The Shack

Awesome little place great for lunch if you are in midtown. Lots of excellent choices and beers to pair.

Great little place… good selection of beers and awesome food. Blue cheese Cajun burger is legit! Will definitely go back.

I ordered the fish and chips. Their menu was not the biggest, but it seems more like a place that earns more money to let people sit there and drink then it is to eat. We arrived, and while not that busy, we were told immediately that it would be about 45 minutes. Fine, whatever…
I ordered the fish and chips. Now, to be fair, the chips (steak fries for all of us Yanks), were actually delicious. Some of the best fries I have had in Sacramento… not exaggerating. However, the fish had too much fish, not enough breading. While that may seem like a good thing, a good fish piece in fish and chips will have a tasty, crunchy batter with hot fish inside. Biting into the fish stick provided barely any crunch and thick bites of lukewarm fish. Three of us ordered it, and considering it took the promise of 45 minutes to cook, one would expect the fish to be crispy… and preferably hot.
I would probably give it a second chance, but most definitely would order a sandwich instead of the fish.

The people were friendly but honestly, the service sucked and the food wasn’t all that great. It took forever to get our food and once we got it, our waiter didn’t even stop by to ask how the food was or see if we needed anything. We had to actually go to the bar to pay because he never brought the check.

The Nutty Burger is the best take on the veggie burger I have ever tried — and I have tried them ALL.
Really wonderful place, with a kitschy, divey atmosphere. Clean, but still rustic. We sat at the bar because there were no tables available, this place was packed and is apparently usually like that. The neighborhood it’s in is great and fun and terrible on parking, like all fun neighborhoods.
The kitchen staff were all hustling the entire night. It’s a tiny and open kitchen, we could see it all happening from the bar. I like how old school and casual it feels — all the memorabilia on the walls, the battered looking furniture and décor — it’s homey. Our server was chill and made awesome and honest menu recommendations. The bartender was funny and friendly. The food took a while to come out, but it’s the kind of place you don’t mind waiting.
Now the food: my nutty burger was to die for. Most places don’t do veggie burgers well. This one does. The fries were bomb. We split churros for dessert, which were just okay, but the caramel sauce they came with was incredible.
Great place with great food. Go here.

My family and I used to love coming here— we had pretty much accepted the long wait times for food and service in lieu of good food. But no more! Our server, who we’ve had before, never checked on us during the whole HOUR long wait for food. We arrived at 2 pm, waited for 10 mins before our server came to get our drink/​food order. We were finally served food around 310 pm. We all scarfed down our food because we were starving. Our check was still not delivered and when I went in to find her and pay, she had her purse on her shoulder, I’m sure ready to go home. What the hell, she didn’t even bother to ask how the food was or if we needed anything before she was leaving.
As far as the food time wait– if the kitchen can’t keep up with the food orders, then either add more kitchen staff or eliminate tables and turn customers away. Screw the idea that good food takes a long time to cook, we’re talking burgers and fries, people, not gourmet food! Hire better servers/​wait staff who can be more upfront and accommodating to their customers. Servers who actually know how to serve!
It is my guess that the owners don’t read these Unilocal reviews or listen to their customers. My family will not be coming back here and I won’t be recommending them any more.

This place is great. A little pricy on the drinks but the sandwiches are fantastic. It gets pretty noisy inside but the patio seating is much quieter. Great food.

Second time here, first time I ordered the shack dip, which I don’t recommend because it is too tough to bite into. The steak sandwich is the thin slices that are meant for a proper French dip.
SERVICE on this second trip however was less than impressive. We went around 11;30 on a Saturday, there were a few tables but not too busy yet. I could not tell you who our actual server was since one girl gave us menus, and told us the specials, another one took our order, who was less than personable to my husband and I… more like a robot. a third girl brought our food. She spent a lot of time sitting AT the bar next to her boyfriend or whatever he was. Most of them seemed more interested in conversing with him than any of their own customers.
No one ever came by to ask how everything was, or even made eye contact with our table as they walked by many times. It was like we were not even there. After being done and our plates sitting on the edge of the table about 10 minutes, I finally asked a fourth girl for our check. I have worked in the food service industry in years before, and I am always pleasant to all staff, as is my husband. This happened to be one of the worst service experiences either of us ever had. A tip was not left. Out of 4 girls, not one of them deserved it.
Pay more attention to your customers.

This place is bomb AF! The burgers are so gooood and the onion rings too! They have a Happy Hour special on beer from 3−7PM and you get a mystery beer that you get to spin the wheel for to decide your fate. And live music on weekends over summer!

