The Crack Shack

Reviews 4

JA

Jay Keyes

Crack Shack, the upstart fast-casual chicken chain brought to us by Top Chefs Richard Blais and executive chef Jon Sloan, is undoubtedly the citys most popular fried chicken joint. There is a ton of hype associated with this place, which features long lines, a menu pervaded by cutesy sandwich names, and an entire concept that comes across a bit "slicker" than it ought to. Nonetheless, the food is alright -- most of what the kitchen does has been executed well, even if there have been a few disappointments. The Fried Chicken ($15 for 5 pieces) is what you want here. It is pricey but Crack Shacks costs are bloated due to their use of Jidori chicken. If youre not familiar with Jidori, it is a free-range vegetable-fed Japanese special-bred chicken that is so well-raised that restaurants in Japan serve it up sashimi-style. Yep, raw! Taste-wise, Jidori chickens have a firmer texture and fuller chicken flavor than normal birds. Crack Shacks fried chicken is coated in a tasty, aggressively-spiced batter. I discerned cayenne, garlic, and onions as being dominant. There is something very "cereal-like" about the batter that makes it a tougher chew and not as traditionally crunchy. It tastes a bit like crushed corn flakes with a spice blend, though its obviously not that. The chicken meat itself was very juicy, and did seem to have better-than-average flavor. I enjoyed dipping the chicken into the Sriracha Thousand Island dipping sauce. Is this the best fried chicken in the city of San Diego? No, no, no...Id put Crispy Fried Chickens and Gala Chickens fried chicken above Crack Shacks. As one can easily guess from their menu lay-out, Crack Shack sells more sandwiches than fried chicken plates. The Royale is their cheapest sandwich at $9, and is a super-sized Sausage Egg McMuffin featuring chicken sausage, a sunny side-up egg, smoked cheddar, on a house-made crunchy roll that seemed like a hybrid between an English muffin and a Holland rusk. This really DID taste like the McDonalds sandwich it is trying to emulate, albeit some of the subtlety (smoked cheese) was lost to the egg yolk and muffin. The sausage did feature an unexpected amount of oomph, which rendered the waiter-recommended Sriracha cream sauce unnecessary in my opinion. However, the Señor Croque ($12) is definitely the sandwich to get at Crack Shack. A brioche bun hugs a crispy chicken fillet, bacon, a sunny side-up egg, cheddar, and a miso-maple butter. The chicken appears to be fried with a thinner batter than the other fried chicken at Crack Shack, giving it a lightness that is perfect for a sandwich otherwise laden with heavier, richer elements. Egg yolk runs deliciously wild on this sandwich, so be careful while eating it. I wouldnt call this place stylish as much as its trendy and a bit tacky. For example, Crack Shack has erected a large plastic chicken statue, which it has placed next to an on-site bocce court that Ive never actually seen anyone use across half-a-dozen visits. Unfortunately when Crack Shack brands its sauces with ridiculous names like "Cracksup," it attracts an audience that is so juvenile that the restaurant has needed to attach a sign that earnestly warns "Do not climb the chicken" on the aforementioned plastic chicken. I dont like feeling manipulated, and the gimmicky feel to just about everything here makes me feel exactly that way. Im big on "value" in fast-casual restaurants as well, since traditional waiter service is eschewed. Being a subscriber of the "fast, good, cheap - choose 2" maxim, if Im going to wait in line for something, it better be both good AND cheap. Unfortunately, this place is relatively expensive. For these reasons, I cant allow myself to love this place as much as other folks, even acknowledging that the food is good.

