I do not understand the hype surrounding this place. I had Crack Shack on my list of bookmarks for a while now because I had heard that the food was good and had been wanting to check it out. Unfortunately, I was never in the area and it was not on my list of restaurants where I was willing to drive out specifically for it. However, when the opportunity presented itself and I was in the area getting my eyes examined, we decided to walk over, afterwards, to Crack Shack to try it out. I like the layout of the restaurant. It is very spacious and can accommodate quite a few parties, both large and small. There's a grassy area where corn hole is set up, a sauce bar with all their sauces available, a lot of natural lighting, a bar and a loft area with additional seating. You order in the front and they give you a number to sit inside where it is open seating. You are able to order drinks at the front or at the bar, your choice. Since it was our first time, we got a few different items to share plus drinks. We got the chicken oysters hot, Mexican poutine, Firebird, G-bird and two drinks, all that came out to be over $70 including tax and tip. We loaded up on sauces at the front before taking a seat in the second story loft area. I like that they have their sauces laid out for you to grab as much as you want. The drinks came first and for $8/$9 a pour, I was expecting a lot more than what they provided. Not a great first impression, as they were a lot smaller than what a typical $8/$9 beer would be. We were willing to overlook the minuscule pours if the food was, out of this world, good. It was not. The chicken oysters were good but the portion size relative to price was way off. For what you get, it felt a bit overpriced. The Mexican Poutine seemed like a super popular dish and I mean it looks good but I felt like the dish was underwhelming. All the ingredients for a great dish were there but individually they were a bit simple and lacking any real flavor. I was disappointed in the pollo asada in the dish; it just tasted like grilled chicken. There was barely any flavor. The G-bird was also okay, the chicken seemed to lack any depth in flavor. The Firebird had more flavor than the G-bird, out of the two, I would say the Firebird was better. For $70+ included tax and tip, I was expecting a way better meal than what we got. Pours were minuscule and food lacked real depth in flavor but at least the space was very nice and they have a sauce bar. read more

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One of the coolest spots to hang out and eat a chicken sandwich. The ambience is very modern and casual. The food here is extremely tasty and a huge step up from any chicken sandwich you can probably think of. Their sandwiches are flavor packed and also has alot of color and texture. The staff here is really friendly as well, my only drawback is that the price is pretty high for a sandwich ~$12, if it was around $8 I would definitely come here more often. read more

The Crack Shack - Chicken Shop Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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First time trying the crack shack as we came out to Costa Mesa and a friend recommended it. My husband loved his food and I got the downward dog which is basically a salad and the lemon vinaigrette dressing was delicious. I love how crunchy their fries were. Everything was super clean and liked that it was kid friendly. They have several seasons you can choose from to dip your chicken in read more

We miss you in LA, Crack Shack! My partner & I drove all the way down South for the savory taste of the Firebird. Costa Mesa Crack Shack perks- Chris! Chris worked at the Century City location and we were delighted to see him in CM! This guy is the best- super friendly, great attitude, fast service. Good to see you, man! Crack Shack- open up in Hollywood and bring in Chris as your manager. ASAP :) read more

Holy moly do they have some tasty chicken here! Swung by on a Monday afternoon to grab a quick lunch and there was a small line. You order at the window facing the street and find an empty table inside their trendy, open-space restaurant. There's two floors by the way! Chicken: just the right amount of batter, every bite was juicy, especially the thighs. Oysters: my favorite item here, it almost felt guilty eating these. My cholesterol hates me. Sandwiches: Firebird and Coop Deville were recommended by our cashier and I'd definitely recommend getting the Firebird and splitting it with a friend. The servers were extremely friendly and greeted everyone with smiles, contrary to what some other customers have experienced. Crack Shack is surely worth a try. read more

