KC's Rib Shack

Stoked we found this place! The layout was setup with different levels - a dining room on the first floor, an upper level with a great sports bar and a nook tucked away in the loft of an old barn turned restaurant is really cool. The food was incredible with tender, moist BBQ and some creative sauces and sandwiches. The back patio with a tiki bar and live music really was the perfect place for a summer day. Would be great for Sunday football or to break up the drive going to the lakes region. One of the best BBQ spots we've found in the Northeast and definitely worth checking out!

For my last night in Nashua, I decided to drive up to KC's in Manchester. It was a good choice. Sitting at the outside bar, 75 degrees, a local IPA, wonderful brisket, and a super bartender. It was a perfect meal and evening before flying home. I will be back next time I'm in NH.

Ashley was a lovely bartender however I have a real problem with their brisket. Thin dry lean zero flavor - the issue I have is their special comes sauced, a huge red flag. Good spare ribs good rice good sausage. I would advise against the onion rings..... Their unique homemade bbq sauces were amazing especially the carrot habanero

Would recommend Will return The atmosphere was all over the place also because it was open mic night Our server kelcie was the best she knew exactly what she was doing she had great personality and knew her menus It was loud in there so if your looking for quite this is not the place We didn’t have a reservation and got right in with 2 people The prices were a little steep for what we ordered there was nothing fancy about the flavors we could cook like this at home

KC Ribshack Manchester NH May 24, 2025 We arrived early in the evening and were immediately seated upstairs (neither of us had ever even been upstairs at KC’s). There’s a full bar, surrounded by hightops. We were sat at one of the hightops. We were warmly greeted by our server Kristen. For drinks I ordered a Sam Summer, and she got a Corona with a Salted Glass and lime. We couldn’t decide between the PBR Onion Rings and the Fried Pickles as an app. We told Kristen we were on the fence about it, and just told her to pick one for us, don’t tell us, just bring something. She said “Really?” Yep. Our app came, and it was fried pickles. Most places do pickle chips, not KC’s, they do pickle spears. They were served hot, with a side of ranch dipping sauce. The fry on the batter was crisp and delicious and it stuck to the pickles very well. Kristen stopped back by to take our mains orders. We ordered a couple drinks first, I ordered an Old Fashioned with Bulleit Rye and my wife ordered a Moscow Mule. Both were good. She said her Mule could use a little more lime. My Old Fashioned was slightly sweeter than I like it, but we’re being nit-picky. My wife, for her main order, ordered a Large Wing (so she could get 2 flavors) with half Jerk and half Spicy Caribbean. When Kristen looked at me, I just told her that I was having whatever she recommended. “Like, anything?” Yep. I told her if it comes up, burgers medium and other beef medium rare. “This is overwhelmingly fun!” The mains came, my wife got the wings she requested. They were cooked very well. Nice and crispy on the outside, appropriately sauced. The seasonings that she chose weren’t incredibly hot, but did make her lips very hot, which was interesting. We took most of them home, as she had already decided on a dessert (more on that in a minute). When my main came it was some sort of sandwich, I wasn’t sure what it was. It had brisket, bacon, and some sort of condiment on it, served with a side of dirty rice. (I didn’t know it at the time, but it turned out to be the Brisket Bacon Swiss). The condiment turned out to be a horseradish mayo. The sandwich was very good. There was plenty of brisket on it, and appropriate amounts of bacon and mayo. I practically inhaled it. The dirty rice was solid, well cooked and well seasoned. “The Rule” is that I play this game (letting the server pick my dish) with my main, then she does it with a togo dessert. Alas, not today. She had already decided that she wanted the tabletop smores for dessert so that’s what we did.

Each trip to KCs is great. All of the meats are prepared very well. I have had BBQ in Texas or this would have more stars. Service has always been great and the atmosphere is welcoming casual. Tell the hostesses what you are looking for, as there is semi private, bar or other dining room options. Last trip we had a semi private area and the waitresses helping us, made sure we weren't forgotten alternating check ins, while handling all of their other tables on a busy night. Never waited for re fills or drinks. Great job! amd mostly why I am commenting.

We went in, and they set us at the bar. The place was packed, and we did not have reservations. The young guy at the door said we were packed, and the kitchen is backed up. But let me find you a place to set. The food was great and the service was amazing.

I ordered the brisket dinner with dirty rice and collard greens. The sides where delicious but brisket was lacking in flavor. There wasn't much of a smoke ring but the bark was decent and it was nice and tender.

