Rack Shack BBQ
| Address: | 1731 S Robert St, West St Paul, MN 55118, USA |
| Phone: | +1 651-202-3604 |
| Site: | rackshackbarbeque.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 11AM–8PM 11AM–8PM 11AM–8PM 11AM–8PM 11AM–9PM 11AM–9PM 12–8PM |
Location
Photos 27
Reviews 12
MA
Matt Burosh
I can only speak of the beef brisket here, as thats all I had, and I have to say, I was supremely disappointed in it. It lacked tenderness and flavor; didnt have any seasoning whatsoever on it; was dry and way too lean, and it was very tough compared to other briskets Ive had. Funny thing though--this is the most expensive brisket Ive ever seen! I think the cooks need to take more time in their selection of marbled cuts and put more TLC into their seasoning and prep to ensure its tenderness and flavor and they certainly need to cook it slower and longer. If you want real brisket, go to Dickeys. That said, the staff was nice and the restaurant clean, but the quality of the food was pretty sad. Hopefully their ribs are better, although I dont think Ill be trying them out, sadly!
TA
Tana Anderstrom
Oh man, our food was really bad :-( The meat itself was actually great (chicken and a bacon blue burger) but the sauces were almost rancid tasting (we tried 3 different bottles...maybe bad from sitting out at room temp?) so we just ate everything plain...which is a bummer since we went there for BBQ. The cornbread also tasted rancid...like maybe the cornmeal was really stale and the milk or oil was spoiled before baking. It had a metallic taste to it too, as did the baked beans. Both our baby and toddler spit all that out, and they typically eat EVERYTHING. Lastly, the floor was really sticky and our shoes were getting stuck, so that just kind of topped off our bad experience. Hopefully it was just a bad day at Rack Shack, but we probably wont be giving it a second chance.
AN
Andrew Young
I just got done eating the Turkey and coleslaw side. Amazing! Im an avid smoker, I smoke traditional BBQ meats pretty much every weekend and this turkey is better than any other smoked turkey I have tasted. I tried some st paulie bbq with it, and stopped because the turkey alone was like a damn party in my mouth! That and the cole slaw, little of each same bite! haha Im reliving it! Had the ribs, very good, brisket and pork shoulder, also very very good. On these I do like a bit more st paulie bbq on them. Prices are expected and Ill pay them all day. I know what goes into making that delicious final product. The meat doesnt get bought at walmart/cub foods people. Were not at Mcdonalds either. ILL BE BACK RACK SHACK!
SA
Samuel Stevens
Walking in, the smell was delicious; like a proper smoke house. Had a nice dining area. Reasonable prices and comes with two sides. Orderes brisket and it was bone dry and not cut the proper way to maximize a good bark to interior balance. It might as well have been dry roasted in a normal oven because there was no smoke flavor at all. It was either way under done and rested too long and dried out or way over done and rested too long. Potatoe salad was good, fries were soggy and luke warm and tasted like they were made in old oil. Bbq sauce was tasty. I hear their ribs are good, so Ill give it one more try because its exciting to have a non chain BBQ joint.
GO
GoodKarma CashGirl
This place has gotten rave reviews in the paper so I stopped in to see what the hype was about and I have to say it was an underwhelming experience. I travel Minnesota and beyond in search of blue cheese burgers, Rib Shack Barbecue has the most expensive blue cheese burger out of the places Ive had them at in Minnesota and Wisconsin. They also have the worst blue cheese burger Ive tasted; not gross, simply not a competitor. The dipping sauce (BBQ) was delicious. Im thinking thats where their magic happens so at some point I may try the ribs and update this review. (Not really a ribs person)
CH
Chase Bennett
A bit pricey. In the beginning ,the combos offered two sides for much less $. Visible and measurable dust are all around their air diffusers. My coworkers mention to me that it has been there for months. The food didnt come out as ordered, nothing crazy. Simple plating mistakes. Onion buns were previously frozen or beyond their shelf life. They were so dry they crumbled and left the meat falling everywhere. Over the years they have always had a good quality meat. Nice variety of bbq sauces and unique sides. I wont be returning due to the price and lack of fresh bread.
JA
James Estes
How this restaurant has below a 4 out of 5 average rating is incredible. Im originally from Alabama and lived in Tennessee (until recently) for the past 8 years. This is REAL southern BBQ. If you dont like the food here, you have no idea what real southern BBQ is and you have no business rating a restaurant like this. Its a LITTLE pricey, but well worth the cost. I have not had better southern BBQ in the Midwest, period. You will not regret going here if you have any clue in the world about what good BBQ tastes like. Oh yeah - it was on Man vs. Food...wonder why?
RY
Ryan Knoll
Its hard to find good BBQ in Minnesota. Coming from Texas I was more than a little spoiled with good spots. Rack Shack has the best ribs and brisket Ive tried in MN. Market BBQ in Mpls is a close second, but I would much rather go to Rack Shack due to the ease of parking and location in general. The meat is served dry and they have a wide selection of sauce so everyone can find something they like. I prefer it this way so you arent locked into one sauce. If youre looking for a good spot, dont hesitate to try here.
AN
Angelique Scott
This is a very over priced wanna be version of Famous Daves! The so called tender ribs were not tender at all, they were over cooked and crispy. Instead of trying to replace the ribs she instead offered me a refund but still charged me for the potato that I was able to consume. The brisket my husband ordered had no flavor and the macaroni and cheese was disgusting. This was both of our first time there and I dont plan on returning. Famous Daves it is. I was not pleased at all.
CA
Catherine Carey
My husband and I ordered the brisket burger yesterday. I took two bites and could tell the meat was rotten; my husband agreed. The entire restaurant stunk with the smell of rotting meat being cooked. I complained to the manager who said I was just smelling smoked wood, however, he agreed to partially credit our debit card. A few hours later we became violently ill with food poisoning. Im calling the MN Health Dept. in the morning (theyre not open on weekends).
WA
Warren Westcott
I only found out about the Rack Shack locations 4 months ago. I only wish I would have known about them sooner!! I had heard rave reviews from friends about their ribs, brisket and combo plates. I FINALLY scheduled a business lunch there. Outstanding food, sauces...and customer service. My first trip there was so worthwhile that I scheduled two of my next business lunches there too. Kudos from my business partners too!
KY
Kyle Malm
Overpriced, small portions, overpriced with half off coupon, like by $10 for two people. Two small pieces of corn bread counted as 2 sides, small portion of meet. Overall medium quality, Saint Paulie sauce was decent, but definitely overpriced. Portions should be loaded for the pricing, or pricing greatly reduced. Roscoes BBQ in Rochester is much better and fairly priced. Better sauce too.
