordial. Hand squeezed OJ brings your drink up a notch. The ambiance is awesome, I will definitely bring my friends back, seems perfect for a few cocktails and good conversation read more

Hands down my favorite bar in Encinitas!!! I honestly don't get why these reviews are not good. The bar tenders are amazing and the scene is so comfortable and trendy. I have had all good times day and night here in Encinitas. Trust me, come here!!!!! read more

Employees were very rude to me and my friends. My friend lost his keys last night and when we came back to get them (7/9) they told us that they can't do anything till they opened (30 mins later). So we went to the bar next door and waited patiently. Once 12:30 rolled around we sat out in the sun for another 10 mins. Once the bouncer finally opened the door he was immediately rude to us and told us we couldn't come in bc of plumbing issues (all we wanted to do was look for the keys), and I ended up calling him a jerk. He called me a faggot and shut the door on us. Really dude? It's 2017 and you're using homophobic slurs? read more

House music, uptight people, awkward vibes. Bummer a place like this is in business in Encinitas. There are plenty of super fun bars within short walking distance. I'd stay away. read more

I'd write a review on how awesome this place is, but we never made it past the bouncer. We were walking around doing a little shopping and decided to hop in for a drink. My sister and I were asked for our IDs and as the rest of our party walked up, we were told "we don't really allow [shopping] bags in here sooo..." So peace out. Pretty sure it wasn't the bags but rather the fact that most of our party was dressed casually since we were fresh from the beach doing some shopping. TLDR: this place clearly isn't about service. The Saloon next door; however, didn't give a care about bags and gladly made us (more than) fairly priced drinks and friendlier service. read more

Went to Shelter the Saturday before Halloween. Staff were pretty friendly and the crowd was decent, however, music was not good. Mostly house music and no one was dancing. We went up to the DJ booth and the DJ completely ignored us. We wrote down a few song requests on a pad of paper but the DJ continued to play boring music. People left and went down the street to a bar with better music. read more

Sorry, Shelter, but you FAIL! Get yourselves back down to earth and remember where you are: Encinitas. Laid back beach town withOUT the attitude, thank you very much. Yes, we like to dress up, and yes we love good music and groovy room. But you need to get over yourselves. Bottle service? Really?? Lame. read more

Cool atmosphere, much different than anything else in Encinitas right now. A nice place to be able to sit and talk with a group of friends. Drink prices aren't terrible....if you need to go cheap you can get a light beer for $4, or if you want a cocktail you are spending $11. I ordered their bourbon cocktail and it was tasty. I can tell that the attitude here is going to be its downfall though. I was here while the world series was on, and out of nowhere in the 9th inning they turned the game off. When we asked the waitress what was going on she said it was time for them to play music now. Time to play music? This place has been open for only a couple of days, I'm sure no one will mind if the 3 day old tradition of playing music at 8 is broken if it means they get to see the last inning of the world series. A place that makes lousy decisions like that is clearly not customer oriented. read more

