Great space and view, with good quality food and service. Try to visit during the week as the weekends may get extremely crowded. You may end up waiting for 10-15 minutes to order but it is worth it! The view is amazing and the prices are very reasonable compare to the location and the quality. Highly recommended, especially if you are visiting OC.

I wish I could give this place less than a one and that would be more appropriate for more than a single reason.Let’s begin with the food. I’m a vegetarian and I the only options I had were the Cove Veggie and the Impossible Burger.Given that I had the impossible burger before I was like yeah this should be filling. However, they serve you with less than half the patty and stuff your burger buns with raw veggies with little to no sauce. I’ve attached an image of the Shake Shack patty and what a whole Impossible Burger patty looks like for your reference.The Crystal Cove Impossible Burger costs $12.99 before tax! You get a pack of 4 at Target for 13.49. For the amount they serve you, it’s a complete rip off.I take this up with the staff there and their response is “Sorry sir, that’s how it is served. It’s non refundable”Save yourself the pain of standing in line for about 20-25 minutes and waste of money if you’re vegetarian.It’s not worth it!

Visiting family and this is a favorite spot of theirs. Loved the view and the food was delicious. Loved that my kiddos could get pb&j with french fries. Only a 20 minute drive from where we are so totally doable. The guys working were on it with any hiccup we came across with our orders.

The shakes we had were absolutely delicious. I did have some issues later and when I looked on their website (something I should have done before ordering) they do have an allergy warning about nuts for all of their shakes. I ordered a dark chocolate strawberry so I didnt even think to ask about allergens because I dont have a problem with strawberries, chocolate or dairy. If you have food allergies and sensitivity, make sure you ask up front.Pictured: Dark Chocolate Strawberry, Banana Creme, and Chocolate Banana.

This is got to be one of my favorite spots to stop after a long hike it’s a tradition around Southern California and if you’ve never been by you have to stop while cruising PCH

Crystal Cove Shake Shack is always a great choice. The only thing better than the food is the awesome view. I recommend catching a sunset here at least once. This place is always busy, so plan accordingly.

It is exactly what you should expect from a beach-side burger place. Great burgers and very good shakes/malts. The parking can be a bit of a challenge at certain times, but you can always park across the street and walk a bit. Its worth the hassle and the service was quick and pleasant. Keep calm and enjoy a good example of southern California lifestyle.

Sooooo tasty! Have tried coming here a few times and the parking situation is always a nightmare unless you have time to kill waiting to get into the parking lot (like 20 mins +). We went on a weekday afternoon and had no issues. Burger and fries was tasty and shake was great too! Such beautiful views while eating!!

Fun place to visit with an awesome view! The food was tasty but slightly overpriced. We paid over $75 for burgers, fish and chips, not chili fries, clam chowder and 3 shakes. I had the BLT with chili fries. It was good but not spectacular for the $13. My daughter got the fish and chips and the fish was delicious!! Its served with Chips(homemade), not fries, which were tasty. My husband got the burger which was good. The clam chowder is DELICIOUS and a great deal for only like $5. They have an amazing assortment of shakes. The salted caramel was super salty, I wouldnt order it again. The Oreo shake is the best Ive ever had! We also got the dark chocolate strawberry shake which was OK. Also got a cheeseburger kids meal for my youngest which looked almost the same size as my husbands burger. We will all be ordering kids meals and clam chowders next time, lol! Will definitely stop by again.

Burgers and shakes were tasty! Vegan burger option was a bonus. Amazing views.

Had shake shack in portland or, area and its amazing, tried this one as the 1st Ive tried in California, burger was pretty bland, nowhere even close to the same. Expected the same quality or close-i know the menu is different at this location but assumed the standard deluxe burger would be good. Fish sandwich was great, get that if you go to this location. The view is amazing here but burger left me disappointed

Good food taste was great good temperature perfect crispy fries not bad recommend this place to have a chill vibe . Amazing view, shakes not to sugary but really nice blended amazing people keep the good work super clean

Loved their burger & salted caramel shake, went for lunch was a bit hot waiting in line

Heres the deal with Crystal Cove Shake Shack - it is an iconic burger joint with great burgers and fries and views that will knock your socks off. Theres a reason people wait in lines back to the stop sign and that reason is because its worth it.Burgers are great especially with griddled onions. Fries are great in all forms especially chili. Skip the sweet potato fries. Skip the slaw. DO NOT sleep on the BLT. Outrageous and unexpected. The malts are legit malty. The views? Come on. Just go get in line.

