We came here with family. The restaurant building itself is great. Food ok. Everyone in our group said food was just ok....not as good as last time. I don't eat meat. Had a salad....ok read more

Impressive place. Exceptional chicken, sandwich. Coleslaw, Fry's, & draft beers on tap. Lots of room so don't be fooled by the people standing around out front. Food to go mostly. Kid & dog friendly. read more

The Crack Shack - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

The G-Bird, Schmaltz Fries and Border Slaw were the most excellent and perfect lunch for two of us to share! The different sauces add an exceptional touch. And then the Birthday Cake cookie was life-altering. The company that introduced us to the fine establishment are now officially going to heaven! read more

This place is awesome! I got the 5 piece fried chicken, mini biscuits and washed it down with a craft root beer...hit the spot! The fried chicken was juicy and surrounded by a delicious battered crust. The doughy biscuits were the perfect size for sharing. Parking was easy, the staff were friendly and efficient, and the atmosphere was everyone-friendly (bar area, various seating set ups and a spots for the little ones). read more

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The place is very spacious and split into different areas. The outside patios is kid friendly with a sandbox and chalkboard. They have a good selection of beer and delicious food, slightly on a higher end though price wise. The staff is friendly and helpful. It's perfect for lunch or early family dinner. We enjoyed coming here several times and will be back again. read more

I love this place! We got the Senor Croque and Firebird with fries and the biscuits (which are amazing with the maple butter!!). Both sandwiches were fantastic and everything was delicious. Great service and really kind staff here, also! Thanks for offering great food and a friendly environment in the heart of Encinitas!! read more

Crack Shack is literally crack! The fried chicken is bomb! The sandwiches bomb! The Baja salad is bomb! Literally everything has been amazing. Try to go during off peak hours otherwise the wait for a table will be a while! read more

Fun local restaurant. My son's favorite place so we often meet there. Delicious variety of food with good sauces options The unique veggies salad is my regular order. read more

This place never disappoints. Everything is cooked and seasoned to perfection. The fries are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The chicken is juicy as well. I especially love their sauces and coleslaw which packs a punch with Fresno chiles and a pop of salt from pickles! read more

Let me just say that I NEVER order chicken at restaurants, but this place is chicken centered. Not only was I not disappointed, but I cannot wait to come back here. You order up first, then grab your own table. Don't be deterred by the long line. Crack Shack is worth the wait. The food comes out pretty quick anyway. I had the senor croque: fluffy buttery bun, exquisite fried chicken, gooey fried egg, and miso-maple butter. I ate every bite and licked my fingers. Our side of mini biscuits was yummy too. They have a varied list of local craft beers and several original cocktails to choose from. Don't miss out on this place. read more

Such a cute restaurant with good summer vibes!! Dog friendly-they even have treats for your little pups. We went in here 2 days ago and we're especially impressed by hospitality. Friendly knowledgeable wait staff and bartenders. Immediate attentive service. Madi took great care of us despite a busy bar with lots of customers. She educated us on happy hour and encouraged us to come back from 3-6. We definitely will be back in fact it will probably be a regular spot for us. 5 stars. read more

Great place! Fried chicken is probably not something anyone should eat regularly but man this place makes it hard not to. Best fried chicken I have had west of the Mississippi. The bar has some cool Cocktails and the outside area is great for kids. read more

First of all this place is really cool I love the ambience the Decour and boyyyy that chicken ! My sandwich was good and I had Coop Devile, in the hot sauce. The crunch on the chicken was awesome, fries were good, And they have a cool selection of soda pop. It's a little pricey all in all I paid about 22 bucks. I plan on going back and trying some of the other items. Definitely worth checking out specially feel like spending a littl read more

The Crack Shack - My food - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

Good customer service, good food, limited waiting time and an open friendly location to get something to eat. The menu was full of good stuff and worth the drive. read more

The Baja Chop salad is my favorite! I love to add arugula, jalapeños and a drizzle of fire sauce for a spicy version and goes well with all of the ingredients! Delicious! read more

