Jim’s Barb-ie-q Shack

Super friendly customer service. I had a half rack of ribs with sassy sauce and it was outstanding. My wife loved her prime rib sandwich and my daughter and her boyfriend loved the Q-​shack potato. We definitely will be back!

Yum! We loved the food and ice cream. Not sure why there were some bad reviews. The owner (I’m assuming) was very friendly to us and our unruly toddlers.

The owner is very rude, can’t believe a guy with this type of personality can even run a business as long as this place has been open, amazed by that. Food was okay for bbq but have had much much better.

If I was just rating the food this would be 5 stars hand down! However, their customer service is extremely terrible. This place has such potential but will go no where if they continue to provide awful service.

Absolutely love it! We were introduced to this BBQ joint by a coworker who also has a place in the area. We had gone by it many times but never stopped and started kicking ourselves once we ate here we hadn’t been here sooner. Now we can’t come to the cabin without stopping. The entire family begs to go (including the extended family). The owners are really nice and the food is amazing. The ice cream is amazing and just tops off the experience. I’ve had a number of items here but am hooked on the pulled pork and beans. It usually is good for 2 meals and well worth the money. I like to add onions and extra sauce to mine. All the sandwiches are great and the chicken strips (what we get the kids) are real meat and not some compacted miscellaneous assortment of chicken parts. I’m always happy when the kids can’t finish all of their chicken strips so I can have one as they are very flavorful. I haven’t tried the ribs yet but think I might next time (actually getting hungry for Jim’s BBQ writing this). Good thing I’m visiting the cabin and can make 20 minute run over there and grab some BBQ. On the way up my dad asked if we could be sure to stop by for BBQ while we’re here and maybe grab some to go to bring home as well. Luckily they do sell it in larger to go portions :-)
I’ve often gone in with large groups of my entire extended family and they do a great job. They have also done free corn on the cob in the summer and that was unbelievable. Seriously, I can’t recommend this place enough. I’ve had BBQ across the country as I travel a bit for work and I really like Jim’s. Good, good, stuff.
If you only want Ice Cream, it’s well worth the stop for that. They have the best ice cream as well which just shows their dedication to good food.

I want to preface this review by saying that I have worked in many restaurants or food service places, including a BBQ restaurant in southern Wisconsin, so I do have an idea of what I’m talking about.
My boyfriend and I stopped in for the first time during the week at around 6:00 PM. Neither of us had eaten here before, or from their previous (trailer) location, but my parents had eaten from the trailer several years ago and said it was pretty good food. I had been craving ribs for weeks, but didn’t want to make the drive down to the Dells for Famous Daves, so I decided we should give this place a go.
When we walked in, the first thing I noticed was that the place is decorated all in wood, with a really nice rustic look. The second thing I noticed was that the TV was extremely loud on some «let me fix your life» woman’s talk show, and the one employee was sitting at one of the tables watching the TV and having something to eat. No big deal, obviously she had no customers.
When we walked in, she leisurely got up and meandered to the counter where you order (no menu service here), seeming to be more irritated at being interrupted from her TV show than grateful that she had customers during the dinner hour when a restaurant should be busy (or at least have some customers).
She barely greeted us, again seeming annoyed and bothered by our presence. There was basically zero customer service at this point, no «hi, how are you», no «is this your first time here», nothing. Just waited for us to order.
We looked at the menu board, and my boyfriend ordered the pulled pork sandwich with mild bbq sauce and some fries. Although it was obvious we were together and thus eating together, once my boyfriend ordered she walked away and prepared his food before asking what I wanted. When his sandwich was completely finished, she handed it to him, then asked what I wanted. I got a half rack of ribs (at $ 13.95), and because the french fries were the only listed side that sounded good, I got double fries.
We paid and were told to sit down and she’d bring my food out. The food easily could have all come at one time if she had taken both of our orders at once, instead of doing it the way she did. My boyfriend, being a considerate guy, didn’t want to start eating until I got my food too, although I told him he didn’t have to wait. Because everything is pretty much pre-​cooked, it didn’t take very long for my ribs to come, maybe about five minutes. I still felt it was poor planning that could have been avoided.
At this point, I’m feeling rather on the fence about this place. It’s really pretty, and the food smells great, but the service is leaving a lot to be desired.
Then, I tried my ribs.
Holy mother of GOD, those are good ribs. I thought I’d had good ribs in the past. I was wrong. These ribs are fall off the bone tender, and the rub they use is extremely flavorful. The french fries were passable, basically frozen fries, but those ribs were heavenly.
My boyfriend reported that his pulled pork sandwhich was very good, and that he really enjoyed the mild bbq sauce. He wished he’d been given some on the side, instead of just the drizzle on top of his sandwich.
In conclusion, I think Jim’s Barb-​ie-​q Shack has a lot of room for improvement with professionalism and customer service, but they have their meats down PERFECTLY.
I feel like if they were to focus on creating some more compelling side dishes than the mediocre ones currently offered, and maybe brought someone in to do some customer service training, Jim’s Barb-​ie-​q Shack could become the top place to eat in Rapids. Honestly, there aren’t many options for truly GOOD food in Rapids, and Jim’s really has the potential.
If they made customers feel welcome and cherished, instead of guilty for interrupting their TV watching time (or meal time), and made more than just the meat taste fantastic… there’s no telling how far this restaurant could go. I wouldn’t be surprised if I would drive by to see a full parking lot, instead of a completely empty one most of the time. (Honestly, I think the most I’ve EVER seen out there is two cars at once).
I’ll go back for the great ribs, and deal with the shoddy customer service, because there aren’t any other rib options in town that are even slightly palatable, but if there was somewhere else in Rapids to get at least decent ribs… it might be a different story.

Don’t bother. I agree with they guy who said he can’t see what the hype is all about. Unfriendly service, they make you pay for sauce (at a barbecue place?) but mainly the food just is not worth the stop. Disappointing. I gave them two tries, there won’t be a third.

We actually went back last evening for the rib tips that literally melted in your mouth. Then, we went for lunch today and tried the prime rib sandwich to boot. It just does not get any better. Jim and his wife treat you right! You get a great size meal for your dollar!