The Shack

We LOVE the shack. This is the best location out of all three. There’s usually a long wait on the weekend so prepare for it. We go during the week. Service is consistent and friendly always! We have gone 7 – 8 times and we love the Dixie fries! They are our favorite by far! Restaurant is always clean. Bathrooms are single service, that’s the only negative but this easily gets 5 stars!

Another family restaurant (family owned) «staple» here in Niantic and New London: YES there are TWO from the original «literal» little, old, red shack that was next to the highway! I think we started going to the «Old» Shack 15 years ago. I kind of miss the old one:(Breakfasts, comfort food lunches and dinners, and pie… We still love this place! They moved their Niantic (old shack) restaurant to a Niantic plaza and opened another restaurant in a New London plaza. We frequent both. Family oriented, clean, antique filled (which makes for great memories and conversation), always good food, good prices and good service! No complaints. Always satisfied.

Went here Saturday morning small line at the door we were seated in about 20 – 25 minutes which was no problem because it was a nice day outside. We sat down ordered French toast and some sides, the good came out pretty quickly and it was delicious with large portions. I would definitely recommend this place.

This was our fist time coming here. We went on a friday night. I love that they serve breakfast all day. All the food was delicious. I ordered «the mess» which had home fries on the bottom, then scrambled eggs, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, sausage and Monterey Jack cheese. It also came with 2 very yummy pieces of corn bread. It was a huge portion (see picture). We ended up taking most of it home. My husband had the sea scallops. My only complaint is that the staff weren’t very attentive. It was very busy when we first got there though. I asked for the breakfast menu when we first got there which they forgot to bring until I reminded them when they came to take our order. They brought my coffee but no cream so I had to hunt them down. Then they brought pancakes for my daughter and said they’d bring syrup but never did. I would still give 4 stars though because the food was great and they were incredibly busy when we went.

This restaurant is an excellent stop off the highway, exit 74 (Niantic). Normally breakfast and food at this level would be 4 stars. Good Eggs Benedict, awesome specialty cut home fries, many delicious specials including pancakes, waffles, stuffed omelettes, muffins, etc. Earthy, charming eclectic diner design, checkerboard flooring pattern.
The service is generally good, and the turn around from the Kitchen is generally quick, even under the stress of this place being a very popular place. Sometimes even at the counter you may need to wait for seating. Do not be surprised if you need to wait for a table on weekends.
But what used to be a cute funky restaurant off the driving range is now a fully expanded professional restaurant located along a strip of shops with easy parking and is a short way down the street from the original location.
Here’s the rub:
As time has passed and as popularity increased, the plate size for the eggs Benedict reduced from the large oval to a smaller oval. (Less home fries) The last time I waited an unusually long time for my order, I am not sure why it happened. The corn beef hash omelette is a rationed scoop, very unlike the side order of hash, resulting in an omelette a bit less than expected and less than satisfactory. Another odd unexpected situation arose when I ordered 2 chocolate chip pancakes as opposed to the full 4 pancake order. The charge was 9.08, I asked why 9.08, the waitress replied, that’s the price for two, she told me an order for 4 is 10.08, therefore I took the 4, 2 to be taken in a to-​go container. Anyway, I thought this should have been explained before hand as I might have ordered something different, like my regular plate (the reduced oval plate eggs Benedict). Anyway, you can see that as the restaurant has reached a high level of success, and it seems that they seem to be plotting ways that are less than desirable. Therefore, 3 Stars for a 4 Star breakfast.

My family and I stopped in for a quick dinner and it was yummy! I love the menu! Food really was delicious and well priced. I’d give it 5 stars if it wasn’t for the service. If they were friendly they would be a 5! I noticed that they were super friendly only to regulars. Maybe if we keep going back the will great us with a smile;)

Absolute gold mine because the food is home style great! Staff is friendly and quick. If there is a line, which there usually is, it does move pretty quickly. Worth the wait!

Really like this place, if it was closer I would be a regular. Very friendly staff and both breakfast and lunch are very good. Portions are enormous!!! The two things that I love the most are the cornbread and the pie. I know you are saying huh, cornbread and pie??? But really if you try this place you have to try both. It’s the best damn cornbread I’ve ever had, so addicting! The pie, omg so worth the calories! The pies are homemade and flavors change. What sets these pies apart from everywhere else is they are fresh homemade and not mass produced. Go to any farm stand and buy a pie and it’s still not gonna be better than a shack pie. The crust is like no other I have ever had. Wish it was closer cause I would be there daily for pie and coffee… and cornbread! Well, on second thought, maybe it’s good it’s an hour drive!

Even though I was only in town for five days, I dined at The Shack twice. We tried both breakfast and lunch. For breakfast I had the Popeye Bene which included spinach with poached eggs on English muffins and a generous topping of delicious sauce. This came with a large side of yummy home fries. We also tried at our table the homey fries which was a huge portion of home fries topped with melted cheese, bacon, scallions, and a side of sour cream. Way too much for one or even two people, but tasty and a definite indulgence. Finally the chocolate chip pancakes which were okay, but not notable. For lunch we tried the burger melt served with a generous side of fries which was a great choice. An even better choice though was the lobster roll with a side of clam chowder. Wow — this was the entire reason I had to go with 5 stars. Words cannot express how good this hot lobster roll and chowder were. I have paid a lot more and ordered the same at much higher end restaurants and have not had a New England experience like this one. So Good!

