Waited in line for 10 minutes behind a party of 4 only to be told we are only 2 take any table...we got our menus and waited 15 minutes, not even a cup of coffee. So we got up and left, went to Norms Diner and had a fantastic breakfast... Poor service with nearby options...never will go back to the Shack read more

This place is our go to for breakfast! Super reasonable and delicious! My go to is the kitchen sink which is basically biscuits and gravy it's amazing!! The waffles are also so good! Everyone is so friendly and even when they are packed it doesn't take too long to get a seat. Great customer service and great food! read more

Great send-off breakfast on our journey home. Had the triple feast - but way too much really good food! Not cheap, but worth it! Eggs, both scrambled and over easy were great! Potatoes cooked with butter, paprika and bacon grease were in our top 3. Bacon was thin but good quality - no chewing the fat or hard bits. As a crepe lover, I've never liked thick pancakes.....until today! Well-done folks. Had to wait 25 minutes to sit (and with a crowd, ya need more bathrooms (only 2). 2 comments from 2 others in party - 1. 'had better sausage/gravy' and something about fruit....but they complain about everything, so take it with a grain of salt. I'm stingy with stars, but my tastebuds, and courtesy of staff, give The Shack a well-deserved 4.8 stars read more

Phenomenal food and great prices! Good home cooked meals! We had to take part of ours with us because there is so much food! The pies are clearly homemade too! Life's short, have pie! read more

The Shack - The Mess! Oh my! So much food! - American Near Me - Groton, Connecticut

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Keep in mind this is a diner. A good diner. I grew up going to the original Shack in Niantic next to the driving range. They have branched out over the years, and the original is gone. Nonetheless, the food is good. I got a turkey wrap today and was not expecting it to taste as good as it tasted. And that was just a simple turkey wrap. Diners can be hit or miss. If you eat at any of the Shack locations, know that you will be happy. And although I have not tried them, their pies look pretty incredible. read more

Foods great but the servers are rude. My waitress disappeared so I flagged down another, she seemed so pissed I asked her to get me salt.

Pleasantly surprised,this very clean and friendly restaurant surpassed my expectations. There are quit a few things I can not eat and Holly really came through for me. She remembered a old menu item that was still in they're computer and it was a great breakfast. I'm sure the rest of the staff would work hard to accommodate but Holly had the experience and really made my experience a great one. The food was fast hot and really good portion sizes were huge... the waitstaff was very busy and the cooks were calling out staff names as food was ready to be served. More restaurants should be like this gem in Groton. read more

Great variety of tasty food with terrific service at fair service. I highly recommend it & will be back.

Had a reuben with fries. I come from NY so to find places that I enjoy is rare. Food was spot on.

Pancakes were good, plentiful, but pretty expensive. Restaurant was packed for breakfast, and we felt pressure to get out the place as soon as we looked liked we were done, with the waiter constantly asking us if we were ready for the bill. Had more people to seat. Bathroom smelled nasty, could not go in it. Brian Ghilliotti read more

Fantabulous food!! Great prices that are extremely reasonable. Had brunch here for the first time last week, and absolutely loved it. The food alone, I would definitely give 5 stars. Our server was very kind, and attentive. Besides her I found all the other servers to be very sour. Every single one of them was scowling, and looked miserable. I took off a star because I thought the atmosphere from the wait staff was off-putting. We entered, no one acknowledged us, and there were servers all around. Plenty of tables open, and we still had to stand around waiting for 5 min. Not a long wait, but there was no need for it. I'm closer to the East Lyme location, and will frequent it often. The food there is just as great, but their servers are actually friendly, and welcoming. read more