The Crack Shack - Chicken Shop Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Whoever opened The Crack Shack is one of the best people on this planet. Thank you for existing and creating this space. Dog friendly!??!???? Need I say more?? And they're allowed inside the establishment, not shoved to the outdoor patio where its cold -- omg. It's Heaven on earth. So much joy with all the sweet pups walking around. We need more places like this!! Food = mouth watering, amazing, so so so tasty. Bread is perfection. Brioche and torta, omgggg. We ordered a regular fry but the guy charged us for a large.. was a little irritated but turns out the fries are incredible too and we ate all of them, lol. Happy mistake. Everything about The Crack Shack is perfection, ultra dog friendly, food is spot on. Will be back and telling ALL my friends/family about this place! read more

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Chicken sandwich was pretty damn good. For me, that's a huge compliment. Staff is very nice too

I had been eyeing Crack Shack for a while now. The good? Fun name, great menu, nice people. The bad? Unfortunately, the chicken was just not impressive. I got the 5 piece chicken with the fire sauce. I was worried the fire sauce would make it too spicy, especially when I opened the box to look. It was a fiery red color chicken. I prepared myself for a fiery kick but wow ! It was very bland inside. Surprisingly, the outside tasted bland too even though it looked like it was swimming in spices. It missed the spot completely for me and I was really disappointed. Another Yelp reviewer here suggested sticking to the sandwiches. Maybe I will do that the next time, if I come back. read more

The Crack Shack - Looks can be deceiving: pretty bland chicken. - Chicken Shop Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I came here with my husband one day while we were in Orange county, and we were so excited to try this place out. There was enough parking in the private lot, complete with the security guard back there. You got to love Orange County, I guess. They have cornhole on fake grass in the back, but we came around front and ordered at the window, then went inside and found a seat. I ordered fried chicken and some beers, and also noticed that they had Frosé on the menu. I will order that next time. I literally saw a young man order Frozé, and he was wearing what looked like all the pastel spring and summer shorts that come out of a J Crew catalog. He was having a good old time. The ambiance is fun, very hipster and it looked like the roof was open, so you get a lot of fresh air; it was a hot day so it was great going in shorts. My hubby enjoyed it and we would both come back. We enjoyed the food, he got a spicy chicken sandwich. read more

My husband was craving fried chicken and we were headed to the beach. Decided to try this place out and I'm glad we did. The decor and setup is cute/cool. Came in and we weren't quite sure of the process. Do we sit and wait for a waiter or are we supposed to order at the take out counter? We eventually grabbed a waiter walking around and he politely informed us that we could order at the bar. Cool. So we ordered the 5 piece, the deviled eggs, and a large fry to share. The deviled eggs were underwhelming. I just ate one out of the four because it just lacked...flavor. I will say it looked appetizing though. Now for the chicken...my husband bit into it and made an approving sound so that was a good sign. The fries were perfect. We had more than enough food. Worth trying out if looking for friend chicken in Orange County. Note: we did need to sprinkle some extra salt on the chicken read more

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LOVED THIS PLACE!!! Came here with a group of 10 after being out on a boat for 2 hours. There was a long line to order outside, but it moved fast. Valet parking out back is FREE! I had the G-Bird sammy and it was amazing. The chicken was cooked perfectly and was juicy af. There were so many flavor explosions in my mouth. Note, the sammys are $12 for a reason - they're enormous! I wish my BF and I had split one because it was sooooo filling. We also got 4 orders of fries for the table of 10 .... 1.25-ish orders wasn't finished because the large fries were so large lol! The seasoning on them was really good and they were cooked to the perfect level of crispness. DON'T FORGET YOUR SAUCES! They had so many to choose from! My fav was the siracha/thousand island mix. Their soda selection is also on point. All made with real sugar and no BS ingredients. Of course I was trying to be good and ordered the only diet soda they had, but I also had a lot of my BF's black cherry .... it was sooooo good! The vibe inside is cool. Perfect natural lighting for pics in almost every square inch of the space. :) There are two floors. Bottom was packed on a Saturday at 8pm, but upstairs was super empty so we sat up there. Wish this place was closer to home, def loved it! read more

