On the way home from the Gulf Coast we took a different route to be able to try another county's BBQ offerings. This decision led us to stop in Conecuh County in Evergreen to try The Shack which is located right off I-65. Easy access on and off the interstate is a plus.
Conecuh County is a small historic area in southern Alabama known for its natural beauty, lakes, streams, and, of course CONECUH SAUSAGE! The county was established in the late 1800's. Evergreen is the county seat.
The interior is filled with memorabilia and unique items.
I didn't get any fried crab claws at the beach, so even though this was a BBQ tasting situation, I had to order them!
These weren't the largest crab claws I've ever eaten, but they were nicely fried, seasoned well, and I enjoyed the crunch they had. The cocktail sauce isn't pictured because it wasn't delivered with the plate. In fact, I had to request it twice before it was brought to the table.
Sweet Harold ordered the 1/2 smoked chicken with white BBQ sauce on the side, coleslaw, and macaroni and cheese.
That is a beautiful smoke on the chicken, isn't it?
The chicken was tender and juicy and the seasoning was spot on. The dry rub was very subtle and didn't overpower the smokiness of the chicken.
The white BBQ sauce, after questioning our server, is house made. It was delicious with a nice kick from a touch of horseradish.
We all know how SH loves his coleslaw. This version was very unique. It was very finely chopped with a minimal amount of dressing. Our server told him it was mayo based, but there wasn't enough mayo in the slaw to be discernable. He thoroughly enjoyed this side.
The flip side of his side choices (see what I did there?) was the macaroni and cheese. He took one bite and said, "nope." No baked ooey gooey cheesy texture here. The macaroni was undercooked and the cheese "sauce" (and I'm using that term loosely) was watery and bland.
Now, my turn. Again, I ordered the pulled pork plate with onion rings and baked beans as my sides.
The pork was served without sauce (yay!) and thankfully had a nice mixture of exterior (bark) and smoky flavored inside meat. It had a great texture and wasn't dried out in the least. The Texas toast was perfect.
The sauce was the type I really enjoy: not thick/sweet/smoky, but a thinner style with a nice kick of heat at the end.
The onion rings were somewhat generic in flavor and texture. Okay, but nothing really special.
But the baked beans.....when I read on the menu these had Conecuh sausage added, how could I not order these? Wonderful flavor, nice consistency, and Conecuh sausage....what's not to love?
Although we were full and happy, we were tempted by the dessert options.
Check out this beautiful display case with enough choices to tempt anyone with blueberry bread pudding and cheesecake slices!
If those don't appeal to you, there's Hershey's ice cream to choose from in a variety of flavors.
A scoop of salted caramel truffle for me and a scoop of butter pecan for Sweet Harold finished our meal.
Standouts: the sweet tea, smoked chicken, white BBQ sauce, coleslaw, and the baked beans.
Table service is always appreciated. Dessert options were great.
Point takeaways: the disappointing macaroni and cheese and ho hum onion rings.
Our Score: 93
I love crab claws. I like to eat them with comeback sauce on them.
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