The Shwack Beach Grill — Restaurant in Dana Point

Came here for dinner with Dena and her parents after we spent a whole day at the OC Fair. Apparently there is a small parking lot in the back but we found street parking immediately so we just opted for that. It seems like there is always a line here, ever since Westways mentioned it, but the line thankfully was not very long when we got there. It was longer by the time we left, however, so I would recommend going early if possible. Seating can also be a challenge; thankfully a table opened up while we were in line so Dena's parents went to go claim it. The seating indoors is pretty limited, but they do have outdoor seating as well. And water is available near the back wall of the restaurant (where the soda machines are).

I got the following: THE SHWACK BURGER: We feature vintage beef, choice prime with no antibiotics or hormones and 1/3 pound hand-shaped patties. Lettuce, tomato, marinated red onion, and shwack sauce on a fresh packed bun. -- I added cheese and avocado on this. I don't understand why places serve burgers without cheese... it's such an important part! The burger was quite good; whatever that shwack sauce is, it is delicious. The burger is not amazing, but it is pretty good and I enjoyed it. The avocado definitely helped; if you love avocadoes, I would recommend adding it! SHWACK SPUDS: Fresh baked Idahoes finished in our Zero Trans Fat Canola oil and served with our homemade Jalapeno Bacon Ranch -- These are thick potato wedges and not french fries. They were a nice addition to the meal and I liked the ranch sauce that came with it, although I did also use ketchup too.

I enjoyed my meal here; I just wish that they had more seating/space available. We left as soon as we were done with our food since there were people waiting for available tables... it would be nice if we could have stayed a little longer to chat. But clearly this place is doing something right if the line is neverending! ;) 3.5 stars rounded up to 4...

I spent so long outlining everything i liked about this place that my computer died and took the review with it before i was done, so here's a paraphrase instead: this is my favorite Dana Point resto.

1.) best EGGS BENEDICT ive ever had, anywhere, and im a snob. Be sure to get there by 11am SHARP or NO BREAKFAST FOR YOU.

2.) best BURGERS in dana point, possibly. I havent tried them all, but the meat is actually good quality and the guys on the grill do good work.

3.) housemade VEGGIE BURGER: Pretty good, but compromise your integrity and get the slaughtered cow patty instead, the cognitive dissonance is worth it.

4.) Beer Selection: Not bad, i think they had 5 on tap, and they always have something local on draft when im there. The only place to best them in DP is Jimmys Famous in this regard. $5 a pint last i knew, even for Left Coast's Asylum Belgium Triple.

5.) Fast, consistent service, outdoor dog friendly seating, blah blah blah. This is THE locals joint IMO. Not a lot of seating, not a lot of TVs, but it's got it where it counts.

6.) BREAKFAST BURRITO: its big, its good, got a nice balance of quality ingredients. Larger and probably better than A's iteration, but theirs is solid too.

7.) FISH TACOS: their fish actually has flavor, and its grilled and nicely seasoned. So far the best fish tacos in DP but i havent sampled everywhere yet.

8.) POTATO things: Usually half of them are slightly overgrilled and dry. IDK why everyone likes them so much but the sauce compliments them nicely and if youre into hearty taters theyre similar to KFC wedges. I'd rather have fries but to each their own. 1 out of 4 times they have been perfect and delicious,...

Overall, our experience at Shwak Beach Grill was okay, but a few things could be improved. The ordering process was a bit unclear—while they had our names, the way food was brought out seemed inconsistent. My friend’s meal was delivered using their name, but when my chicken Caesar salad arrived, the waiter wandered around without calling for me.

The burger was enjoyable, though my friend wasn’t asked how they wanted it cooked—it came well-done and was fine. My Caesar salad was just okay. The portion size was decent, but the chicken pieces were very small, and it was made with iceberg lettuce (I believe) instead of romaine. The shaved parmesan and breadcrumbs were nice, but overall, it could have been better.

Not a bad spot, but there’s room for improvement in service and attention to detail. The tables outdoors where we sat needed to be cleaned thoroughly. The side covered area adjacent to the front entrance only had bar height tables (a few) toward the sides of the sectioned off area. We noticed people dining there with a dog. Its a nice newer building in a cute town but the area should be staged nicer add some tall planters and flowers or plants etc. It didnt look nice toward the...