The Burger Shack & Beer Garden — Restaurant in Port Isabel

TLDR; Do not go to this restaurant. It has cockroaches.

I'm giving one star only because I can't give zero. I have never written a review online before, but after leaving this place I felt obligated to let others know my experience.

A few things to start off: (1) when the name of the restaurant calls this establishment a shack, they are not joking, (2) it is cash only, and (3) when you ask for water to drink, they only give out bottled water ($1.25 each).

Ordered #420 burger. It was a large burger with a juicy patty, and it came with a meager amount of average tasting fries.

As I trying to enjoy myself while simultaneously munching on my burger and waving my other hand over my plate to fight off the cloud of house flies trying to taste my french fries, I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye in between my friend's plate and mine.

What I saw was a roughly two inch long cockroach making its way to my friend's plate. I quickly stood up and backed away, and it returned to a crevice in the table where it must have come from.

A few minutes later the waiter come to the table to check on us and the exchange went along the lines of this....

Waiter: How is everything going? Me: Not great, actually. We were just eating and there was a huge cockroach crawling over the table where our food was. Waiter: Oh jeez, that isn't good. Me: gives waiter look, waiting for him to take some sort of corrective action or give an explanation Waiter: Look man, maybe if you were inside I could do something, but you guys are sitting outside. I don't own the place, so I can't really pull any strings for you guys......I'm sorry about that, I wish I could do something.......but, you guys are sitting outside, remember.

I promptly paid the bill with my remaining cash and left without leaving a tip.

I urge you not to go to...

I never write reviews but this place just really upset me. Burger Shack is a shell of what it once was under this new management. This place used to be a jewel of port Isabel offering delicious burgers and good island vibes. And now? You’re walking into a filthy and soulless restaurant. You can tell the only thing the new owners saw when they opened this place was dollar bills because they have cheaped out on everything while hiking up the prices. You used to walk into this burger joint listening to island appropriate classic rock and now you hear cholo rap blasting from the kitchen. If that’s your vibe… go for it. There is flies everywhere and you can see the lack of proper hygiene in the kitchen. The food is really lackluster. The burger patties are dry. They’re lacking in seasoning. The fries taste of freezer burn. I once made the mistake of ordering nachos here and it was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made in my life. They microwaved the nachos before handing them to me causing the cheese to harden and taste like plastic. I have never seen a restaurant fail at making a dish a child can make!

This place is a stain on port Isabel and is only there so they can profit off of your hard earned money. Soulless and no passion. Just greed and filth. They completely ruined the legacy of the elderly couple who used to manage this place. Stay away. Give your business to the hard working people of Port Isabel and SPI not...

Be advised: it's cash only. We split a burger which incurred a split fee. Problem was we were charged for two burgers, which I didn't realize until we'd already left. Why didn't I catch it at the time I paid? Because I never received a check. I walked up to the counter on the way out and the owner told me the total. I never received a written statement of what we ordered and owed. I don't think she did it on purpose, but it fits with the loosey-goosey way this place is run.

The owner is very friendly and REALLY big on personality, loudly announcing "virgins" to whole patio if you've never been there before. Avoid this place if you're an introvert.

The decor is part dive bar, part charming patio, with mismatched chairs and tables. It's dog friendly.

Burgers were okay. For patties that are steamed, they were surprisingly dry. Burger toppings and fries were good.

Our local fishing guide that morning recommended this place, which in hindsight makes sense. This is really a place for locals to hang out and gab. If I could be regular, I might consider coming back (imagine a place like Cheers where they call out your name as you walk in the door).

But as a tourist, only go if you're looking for a so-so burger in a really eclectic setting where you might be overcharged. The food alone isn't reason...