Linda and I had lunch at Shane's Rib Shack yesterday. We ordered the large sampler platter, which included a 1/3 rack of ribs, about a 1/2 pound of chopped pork, and 6 fried chicken fingers. The large platter also comes with a choice of two side orders. We chose the fried okra and baked beans for our lunch.
Before I describe our impressions of the meal, I'd like to give you some background on Shane's. According to the website, Shane is a real person that used to have a corporate job. He took an old family recipe for bbq sauce and created a chain of bbq restaurants that is spreading it's influence across the country.
Getting back to our lunch yesterday...it was dissapointing.
The bbq sauce was good, but the ribs weren't much more than luke warm. They were charred with some type of black substance that reminded me of steaks that I used to cook on the grill when I was about 13 years old. The ribs were on the dry side and absent of any smoke flavor or smoke ring. The chopped pork wasn't warm at all--actually c0ld--but it did have a nice hint of vinegar flavor. The chicken fingers don't belong on the menu at a bbq restaurant, but I realize that kids like chicken so that probably explains why they are included on the "bbq sampler" platter. When I was a kid, I'd have rather eaten bbq, but I realize most kids like chicken tenders. The fried okra and baked beans were the best part of our lunch. I recommend the fried okra. It wasn't as good as home cooked, but it was close.
I realize that my experience is based upon one single restaurant on one single day, so I'll probably give them another chance sometime, but our lunch experience yesterday was a huge dissapointment.
I enjoy the blog. Thought you should know that Moe's has been sold though:
ReplyDeletehttp://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2007/04/09/daily25.html
Keep up the good work. -aj
Andy,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the information about Moe's and FOCUS brands. The Raving Brands website and the menu's at Shane's still mention Moe's. I guess they haven't gotten around to updating the website or the menu's. Based on our lunch yesterday, I guess I'm not surprised.
We have (or should say had) a Shane's here in Mandeville LA. and it was OK. It's across the street from where my Mom lives so I'd stop there every now and then for dinner. NEVER anyone in there. Plus the guy refused to sell beer b/c he didn't want to hire 18+ year olds. Plus they started building the building before Katrina and then it took forever for them to open after the storm (no damage to their building) so maybe that had something to do with it. I liked one of their sauces and the pulled pork sandwich was not bad. Everything else was pretty bad. My nephew got wings one night and spit them out, said they were nasty.
ReplyDeleteHey move to Mandeville and open a BBQ place! I'm sure you can get the rent cheap!
Steve
Never ate at one of the chain locations, but I live right down from the 1st and 2nd locations and have not had those sort of problems. Then again, it is probably more of a pride thing than a chain mentality.
ReplyDeleteThat's so strange, I've been to about 8 different Shanes and it's the best BBQ I've ever tasted and I'm from the south. I went in the location in Suwanee, Ga and the owner came out, asked us how our dinner was and gave us a peach cobbler. All the food is homemade and NOT mass produced. Great place if you ask me.
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