Like some version of an alcoholic Friday's, many so-called "dive" bars try to manufacture such an image. Â Throw in some disjointed knick knacks and some eclectic decor and BOOM, you're a dive. The Shanty, however, is the real deal. And that is a beautiful thing.
Located in, well, a shanty, just blocks from San Elijah State Beach, the decor here doesn't give a sh*t what you think about it. Â And in return, The Shanty doesn't care who or what you are, you are all welcome. Â Inside you'll find a warm welcoming staff and crowd of diverse ages and origins,;scattered businessmen mingling with bearded bikers and local surfers. Â All there for the inexpensive well-poured drinks and the cool laid-back vibe. Â And one of the only patios you will find in the area where you can smoke.
Every night we went to shanty ended with us having made knew friends. Â And that, itself, is pretty cool. Â While I certainly am missing my trip to the Ocean Cities, I think I miss you most all, Shanty!
A group of us came down to visit a friend and attend the camp shred surf demo. Â After the event we walked down to the Shanty from her house, it was only a few blocks. Got there around 10pm, showed our id's and headed to the bar. Might I say the bouncer and bartenders were all in a good mood and really nice, this was my first impression... the next was that I love a bar that keeps the bar stools there after 10pm :) Â .... they have christmas lights, pool tables and other games, ok I'm def a fan of this spot and would come back.
It's cash only and drinks/beer was $4.50, my guy friend kept complaining that it should be $4 or $5 the .50 was annoying to him ha-ha... didn't bother me much I think they do it so you leave alittle extra for the bartender.
The crowd seemed pretty chill except this one drunken slob that kept kicking my bf's pool stick while he was trying to shoot. Thinking back I should of just had the bouncer kick him out but he wandered somewhere else shortly.
CASH BAR
1 stall bathrooms (this is a negative)
bar stools set up all night
2 pool tables
foosball table
christmas lights
Laid back. Always a fun time. Typically no crazy drunks ruining it for everyone. Many drunks by the end of the night but most are fun drunks. There's two pool tables, a foosball table, a full bar, and a smoking area/patio. Like everywhere else, there's almost always a line outside the girls bathroom right around when everyone's bladder is full, around 9 pm to 11 pm. Come on, chicks. What the hell is the hold up? ;) I kid, I kid. But seriously, there should be another bathroom with a fast pass at all establishments. Piddle, wipe, wash hands, and go.
It's a small place in my opinion but it always seems to be packed with people. It gets too loud to have a decent conversation. There's a jukebox but I can barely hear or notice it once everyone is screaming at each other for a conversation right around 9pm til close. By the end of the night, I can barely hear and my voice is scratchy like I've been smoking cigarettes for years. But that happens to me at almost any bar or club. Maybe it's just me. I don't think you can hear the music enough to dance or have enough space for any type of movement resembling a dance. But some girls will dance to anything!
Drinks are typical, pricey but not unusually pricey. Beer is decent but I usually get cocktail. A few times the bartenders have asked me what a chocolate cake drink is made of but that's okay. Fortunately, it's very easy to make. The Shanty isn't the classiest but it's a step up from the Leucadian. It's a bit better in terms of creep to female ratio but only a tad. Â Still, it considerably has a few more females than your average north county bar. Definitely divey, casual and nowhere near upscale BUT the shanty is definitely a fave by the locals. Not too many creeping by the creeps and more friendly and respectful in my opinion. My female friends and I can actually have a good time here even though we sometimes get outnumbered. Halloween is typical, people dressed up for a night out on the town and it does look fun but there's nothing else going on. There's a patio for smokers and those who wish to be around second hand smoke. It's also a nice place for bigger groups to hang out.
And oh yeah, cash only. They have an ATM machine by the bathrooms inside.
Whew, I'm still recovering from my visit here last night. Â As other reviewers said, the pours are very generous! Â There are nice bartenders who keep a tidy bar, it is cash only, but there is an ATM. Â There seems to be some regulars, but everyone was very friendly. Â There are a couple of pool tables, but I didn't see any dart boards (maybe I missed them...?) Â Four and a half stars because there is only one ladies toilet.
I'll be back sometime!
Heavy pours and cash only? Â Looks like a dive bar!
But The Shanty is not your typical dive. Â The patrons are subdued and friendly. Â You won't have to worry about keeping your guard up here. Â Another amazing aspect is the cleanliness. Â At first glance, the place doesn't look or smell sticky at all. Â It's quite refreshing really.
It's a really neat spot. Â And while I love Captain Keno's, The Shanty feels just as comfortable but without any of the perks that Keno's offers.
There's an outdoor smoking area that's adjacent to the bar and two pool tables (7 ft.). Â There's also an ATM on site, not sure of the fee though. Â The coolest feature is the foosball table. Â I'm thinking it draws a crowd because there are drink rails on two sides.
Next time I'm in Cardiff I'll give it a go.
Who's got next...