WA

Walter Macalma

With the Encinitas grand opening next week I thought it would be a good time to review the original location in Little Italy. No longer is it just the off shoot sort of pop up of Juniper & Ivy, it’s a whole separate animal. From that egg hatched a big chicken king. I love the atmosphere, outside communal seating (can be tricky), but that bar outside, perfect if you flip around to people watch. To all the people hating on the fact that they serve chicken, don’t go to a sushi place and order lasagna, maybe they could do it, but they won’t because it will probably be bad. You didn’t wake up blind either. The line can wrap around the corner, doesn’t mean it doesn’t move fast, I’ve seen 20+ people order in 5 minutes. House made sauces are legit, lots of R&D went into those, great service from staff from front to back. Bartenders are legit and you can get a solid line up of beer or craft cocktails. Price can be a bit much if you are trying things, but I’ve tried most everything and come back for a few items and see familiar faces. Priced accordingly. Firebird is more like warm bird, it’s not hot people, plus with that potato roll and ranch it’s tame enough for kids. The chicken they use is Jidori which was made popular by Japanese chefs for it’s flavor, color (no it’s not undercooked, it’s just way pink, it’s to temp people). It’s a juicier bird that Jidori is. Miso biscuits with that maple butter are legit, but I think the miso part was for color only, mild if anything. Senor Croque, that fried egg goes great with the brioche bun, I like it with a crispier fry to hold up to the egg and sauce. Border slaw is so good I make a variation of it at home now. It’s like a Mexican/thai papaya ceviche salad minus the seafood. It’s a great place to go if you are down here, but with the popularity of this corner parking will certainly be difficult. Can’t wait to be a regular on my way home at the Encinitas location.

EL

Elliott Park

Great tasting food, good beer selection, friendly atmosphere! Price is high for what you get, but I will definitely be coming back with the buds I was finally able to come here with my housemates on a Friday evening (~9pm). Parking: difficult area if you come at a busy hour. We ended up paying for parking nearby. There is a $7 valet adjacent to the store as well. Ordering: a line starting at the ordering counter extends out towards the street. It may have been the customers ahead of us, but the line moved very slowly. To compensate though, the food came out really quickly. Deviled Eggs($6): if youre a fan of deviled eggs, its worth a try, but otherwise it may mot be worth the price tag. You get 6 half-egg pieces, 2 of each of their 3 types. Fries($5): Crispy and well seasoned! Went well with the kimchi bbq sauce. Mexican Poutine($8): Better than the description! For those wondering, it appears they make their own cheese whiz; its not the one from the can they use in Philly. Tasty :) Senor Croque($12): Massive slab of chicken with bacon and egg. I enjoyed eating it with all of their sauces, but it wasnt revolutionary. I would call it a luxury version of CHIK-FIL-A. Looking forward to trying the Coop Deville next time... Fried Chicken($15for5pc): I liked my first piece! Great breading flavor and texture. But I would rather do KFC at 1/3 the price if craving fried chicken. Sauces Chimmichurri: tastes like it usually does, though slightly buttery. Baja Hot Sauce: literally Tapatio Ranch: a good ranch Kimchi BBQ: loved it! Its similar to carnitas snack shacks bacon ketchup. The other two sauces were unavailable. Green Flash Le Freak + Chimay... Loving their beers. A great addition to the neighborhood and a an enjoyable experience for sure!

AN

Anatoly Petkov

Whoever started this business seems to have taken time to plan it carefully and taken everything into account. The place was full and had a line of people but service is fast and efficient. The food is excellent and there are plenty of choices for all kinds of tastes. I didnt love everything I tried but that doesnt mean it wasnt prepared well; its just meant for different tastes. The fried chicken is what should be expected - super crunchy but not oily on the outside and very moist yet not under-cooked on the inside. As I was eating it I realized it was missing one very important thing and I quickly corrected that - a nice, cold IPA from the bar (and they have many choices there as well). The fries! Oh, those fries! They market them as Schmaltz Fries, so possibly fried in chicken fat, and these are among the best Ive ever had, no exaggeration. One dish based on the fries is the Mexican Poutine, which my kids loved. The white meat in the sandwich was also perfectly cooked which made it juicy and flavorful. Last but not least, this establishment has a trendy yet utilitarian design and a cool vibe that just invites you to go in and try it. The rooster and the tilted semi-roof are the unmistakable trade mark of the Crack Shack. Great find and firmly on my permanent list!