Lots and lots of hype. Interior is very attractive with the typical rustic contemporary styling you see pretty much everywhere these days. Walking in, you're greeting with a to-go option outside as you wait to get inside. The outdoor counter allows you to say "fk it" to the wait and just take your food to the car and enjoy it there without the flood of noise and flannel. I sat at the counter and ordered the spicy buffalo sandwich or whatever it's called. It tasted fine. I don't remember much else besides thinking, "Well, I can't say I'm surprised." My second visit was the same thing, except louder. Service was the same, distant and feigning superiority hidden behind a neckbeard and thick framed glasses without prescription lenses. Bartenders were doing their jobs without any degree of acknowledgment or disregard. Servers were servers, running food to patrons without hostility but also without attention. The bill came and I sighed and paid it and felt embarrassed. Fool me once, blah blah blah. Fool me twice, well, there you go. Next. read more

Delicious chicken! Can't wait to go back. I had the chicken breast and the nuggets. Both were great read more

What a fun and cute place! Order food outside at the counter, inside at the bar for drinks. There is a lot of seating, and an upstairs section. I saw a lot of dogs downstairs, both outside on the benches and inside around the edges of the tables. Yay, dog-friendly! The decor is quirky, and I found that every time I looked around, I noticed something else. The croque was good, looking forward to coming back & trying some other items. read more

Audrey and I are on a fried chicken streek. I enjoyed the 5 piece $15 fried chicken, but it had the cornmeal type texture that I'm not entirely fond of. They make their own english muffins here. Whaaaaaa?! Got the $10 royale sandwich, that's made with a chicken sausage patty, cheese, an egg and their english muffin. The entire sandwich was drenched in grease. Let me tell you, I usually love grease - but this grease was tasteless, making it a little unnecessary. Give me saltiness with that grease. The patty itself was also lacking in flavor. Mostly, I loved the atmosphere. Very chic and comfortable. My girlfriend and I sat by the inside fire for 3.5 hours. The restaurant is very open, so sitting by the fire felt warm and cozy. I would definitely consider this place a cool hangout. Regardless of the complaints, Crack Shack is still recommended. On to the next fried chicken! read more

The Crack Shack - The Royale. I usually LOVE grease, but this was tasteless and a little unnecessary. - Chicken Shop Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Food-wise, it was a bit of a let down. Can't speak about the other food, but the hot sandwich is objectively bad- Howlin Rays, Jay Birds, Dave's, etc are all immensely better. The ingredients are high quality, so the other menu items have potential. They have a bar in the seating area, which is nice for some and there's a large parking lot on the back, which is convenient. The service was okay. You order at the window and take your food to the seating area, so it's pretty casual. read more

This was such a fun restaurant for fast, tasty food. The BAE sandwich was perfect for lunch. I loved the soda machine with many different unique flavors. It's self service and the restaurant is cute. It features an upside chicken on the ceiling! read more

Had to try Crack Shack on a lunch date w my wifey... environment is great. Service prompt. Food was barely above average. Ordered 2 sandwiches, the spicy and Jadori chicken. Both were OK. Sampled the 5 piece chicken coated with honey butter. Expectations were higher than the taste. The quality of chicken was 5 star, crunch was 5 star also. Flavor was missing... sorry but it needed more salt and pepper. Had 0 score on taste. All and all, I'd rate our visit a sub 4 star. read more

Amazing chicken! Jidori for the win in tenderness and flavorfulness! Favorites: Coop Deville (fire tossed) Coop Deville (normal) 10 piece fried chicken flock meal Fries Salted Cookie read more