This place was incredible! I was in the area for a family getaway. We decided to come for my moms birthday. I thought it was going to be overrated; just another chicken place, but honestly the sauces alone... I had the firebird. It was flavorful, crispy, and spicy! The heat wasn't overpowering, but the longer I ate it, the spice began to build. Also in our order we had a double clucker, which was smaller than the firebird it seemed, and the coop deville. They were all good, honestly the coop I couldn't taste the chili's though. The firebird and double clucker I would get again. The fries are to die for! They have some sort of seasoning on them, it would be easy to consume them all with the sauces. The ranch was good; it's a simple but great tasting true buttermilky ranch. Also the sweet hot one is amazing, the best one though is the sriracha 1000 island. That stuff is AMAZING!! I tried it on the sandwiches, on the fries. That was my favorite! Brilliant! The only thing I feel was just ok was the ketchup. It tastes like they add tobasco? I'm not sure but it's weird. My son had the chicken bites, like regular ol' chicken nuggets, they come with fries or carrots, a cookie and drink. We ordered the birthday cake cookie. It was to die for! The soft, sweet, sugar cookie with sprinkles baked in. Delicious! I'm definitely coming back, read more

The Crack Shack - In line! - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

I was really excited to try this place, but unfortunately it wasn't what I expected. The food is too greasy( the chicken sandwiches and the fries). Both, husband and I, had upset stomach the whole night. The milk shake was okay. We paid almost $50 for 2 sandwiches, one fries, and a milk shake. It wasn't worth it at all read more

We have gone here several times, tonight was less than desirable as a family. We experienced not only LOUD too loud music; but it was Extremely VULGAR music as well. Even the the restrooms. Every other word was P&$$y or $h!t. As a family and mother I find this offensive and not appropriate for children. I thought this was a family establishment, but now it seems to be ran more like a nightclub. Btw... this was at 5:30pm. I am not sure how I am supposed to explain what those words and sayings to a toddler/child. Thanks so much CrackShack! You need new management and obviously a sense of decency. read more

Great place. Delicious sandwiches, fresh made. Mine had tomato slices that tasted like fresh heirloom out of the garden. Fries not cooked in nasty vegetable oil. Delicious! Full bar, and multiple non alcohol choices. Pretty much covered all the bases. Would be back more, but we are from out of town. read more

This place is a breakfast staple, right around the corner from the YMCA we work out at. We had been to the Little Italy location many times and were excited to hear about the Encinitas opening. Our go to tends to be the coop devile and five piece fried chicken. The chicken has tons of flavor. We also vove the siracha thousand island and cracksup. The deviled eggs were average and when we're craving fish, the tuna is a good turn to. Overall, much more low key on a Sunday morning than we've seen the Little Italy place which is a huge plus. We appreciate the ample parking that comes with the North County territory. The enclosed patio has heaters when it's slightly chilly. read more

So we went there and waited an hour just to order. There was no crack on the menu and the place was bigger than a shack. Pretty deceiving if you ask me. I looked at the menu and saw poutine. I was all like, "Score! Gonna get me some poutine!" Turns out it was just some trendy douche name for french fries with chicken and jalapeño cheese wiz. Nothing like poutine at all. You can't just throw stuff on fries and call it poutine. Just like you can't throw stuff on dough and call it pizza (except in SoCal, because these people put BBQ chicken, pineapple, and ranch on "pizza". Morons). Frankly, it is offensive to all Canadians everywhere. I mean, showing hockey inside doesn't make up for the emotional abuse suffered by misleading people with "pseudopoutine". I did eat the Firecracker sandwich though. That was good and spicy. I'll admit, it was probably the best spicy chicken sandwich I've ever had. Better than Chic Fil A and Wendy's combined, which is why I am giving it 4 stars. The kimchi BBQ sauce left something to be desired though. Didn't taste any kimchi in it and it was a weak tasting BBQ sauce. All in all, I'd go back, but only after the hype dies down. The sandwich was awesome, but not worth an hour wait and $11.00. Oh, and I don't know what Schmaltz Fries are. They just tasted like regular fries. #notmypoutine read more

The Crack Shack - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

Excellent food of North San Diego. Menu good if u love chicken and sandwiches. My Firebird and Pilsner beer were delicious. People outside and in for a Friday night so parking was decent. Would recommend trying same order if u like lightly spiced chicken burger. They were flexible with food order if u wanted to substitute different flavor. Price and service were really outstanding. Seating and tables were for a couple of groups of approximately 10. Maybe bring warm clothes it seemed cold because of the stool seats faced outside were near interior of bar type restaurant. The bar facing opposite side of outside seats had TV monitors with different sports to watch while separate room had a larger screen. The restrooms were located towards the opposite end of the enterance. Everything seemed fairly quick and up to speed in my opinion and would visit again if given another opportunity. read more

Pickup order was ready within 10-15min and brought out to my car quickly. All extras were provided as requested and the the food was fabulous, per usual. THANK YOU!! read more

