As the most anticipated opening since Terminal 5, the Chicago Rib Shack has snapped up loads of bookings before it even officially opened its doors. Perhaps that’s because Londoners are waxing nostalgic for the venue, which had its heyday in the ‘90s and saw countless celebrities wafting through the revolving door, including Princess Diana. But now that it’s reopening after 10 years, does it still live up to all the hype?

The Venue
Although not on the same location as the original, the new version is still in the same neighbourhood – right around the corner from Harrods and located in the former home of Mocoto. They’ve kept the same style of revolving door, and once inside the venue is split into upstairs and downstairs. Upstairs is the main bar area, with high wooden shelves stacked full with bottles of alcohol. On the opposite side of the room is a casual dining area, the floor to ceiling windows shaded with dozens of single hanging light bulbs. It’s all very laid back, but you can tell that some serious money went into its creation.

Downstairs is a bit swankier, with smaller leather booths and tables with leather chairs under a series of tongue-in-cheek cow paintings on the walls – including a Cow with a Pearl Earring. The walls are brick and the ceilings much lower than upstairs, creating a more intimate atmosphere.

What sets the decor at Chicago Rib Shack apart from other venues is the little – and big – touches that catch your eye everywhere you look. Near the entrance is the Exhi-pig-tion, where professional painted ceramic pigs sit happily as if they’re in an art gallery. The wallpaper in the bathrooms is a reproduction of original floorplan, complete with the designer’s comments, whilst the private rooms downstairs are separated from the main area by heavy plastic dividers commonly seen in supermarket meat counters. Next to the bar is a stained glass window that sets the whole theme for the restaurant, with a multi-coloured pig and bull standing proudly between a coat of arms with an American flag and flanked by cherubic piglets complete with angel wings: a cheeky American nod to typical British tradition. Each piece of stained glass hides the initials of the people involved in setting up the restaurant, a nod to their hard work. The pigs hold a banner that says, in French, In Every Man A Pig Sleeps. Judging from the indulging customers, they have no problems awakening their inner hogs.

The Atmosphere
Its right-around-the-corner-from-Harrods location means that the Chicago Rib Shack is sure to be a hit with posh shoppers and the rest of the Knightsbridge crowd, along with a well-to-do tourist or two. American food is notoriously kid-friendly, so expect lots of families as well. The music is chipper and, of course, American – everything from ‘50s rock and roll to the Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and Billy Joel.

Service is friendly, good with recommendations and the staff seem proud to be involved in the Chicago Rib Shack’s second incarnation – as the stained glass attests. Even the owner can be spotted weaving through tables and checking in with the customers. This could be a great date place as long as your significant other has a sense of humour and doesn’t mind eating with their hands – or wearing the ‘Bone Appetite’ plastic bib that the staff will assure you that everyone must tie on, no matter what fashion designer they’re wearing underneath.

The Food
The Chicago Rib Shack pretty much does what it says on the tin, delivering American food and especially ribs. What really is surprising though are the prices, which are decent for Central London and almost fall-off-your-chair shocking for Knightsbridge. With a couple of exceptions for some serious cuts of steak, about £15 is the most you’ll spend for a main. The restaurant is clearly proud of its low prices, as along one wall of the upstairs area is a copy of the 1992 menu. In more than 15 years, most dishes have only gone up by a couple of quid. If you do want to go all out though, they offer a whole pig that will feed eight, plus eight sides and a bottle of Champagne for £195.

Starters include Buffalo wings, traditional American finger food (named after the city in upstate New York, not the large furry beast). Coated in a sticky, sweet barbecue sauce or a hot, spicy sauce with an appropriate orange huge, they can almost be a meal in themselves with nine wings for just under £9. The potato skins are thick, floury wedges of potato, sprinkled with scallions, melted cheese and crispy little pieces of bacon. Baked avocado is smooth and creamy, with melted goat’s cheese on top and a red pesto mixed through that gives a sharpness to the subtle avocado flavour. The iceberg wedge salad is as unfussy as it comes – a slab of crisp iceberg lettuce covered with blue cheese dressing and bacon. Not terribly trendy – there’s nary a leaf of rocket to be found – but when in Rome… For the slightly more discerning salad eater there’s a make-your-own option with a choice of bases and toppings.

The eponymous dish on the menu is ribs, which the restaurant has quite rightly built their reputation on. Smoked for up to 24 hours, all the pork (and chicken, too) is free range and locally-sourced. The baby back ribs (£8.50 for a half rack, £14.75 for a full rack) are tender and juicy, glazed with a sweet and smoky sauce. The half rack is more then enough, especially as it comes with cool, vinegary coleslaw (with cabbage that’s chopped, not shredded), a succulent and lightly salted piece of corn on the cob and crisp roast potato wedges. The organic Chicago Rib Shack burger is filling, but not too big that you’ll have trouble eating it, with tasty, tender meat that’s cooked to order. The chips that come with it, though, are unfortunately a little bit limp and could be crisper. Falafel burgers are available for vegetarians, and they’re still quite filling amongst all the meat. Also available is the onion loaf, carried over from the restaurant’s previous incarnation. It’s almost impossible to describe, but picture a loaf of bread made out of onion rings and you’re about halfway there. The onions are slick and sweet and the batter crisp, but the portion is enormous and best left to a table of at least four.

Desserts at the Chicago Rib Shack include a variety of pies and ice creams, including a crispy chocolate sundae. It’s not terribly complicated – layers of chocolate and vanilla ice cream mixed with Maltesers and squares of brownie on top with a spoonful of rainbow sprinkles – but they’ve used gooey hot fudge instead of chocolate sauce, and the brownies are rich and chewy. The Mississippi Mud Pie is a huge slice of thick vanilla ice cream, although the chocolate biscuit base is a bit too solid and you might have to hack away at it with your spoon. In true American tradition, be sure to ask for a doggy bag– with no shame! – and take what you can’t finish home. And for £5, cleaned and baked bones are available for any furry loved ones who weren’t allowed in.

The Drink
Wines and cocktails, like the food, are almost shockingly well-priced for the area, starting at £13.50 for a bottle of wine and under £7 for cocktails. There are about 15 – 20 choices for reds and whites, with about five of each by the glass. The house red is a 2006 San Rafael Merlot from Chile and tastes crisp with a slight flavour of red berries. Cocktails are, depending on your point of view, classically American or achingly un-trendy: Harvey Wallbangers, Singapore Slings, plain old Martinis without any fuss. American beers and ales are available, plus shakes and floats and Coca-Cola in old school glass bottles.

The Last Word
With venues like Bodeans and The Big Easy prospering, not to mention various gourmet burger chains popping up in every neighbourhood, London doesn’t necessarily need another American restaurant. However, it’s clear that to fans of the original Chicago Rib Shack, something was missing. Now that the Shack is back (and much cheaper than you might expect) you can be sure every Londoner will want to try it out.

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