Dont know if theres a highway fast food with a better view in the world. Great food also. Clam chowder was special.

The staff here is so friendly and amazing! They are such hard workers and get your food out ASAP!The mud pie shake was delicious! Also had the cove cheeseburger with chili cheese fries and they were fantastic. Patty is nice and juicy, cheese melted, right amount of sauce. Cant comment on the bun as I had a lettuce wrap but Ill go back and try it soon. You know... for you guys reading the reviews... and science.The view is spectacular. You can see all of the cove. They even have a few seats up against the railing so you can enjoy the beach. Seating is rather limited though, as its such a small area.I do recommend coming before 1130 as the lunch rush seems a bit savage. You could also come after the rush is over and before the dinner rush. Luckily we had ordered and sat at around 1120 and right after we sat down there was a line stretching down PCH.

Good food, great coastal vibe, very friendly service, and a parking nightmare! Haha. It is not uncommon to see 10 cars stacked up in line, on the highway, waiting for a shot at one of the 12 parking places.Also not uncommon to see a line of 30 people, because many walk up, waiting for excellent shakes and fresh a grilled burgers.

Very fun place. Theur food was fresh and the views are amazing. Highly recommend. Order their house burger!

I went on to this place during lunch after hiking at crystal Cove State Park. Just right next to the beach, the pacific ocean view is definitely the cherry on the Shake😁. I had the Pina Colada Shake and it was yum 😋. Also had some burgers and fries for lunch. I liked the cajun fries but not the cheese fries. Do expect long lines during weekends.

Parking is very tough on weekends, we saw a car being ticketed because it was illegally parked on the exit ramp from the restaurant.Food is good and the fries portion is generous. And what a view!!

Loved the view and the shakes!! I got the fish and chips and they were very fresh! Service was super quick and friendly!

Shake was very good. Double cheese burger was ok not the best I ever had, but view is excellent.Very little parking and just a handful of beaches and tables.

Yummy af. Baller burger. Fun setting for a low key quick date!

Good burger joint. Very busy. Parking is extremely limited. There is almost always going to be long line to get in. Parking only holds about 10 cars. Its great if you have a bike or motorcycle. The view is amazing. I can only imagine what the sunset looks like. The food is a solid 8 out of 10.

Cinammon french toast combo, 4 instead of 5 stars as only 1 out of the 3 pieces was cooked enough to have a hard/crunchy bottom and the centers were too undercooked for my preference. But it also comes with bacon (gave to hubs to add to his burger) and eggs. So much food that I couldnt eat the last few bites, which if you knew me, youd know that hardly EVER happens. Coffee was good!

Super yummy shakes like no joke they are thick and delicious. Parking is limited soo please be warned. The view is AMAZING since its literally at the top of the cliff. They have water bowls for dogs which i think is great. Overall super happy

Fries, burgers, malts, shakes and so much more. If youre looking for delicious comfort food, and desserts with a spectacular view this roadside shack is the place to visit. With plenty of seating and umbrellas to shield you from the heat on beautiful sunny days Its definitely a roadside stop worth visiting. On the weekends, there can be a line with cars of all types of makes and models backed up along the side of the road, however the guests are really friendly and seek to help move people along as they leave their spot bellies full of delectables. Even on hot days, the cool breeze coming up the cliff will match the chill inside inside your stomach after taking a bite of a banana split or a sip of a chocolate shake. I was really surprised at the speed at which our order was ready. The place was packed there wasnt an empty place to sit until 2 minutes before our order was called out on the loud speaker. If you like the people watch, youll get a chance to meet with people visiting from all around the world. It was nice just to sit and hear all the different languages and accents and the variety of swimsuit attire worn by the patrons gobbling down the goodies. Believe it or not, its actually a place where couples have proposed overlooking the beautiful ocean view and zoning out as they watch the beachgoers do their best to challenge the ocean waves crashing onto the shore. Not too much further down the street, if you feel like a steak theres Javiers and several other excellent restaurants not half a mile up the street. There are no parking attendants to force you to leave so you can stay as long as you like. Come with an appetite and you wont be disappointed. Id even suggest dipping your fries into a chocolate shake, just try it. Everything was fresh; nothing sat out. The fries were super hot and the shakes were super frosty. Fast and efficient and worth four stars. Thank you Crystal Cove Shack Shake! I had a wonderful day.

