Shuck Shack

I’ve been passing by this place on a regular basis since it opened and have heard rave reviews so I was excited to finally go.
The atmosphere is nice, very casual and full of mosquito’s. They should certainly do something to deter mosquitos.
Having grown up in Savannah and having been to New Orleans many times I am completely unimpressed with their very overpriced food.
I ordered the sampler plate.
The breading is bland and tastes of old oil. Its a bland dusting of cornmeal which would be fine when your using fresh seafood to let the flavor of the seafood stand out, but the catfish not so fresh or great. Very Boring. Popeyes Chicken has better Fried Catfish. Im still amazed that this is the worst Fried Catfish i’ve ever had as Fried Catfish is one of the easiest things to make taste good. Not to mention the portion size it was soo small my friend and I looked at it and said «really?»
The Fried Gulf Shrimp were Big and somewhat flavorful but nothing compared to eating at Deanies in New Orleans.
The Fried Oysters were nothing special.
The Coleslaw dry and boring.
We left very unimpressed with several mosquito bites, mind you it was early afternoon on the patio and mosquitos were so thick we put our feet up on the extra chairs at our table to watch and then swat mosquitos in between bites of bad food.
Will not go back.

Love it. Love it that when we go, we practically own the place. Service is phenomenal.
More people need to check this out. Fab drinks and food and great play area!
And to update my last post on here…
The crab cake benedict for brunch is to date unrivaled for best ever and it’s not even pricey!

There is NO raw food at the Shuck Shack at this time!!!
Drill Baby Drill
Spill Baby Spill
A sign of the times…
OK, my little poetic attempt at political humor probably has nothing to do with the reasons for the shut down of their raw bar. But, per their own website, it sadly is. I am not familiar with Red Tide or any of the other considerations of when you can and can’t eat a raw oyster. I grew up in Boston. We just ate ‘em. Except in an effing oil spill.
At the Shuck Shack, I found my fried oysters to be puny and a bit chewy. When I was digging through the BBQ Oysters, their big song and dance routine, I was reminded of the cantankerous Clara Peller… you know the one: «WHERES THE BEEF???» Yes, not too satisfying. BBQ wasn’t the dominant flavor: Parmesan breadcrumbs were. It’s a cheat. But let me focus on the size of the oysters (with a strong microscope). I guess it’s just as well they were tiny and rubbery. We ordered maybe 20 oysters between the two of us in addition to some fried shrimp, catfish, fried pickles and cole slaw and I was concerned that we’d over done it. Had they been real sized oysters we may have done ourselves in (my fear), but as they were we were left comfortable if not a tad wanting…
It’s a cool place. Very fitting of it’s east side environs. We sat out and I enjoyed the nice Sunday evening out with my bud. The most tantalizing thing was the chalk board describing their Sunday brunch. I need to check that out before releasing this review. The waitstaff was good. You can be sure I’d go back if the oysters were half as manly as I am. Wink.
Look, (presidential mode on) this is a natural disaster of unprecedented scale. You can be sure that all of the world’s foremost experts in the field of oil spill mitigation have been deployed in the writing of this review. The interests of the gulf residents and secondary retailers who make their livelihoods in and from these waters will be protected by this review. Support them. Please come and eat these tiny chewy oysters while they last and make sure that Shuck Shack is in business in 2 years when this disaster is long forgotten.
Then I’ll write a real review.

Like I had said in my review I really was looking forward to going back. I did and unfortunately the visit was sub-​par. Our waiter at first was terrific but then as the night progressed he seemed to not care. I am not sure what happened.
Our group was no more than 10 people and the gentleman, John over the phone, was great with booking us a table. Our section on the lovely grounds was nice a nestled among the trees and away from the heat of the sun.
However, when the entire table receives there food and a server doesn’t do a check back to realize that 2 of the patrons never got there order… Well that’s unacceptable in my book. It was over 30 minutes past when our friends got there food that we received ours. I understand a small kitchen and all but having to wait over an hour for a pound of craw fish, that’s from the time it was ordered to the time it was received.
Looks like my next visit I will have a full tummy and only want to drink.

