San Diego-based fried chicken chain The Crack Shack is opening a new location in the oceanfront neighborhood of Pacific Beach.
Celebrity Chef Richard Blais - known for appearances on Top Chef, Top Chef All-Stars, Iron Chef America, and his hit primetime cooking competition Next Level Chef - along with his business partner Mike Rosen opened the flagship The Crack Shack location in the space adjacent to their Juniper + Ivy restaurant in November 2015. The fast-casual, counter-service bar and eatery was an instant hit, resulting in a second location opening in Encinitas in early 2017, a third outpost in Orange County's Costa Mesa, and a Los Angeles branch that opened in Westfield Century City, which has since closed. Another Los Angeles branch also opened in Pasadena, but that branch has also since shuttered. There are additional Crack Shack restaurants inside the Park MGM Resort on the Las Vegas Strip, In Lehi and Salt Lake City, UT, and in Denver, CO, with a national expansion planned due to after entering into an investment partnership in late 2020.
The newest location of The Crack Shack is in the planning stages to open in late 2023 in San Diego's Pacific Beach neighborhood. The company recently leased the buildings at 4525 & 4527 Mission Boulevard, located next door to the former Denny's and one block from the beach, and will have to perform substantial construction to build the new restaurant. Expect a mostly al-fresco eatery with a walk-up counter service for ordering, a full bar, and al-fresco patio seating.
The Crack Shack's menu was created by Chef Richard Blais and Culinary Director Jon Sloan and is centered around poultry-based sandwiches, fried chicken, salads, and appetizers, all made with local and organic ingredients, including free-fange Jidori chicken from small farms. Outside of the food, Crack Shack fans flock to the "coops" for the social atmosphere surrounded by whimsical, chicken-inspired artwork, lawn games, and bars stocked with craft cocktails, wines and local beers.
For more information about The Crack Shack, visit crackshack.com
