Come Back Shack — Restaurant in Boone

Was in Boone for a few days and decided to try CBS since one of the Youtubers my wife follows raves about the place. First time, we figured out ordering on the phone. My mistake was thinking I could customize my burger. Missed seeing the build your own option. I normally order my burgers dry since most fast food places add a burger to your condiments. On the plus side, CBS doesn't. Order was ready reasonably fast and text came when they put the food on the pick up stand. Nothing remarkable about the food. Three burgers were in one bag and numbered to match order slip on bag. Three fry orders came in a separate bag. Ordered one shake so it was easy to spot when they placed it on the rack. Second time we came, we ordered the build your own option. Again three burgers, three fries, two shakes. Saw a bag and two shakes placed on the rack but no text. Given the sounds from the kitchen and our previous experience, assumed the fries were still being cooked. Big mistake. Ten minutes later, still no text so I got up to get the order and was told fries were in the same bag with the burgers. Burgers and fries were barely warm at this point and fries were limp and greasy. Worker who was shuffling around wiping tables as they cleared and obviously bored out of his skull wandered by and mumbled asking how everything was. I told him. Lukewarm after waiting ten minutes with no text that it was ready. He mumbled some response and shuffled off to another table. I understand no one dreams of working in a place flipping burgers and that clearly shows. Even the friendliness in helping other customers in the dine in area was obviously fake. Why bother having someone bother asking customers if everything is okay if they're not going to do anything about it when it's not? They should at least tell the manager on duty. I don't force any place to take my business when they don't want to. Clearly you don't. If we're back in Boone, we won't come back to the Come Back Shack. Don't bother apologizing or tell me to email you. You've lost me. If you want to do anything, FIX YOUR PROCESSES. If you're going to rely on technology to minimize having to deal with customers, be prepared to deal with when it doesn't work. I don't know if we just didn't get the text on our second visit (unlikely) or someone forgot to press the button on the screen that sends the text (very likely). Maybe have a small tray size staging area that they use to put the order together, then press the screen button that sends the text and THEN place the order on the rack. Also, someone needs to be responsible for monitoring the rack to make sure orders get picked up on time. If you're going to have someone ask customers if everything is fine, make sure they have to notify someone any time they get any negative feedback. I don't hold out much hope for any of this though. With your small dine in area, it's clear your focus it on getting folks to go through your drive thru where it's much less likely they're going to bother calling to complain, much less come back in to...

Don't let the exterior, which looks more or less like a run-of-the-mill, drive-thru fast food place, fool you! Come Back Shack consistently serves up some of the best burgers and chicken sandwiches that Boone has to offer. We recently popped in on weekday evening for a quick dinner (for what must be out 10,000th visit since we moved here 8 years ago) and once again had a great experience.

The actual inside of the restaurant is fairly small. Maybe 6-10 booths and a similar number of tables. But they also have ample seating off the back in a covered patio area and another outdoor seating area with picnic tables. All ordering is done via mobile device or at one of the kiosks. While there are staff around, you will either scan a QR code at your table to order with your device or walk up to the kiosk and punch in your order there. When it's ready, you'll receive a text to pick up your order on a shelf inside the restaurant.

Pros: 1.) Food. Everything we've ever ordered has been hot, fresh, and delicious. The menu is primarily burgers and chicken sandwiches, but they also have excellent salads if you're looking for something a bit lighter. For desert, their milkshakes are another great option! 2.) Outdoor seating. Ample covered and uncovered outdoor seating make this a great option for enjoying good food on a nice Boone spring, summer, or fall afternoon. In the winter, the covered patio has plastic walls put down and is heated for additional seating options. 3.) Efficiency. Once you understand the mobile ordering system, it can be quite efficient. We sometimes start our order as we're headed to the restaurant so that it's ready shortly after we arrive.

Cons: 1.) Small indoor space. This is minor, but the layout of the inside space is a bit cramped. Couple that with folks who may be having trouble with mobile ordering and the drink and sauce stations, it can get crowded quickly inside. For this reason, we tend to prefer the patio or picnic tables. 2.) Mobile ordering. While we love the mobile option, we've seen some folks get quite frustrated with it, especially if they weren't expecting it or aren't particularly tech-friendly. Pro tip - if you ask any of the staff, they'll happily help you punch the order in on one of the kiosks.

It's a great place we find ourselves coming back to...

First time dining in tonight, and it was definitely worth it. I'll go ahead and make one tiny complaint. We (my husband and I) put in our phone number to recieve a text as to when the food would be ready, but we never did recieve anything, and so we ended up with semi-warm food because of that mishap. I still don't understand what happened.

Anyways... the food was absolutely great aside from the mishap. I love my food piping hot, especially a burger, but it was all so very good that a complaint wasn't necessary. Their fries are seasoned to perfection, and they give you such a good amount of both. They are delish! If you've ever had Five Guys fries, well, these are 10x better! All of the ingredients on my burger were fresh. The comeback sauce is the best! I love all of their sauces but their ranch. It's about a 6/10. And I love me some ranch! It's just not all that strong, in my opinion. The atmosphere is beautiful and the employees are very nice and helpful. They have a nice little heated patio section and a few ways to order your food so that you're not standing in line waiting to order. Very nifty and convenient. Our little boy is very picky about food, so we ordered him a pretzel, and he ate every drop! Their sweet tea & strawberry lemonade is delicious! Next time we go back, we plan on ordering some milkshakes. They looked really yummy from the photos! This place is wonderful! Will definitely be back...