ok… so…I wish I could take a giant «over-​sized load» truck… load up the Shuck Shack… and bring it back to Dallas with me… because their little jungle patio and laid-back-ness…is contagious.
Seriously…the back patio/​garden/​jungle/​oasis is the perfect place to go and sit down with a bucket of beers… handful of friends… shoot the shit and nosh on your favorite fried seafood staples.
Having said that… I’d change a hand full of things. The service was a little… sleepy…I guess you could say. I know Austin is a lot more laid back than fat-​paced Dallas… but…it got kind of ridiculous a few times. ha
I ordered the fried catfish with fries and slaw… and Lance got the crab cakes with a side of fries and red beans & rice. I must admit… I get pretty damn excited when I have the chance to order fried catfish. it’s a treat to myself… an earned treat, damnit. The food we had coming to us made my heart flutter :) SO, you can imagine my surprise when I realize that the kitchen isn’t inside this massive, 2 story white house that we were sitting behind… but instead it was located on the side of a house… in a small trailer. Like one you would see at the fair.
I didn’t lose faith… I stayed a’flutter…and I’m glad I did. The food wasn’t terrible. it was pretty tasty. Not quite the slam dunk I always hope for when treating myself to such fried holiness… but enjoyable none-​the-​less.
So go. order some oysters… get a bucket of beer… and enjoy the laid back surroundings. Why? Cause I said… duh

I can’t say enough great things about their staff. We held our WAKA kickball mid season party here and were overwhelmed with how helpful they were. The food could use a tiny bit of work but the funky seashore décor plus the outside games definitely makes up for it.
They were super helpful and gave us an awesome special on beer. I will definitely be hitting them up again and totally recommend it for a casual event.

This place is pretty sweet. A cute southern house, a huge outside area, washers, bocce ball, picnic tables, oysters and a willingness to take on 130 kickballers in a monsoon.
We crowded into the small inside space, played cards and drank lone stars like we’d never get another drop. As the night wore on, I got a little snacky and ordered some ceviche. It was… ok. The chunks of fish and shrimp were huge, too big for my taste, and you get four packs of crackers. I needed to ask for two more rounds of crackers to finish the decent portion.
In the end, appreciate that they would accommodate us and give us a break on the beer. I think their ceviche needs work but they’ve definitely cornered the market on the outside space.

Awesome setting, OK food, terrible terrible service. That was my first experience here. Four of us sat outside for a good four or five hours, but every drink took a very long time to arrive (in several cases she just forgot our order), our food took over an hour from when we ordered, and then when it came out some of it was cold. Our waitress was salty and unpleasant. At least she comped us one round of drinks for the otherwise terrible service. And this when there were just four of us, and only 5 tables in the entire place with 2 waitstaff.
The hushpuppies and shrimp diablo were absolutely delicious. The shrimp po-​boy was just so-​so (tiny shrimp, forgettable batter). The mimosas were good for $ 3.
I would come back, but just to hang around and drink, not to sit down and expect decent food service. The patio is really awesome and they have games and a decent TV.

I had fantastic plans to sit outside this weekend and enjoy the pleasures of a late lunch at Shuck Shack. We walked in and were super impressed with the outdoor seating. Very spacious and appealing. Once seated, we browse the menu — I notice Pearl and Lone Star are $ 2.00 all the time. Now this is looking up. It’s so beautiful outside, sunny and a tad bit breezy. There are about 5 – 6 other tables with patrons, also enjoying the day. We ask if the lunch special listed outside is available (po’ boy, a side and a drink for $ 7.95) and our server tells us it’s only available on the weekday. She asks if the sign is outside, which we nod and she tells us the special is ours. Sweet. Things are looking up.
Then the wind kicks in. I have no idea where this came from, but it’s blustery and fierce. I check my phone to see how fast it is, yep, 32 mph. Cripes it is WINDY! We can see the moon castle across the street blowing away. Regardless of the sun shining, its starting to get chilly. Our food arrives and we have to strategically weigh down everything to keep it from blowing away. Sadly, our afternoon of beers and seafood becomes a rush on how fast we can finish our food and get out of this weather. The tables begin to take off and our food becomes cold. Sigh… My first few bites of my catfish po’ boy was pretty good. I really liked how the tarter sauce has capers in it.
I can’t blame the Shuck Shack for the freaky wind, but it did put a damper on my first visit. They automatically get a return in my book.

Internal Dialogue:
Pico de Gallo on a po’ boy?!? You have got to be kidding me!!! Okay, calm down. Be nice to the waitress, it’s not her fault.
Waitress: «Hi, what can I get you guys?»
Me, mustering up the biggest smile a girl can after seeing pico de gallo mentioned as a garnish for a po’ boy: «Can I get an oyster po’ boy?»
Her: «Sure thing!»
Me: «Do you guys have pickles?»
Her: «No, sorry.»
Internal Dialogue:
What?!? No freakin’ pickles!!! You guys serve po’ boys but have not a single slice of pickle in the entire place. What the… Wait, chill out, girl! You haven’t gotten your food yet.
Me: «Okay, that’s cool.»
The bf asked if his po’ boy came with fries. The waitress informed him that po’ boys only came with fries during lunch. It was 3:30 when we got there, so I guess we’d missed that boat. She was nice enough to include fries with our meals, though, at no charge. That I certainly did appreciate.
The sandwiches arrived and the oysters were covered in a delish looking cornmeal crust. I added a little tartar (something I’d NEVER EVER do on a real po’ boy) because I needed a little tang. And despite my reservations about the sad looking pico that came on the side (thankfully!), I threw some of that on my sandwich, too.
I had high hopes for that first bite, but it fell short, WAY short. There was no flavor, not in the cornmeal and not the oysters themselves, either. The baguette was way too buttery which threw off the taste. The sandwich was just wrong all around. On a positive note, though, the tartar sauce was really tasty.
Why the two stars, then? Well, they do have a very cool patio complete with a huge flatscreen where the man can watch his football while I take in the sun. And another for the waitress who was gracious enough to throw us some free fries (I won’t hold their lack of crispiness against her). But other than that, I can’t say I’d want to give this place another try, even if their brunch menu does list Crème Brulee French Toast as an option! :(