This line has probably been said too many times about this burger joint. One comes to this place not for the food, but the view is simply exceptional.Theres nothing better than a burger with fries and with a view like this. You look down to the beach, with rock cliffs on the 2 sides. Having a burger here make you really enjoy life.Enjoy folks, heres to the good life.

Great old fashioned hamburger fries shake! Priceless view.

Fish and chips were okay. A little soggy not as crispy as I was hoping for but the portions (fish, cole slaw, fries) were very nice. Son tried the burger and it was very good. The peanut butter shake was better than the peanut butter cup shake. BLTa looked refreshing and our guest liked it but I did not try it. I dont think I have ever had to wait in a turn lane on a highway for a parking spot before. I let the passengers out to get in the food line while I waited to park. It timed almost perfectly. View from the seats was very nice. Great value and ambiance for the price.

Amazing selection of malts and shakes. For how small the place is they have a great diverse menu. They even have an impossible hamburger. Highly recommend going here during the week when the line is not as crazy.

Best views. Crazy good milk shakes

This is a place where regulars go to relax and have their lunch. Note that it is crowded even on weekdays and since the parking is limited, the line of cars extend on PCH! The beach views are amazing. You will want to sit on the bar / bench.We had the impossible burger and the veggie sandwich. The burger wasnt great, the bun and patty were small. The sandwich was great! I ordered a date banana shake which was amazing! I highly recommend going there when you have some time to wait in the lines and want to relax watching the waves crash on the shore

Good burgers with a view.

The shakes are very delicious. The view is great also,nice little location.

The view is amazing and the food is decent.

The burger & fries are great. The shakes are just full of sugar they’re hard to drink.

Some SoCal sun, ocean breeze, family & great shakes all around(mine was Oreo). One of the best milkshakes Ive ever had. So good I went back the next day.

Great location, great food, good prices, very tasty. I visited a friend in the area for lunch and we wanted to grab a burger. He suggested Rubys and I said Shake Shack, I won. We got there relatively early for lunch and both of us found parking. Shortly after the place was packed with cars lined up waiting for a spot. The burgers are great, fries are good, and amazing choices for the shakes. Gorgeous views of the ocean while eating here, right by Crystal Cove. Highly recommended!

Reasonable prices and good service.

Good views of the water! Nice patio covering so you aren’t getting blasted with sun. Food was good not great. It was pretty basic. It was the most cost efficient place we ate which was nice. Staff was friendly!

This place rocks!! Food and shakes are good, and of course the VIEWS are amazing!! Parking kinda sucks but what do you expect when the place is packed all the time!! You guys have a great thing going here! Would love to see them expand!!

Most Iconic burger location I’ve ever seen. Hot fries, delicious shakes, great burger, beautiful view

Orders takes forever to receive.... Burgers are plain and dont have much flavor, and no salt on fries. The only thing good was the atmosphere and the view of the ocean.

Great views with great food and fantastic service!! The prices are just right!! A nice walk from the beach!! Parking is for during customers visits, please take car with you so we keep this great landmark!! Thank you Crystal Cove

Very expensive and average food. But excellent views

Would have been five stars had we not been delayed by getting a different number than the one they called for our order. It was made right after I went back to the window to check on our order.Burger and dog were both great. A new basket of fresh fries made it right. Stuff happens and if it gets fixed, like it did here, great.Great views, great food and shakes.

The food is solid. You can even get a craft brew with your delicious double cheeseburger. The view is world class.

Not great... got moldy bread with one of the sandwiches. Would not recommend for food but the shakes are pretty good.

This place has an amazing breakfast with a view. They are also dog friendly which for me is a huge plus!!!! You eat great food outside in the beach air with a peaceful view! Cant ask for more than that :)

Great milkshakes. Great fish and chips. Great views of the ocean. Highly recommend.

First timers with family and each of us ordered Burgers, fries and couple of shakes. Location is the best of course with ocean views. Outside dining available. We walked a bit and picked a view spot from Crystal Cove State Park. State CA Pass accepted. Food was a bit pricey but expected as a historic local spot. Business now owned by Rubys. The burgers were decent but taste not overwhelming different. They fold iceberg lettuce which is better than a flat leaf that gets soggy. Patty was two thin beef patties with two slices of cheese. Shakes were like a soft serve, $6.99 and in a paper cup. Menu was diverse. Expect to wait in line very popular. Location was best part of the outing which allows walks on the beach when done. Plan during low tide to walk on rocks and see tide pools.

