The PROS: Ribs were top tier! Tender as heck! Sauce was yummzzz too! Collards were delicious! They had no meat I could see. But the taste was out of this world! And they cut them up so pretty. Service was nice. Staff seemed happy to be at work. That's always a plus. ;-) The CONS: Mac was terrible. Tasted like oil. The cheese was not the best. And you could taste that. The cornbread was hard and tasteless. They should totally skip it unless they can do it correctly. It's not necessary. Verdict: I'll definitely go back. Pork makes you PRETTY! read more

This place has kind of been hit or miss. I used to love coming here and getting beef ribs with mac & cheese and collard greens but the collard greens have been a bit bitter lately. The beef ribs have been a bit skimp.I haven't given up on it yet but I might soon. read more

The food doesn't taste fresh, I ordered thru DoorDash so I cannot speak for ambiance or view of inside restaurant according to the reviews here. It doesn't seem like it's up to par with the cleanliness department. I hope they got that situated. Restaurant has potential the only thing I did enjoy was the fried chicken it was crispy & fried well not too much seasoning either but it was fair. Mac was super bland & so were the collard greens & candy yams. The yams tasted stale & old like it came frm the can. I also ordered macaroni salad @ it has the weirdest color. I've never seen Mac salad orange? Nonetheless I didn't even bother to try. It was left untouched / unopened. Cornbread was delicious tho! I don't think I'd order frm here again read more

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At times Guy Fieri puts a place on the map, on other occasions the knowledge of the best food travels more deliberately, from the father to the son to like-minded strangers, perhaps reading this from a JFK-area hotel and contemplating delivery options. (Takeout only. A 2018 blog said there was a table inside and a Yelp photo from 2021 indicates two outdoor tables, I'm unaware of the 2024 setup). Since ribs are in the title that's a fine choice. I've been associated in the past with Team Dry Rub but this sauce is so good I want to drink it. I've also enjoyed the fried chicken. Anything "smothered" seems like a great bet, tonight's feast included the excellent smothered pork chops. If you're in a group situation where you can order like seven sides, great, but if not, my votes are for cabbage and mac-and-cheese. read more

My review is not so much about the food at the RIB SHACK. I gave a one star rating due the DISGUSTING exterior/perimeter of this location. There is an extreme amount of trash and garbage that NEVER gets cleaned up. It has become an eyesore and is such a shame because this establishment has been a fixture in the Jamaica area for decades!!! PLEASE DO SOMETHING about this. read more

The food I had from here literally had no taste whatsoever and that's disappointing. Even the desserts had no flavor which I thought would be impossible but I found an example. I would honestly never order anything from this place again based on a disappointment that I had. I threw everything out. I'm sorry but I can't recommend this place for soul food or any food for that matter. read more

WOW!!!! I know we ordered Soul Food but you could actually feel the SOUL that went into the food!!! They do NOT disappoint. This is one of the few places that ANYTHING you order will be FINE! The Collard Greens were on point. Both the Jerk Chicken and Jerk Pork had meat the falls off the bone. Rice and Peas w/Oxtail sauce......MMMMMMM. Everything seasoned perfectly, not too much and not too little. THIS will not be our last order from them. I'd be happy to have them cater ANY event I may have. They reliable! A HUGE THANK YOU to the Chef, and cooks. I would have taken a photo but once we started eating there was no way to stop! SMILES read more

This is not soul food. I spent $48 and the only thing edible was the yams. The blackeye peas were burnt and undercooked. The macaroni salad tasted like sugar salad and so did the potato salad. The collard greens tasted like Glory greens or Sylvia's from the can. Macaroni and cheese should be left to the church ladies. Everybody can't cook and this place proves that. read more

I ordered beef ribs, potato salad and collard greens, corn bread and coconut cake. The ribs were tender and flavorful. However there was little to no meat on the bones. The collard greens were tough, flavorless tasting like water. The corn bread was dry and crumbled so badly that I could not butter it. The potato salad was decent. The coconut cake was good but mostly frosting with barely any coconut flakes. I grew up eating rib shack food I was sadly disappointed at the deteriorated quality of the food. I will keep my old memories but will be skipping this restaurant in the future. read more