Shuck Shack has got it goin’ on — I LUV this place. A old white 2-​story house on C. Chavez that serves Gulf Coast seafood? Yes! Plenty of outside seating? Yes! Gone are the grumpy people that put together sandwiches at Azul — replaced by nice people that seem to like what they are doing.
I tried the hush puppies which I thought were tasty with the chipotle dipping sauce. Had a shrimp po-​boy — would order it again with fried shrimp and steer away from the kinda flava less blackened shrimp. Fries with the po-​boy was fresh. Good selection of beers from here and there. The boubon choc-​pecan pie was smallish but a good way to end the meal. Waitstaff friendly and efficient — even gave me a FREE Shack koozie (nice…).
Good yin-​yang balance; all are welcome. Worth a stop if you are in East Austin.

Summary: Not awesome food, but good. Great atmosphere makes it a place to return to.
Fried shrimp po-​boy: Fresh-​tasting shrimp, fresh bread, batter not too obtrusive. Pico de gallo was a strange addition for me — that is not a traditional Louisiana condiment — but it worked fine. Not the best shrimp po-​boy, but maybe the best one I’ve had in Austin (not saying much, I’m afraid).
French fries: Crispy, with some special batter or coating. Again, not awesome, but I like the crispy texture on the outside and the taste was good.
Black-​eyed peas (Texas caviar): VERY good. This is the side item of choice. Herby, with some jalapeño flavor, good texture. Order this.
Hush puppies: Did not blow me away. I like a cakier hush puppy and with a thick somewhat crunchy exterior… this one was more doughnut-​y with a thin browning on the outside. Did not have a lot of flavor. Dipping sauce was ok.
Atmosphere: Fun. Washers, horseshoes, bocce, big screen TV, outdoor seating. Lights strung up across the large yard space. Would be fun on a Saturday night.
Service: Our waitress took forever between the «y’all want dessert?» part of the experience and the «here’s the check» part. Since we were playing around, we didn’t notice much, but that shouldn’t be a factor. Food came out quick enough, however.

Wow, Shuck Shack. You so disappointed me this past weekend. It was a beautiful day and I had such high hopes, which were quickly dashed. We stopped for lunch while on the east Austin studio tour (there was an actual art installation on their property, you would have thought they’d be prepared for a lunch crowd.)
1) They were out of seriously almost 50% of their menu. And they’d only been open for 30 minutes (and no one was really there yet). I was confused by this. No hush puppies, no catfish, among other things. Supposedly the manager was out «buying things» but said manager never reappeared with additional options during the 1+ hour we were there.
2) When the waitress discovered they had no catfish, moments after putting my tables order in, she came back and offered an alternative of an oyster po-​boy. Ok, I can take a substitution. BUT, when the whole tables food came out, and then mine came out when they were all done eating theirs, the «I had to put your order in later then the rest so it’s coming out late» really felt like a bad excuse for poor service. I had to sit there and eat mine with everyone watching me since they were all done with theirs.
3) When my sandwich finally did come out, it was cold. Wow, just wow :(
I think I’d go back to drink, it’s such a cute outdoor place, but that’s it. It’s such a great space and has such potential, but seriously poor kitchen management and/​or service like we had on Saturday doesn’t bode well for it long term.
Hopefully they can get it together, but for now, I’ll go elsewhere. Good luck shuck shack. I hope things improve!

