The BBQ Shack — Restaurant in Wisconsin Rapids

We used to love this place. Unfortunately, it has gone downhill. We've been there 4 times in the last year, and each time has been a pretty big disappointment. The initial 3 visits were all in the first few months after the new owners took over, spaced about a month apart. After being consistently disappointed, we decided to wait a while before going back to see if they'd be able to get it together and rise to the previous standard. We want back last night for the first time in about 6 months and are very sad to report that they have not improved. It's clear they're trying hard, but it's just not working.

The menu shrunk a little when the new owners first took over, and we understand the logic of that—it's easier to provide high-quality food if you're just focusing on a few items. Unfortunately, they were out of 2 of the things we tried to order from this small menu. (In fact, we have never been able to order everything we wanted to since the new ownership.) It's not like we were ordering right before close, either...it was 6:00.

The food we did get wasn't great. Much of the pork was burned (although it was also somehow only lukewarm?), and the beef was tough and rubbery. Most of the beef went into the trash because it was so tough. It defnitely wasn't the tender meat that originally made us fall in love with this place.

The cheesy hashbrowns were also a huge disapopintment. They were a mushy, gelatinous potato blob. The consistency was more like mashed potatoes than hashbrowns. These were only slightly more appealing than the beef. Please bring back the original recipe, with shredded potato texture and a nicer, creamier flavor. They used to be SO GOOD, but these were SO BAD. These also went in the trash after about 2 bites. (This is the biggest blow for me because those cheesy hashbrowns were my favorite thing on the original menu.)

We gave the new owners a handful of chances. But it has been almost a year now, and things aren't getting better. (In fact, those "hashbrowns" keep getting worse and worse!) We really wanted to see this restaurant do well. Rapids is in sore need of variety beyond tacos and pizza, and we'd gladly patronize a local BBQ spot that was decent. Sadly, this one isn't anymore. It's a huge loss for our family and for Wisconisn Rapids.

PS: The new fish tank is super cool! I might stop in for ice cream this summer just to look at...

First time visit. Ordered the Q-Tator with Beef for $14.75 (inc. tax), to go. I believe the owner waited on me, and he was very pleasant. He apologized for the mess, saying they were Spring Cleaning. I can certainly appreciate a restaurant cleaning and don't have a problem with what really looked like a delivery of paper products. The restaurant has a camp vibe, complete with picnic tables. The large aquarium seems a bit out of place. Preparing my order, he grabbed a foam to-go container in the main ordering room, and I think the potato or the "white" stuff, because he carried it open from the main room, through a hallway (one side a rest room & the other had a chair with a backpack on it), and into a dishwashing room. He was in there approximately 10 minutes. I looked at their many hard ice cream flavors. They were all covered, so I didn't see the actual ice cream. The freezer had ice buildup and a disgusting brown streak all the way across it. When he reemerged from the back room, he carried the to-go box open, but with beef on it, all the way back to the ordering area. He asked if I wanted mild or sassy bbq sauce. I chose mild, but I didn't even realize that came with the beef choice. He squirt some bbq on it, sprinkled some cheese over it, closed it up and put it in a bag for me. It wasn't hot, nor was there a smoked aroma, in fact it smelled like nothing. The "white" stuff on the side was grainy, so I didn't eat it. I tasted it, and it was sweeter than sour cream, but again, it didn't look good. The beef itself was very tender, but lacked the smoky flavor I expected. The huge potato was a bit dry, but easily fixed. It can easily feed 2 people. I was turned off by him leaving the main room and going into a private room to get my food. I wanted to cancel & get my money back. That's just icky! His mother came in from off the street to help, wearing a sleeveless dress. She jumped in taking orders from the 2 behind me, and placing buns in a toaster. I didn't see her wash her hands. I've read good reviews for this place. Perhaps, the best day is when people smell the smokers going. They opened at 11am today, and I was there at 2:30pm. I don't know when that meat was made. But, I'm unimpressed with their food handling and ...

Yes! Genuine bbq, the first thing I looked for on my beef was a smoke ring, and it was beautiful! The pork had already sold out for the night, but the beef was tender, melted in your mouth, and tasted good. I only say good for me, because my family also used hickory to smoke meats, and I could have used more hickory scent and flavor. If you prefer subtle smoke tones, the beef I happened to get that evening, probably would have been perfect. I am sure the intensity of the smoke flavor varies each cook. I'll have to go back and hope I can try the pork or even the chicken. The sauce was good, and slathered on quite well, and I have to wonder if the sauce covered up the smokey flavor I was looking for. I had the loaded baked potato, and it was just right. Camp potato and better, perfectly soft, skin was nice, and ratio of potato to meat was spot on. Kids shared a pulled beef sandwich, and they devoured it with some amazing cheesy hash browns...move over mac n cheese. They also have an entire Ice Cream counter, so a one stop shop of you've been out all day and want a true bbq meal without the hours and hours it takes to care for and make it, with something sweet to end it. They keep the dining area very clean, the fish tank is definitely worth a look and also very clean with healthy fish (better kept than the turtle tank over at Shaw...