The Rib Shack

I would not recommend this spot to no one. I went for the first and last time, I ordered the pork rib tips, greens and potato salad. Immediately after I ate I got sick and ended up at Kaiser two days later because of stomach pains. My doctor told me i must of ate some bad meat. Ironically I was talking to a friend the next week who told me he visit this place the same week I went and he got sick as well. I asked him what he ordered and he said pork ribs, potato salad and greens. He was down for three days after eating here. So not cool. I don’t recommend this place to know one.

after 6 months of my son asking to eat there, we finally made the trip to The Rib Shack. There were no customers when we got there, nor did anybody come through the doors while we were there, so I was a little nervous!
We ordered the family meal — a full slab of pork ribs, and 2 sides — mac and cheese and baked beans
Overall, the meal was decent. The ribs had way too much sauce for my liking; it overwhelmed the taste of the meat… all i could taste was the sauce.
the beans were decent — tasted like Bushs’ baked beans!
The mac and cheese was pretty flavor-​less.
For $ 32, I would say save your money and try somewhere else

I waited for a long time to make this review. The Rib Shack is within walking distance to us. Overall they are okay, After 4 visits it’s just okay.
My wife is convinced that my ribs are better, I tend to agree with her.
My wife LOVES fried chicken, they have good fried chicken, if you call in an order, take note «they will not cook the chicken till you arrive to pick it up» add 30 minutes !
I was thrilled when they opened, like a kid in a candy store, I LOVE RIBS
When I goto a rib place I don’t look for the warm fuzzy feeling, I want good ribs!
I’m giving 4 stars, one for each visit, But I think I will move on.

I just went in this place for the first time after passing it on a daily basis and smelling that yummy smoked mean on the grill every AM.
I just want to say for the record, the customer service was great. The lady was very welcoming the man cooking was sure to say hello and goodbye. I love thes type of places.
However, I just ordered the Mac n’ Cheese and OMG, I just threw up my whole intake for the week! It was totally sour but I was thinking maybe this is southern style, buttermilk mac or something. I then showed my boss and she said, «Alicia, that is curdled, I’d return it.» My stomach is so unsettled at the moment.
I used my last little $ 5 before payday, the mac costs $ 4.86 and now i’m super sick and broke. I didn’t see the lunch specials until after I ordered. They are not on the main menu.
I will go back and try the bbq cause it smells so goood but as far as the Mac goes — NEVER AGAIN. If I wasn’t such a nice person, i’d go return it but I’ll just think of it a $ 4.86 donation to a family business, right?
My low rating is not of the restaurant; rather, today’s experience! It will probably bother me for about 3 days then I’ll get over it!
:)

Last Sunday on my return trip home from the bay, I was driving up laguna and noticed the sign of a new restaurant called «The Rib Shack»…COULD IT BE, A BBQ JOINT IN ELK GROVE? I thought to myself, have I died and gone to heaven?
While I waited at the light, I pulled up Unilocal from my i-​phone to find out the 411 on this new place. Turns out it’s a new bbq restaurant that serves, ribs, chicken, hot and mild links, and tri tip. Their side dishes include mac & cheese, potato salad, greens beans and baked beans and they have a couple of dessert options. I also learned that that they are open Wednesday-​Sunday until 10pm. Now the challenging part would be waiting until they opened again on Wednesday. I made it through the early part of the week, and let me tell you as a BBQ connoisseur that was no easy task! Finally Wednesday came… all day long at work, I kept thinking of the treat that awaited me after I got off work… a trip to «The Rib Shack!» I was excited to give it a try.
When I pulled in the parking lot, I noticed the big BBQ pit on the side of the building. It had smoke spilling out of it and the smell was delightful. Immediately I thought-​a real BBQ pit that’s a GOOD sign!
I ordered a 3 way combination with ribs, links and tri tip, and potato salad and string beans on the side. There were 4 ribs that were tasty, not fall off the bone good, but tender with a good smoked flavor. The tri-​tip was delish, cooked just right and nicely seasoned. I didn’t care for the link at all. When I go to a BBQ joint I am looking for a homemade link, not a store bought and these were definitely store bought, I took one bite and threw the rest of the link away.
The staff was nice enough, but you have to know how to deal with «BBQ folks»…let me explain. Every BBQ joint that I have been to, the staff is usually stiff, they don’t smile much and they are just busy taking and getting your order together. I’m used to this type of behavior so no biggie. If you are not used to it, I can understand how someone might be put off by the behavior. One of the employees actually offered my kids a free bag of potato chips while we waited.
After I received my order and after the person who handed it to me verified it was correct by opening it and showing me what was in the container while she stated what I ordered, I walked outside and ran into the owner. He was very friendly, thanked me for the business and asked me to continue to support his business.
I’ll definitely go back to the rib shack, it’s a decent rib joint for the Elk Grove area. I suggest you give it a try!