Like most places, I have been wanting to go here for quite some time. I did quite enjoy the meal, the place, and the service. Location could be better but nothing is better than hot spot restaurants on 17th street. Location: We all know 17th street and how busy it could be. Parking is hard to find during rush hour but they do have designated "Crack Shack" parking with a security attendant to make sure no one that isn't eating there will park there. Service: You will walk through the back part of Crack Shack and have to go out the front to order your food. It was a VERY interesting concept as it is facing the street. You can ask them to cut your sandwich From there, you are given your number and you will find an open seat. At first, the server brought us one correct and one wrong item. We were confused but she corrected it immediately. Food: Senior Croque - It was quite delicious/juicy and tastes like a fancy chik fil a since the meat is a chicken breast. I enjoy sweet and savory so I dipped it in their sweet heat and kimchi bbq sauces. Firebird - I was afraid this would have been too spicy or had too much of their version of "buffalo sauce" but it was actually perfect. The ranch and pickle balanced the whole sandwich. My friend even had to get more ranch. The chicken was super juicy since it is the chicken thigh meat and the crunch factor was so satisfying. Fries - Must have and must try. Enough said. Overall, I would go back here again to enjoy a delicious sandwich. The pricing for a delicious chicken sandwich is well worth it. Next time, checking out the upstair level and utilizing their bar! read more

The Crack Shack - Firebird with small fries - Chicken Shop Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Definitely a solid fried chicken joint, and glad we made the trip. We originally visited because the auto club called this place the "best fried chicken in orange county". Split decision in our family on whether that is true, but everyone agreed that the food was good and the restaurant was comfortable and fun. First.. the chicken. We ordered the Mexican Poutine, which is like the chicken equivalent of carne asada fries. Nicely cooked chicken on top of some crispy fries with some southwestern toppings that really went well together. Great all around dish. We also got the 5 piece meal so we could taste the main event, and it was definitely up there with the best. I'll say for sure it was the best cooked chicken I've had. Seriously juicy inside with a crispy skin. The only question was whether it actually beat the colonel (KFC to those who didn't get it). KFC actually makes some seriously tasty fried chicken and we were split on which was better. Either way, the chicken was good. The best was the chicken oysters. I almost laughed when I bit in and it felt like it had a little bit of the oyster feel, but they were great. The fried green whatever that was with it was also really good. My kid topped it off with a cookie monster shake and it was quickly demolished, so I have to assume that it was good. And as for the "fun" part of the restaurant, they had CORNHOLE! Must be one of our favorite restaurant games and we played a good 4 or 5 games before leaving. I'd go for the chicken oysters and cornhole alone. read more

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I think I have a new excuse to go to Hi-Times! On my way there on Sat, decided to stop at the Crack Shack. When we got there, we were able to easily find parking. Be warned; however, the lot fIlls up fast. By the time we left, it was full. You order your food and soda in front of the building and then seat yourself. The drinks and dipping sauces are just inside the door. There is a bar inside for everything else. There menu was really simple. I liked that they didn't try to do too much. We were looking and were considering ordering the full chicken. Instead, Ordered the half chicken (5 pieces), fries, and the deviled eggs. Everything was soooooo good! The chicken came out crispy and had a great flavor. The deviled eggs were sweet and savory with the French toast crumbles and bacon combined. I normally don't like deviled eggs, but I downed two of these...FAST! The fries were slightly crispy and tasted fresh. I would say that my only knock would be the amount of oil that came out of the chicken. This wasn't enough to cost it any stars in my rating. As far as the bar goes, they had a decent draft selection. I was served quickly and had no issues. This is for sure a spot I will go back to! read more

The Crack Shack - Chicken Shop Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Must be the best chicken sandwich i've ever had. The place is so cozy and staff is amazing. Thank you so much I will be back soon!

