SHELTER Encinitas

Very in crowd has great layout can host many age groups all enjoying the different areas and gaining popularity so fun for all adults def check out a weekday first you'll have plenty of people to socialize and good drinks

Traveled to San Diego for the first to visit my friends from across the country and was in the bar for 2+ hours not doing anything (completely sober) and was standing on the back patio next to my friend and a manager walked up to me to check my ID and said it was fake and took it to the GM who checked it and said it was fake when it is my government ID and only way to get back onto a plane. I proceeded to show my setting personal info with my birthday and name along with my birth certificate, credit card matching, and a photo of my passport. They then tried to take my ID and kick me out and I finally got it back and they kicked me out into the back alley as a 21 year old girl completely alone behind the bar until my friends found me. They were so rude and need to do better about checking IDs because multiple people there were underage with fake IDs and clearly they can’t check an ID. Worst experience ever 0/10 and a miserable night for me being my first time in the city in general. Do better

Shelter Bar is Back and Better Than Ever! Huge shoutout to Don Angelo for completely turning this place around, his leadership brought the soul back to Shelter. The entire staff is hands-down the best crew you could ask for. Friendly, attentive, and genuinely fun to be around. The energy here is unmatched. Good people, great music, and an immaculate vibe from the moment you walk in. Whether it’s a chill night or a full send, Shelter is the go to bar in Encinitas.

The rudest management any bar/restaurant I have ever been to. Bouncers also cannot do their jobs. If you’re of age, be prepared to be turned away. If all of the bouncers & management at SHELTER can’t recognize real IDs from fake IDs, get anothet job. Or get this place an ID scanner. Ridiculous. First time in California, would never return here.

I normally do not write reviews but I just moved here and had a friend visiting for a few days! We decided to go out and started with shelter, which quickly turned into a nightmare, the bouncers took both mine AND my friends ID, refused to give them back and proceeded to interrogate my roommate over her ID as well. We had to call the cops to get them back, the worst experience I have ever had at any business. If you read prior reviews it sounds like this bar is notorious for being awful and taking people’s things, honestly it’s just so frustrating that I had to waste the cops time because these bouncers do not know what they are doing and all claim that they are the manager!

I’ve been getting tables her for a few years now. The music is great bc the DJs are there to put on a show (especially fun when they have the lasers)! I’ve worked closely with Don, Ali, Ashley, Matt and others. They have always gone the extra mile to ensure my table has a great experience and gets the table we want with the bottles we want. Planning ahead or last minute fun, they’ve accommodated me and the people I’ve brought right away! And no waiting in the long line to get in 😊 Have fun there!

Manager Don's Behavior Was Completely Unacceptable - My friends and I tried to go to Shelter last night and were denied entry because one of us had a service dog, which is illegal under the ADA. When we calmly explained that the dog was a trained service animal, the manager, Don, became defensive instead of correcting the mistake. Then things got even stranger. Don looked at our friend (who is Black and has never been kicked out of a bar in his life) and randomly claimed he'd kicked him out "four times." He started laughing and speaking in an extremely demeaning immature way. When we pushed back and asked why he would say that, Don immediately got confrontational. When I questioned him on it, Don suddenly started yelling "white privilege! white privilege!" at me--completely out of nowhere because I defended my boyfriend . Nobody brought up race except Don. The comment didn't make sense, didn't relate to the situation, and felt aggressive and out of line. At that point it honestly seemed like he might've been intoxicated or unstable. Nothing else could explain his embarrassing behavior especially because he had just come back from drinking at Sago while on the clock. Overall, it was one of the most unprofessional experiences I've ever had at a bar. I hope ownership looks at the cameras and addresses Don's behavior. To summarize, the situation involved: * A clear ADA violation (denying entry due to a service animal) * Dishonest statements about our friend being kicked out previously * Racially charged comments that Don himself initiated