The Shack Restaurant & Lounge — Restaurant in Redding

Dark and dingy. I moved here earlier this year and read this place had been remodled and now open. * first clue remodled) after working years in hospitality / food & beverage most establishments that go through this are usually done because of poor restaurant maintenance. Not that thats exactly what happen its my assumption. But as always i wanted to give it a try. I had attempted to eat here a month or so back, but when i arrive the dark exterior and vacant parking lot made me change my mind. But, i googled brunch on Sunday and they popped up. Ok, this may be do-able. NOT, there is no brunch here it's basically a chicken, burger place. Upon entering there was a strong smell of fish and i dont mean fresh fish. Again the dark and digy is extended to the interior, and the smell , Yeesh! After looking around, because no one was there to greet or seat me. A bar is there as you enter. The bar is definitely the main focal point. The place was pretty vacant and out of no where a guy comes out and asks how many 😁, just 1. He seats me in a different room than the bar, As i open the menue i make a chicken dish selection. I sit as i wait for the guy to pop back up. He takes my order and off he goes. I think he may have either been the bartender or a kitchen staffer. Dude gets an A for effort. Now my food comes, side salad has all the ingredients finely chopped in different little piles. The mash potatoes looked as if the night before baked potatoes were saved reused to make garlic mash. They were molded in to this weird round blob the outside was dry and all very unappetizing. So i didn't mess with that. The chicken which is overly dark brown was the driest leg and thigh ive ever had . This as well appeared as if it was just reheated to a point of almost burnt. Again. This was in no way good or even acceptable. Then i sat around for dude to pop up again to get the check and run. After clearing my check. And tipping( regardless, tipping is part of their assumed pay, so i tip). As i exited i see a DJ and a crowd at the bar. This at best is a Dive Bar, ( which i am a fan of) but the food is horrible. It may have great drinks and all the stuff a great dive has but food is sub par. All this time i wanted to go there. And its a great disappointment. I...

Nice place. Our bartender was fantastic! If it wasn't for her and the food I would have gotten ven a worse review. I can't remember her name but she has a tattoo of a skull on her hand and she rocked. They seemed under staffed at the bar area so she was hustling. At one point I think I heard her ask for help from the wait staff and she didn't get it. Once we sat at out table for dinner it took awhile for our server to come over, they only had a few tables few at time so I wasn't sure why it took so long. Once she should up, she took our drink and food order. It took some time to mine and my wifes drinks but our friends drinks were served faster. They brought out our friends plates and ten minutes went by before our server tells us our order was never placed and if we would like something off the bar menu. We told her no and to have to hurry are order. I mean I had a med rare steak and my wife had scallops, how long does that really take.... The food was very good but they do have some work to in the service area. For what they charge, service should be much better than it is. Hope they iron...

Our waiter was super friendly, but everything else felt off. A women (I assume she owns the restaurant) knelt down by our table, and got uncomfortably close to us and kept asking us how the food was and if we were enjoying our time there. I mean, normally that's fine, but she wouldn't leave, and it felt very intrusive, especially with long pauses. We obviously weren't enjoying the conversation and yet she lingered. Then came time to order. If you drink, there are tons of alcohol choices. I don't drink much, so I inquired about a blended non alcoholic drink. They informed me they don't serve any blended drinks. Then the dinner menu only has 3 items to order. I understand nicer restaurants usually have smaller menus, but three choices seemed like very little option. The food was okay, but not spectacular as the lady kneeling at the table told me it was. Anyway, goof wait staff saves this experience for me, but I won't be back. If you enjoy a trendy bar, this is the...