I tried this place for the first time last summer, and it was pretty good. The side dishes could have been better.
Recently on 4÷14÷12 my boyfriend was craving bbq, so I decided to go back. My cousin and I walked through the door, and the lady behind the counter said, «What you guys want?» We both looked at each other in disbelief. Did she really ask us that? She then went on about how she was running out of pork, and she usually locks the front door. We walked out in shock! I told myself I would never go back to this establishment again. Poor service.

I have only had the ribs, and they were really, really good… that being said, the next time I go to the Rib Shack I will be ordering over the phone for pick-​up, bringing cash, and tuning out the staff and the serious lack of décor and ambiance.
I hope they stick around based on those ribs they have, but the staff and lack of business sense is going to be their demise if the business goes under…

You have to know that this is not a restaurant. Its is an order/​pickup food establishment. So if you wanna take your bbq to go or catered, this is it. It was my first time here and I was actually happy with my bbq.
Everyone has a preference of how they like bbq. But I like my ribs to be dripping w/​sauce and that’s exactly what I got. My baked beans were delicious along w/​my potato salad. The only flaw in my experience, is that I wish I got some corn bread and not a slice of whole wheat bread.
Will I visit again. Sure. Price is reasonable, staff is friendly and I love me some good BBQ!

Feeling a bit hungry for lunch I decided to stop here after driving by a few times figuring it would be nice to have a decent BBQ spot in EG. Ordered the 2 combo plate with 2 pork ribs and chicken, had the beans as a side.
The ribs weren’t cooked evenly some parts were tough other parts would as fall off the bone as most people have come to expect ribs to do. The bark and meat under it on one of the ribs was nearly inedible, tough and chewy would best explain it. Overall they weren’t bad, but I’ve had far better at other local Sac BBQ places.
The chicken was a bit on the dry and overcooked side, the smoke flavor could be tasted in the meat which gave it decent taste. The skin was soggy without a hint of being crispy. Chicken tasted good but maybe they can cook it a bit less and it would serve a bit better.
Beans like another reviewer here said taste like they came out of a can, Van De Kamps brand to be specific (I mean at least use Bushs if you are gonna use a can). I asked if they were homemade and they said yes, giving them the benefit of the doubt there were some chopped green onions in it. Maybe they are semi-​homemade.
Sauce makes or breaks a BBQ place in my opinion and unfortunately in this places case it broke them. The sauce lacked any hint of spice short of the crushed red pepper flakes they add, which are very noticeable in the sauce. I wouldn’t be surprised if their mild sauce becomes spicy by adding the flakes to it. They need to go back to the drawing board on the sauce, or pick another brand/​recipe to use.
Overall I was not impressed, Sacramento has a few good BBQ places and this one is not even in contention for that title. The ribs aren’t cooked right and the chicken is overcooked. Value wise there isn’t any, BBQ places are traditionally on the pricier side but this one doesn’t warrant the cost.
One more tip I’d give to the owners if they ever read these reviews. When you serve bread do not just give 2 slices of bread with the bread loaf bags from WinCo openly displayed near them. Either find a cornbread, a dinner roll, or just don’t give any bread at all. It was a bit tacky.
Unless the reviews here change my mind I doubt I will be going back again.

I honestly have no idea where the 2 – 3 star reviews are coming from! Come on, people, let’s not review things poorly based on a stupid $ 1 ATM fee. We can do better than that!
Tonight, my husband and I walked into this barbecue place not knowing what to expect. Granted, the interior is pretty stark, but what does that matter with the promise of ribs?
We both ordered the pork ribs, got mac n cheese, baked beans, and coleslaw as sides. We both chose the spicy barbecue sauce over the mild option.
It sure smelled good — we drove home quickly; couldn’t wait to eat!
With the first bite we knew: this is the new barbecue place for us. My husband said, «Why can’t other barbecue restaurants make their sauce like this?! This is the real deal!!» And it is! The sauce is homestyle spicy barbecue sauce you might find someplace in the South, but wow! here it is in Sacramento. He was literally sucking the tasty, tender meat off the bone, it was that perfectly cooked. We each ate every bite off our plates, and really enjoyed the sides, too Absolutely, mouthwateringly delicious. It’s the best place we’ve been able to find in the whole Sacramento area, and even better than Everet & Jones in Oakland — another great place, by the way.
Sure it’s a little pricey, but that will no doubt improve when the demand rises — you all have to get out there and try this fantastic food! You won’t be sorry. Don’t listen to some of the other (petty) reviews that frankly have got it all wrong. This barbecue is DELICIOUS (and the service was very good, to boot; the lady was super nice and also really appreciative of her customers).
We are going to make it a twice/​month minimum spot. I’m going away this week to visit my parents and I fear my husband will spend every night eating barbecue!!! But who could blame him?