Unfortunately, this place has gone straight downhill. They used to have really good fried fish and southern food but those days are long gone. I had the fried fish and I could smell it even though it was wrapped in a container and twisted in 2 plastic bags. The fish looked old and the batter is nowhere near what I was accustomed to. They've obviously allowed quality to deteriorate. I also had the smothered pork chop which smelled burned, was an oily mess and tasted horrible. I hope they get better but for now I'd stay away read more

Wow, for years this restaurant had the best soul food in Queens NY. I guess times have changed preparing fresh vegetables (sides) collard greens, candied yams, etc.. Now it seems and tastes like most of it is no longer freshly made. Now it's prepared from canned foods.... Just let me get a fish or chicken sandwich and call it a day.... read more

I ordered on Uber Eats and this is just absolutely not it. The man who eats every damn thing did not like the ribs, I ordered smothered pork chops and they weren't even hot on top of that the pork itself was hard but fall apart which gives me the idea it was sitting there for a long time. Mac and cheese is eh, the collard greens same thing. The cobblers needed more sugar less cinnamon, nothing was flaky, and I'm pretty sure those are canned peaches and it was just a textural mess. I do not recommend. The lemonade was good tho, came with a cute little mint leaf read more

This Food tastes like trash no flavor not authentic soul Food at all they definitely fell off, small portions and bad service your better off ordering Chinese restaurants Ribs if that's wat ur looking for lol no cap thank me later PS oxtails was burnt no meat on short ribs and the pork ribs have no flavor and the Greens taste sour read more

The B-52's - "Rib Shack" cue up the music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SOryJvTAGs "If you see a faded sign at the side of the road that says Fifteen miles to the Rib Shack! Rib Shack, yeah, yeah I'm headin' down the Van Wyck Expressway Lookin' for the meat hideaway Headed for the rib takeaway I got me a meal, it's as big as a whale And don't you dare bail I got me some pork, it feeds about twenty So pony up and bring your lunchbox money The Rib Shack is a little ol' place Where we can eat together Rib Shack, baby Rib Shack, Baby!" OK maybe we can't get together for dinner here, but we can certainly get take out. This is really deep in the south. The south of Queens, that is South Jamaica. Any further south and you can board a plane at JFK for the island of Jamaica. You're at the Rib Shack, so you gotta go for some ribs, but is it gonna be pork or beef? I go for the Pork Rib Dinner, ordering at the meat counter. Swing around the corner to get my two sides of Mac & Cheese and Red Beans & Rice, then over to the end register to pay and the cashier packs up my cornbread neatly to go. The ribs are fall off the bone and taste good with the sweet BBQ sauce. There are 5 honkin' big ribs here, so I split it into 2 meals. I might have to go for the Beef Short Ribs next time. I also wanted to try the fried chicken and got 2 pieces of dark meat that were pretty decent. The leg and thigh were seasoned well but were on the small side. I've seen half wing drummettes bigger than that drumstick. It did come with a square of their signature corn bread, which I also enjoyed. read more

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Yooooooo, Working out here in da streets & when you want some home cooking food that sticks to ya ribs !! This place can fulfill your needs; very old school & very clean; all steam table set up & displayed with a huge spread of food; full slabs of my favorite full size pork ribs alway tender & delicious... I love em dry ... if ya don't tellem ya gonna get sauced !! Fried, Baked all kinds of chicken as well as fish !! Gonna try their salmon today looked fantastic last week but I was craving the ribs ... Their Mac & cheese looks awesome as well as their cobblers ... just take a looky lou !! Love their cabbage & collar greens a real deal southern home cooking spot !! The servers are alway polite and clean looking as well as their restaurant ! Take out only, parking could be a Lil rough at times ... Always coming back when I'm in da hood !!! My 5 star rating is not based on all the food because I basically eat the same food all the time this is a diamond in the rough & if you know this area you would definitely understand & appreciate this food establishment & their employees .... Thanks, GREG D read more

