Garlic Shack

Great costumer service, so friendly and inviting! Portions are huge and great soda selection. Got the Korean beef sandwich and the bacon fries, delicious!!!

Had little beer party with co-​workers at garlic shack. really enjoyed their beer selections. my favorite one is far out ipa!!! So far!!! awesome!!! This is favorite spot!!!

I wanted to try the Korean Beefholic, but the fella at register said, «really?! (as if that’s all anyone orders)» I asked what I should get, and he told me to get the Italian Mortadellaholic. I know what you’re thinking– what the heck is MORTADELLA?! Well i’ll tell you in simple terms, it’s an upscale version of Bologna. So being the adventurous guy I am, I had to try it.
Yup, the sandwich did not disappoint! My friend also got the Spicy Pork, that was good too. Both sandwiches packed some flavor, and definitely filling. Wasn’t enough to «holy crap wow» me, but satisfying nonetheless.
As sides, we got the Garlic Fries and the Wasabi Fries. I love garlic, so yes, those fries were good. But hold-​up, the Wasabi fries?! I’m a fan of wasabi, but I just couldn’t enjoy it after a while. The powder on it is so strong, that after my first bite, my nose instantly cleared up. If you’re into something new, i’d say you try it out.
Hip place on the corner of 25^th, and excellent customer service. I’ll be back to try out more selections.

Great experience! The host/​cashier (Ana? I forgot to ask personally but overheard her name) was extremely friendly and was awesome at welcoming me. She introduced me to how it was a soft opening, to the range of sodas they had available, to a small history lesson of the establishment.
I ended up getting the Korean Porkaholic and a Sioux City Ginger Beer. The Porkaholic is apparently one of the more popular choices and after eating it, I could see why. It’s tasty and flavorful and can get a bit messy. It has a small hint of spice so the first few bites might not get you but after awhile it builds up just a bit (personal tolerance for spice isn’t that high however). No complaints about the experience overall.

My bf has been raving about this place since it opened. I finally tried it out & was surprised at how flavorful everything was. We got the noodle soup, which portion wise was HUGE! We shared it & asked them to put it in 2 bowls and each large bowl was almost full. We still had leftovers to take home. We also tried the sweet potato tots. Again, delicious, especially with their mint ketchup! & lastly, the Garlicky Meataholic was so unique & full of flavor in every bite. From the homemade toasted bread, to the sweet slaw, to the Korean bbq flavored sauce. The meatballs were so tender & cooked perfectly! No other restaurant has lasted in this spot, I’m really hoping enough patrons just try it out. You won’t be disappointed!

My bf and I have seen this place recently open in the neighborhood and decided to take a chance, seeing as how previous businesses didn’t survive. Beforehand, we’d seen the amazing ratings on here and that made us only more curious.
First impressions walking in were resoundingly positive. The vibe from the «shack» was very cozy and inviting. The staff was serviceable, super friendly, and approachable. The menu is straightforward with a variety of food choices. They also have beers on tap and a huge selection of unheard of sodas (2 of which we tried and were refreshing and delicious).
Now to answer the pressing question in your mind: «is the food any good?»
The answer is undeniably — YES!
I had a very flavorful and filling chicken salad sandwich, mind you they’re more like tortas lol
My bf tried the turkey sandwich with wasabi mayo (he hates wasabi), but the rest of the ingredients were so flavorful that they overshadow the taste of wasabi.
All-​in-​all… AMAZING. Totally recommend and can’t wait to go back and try more for ourselves!

Two words: SO GOOD. Service was amazing; sweetest server ever. She was super informative on everything and helped my boyfriend and I choose sandwiches. I had the spicy porkaholic and my man had the Korean beef sandwich with a side of sweet potato tots. Dear lord, those tots will have me coming back. Also? The décor was rad as hell.

Great sandwiches! Portion size vs. price is generous as most sandwiches run about 8 bucks. There is a parking lot here but it does need some repaving done (the entrance to the lot is pretty jacked so turn in and out slowly). Service is very friendly and top notch. This spot is in the hood of SD but it makes the sandwiches that much better.

This place is my patented five fire emoji worthy. Vintage sodas, cool décor, intimate reaction with a bonus of the intimate relationship feel with the workers.
I got the Lulu Chickenholic sandwich. Your taste buds will love this. You get a bite of bread, the potion of soft chicken salad and grilled sweet onions, & you finish it of with a nice subtle crunch with of iceberg lettuce and beansprouts. Portions are huge. I normally can eat a lot but I had to take the other half home.
We also ordered a side of fries to try the various sauces (sticky bbq, spicy ketchup, & mint ketchup).
I definitely will be coming back. I need to try the Garlic Shack Dogs!

Korean beefholic sandwich!!! Incredible sauces including spicy catchup & some type of sweet chili. Staff was super friendly.
They just got beer too. I will be back soon. Probably tomorrow.

Everything I’ve tried from here has been amazing so far. The sandwiches are so creative and unique, and huge! It’s hard to find a restaurant that will fill you up and leave you with some left over for such a decent price. I’m about to become a regular here.

The customer service was excellent. From start to finish we were catered to. The San Diego dog (pictured top left) was the best dog I’ve ever had. Garlic fries were the truth too, I’ll def be back soon!

