May 30, 2025—The Shack is back, and quite possibly better than ever.
That would be newsworthy enough—for too long, the old-school wooden snack bar at Lovers Point Park and Beach was an unused element passersby hungered for.
Also newsworthy: Its new operators also oversee local favorites Stokes Adobe in downtown Monterey, and Margaritaville and Pete’s in Capitola.
That means they know what they’re doing, particularly when it comes to historic properties and well-executed comfort food.
“To me, with Stokes and The Snack Shack, I feel like we’re visitors in these locations,” says Sarah Orr, who directs the restaurant group. “These spaces belong to—and have long served—the community.”
Nostalgia represents something people will pay for, and handsomely at that.
So it’s nice that the smash burger at the reborn Snack Shack at Lovers Point in Pacific Grove runs a reasonable $12.
That comes sizzled to order amid a setting it’s harder to put a price tag on, especially on a late spring day tapping enough blue sky and sunshine that jumping into the cove’s waters pre-lunch was irresistible too.
The simple satisfaction happening on the menu befits the Snack Shack name: hot dogs ($6), French fries ($8), garlic fries ($12), onion rings ($10), soft-serve ice cream and playful “Dirt in a Cup” ($10), with chocolate soft serve layered with crushed Oreo “soil” and gummy worms.
Savvy sourcing—note the Martin’s Famous potato rolls on the burgers and dogs, Hebrew National franks and Straus Family Creamery ice cream—reflects restauranteur/owner Orr’s overall approach.
“I’ve worked in restaurants from a very young age, and I’m personally passionate about dining and hospitality,” she says. “Whether super casual or higher end, we’re very committed to quality.”
The vibe, meanwhile, clicks with Pagrovia’s ongoing ambition to be “America’s Last Hometown.”
“It’s really fun to work there,” Orr says. “You get to talk to all these people, and everyone’s in a good mood.”
Also newsworthy: The Shack and its agreeable team have worked the coveside spot since Labor Day, which means they’re ready for their first summer as an unofficial visitors center, directing people along the Rec Trail, doing some nature guiding, and serving as the park’s lost and found.
And they’ve already experienced plenty of bustle, with the line reaching the top of the stairs that run to the beach below.
Daniel Dabney, a former expediter at Stokes, offered to run the new endeavor after Orr et al. won the five-year lease from the city on the strength of its business plan.
(As Pam Marino reports for Monterey County Weekly, that first half decade will be followed by a potential “five-year renewal at the city’s sole discretion, depending on how successful, clean, well-staffed and profitable it is for the city—rent is based on percentage of gross income, with a guaranteed amount paid to the city every month.”)
Dabney asked for the manager gig because he’d frequent the spot any time the fog lifted.
“Any warm day, I went to Lovers Point,” he says, “I looked at the building and thought, ‘What a spot to work. Wouldn’t it be awesome if it got back up and running? I would love to be part of that.'”
As the Shack staffers direct people to Adventures by the Sea rentals and The Beach House’s local’s sunset deals, a jewel of Pacific Grove feels much more complete.
“People have felt really nostalgic because they have come here for generations,” Bryan says. “Some have lived here as kids and moved away, and lots have worked here too.”
It all resembles something out of a summery popcorn movie, a feel-good spot that only gets more fun as doggies pull their humans down for complimentary cookies and a slurp of water.
Steady hours—a city priority when it considered dozens of proposals for the space—are 10:30am-5:30pm Monday-Friday and 10am-6pm weekends, with later closing times likely coming as summer reaches its peak, and many more locals realize an old and magnetic friend has been resuscitated.
“Like so many, I’ve always gravitated toward the spot,” Dabney says. “It’s iconic. And beautiful.”
More at snackshackloverspoint.com and The Snack Shack’s Instagram page.
About the author
Mark C. Anderson, Edible Monterey Bay's managing editor, appears on "Friday Found Treasures" via KRML 94.7 every week, a little after 12pm noon. Reach him via mark@ediblemontereybay.com.
