Food Shack Street Food in Southend-on-Sea

Chilled atmosphere , attentive staff, lamb shank was very good , so was the Seafood Bouillabaisse. Popular are the fluffy pizzas.

Have eaten there twice food and service average

Took my missus and son on a quiet Saturday afternoon. Food was delicious and plentiful. Owner took the time to entertain my lad who was roaming the restaurant as a 2 year old does 😅 will definitely be returning and making sure I leave room for that chocolate cake this time.

Great day in Leigh on Sea topped off by a meal here. Wonderful food! Efficient and friendly staff made the visit even better. Not cheap but excellent quality.

Ordered a sharing plater with the mixed fish with crispy potatoes and salad Disappointing altho the fish was perfectly cooked and seasoned The salad was just iceburg lettice of which is a lettice leaf not a salad So no salad it's fish on bed of lettice! The crispy potatoes was a very small portion for x2 people and were not crispy! Sadly we were left hungry and due to time of day shop was closed before we even got the food it ment we couldn't order extra food Also staff seemed quite snotty I felt out of place which is a shame as we're all equal right? And with out customers the business would be closed Also a £5 table service charge was added of which was not mentioned and we didn't see signs saying service charge Service charge in my opinion it taking a tip with out permission and tbh that stopped me tipping I always tip and tip fair 10-20% depending on quality But service charge takes the pi**

Beautiful seafood, generous portions. Loved it

Great food at a great price for a fab venue. Shared nachos for a small starter.. omdayzzzzz the nachos are absolutely lovely, hot, cheesy, chilli, large potion enough for 2. Cod and chips was amazing so crispy on the batter and then thick cut chips were so nice...again massive portion. My husband said this was one of the best batters he had tried of late. The crab linguine was awesome, plenty of fresh crab, tomato with a spice and a tomato based sauce was truly delicious, again a large portion. The service was good, it was a very busy day at this venue and never less staff worked really well, always checking and clearing plates, washing down tables. Please always appreciate the staff working on a busy hot day. I did witness an incident outside the venue involving a car which could have been tragic for ppl sat outside. This incident was being dealt with thoughtout our service, I commend all staff who ensured customers were not kept waiting whilst they helped with the incident. I would like to say that the number of vehicles driving in and out of this old Leigh area is a high safety risk for the public. As yes today the incident was terrifying and could have injured many. Even cars, SUVs, vans all have to bypass the public in a very busy area. Maybe this could be looked into as the ambulance had trouble getting through and to park. Please Leigh MPs look into this asap! For any incidents police, fire, ambulance this area needs to be made safe and clear to enable entry and exit. Ask the restaurant for information. This could have been so very serious as a staff member was feet behind the extremely fast reversing car which did crash into their business. Fault of the driver! Who could not control her car. This company handled the difficult situation but kept going with the business customers. Well done all.. Fantastic food.. fantastic staff who know how to deal with any incidents quickly. I will be back and I will recommend this venue to friends and family. Big thanks to the chef today. Amazingly tasty food. Thank you Michelle Muscat

Avoid chicken burgers at all costs, Iceland has better chicken than this...something. Steak from specials was ok, but sear was spotty and not rested enough if at all.

Visited for a lunch date, which was great. The sun was shining, the drinks flowed, and food, as ever, was on point. My only gripe is the cost of the sangria. 2023, it was £25 a jug. Yesterday, exactly 1 year on, we paid £40 a jug. 60% increase. I was beyond shocked at the price, although I should've checked the drinks menu before ordering. I love it here, but I will not be ordering the sangria again

Popped in for lunch when we were at the beach nearby - service was great (friendly and attentive but not overbearing) and the food was outstanding. Everything was cooked perfectly and the seafood was all extremely fresh-tasting. Dessert was also fantastic. Very unpretentious environment and a classic seafood menu with amazing flavours. Clearly a place that really cares about doing things to the highest standard. We spent about £80 on two mains, one dessert (big enough to share) and two rounds of soft drinks including service and felt it was very reasonable value given the cost of ingredients, location and extremely generous portion sizes. Will be back.

Came to the Food Shack during a visit to Leigh on Sea. Our food was fresh, meticulously prepared and delicious, while the staff were friendly and welcoming. We will definitely be back!

