The Cracked Fried Chicken is a must-try—deep fried chicken with a unique Rackshack twist. The gravy is especially good.

Racks’ baby brother, Rackshack, has just opened a new branch in SM Aura at Bonifacio Global City. For many Filipinos, Racks’ pork ribs and that iconic barbecue sauce brings back fond memories of childhood days and family gatherings.

Rackshack updates that experience for a new generation. “It’s essentially Racks’ cooler younger brother,” says Chukri Prieto, founder of Racks. “At Rackshack, we believe that barbecue should have no boundaries. We want to turn barbecue into a unique social and interactive experience.”

Rustic-industrial

The new restaurant has a decidedly more modern design than Racks. It has a rustic-industrial look, with thick wooden tables and chairs, an exposed kitchen, and a smattering of Edison bulbs in the ceiling—
“cooler younger brother” indeed. Compare that to Racks’ classic Americana interiors of white-washed louvers, walls and wooden beams.

Another key difference between Rackshack and its older brother is the number of barbecue sauces. While Racks only has two sauces (classic barbecue and a spicy variant), Rackshack has five.

Guests can choose to slather their pork ribs with Mother Sauce, Rackshack’s signature house blend; Spicy Mother Sauce; Hoisin Sauce, with its sweet and salty flavor; Carolina Gold, for mustard lovers or those who want it sweet and tangy; and Kansas Sauce, a sweet and spicy blend that is Prieto’s favorite.

“There is something for everyone and every taste imaginable—whether that’s mild and sweet, a little on the tangy side, Asian-inspired or spicy. And if these flavors aren’t enough to please you, you can always mix and match these sauces to fit your unique taste,” says Prieto.

The restaurant has other dishes apart from barbecued pork ribs, such as Street Corn Salad, Carnitas Plate, Harajuku Potato Salad, Creole Garlic Shrimp and Fish and Chips.

A double portion of Rackshack’s barbecued pork ribs

Other dishes

The Cracked Fried Chicken is deep fried chicken spiced with “our own Rackshack twist,” says Prieto. The dish is served piping hot, juicy on the inside and skin crackling on the outside. The sauce accompanying the dish is a special gravy that rivals even the sauce of a certain finger-lickin’ good restaurant.

The Ridiculous Nachos dish offers a heady mixture of nachos, onion rings, pulled pork, jalapeños and olives, all slathered with melted cheese and sour cream. Also a must-try is Rackshack’s Texas Hot Link, a spicy sausage dish perfect for the Carolina Gold sauce with its mustard-sweet flavor.

Aside from the food, Rackshack is also a place to unwind after a long day of malling or working in the office. The restaurant has a Treat or Dare dart board, a Rackshack-style beer pong, Foosball and a diverse selection of board games, ready to be played by guests. —CONTRIBUTED

Rackshack is at SM Aura Premier and Ayala Mall’s Circuit Lane, Makati.