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It's hard for me to compare this to anywhere else. I never really had legit soul food. May have stumbled across some that I assumed was but wasn't This may sound dramatic but Gawd Danggg it was good ! I haven't felt this way about someone else's food in awhile! I ordered their collard greens, spinach rice, and ox tail. I seriously felt like the chef who cooks there really puts in his efforts to his dishes. Every bite I had made me felt I was welcomed to someone's home. It's the type of comfort food anyone can enjoy. I wish them nothing but greatness in their business! read more

Rib Shack - Oxtail with spinach rice and Hot Collard Greens with a side of corn bread and Peach Cobbler - Soul Food Near Me - Jamaica, New York

Oh no. Talk about so disappointing. I did but enjoy at all. I was hoping this place was a real down south home cooking place. The color in the food was so off. The Mac and cheese needed cheese. Needless to say, I won't be ordering from them again. read more

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this is the day before Thanksgiving! I was told to place my order on Monday which I did. a family member was to pick up my order Wednesday at 6:30 PM when they arrived they were told the food would not be ready for another 2 hours. to come back at 8:30pm when they returned the turkey wings were gone and were replaced by cropped up chunks of turkey bones. also the sweet potatoes pie was awful! I understand it was busy but things were. very unorganized! I had planned to order my. Christmas dinner from here but after this experience I changed my mind! I did not get what I ordered and a pickup that started at 6:30 pm resulted in getting home at 11:30pm. I am terribly disappointed! read more

Don't go here I'd you feet hungry. The lady at the cash register was too occupied with a video call so my food just say there until I quickly got her attention to give me my food and let me pay. They person serving the food was Johnny on the spot when I walked in. The presentation of the food was really attractive. The last time I came here was June 2003. A lot has changed here I can see. read more

There was a time, many years ago, when Rib Shack was the place to eat in Jamaica Queens. This place is horrible now. While some of the meat products offered aren't too bad , everything else is tasteless and looks awful. The macaroni and potato salad does not look fresh. The Yams look like the poured orange coloring on top of the and did not taste fresh. The cabbage has no taste. The pulled pork look like it was pulled out of a freezer and was warmed up. But what made this trip just as bad as the food was the level of professionalism by some of the staff. Some staff came from in the kitchen to google over an attractive women in the restaurant while she was there with her husband. Totally disrespectful and unacceptable. My overall experience was terrible, I wouldn't suggest this place to anyone. Btw, the restaurant itself looks dirty and dingy . If want too know how to make it better, fire some of the staff and level the bldg. Start all over again read more

The service was unwelcoming, the servers were a bit unpolished. The food was just like the service, terrible! I had fried fish, collard greens, yams, banana pudding. The fish was fried hard, had barely any seasoning. The collard greens had good flavor, but needed to cook a little longer. (They were a little tough) and the yams taste like they came straight out from a can no sugar, pineapple juice no nothing . If you long for good southern food, the Rib Shack is not the place to go. Now let's talk about this banana pudding... it was the worst of all. I didn't think it was possible to ruin banana pudding. They should close the doors and I'll waste peoples money or time with serving subpar food . read more

Really tasted like no other soul food I've had, and I don't mean in a good way. Mac salad tasted like flowers, as though someone's perfume was mixed in. Rice and beans were okay, yams were good, collards also decent but kind of floral tasting. Pork and beef ribs were cooked perfectly and than slathered in a sweet sauce that used way too much sugar and lacked any other defining flavor. We had so much food and ate none of the leftovers - I almost washed the pork ribs to try a different sauce on them and probably should have. read more

Hole in the wall spot. Staff is nice, southern food comfort. Fish is good. Rice is good. Just the mashed potatoes are instant, and I wish they would make them fresh. But would come back. read more