Had the hot fish plate...it was so delicious..highly recommend

We were a group of 6 visiting for the weekend. The old town is really lovely and full of character and the Food Shack has lots of character to it. The waitresses who served us were really friendly and helpful. The food was mediocre unfortunately. Will definitely fill a hope if you're hungry, but the falafel was really dry and the katsu sauce was a bit thin. The pizza was good though as was the sangria. Lacking many vegan options

Such incredible food! Best calamari we've ever eaten. My tuna steak was fresh and light and my friends lobster ravioli was perfect and a generous portion. One of the best meals I've had in a long time

Wonderful food excellent location and great service.

The food and staff was amazing.

Had an amaze time at Food Shack with my partner. We come regularly and service is really good. A big thank you to Diksha who has always been so lovely. Will definitely be back.

diego and diksha were amazing hosts and quality bartenders would highly recommend this place and these bartenders for a raise because of their amazing hospitality

I recommend Diego and diksha they have made my night and their service has been unreal and definitely will be back and recommend to friends and family. Great service!!!

very clean good service but the food was not worth the money the halloumi salad 12£ iceberg lettice no dressing very basic i chose not to have the burger as it was a whopping 21£ had the fish and chips it was weatherspoons level for this price you would expect fresh not frozen shame

Couldn't fault our experience here at all. Staff were friendly and helpful, whilst still being professional. Food was absolutely delicious and cooked to perfection.

Great seafood here , brilliant service

I am very sorry to say that we, a party of 6 , all agree the food here is of poor quality and its all over priced. The cocktails were not nice at all and seemed very very sugary . We had two of the fish n chips at £20 each and they were dry bland and the chips were frozen and no way fresh . We were all due to have a dessert but decided enough was enough . Not one person on oir table and in fact those sitting next to us would return. This is a terrible shame as its in a very busy area where locals frequent and word has already gotten about that quality here is well below standard. The staff were very nice to us and for that reason I have given it two stars . This is my honest opinion of this restaurant

I see different opinions here but decided to try. I booked a table and wasn't disappointed!!!! What a delicious and fresh food! Great experience, although we had a new waitress serving us, but she was super helpful! The restaurant was super busy, sometimes a bit scary, especially by the sea. You never know what to expect! Highly recommend! And we are back... Absolutely delicious! Fresh and soooo tasty... Great staff too

First time back since re-opened same chefs food standard has gone down ingredients different, portioned size decreased, prices increased. 1 star for the staff who are there friendly and as accommodating as always.

I had fish and chips here and it was delicious. The food was a little pricey but worth it, very good quality. Lovely and welcoming staff who accommodated all our asks regarding the food. Would definitely go back!

Fabulous food, fresh ingredients and good service. Was expected cafe type food but was much more superior - good restaurant standard. Would recommend

Fantastic food amazing seafood loved it ❤️

Had one jug of sangria & was charged for two! Bad service & still waiting for my refund 😭

We visited this place five times during the summer. The first time we ate there, we thought we found a little gem, because the food was so good! Second time was also very good. This was back in May/June 2023. The fifth time, we were so disappointed and don’t think we will return any time soon. Not sure if the chef didn’t turn up for work that day, but giving customers prawns with dirty intestines, is on another level. The service was quite bad as well and took them 15min to bring a bill.

What a gem. Great place to eat fast friendly service and good food selection

Table for 4 and every meal was fantastic! Very friendly staff, great vibe (old & young) our first time but we will return ASAP. Thank you

Really good paella!a bit pricey but worth it for a treat .good service and excellent location

Wow, great place for some wicked food and drinks. Super decor. Made to feel welcome, highly recommend whilst in the area 👌

Food wad delicious, great atmosphere too. Staff were friendly and welcoming.

Amazing food! Good price! We've got the shrimp, calamari and scallops, all cooked to perfection! The service was amazing, made me the favour of getting me a blanket when I was cold. I would recommend to anyone looking for good food and a smaller and more intimate place.

Sometimes it's the hidden gems that shine bright. I cannot fault anything about our experience, apart from having too much choice on the menu. Really looking forward to returning

Food was great, very generous portion sizes. Exceptional service from all members of staff. Highly recommend and will definitely be returning.

Ordered two from Tapas menu, Meatballs and Hummus which were utterly delicious and well priced. Great atmosphere and views,all round,with a special thanks to great staff,who were happy to serve us !!

Been here a few times now,food absolutely lovely salad...just like mama made Cocktails plentiful too Would definitely recommend

Food was amazing, Top Chief Diego 👌 That's the best Tapas food I've ever had.

We love to eat here - became regulars; their seafood is excellent and the mulled wine divine. The staff is very kind and helpful and we are allowed to take the dog in. Try them; you won't regret it.