Very Good food and nice views. We happened to be fortunate and did not have to wait for parking.

Excellent shakes and root beer float. Cajun and chilli fries were great. The cove burger was delicious. Nothing beats a good ol fashion burger with a view of the ocean. Definitely a great first time experience

Tasty dinner with a view. Great milkshakes!

Great food, delicious shakes & a great time with my kiddos!

Personally I like all their foods, their burger with sweet potato fries is my favorite! I tried their vanilla shack and it was okay. But yesterday we got pineapple and date shacks, they were just sugar and regular ice cream! I just had two spoons and threw it away! 16$ for two cups of ice cream!

Famous restaurants Delicious cod and winter mint shake for lunch champ full view ocean beautiful day, its was perfect

It’s worth the wait to get a parking spot and take a few minutes to enjoy the view and some stellar food! I got the peanut butter shake and a chicken salad sandwich. BOOM! Crazy delicious! My kid dropped his grilled cheese and fries and the waitress had the mess picked up and a new plate of food for him in record time! So rad!

OMG this place is best to enjoy nice food with view. Lots of trails near by to hike. You can bring your best furry friend too.

Outside of the limited parking situation everything is good. The burgers are classic burgers and the milkshakes are even better but the main course is the view! Especially around sunsets

Great clam chowder, incredible views.

As usual one of the best shakes with a view on the planet. I suggest a Monkey Flip.

Great food. Nice atmosphere. Amazing view.

Best place to get breakfast in the OC. Adore this place. Great food and beautiful view

Out of this world!! Shakes and burgers!Ordered a dark chocolate strawberry and a chocolate chip shakes.. they were perfectly blended and thick!The burger was cooked beautifully, not dry just enough char.The customer service was excellent, we had just finished a hike and the staff was kind enough to give us a small bowl for out dog. (We lost our bowl on the hike)

Pros: Best views, especially at sunset. Super close to the beach. Great Shakes.Cons: Pricey (Menu available online) and long wait times for food to come up and seating.Other: Decent food, clean, generally friendly staff. Wifes fave is the fish n chips. I like their sweet potato fries as a side.

Workers were fast and super friendly! Good food for a decent price. The squirrels running around were cute and gave a free show lol. Wow what an amazing view of the beach! Such a lovely place will make sure to come back! Oh and dont forget to tip the workers they deserve it :)

The parking was a big issue. You can either wait for someone move out or you can drive next beach parking lot and pay $20 then walk back. In addition to that there was an other line for the order. And one more line for the tables. At the the end we were sitting by the beach with our shakes, that definitely worth it. I am sure it is not that busy always, my experience was on the weekend in July.

Nice views while you’re eating. Good food, but not great. The malt was okay, too. The views make up for it!

Great shakes beautiful view, breakfast was great and my hamburger was delicious.

Dine-in and FOOD IS GREAT!! Drove 1hr to get here lol. And you get to see the ocean and relax while eating too!

I love this spot, another SoCal marvel, on the weekend hopelessly over crowded, original Rubys (I believe, at least it used to be) double hamburgers, coming along with fresh fries and free water for a reasonable price, see price table pics. The shakes are delicious and not cheap, but very modern come with a paper straw. This Sake Shack team can pump out food in a professional, well trained streamline method. Congrats to those great moments here, fun stop over for everybody, from locals to tourist, a truly enjoyable stop over, get a SolCal menu item, sit down, enjoy the beautiful ocean view and close beach feeling.

The lines are ridiculously long, the shakes are good and the sandwiches arent too bad... The beautiful views of the beach below and the beautiful blue Pacific are the things that make this place the most wonderful outing ..

Let me preface by saying this place is always busy. However, they get the food and shakes out fast and keep the parking lot moving. Food was good. Burgers and grilled sandwiches werent greasy and the shakes were a good consistency and flavor. Worth it at least once.

Love this place, beautiful view, friendly service. Get there early to get a parking spot, there are only a few.

Disappointing given the ratings. Very nice sitting area but our food came out cold and soggy.

Love this place. Great views and good food. You have to wait for a parking spot but the line moves fast.

The only Good this About this Place is the View! Please go During Sunset hours, umbrellas Don’t work for Squat, Food is Okay, And the Shake literally was like melted ice Cream. The place was Very Dirty and unorganized. Took a peak inside the Kitchen.. it was Filthy and All over the Place. Restroom was very Dirty the whole place was a Mess.