I decided to stop in on a random Monday because I had the day off. I got the traditional classic with poached eggs. First off, I love that they'll do poached eggs here because other breakfast spots in the area will say "2 eggs any style" and then say they won't do poached. Then don't tell me any style! They would be a 5 star, but service was pretty slow. That being said, when I was served, it was courteous. The eggs were cooked a little longer than they should have been, the toast was well buttered, the bacon wasn't overdone but it wasn't hot, and the potatoes were how home fries should be. I'll keep coming here and to the one in New London because it's fairly priced, there's a variety, and I've never had a bad experience between the two locations. read more

The Shack - Classic traditional. Home fries, poached eggs, bacon, toast. - American Near Me - Groton, Connecticut

Love love love!!! I had their breakfast and I swear they have the best pancakes I ever had, soo sweet! Portions are huge, if you go home hungry you're doing something wrong. My husband had the Kitchen Sink and he was in love as well. Great service, great food, amazing hot tea, food came out fast, and the restaurant is adorable. 10/10 would marry if I could read more

Holy #$^(@)*& - a lot of tasty breakfast food ... You won't leave hungry. Home fries were a bit crispy and fried with onions - good mix of crunch and soft. Plenty of options between eggs, waffle, french toast and fruit plates. Enjoy read more

We waited at our table for 25 min while our waitress completely ignored us. Once we finally got to put in our order she didn't apologize and was very rude about the situation. The experience left a very bad taste in my mouth of the shack. I would not recommend it to a friend or come back. read more

I have reviewed few other's reviews, specifically those from Scott, and Joe, and Jessica, and I agree with much of their feedbacks. First, we should have ordered the breakfast items(as Joe pointed out) because the lunch/dinner items that we ordered (ordered Meatloaf and Chili Burger) were average. Like Denny's, you can order breakfast items at anytime. The food arrived fast, as Scott pointed out, but we didn't get any stuff (crayons) for our kid that Scott's kids got. Maybe it was because we went there on a Friday evening, but we didn't get much attention from our waitress (concur Jessica's). She never bothered to check our table to see if we needed refill and we never got one. Worse, she forgot to bring the dessert for our kid (it's part of the kid's meal) and she gave us the check! Obviously, the waitress was not very attentive. Again, maybe their breakfast is great, but basing their lunch/dinner menu and their service (or lack of), we will not be going back. read more

A lot of local people love this place, but I am not one of them. They serve typical diner fare, usually either overcooked or undercooked. I have gone back a few times to give it another chance, since any restaurant can have a good day. Never yet have I been served a meal that made me want to take home the leftovers. If you like over easy eggs with uncooked whites, this is the place to get them. read more

Was impressed until they microwaved under cooked bacon!! Not impressed with the way they seat people though... Foods very tasty and plentiful Staff rushed and rather abrypt read more

Pretty darn good. My husband and I stopped for brunch yesterday and split two meals. We tried the Mess and the apple cinnamon pancakes. The Mess was delicious- a perfect mash up of potato, egg, veggies, bacon and cheese and the grilled corn bread that goes with it was awesome and the perfect compliment. We definitely recommend trying it. Plus it comes w a cup a coffee as part of the meal so that was nice. Keep in mind it is big- we could have stopped there and been content. The pancakes weren't as impressive. More cake like and not as flavorful as we were hoping. The apples were raw, thinly sliced, w cinnamon and sugar coating. Perhaps if they were cooked and there was a little juice/sauce the dish would fare better. Pancakes are just not something we'd get from the Shack again. Wait time was reasonable and service was friendly and efficient. We're glad we stopped in. read more

Food was very good. Servings were huge (we had The Mess and The Kitchen Sink). Would definitely recommend and come again!