I’ve been waiting 40 minutes from my burger. I’m not sure if it will will be good. Can’t give any stars yet since the service is so terribly slow. Very frustrating experience. While waiting I watched a guy who was serving beer blow his nose into a napkin and then not wash his hands… gross.
I finally got the burger. I asked for medium, got well. Great pickles on it at least. The fries were bland. Overall will not come back.

I met a girlfriend for a drink last week and she suggested going to The Shack. Having never been, I looked it up on Unilocal and said HELL YES! So many craft beers on tap, grubbin food… SOLD.
I arrived on a Tuesday around 4:30 and the place was pretty slow (normal for a weekday at this time). I checked out the taps, but decided to go with a Founders Breakfast Stout for the time being. Sweet, delicious… but too heavy for summer. My friend arrived and she ordered the Almanac Citrus Sour. I have recently been getting more into saisons and sours and tried it out. I am so glad I did! This might be my new favorite summer beer!
Food was also really good. Cajun burger (substitute chicken breast of course) was so filling and MESSY! Not something I would suggest ordering on a first date (unless you are cool with blue cheese sauce all over your face).
I hesitate to call this place a dive bar, as I have mostly found those to be dark and seedy. Although not polished and über fancy, this is a homey feel bar with lots of natural light, beer signs and memorabilia everywhere. The outdoor patio is great too — laid back atmosphere with lots of place to sit and chill.
I am excited to come back here later this summer with my husband and our besties!

I just had the best burger of my life. The Cajun bacon blue cheese burger was absolutely amazing. The bacon was cooked to perfection. The burger patty was well seasoned and juicy. It also had that charbroiled taste to it. The toppings totally complemented the burger. Messy but wonderful.

The Shack has become my go to for a great meal and good brew. The food quality is consistent and always impresses me. The beer menu rotates so your favorite probably won’t be there the next time you visit. The owner is a super nice guys with great friendly staff working for him. You can’t go wrong with this place. It’s not very big but on a nice day or evening you can eat outside or drink your brew. Dog’s are welcome. Restrooms are always clean (Very important).
Hey Shack… bring in some more IPA’s please! Can’t wait for your next Shack Fest! Good times!

I’ve been coming here for years now, it is definitely one of my favorite places to eat in sacramento. The service is always awesome and friendly and the food is great. My favorite is the steak sandwich extra cheese add jalapenos with onion rings for sure. The Cajun bacon bleu is a must try also and if you’re feeling daring try it with a fried egg on top! Great beer selection and the staff are very knowledgeable. Very relaxed vibe here, seat yourself order a beer and enjoy. Also it’s just across the street from the best tattoo shop in town!

When I first visited the Shack I was feeling a little blue. I was looking for a «locals only» type of environment where I could grab a comforting bite to eat and enjoy a refreshing beverage without having to participate in too much small talk… The table service was quick and respectable and I enjoyed my burger in carnivorous solitude…
My hamburger was both filling and mouth watering. And I’m delighted to say that the cooks here seem to understand the concept of medium RARE for… thank you for that. My hamburger was seasoned perfectly and the fries were plentiful.
Additional note: The plates at the Shack are generous so I hope you’re hungry… Enjoy :)

Had a great time. Enjoyed a super Reuben sandwich and the berryesa beer on tap. Yum! The beers were great too… lots of draft selection!

Tried this place today after going to another place in town and being quite disappointed; The Shack, however, is not disappointing. Small place, outdoor patio with access to heaters and super friendly staff. On top of that the burgers (nutty burger) in our case was one of the best veg burgers I’ve had.
Great beer selection and good place to check out in Sacramento.

I really like the staff and environment here. Wish they were open later, but otherwise it’s a great place to come have some beers and a bite to eat.

Food here is always delicious. I have not had anything here that I did not like. The beer selection here is enormous!
They have great burgers. Just try something quick and simple. You can even bring your dogs here! They have doggy treats and water bowls for them.

This place is awesome. Cool, mellow atmosphere. Great live music, good brews and amazing food! What more could you ask for? Great prices and great staff! We will definitely be back! Check out the brew list, lots of imports. Parking is scarce so you will have to walk, but the location is nice. Santa Cruz vibe here in Sacramento. The bar is cool but the patio is the place to be. Lots of shade. Perfect place for a Sunday afternoon!

Hearty food and a lively atmosphere. So lively, in fact, that we usually order to go.
I recommend the nut burger — it’s much better than it sounds.

Great burgers! Bartender waitress makes a great effort to remember you and your drink preferences! Great night time music outside!

