Craving a Burger and a Beer? Head to Shwack Beach Grill

After a busy three-day weekend at an out-of-town tournament with our son’s team, there was not much time for leisurely local dining this week. So, on a very cold weeknight, we headed out for a quick dinner at The Shwack Beach Grill in Dana Point. Located at 24502 Del Prado, the restaurant is in a small white building trimmed in yellow with green shutters.

With its patio seating and colorful exterior, it is cute and inviting from the outside. On the inside, it is surf-themed and has a fun, very casual feeling. Surfing videos play continuously on screens placed around the room along with surfing photos and surfboards. The menu is on chalkboards hanging from the ceiling. Customers order at the counter and then, the food is brought to the tables.

The Shwack offers a simple menu of burgers, “chicken sands” and salads. According to its website, the beef burgers are made with antibiotic and hormone-free meat. It also prepares veggie burgers, turkey burgers and an ahi tuna burger.

My husband chose The Schwack Burger, which is a beef patty with marinated red onion, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. He also got an order of Shwack Spuds, potato slices that are baked and then fried in canola oil. I went with the Low Tide Turkey Burger, which is served with apple and cranberry compote, fresh arugula and mayo.

A variety of microbrewery beers are available on tap. The server who took our order was quite knowledgeable about them and even let my husband taste a couple before making his final decision. He chose a pint of Lost Dog Red Ale, which he declared is his new favorite beer.

The food came to our table quickly in paper-lined baskets. The Shwack Burger was tasty and the marinated red onion gives it an interesting tang that my husband enjoyed. The turkey burger was delicious, especially because of the fruit compote that is served right on the burger. Both of us thought the burger buns were exceptional, and our waitress told us that they get their fresh breads from a local bakery. The spuds come with a Ranch dipping sauce and were very good. 

The Shwack Beach Grill is a wonderful find. The restaurant is casual and comfortable, and on a warmer evening or a sunny day, the outdoor seating would be very pleasant. The service is fast and friendly, the food is tasty and reasonably priced.

The Shwack Burger is $3.95 and the turkey burger is $5.25. It is open for Breki (breakfast) from 7-10:30 a.m., which includes traditional bacon and eggs, as well as lighter options such as Crunchy Mama Granola Parfait. The “core menu” is served from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Shwackatizers are available from 4-9 p.m. and,  there is a $1 off wine and beer during happy hour from 4-6 p.m. There are even a few choices especially for Grommets (little kids) such as the Grom Burger, the Little Man Chicken Sand, and the Grom Grilled Cheese.  

It is a great place to bring the kids or just the adults for some casual but satisfying dining.

Four out of five Patches.