Rib Shakk

Looking at other reviews for this place I MUST have gone there on just a particularly bad day, but it was one of my worst ever dining experiences.
The first slight annoyance was that we were told there was a 45 minute wait for a table so had to go away and come back (although this was a chance for a pint in the wonderful Brew Dog bar!), despite there clearly being a few tables that were empty.
Anyway, back we came and our table hadn’t been sorted out — it turned out the guy we spoke to hadn’t bothered to write down that we’d be back so we had to find him and then the other guy had to drag two tables together. After ordering we sat back down with our drinks, and then noticed that the guys dealing with the food weren’t wearing gloves, and seemed quite happy to scoop up chips and salad with their fingers. Not impressed whatsoever at this point.
The wait wasn’t too bad for our food, but only 1 out of the 5 of us had anything positive to say about it. My burger was seriously average and a little cold. One guy couldn’t finish his burger it was so bad, and his girlfriend who enjoyed her own burger tried his and agreed with him. The only order that wasn’t a burger was a big rib of some form, but about half of it was a huge chunk of fat. To be fair, when the guy taking orders overheard that he did take it away and replace it, but this just stretched out an already annoying experience.
The service was generally very hit and miss. For every moment like being offered a replacement meal without having to ask for it, there were moments like not being given cutlery, not being brought the ketchup someone asked for, and a general sense that nobody really seemed to know what on earth was going on.
I’m generally understanding when service takes a hit because of a place being really busy and seeing staff rushed off their feet, but this was just a lack of organisation and competence (and also possible health risks with the no glove wearing!!). Seriously unimpressed and definitely won’t be going back. Congratulation Rib Shakk — you’ve got my first 1 star review!

Nom nom. Yet again I tried to go to Red’s and failed — I may have to give up eventually but in the mean time it led me here so I am happy.
Menu is simple and tasty sounding with good amount of choices.
We went for a triple platter which allowed us to taste all types of rib and three types of sauce — a good move and good value for money.

I really fancied a plate of steak or some such thing for my birthday night out, and planned on trying ‘Reds’ only to find a 2 hour wait and no booking for less that 8 people, not ideal, but on turning round and spotting the Corn exchange, i remembered a friend recomending the Rib shack in there (part of Anthonys)
so six of us went in and had what can only be described as a meaty feast!
the Ribs and choice of sauces were excellent, loaded with nice meat and not like some ribs you can get that just seem to be bone and fat, these were very juicy and very tasty. The fries and BBQ beans that came with them also nice spicy and very more-​ish.
Not a place for vegitarians or people looking for too many options, but it does what it says on the tin ‘Ribs !’ I for one shall be going back there.
The surrounding were a bit sparse and it was a wednesday so it was quiet, but the price was good and there was a good selection of beers and drinks.
try it!

Me and a friend went to Rib Shakk a few weeks ago, and I have to say it’s a great little place hidden away in the corn exchange. The ribs themselves have a large selection of toppings, and when they came were juicy and tender. Though what made the meal more enjoyable were the simplicity but deliciousness of the sides, and little touches like cream soda served in a glass pot, and unlimited wipes to clean your chops when eating the ribs.
The atmosphere is relaxed and doesn’t feel gimmicky (like Reds True BBQ over the road), and attention to detail has been paid to everything on the menu.
Overall good value and great food.