Stopped here after an afternoon In Balboa Park. It’s a fun little corner spot on the corner of 25^th and Market. The staff is super friendly and accommodating.
Sandwiches are definitely large enough to share; packed with ingredients and presented well. They are planning to expand their menu to include burgers. This would be an improvement as there are no menu options for the more finicky eater, like a kid. The dining area is clean and cute.
An overall good experience. If you want something a lot different from Subway, with large portions and unique flavors, this is your spot.

They are serving from a soft open menu. Excellent sandwiches and dogs. A million flavored sodas. I tried the spicy Korean pork sandwich. It was good but it was indeed hot. Halfway through half of the sandwiches I asked for a bit of cilantro and it was soooooooo perfect. Love the look and vibe of the place. The guava beer is so delicious with just a hint of fruit. The Wasabi fries were too much for my pallet but the garlic fries were just the right amount of garlic.

So I said I was going to come for the dogs, and I most definitely did!
So I tried their FritosHolic which is Cajun polish keilbasa, gourmet chili, green peppers, chopped onions, Fritos, provolone and spicy bbq spread. Absolutely rocked my socks! I was concerned about bbq spread but honestly I hardly taste it. The chili was delish! I loved the Cajun polish dog also. The serving was huge. I’m guilty for leaving the bun, but I ate everything else in it.
I also had the cheesy bacon fries. I had the garlic fries before and I previous described the fries not crispy to my liking. But this was crispier and it was very tasty.
And I would to add that they have their liquor license now! I had two glasses of the Hubba Bubba, it was delicious. Sweet but not to sweet with a hint of bananas.
Another thing they also do soju cocktails for 16 $ a pitcher!
Sorry for the !!! Got a little excited. But if you’re reading this right now, you better go and try it. I want to come back and try the San Diego Dogholic.

Yaaaaaaaay! This place is awesome. The cursed corner of one shoddy restaurant after another has finally gotten decent place. The menu? Looks amazing. The beverages? Tons of unique sodas and beer. The staff? Friendly and hardworking. The décor? Great and there’s plenty of seating. I went in for the first time on a rainy night when I didn’t want to cook dinner. I went with their most popular sandwich the Korean Beefholic. Think philly cheesesteak with korean bbq. See? Awesome. I tried the corn nuggets which were sweet and kept the heat down on the sandwich. I loved the garlic fries because they were SERIOUSLY GARLICKY. Garlic garlic garlic. Garlic Shack isn’t messing around with the garlic on the fries. If you don’t like garlic, stick with sea salt. If you’re looking for a place to grab a sandwich or hot dog (eventually burgers after the grand opening) stop by Garlic Shack!

My bro suggested a new place to check out and I asked him what it’s called. He said, «Garlic Shack.» I said, «I’m down!» I mean, why would you turn down a place called GARLIC shack?! Haha. Anyway, the hostess/​cashier and cook were really friendly! She introduced to the soft menu and made her recommendations.
I opted to try the ‘Spicy Porkholic.’ This was not too spicy and the pork was nice and tender. The sandwich is 8 inches long and packed with flavor. I was only able to finish half of it. Don’t forget to try the sauces which are to the right of the refrigerator full of soda. I really liked the ‘Asian sauce.’
I’m really curious to try the ‘Handsome Fries’ because it has a fried egg on it. haha. I wouldn’t necessarily say that every item on the menu is garlic infused. The fries are where the garlic flavors are. This would be an even cooler place to check out once they get their liquor license ;) Overall, I would return to try other items on the menu. I’ll be back…

Great food & a great price! The Garlic Fries are leggit! The sauces are tasty surprises!
We had the eggplant sandwich which was extraordinary! Yummy fried eggplant with crunchy bean sprouts & a special saucr! Add some of the sesame sauce for the perfect sandwich!

I’ve been waiting for this place to open up, and now I finally had the chance to go check it out myself after hearing all the raves on nextdoor. I got the eggplant sandwich and it was huge, and super yummy. They have a wide variety of all sorts of sodas, and soon beer on tap. Girl working up front was super sweet and helpful. No kids menu YET, but they graciously will put together what they can for a picky eater like my daughter.
I would have given a 5 star if they had better ventilation. I don’t like leaving a place and having my clothes and hair smelling like fried food. Otherwise great place! Can’t wait to go and try something different off the menu!
*****Been back there 3 times since my initial review. Ventilation is not an issue anymore! Love love their food. I’ve tried so many different things. I eat off my friends plates too… have to try all that they offer! Brawts r made by owner as well as the bread, and everything else. Obvious how he puts so much love/​care into food. Had the MakeMeHot Ramen today… OMG! Sooo good n filling, kobe beef, spicy yummy broth !

Had the eggplant sandwich — crispy deep-​fried eggplant slices complemented with a secret sauce (I’m using artistic license to call it that) and lots of crunchy bean sprouts and chopped iceberg lettuce on a dreamy house-​baked onion and garlic bun.
The new owner is super nice, although I’m concerned about fatigue. I am told he is commuting from Pasadena, arriving at 4:30am to bake bread and make everything from scratch, then leaving for home after 10 PM.
Garlic Shack is waiting on its alcohol license; once it’s processed, they will be serving craft beer on tap.