Split the coup Deville and mini biscuits with a friend, which was pretty filling. The sandwich was good but initially smelled like a McChicken because of the mayo. Obviously the sandwich is of much higher quality than a McChicken. The biscuits tasted amazing but WOW they're dense. I liked the sweet miso butter they came with. Definitely unique. The restaurant itself is cool - you order in the front, get a number, and a server will bring it to you. There's a fireplace in the back with a couple tables. I noticed there was a group of 20 sitting together near the fireplace and it definitely made it feel like this was a nice place for casual hangout for a large group. I think if I were to come back, I'd try the fried chicken or the breakfast chicken sandwich! read more

The Crack Shack - Coupe deville - Chicken Shop Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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It was alright. The chicken isn't seasoned, at all, they rely heavily on sauce. And the fries are too seasoned. It's kinda odd. I ordered the coop deville with cheese. It was good but it got soggy quick. Husband ordered senior croque, and he was disappointed his egg was over cooked. We're just visiting, but honestly for the price? I'd rather have a chick fil a sandwich. read more

Went here with some friends from work and we enjoyed the environment, staff and food. It's definitely a different spot in the area that adds value. All the food on the menu is creative and packed with zest. They aren't the biggest portion sizes as well as a little pricey but the business as a whole is a cool idea. Parking can be scarce sometimes so may have to use street parking, depending on the day. Overall it's a cool place for a group of friends to eat, drink and hangout. read more

Great take out (can stay and eat, we did), dog friendly place. Just think Spicy Pricey Chicken.

Ordered outside, then we took a seat, they will bring the food to you. We got the fried chicken sandwich and a grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes. That fried chicken sandwich was juicy and tender. It was so tasty and filling too. Oh, the fries, were crispy, hot and seasoned. My grilled chicken sandwich was not bad, but nothing to rave about. I can see myself coming back here for sure. read more

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This is for those chicken lovers!! This place will not disappoint you. It has the volume, crunch and flavor every bite!! Often times chicken sandwiches can be so bland.. not the crack shack!! This yummy delicious taste is from the first bite to the last. I'm a huge fan!! They have cool sitting outside and a cool vibe atmosphere. read more

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We got the family meal and although the chicken was juicy and cooked well it was dying for salt and seasoning. Once I dipped it in sauce it was good but good fried chicken shouldn't need sauce. The coleslaw and chocolate chip cookie were the stars of the show and ironically the cookie was topped with a nice amount of flake salt that I wish my chicken had. I might go back to try a sandwich but won't get the regular fried chicken or nuggets again. read more

First impression of this place is: Wow, nice bar and tall ceilings! Came on a Sunday afternoon and it was semi crowded. We had to wait around for a free table. You order first outside and find your own seating inside the restaurant. Check out all the sauces! I believe my favorite is the spicy kimchee one. They have around 5-7 different sauces to choose from. So my group and I got the firebird sandwich and 10 piece chicken. First bite was heaven. The sandwich was huge and the chicken inside was crunchy with a punch of spice from the very first bite. Definitely shareable for two people. However it did get overwhelming after a couple more bites. I have to say the same with the chicken. It was good at first but I didn't leave my meal wanting more like I do at Popeyes. Haha of course the quality of their chicken is better than Popeyes but for the price between the two, I wasn't sure if $100 for two firebird sandwiches, 10 piece chicken and two cocktails were worth the price. Overall, it's a decent place for anything chicken and a fun place to enjoy them with a group of friends. Not craving anything from here for me to return anytime soon but will be back to try the other food items on the menu. read more

The Crack Shack - Chicken Shop Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Was visiting Costa Mesa / Huntington Beach this weekend and looking for a late lunch. Searched Yelp and The Crack Shack came up. We went with the 5 piece , Cole slaw, and fries, soda , and a cocktail. Chicken was delicious - 5 stars! Good seasoning, big pieces, piping hot. Plus the dipping sauces were a treat. Fries were delicious as well, fresh, and seasoned well.. Cole slaw- I am a Cole slaw addict. Strange I know, this is good not great. Full size pickles were unique. Soda machine is awesome! Try the pineapple cream soda!! Cocktail - meh ...the strawberry frozen drink was served out of a machine. As it tasted like flavorless ice I replaced it with a Resting Beach Face. As it had bitters in it, I added a little of the pineapple cream soda which made it really good! Definitely recommend The Crack Shack if you are a chicken lover.! read more