I have been to the Shack several times this summer. Overall, the food is great and the rotating beer selection is great. The service is also usually good… but many times we have had a 45 minute wait for our food to arrive. Given my trips were weekday lunch visits, these days were particularly frustrating. I think the kitchen gets overwhelmed with peak lunch rushes (mostly Fridays??). Ill certainly be back since the food is good, I enjoy the beer, and its close to the office, but maybe not on a Friday.

YES!!! YES!!! This is definitely the joint for a great burger and beer! Fun and friendly staff! Fun atmosphere! Great music! Sit in side or out side patio covered with plants and great shade.
Had their burger which was amazing. Great fries as well.
We will be back for sure!
And no I was not the 12:30 man!

Came here for lunch and even though the food looks good the service is completely a joke i ordered 45 minutes ago and i still havent received my food at this point im ready to get up and leave… This was a lunch break plz dont come here if you short on life…

Came in for lunch with a colleague. He had steak sandwich and I had Cajun Blue Burger.
Both dishes were hearty, filling, and tasty.
I had a lovely beer called «Precious» recommended by our waiter.
The beer list is quite good, and changes frequently, so its a good place to try a new brew.
The food service here is sometimes slow, so do not come if you are in any kind of rush. Its best to come when you have plenty of time to enjoy a beer or two with your meal.
They have trivia night on Wednesday which adds some fun to the experience.

I came here many years ago and wasn’t impressed.
Now many years later, I came in yearning for a hearty breakfast, event though it was 2 in the afternoon. The menu didn’t really have breakfast and so was debating
1. biscuits and gravy
2. Hash
3. Turkey Bacon Sandwich
4. BLT
My server sensed my need for breakfast and suggested going for the biscuits & gravy and adding a pair of sunny side eggs to the order — Voila… that sounded great.
What I got was… perfectly crispy home fried potatoes aside this red, but not overly spicy, cream gravy over two flat & crunchy biscuits, and a side of perfectly sunny side runny eggs. The eggs immediately got placed over the bowl of red gravy — I’m guessing that it’s red from paprika (?) — The little yellow yolks made another layer of gravy to the biscuits. Oh, man, it was all really really good.
Go off menu.
Thanks, Shack, for impressing me this time around.

While I like that this spot is so close to UCDMC, the draft list wasn’t particularly good and the food was the usual greasy/​friend fare that had quite a bit of room for improvement.
Great service though!

I came to Trivia Night last night on a whim with my boyfriend. I had been meaning to check out the Shack for quite some time, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity.
We came at 6:20 (Trivia started at 6:30) and the place was packed. Thankfully we didn’t wait long for a table, or service from a waiter. We grabbed the Beer Special of the week, a hoppy brew (forgetting the name… whoops!)… But anyways, we grabbed a pitcher for 12 dollars, one Catfish sandwich which was a special and a plate of fish and chips.
The beer was came quick and was refreshing while also preparing us to get our game face on for Trivia.
Now, I guess I am not nearly as smart as I thought, but we got absolutely last place in Trivia. Whomp whomp. With only 2 out of 20 correct, I’m not sure if this trivia is particularly hard or I am just not as full of useless knowledge as I had hopped. Oh well, it was still a good time!
Food was also decent, the fish and chips were not anything special but the catfish sammy was great. I will be back to try other menu options, since I am pretty picky about fish and chips anyways.
Fun date night or place to go with friends!

The Shack has been bookmarked and unbookmarked by me many times over the years, but my friend Alesha S. and I finally decided to try it because it’s conveniently located within a reasonable distance from our work and they serve alcohol.
There are 3 – 4 parking spots in the small lot, so street parking is a must. We walked in and walked around because it wasn’t immediately apparent if we had to wait to be seated our seat ourselves. (Correct answer: seat ourselves). We chose to sit outside on the patio because it was a nice sunny day and had a great time!
I got their Veggie Burger with Steak Fries and my friend got their Mother Theresa Sandwich which is oddly located under their «Kids Menu» online but is definitely not. My Veggie Burger was good, they make it in house which always gets extra points in my book. I had to add ketchup and mustard myself and asked for cheese which they forgot. Otherwise it was kinda dry because there wasn’t much else on it. My friend loved her Mother Theresa Sandwich (which also came with Steak Fries) because it came with three of her favorite things: egg, bacon (or ham) and cheese. Delicious!
We also got two beers (an ale for her and a sour cherry beer for me) and we were both very satisfied with our selections. Prices were reasonable and service was good. I would definitely come back again for a nice relaxing lunch or for a casual weeknight dinner.

