by Bottom Line: The Cookshack is making some meaty ribs that are fall-off-the-bone tender and that deliver some heat.
Hot chicken is all the rage these days, and you can find it everywhere from national chains to local food trucks. The regional chain The Cookshack is doing a pretty good job of spicing up its chicken tenders, as I reported in a review from earlier this year. But this place is not just kicking up the poultry—they’re also cooking up some ribs that bring the heat, and I made a return trip to try those out.
These are baby back ribs smoked with applewood, and you can get a quarter rack or half rack with one side and a dipping sauce. The heat levels are the same as the chicken: Not Hot, Mild, Medium, Texas Hot, and AMF (for the latter, you have to sign a waiver, as I covered in my previous review). And if you want a sampling of ribs and chicken, they offer a combo plate with that as well. That’s the way I went, and I got Texas Hot for both.
If you like good baby back ribs, then you will definitely enjoy what they’re serving at The Cookshack. These have a slight crust from their time over the fire, and that delivers a nice sweetness—but not to the point of being cloying. And that sweetness acts as a good balance to the smokiness and savoriness of the ribs, as well as the peppery kick from the seasoning. These are meaty ribs with a good pork taste, and they are fall-off-the-bone tender. They offer barbecue sauce if you want to slather that over them, but they don’t need it.
As for the heat, it didn’t quite get to the level I was expecting. It was above Medium on my scale and approaching Hot, and it did leave my lips tingling. But when I got the Texas Hot last time with the tenders, it was beyond Fiery on my scale. The tenders I got this time also didn’t seem quite as hot, so maybe they went lighter on the seasoning. Still, the ribs had a good amount of heat, were quite enjoyable, and I will certainly be back for more of these.
The Cookshack does not supply nutrition info for their food, but I can tell you that you’re not getting diet food. I split my combo meal (which included a quarter rack, two tenders, and mac ‘n cheese) over two meals, and I was plenty full both times. And at around twelve bucks in my area for a quarter rack of ribs and a side, that’s not a bad deal (with the two chicken tenders, it was closer to twenty bucks).
The Cookshack currently has six locations across Texas, and I believe they are in the process of expanding. And whether you’re looking for hot chicken, hot ribs, or both, you can’t go wrong at this place. You can check for a location near you on their website.
The Cookshack
8211 Agora Pkwy #112
Selma, TX 78154
Phone: (210) 888-0444
Website: www.thecookshack.com
Hours:
Sun to Thu 11 AM to 9 PM
Fri to Sat 11 AM to 10 PM