I think I am in line with the rest of the reviews (I should have read them before i went).
Just the facts:
No tables period, this place is take out only.
50 cent fee for using credit cards.
Someone else mentioned that the seasoning on the wings was «sparse», my pallette says «nonexistent». A pinch of salt would go a long ways.
The wings are fresh, hot, and succulent otherwise.
Ribs have the membrane on them (most rib officianados make removing it step one).
Ribs are dry-​ish on the outside, fall off the bone on the inner parts.
Ribs are served pre-​sauced, (you get a choice of mild or hot) the mild tastes somewhere between K. C Masterpiece and Kraft.
The place is generally really clean inside, almost barren feeling.
The potato salad and green beans were the best part.
All in all I thought it was a little expensive for what I got ($ 8.99 for 4 half wings and 2 pork ribs) but when I get a hankerin for real smoked meat I will go by again, albeit with somewhat lowered expectations.

Went there for the 1^st time w/​a co-​worker for lunch. We both ordered the tri-​tip sandwich as we were told that this was one of their more popular items.
Here are my pros and cons about «my» experience:
PROS: Tri-​tip was tender and the staff was friendly. Wish I had more to say…
CONS: BBQ sauce was just ok (I had the mild) and the bread was awful! Couldn’t even pickup the sandwich without the bread breaking in half and all the meat is falling off. Luckily, we were provided forks. No place to eat inside the restaurant. They have a couple of park benches and a few barstools inside but no tables. Also, make sure to bring cash unless you want to keep paying their 50cent fee every time you use your card (debit OR credit).
My conclusion: The place is just okay. Sadly, I know better BBQ places in Sac that I would rather go to. Bottom line is I came, I tried it, and well… that’s about it. I don’t think I’ll be back again unless I find myself in one of those «situations» and had no choice but to try it again but that’s not likely going to happen.

Wow! The pork ribs are the business here @ the RIB SHACK. I haven’t tried anything else on the menu but I know they have their pork ribs dialed in. I see all the bad reviews about customer service, but when I go in the rib shack the people are very pleasant and even offered my son some FREE chips. I like this place myself and I have talked with the owner and he is trying to work it out to get everyone in and out of his establishment with a smile. GIVE HIM A CHANCE!

Hmmm, I think the rating is about right here. It’s just okay. BBQ should be better than okay though. It really should.
I picked up a wings and ribs meal, two of my favorite things nicely packaged in one meal at 8.99 with two sides. Sounds great. Plenty of food for the price, but…
The wings were nicely fried aaaaand sparsely seasoned. Okay.
The ribs were closer to chewy than to fall off the bone. I saw the guy with long dreds outside smoking them! They gotta be good, right? Not so fast. The right plays are called in the huddle, but the execution isn’t right. I see «tough» repeated in various reviews. Fumble!
I did enjoy the sauce on the ribs, the side of beans, and the green beans. I’d buy a bottle of the sauce. Then I can say,“I’m the sauce boss.”

Corn bread would have been nice too. I got sliced wheat bread reminiscent of Roman Meal. Perhaps I ordered the wrong things. I dunno. If I hear better things I’ll be back, but I’m not craving it.

husband and i went on a Friday night about 930. I was pleasantly surprised there were 3 orders (people) ahead of us. Wait time was — eh… about 10 mins. There was an older lady on register and 3 men working in the back. I ordered the kids pork tips… they were good. lots of meat. good sauce. My husband had a sandwich… he said it was good and would get the hotter sauce next time. Sides were Baked beans and Potato salad. I didnt like the baked beans — they tasted burnt. Husband didnt care for the salad, as i did.
we will go back. I am interested in tasting the tri tip, :)
Update ¹⁰⁄₁₆.
Husband and I went again about 730. I ordered the kids ribs again. And dh ordered half chicken. We weren’t let down with food or service. :) thumbs up this time too.
The only thing I questioned when I got home was my reciept.
8.99 husband
6.00 mine
14.99
.50 debit card fee
15.49
1.36 tax
16.85 total
2 things wrong:
1) they charged tax on the debit card fee.
2) they aren’t charging the correct sales tax rate for elk grove, which is 7.75 not 8.75.