Came here last night after the much anticipated opening. I have visited the Little Italy location a few times and have always been impressed. Some of my co-workers thought, why would you be ranting and raving over a fried chicken sandwich?...the reason is because it is Crack Shack, not fried chicken. It is about time someone did a re-make and a do-over of the well played out KFC, or Chik-Fil-A, or other lame chicken joints. This place takes the rooster!!! It is so darn good, just plain and simple. The chicken is always cooked perfectly, juicy and full of flavor. I settled for the Firebird (after having analysis paralysis for about 20 minutes), and it was ON POINT. Super juicy, amazing flavor...not sure what that shake is you put on the chicken after it is breaded/fried and dipped? It is just pure magic. Fries were crispy, yet fluffy in the middle, almost tasted double fried but I know they were not. Sauces on tap, please, that is just the new American way. For all of you quick service restaurant wanna-bee's that still have your sauces in little packets, get up to speed! You are way behind the power curve. **DOG FRIENDLY**!! We had our little pup with us and the person taking our order was very friendly and let us know we can sit anywhere with the dog, score! And they have little dog biscuits that are shaped like chickens (even though it looked like my Italian grandmothers turkey cookies over Thanksgiving), the pooch loved it, and he is a picky eater! Not too many place offer that, and since Blais is a dog person I am sure that is why they did that. Great experience, will be back and I will bring friends and more people! read more

Stopped by today to see what the fuss was all about since I live nearby. Cool interior and plenty of seating. Decided to order fried chicken, classic cole slaw and biscuits to keep it simple and feel how they deliver on the basics. Chicken 2/5, Cole Slaw 1/5, biscuits 4/5. Total bill $25 without tip can feed two people. Had to send the biscuits back because first batch wasn't cooked and had raw dough inside. The chicken is not very meaty and has a thick crust. I know that it is free range, so maybe a bit scrawny compared to what I'm used to. Cole slaw has pickles and chilies, so not my speed either. Will come back to try the sandwiches, but trying to figure out the combos of flavors and ingredients. read more

Decent food and price. Long wait in the line for decent food. Love could be a bit better cleaned. Staff were nice

Senor croque is amazing! Love the Mexican poutine as well! Also, a huge shout out to whoever decided to turn that planter into a sand pit for the kids. My kids love it! read more

The Crack Shack - Sand pit for the kiddos! - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

Waited a couple weeks to check it and let the lines shorten. Three of us paid a visit 4:45 last Friday. Still stood in a line of approximately 15 people but it processed fairly quickly. Line got a lot longer 15 minutes later. They have the process down, line moves, and seats open up. Ordered a 10 piece fried chicken order, a chicken sandwich, fries, traditional slaw and biscuits. Plus drinks. Food came to our table really fast which made me wonder, but fried chicken and biscuits were very hot. We over-ordered. Slaw can be shared between 2-3, same with the fries. Slaw was nothing fantastic. Biscuits were awesome. Fries awesome too !. But the fried chicken ? Wow. Do not know what the spice was, but tasty, crunchy, hot, and very juicy inside. Lot of sauce options for dipping, etc. We only ate 5 of the 10 pieces and took the rest home. Was told the sandwich was very good. We all agreed, would come back. Isn't that the ultimate test/review ? read more

Best chicken! Great combinations, and good drinks. I had the firebird and ordered fried chicken on the side to try it and it was a great choice so tender and crispy! read more

Anti-Salad Power bowl w/Allagash yummy.. Busy but great flow of people w/open seating.. Staff friendly, fast great alternative to the usual spots. read more

The Crack Shack - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

We ordered the 5-piece fried chicken and Baja chopped salad. Both were really good. I was expecting the fried chicken would be on the greasy side but to my surprise they were not at all. Good food and good atmosphere! read more

One of favorite go-to places when we are undecided on what to eat. Deviled eggs, poutine and 5 pieces of chicken (amazing) are our staples

This was my second visit to The Crack Shack since they opened. I got the California Dip with an order of fries. The sand which was good but I wasn't told the order of fries could easily feed 3 people. My total came to over $21 dollars for lunch. Holy crap! The bar area and TV's have a great vibe that I could see myself coming back to catch a game but I sure learned my lesson today! read more

The Crack Shack - California Dip isn't for dipping but the sandwich is pretty damn good - New American Near Me - Encinitas, California