You couldn’t pay me to recommend The Shack. My coworker at UCD was happy to recommend it to me though, hence my visit. I came yesterday afternoon when my beau showed up for my lunch break. So I took the chance to try this place out, as it’s about 8−10min away from my job. I will not be back.
When I arrived I let the super short blond waitress know that I’d had to be back at work within a certain time and that if need be I could just take it to go. Little did I know how big of an issue this would become. I ordered the club sandwich and my SO ordered the Cajun blue cheese burger with a beer. After 20 minutes I became a bit confused. What’s the holdup? I mean, the beer wasn’t even on the table yet! Were they pulling my leg? They will say they were just busy, which they were. But it’s a BEER at the very least, and I said I was willing to take my food to go if it was going to be a lengthy wait.
Our «waitress» was preoccupied behind the bar, so I went up to the next available staff member I could find. I simply asked the older blond chick (short hair, dressed tomboy-​ish) if she could check on our order. She asked if I had ordered it to go. Before I could answer, she walked off into the kitchen then came back and said, «You’ve been waiting for only eighteen minutes. It will be a bit longer before your food comes out». Geez, I guess they weren’t pulling my leg. This was actually happening along with an attitude I didn’t deserve.
As I walked back to our table, my always-​patient boyfriend was shaking his head. That’s when I knew something was wrong with nothing on the table by that time (beer?!). As the short-​haired blond chick walked past our table and to the bar, I could hear her say to another staff member, «They don’t want to wait twenty minutes» with a ridiculous look on her face. Really? I walked up to the bar and said, «Excuse me miss, is there a question you had for me? I heard everything you said». Here’s the best part: after my comment, she stepped back and started having what looked to be an anxiety attack, saying «I JUST GOT HERE AND I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME, MA’AM! I JUST GOT HERE!». What just happened? My boyfriend turned around from the table and put his hands up wondering what in the world was going on. Needless to say, my appetite was gone at this point. But we were already here and my food was «coming up in a bit», right? My SO received his beer after this, and ten minutes later we received our order in to-​go boxes. So, from ordering to bring served took a little over thirty minutes. Wonderful.
From my understanding the original waitress took 20% off our bill. That was appreciated. Oh wait, you probably want to know how the food was? Well, I’ve made you wait like I had to do! Jk. The club was reminiscent of a sandwich from a food truck (not a bad thing per se) and the Cajun burger, though overloaded with blue cheese, was pretty good. Still, you can’t pay me to try again.

Yes!!! Lots of beers and amazing steak sandwiches in a convenient location!
If you enjoy beer this is your place. They rotate lots of really good brews. Onion rings are killer!

Tucked away behind a small tropical curtain on Folsom Blvd, The Shack is a little bit hard to find. Once you do, you’ll be happy you made the search.
The Shack has a great beer selection, good food, laid back vibe and great patio. The patio is hard to beat on a sunny spring day. The food is good too! I’ve tried the burgers fries and recently the Cuban Sandwich.
The burgers juicy are tasty. The fries are crisp and cooked golden brown. The Cuban Sandwich is grilled to perfection. It’s probably the best cuban sandwich I’ve tried in Sacramento. The chef at The Shack is no hack!

This is a review for a Saturday at 1230 pm.
This spot is quite popular with locals… perhaps because there’s not much else in the same block. The place was packed because it was a beautiful sunny day. We found seating at the bar. It took 10 minutes to get a drink and 30 minutes to get our food.
The beers on tap were quite good. The food not so much. This is the type of place you come to eat at after a long night out. The food is greasy and fried. We ordered a side salad which was so depressing. It was iceberg lettuce drenched in water and had a tablespoon of carrot and two tomatoes. Our main meals came from the specials list.
We had the corn beef hash which came burnt and extra grease. I would never order it again. We also had the mother Teresa sandwich. It’s a ham and egg breakfast sandwich with fries. It came with stale bread and some sad looking fries.
Overall, this is a great spot for a drink but make sure you eat before going.

First time here was a HIT! I’m not a beer person but we had a taste of the strawberry beer (yum!), ordered a burger, fries & diet coke. The husband had the Cuban with fries & coke. Our waitress said she can accommodate my burger (major plus!), & refills ONLY 0.25! Winning! The male that dropped off our food was super friendly & made us feel at home, he let us sample the strawberry beer, & we ordered one for there & 1 to go. WE WILL BE BACK FOR MORE !! –1 star because I wish there was MORE PARKING. We parked on the street. Can’t wait to go back. Did I mention they’re pet friendly (outside) ??