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This place seems to be a hit or miss. The first time I tried them, the collard greens were not properly seasoned, the mac and cheese was also flavorless, the fish was just eh. I decided to try again because my sister had ordered some pork ribs and she said everything was really good. So I tried them again and I was really impressed with the difference. The green beans were nicely seasoned, the mac and cheese was good, corn bread could have been better, but the fried chicken and bbq pork ribs were fantastic. So I'm giving a three based on the average of both experiences. I hope they can consistently deliver good food. read more

Classic local soul food spot. Good for catering. Lots of choices to choose from. Fried Fish is made fresh to order. Good spot to go to for a soul food fix. It's take out-not a sit in restaurant. Go in, pick your entree and sides which are on display for choosing and take it out. Very reasonable pricing for catering as well. read more

Do NOT order catering from this place. After putting in an order almost a week ago for almost $2000 worth of food, it was not ready at the pickup time. There are hundreds of people waiting for their food and an hour and a half after the food was supposed to ready, I'm still waiting with no explanation on what's taking so long. It will be a very lonnngggf time before I step foot back in here. If you need something on time, don't bother coming here. Update: I got part of my order after waiting an hour and 45 minutes. I left and came back 30 minutes later to pick up the rest. Timing is one thing , quality is something completely different. I ordered multiple items and was EXTREMELY disappointed. First, the stuffing was not cooked at all it was wet soggy bread or breadcrumbs. The turkey wings were TOUGH and should of cooked longer. The cabbage was mixed with collards and they were gritty. I have never in my entire life had a worse catering experience. I do multiple catering events every single year and I will NEVER give Rib Shack my business again. I like to buy black whenever possible and circulate money within the community to other black businesses but they are officially off the list. I was fully prepared to remove my earlier review about the lateness and post something positive but the quality of the food was just disrespectful. Food: 2/5 | Service: 1/5 | Atmosphere: 2/5 read more

I remember when poor Freddie's owned this place back in the days.A few friends and family of mine knew poor Freddie personally. At that time he had the best soul food anywhere. I grew up hearing the stories. From the fried chicken macaroni and cheese..potato salad cornbread pork chops smothered in gravy collard greens..pig feet black eyed peas Turkey wings chitterlings smoked neck bones the list goes on I could go on for days. This was the main soul food spot hands down. The folks would flock to this place by the droves..but even today it still gives you some good food. But some remember the times when no one could compete with poor Freddie's rib shack soul food restaurant. read more

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Small little take out spot with a good soul food menu - Mac & Cheese good - string beans good - salmon was flaky but had weird red sauce on it which I really didn't understand - fried chicken good - ribs good - compared to most soul food spots - they did a good job to not keep you waiting read more

I am so disappointed. Collagen has no seasoning. Macaroni and cheese. Just noodles with cheese on top. No cooking corn bread and I was supposed to get corn bread. Yams. Not sweet at all. No cinnamon ‍. Ribs. Blah read more

Very good place to go and have a nice meal the place is very clean you have to try the Mac and cheese is excellent I will recommend it thank you read more

Horrible food! Horrible service! Just horrible ! I don't recommend this place !!!! The fact that this is a bbq place is laughable. I think people honestly go here because of the convenience . Smh read more

