There's a new rib/BBQ chain in town, with one location in "Uptown Altamonte" and the other in "The Loop" in Kissimmee (with more to come according to their website). It's called Shane's Rib Shack and it is brought to us by Raving Brands - the same folks that came up with Moe's and PJ's Coffee Bar. We tried the Shane's Rib Shack in Uptown Altamonte for lunch one weekend - Grandpa, Grandma, LB, BB and myself. The decor is really cute - the look they are going for is that you are ordering from a "shack" and then go sit on the "porch" behind a screen door on "disheveled" tables and chairs - but of course you can tell that everything is brand-new and is just supposed to look distressed.
When you walk into Shane's Rib Shack, there's a large order counter with an equally large menu board behind it. The menu is a bit overwhelming with offerings for Sandwiches, Platters, Plates, Wings, Starters, Sides, Salads, Tenders, Drinks, and a Kids Menu. I had to have the order taker point out the Kids Menu for me because I actually couldn't find it at first. Kids' offerings are $4.49 (except for the Cheeseburger that is $4.29 for some reason) and come with a regular side and a small drink. Other choices are Chicken Tenders, Grilled Cheese, Cheese Sticks (I thought this was strange - since when are cheese sticks a meal?), and Mac and Cheese. BB picked Mac and Cheese while LB picked Grilled Cheese (okay - so maybe Cheese Sticks aren't that weird). At this point Grandma went with the boys to find a table for us. Whoops - I didn't ask what the boys wanted for their sides - I went with cole slaw for BB and baked beans for LB. Then I had to figure out what I wanted. From what I could figure, the Platters were for the larger appetites such as full racks of ribs or rib and chicken combos - they ranged from $15.99 to $19.99 and came with Texas Toast and 2 large sides. Plates were a little smaller than that such as half a rack of ribs or BBQ pork or chicken - they ranged from $7.99 to $12.99 and included Texas Toast and 2 regular sides. I decided to go with one of the Sandwiches because I didn't feel that hungry. For $4.49 to $5.29, there were different types of chicken sandwiches, a cheeseburger, or BBQ pork. I went with the "BIG DAD" Chopped BBQ Pork Sandwich for $5.29 that seemed to be the "signature" sandwich. For an extra $1.99, I made it a combo with a regular drink and regular side - I chose the cole slaw as well. Grandpa got the Half Baby Back Ribs plate for $12.99 and ordered Grandma the Smothered Pork Sandwich for $5.09. We then received a number to post on our table so the servers could deliver the food to us and went through the screen door to our table.
When I arrived at the table, LB had apparently taken off half the roll of paper towels that are placed on the table for messes and was rolling it into a big ball. I took him with me to get the drinks to hopefully distract him. Shane's has sweet tea - my favorite - and also Sweetened Peach Tea as well. I got a sweet tea for BB and a lemonade for LB and headed back to the table. Grandpa was now examining the BBQ sauces that were on the table - Original, Spicy and Hot. There are TVs in the dining area, which is good, because it took about 15 minutes for our food to arrive at the table. While the boys were digging into their food, Grandma was surprised
by her entree. She had ordered the Smothered Pork Sandwich which she assumed was the chopped BBQ Pork smothered in sauce - logical, right? Instead, the Smothered Pork Sandwich is actually the chopped BBQ pork on top of... cole slaw. Hmm, don't really get the "smothered" thing unless this is a Southern specialty that I am not aware of. It does say it is "with slaw" on the menu but that is in the smaller type and that could mean that slaw is served with it. Also very unusual, my sandwich was served on the Texas Toast while Grandma's was on a plain bun. This is also detailed on the menu but just seems random whether san
dwiches come on the bun or the Texas toast. Grandma declared her sandwich "okay" despite the slaw but said her collard greens on the side were excellent. Grandpa said his rib plate was good, although small, and that he liked the collard greens as well. My BBQ Pork sandwich on the Texas Toast was good (
and messy) but I would have liked the BBQ Pork to be piled on a little more - it is called the "BIG DAD" after all. BB liked his whole meal and LB did pretty good with his grilled cheese. However, I made a mistake with the baked beans - he didn't like them and instead tried to steal all of Grandpa's fries. In all, the food was pretty good, although nothing outstanding, but definitely a place to try if you are in the area.
As much as I enjoyed the food I will not be back. The fast food treatment and total lack of desire to treat customers with respect was too much for me when paying above average prices for average food. We waited and waited for the staff to stop chatting among themselves before they'd take our order. Not being one to eat breaded food we requested a substitution of regular chicken for the breaded chicken on the Sampler Platter. Even though they had no problem doing this when they first opened they now flat refuse to deviate from the standard menu even if you are paying $10 - $15 dollars for one meal, and even if the bill for your family is totaling $60 for something coming from a low end shack. We finally left. We won't be back. If I wanted rotten service I would have driven to the tourist area.
ReplyDeletelast night my wifr and i went to shanes for the first time altamonte sp store we had been working on a remodel job in our home and just dident have the time to cook we had seen shanes a day earilyer so thought weed try it . well im from alabama where bbq is a art almost a religon my son is on a cooking team that cooks at memphis im may im used to really good ribs never did i expect that i would get the best ribs ive ever had from a rib joint in a strip mall .after we finished eating i called the resturant and spoke to the mgr who we had met at the time we were there and told him that we were more than satisfied with everything we had purchased its mighty nice to get a real good meal for a change .keep up the good work and ill keep on eating thanks for a great dinner charles vizgard@aol.com
ReplyDeleteI ate at Shane's here in Riverview this weekend and did not care for it too much. For those that really like bbq, Shane's is not very good. It's just average food and not really even average bbq.
ReplyDeleteThey do have good fried okra though. I recommend the sides more than the entrees.
Loved the Big Dad's. wings, and temperature hot fries at The Loop store. Loved the Brunswick GA store too with babyback ribs, etc. We'll be back.
ReplyDeleteThat is affirmative the Shane's in Altamonte is closed as well as the one in Metro West on Kirkman. These were two diffrent owners. The Kissimmee location at the Loop is under management and has really improved. There is also a location on Sand Lake in the Terrace at FL Mall and one in Maitland. I would encourage those pf you who have had some "okay" experiances at o some Shane's to vist the location in the Loop. The general Manager is a great guy! I have known him for a year he used to be in Metro West and was moved to Kissimme late 2007. He keeps the service up, the store clean, and takes pride in his job. Please remember that even tough they share the same name not every Shane's in the area is trhe same owner.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the confirmation about the closing. I had no idea the Metrowest location closed as well! Good thing the Loop one is still open.
ReplyDeleteI drove by it on the way to the gym this evening and noticed that the Shack has re-opened! I used to frequent it back in '07, glad to see it's back.
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