Shack Sauce


 
R

Ron Hunter

TVWBB Member
If anybody is looking for a bbq sauce recipe, this site may be your answer. It's supposed to be the original recipe from the 'Shack.' (a longtime ago and greatly missed bbq rest.)

I haven't tried it yet but it looks and sounds like it may be the real thing. If your have time read the testimonials
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http://www.ibdjohn.com/shack/index.php
 
This does sound good but I will have to do some serious math to shrink the recipe for a first attempt.

I'm not familiar with the Shack, Ron. What can you tell me?

Bob
 
Robert

The shack was the premier BBQ place in Little Rock for many years. I don't know if it changed hands but the owners gradually closed area stores and the last store died a slow death in the late 70's or early 80's. I know if anybody I knew was going to eat bbq - the shack was the place. A good friend of mine was raised in Hot Springs. He went to school with the McClards (as in Bill Clinton's favorite bbq). McClards is still open and we'll go there a couple of times a year with him - but for my money - the Shack was better.

It's interesting to read the testimonials the site has - brought back a few memories for me also.

If I remember correctly, they had both a mild and hot sauce. I loved the hot - my bride of 39 years went for the mild.
 
Yep, the Shack used to be the happenin' place. FWIW, I don't recall it changing hands. It was owned by one of the Slaughter brothers, Dick or Vic, IIRC. The last store, at 3rd and Victory, shut down in '80 or '81 due to numerous mounting health department violations. One of their stores, on Cantrell Road near the old Razorback Drive-In theatre (Now I REALLY dated myself
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)later became Jo-Jo's Bar B Q until the building burned down in the mid 80s.

This recipe for their sauce is dead on, right down to Grapette, except for one minor detail worth mentioning. The chili powder was a specific brand/blend. The company that provided is now defunct, it was C&H chili powder. They were located off MacArthur in North Little Rock and went out of business in about the mid 90s. The closest I've come to matching it is a blend from Van's Produce stand, coming down the mountain into Heber Springs, AR if you happen to be up that way, or McCormick's Mexene chili powder off the shelf at most grocery stores is a close substitute as well.

Best Regards,
Scott
 
Grapette was a non-carbonated grape drink that was sold commonly at WalMart back in the day. Sort of like a non-carbonated grape soda. The Shack used it as a substitute for the water called for in the sauce recipe at various points. No idea if it's still made or not.

Best Regards,
Scott
 
Grapette is now located in Malvern, AR

http://www.grapette.com/1939/where

There is a place that is somehow related to the original Shack in Maumelle (North Little Rock) at the Morgan/Maumelle exit off of I-40. They do sell their sauce.
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That's the same Grapette. Never was really a fan of the stuff to drink even as a kid...grape, orange, etc. just wren't my style!

Are you talking about Shack's Bar B Q in Maumelle?
 
Yes- not sure if the name is Shack's or The Smoke Shack. It is in a large building along with Subway & Razorback Pizza.
 
K Vang,

It's the Smoke Shack. Their portion of the building used to be a night club called Gi-Gi's (IIRC) years ago, during my younger and wilder days. Anyway, I've been working in Harrison, AR this week and figured I'd stop there for lunch on my way home and check it out. Not bad at all. I've noticed it before, but never really paid it much attention, as I am not out that direction often, unless travelling through coming or going to work.

The skinny is this:

Good PP sandwich...good flavor to the meat.
Excellent homemade, homecut fries.
Nothing special about the baked beans. Canned pork 'n' beans with some fresh green bell peppers mixed in.
The sauce isn't bad at all and I did buy a jar. It's a somewhat similar recipe, but it's definitely not the same as The Shack. To me, it's sweeter than The Shack's and doesn't have the heat or the tart tang. Kind of reminds me of McClard's with more of a kick. Sounds like you are local so I'd bet you've hit McClard's at some point.

They have similar decor to The Shack, the bare board rustic look and lots of pictures of early 20th century LR, etc.

When I bought the bottle of sauce, I was checking out the ingredients and the lady commented that nearly everyone that buys some looks at that first. I threw out that it reminded me of a mild version of The Shack's sauce and she commented that they hear that a lot.

There are actually two versions of The Shack's recipe floating around and many more variations. The one that Ron provided is the more accurate and came from Dick Price, a local journalist. That recipe is dead on with mine, except that mine specifies the previously mentioned chili powder. The other originated from Richard Allin, another local journalist. I'm pretty sure that I ran across that in some old BBQ Forum archives, but I can't put my finger on it right now. I'll try to post a link if I can run accross it later. That recipe wasn't ever exactly a well kept secret over the years, in fact it's pretty common and a lot of folks have modified it to suit their tastes also.

Best Regards,
Scott
 
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