My family, and I LOOOOVE eating at The Shack. The food is awesome; my favorite brunch spot in the area. The food is reasonably priced, and the portions are huge. We haven’t tried anything there that was just so-​so; everything we’ve had tastes great.
Their cornbread is amazing, as long as you like sweet cornbread. I make killer cornbread, and this one gives mine a run for its money. I absolutely adore their Homey Fries; so good. It’s like a loaded baked potato, but with fried potatoes. Yum! Yum! Yum!
The service is quick, and friendly. We’ve eaten at the location in Groton, and while the food is just as good there; I really find their service to be lacking. I’ll stick to my East Lyme location. Can’t wait for brunch next weekend.

Service was ok but the food and price was really good. Took a bit of time to get our food thought but it was busy.

I’ve been here quite a few times. Decent food. My problem is with the «waffle mountain» dish they sell. Think about that name for a second. Waffle mountain … Seems delicious, seems like they are describing a large amount of waffles on a plate. Such an amount of food that it would be at the very least in the shape of a hill. Your assumptions would be wrong. The waffle mountain dish contains not 3, not 2 but 1, 1 waffle. Never have in my adult life had I been so misled as to the contents of a breakfast item. Friends of mine have described this dish as «waffle desert» or as I like to call it «waffle plains». The shack has let me down. I don’t know if I’ll be going there any longer. I get the impression the scam they have going is if you load a plate up with home fries then the rest of the meal can be skimpy.
On a side note, all the waitresses wear khaki shorts. It’s weird. I don’t like it. I don’t have fun when I see that outfit.

Solid breakfast, legit biscuits. My dining companion is a real waffle snob and he raved about the quality for days. I’m so glad I gave this place a chance. The staff was so welcoming and friendly. I’ve found my new road trip breakfast spot!

I always love the Shack! It’s my favorite place to go for breakfast! I’ve been so many times and it’s great every time. The portions are big and it’s very affordable. This being said, I would suggest getting breakfast at the Shack rather than lunch or dinner, because they are known for their breakfast and it’s their specialty. I’ve gotten everything from egg & cheese sandwiches, to omelettes and home fries, to waffles. I have loved them all.
Wait time: Always fast, no matter how busy. Less than 5 minutes to get seated and food usually takes less than 15 minutes even when they’re very busy.
Wait service: The staff is usually very friendly and attentive. No complaints from me.
Food quality: Great! It tastes like a nice home-​cooked breakfast.
Atmosphere: Clean and cute. Not super fancy or anything but perfect for a diner-​type place.
The Shack is a great place for breakfast! Always my first choice!
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When you first drive up and see the line to get in snaking along the front of the building, your first instinct might be to drive away. A seasoned regular told us that the line really does move fast… and it did. We were seated within 15 minutes.
It’s one of those breakfast places where you want to try EVERYTHING on the menu, all at once. The four of us at our table all had something different. Not a bad meal among them… biscuits and gravy, amazing home fries, great omelettes and some pretty decent REAL grits that would make any southerner proud.
Service was spotty, but the rush never stopped. Probably a few more servers are in order.
We will definitely be back.

Very busy but worth the wait! The scrambled eggs were too fluffy (probably too much milk) for me but tasted good. The home fries were on the oily side but also tasted good. We ordered the homey fries which are like home fry nachos. They were very heavy with the oily home fries, bacon and cheese but again, tasted good. French toast was average.
Our waitress was nice. The prices were good.
Overall we were pleased. It isn’t something I could eat every day but if you want diner food, this is a good place to go!

I have been here multiple times for breakfast and I am generally pretty satisfied.
Food: I haven’t tried everything on the menu but everything I have ordered is good.
–Waffle mountain: waffle is pretty good, you only get one waffle so I don’t get why it’s a mountain
–Homey fries: sooooo good, I recommend asking to replace your home fries with homey fries, it costs a few extra dollars but you get so much more food, it’s basically potatoes with cheese/​bacon/​green onions paired with sour cream but its honestly so delicious
–scrambled eggs: pretty good, fluffy and yellow, not much i can say
–grilled cornbread: very sweet, I didn’t eat much of it bc I was full, but it’s a great after meal dessert/​snack
Service: I tend to go around 8 or 9 am to avoid waiting, but if I do have to wait, it’s never that long. The food comes to my table very quickly, one of my favorite things about this place
Ambiance: There’s a lot of old timey decoration on the walls, it’s pretty nostalgic, it goes well with the restaurant, gives the place a nice homey feel
Suggestions: I wanted to order ‘the mess’ but there aren’t any substitutions, which is like a tradition I guess. I want to try it but don’t want to go through the trouble of picking out what I don’t like.

Got seated pretty quickly, Waitress was good. My issue is the fork had left over broccoli on it and after my fiancé and I ate we got sick and threw up in the parking lot. We didn’t over eat so we assumed it was from the undercooked food. It’s a good stop if in a pinch, but if travel further for quality.

We went here today — me for lunch/​husband had breakfast. We have tried to go here twice before, but the line was out the door and around the side of the building.
This place has a decent menu with plenty of options. My sandwich, a tune melt, was good (but the tuna on the inside wasn’t heated through) and my husband liked his biscuits and gravy with eggs. But again, it was pretty basic — not bad, but nothing special.
Overall this place serves basic comfort food at a very affordable price. point. It’s a good value for the money. I can understand why it has been successful.

A pretty standard diner experience. Selection of all the standard breakfast foods, including a number of different omelettes and breakfast sandwiches. I got the veggie omelette which came with breakfast potatoes and a side of toast. No complaints.
Service is best described as efficient. No one was unfriendly but no one was especially warm either– again, a typical diner experience. There was a bit of a line around the entrance but it moved quickly– we enjoyed a chuckle over the velvet rope they had placed in the foyer. Signs make it very clear they are super strict about not seating you until your whole party has arrived!
The restaurant itself is a little drab and old-​timey but what do you expect? Nothing seemed to be in too bad disarray.
A solid place in the area for a quick, no-​frills breakfast.