Rackshack’s grilled and BBQ meats will have diners all fired up

Rackshack at Circuit Makati saved me from disappointment when one Saturday morning, I made a trip to the former site of the Sta. Ana racetrack to eat a traditional Pinoy breakfast at Palm Corned Beef Corner’s only to find it "permanently closed" after only 18 months of operations.

Wanting to calm down my grumbling stomach, I roamed around and was lucky to spot Rackshack, a barbecue place from the makers of Racks that promised to be ridiculously good. Being located inside the mall made me hesitate at first but after seeing the five-foot standing menu with budget-friendly prices outside, I knew I had to go in.

Pig-related images as well as loud phrases/statement accompany Rackshack’s industrial interiors. All photos by Stanley Baldwin See

Rackshack had space that can accommodate around 50-60 people. It had simple interiors with an industrial and unpolished look. Its walls were decorated with pig images and phrases like "all fired up!" and even the pieces of glued-together wood that served asmy table/order number had a fiery statement: "fire up my palate please!" 

Main Attraction and sides

Rackshack’s number one dish is easily the Pork Ribs (P245). Served with a choice of steamed or garlic rice and dry or already sauced, the ribs are fork tender, moist, and delicious. The plating of the dish is similar to a breakfast tray you’d normally eat while in bed, while the plates and cups/holders for the sides are all very utilitarian.

Rackshack’s Porks Ribs (P245) is served as though it will be eaten in bed.

Pro-tip: Have your ribs naked and dry as there are five bottles of sauces on each table for diners can try: Mother sauce is the house blend and least spicy, Hoisin sauce is the de facto barbecue sauce in Chinese dishes, Carolina Gold is sweet and tangy due to the use of mustard as its based ingredient, Kansas sauce is sticky and spicy, while the Spicy Mother sauce is extra hot and for diners who have spicy tongues.

I personally liked the Kansas Sauce although mixing and matching different types of sauces would do no harm. For sides, I added an order of Shack Slaw (coleslaw, P60), Shack Beans (baked beans, P60), and later on added another serving of garlic rice (P45). The coleslaw is done just right but the beans are the real star due to the inclusion of generous pulled pork in very cup.

Arranged by other of spiciness, Mother sauce is the house blend and least spicy while the Spicy Mother sauce is extra hot.

Speaking of pulled pork, other items under the Main Attraction part of the menu include Pulled Pork (P185), Texas Hot Links (a sausage that uses pork, beef, or both, P165), and 2-piece Crack Fried Chicken (P185). All three dishes come with steamed or garlic rice and pair perfectly with the sides mentioned above or with Harajuku Potato Salad (P60) or QP Corn (corn off the cob, P60).

Appetizers, salads, drinks, and a few desserts complete the establishment’s offering but there’s no denying that one comes to Rackshack for the smoked and grilled meats.

The Pork Ribs are moist, juicy, and fork-tender. Kansas sauce pairs perfectly with the ribs but diners can always experiment.

Could the size of the rib be served thicker or bigger? Of course it could but regardless, these are seriously delicious pieces of meats. In fact, the flavor of the ribs and the heartiness of the beans with pulled pork were more than enough for me to forget that I went to Circuit Makati to have a plate of corned beef breakfast in the first place. — LA, GMA News

G/F Circuit Lane, A.P. Reyes Avenue, Carmona, Makati City. Mondays - Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sundays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. +632 8375036