The Crack Shack - Costa Mesa — Restaurant in Costa Mesa

Up until now, all of our experiences with The Crack Shack have been takeout and under the part-ownership of Richard Blais. This time, neither applied. When we arrivednfir lunch, the place was fairly busy but we found a booth to sit in.

We ordered a 5-piece fried chicken to share, with a side order of large schmaltz fries. And then proceeded to get our drinks and some sauces.

The selection of craft soda flavors was really good. I chose Black Cherry and my wife chose Root Beer. Both flavors were excellent. The Chicken and the Fries arrived shortly.

My first impression was that the chicken looked crispy and piping hot. My wife had a wing and a leg, and I had the 2 breasts and a thigh. Note that the pieces are on the small side being that it is Jidori chicken.

The chicken was hot and juicy, with the skin having a very nice crunch. But we both noticed simultaneously that the chicken and the crispy skin were bland. No detectible seasoning. No salt. No pepper, and none of their famous "Crack" seasoning.

The Manager came by when we were finishing up, and we shared our observation on the lack of seasoning. He was surprised that there was little to no Crack seasoning on the chicken. He proceeded to tell us how the seasoning has gotten really expensive and difficult to attain. Of course, we didn't really care, other than we were served bland chicken. A little salt and pepper before the chicken was battered would have gone a long way.

And when I asked about the schmaltz fries, seeing that this was the first place in Cali offering them, he told us that they actually fry the potatoes in Canola oil, and then drizzle Smaltz (chicken fat) on the fries after they are cooked. What!?! And then he went on to say that the cut potatoes were not their regular potatoes. And that they had to buy commercial frozen french fries because, you guessed it, their regular supplier could not provide their normal cut potatoes. So I was left a bit speechless from all of these newfound revelations. I think the Manager sensed this, and offered to bring me so e Crack seasoning I could use at home to experience it for myself. He ended up bringing us a little sauce-to-go container with barely enough Crack seasoning to cover the bottom of the container.

Needless to say, I was seen SMFH on the way out.

I truly hope things get better for The Crack Shack in the...

Costa Mesa's hottest new restaurant is The Crack Shack. It opened up to great fanfare and I must say it's living up to the hype!

I arrived shortly after 1pm on a Sunday afternoon and the parking lot was crazy busy! It's a good thing they have complimentary valet parking. The line to order was halfway around the corner. The register is located outside with a convenient shade for the cashier since it faces 17th street which gets sun all day long. After you place your order they give you a number and you find a spot to sit or stand inside.

When you finally get inside you're greeted by a 7-foot tall rooster, cheekily located inside a personal coop. The whole place is chicken-coop themed with wire and wood accents. To the right is the drink station including complimentary water; to the left the dipping sauce station. The dining area has a mix of seating including picnic tables in the center of the room. Several booths line one wall. A counter and lounge seating is located towards the back including a fireplace. The whole rear left side is dominated by their contemporary looking bar. Additional seating is available on the second level. The whole vibe gives off a rustic farmhouse-inspired atmosphere mixed with SOHO loft.

They have a pretty interesting menu featuring chicken sandwiches and apps like deviled eggs and coleslaw. I opted for the Senor Croque: crispy chicken, bacon, fried egg, cheddar, miso-maple butter, on a brioche bun. This is a hearty sandwich! Everything about it was perfect: the thick cut bacon, the fried egg was neither runny nor overcooked. The chicken was crispy and moist. I pay attention to buns and this one was amazing. It was sweet, pillowy-soft and sturdy enough to hold it all together. It was truly satisfying.

I also added some deviled eggs to my order. 4 to an order = 2 eggs. They were tasty.

On my second visit, I tried the 5 piece... all by myself. It was so good. It was so crispy I couldn't hear the T.V., or the phone, or the doorbell. I had a lazy day- so what? I should've brought a friend. This 5 piece was massive! It took me all day to finish it.

I'm...

Yesterday's first time visit to Crack Shack was an interesting one.  With a interesting description of chicken dominated menu items and posted diner photos that look amazing despite not being a health food restaurant, it appeared to be worth a visit.

The restaurant features an unconventional service process with orders and payment being taken at the exterior only window.  Once payment is collected, patrons self-seat in the interior casual atmosphere restaurant featuring custom made seating booths characterized by sliding door fixed partitions separating one both from the next.  The interior also features a separate bar, picnic style tables for larger dining groups, and overhead space heaters that were aptly needed despite the southern California location.

As a first time visitor, I was torn between the Cali Drip and Double Clucker sandwiches. Upon recommendation of the cashier, I opted for the the Cali Drip.  Although the menu referenced chicken asada, I was surprised that the meat was not exclusively chicken breast and think that would have changed order choice to the other menu item, if that had been known.   Despite that, the sandwich was served hot and the quality was not lacking.  A heavier sandwich, as was described by the cashier, with the chicken and other ingredients being served in a grilled bun.  For those viewing photos posted by prior patrons (many of which are not labeled), the grilled sandwich is the Cali Drip referenced in this review.

I also ordered a regular side of french fries that were also served hot and perfectly sea salt seasoned.  The sauce bar includes several self-serve dips and sweet BBQ was a nice addition to the Cali Drip.

Overall, a nice restaurant for a quick casual dining experience for those not concerned with a healthy menu or perhaps looking for a splurge day.  Aside from the surprise concerning the mixed type of chicken meat, it was a good...