This was a hard review to write; how do you rate a restaurant based on eating something that no sane person would eat? Yes, that’s right, I was foolish enough to attempt Ribshakk’s infamous Wall of Flames challenge. How did I get on? Read on to find out…
Arriving one rainy Monday evening, I was initially a little disappointed, as the spartan décor reminds me somewhat of a shopping centre food court, however I suspect that being at the bottom of the Corn Exchange only means a certain amount of leeway when it comes to design. I warmed to the place though due to the friendly staff, who didn’t immediately place me in a straight-​jacket when I mentioned the challenge, but explained the rules, gave me a pre-​meal drink, and worryingly enough, asked me to sign a waiver before I was allowed to eat.
Gulp.
Sitting down at the table, it wasn’t long until a full plate of steaming ribs were presented to me, and the rules were reiterated. 30 minutes, no drinks during consumption, and a 5 minute afterburn period, just in case the experience wasn’t traumatic enough as it is. I looked at the ribs. The ribs, slavered with a sauce that would make Satan himself cry, looked back. The fumes wafted up from the sulphurous meat and my nostril hairs started to gently immolate. With a solemn look, my server wished me luck and started the timer, and I pulled off the first rib, blew on it lightly, and took a bite.
Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh.
I could practically feel my taste buds recoil in a mixture of shock and awe. Never in my life have I tasted anything quite so hot as this, and mere words cannot describe how much of an affront to my senses this was. Not only was it nuclear in terms of Scovilles, the ribs were boiling on the inside from being fresh from however they cool them, and the combination was causing the inside of my mouth and throat to slowly melt and pool at the bottom of my oesophagus. A change in tactic was clearly required. I took to the rack, and disassembled it into it’s component parts, and due to the tenderness, I quickly had a stack of bones on one side of the plate, and a small mountain of dead pig on the other. Allowing it to cool briefly, I composed myself and set upon the meal with renewed vigour.
Mouthful upon mouthful of the spicy meat went in, and higher and higher my core temperature went up. I was struck that, not only was the spice playing havoc with me, the actual taste of it was revolting. I know it’s a curious thing to critique flavours at this point, but obviously the temperature had been raised with a spice rub consisting purely of chili powder, which caused a bitter and acrid sensation to curl up and die on my tongue. However, by this point, it was far too late to turn back, and my inner Yorkshireman was not going to let me pay for this meal, so I ploughed on. Eyes and nose streaming, I forced the final few mouthfuls down my gullet and wiped my hands clean and awaited the cooling off period.
Never has such a misnomer existed in the English language. With every passing moment, the heat in my mouth rose another notch or five, until I was dancing around the table singing Johnny Cash to distract myself from the pain. However, I noticed that the deeper I breathed, the less intense the spice was, so with breathing control a master Yogi (Hello BooBoo!) would be proud of, I buckled down and ran the clock out.
Victory! Of a phyrric sort, at any rate, for as I punched the air, my stomach decided to revolt from this instalment of 50 Shades of Pain, and I was forced to sprint for the toilets to relive this horrible experience in reverse. I thought it was spicy on the way down, and well, certain things should not be written down, even on the Internet. Trembling from my molten yawn, I returned to the restaurant to claim my prize of three free drinks (I had spent my fourth when I arrived), which I took as Jeremiah Weed to be enjoyed later, as well as a roll of frozen toilet paper, also to be enjoyed at a later date.
So, all in all, would I rate Ribshakk well? It’s tricky, but I am very pleased with the service, and I’m sure that if I’d had a meal any sane person would have eaten, I would have enjoyed it, as the quality of the meat seemed good through the heat haze, however the décor did let it down, as well as the balance of flavours on the meat. Perhaps another review when I have a sensible meal here…

Slow cooked ribs and sides.
Plentiful and good value.
Yay, sauce on my face!

I don’t often take myself out for a plate of indulgence, not like this, anyway. But the other week was such that the evening required a chopping board of ribs-​it had been a long day, a tiring day, and a stack of meat alongside a bottle of Jeremiah Weed was precisely what I needed. And, as my friend has said before, I can’t imagine drinking that bourbon-​y alcopop anywhere else, but I promise you, where there are ribs there should be that to sup on. It makes sense.
I dragged a mate along with me, as he’d not eaten here before, and was equally in need of ribs. My one niggle about the place is the décor –I mean, I’m not saying I’m a fan of an overly cheesy layout, but for some reason I want it to be distinct from the rest of the lower Corn Exchange. Somehow I’m always hoping for it to look separate, different to Anthony’s. Regardless, that doesn’t change the food, so I’m a nit picker.
So, you grab a seat, and get your eyes feasted over the menu. Of course, it goes without saying, it’s not the kind of place you treat a veggie — I can’t even remember if there’s a cursory dish on the menu for those who dine sans meat. We decided to go for a mix and match, one beef, one pork, both of which came stacked with fries, some salad, some corn and we accidentally received a bowl of ‘slaw, which the waitress shrugged off as our good luck. Happy days!
My companion suggested that it might be handy to be served a bib, since then one could truly get involved, but despite enjoying the sticky mess that is this experience, I don’t like getting grubby hands so I cope with a knife and fork. (The ribs are so beautifully cooked, the meat falls off the bones, so this isn’t too hard a task.) There was a table of lads eating at the same time as us, one of whom had decided to attempt the wall of flames, which also provided much entertainment whilst we ate –he managed about 10 minutes of horrendously spiced meat before escaping to the loos for about half an hour. Bless him.
In summary, the whole experience was as delightful as it had been on my first visit. The food is excellent, and delicious, and plentiful. The waitress who served us was absolutely fabulous, really friendly, chatty and helpful, and I certainly left feeling a lot more human than I had upon entering –like I said, it had been a long day. I will most certainly be back, but hopefully not so often that I start looking like a pig.

Rib Shakk! Lots of Tasty Ribs, Loads of sauces!!! Will update review later!