This is by far the best fried chicken I've ever eaten. Normally, I dislike the breast portion but Crack Shack's breasts are moist and tasty. i first went to the one in Little Italy but as soon as the Encinitas one opened I prefer this one for the abundant parking. I've also noticed that the crowd thins out around 8pm making it even less crowded. Great place for chicken. And try the chicken oysters at least once! read more

Awesome fried chicken/sandwiches and great bar service. A big list of local craft beers and the guys behind the bar know their beer (I'm a beer judge and homebrewer, so I always ask lots of questions). Several interesting serve-yourself sauces to try with your chicken or fries. My favorite is the Firebird. It's spicy. read more

Well, the food lives up to the name, the food might as well be crack. Short Review: Food: 10/10 Holy crap its seriously good. Service: 7/10 Good service, nothing amazing, but not bad either. Atmosphere: 8/10 Nice restaurant. Open and plenty of seating. Long Review: This place has been on me and my girlfriends radar for a while now. But me living in Las Vegas, and her in Orange County, we're not down here too often. So after staying at a resort nearby in Carlsbad, we decided to finally check this off our list and check it out. We arrive and debate the menu. Its all a la carte, so we decided to try a few things. We got a 5 piece chicken, the Firebird, the deviled eggs, and the border slaw. We grab some sauces, find a free table for us (there was plenty to choose from), and await our food. We couldn't have waited more than 5 minutes before the food arrived. That was seriously fast. Then we dug in. And Holy Cluck. Everything was delicious. The eggs were delicious, the sandwich had a ton of flavor, and the chicken was so good, it made my girlfriend mad at how good it was. We ended up ordering fries as well after seeing other customers eating some. The fries were actually ready before I even made it back to my seat. Those fries were truly crack as well. It was a lot of food, and we were prepared to take some home, but we nearly finished it all because it was all so good. The only gripe I had was 2 of the pieces were just half of a chicken breast, which makes it all a more uniform size for each piece, but still was a little cheeky. The service was good enough. They got our food to us very fast, and were there to help clean up, but that was it. That was all we needed though. More time for us to eat, and less time to talk haha! The restaurant had plenty of seating and space. Enough TVs to keep anyone occupied. And the self service sauce made it easier to just get what you need instead of flagging someone down and then having to wait. Honestly the food alone makes this place worth it and makes up for any possible shortcomings. 5/5 stars easy. read more

Great atmosphere. Breezy open air feel. Fitz, the bartender and human from Oakland, is all around good people. My friend Potter and I shared chats w/him about the Bay area, ginger mixers, and tiki bars. Gave me little tastes of his creations which was pretty fun. Bloody Marys today we're a check plus . Got the sandwich with gooey gooey egg yolk dripping all over it. Wowzers. So good. and All the dips and sauces your little heart can handle. Locals tip: you can just sit at the bar and order from there to skip the line. But don't remember that. Thanks Richard Blais. Fine work. I don't usually Yelp. But this came up in conversation with Fitz, and I let him know that Yelp can also be used for good, and not just evil. Still, I don't know what his real name is, but that's okay. read more

I don't go here so often my wife knows it's my first choice whenever asked. The Croque isn't the singles greatest chicken sandwich I've ever had. The deviled eggs aren't perfection. The ambience and music selection aren't amazing. It isn't dog and kid friendly with games and tvs with the big games on always. The people aren't super friendly and attentive. You shouldn't go here. Though, at least it's never busy. Also, Encinitas has terrible weather, bad sunsets, ugly people, and inaccessible beaches. You shouldn't go to Encinitas either. . . . . If it wasn't obvious, please note the sarcasm. This is my favorite place in town without question but us locals like to keep gems to ourselves but not enough to not speak the truth and encourage local business even if it means long lines (though they haven't been bad at all lately) and no parking at the beach. read more

Holy crack, chicken oysters are amazing. Go get some. Great place to get delicious food and a beer, but also very family friendly. Deviled eggs are very good. Homemade ranch dressing is freakin' delicious. Line to order was long but moved very fast. Food came out quickly. I had my 6 and 3 year boys there and they didn't have time to get bored. Also, my 3 year old was playing under our table with a toy dump truck, and the only people who cared were my husband and me. The black cherry soda is the best. read more

Solid chicken shack, albeit a little pricey. I got the Coup Deville and was hoping they would have their Horchata Soft Serve, but sadly they didn't. I took their Strawberry Soft Serve ($5+), which was good, but I wouldn't pay $5 for that again (soft serve isn't my thing, but if it's your thing then I'd recommend!). People were super nice and the Coup Deville was great. I'd come back and would recommend to anyone else. read more

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