Shelter Hell! I was contemplating whether to write this review or not, but after mulling it over for a week or so, I think anyone who decides to give their patronage to Shelter should be aware of how they may be treated if they stay until closing time. I was visiting for a three day weekend, and some friends and I were told by a local friend that Shelter was a fun bar with good music, good flow and good cocktails. We decided to take his advice and go there. It was a Saturday night and the place was crowded...almost too much as it's a small space with private booths on the sides and not much space to move around. That aside, we were having a good time there until the lights went up and it was time to leave. That's when it got scary! As we walked out the door to order our Lyft, the bouncers (plural) literally started pushing me and one of my friends forcibly down the public sidewalk, telling us we couldn't stop in front of the bar, even though we were outside the bar on a public sidewalk. When I questioned their tactics and resisted being pushed, one of the bouncers, a bald, white dude with a low cut beard (wish I'd gotten his name) said, "oh, you're one of those...a privileged white males". Just because I wasn't complying with being forcibly shoved down a public sidewalk, he immediately made assumptions about me. He proceeded to label me a "right-wing, racist" and made other derogatory remarks. I found this somewhat ironic for a number of reasons other than the fact that he didn't know me from Jack and he was white himself: 1) "Racist"--Not even close...I'm in a mixed race marriage and have two mixed race children. In addition to having a mixed race family, my family has also been sponsoring a young African girl's education in Tanzania for the past five years in primary and now secondary school (and have committed to sponsor her through college)...yeah, I'm a racist. 2) "Right-wing"--yes, my leanings are Republican, but I'm really a moderate (how could I not be living in San Francisco proper). What's funny is this bouncer assumed I was right-wing because I'm white. We've never spoken or met prior to our encounter on the public sidewalk in front of Shelter, and he made an assumption based on how I looked. Boy! If that isn't bias in it's purest form, I don't know what is!!! 3) Privileged--yes, I am privileged because I was lucky enough to be born and raised in America. That's where it ends. I've worked hard my whole life for everything I have. I was taught early on that getting an education and hard work provided options/success (whatever your definition of success is). My mother had a magnet on her fridge which said LUCK = WORK. My grandfathers both fought in WWII so guys like this uneducated, unprofessional bouncer could make erroneous assumptions about his employer's patrons. BTW--my grandfather on my dad's side fought in the Battle of Tarawa, the bloodiest battle in the South Pacific...look it up dude! Anyway, this experience at Shelter was HELL. I had enjoyed a great mini vacation in the San Diego area until I was unfortunate enough to run across this employee of Shelter. I will give the manager kudos as she came out to calm the situation and treated me with respect. She said she remembered me in the bar and serving me, and that I was polite and having fun. I wasn't inebriated, I wasn't belligerent, but I did resist being forcibly pushed down a public sidewalk and berated as I hope anyone would. To the manager, "thank you for intervening" and de-escalating the situation which your bouncers, particularly the one I've described above did the opposite. I would highly suggest that you revisit your employee training and how your employees should treat Shelter's patrons. I've managed many operations in my life, and I would not have someone like this guy on my team. He's dangerous for multiple reasons and could end up being a liability to Shelter. He already is a liability as I hope would be patrons of Shelter read my review and choose to take their patronage elsewhere. I, for one, and my friends and all the folks I know and talk to in San Diego, will not be going to Shelter in the future. read more

Do they not know this is Encinitas? They refused to let my husband in for having sandals on. Nice, leather sandals. Only after our friends (who had reserved a table for a birthday) pitched a fit did they let him in. The service was slow and attitude snooty. We won't be returning. read more

I thought this place would be amazing, I had heard alot of friends of mine enjoyed it alot. But my personal experiences were negative. The service was very slow and selective. I was ignored and overlooked three times. I feel the bar could be "bias" towards certain races. I would defiantly not recommend this bar for anyone who is not locals. There were alot of drunk assholes. I don't know what to say. It was pretty horrible. I also defiantly do not recommend this bar for females. It was just so weird... read more

I appreciate the fact that this is a nice upscale spot to have a drink, but the attitude of the staff, especially the front door bouncer, was outrageously rude. Firstly, i was asked if i was by myself when i walked in. When i replied i was meeting friends who had gotten a table, the bouncer said they had not sold any tables yet tonight. I replied that i knew they were here somewhere so I'll just have to find them. Am i not allowed inside if I'm walking in by myself? Is this some super exclusive place that i need a reservation for? Once I got inside, my friends who had been there for the past four hours (and the only people at the place for the first three) said they had been asked to leave the table they were sitting at because it had been sold. Interesting since I was just told at the door that no tables had been sold yet. They had spent over $600 already and now their told they can't sit at a table? They wanted everyone to move to the bar so it looked fuller inside. Finally, as we were leaving shortly thereafter, I witnessed the bouncer yelling at a girl who was asking to close her tab. He literally was 2 inches away from her face being super rude telling her she would have to wait in line. Even the bouncers next door commented that the guy was being aggro. Shelter does not appreciate business and needs a serious lesson in customer service. read more

One star for the space. Zero stars for the service. I had just sat down at the bar on a Sunday night at 9:30pm and was talking to a guy and a girl I had just met 20 minutes earlier. I had a drink at another place a couple hours ago but because this couple was more intoxicated than me, the bartender (was he named Miles?) said he couldn't serve any of us. A few minutes later after some discussion between the guy and the bartender and Miles asked us all to leave. Here's my take: it's late on a Sunday night and the employees here just want to go home. The whole place was dead except for 2 others. It was really bizarre. Enjoy getting off work early, guys. read more

I'm confused by this place, it literally looks and sounds like somone took a downtown nightclub and miniaturized it to the size slightly bigger than a living room. Then crammed as many fake tan, bleach hair, fake tits, deep v-neck, jersey shore fist pumping assholes as they could into the place. Bar is way to small, bartenders sucked, music was alright if your into the edm thing, no room to move, and don't plan on having any kind of conversation because you won't be able to hear shit. In short if you want a downtown nightclub experience your better off going downtown, but if your looking for a cool bar to grab a few drinks and chat with friends go literally anywhere else. we actually wound up leaving to go get burritos and beers down the street, I shit you not, and! I enjoyed the burrito far more than "shelter" haha read more

