I Fell in Love with Racks...Twice! :D

I've heard raves and read good reviews about Racks and how it has become famous over the years for their ribs, but it was just a few months back when I first got to try it out. I needed to get something from Mark that time at Fitness First, so he invited me over for lunch. Since we can't decide where to dine, we opted to dine at Rack's which is just a few steps from the gym. :p

It was already past lunch time but the place was still packed, but we were still lucky to get a table for two. After rummaging through the menu, Mark and I both decided to try their house specialties. Racks house specialties are served with a choice of garlic or corn bread and two regular side dishes. Their side dishes are served in hearty portions and are a great complement to their ribs. Mark got Racks Beef Ribs and chose garlic bread and 2 regular macaroni and cheese.

Racks Beef Ribs - Php 365.00 (Quarter Rack)

I can still recall how I drooled over my friend Je's post about Racks broccoli and cheese, so I made sure to get one to go with my Hickory Smoked Chicken. I love how the broccoli was cooked just right as it still maintained its crunch. The sweetness of the blanched broccoli was perfect and balanced out the slight saltiness of the creamy cheese as they melt in my mouth.

I then started to devour the Hickory Smoked Chicken as soon as I finished the broccoli. According to the menu, the chicken was slowly smoked to perfection and finished off the grill. That smokey taste and aroma was just heavenly. It had the right amount of saltiness and the peppery taste also made the chicken stand out. Plus, the chicken was very tender! I actually didn't have a hard time chewing the chicken to think that I just had my braces adjusted. It was juicy and delicious all throughout!

Hickory Smoked Chicken - Php 305.00 (Half)

I also got their mashed potato and garlic toasts. The mashed potato had that coarse consistency which I liked. It wasn't to salty and the buttery/milky taste was very evident. The pepper also made it more delicious.

Be sure to eat the toasts while they're hot as they become a little hard to bite and chew over time.

I definitely enjoyed my first time at Racks which is why I didn't object when Mark asked me out again for lunch at Racks just exactly a week after! His invite was like music to my ears! Haha! :D

Mark surely did enjoy the beef ribs that he got the same order, but a bigger rack on our second time! He also had garlic toasts plus macaroni and cheese and mashed potato.

Racks Beef Ribs - Php 600.00 (Half Rack)

I got curious as to why Mark got the same order, so I gave in when he asked me to try his dish. :p I love the macaroni and cheese! It also had that melt-in-my-mouth hype.

I knew that the beef was well done as it was a little charred so I geared myself up with a steak knife. Amazingly, the beef was very tender that I was able to easily fork the meat out from the bones. It still maintained its juiciness and was very tender to the bite. The flame-grilled flavor was also very evident.

I loved the Hickory Smoked Chicken but the serving was just too much for me, and since I want to try other house specialties, I settled for Racks Baby Ribs. I also got the same garlic toasts and broccoli and cheese, and tried their potato salad this time.

Racks Baby Ribs - Php 380.00 (Half Slab)

The broccoli and cheese was as delectable as when I first tried it. The potato salad was equally delicious! The baby potatoes with turmeric dressing were a delight on my palates.

And now comes the star of the dish, these baby ribs were lip smackin' good! And just like their beef ribs, the pork was also very juicy and tender that it naturally falls off the bones! :D A flavorful juice oozes out every time I fork out the meat and the flame-grilled flavors, spiciness, and sweetness of the meat burst in my mouth as I chew.

And oh! Did I say that their barbecue sauce was the best?! Racks original barbecue sauce come in extra hot and regular flavors but since I'm not a fan of spicy dishes , I settled for the latter. Racks ribs are delicious as is, but are made a lot tastier when splashed with these! :D

One thing that I didn't like though would be the staff being a little over the top when it comes to checking out if the diners are doing good and enjoying their food. :p

It's okay to check once or twice, but when done almost every minute, we were checked (interrupted I must say) for five times during our first lunch, that kinda annoys the diners too (well at least that's how I felt). On our second lunch the checking was still from time to time, but what really got me annoyed was when a staff handed us our check when we were not even half way through our lunch!

There were a few misses but I definitely fell in love with the food so I guess I'll still be coming back!!! :D

RACKS, The Fort Strip