The food here was amazing and was cooked quickly. Anna was a Great waitress and made sure we got everything we needed in a timely fashion. We did dine in and all the safety procedures were put into place. I recommend this place. read more

My first time here. My brother and sister-in-law love the place for breakfast/brunch. I had the eggs benedict and everything was perfect. Unfortunately, I may never get back to the area as my brother is moving away this fall. read more

Regular Sunday breakfast spot with my husband, great service, great food, and fair prices. Not a single complaint, they've turned me into a regular. read more

Terrible, slow service. Have been here twice and each time the service is ridiculously slow. The wait is hardly worth the mediocre food. Came in for breakfast today. Sat in our booth and waited and waited all while watching two tables that came after us get drinks and order food. Never even saw our server. read more

I love a good breakfast plus minus the grease. I ordered two chocolate chip pancakes, bacon and home fries. Everything tastes great, however half the pancake was soaked in bacon grease. Some may enjoy this but for me I had to ask for extra napkins to pat the pancake and bacon. Deal breaker for another visit? No, but I will just know to request separate plates. My husband ordered a meal that came with the biscuits and gravy which he raved about. My mother in law wasn't able to finish her meal because the portions were so large which was nice for the price. My father in law had pancakes and eggs and had no complaints. Overall, we would definitely go back. Just a heads up though if grease isn't your thing, just ask for separate plates! read more

Really great food! I had the eggs Benedict with home fries. Home fries are usually really dry but they were so good here and the eggs Benedict was delicious. My fiancé had the kitchen sink and he loved it and it was a big portion. However, the coffee was watered down and I like it strong. Overall it was great though and we'll definitely be back :) read more

Love love love this restaurant. They have great food and great service every time I've been there. This last time I went our server was Lindsay and she was great! I was with my friend and her daughters, one being four years old. Lindsay was very friendly and was one of those servers you can tell actually cares about their tables. We got our food boxed up to go and of course left it on the table. once we got to the car we realized it but Lindsay was already running it out to us. I definitely recommend this place to anyone and everyone. Great food. Great people. Great time. read more

Huge portions, tasty coffee, decent service. They stay so busy and it's diner style, so I get it :) I'd rather eat a local joint Ike The Shack then a chain any day. Pancakes and omelettes rock, pies are all HOMEMADE. read more

I must have gone on one of their off nights. I was so thrilled to try this place due to the reviews. I ordered the classic favorite to go. I wish I would have inspected my food before we left. The food had obviously been sitting for a bit..eggs and bacon were spongy..potatoes were anything but crunchy..they are very mushy. And last but not least my toast was burnt. Ended up tossing most of the food and making my own. I'm not sure that I will be brave enough to try this place again. read more

Underwhelming food and service is on the slower side. On the up side waitress was very nice and the coffee was okay

Awful. I gave this place a try because it popped up on some list of "15 Amazing Breakfast Spots In Connecticut Will Make Your Morning Epic" http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/connecticut/epic-breakfast-ct/ The eggs were undercooked. Potatoes were soggy to the point of being slimy. Hash appeared to have been scooped from a bucket of hormel. The rye toast was good, though. I might have let it slide if the kitchen was slammed, but I was about the 10th plate of the morning. No excuse. read more

The Shack is one of those places that I grew up going to, so I was happy that it was just as good as I remembered. This place is a MACHINE, even if you come in and see a long line at the door, the servers and bussers really keep things moving. They've got breakfast classics and a few interesting options for specials- lots of cool egg and veggie combos. It's a good place for a solid, easy breakfast. My only complaint is that this location tends to be frequented by Connecticut College students, some of whom are here for a greasy hangover breakfast. Totally fine with me, but we had more than one instance while we waited in line where students were saying vulgar or inappropriate things while children and their families waited nearby- just something to watch out for! read more