The Pup and I were here last night for the Halloween Pet Costume Contest and it was a blast!
Our waitress was a 5 full stars! Daisy Dukes red plaid shirt wearing girl that’s you I am talking bout Give this girl a raise! She was always there when we needed her and when I pointed out that there was a fly in my wine she whisked it away and quickly brought me a fresh one. (I know a place where you get a fly in your wine should not get 5 stars but I had such an amazing experience otherwise) I don’t know how she maneuvered the patio packed with costumed dogs without tripping over something and still delivering everything so quickly.
The Hushpuppies are still 5 stars and need nothing — no dipping sauce or butter to make them «as good as it gets»! I can speak for my Pup that she would also give them 5 stars!
The Peel-​and-​eat shrimp did not have the same Cajun spice that I remembered. But, the cocktail sauce had a really great sweet flavor that was just perfect with a little Tabasco and lemon! The shrimp comes with corn on the cob that was cold by the time I got to it. I probably would have taken it home to add to a soup stock but since my Pup was begging for more hushpuppies I shaved it off the cob and fed it to her. She loved it!
Still love the ambiance — it feels like a party in the backyard of your friend who loves to cook up some Cajun inspired seafood under a canopy of palms and a huge oak tree. I enjoyed watching the kids in costume playing washers!
Still looking forward to them getting their raw oyster license.
FYI — If you don’t like Flies or Dogs you can dine inside and if you happen to have your dog with you and no-​one to watch them while you potty and wash your hands the restroom is outside the dine in area –large and roomy and clean.
Waiting in anticipation for them to post the pictures from the party on their website tonight!

How Shuck Shack could gain 4 more stars:
1) Buy a small airstream trailer, mount a gigantic SoCo-​style papier-​mâché hushpuppy on top, move hushpuppy-​festooned trailer to the northeast corner of the backyard, near the Bocce ball court.
2) Fire the entire current waitstaff, and legally bar them from ever again pursuing careers in restaurant service. Promote the hushpuppy chef to manager.
3) End their lease, allowing a GOOD restaurant to move in to the main building, and relocating all of their tabasco bottles and paper nacho boats to the hushpuppy trailer to make room for the new, superior tenants. New restaurant MUST agree never to change the backyard in any way, except to add a few more picnic tables next to the hushpuppy trailer.
4) Reopen in the trailer as «Hushpuppy Hut,» serving hushpuppies and cheap beer, and hushpuppies and cheap beer ALONE.
5) Call my friend and apologize profusely for the dreadful, dreadful service and overpriced mediocre food (except for the hushpuppies) offered her at her birthday party there, and offer her a lifetime supply of free hushpuppies.
6) Hushpuppies.

I’m usually leery about places that promote Cajun or Creole cuisine outside of New Orleans. The food here was better than I expected but the service made me want to kick the tables over.
The waitress took forever to come to our table to get our order. She forgot to enter our friend’s order. The first meals she delivered to us were not what we ordered. I was embarrassed for this establishment. I give people in Austin a little leeway because hospitality isn’t one of the main industries, but still… the service here was non-​existent. I wish I could have just waited on myself that night. I may try this establishment again if I read that they fired all the waitstaff and started with more experienced waiters.

The inside of the restaurant is nothing to speak of, but the outside is it where it shines: lots of picnic tables, horseshow games, and was that bocce ball I saw? It looks homey like someone’s back yard.
The food was good. 3 big ass crab cakes with two sides (see pic I uploaded). Crab cakes were very good with a nice tartar sauce. Sides included fries (which I never got to) and vinegar-​based coleslaw. Coleslaw was just ok; I prefer mayo-​based slaw. Hush puppies were tasty with a spicy mayo dip.
Alan our waiter was very personable, funny and attentive. He packaged up all of the food I couldn’t eat nicely to go.
Definitely would go back when it’s a little cooler out.

I went to Shuck Shack tonight and I was leery to come since people were complaining about the price, I am not sure what people expect the price to be? The food prices seemed decent to me, it an independent business… if someone is looking for a $ 99 menu they might want to check out Long John Silvers.
My friends and I had the two orders of the hush puppies (so good), the jalapeño bacon wrapped shrimp, po boys and key lime pie. All the food was tasty… you cant really go wrong with fried seafood.
The drink prices are great, $ 2 for Pearl and Lone Star all the time!
I cant wait to go back and play the lawn games they have!

So as I sat here tonight, the breeze blowing my hair back, I figured a few things to be true: there will always be something about laid back seafood joints in Texas that remind me of my youth, and hitting the ocean on the Texas coast, which has never pretended to be Hawaii. I’ve occasionally referenced certain parts of the Texas coast as the ‘ocean barrio,’ and I do so with love. It’s as much a state of mind as anything.
Fast forward to tonight when the dessert lover and I and a guest kicked back at Shuck Shack, the former Azul space since re-​imagined as seafood chill nirvana, complete with washers and benches and koozies they place on your first ice cold beer to emerge from within. It’s a place made for friends. And in fairness, I’m saving an extra star for an ensuing trip, when some of the details that seemed shaky tonight and some of the service (very friendly, not at all quick thus far) get buttoned up. I had the catfish entrée, and it is a little spendy for what you get (in this case a couple of fried filets and what was supposed to be a side salad). Flavor was good, I left full, and all of that worked out. But I couldn’t help but wonder… what if they had gotten all the little things right?