Arr, ye olde Shanty.
When I was younger, this place had a certain mystique to it, and when I went for the first time, it lived up to it. Bartenders are nice, but don't expect to be chatted up if you are looking for some conversation. A no fuss, cash only place that can get pretty crowded on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.
I haven't been here in a while because I never find myself with cash. Lot's of bros, and girls with Uggs. The group of young-thirties girls giggling, and way over-dressed looking for boys. Then the 50-something men hitting on them. The Shanty brings all sorts out, so get ready for some good people watching.
Fooseball (pricey at $2 a game!) but Pool is cheaper ($1 game), and tables get picked quickly.
Sierra and Stone on tap, so you're in luck if you want something different then the fizzy yellow stuff. Mixed drinks are strong, but trust me - pay the extra dollar to go for something better than well (had the worst hang over from a toxic well gin martini haha). Drinks are cheap enough that you can feel like a king... and very drunk king... so have fun!
Considering the Shantey is a stones throw from my pad I guess the Shantey is my Cheers and I have to say I'm stoked. No one knows my name yet but summer just started..... and the crowd is good, the drinks are cheap, there's pool and smoking and a jukebox --oh my! I avoided this bar for months b/c between the name and the street view I assumed I would be greeted by toothless old men & Â bikers that got booted from the Kraken but I should've remembered this is Cardiff --land of the pretty people. So yes its a dive bar but its a damn good one.
Review Source:This could be one of the best Dives I have ever been to. Â The bar stools are the full bar stool with the arm rests and for you smokers they have a nice enclosed patio area, unlike most places that make you go stand in an alley or something. The bartenders where really friendly and chatted it up with us for a while. Â Apparently this is the spot for Halloween because there are pictures of all kinds of people in costumes hanging all over the place. The Shanty has its own parking lot which is awesome and eliminates me having to hear my girlfriend crying about her shoes hurting which seems to happen every time we take three steps outside out the front door of our house.
This place is a must see, check it out.
Me and a buddy were on a dive-crawl (or dive-drive endlessly down coast highway), so we looked this place up. Â Aint much from the outside, and the one window in the front seems kinda shady (and I dont mean from the sun). Â But inside is pretty nice, and we were stoked to see that their full-sized pool tables were very well-kept and maintained, and cheap too. Â Drinks were good, same ol beer selection, same ol liquor behind the bar.
What I thought was pretty nifty though, was the semi-outside smoking lounge; a covered area separated by those kinda old-west style swinging doors. Â So if its raining, which it so does all the damn time here in San Diego, you can still go out with your drink and have a smoke and watch tv and not get soaked.
Careful though, they dont accept cards. Â The atm in the back is a con artist, too.
I hear it is packed on Friday and Saturday night but that wasnt what I was looking for when a few of us went out the other night after BestaWan(right around the corner). It was a Sunday night and it started to pickup around 10-11pm. It is open daily until 2am.
I liked the group of people hanging around, the pool tables, and friendly bartender(Troy i think).
Definitely will be back. Im a FAN!
I decided to have my 21st birthday here cause its near by and I just wanted a laid back place where I could bring a group of friends..that turned out to be almost 20 of us. None of us had heard of the shanty, but we love it now!!
Baretender was really nice and gave me some half off drinks : ).
No one seemed to be bothered by our big, loud, group, screaming happy birthday and talking smack over foosball.
They have a smoking patio, the drinks are stronger then what I had earlier hoppin around the 101, and at a good price!
I'm definitely coming back with friends for some drinks and foosball, I saw they had darts and two pool tables.
Don't forget its cash only!
In North County, probably my favorite BAR bar, like you know, all about the booze with no gimmicks, grub, or bar-slash-something element. They got great, strong and cheap drinks served up by an awesome no BS staff (who groan and mime hanging themselves when the whole bar erupts in drunken tandem karaoke to "Don't Stop Believing").
Other than this, and yes- I know it is ridiculous and cheesy, I am obsessed with this place because they have those bar game systems, with the trivia, puzzle, and picture games etc. Except the Shanty has my FAVORITE game which I haven't seen elsewhere. I love those Find the Difference picture games, but the Shanty has the Erotic version of it.
So you can find us there, with pints of Stone, spotting differences in pictures of Jenna Jameson from some skin mag, while unsuspecting drunk dudes walk past us and go, "Woah! Look! There's boobies!" The whole bar occasionally walks by to check out the girls, see how high our scores got, or even to help us find more differences!
I love how this place has such a close, neighborhoody vibe. Us Shantys tend to be repeat offenders. Apparently I'm not the only one who calls that game their favorite. Last time we went, the entire highest score section belonged to "Josh." We spent hours toiling over that game to beat Josh's highest score. When we did, we were typing our name as "F**k Josh" when we heard loud laughing behind us. Hi Josh! Apparently he had been watching our progress for awhile.