Loved the view. The coffee was delightful and the food was delicious 😋

Amazing staff, food, and location. What an amazing place for to come too!!!! Definitely will be back.

So I’ll say it’s kind of pricey here.. but not really! 9.95 for a burger and fries, BUT A real tasty burger and fries! And 6.99 is kinda a lot for a shake, but their shakes are soooooooooo gooooood!!!!! I highly recommend and p.s don’t park in their parking for beach access they’ll tow you fast as flash!

It was a little too crowded. The food is delicious. Try to order online if you can. Currently there is no outdoor sitting

Excellent place to grab a burger with the ocean view. Crazy amount of celebrities when I eat there too.

The hamburger and fries was great as usual, but their most important item their shake was bad. I ordered a Oreo shake and It was warm and runny and hardly any Oreo in it. I dont think Ill be ordering a shake from them again. Not worth the $7☹

Good food, great views

The line may be long but its worth the wait. Beautiful views of the ocean with good food

Great ambiance. My $7 pineapple shake tasted like a vanilla shake. I dont like vanilla. 😥😥 Poor me. Beware... Most of our shakes tasted like just vanilla.

We have heard about I t from friends and tried it. Its great food and shakes are good. Views of beach are also fantastic!!!

I should have stopped by years ago when the prices were lower. And, I understand it was busy but there’s no reason not to give me a full portion of clam chowder and also no reason to give me my shake 10 minutes after I received my clam chowder.

Having recently left Palm Springs, we were craving a date shake and made a detour here on the way to L.A. Yes, were the kind of people who make detours for milkshakes.It was worth it though. The queue wasnt too unbearable but it did take a little time to find a spot to park (at 17:00). That all pales into insignificance when you get the unctuous creamy hit of your first sip of milkshake. There were little pieces of date and a hint of almond, with whipped cream and a cherry on top. The shack is perched over the sea; the view would have been amazing even without the food. The service is very friendly.

I wasnt expecting much and the shake shack met those expectations. We ordered the ahi tuna sandwich, Cajun fries, fish and chips and a glass of wine and a beer. First up was the wine served in a Peets coffee plastic cup?! So like did the employee go bum some Plastic cups off a friend that works at Peets or did they wash the plastics cups after getting an ice tea before work? I hope its the former. For ahi it was bland and flavorless on a old wheat bun that definitely should have been tossed, no flavors as all from the rest of the ingredients. The fish and chips resembled frozen chicken tenders and didnt taste much better. The view is great so that really is what you are getting. Skip the food next time and just get a cup of wine in a Peets coffee cup and enjoy the view.

First time to ever visit any Shake Shack . The shakes were five star they were great the location was great wonderful View. However the food was mediocre at best just another burger joint. But the worst thing is we spent $40 for two cheeseburgers and two shakes with a side of fries to me that is outrageous

The prices have gone up and the quality has gone down. The shake price is $7.99 each. When we got them, it was not a shake at all. Both were pure liquid with whipped cream on top. We bought two shakes and a french fry. It cost us $19.35. If youre paying those prices you should receive a quality shake and perfectly cooked fries. The french fry had no salt on them. Overall this was the worst experience I have had here. Other people in front of us were returning their french fries too. Definitely not worth the cost. The only good thing about this place is the view.

A fast food restaurant with an amazing view of the beach. Conveniently located near the Crystal cove hiking trail, this place offers burgers, Hot dogs and shakes.The food is acceptable, thought the shakes are good, but the view is what gives it 4 stars.

Nice little spot to stop and get food or ice cream! Parking lot is small and it seems to be pretty busy. We drove past the place and up a quarter mile theres a beach parking that you can follow a paved path back to the shake shack. Fun experience and nice place to stop

Shakes are very good and so is the impossible burger! Thanks - highly recommend

If you can stand to wait for a parking spot (about 15 min) what a fun place to eat and watch the ocean.

There was a long line into a small parking, but things moved quickly. I ordered fish with cheese fries. The fish wasnt crispy and I only got plain fries. When I asked for cheese I was told there wasnt any and they didnt even offer a refund. I had gotten such good reviews, but after my experience I cant recommend this restaurant to anyone.

I tried the oreo shake and it was pretty good. It was a little expensive, but its right by the beach so it was understandable.