The food was dry, flavorless, drinched with a decent sauce, and disgusting. Enough said. I ordered all of the meats, it was gross, I could have made a better meal at home. I would love for Chef Gordon Ramsay to bring his Kitchen Nightmares show to Elk Grove and teach the owners a thing or two about running and cooking.
Save your cash and find a better place to eat BBQ!

I first tried going here on a Tuesday only to find they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. They just opened so keep in mind that for the moment they just take cash.
I ordered a half slab of ribs with macaroni and cheese and potato salad for my sides. The ribs had a nice smoky flavor and the extra spicy sauce was pretty tasty. They were a little on the dry side and they were a touch tough but the flip side of that is that they were not as fatty as I am use too.
The potato salad was not the best I have had but certainly not the worst either.
I am not really a fan of mac and cheese unless it is baked with bread crumbs on top so I will refrain from commenting.

Today was my first time trying the Rib Shack after their grand opening about a week ago.
I was a little bummed out to find out they are only accepting cash — for now, they are supposed to get their credit card setup in about a week — but I really wanted some BBQ and was excited to have a non-​chain place so close with some good ol’ fashioned BBQ.
I ordered the tri-​tip and a rib tip boat (sandwich). I then drove down the street to Nugget Market to get some cash to pay for my meal.
The rib tips were good, but not amazing. I’m not a big rib fan in general, but I now a good rib when I taste one :) If I had a craving for ribs, I’d probably drive way out to Big Al’s BBQ on Grantline.
The tri-​tip, on the other hand, was freakin’ bananas. Perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned and the meat had that fresh of the BBQ flavor that you usually get from your back yard grill. They have two BBQ sauce varieties: hot or mild. I went with the hot and it complimented the tri tip like a warm coat in the winter.
I’ll be back many times for the tri tip, and I’ll probably try a few of their other sides and sammiches down the road.

The open sign was lit, it was well during operating hours as posted. They were closed.
You guys just opened! Get your act together!

I have been waiting for the grand opening of this place with much hope for great ribs! Today, I spy the «grand opening» sign is up and customers are standing in line. I cruise on in and grab a spot to park. I walk to the door to find a «cash only» sign. Ugh. Off to get cash (The bbq smells great though.) I return, it’s about 7:30 in the evening. There are three people in line in front of me. One person is taking orders, three are cooking and one guy gets the meat portion and adds sides, before passing out the order. After waiting in line ten minutes the woman stops taking orders and says she has to check the sides because she doesn’t know what she has. Then she returns to the register and begins to take an order when I hear her say «We are out of ribs». What??? How is a «Rib» restaurant out of ribs? Okay, so I failed on my mission to try them. I will be back to update this when I get a chance to actually taste them. For now, it’s one star for the big rib failure.
Oh, on the menu: pork & beef ribs, tri tip, hot links. Potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans, green beans, peach cobbler and I spied something that looked like sweet potato pie. Half a slab of ribs is $ 12 and a full slab is $ 22.
Update: We got some ribs! Yay! So the ribs were good, not the best ever but certainly a great choice here in Elk Grove. I really am a fan of meat that is tasty, without sauce. To me, the sauce is a bonus but I would much rather just have the unadulterated stuff. The ribs on the small end of the full slab were a little over done and the ribs on the larger, thicker end, a little undercooked… but not to worry, there was plenty of good stuff in between. If it were me, I would ask for the smaller end half slab. They are juicy, and the rub is tasty. I deducted a star because I think they could have been more tender. The sauce comes in mild or hot, we chose mild. My kids liked it, but it was too sweet for me. They didn’t have much in the way of sides at the moment, but one daughter fell in love with the Mac & Cheese. I found the pasta overcooked. It tasted good but was mushy. The coleslaw was crisp and had the right amount of dressing. One thing that cracked me up was the two slices of white bread with the order. Must be a Southern thing…(although, I much prefer cornbread with mine.)
I’m sure we’ll be back to try more ribs and other meats!