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The Rib Shack

4.4 (630 reviews)
ModerateBarbeque, American
Closed • 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

The Rib Shack Photos

Business Info

THE RIB SHACK ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Quiet
Casual
Dogs allowed
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - The Rib Shack

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Reviews With Photos

Sampler order with two additional small sizes which are pretty big
Shauna G.

First time patrons and had a positive visit, the girl at the register was very pleasant and they do offer military discount. The flavors of the meats were nice (except the chicken, husband and I agreed there was an odd floral flavor to it). Wanted to try this place on the fried okra alone as I've never been to a BBQ place that has this as an option. The okra was yummy, seasoned fries were crispy, Mac and cheese was ok, the coleslaw was meh, the potato salad was bomb! We want to try the cowboy beans next time. The BBQ sauce was flavorful and tangy, we agreed the best meat was the pulled pork, it was tender and juicy while the ribs were pretty tough and the brisket was sadly very chewy. Maybe it was just an off day, but we would definitely come back to try more things! Honestly: 3.5 stars if you could do half stars, I would have done 3, but based on the great customer service, I bumped it up to 4 stars.

Ribs and brisket
Karen B.

I ordered takeout from The Rib Shack while visiting Fallbrook as it was a rainy day so the more plentiful outdoor seating area was closed. The menu posted in store by the register was a bit more limited than online, and there were specials posted in the store (like the giant beef ribs) that were not listed online, so worth calling to ask if you're looking for beef ribs! My husband and I shared a half rack of pork ribs and a lb of brisket. For sides, we got fried okra and cole slaw, which were both really good! Meat was tender and paired perfectly with all three types of bbq sauce on the side (which I appreciated, because bbq spots that lather on too much bbq overwhelms my tastebuds). Not much indoor seating but I did see a patio outside (not in use when I stopped by due to rain). Will definitely stop by again when I am back in town!

Beef Ribs (only Fridays and Saturdays) and slaw.
Gina D.

Shout out to Rib Shack. Ordered 2 beef ribs. They only serve on Fridays and Saturdays and always sell out. Got there early. Best ribs ever. 20.99 a lb min.2 ribs. These Dino bones with 2 sides were only $30. Enough food for 2 maybe 3 I got our favorite, fried Okra(not pix) and slaw. The Slaw was not sweet and so good. The okra gone before I got home. And sauce is on the side so they look anemic but aren't. They don't hide the flavor with sauce and let you choose the sauce you want. Only complaint is the chipotle mayo served with the Okra was so watered down it was straight liquid and dripped EVERYWHERE. My floor, hand, shirt. Thought maybe a one time thing then went to put BBQ sauce on the meat and it too was watered down. That's not going to help save you $ because now I (and others ) will just order twice as much sauce. Do better with your sauces.

Dry bland bbq ribs
Mizz D O.

I hate to leave bad reviews, and only do it when it really calls for, Very disappointing experience. Customer service was horrible from the moment we arrived. The girl taking the order has no people skills, The food is bbq, should be done ready to serve yet my order took 20 minutes, how? Why? It's food that down have to be prepared. Then When the food finally came out, it was bland and the ribs were dried out. We paid over $50 fora sampler plate for 2 people and honestly the only thing i could eat and somewhat enjoy was the mac and cheese. Everything else went to waste. Definitely not worth the wait or the money. Full disclosure I did just move here from Texas where you see what you're ordering and you get your tray full of food right there on the spot. No waiting! CA needs good bbq places and this is not it!

Fred L.

Not a very good experience. I stopped here on the way between Escondido and Temecula and I had an Entertainment Coupon. They refused to accept my coupon. No reason was given except "we don't accept coupons." I know they've been in the Entertainment coupon program for years. My question is, why offer a discount or coupon if you're not going to honor it. My coupon said clear as day $10 discount. They offered to give me a 10% discount which totaled about $3. I just told them to have a good day and left as a non-satisfied customer.

Two meat combo brisket, baby back ribs, fries and Okra
Todd J.

The meat was dry and cold. The fries and Okra cold and soggy. I expected so much more. I was a cute little shop with one guy running register and 2 in the kitchen

Grace T.

It's sharing a parking lot with messy burgers and Pala Mesa marketplace. It's on the left most lot. It is a relatively small place with about 4 tables inside and a variety of seating outside with picnic tables and benches. No alcohol availanle, just tea and soft drinks. Diet coke and dietavailable, They have a menu that allows you to pick the bbq meats and sides, or sandwiches. We ordered a two meat platter to share and fries and fried okra as sides. And we got two unsweetened ice teas. We waited 25 minutes for the food. And it appeared that we were forgotten. My hubby checked back twice and when we finally got it; our fries and fried okra were mushy. The meat was reasonably good. But still a tad bit dry. The insides of the restaurant was really clean. I do see multiple polarising views on this place. Other patrons we met said the sandwiches were the way to go here. The sides are pretty ehh... was the comment we got. Probably not coming back here for a while. For others, it's a hit or miss according to the reviews. For anybody that matters, we were here on Saturday afternoon for lunch. We narrowly missed the lunch time crowd... or so we thought.

Sophia N.

We love this place for the ribs, pulled pork, and cole slaw! My boyfriend goes there almost every weekend and always recommends to all of his friends and family! Great place to get a quick bbq lunch, cute small shop with easy parking! I would recommend getting a protein and two sides, the mac and cheese is amazing and the cole slaw is a must have.

Dry and tough brisket/Dined-in, ate it right away

I've eaten here plenty of times and I've never had bad experience. I always ordered the brisket and it has always been juicy and tender. This time around, I ordered the same thing, but the brisket was very dry and tough to eat. I'm going to give it another try and hope that the brisket is moist and tender like it usually is.

Potato salad

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3 months ago

Awesome food! Good prices for smoked meats. A small hole in the wall place off the main highway. Worth the wait!

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4 months ago

Holy cow best food all homemade with such flavor new favorite place really fast service smoker outside and lots of seating

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3 months ago

They have good bbq,the hot sauce is not that hot but good . Sides are adequate . They go have outside seating

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Ask the Community - The Rib Shack

Are there a la carte options?

Yes. You can get a rack of ribs, side of beans, etc.

View All 3 Questions

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We ordered food to go so can't really comment on the service or ambience. I wasn't the one going to…read morego get the food. We started off with the blazin bacon. It was sweet and very spicy. A little bit too spicy for me but the flavor was excellent. I had the Code 3 burger. Big burger which consisted of pork belly, angus chuck and short rib meat. It had grilled pineapple, jalapeños, green peppers and onions, lettuce, and tomato drizzled with raspberry chipotle sauce. It was spicy with a little bit of sweet. It came with french fries which were very tasty and seasoned perfectly. I've never seen french fries quite like this. I was so hungry I forgot to take a picture of the burger. My daughter ordered a chicken Caesar wrap which isn't on the menu, but they made it for her anyway. Super nice of them to do that. It was a lot of food and we were all happy with stuffed bellies.

The Rib Shack - bbq - Updated May 2026

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