I have to be honest. This place is horrible. To small. To crowded. The cocktail waitress spilled and didn't clean. People are trying to act LA, but it Encinitas and they are super sloppy. The boys think they are some thing special when they arent. The girls are decent. The only good thing I can say about this place is the bartenders make good drinks. other than that, everyone is rude and this place is not LA or Las Vegas!! read more

I hate giving bad reviews but I had such a negative experience that I felt the need to say it on Yelp. My boyfriend and I came here for his birthday a couple of months ago (per his request). After waiting in line for about an hour the bouncer decides that the place has reached capacity yet two minutes later proceeds to let in about 7 people who had just arrived in a limo. We decided to call it a night after that and have not been back ever since. Its unfortunate that a business thinks its ok to treat their patrons this way. In my 25 years of living in Encinitas I have never encountered a more pretentious place ... read more

Not sure why all the attitude at the front door, but atmosphere inside is cool. Waitresses were great. Its is the bumbeling bartenders that really blew my mind. Between the hi-5's and inside jokes with the bouncers. tbe bartenders must have missed me and the guys next to me looking to order. Waitresses are over it as well. They have the makings of a good bar if they can remove all the hip staff. read more

This place has the potential to be great! The staff absolutely ruins it!! Takes forever to get drinks ordered. drinks finally came and it had a fruit fly in it! For 11$ I prefer it without the fly! Then when we asked to get it without the fly the bartender did not get that we were being nice and making a joke out of it and he flipping just scooped the fly out! For REAL!!!!!!! The line to get in is ridiculous and the door man is discriminating! We watched him hug and let his cool friends in while the line kept on getting bigger- finally I walked up and asked if we could get in, he looked me up and down and said: suuuuure!! Eww, creeper!!!! read more

When I write a review I tend to read other people's reviews to see how their experience went. I went to Shelter last week and last night ( Friday 2/21) The place has a very cool look and feel. It has two massive televisions on each side that show the logo and they have some very comfortable booths. So getting a drink was a bit tough. It was incredibly packed. It did not looked very packed when I was peeking in the windows but damn that place reminded me of a club downtown. You know where everyone's shoulders are best friends. Overall the staff was friendly the servers were really on their grind. I noticed they only really wanted to help their tables and avoided anyone else. They were attractive and pleasant so no harm done really. The same goes for the bartenders, busy, but you could tell they were working hard. The doorman and bouncers were very nice in my opinion. Like I said above I read other peoples reviews and notice that these guys do not get that much love. As someone who works the bar industry I understand that though. It is a thankless position. It was actually quite funny we were in line about 5 people from the door.(This was at 11:30) And they were not letting anyone in, but people were coming out. The group in front of us, four women and one man were getting a bit upset. They started moaning and bitching every time the bouncer opened the door. He apologized and closed the door. They began to get even more upset and rude. when he finally opened the door to let them in they had already had enough he checked their ID's and they called him an asshole as they walked in. Classy. We walked up to him and smiled. He smiled back greeted us and told us it would be just a couple minutes. Felt bad for the guy really. But he seemed to brush it off. I saw the other reviews mention people going inside when the line was being held. That is an easy answer those people are friends with the people who work/run/own the bar and locals. If you have to say your a local to prove your a local.. You are not a local You know I have been a bartender, server, busser, food runner... you name it I did it. In reality there are rules to the night life scene. Even if it does not looked packed they still might be at capacity. You know the number of people the fire marshal allows inside the building. Also if you think any bar is ever at the actual capacity you are oblivious People have become so entitled these days. Sorry you had to wait to get into a bar. Hope your week isn't ruined. Keep throwing your cigarette butts on the ground and keep trying to skip the line. I also met two of the owners that night who ill refer to as D and C. Very nice guys who seem like they know what they are doing. I will be back to Shelter for a good time very soon. Hey maybe I will see you there. I just hope your not crying because you had to wait in line read more

Great ambiance with the couches and retractable roof. The server never once came by and walked right past us several times without a glance. We ordered from the bartender, who was outstanding. So, minus, two stars for the servers. Friendly suggestions: Add food and make dog-friendly. read more

I went back here twice since my last review and I'm going back to one star. The staff is rude and the people who go there are annoying. Sorry Shelter, just not a spot I will be returning to. read more