On more favourite place in Old Liegh village 🥰 Delicious food, fantastic atmosphere, highly recommended to stay for 3 hours and enjoyed your meal, time and if you lucky- weather. Beautiful started July 2023.

Had a wonderful meal. Service was amazing. I’d definitely come back.

The ONLY reason I’ve put 4 for food is because I ordered Chicken Gyros and seeing as the place is called street food was expecting something authentic to a Greek Gyros but it was crispy fried chicken in a flat bread which did taste really really good so no complaint about the food taste or quality just wasn’t what I was expecting. Partner has a margarita pizza, was fresh, oven hot and very good. Food portions are really big! Service was excellent. Prices are reasonable. Location and the balcony is really nice as was nice weather. Makes a nice change to all the pub food on offer in Old Leigh.

Can’t complain about the customer service and the place !!! I used to be a regular client but I won’t come back. Had today a paella that was not a paella. 18 quid to have pre cooked rice and disgusting sea food. I ordered and the service was soo quick !! I got a paella in 5 minute. I expected to wait 20 min !!! That was warmed ready rice. The mussels were dry, old and smelled off. The general taste was horrible. A terrible experience. I didn’t say anything to the waitress. She’s very good. This place used to have an excellent kitchen. why did you change menu proposing things that you don’t know how to do ? Paella is Paella. Offer Risotto Marinata If you just want to warm some rice !!! Paella had to be done fresh !!!!

Visited the Food Shack today and the food and staff where amazing 🤩, we had a selection of Tapas.

We had a fabulous date night at this relaxed and atmospheric restaurant in Old Leigh. The food was fabulous and my linguine mare was a generous portion and full to the brim with lovely fresh shellfish! But it was the friendly service and warm welcome of Suzie and the other staff which really impressed us the most! We came away feeling very happy and we will be coming back very soon. Thank you

Nice food, loads of staff, but a little expensive for lunch, more London prices.

On arrival we was greeted by a lovely lady called Kiah, she was so welcoming and provided a fantastic service. Dandy the head chef was friendly too, I told him that I wanted to achieve food coma and I definitely did. The steak was cooked to perfection and my tummy was very happy. Plus the cocktails were delicious and freshly made. All other staff are extremely friendly and provided a fantastic service too and I 100% recommend this restaurant.

Cracking Little place, nice menu with different options, not the usual leigh fare, portions are large and v tasty

Waitress was lovely, food was delicious, good prices.

Excellent food, service and very friendly, attentive and professional staff. Definitely worth a visit!

We had such a lovely unplanned meal, four ladies and a child. The waitress was an absolute joy xx thank you, the paella was out of this world. Really reasonable prices..Definitely will be back x

3 mains 3 soft drinks two milkshakes , £7.50 service charge £71 bill ridiculous for average food ,puffed out with tons of chips people serving all nice though , but won’t be going again

Absolutely great atmosphere in the sun, lovely food and friendly relaxed staff

Just got fish and chips to go, amazing fish, batter was so good and chips were the best we have had. Please if you are in leigh on sea find the food shack.

Very disorganised service. Large number of staff but hit and miss if they came to your table. Food was not bad but not good enough to want to return. Seemed to be popular with late teens early 20s. In other words, groups of drunks.