But seriously, the Shanty has great drinks, a good atmosphere, a large and fun crowd, and all sorts of entertaining diversions (also a jukebox, pool, darts, and others). The only gripes are that its cash only (but has an ATM) and that there is only one bathroom.
Overall- An awesome dive bar unexpectedly hidden in Cardiff. Long live the Shanty!
So far so good. I came here on Thursday night with some friends after dinner at Besta-wan. Luckily I had cash because they don't take cards here. We asked the lady at the bar to change the channel so we could watch the end of a hockey game and she was cool. My drink was nice and stiff. The crowd was to be expected at a divey type place. Dive bars have a special place in my heart. I'll definitely come back when in the area.
Review Source:I finally just went here for the first time last weekend because everyone told me that it was *such* a dive that I wouldn't like it.  That wasn't actually true in my experience... I mean, it's a dive, but it's a normal hipster dive.  Well, maybe I should take that back and qualify.  I didn't think much of it, but I guess it is the type of place where your best friend will get propositioned to have a threesome ('cause that did happen).  The staff was not incredibly friendly, but they were quick and attentive.  And they had to sense to cut off the belligerent drunk trying to pick up everyone. (Drunk dude to my friend:"You are the most beautiful girl in this whole bar" *Drunk dude turns to me* "Oh, wow... you are so beautiful." Me: "Thanks, but I just watched you tell my best friend that she is the most beautiful girl in the bar... so, no thanks.")  So yeah, take it for what it is, I suppose.  Drinks are cheap and there is outside/covered seating and pool tables.  I think  I'll go back, at least for the entertainment factor of it all.
Review Source:God this place rocks.
Cheap ass delicious drinks, awesome bartenders with cool personalities, and some seriously entertaining video games.
pros:
- whiskey sours that knocked me off my butt
- "erotic" games on video machines, like "find the difference" where you have to figure out what is different between 2 pictures of... well basically porn.
- 2 journey songs played in a row
- friendly chicks in line for the bathroom all bitching about how there was only one bathroom.
- this place was *loaded* with hot chicks on a Friday night, easily a 2:1 ratio for you guys out there.
cons:
- i could have used more guys around, the only one to hit on me tonight was drunk off his ass and smelled funny. :(
- cash only, but they do have an ATM inside
- only one ladies potty? as in one toilet, one room, WTF?!
Overall though? Absolutely awesome! I will be back!
The Shanty is located in the beautiful beach town of Cardiff By The Sea in Northern San Diego County and offers its patrons quality beers, liquors and mixed drinks for a reasonable price and with prompt service.
The average clientele is a wide range of young and old, attractive and tall, wide and short. This bar is very diverse. Feel free to order in food, it's no problem and regularly happens as they have no kitchen.
The bar games have their pluses and minuses. The pool tables are good and not too old. The Foosball table is in good shape, but for some reason you can only play until a player reaches 5 for 50 cents. Being a long time Foosball player, no one wants to play to only 5! It's just not enough time to know who the better player is... so you'll have to spend at least a dollar for a full game (and if there's people waiting they might get upset at this). The dart board is also OK, it's not made of cork but of plastic and often girls can barley get the darts to stick. They really need better dart tips because they are all mostly bent or beyond repair.
The drink and bartenders are all nice and I never had to wait long to get service. They also regularly go around and clean up empty glasses and clean the bar off. The prices are cheap and they are not skimpy on the hard alcohol in your drinks. They have a smoking porch that's pretty gross if you don't smoke, but the smokers seem to enjoy it. I would recommend this place if you like to go out and have a more chill time rather than getting wild and crazy.
Every now and then I just want a strong drink and cool place to hang out with my friends without a dress code, a cover or a smelly cab ride to downtown. No frills here people. No shiny shirts. No guys in Gucci glasses. This is where the locals go in Cardiff. We let the the non-locals have the "New" Yogis (you will find lots of the before mentioned there). Â Its a shame what they did to that bar. Â Please dont ever let that happen to my Shanty!
Review Source:Dare I actually write a good review of the Shanty? I kind of want to give it a bad review so my favorite bar doesn't turn into an over-crowded douche bag hang out. The drinks are strong and cheap, there's a smokers patio you can sit with your drinks and play nakie photo hunt. It's pretty sweet.
Review Source:used to be a good dive bar, where you could go with a couple of friends and find a seat at the huge horseshoe bar. Â that's not really the case anymore, as more often than not this place is packed. Â more power to it, and congratulations. Â cheap drinks, couple of pool tables, darts, foosball, and a good jukebox, make it worth a visit, just do it early so you can beat the scene.
Review Source:The Shanty is one of those dive bars that still thinks it's a cocktail lounge. The signs haven't changed since the day they opened and they are shanty indeed. The inside isn't much better as this small hall superbly represents the quintessential dive bar. So shanty on over for one stiff cocktail that is still pretty cheap and hang out with the old-school Cardiff locals.
Review Source:
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