Review: Shane's Rib Shack

We went to the Shane's Rib Shack in Locust Grove, GA on family dine out night on Wednesday. It was around 5 or 6 pm and it was not very busy. But more people ordered carry-out than sat in so it was moderately busy. This was my second time ordering and my first time eating in. We had half a chicken last time and it tasted alright.

It is a casual atmosphere that reminds me of a roadside restaurant or barn-themed restaurant. They did have an area that looked like a barn inside the dining room and the bathrooms were labeled as "Outhouses." There was a flat screen televisions mounted on the wall.

We ordered the food from a huge menu taking up almost an entire wall near the entrance. I ordered BBQ chicken plate with okra and macaroni and cheese. My husband had a Shack Sampler meal with pulled chicken, 1/4 rack of ribs, and two chicken tenders with okra and Brunswick stew. My daughter had a kid's plate with macaroni and baked beans. I shared my chicken with her. They were also running a special on Wednesday: buy one order of wings and get the second order free (20 wings for $6.99). We ordered the wings to-go.

The area is set up to self-serve drinks and condiments. The food is brought to your table in baskets. They call out your name and then bring it to you. Meals are served with Texas toast which just looked like a piece of white bread. I stopped eating white bread back in 1996. I was shocked at how...well, white it was. I wonder about it having any nutritional value.

The sides are put in Styrofoam containers and the meat is just put on wax-like paper in the bottom of the basket. I guess this is more like a picnic-theme type dining experience.

The food was just OK. The sauce is usually what makes any barbecue good. There was nothing special about this sauce or chicken. I give it 3 out of 5 for fast, friendly service, ease of ordering, clean and relaxed atmosphere. So if you like community, family type picnics, you'll like Shane's.

Rating: 3/5

Location: 4980 Bill Gardner Parkway, Locust Grove, GA 30248 Phone: (678) 583-8186, Parking lot kind of cramped, but most people order to-go.

Value: $ Not very pricey. Good for the price and good amount of food. We had to take some home.

Atmosphere: Relaxed.