Food great but why employ non English speaking Server? As a couple arrived after 3pm as lunch rush declining. Got drink and waited for table outside.Only table free was a 4 top. It was lovely sitting in sun facing onto street. A server signalled to us if we wanted drinks but she obviously didn’t speak English & we already had drinks from waiting so asked for menus. Then asked if any specials. She smiled, went off and returned without specials. So asked 2nd time if any specials. She smiled & returned a while later with a pad & pen.We asked 3rd time if any specials! She smiled & we realised she didn’t have a clue what we were saying! Confused as to why you would employ a server who doesn’t speak or understand English? Then another server came & we asked for 4th time if any specials! Hallelujah! He gave us a specials board! This had prob taken up a good 20mins or so! We ordered seafood risotto special plus mussels and chips, bottle of wine for me and Moretti for my partner. After a while non English speaking girl came over with beer. I waited and waited for wine to materialise but nothing! In the end we had to go inside and ask for it! If we’d known, as we found out later, that we were only allowed 1-1.5 hrs MAX on the table I prob wldn’t have ordered a bottle of wine for one person, as, by time I received it I had max one hour to drink it! Food was fantastic. Risotto really good. Big fat scallops, lots tender squid, mussels and tasty fresh prawns. Mussels & chips also good if sauce a little too creamy. Only downside was non English speaking server, who put risotto down didn’t bring us any cutlery! We had our food but nothing to eat it with! Luckily another server noticed before we had to go in and ask for that as well! We did have to try & attract someone to ask for pepper as weren’t offered any condiments either! We enjoyed our time in sun, ordered more Morettis and people watched. In meantime a party of 3 had chosen to sit next to us on a table of 2, blocking balcony and preventing servers from getting to our table. One server asked 3rd man to move aside because she couldn’t get to our table to take a drinks order! Despite this the table of 3 on a table of 2 were permitted to give a food order which everybody knew wasn’t going to fit on the 2 top table! I thought they’d prob move inside when their food came. I did think about offering them our table, but our table was in the sun and theirs was in the shade & as there was another couple on a 4 top plus free tables inside and as we’d already spent £70 & were still ordering beers & having s lovely time I decided to stay put. However, when their food was due to come out we were asked to move and let them have our table! I wasn’t happy & said I wanted to stay in the sun, plus there was another couple on a 4 top who could have moved! They pointed us to another table partially in the sun. Then they let another couple sit at that table as we were getting up to move to it so then had to turf them off and give them the table that wasn’t in the sun! The guy got quite irate & accused us of taking their table & it was horrible & was just ruining our lovely lunch. The view from the new table was blocked by a big flag, and it was directly in front of the back of the kitchen with the doors open & all I could smell was chip fat! I wasn’t happy so we got the bill to which £7 service had been automatically added for forgotten specials boards, forgotten wine, forgotten cutlery, forgotten condiments & being ejected from our table! Couldn’t be bothered to argue about it & spoil things further! On enquiry about being moved the manager said they allow 1-1.5 hrs MAX per table or they wldn’t make any money! Nobody said that when we sat down! Manager said we were LUCKY they found us another table to move to! Wow! What wld they have done otherwise? Turfed me onto the street with my bottle of wine? It’s left me with mixed feelings. I live 10 mins walk away & cld’ve been a regular..we were talking about breakfast there before…now not so sure…

Absolutely lovely ! Service was great, very friendly and attentive staff. We sat outside as the weather was beautiful. The food was delicious, and the paella could easily serve two. The hummus was a delicious starter and more than enough for one person. Overall, I would highly recommend this place and would certainly be back. On a side note, you need to access via stairs , so those with mobility issues may struggle.

Recommended for Italian seafood made on the premises. The seafood linguine and lobster ravioli were very good and fairly priced. Tiramisu and Amaretto Afugato also very pleasant. Will return.

The lady who served us was so unfriendly, chaotic service, it was a strange vibe inside. We caught the chef trying to eat the chips that meant to served as it was sitting there for a while. Won't recommend this place.

Never been here before but will definitely be back Food was lovely good choice Staff great friendly and attentive without being too much Highly recommend

Lovelyyyy place for breakfast. Our group of 5 came here. It was very dog friendly and accommodating. We got the full english and the avocado breakfast which was beautiful. The mojitos also went down a treat too! Definitely recommend coming here.

Another great experience at Food Shack Great food Friendly Staff Busy in there tonight Thought drinks tad expensive

Very disappointing. I ordered monk fish - got given Basa?! Basa? Like the cheapest breaded fish. How did you think you could get away with that? They didn’t even inform me. It was just served it to me 😢. The two stars are only for our waiter, i think his name was Ricardo. Very friendly and cocktails were good.

I tend to shy away from places that mix too many food styles on their menu, normally they aim broad and hit nothing. Still not sure how I would define the Food Shack with a mix of Italian Spanish and Greek on the menu, however everything we had was fantastic. Pasta and fish were both tasty and a bit more interesting than run of the mill fare. Not cheap but worth it for the lovely balcony great food and service. We plan to return.

Great restaurant, food is lovely and service is fantastic. Perfect 👌😎❤️

Paella was lovely . Lots of mussels prawns etc . Top food , slightly pricey but hey ho , good for you now and again

Very nice dog friendly balcony, adorned by the February sunshine! Charming guys and perfect food. We stopped for lunch on a day visit and sampled ciabatta steak & chips, margarita pizza, hummus & pita bread, with sides of (more) chips and halloumi fries. Speedy service too. Highly recommend!

Ignore the street food name when it comes to a Sunday because this place does a great beef roast!! The server was polite and attentive. He even brought my partner a blanket as it was a little chilly - thank you, young man!

