Chicago Rib Shack

We left feeling very disappointed. My husband said the ribs were average, and he should know, he eats a lof of them! I hoped they would be the best ribs in London but they are certainly not. My father-in-law's steak was tiny, and looked tough. I had the pulled pork which was nothing amazing either.

I thought the restaurant was nice, good decor, buzzy, but the music got louder as it got later and harder to talk. We were seated near the bar on the ground floor - if you go ask for a table downstairs which I think had a better atmosphere.

On the positive, I thought the service was very good and attentive. We were not offered the bibs either thankfully (but other adults were wearing them!) I thought the prices were fine for central London, and did not leave feeling ripped off, just wishing we had gone to Bodeans!!
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Mrs P - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Friday, November 21, 2008

A very, very poor restaurant. Their ribs are decent, but a little small and with way too sweet a barbecue sauce. The service was typical for London. That is, completely awful -- gruff, slow, understaffed, etc. The one beer on tap is rubbish, and the place really has nothing to do with Chicago. Generally a very "nickel-and-dimed," place where they obviously care more about sucking money out of the Knightsbridge tourist's pocket than on giving a good experience. Avoid.
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Chuck Farley
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 1
Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Dreadfull. The place was so cold all of our food was cold before we had finished it. My daughter who is 10 'died' with embarrassment as a waitress (or waiter we where not sure) appeared behind her and proceeded to put a plastic bib on her.....later we realise this is some type of sick service for customers - you dont need a plastic bib to eat here - all the diners that where there had removed them or managed to get a 'no thanks' in before they where thrust on you.

The food was average - boring ribs - boring burger - boring chips. If your oder the boring ribs you have to spend more £3 more on a bowl of chips...

One childs meal, 1 ribs and one burger, two cokes - £50. Ouch. Beware of the man in a pointy hat and blackmask with a pistol laughing at you as you go in.
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David Hunter
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 1
Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Great place for big groups, great atmosphere, friendly staff, massive portions and good value!
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s
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, October 06, 2008

my wife and i used to regularly eat at the previous incarnation of the RIB SHACK at the mews street behind where the new restaurant is sited today....we have alot of mental baggage (comparing the old place with the new one) and as it was a bar / restaurant where i used to court my now wife (and impress her - with the car valet service -i never had to find a place to park just get out of the car and straight into the building ...cool ) she and i wanted to see if this new version was a let down....well...NO ...it is a brilliant step forward for the restaurant and its reputation ....the decor ...bright and sassy at street level...and intimate and cosy in the basement dining area....with a choice of seating on central area tables that are extendable from 4 to 8 place settings ..some american style diner booths and even a few private party dining rooms which look like you could squeeze 18+ people in there...we took our own teen aged children with us and quickly had our drinks orders , starters and main meals ordered by the hyper attentive staff ...we felt that the waiting time for items to arrive was very fast for a packed restaurant and especially with teens in tow this was a good sign...with the web site inspected a few times by family members wanting to view the menu ..we had a good idea of cost and we had secured a discount promotion to help things along but when our orders came the food was outstanding ..good portions ..well cooked and full or RIB SHACK flavours...it was almost as if the original bob payton formula was still being used and improved !!! ...we as a family will be visiting again ..very...very soon
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Dr Dee - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Monday, September 29, 2008

My partner and I went without booking on Saturday night. We had to wait an hour at the bar - but that was OK - we enjoyed the people watching and the atmosphere.

I think the service was excellent in the true American style - something the Europeans should learn and that way they EARN their tips.

The food was excellent as well for what it is - just good old hearty meaty barbequey goodness. The beauty of it was that it was serving organic and freerange meats so for once I could eat chicken whilst eating out. Double thumbs up from me.
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Caren
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, September 09, 2008

I was very excited about coming to the Rib Shack since I'm a huge ribs fan and some people had been raving about this place. But it was a pretty mediocre experience. The atmosphere was pretty dour, and the seating area (downstairs at least) felt quite sparse. You could hear clanking cutlery more than either the music or the chatter.

The food also was ok, starters were tiny, mains huge. The main thing is though that it was more expensive than Bodean's, the food was about the same and the atmosphere was substantially worse. It just wasn't very fun, which is what an American comfort food place needs to be. Give me Soho over South Ken anyday.

Now if only Bodean's would start taking reservations again....
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Peter, Fitzrovia - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 3
Friday, August 29, 2008

Think of the worst experience you could have in a restaurant.....then triple the disappointment with huge amounts of disbelief (I am not exaggerating).

It started well - nice refurb with a stylish feel. Menu looked promising. Good drinks at bar. We just made the catastrophic mistake of staying for dinner...

Food average at best, steaks and side dishes were cold - the excuse was ‘what did we expect we asked for a rare steak and it does not get cooked for a long time’. To be fair they did bring a 'new' side dish (but no steak ummm). Waiting staff were all huddled over the till in a corner, in manner of starved animals over a dead carcass. You could not pull them away for love nor money.... I am going to stop - because it is just like shooting fish in a barrel.

Where credit is due, the manager did know we were unhappy and did apologise but at the end of the day, we were still stuck with a bad dining experience and a very BIG bill.

Maybe they were having a ridiculously bad day..?

I do wish them luck and hope they do make it - but if they don't buck up - do they deserve it? It hurts - but so did eating there.
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Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 0
Thursday, August 21, 2008

Went to the Rib Shack with my brother and an old friend to re-capture the magic of our favourite childhood eatery. On the whole we weren't dissapointed. The layout is bright and open which is a change from the original. The bar is nice enough but needs more stools. The bar staff were struggling with their cocktail making so we had to hang around a fair bit just to get hold of 3 bottles of beer. However when we were shown to our tables the magic flooded back. We all had ribs which were soft succulent and tasty. The onion loaf was lovely but maybe needed stronger onions. We ordered loads of sides which were very good especially the creamed spinach. One downside was my coke float which was made with warm flat cola but on the whole it was a really nice night out. It had a fun vibe and I will definetly go back.
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David Ginsberg
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, July 28, 2008

The absolutely massive portions means you definitely get your money’s worth and as a bonus, a bit extra to take home – the staff are more than happy to make you up a doggy bag! Yummy food and a great night out!
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Sarah
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Thursday, July 24, 2008