The Crack Shack | Costa Mesa - Orange County
※ Download: Crack shack costa mesa menu
So is it worth the block-long lines? The window treatments reminded my husband of the Chinese tea houses we visited during our time living in China. The chicken looked good, crispy when it arrived..
I circled the block a couple of times, then sped away hungry. If you see street parking, grab it.
The Crack Shack | Costa Mesa - Orange County - And the menu goes beyond that.
Tons of sweet and ketchupy sauces to douse on bland chicken to make it taste like anything you want!... The staff is friendly and the place looks cool but the food was terrible. The chicken looked good, crispy when it arrived.. In fact, I felt quite soapy in my mouth after eating it. Sauces were full of sugar and made using cheap Ketchup, sriracha ingredients. What is the big fuss and long lines?? So many better fried chicken outfits all over! Typical new fangled self-serve fowl eatery with mandatory valet and outdoor ordering; Menu captions are clever but non-descriptive, unimaginative barn style seating akin to airport food court; Meal arrives on a pewter jail tray, server hastily departs but continues milling around to a raucous and disorganized general population. The fried chicken is a stalled experiment leaving much to desire and imagination; Heavy cardboard breading and superfluous salting causes a dreaded near mouth disaster demanding investigation. Next time, might attempt the oysters and eggs. I guess if you like spicy chicken it's for you, but that's not for me. You have to order outside with a lot people waiting behind you so there is pressure to get your order finished so the others can order and get inside. I can see that have a line to get in makes it look like a very popular place but if you account that there is only one order at a time it isn't very efficient. The other things that were ordered were just average. We came upon this place cause I wanted to have simple food and place where we can sit down and not have to be waited on. This restaurant was great in many ways. It has some good selections from variety of salads, chicken, beef, seafood, and some vegetarian dishes. Very simple and more comfort food. The fried chicken was great. I had the rare tuna salad and an appetizer and my daughter and her boyfriend had several items plus we had non alcohol beverages. You place your orders the counter and you are given a number so they can deliver food to your table. Once you fine your table there is a counter where all of the spicy sauces and condiments and also where you pick up your napkins and utensils. The restaurant has an atrium like so with the sky being visible. They also have a small play area for the youngsters to enjoy while mom and dad can enjoy eating and monitor their children. They also have a full bar and you can order while inside the restaurant. It's a very casual atmosphere and enjoyable. Great costumer service and they would clear your table when needed. Though the food was good but the price was a little steep for non full service restaurant. I would go there again but would have to be budget conscious next time. Since it was my first I know better next time. Parking is free and located in the back but you have to go the front to order and enter from there though there is the back door which leads you in from the parking lot, but prefer you enter the front since thats where you order your food. I heard a lot of good things about this place, so I decided to give it a try. There is a stand outside of the restaurant where you order your food. Everything was a la carte. The chicken here is pretty good, but it's not something to rant and rave about. For the price point I was expecting more. It seemed to be lacking something, like it was too dry or something. And I usually don't eat sauces with my food. I didn't eat half of the fried parts. Maybe I need to come back again and try something else, but I thought this place was an average chicken sandwich given the price. On the plus side, there was plenty of seating and the ambiance was very hipster. I liked the concept of this place, and it seemed like a perfect spot to have lunch with friends and just hang out. It was very inviting. They do accept credit cards here. While the chicken itself was moist and had a good flavor, the outide was over salty and greasy and the fries were so greasy and salty. They were not crispy but rather limp because of the oil. Definitely would not recommend to anyone. What a great space first of all, solid seating and tables, big high ceilings light and airy. A good well stocked bar and a knowledgable bar man on my visit who was able to recommend some local breweries and beers following the information I gave him. I opted for a local IPA and it was just the refreshing beverage I was hoping for. Food wise, I opted for the Firebird and a side of chicken oysters. I went to town on the dipping sauces trying them all, safe to say there is something for everyone there. Any way, while sauces and condiments can make a meal, by themselves with the sauce provided the chicken oysters were excellent, I may never soberly order chicken nuggets from anyone ever again. A flavoursome, crunchy coating and succulent moist chicken inside. Not so this particular sandwich. Packed with everything you wanted, everything that was listed on the menu and not in a way that had it falling out the sides either. This was a full power, heavy hitting sandwich that was pushing all the right buttons. The bun could stand up to the wet sauce and the pickles, the crispy onions helped the chicken coating balance the soft roll and the sauce. This was a moist, crunchy, hot, sandwich that had me genuinely considering ordering another before having a food coma induced nap on the cornhole grass. I will return I had read in the LA Times that Richard Blaise was opening a new branch in LA and the article said that he had one in Orange county,so the hunt was on! On the practical side, it has a designated parking lot. We had no problem finding a designated spot. Beware that if you park in a spot not assigned to the Crack Shack, you could be towed. I imagine at night, parking is going to be a challenge. If you see street parking, grab it. Now for the important stuff, the food. The chicken is excellent, juicy and crisp. We had the 5 piece, half chicken. A bit on the salty side for me but then again, I cook very low salt, very high spices and herbs. Winner, winner chicken dinner! They are so good, you don't need their dipping sauces. We also had their mini biscuits. They are light and fluffy and ever so fresh. Or even better, the option to have either miso maple or maple only. In order to convince ourselves that we can eat healthy, we also ordered the miso Healthy salad. Here the miso is used perfectly. The salad is the perfect bright and light foil for the chicken and fries. We happily took home our left overs.
They also have a small play area for the youngsters to enjoy while mom and dad can enjoy eating and monitor their children. We came upon this place cause I wanted to have simple food and place where we can sit down and not have to be waited on. The chicken here is pretty good, but it's not something to rant and rave about. Johnson has been writing about food for more than 20 years. The staff is friendly and the place looks cool but the food was terrible. Definitely would not recommend to anyone. And the menu goes beyond that. Tons of sweet and ketchupy sauces to douse on bland chicken to make it taste like anything you want!. Though the food was good but the price was a little steep for non full service restaurant. It looks like most are here for the sandwiches rather than the individual bone-in pieces of fried chicken, perhaps because the smallest order comes with five pieces. I circled the block a couple of times, then sped away hungry.