What a lovely place is small dining area but makes up with fine food and friendly staff when can I go again 🥰

Sunday lunch. Roast beef was the best I've had in years. Others on our table who had sea bass, chicken milanese and seafood pasta special all said it was brilliant. Service was great and we will definitely be back.

What a lovely food, coffee and wonderful staff. Thank you for being absolutely great, especially all the staff today 1st January 2023, who looked after us. Thank you for a lovely welcome Djidjia. We will definitely come again. Happy New Year to all! 👌

Good quality food at a fair price. Very efficient and friendly staff. Manageress worth a special mention for going above and beyond, she is a credit to the business. Will definitely return. I highly recommend this place.

Great food and drinks, if not a bit big on the portion size of chips! No-one on the table finished them

Overpriced raw food for sale here if it’s your cup of tea

Had an absolutely banging fry up here the other day. Easily the best Full English Breakfast I have had locally in a long time! 😍

Very nice lunch. Great staff. Foods just exceptional.

Loved it, great food,lush sangria.. Will definitely be going back, highly recommended

Very good food and great present. Service 10 at 10. Large potion of dirty fries. I personally would only have the normal fries without cheese. Relaxing atmosphere, the music was quite pleasant. It was just there on the back ground, not intrusive! Comfortable seats 🪑 Definitely recommend and return for me.

I've had breakfast here twice. The food is very good quality and tasty. The service is good too.

Been here twice and will definitely be visiting again! The food is delicious, the staff are lovely and the interior design is really pretty.

Love this place. Food is great and absolutely huge portions, very generous. I go with my daughter quite often and the girls working there are so so nice to her ,they treat her like a little princess.

Staff very friendly and helpful, food was great.

First time at Food Shack, staff brilliant, food amazing. Will definitely be back

Absolutely amazing food and staff couldn't do enough for us. Highly recommend

Lovely location wide choice of menus. Food is amazing staff very freindly highly recommend

Had the meat balls main meal the monk fish was delicious and the Dirty chips was amazing

What a lovely place, dog friendly, amazing children's menu. Staff absolutely charming.

First time here, will definitely be back. We had a selection of tapas and a portion of dirty fries to share. All perfectly cooked and presented. Service was perfect. Would recommend booking as very busy.

Possibly the best Pizza I have eaten ever (my girlfriend work at Pizza Express too), staff were amazing, kind and friendly. You could easily walk past the restaurant without even knowing it was there, but luckily my girlfriend spotted they sold Pizza etc, so we popped in. Wow is all I can say, will be a regular visitor from this day onwards. Real authentic food cooked fresh for you. Tasted amazing, we ordered something I saw a worker was eating which wasn’t on the menu, but they made it for me anyway. Delicious ❤️❤️❤️ Can’t wait to eat there again.

What can I say, this is the second visit I've made to this restaurant and I am even more addicted. Firstly the staff are all very welcoming and helpful allowing me to sit on the balcony in the sunshine so picturesque. The lady who served me was lovely and the service fast and professional. The place is very rustic but clean and sanitised after every customer. The food I ordered today was the Linguine Mare at a cost of £18.00 one of the more expensive dishes on the menu and worth every penny, the dish was cooked with fresh local seafood from the cockle sheds around the corner. I asked for a side salad in addition for an extra £3.00 not bad. The food cooked to perfection and the presentation artistic, the chef obviously takes pride in his/her work. On the first occasion I came here I ordered breakfast Avocado on toast with poached egg and rocket simply beautiful, this is what prompted me to come back and I am not disappointed. I can't sing the praises of this establishment highly enough, give it a try you will be glad you did. I am now enjoying my second decaff tea and will definitely be back again before I leave Leigh-on-Sea.

The staff were great, very friendly and helpful. The food and cocktails were delicious. I had the surf and turf; The steak was cooked exactly how I asked for it and the quality of the meat was superb. Without a doubt the best bit of steak I've had in a restaurant for a long time. Looking forward to visiting again soon.

Huge delicious portions and great prices. The service Gigia gave us amazing service.would definitely recommend

Really good food and friendly staff. The place is nicely done, it’s not big so even though it was busy food came quick. We had a seafood linguine and sea bass from daily specials and were really impressed. Will definitely come back when in Leigh.

Lovely place for lunch in Old Leigh. Food was really good. Nice choices on menu. Staff was very friendly and helpful. This is our new favourite place in Leigh.

Great food and lovely staff. Looking forward to going again soon.

Amazing food and amazing service, I will definitely be back and I highly recommend this place

Great find, great tasty food, better service, I'm sure we will be back, many thanks 👍