First time trying it here. Sandwiches are fresh and good. Good prices. Everything is big! Will be back. I tried the 'Bae' with chicken added on. Could only eat half it was so much! Everything I saw go by was good looking. Downside is ordering on the street. Worst part. It's loud and homeless people are yelling at you on 17th street. But once Uluru are inside, it's a two story cool open building. A great place to day drink, watch sports, and eat! read more

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We have looked and tried several different chicken sandwiches including several places in Nashville... We keep coming back for the Fire Bird!!! It comes w enough pickles but we always ask for more. For those of you who don't do spicy, don't worry it's tolerable. It's a less than mild hot chicken sandwich since we have tried hot chicken sandwiches in TN... This is our go to chicken sandwich that so far cannot be beat! read more

The Crack Shack - 2 Fire Birds, 2 Santa's little Helpers w Mezcal, 1 chicken fat fries.... Ohhhhhhh my..... - Chicken Shop Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Omg! I think Chick fil A is better than this place. Super greasy sandwich, and greasy fries. Never again

I went to this place twice over the past two weeks. The vibe and atmosphere of this place was awesome. I tried two different sandwiches over the two weeks: the Firebird Sandwich and California Dip Sandwich and both were amazing. The firebird is the most popular but the California dip has to be my favorite. read more

The Crack Shack - California Dip Sandwich - Chicken Shop Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

We've been here a bunch of times, but this past time was exceptional. It's weird with covid, cuz you don't know what you can do or where things are (like water cups, cutlery, etc.) - but we went out for dinner and brought our 6 month old. And it was a great environment to do a date night with a baby. It was a relaxed environment, the food came out super fast, and the food was good, as always!! And our bartender, Kristen, was super helpful since we were trying to order and keep our little one helpful. And she made us delicious cocktails too!! (The "hot mess" is fantastic). read more

It's called the crack shack because the flavors are like crack...so addicting. Two of us shared five piece fried chicken for $15 & the batter is so tasty. We also shared the small fries & the seasoning is great. It's kind of pricey for what you get but sticking with the 5 stars due to uniqueness, menu options & great service. If ever in downtown San Diego visit the crack shack in Little Italy. They have a much nicer & bigger outdoor space with games. read more

Honestly, does not live up to the hype, at all. Now, I feel I have to preface this by saying all I got was the firebird, which is a take on a Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich. Actually, I ordered the Coup Deville, but asked for it spicy, and the person taking my order thought I meant I wanted Nashville hot coating, WHICH I DIDNT! I just wanted a spicier dry rub. I didn't try their plain fried chicken (which I will be back for and revise my review at that point). But based on this experience, it's not something to write home about. Because it wasn't what I expected, I asked nicely if I could taste their plain fried chicken (for free obviously) and the server looked like she was going to charge me so I said no thanks. The chicken wasn't seasoned, and most of the flavor came from the bread and the slop of slaw and pickled stuff they place on it. Too creamy and runny. Really just not a great sandwich, wasn't hot or spicy as should be. If you want a phenomenal fried chicken sandwich, drive down the road a bit to TWO BIRDS off Michelson and Von Karman in Irvine. 100X better!!! The fries were bomb tho. Sauces were mehhh. Drink (margarita) was pretty crappy. read more

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The Turkish Cardamom Latte is hands down the best coffee on the planet! Have been coming here for years and have never been disappointed. Well honestly the Crack Shack is ALSO hands down the best chicken on the planet! And my review for Kean Coffee (just down the street) was the mistaken one! We LOVE to come get Crack Shack and then wash it down with a Kean Turkish Cardamom Latte. read more