Moved south several years ago and always made a point of stopping here on my annual visits... especially to bring some corn bread back south. Today's visit was far from what I've become accustomed to. To start, while waiting in the Covid era line, a young couple walked in and passed the 7 people (3 parties) waiting. They walked in and traded greetings with staff members and were then offered a table. Thankfully she pointed out to the hostess that there were several people waiting ahead of them, to which the hostess seemed surprised, and began seating the rest of us. We were seated shortly after, then the young couple, a few minutes after us. Several minutes later we still hadn't met our waitress, but the young couple was now ordering. Shortly thereafter we met our waitress. Normally they would take a drink order and return for the food order... she asked what she could get for me, I told her coffee and she then asked about a meal choice, which I was ready to provide because we had already been seated for several minutes staring at the menu. A while later I watched as an elaborate breakfast was delivered to the young couple . A few minutes later our meals were brought out. My scrambled egg with sausage crumble and cheese was blah and watery and home fries burnt... I asked for crispy. My pancakes were fine, but our waitress FORGOT to bring or even offer syrup. After waiting another minute or so, the hostess happened by, so we asked for syrup and she retrieved a bottle of SUGAR FREE syrup, though we hadn't asked for this. We decided to asked the family at the table next to us, who appeared to be finished, if we could take the syrup from them. They were kind enough to oblige. Needless to say I didn't bother asking for my usual "to go" order of cornbread... Food was meh. Service was not good. Guess I'll have to find a good cornbread recipe. read more

I went to brunch today with my friend.. and there was a short wait (understandably, it's right around lunch time). This older couple behind me came in... claiming they had reservations.... I work at a restaurant as well, and understand that most restaurants haven't been taking reservations since the pandemic. The older couple (*gentleman*) started be very disrespectful, claiming he's been coming here for years, and this never happens, and was rude to both the hostess and the server that had to come over and interfere. They ended up being sat ahead of us that were on the wait (which I understand had to be done to "resolve" the altercation, so I don't blame the wait staff, I blame the self entitled customer). Over all, moral of the story... good job to the staff for holding your composure and having to deal with that, I understand the struggle, and hope that asshole doesn't come back... although I'm sure he will, and I'm sure he'll try to pull the same bs lol.. read more

Excellent food. I tell out of towners to go there. Rude staff ...i think the Groton one has a manager has her boys waiting tables. They (mom and boys) need to find a new job. read more

My wife and I showed up around 2:00 for lunch and there were only about eight customers in the restaurant. The Shack has a policy not to sit you until your entire party shows up. Our son and daughter were meeting us for lunch and had not shown up yet. Because of this policy, the hostess did not want to sit us until the other two showed up. I looked into the dining room and counted 12 empty booths that would fit the four of us and numerous other tables that were open. I can see sticking to your seating policy on Saturday/Sunday mornings for breakfast but at 2:00 on a Monday afternoon - - when there was no one in the restaurant is ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. My wife and I wanted to sit down and order some appetizers and iced tea while we waited for our children to show up. This put us off right from the start. After having us mull around the waiting area for about 10 minutes, the hostess decided to offer us a seat. Once we sat down, we ordered our onion rings and iced tea. The onion rings were great - - light battered and cooked perfectly. They weren't greasy what so ever and the honey mustard dip was superb. The Shack is basically a diner so be smart and order diner food. My BLT was great. The sandwiches and wraps which my wife and children ordered were enjoyed. French fries and cole slaw was good. But our daughter also ordered spaghetti - - not a good choice (remember to order diner food at a diner). Our waitress was pleasant and attentive. Outside the seating policy, our lunch as very nice - - probably a 3.5 but no half voting. Enjoy read more

The Shack - Seating policy - - probably more appropriate for breakfast especially on the weekends. - American Near Me - Groton, Connecticut

Fun and pleasant family atmosphere. Prices were good and the food variety was good. A nice diner sit down. The pumpkin pie was good to go.

We came here a few days ago and the service was fast and friendly. We both enjoyed our meals although my onion rings were undercooked. It's your average diner food and very affordable. read more

Tried to order a takeout. When I took too long (30 sec) pulling the menu back up on my computer, the waitress hung up on me. I stopped by the store on my way to get other food and the "manager" (a very nice young woman) was backed up by the rude waitress whom is just as rude in person. Dear Owner: sounds like you have a weak link. read more

The onion rings were delicious! The burger was cooked to perfection. The waitress was nice. We will definitely be back.