Like a giant olive that’s somehow rolled out of an upended Martini glass and around the corner from the Shanty (213 Third St., Eureka), the dive bar’s namesake army green food truck appeared in the adjacent lot last Monday. Where once only a Shanty Dog was available to fortify patrons and soak up the evening’s drink, now there is more substantial fare to be ordered without much risk of losing your barstool.
On weekdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., James Carter is at the flat-top grill and fryer, turning out burgers and hot dogs (and their vegetarian versions) from a blessedly simple menu. Accompanied by a side of crinkle-cut fries, burgers are $10 and dogs are $8. Add a buck to swap the fries out for tots, rings or hush puppies. It’s math even the most hunger/cocktail-addled can do and it’s crazy cheap amid the rising cost of ingredients.
The Hangover Burger with pepper bacon, cheese, mayo and a fried egg (any way but scrambled, due to equipment on hand, says Carter) on a grill-toasted bun is the yolk-running, wrist-dripping, craving-quelling experience it should be. The flat-top browned patty and crisped bacon fat are satisfying and might be just the preemptive move promised by the name. The hush puppies are on the dense side but depending on how long you’ll be at the Shanty, you may come to appreciate their powers of absorption.
The Shanty Dogs — gussied up with condiments, kraut, bacon and cheese options — also get toasty buns from which the snappy sausages overhang, and will scratch that bar and ballpark itch. The tots are deep fried as the heavens intended, and yes, the reason they are never as good at home is because no oven or air fryer can match the magic of plunging them into a riot of bubbling hot fat. These are a particular treat for those among us (me) who hunt for the crispiest fries at the bottom of the basket, as they deliver a thunderous crunch. (Some will wish for a more steamy-soft interior but these are the concerns of the weak. Crunch on to drown them out.)
On weekends, the same minimalist shell houses Amy Cloninger, who brings casual takes on Japanese and pan-Asian dishes, a boon for those who’ve made it to (or missed) her pop-up nights at Alchemy. From 2 to 8 p.m., rice bowls are on one side of the Snax menu (another mercifully brief list). The katsu rockfish and chips come with a refreshingly light slaw with the slightest heat and a pair of sauces — a smooth, lemon-dilly tartar and the bright, herby green Ganso sauce ($20). Either or both suit the crunchy panko-crusted filets and the steamy fish within, as well as the crispy-coated shoestring fries.
None too far from this lot and Old Town’s small shops and restaurants, a burger chain has opened to much anticipation. The food will, due to tremendous effort, taste the same as it does in branches everywhere. In a couple weeks, the curious will have satisfied their curiosity, and the novelty will vanish with the traffic and the lines. But for many of those passing through on U.S. Highway 101, it will be their only stop in Eureka. Like other franchises and chains along Broadway, Fourth and Fifth streets, the bulk of the money locals and visitors alike spend there will go to far-flung franchise owners or the far-flung corporations to whom franchise owners are beholden.
For many of us, meals out are less frequent these days. It’s worth considering what and whom our limited dining dollars are feeding besides our bellies, and what and whom we’re keeping in business. (If we wanted to, we could even call a moratorium on chain restaurants in Eureka, similar to Arcata’s ban.) I’m not mad at anybody who wants to line up for the chain burger. But I’m going to get a burger by the dive bar with the old-school neon sign and the funky mural. I want to feed and be fed by my neighbors in the years to come.
Jennifer Fumiko Cahill (she/her) is the managing editor at the Journal. Reach her at (707) 442-1400 ext. 106 or jennifer@northcoastjournal.com. Follow her on Bluesky and Instagram @JFumikoCahill.
This article appears in Your Local Coven.
