The word “shaka” is the Hawaiian hand sign for “good will” and good will is what married couple Michael Anapol and Kathie Gibboney are spreading at Shaka Shack Burgers at 1701 Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica.
Since November last year, the couple have been serving up satisfying burgers at their tiki/surf styled lounge that’s reminiscent of the 60s complete with TV tables, but with a modern touch.
Anapol said the menu was created by consulting chef Lisa Stalvey who trained with Wolfgang Puck and was Anapol’s partner on NBC’s “The Chopping Block.”
“We put together what we think are good quality, fair priced burgers of all denominations,” Anapol said. “We use grass fed Black Angus. We do a Kobe burger, we do an Alaskan salmon, and we make our own veggie burgers.”
Their signature burger is the Kawaiian, which is a flavor filled conception Angus beef, surrounded with avocado, bacon, Swiss cheese, red onion, baby greens, pickles, and finished with a special BBQ sauce.
The Kobe burger features a half pound Kobe patty with wasabi mayo, portabello, baby romaine, and swiss cheese.
The bargain friendly Shaka Burger ($5.95) has a quarter pound Angus patty, lettuce, tomato, and a secret spot sauce.
The Samoan Salmon is a half-pound Alaskan salmon patty with avocado, soy mayo, sweet pickle relish, red onion, and baby greens.
For anyone who prefers a chicken burger, try the Chick Burger – a quarter pound of all natural ground chicken with swiss cheese, Asian slaw, and a secret spot sauce.
One of the two vegetarian options is the zesty Lava Bean burger that the couple says has developed an enthusiastic following. It is frequently featured in specials with slight variations like the addition of pineapple drizzled with teriyaki sauce.
The couple said it was always their dream to have their own burger lounge and decided to “go it alone” with no partners, no investors, and no franchising.
“The neighborhood has been really supportive,” Anapol said. “Families have started to come in and it’s really nice to make burgers for their kids. We have a children’s burger called the Menehune. The Menehune are the mischievous little enchanted people of Hawaii, so we named it after them.”
The couple said their slogan is “hang out or take out” and they hope to keep the aloha spirit alive for a long time to come in the Ocean Park neighborhood.
Shaka Shack Burgers
1701 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica
Tuesday through Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday: 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
310.450.5551
