Clare & Don's Beach Shack — Restaurant in Falls Church

I have been a regular customer at The Shack since moving back to the area in 2004. I go for the burgers, atmosphere, and friendly servers and bartenders. It has been our family go-to restaurant for many family events. Given that, I am still shaken from the experience I had today. I took my grandson for lunch, as it is one of my grandchildren’s favorite places. I ordered a medium rare burger. When it arrived I found it to be brown all the way through. I showed it to the server, and she happily took it back. Within minutes, another one came out that was raw. It looked as if it was on the grill just long enough to brown the outsides. It was so raw, the paddy had no firmness at all and was squishing out the sides of the bun. I apologized for my pickiness and asked if it could be put back on for a few minutes. I was told the owners were in the kitchen and would make sure it was right. Suddenly, a man came out from the kitchen and plopped the burger down in from of me. When I tried to explain that there is a difference between raw and rare, he berated me for sending back the burger. I told him that if he was going to give me a hard time about it, I would just keep it. He left and immediately returned with charred halves of a burger paddy and threw them down in front of me saying, “Here, if you want it more cooked, eat this.” By this time, I was tearing up, as I was so shocked by his aggressive and unexpected treatment. While the woman helping us tried to make it better and kindly offered another item, more drinks, or dessert, we just wanted to finish and get out of there as my 13 year old grandson was as upset as I. At no time did either of the owners come out to talk with me about the incident. I paid the full bill, and I, nor anyone in my family, will...

I have enjoyed food here many times, but I have had a handful of bad experiences. The person behind the Google Business account is extremely disrespectful and dismissive, without even investigating the concerns customers voice. During my recent visit, my order was messed up by the staff. I was emailed a copy of my order and received totally different items such as fish and tater tots instead of my burger and fries. I don't eat fish. Sarcastic or demeaning remarks like "this could never have happened at my restaurant," "I think you are whining and lying," and calling customers "pathetic" are signs of poor customer service and a pitiful owner.

In one reply, the owner says "It seems like you may have the wrong restaurant. That did not happen at my place. I can assure you of that." I have yet to see assurance that you so proclaim.

The outdoor tents are not tied down properly and have almost wrecked havoc by gusts of wind moving them around.

Also, I made a reservation here in February for a going away party. The day of the event, the owner 'cancelled' on us because a bigger party had come in. The staff scrambled to shove us in a tight corner. Our server that day was very nice, but simply unprofessional of the owner to do this to us.

Totally agree with another user... " In all horrible experience and you should look to improve from any and every post. I expect to get food that is as ordered and drinks when I order them. Make customers your priority not just sitting and watching from afar."

If the owner has read through all of this and decides to comment, please support any arguments and claims you make. Also be respectful because reviews and word of mouth...

I was really excited about this place because of the rave food and drink reviews, but it was overall disappointing to say the least. We ordered two margaritas and grilled fish tacos, and none were good. Ordered the margs without ice, but they still tasted watered down and not sweet- hard to explain the taste but they were just bad. The fish tacos were also not good- lacking any flavor, period. I'm not sure any of it was salted, and was expecting some lime or a citrus flavor that wasn't there. The slaw was wilted and old, and none of it was fresh or even warm. The rice isn't even normal rice that comes with fish tacos, it's like sprouted wheat you'd find in a health food store. Very disappointed because I was looking forward to checking this place out. I would say the portions are large, but I'll probably end up throwing all of this away. The only saving grace are the sides of guac, sour cream, and salsa that may help.

I posted the above message on Yelp(thinking it would help improve the quality of the food), and the owner’s response was rude and unprofessional. The temperature was not even the main problem (the food wasn't even warm, it was cold and I live right down the road)- the food should taste good regardless of temperature, which neither the food nor drinks did. Also, the food should taste the same whether it's sit down or to go, basically restaurant rule of thumb lol. I wouldn't recommend this establishment if it was the last place on earth. The business owner likes to reply “lol” when given any slight criticism so I shouldn’t be surprised at their snarky response. Maybe improve your business and you’ll get...