KC's Rib Shack — Restaurant in Manchester

KC Ribshack Manchester NH May 24, 2025

We arrived early in the evening and were immediately seated upstairs (neither of us had ever even been upstairs at KC’s). There’s a full bar, surrounded by hightops. We were sat at one of the hightops.

We were warmly greeted by our server Kristen. For drinks I ordered a Sam Summer, and she got a Corona with a Salted Glass and lime.

We couldn’t decide between the PBR Onion Rings and the Fried Pickles as an app. We told Kristen we were on the fence about it, and just told her to pick one for us, don’t tell us, just bring something. She said “Really?” Yep.

Our app came, and it was fried pickles. Most places do pickle chips, not KC’s, they do pickle spears. They were served hot, with a side of ranch dipping sauce. The fry on the batter was crisp and delicious and it stuck to the pickles very well.

Kristen stopped back by to take our mains orders. We ordered a couple drinks first, I ordered an Old Fashioned with Bulleit Rye and my wife ordered a Moscow Mule. Both were good. She said her Mule could use a little more lime. My Old Fashioned was slightly sweeter than I like it, but we’re being nit-picky. My wife, for her main order, ordered a Large Wing (so she could get 2 flavors) with half Jerk and half Spicy Caribbean. When Kristen looked at me, I just told her that I was having whatever she recommended. “Like, anything?” Yep. I told her if it comes up, burgers medium and other beef medium rare. “This is overwhelmingly fun!”

The mains came, my wife got the wings she requested. They were cooked very well. Nice and crispy on the outside, appropriately sauced. The seasonings that she chose weren’t incredibly hot, but did make her lips very hot, which was interesting. We took most of them home, as she had already decided on a dessert (more on that in a minute).

When my main came it was some sort of sandwich, I wasn’t sure what it was. It had brisket, bacon, and some sort of condiment on it, served with a side of dirty rice. (I didn’t know it at the time, but it turned out to be the Brisket Bacon Swiss). The condiment turned out to be a horseradish mayo. The sandwich was very good. There was plenty of brisket on it, and appropriate amounts of bacon and mayo. I practically inhaled it. The dirty rice was solid, well cooked and well seasoned.

“The Rule” is that I play this game (letting the server pick my dish) with my main, then she does it with a togo dessert. Alas, not today. She had already decided that she wanted the tabletop smores for dessert so that’s...

Ambiance: KC's decor was satisfactory. I was seated downstairs, where I appreciated the spacious layout. The tables were well-spaced, and despite the carpeting, there were no unpleasant odors. The tables were covered with butcher paper, and the BBQ sauces were served in repurposed beer containers, which I found to be somewhat kitschy. Food Evaluation Report

Food Ordered:** 3 Meat and 2 Sides ("Brisket, Ribs, and Sausage") with French Fries and Coleslaw

Overall Experience:

The service provided by Bonnie was commendable, as she demonstrated both friendliness and efficiency in attending to our table.

Food Quality:

Brisket: The brisket was well-cooked and tender, but lacked the expected smoky flavor and seasoning.

Ribs: The ribs were the highlight of the meal, cooked to perfection with a subtle chili seasoning. However, they could have benefited from a more pronounced flavor profile.

Sausage: The sausage was unremarkable and similar to store-bought options, lacking a unique or distinguishing taste.

Coleslaw: The coleslaw was satisfactory, prepared with a mayonnaise base.

French Fries: The French fries were standard and met expectations.

Cornbread: The cornbread was a standout dish, moist and complemented well by the apple slather sauce.

BBQ Sauces:

Apple Slather: The apple slather sauce had a noticeable apple flavor.

Sweet BBQ Sauce: The sweet BBQ sauce was comparable to commercially available options.

Carolina Vinegar Sauce: The Carolina vinegar sauce resembled Texas Pete's hot sauce in taste.

Spicy BBQ Sauce: The spicy BBQ sauce was essentially the sweet BBQ sauce with added cayenne pepper.

Recommendations:

To enhance the dining experience, it is suggested that the establishment focus on improving the seasoning and flavor profiles of their meats, particularly the brisket and sausage. Additionally, offering a wider variety of BBQ sauces with distinct flavors would be beneficial. FINAL THOUGHTS: Although the meat lacked the desired smokiness and flavor, the food was cooked perfectly and the staff was exceptionally friendly and attentive. I intend to return due to the overall positive experience, despite the lack of smokiness in the meat. I appreciate their unique approach to smoking, and while I personally prefer a more pronounced smokiness, I understand their reasoning and cannot fault them for it. On my next visit, I plan to try the shovel, which I anticipate will be a delightful...

Update 12.8.23

Not looking for money..NOR DO I WANT it...That is Not my intent of this review.. Or have any interest in speaking with you..I am just looking for improvement..

See you again in the future..

With alot of thought and time to process our experience..after our 2nd trip over 1.5 hrs from our residence. To this place..Our experience was beyond less than good. We made reservations well in advance for our large group and which was almost lost by staff. Then we were told we had to order feed bags for that large group...Really...so we cant just order what we want off the menu ???. Luckily we did plan on ordering a feed bag aka shovel...Then when we arrived for our reservation we had to move from original seating of the lounge area..To downstairs and one individual did have mobility issues. Main reason for lounge seating area . We made things work though... Food.. ok.. not as good as highly rated .. Which is mis conceived on here by reviews. Ribs... dryyy.. Italian smoked sausage??? Never have I seen that.. The Shovel.. very small portions , handfulls of meat portions. Pricing over priced for small portions over crowded with dry ribs 84$$$ That Shovel should be stuffed... Waitstaff. Sparse in service. We made do with the get together with all of our friends that made the long journey here from all different towns.. It will be some time before we give this establishment another try.. This place has potential..

Maybe owners should go to Georgia. ..Texas.. Tennessee.. and observe cooking.. pricing..and portions and service for the...