Ok, i'll start from best to worst. As for Ambiance, this is not even a consideration as there simply is none. If you call old and cold ambiance then you probably should get out more. Oh there was the proverbial beggar that works that corner and will intercept you coming and going. He'll even peer through the window to watch your method of payment, hence the reason for the intercept on the way out. I watched him work patrons of the Liquor store across the street before we even parked. And as we parked he was already in front of the restaurant. And oh parking, you'll be lucky to find a spot and you will most definitely have to circle the small block, which is more of an intersection. Anyway the service, very much an i don't want to be here selling this crappy ass food, taking these people's money for this crappy ass food type of service. Aw, did i give the food part away? The food has got my vote for the worst food i have attempted to eat in a while. How can you call yourself a rib shack and can't do ribs, or you do ribs in the worst way possible. They were old and dry. You can actually see the history on the ribs, especially when you bite into them then start to chew. It's a done deal. I'm gonna venture to say probably the best thing to try is the fish, which you have to wait to be prepared. Anything in the case would be a hard no for me. Matter of fact, you already know, i'll never ever step foot in this restaurant again as long as i'm able to eat. The sauce was terrible. The ribs were just pork ribs that were more spare than anything and very sparse. Besides the ribs i also tried the chopped bar bq. Not the greatest and i hope easy to forget. The rice and beans were bland. Nothing here even looked appealing to me. Now for the summary. This was completely my fault. I read the reviews on yelp. I looked at the most recent. I saw the salty tasting review. I saw the low ratings. And what did i do, went anyway because i didn't want to go to Brooklyn. The next time i will take time, matter of fact i'll even skip Brooklyn and go straight to Dinosaur Bar BQ in Harlem. The last place i got ribs in brooklyn weren't that great either. Don't waste your money here people. Peace out! The reason for the one star is because it's a requirement to leave a review, otherwise i wouldn't. read more

Went here for thanksgiving and Christmas food was on point,friendly staff,clean establishment,great desserts

Slimy, Greasy, Burnt, Old, inedible, Overly sweet, Funky, hard as a rock, this is how I would describe my recent experience eating at this place. Question who is cooking the food ? Because the food is an absolute embarrassment of Poor Freddie's legacy, how dare you call this soul food. I ordered the Smothered Chicken was slimy, greasy and extremely salty I didn't even have to chew it it just slid down my throat, the Mac and cheese was just noodles with burnt cheese on top that was just inedible the collards smelled so funky it stunk up my entire house, I was scared to eat them they had to be rotten, the potato salad was so sweet that it would be more of a desert than a side dish, the food was just a waste of my hard earned coin, the best thing was the apple cobbler, and that was just ok...eat at this place at your own risk.... read more

My dad and I had a taste for some bbq ribs tonight. We should have ordered something else. I like tender ribs. These ribs were hard, and some of the ends were burnt and crunchy. I gave them 2 stars because the sides were pretty good. The next time I want some ribs, I will order them elsewhere. read more

Rib Shack - Hard crunchy ribs - Soul Food Near Me - Jamaica, New York

Good soul food. Chopped BBQ, fried chicken and collards and cole slaw all very good. Potato salad tasty, fresh but potatoes cut a little too big. We will return. read more

I have lived in the neighborhood for over 30 years passing by in front of this place and this is my first time. I was not disappointed, the chicken was tender and moist. The rice and cabbage was well seasoned. The prices are affordable and reasonable. Will definitely go back. read more

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Can I just second Melissa G.'s review? lol. I would say the same thing. I have been going to Rib Shack for decades. The business changed hands and there were some growing pains in the transition, but I think they are back on it again. My aunt lives around the corner and goes to pick up my food before I get there, so I haven't had to go inside to pick up anything myself in a long time so I can't speak to the service. The ambiance is nothing special, cafeteria type take out setting that's why I withheld a star, but they know what they're doing, I can imagine the kind of foolishness that would go on if people could sit down and eat, just sayin' lol. Doesn't matter though, the food here is great, I only eat chicken and fish and they are both very good. The sides are scrumptious too. For dessert, I've only had the coconut cake which is delish and the apple cobbler, which I found a little meh. It has a strong cinnamon in it that I don't care for. But overall, I think you'll enjoy this soul food place. I know I do. read more

The food is great tasting with a variety of meats, vegetables and desserts. The service is quick when no one holds up the line. This is my go to place when I want to treat my mom to a meal that tastes like it was home cooked. read more

My go to for soul food, I've recommended this place to all my friends. There portions are worth every penny!! You will not be disappointed. I do find that there is an inconsistency about there food. Some days it's amazing but other days it's just good. Like they need to keep the one great cook. Cornbread is not the best by any means. It's a definitely hole in the wall type of place, a staple in the community for a long time, I'm glad it's here. read more