Wow... This restaurant is massive. The theming of it is brilliant... It reminds me of something you would find in Disneyland. There are three levels, with the top being a bar with a massive 250-in projection screen. The menu is extensive, it's not cheap but it's priced accordingly for the food quality. They smoke on premises. And the desserts are mainly sourced from quality local vendors. The four table sauces all have unique flavor profiles. We loved the Carolina gold option. Frankly everything we had was on point. The only two issues for us were the cornbread being served cold and the meats could have been much hotter coming out to us. They were slightly above room temperature which was a bummer. The combo plate is the way to go, their macaroni and cheese was fantastic. The coleslaw is also tasty. Shaynna our server was terrific. Make sure to tip your servers people.

To-go: Fool me twice, that's on me -- but there won't be a third time. Gave this place a 2nd chance, but the experience fell flat. The hostess staff seemed disorganized & lacked basic hospitality skills. Negatives: No dipping sauce options mentioned during online ordering or offered at pickup. Naked buffalo wings it is, I guess! One tiny BBQ sauce cup for a 1/2 rack of ribs? Was that portion meant for tasting or teasing? Sides were "blink and you'll miss them" small. Cornbread as a side option? It should come standard with most meal combos, especially the Pick 2-4. Collards were ok, but saltier than a bad breakup. Fried cheesecake sounded intriguing to me. Sadly, it tasted more like fried rubber. The filling had a weird texture & was dry. Lesson learned -- sauce shouldn't need to be rationed, & dessert shouldn't fight back.

Would recommend Will return The atmosphere was all over the place also because it was open mic night Our server kelcie was the best she knew exactly what she was doing she had great personality and knew her menus It was loud in there so if your looking for quite this is not the place We didn't have a reservation and got right in with 2 people The prices were a little steep for what we ordered there was nothing fancy about the flavors we could cook like this at home

Great barbecue Ribs exceptional Service excellent and very attentive One of the best barbecue place in New England

The food is dangerously delicious, the atmosphere is casual and fun, the staff are great. I highly recommend it for a great BBQ experience.

A group of 4 of us went here before a hockey game in Manchester and we had a good time. We called ahead for a reservation and were seated right away. We ended up getting "The Shovel" which I think is also know as "Feedbag" is for 3-5 people so split it among the group. Plenty of choices, plenty of food, we all have enough to eat! I like this place and will be back again.

We stopped in with friends for dinner on a Saturday evening and had good meal! Roxie was our server and had great reccomendations. We all had drinks, appitizers to share and entrees. Party of 4. Everything was well prepared, hot and well seasoned. I had the brisket meal which was a good portion. I had collards for a side and I thought they could be cooked down some more, but they tasted ok. NIce atmosphere and we would definlaty return for more BBQ !

My daughter had the pulled pork sandwich and said it was amazing! I had the Pit master Cesar salad, which had sausage, Pulled pork, and bbq chicken. Wasn't sure on the combination on salad but was so damn good!

Everything could improve. Brisket was not good, so dry and just not something I'd like to eat again. The ribs seemed old and like they sat around for ages. It's real hard to find BBQ in these parts, I miss Texas is all I'm going to say. Not sure what people like about this restaurant. And no fried okra

This was my third time to have a meal here. First time was a large group event with a buffet. The meat was very dry and we weren't impressed. The second time, everything was really fantastic! We all enjoyed our selections. The third time (last night) it was just average/ok. The Chinese Pie is interesting and pretty good, although for the price they could definitely add more meat - it was sparse, but good flavor. The brisket sandwich was not great, but just ok. Stale bun and somewhat dry meat. We felt like you bit into a bowl of cotton, between the bun and dry brisket. The meat plate was much better, my son said. So, it's a toss up and probably hit or miss with food - but the atmosphere is fun and the service was very good.

Food, service and ambience A+ Love their brisket and they have trivia nites fun time For family get together or date nites

Take out was overpriced for what was ordered. Taste was average. Would have expected a piece of cornbread to be included, not a choice as the side.

Went here for lunch the other day with some friends. We ordered the QQ Pladda, which was plenty of food for 3 of us. We swapped the sausage for brisket, which was the right choice (for us). All the meats were good, I enjoyed the pulled pork the most, the chicken breast was ok (think I would've liked pulled chicken over chicken breast). We ordered fries & mashed potatoes for sides, which were both plentiful. Service is an area that could be improved. Our waitress seemed annoyed from the second she stopped by (and didn't improve), which set the tone for the meal, leading to a 3-star vs. 4-star review.

Had the BBQ Buffet at Easter. Nice selection of items. Filled up fast. Solid basic BBQ. Not the best ribs despite what they claim. I want fall off the bone ribs, nothing else. Good drink menu which calmed me down. Next time more booze, less BBQ.

Bad: Portion has changed significantly, about half of what it used to be. You can easily spend $40 and leave hungry Good: to make up for small portions they have make the facility much nicer. If you're looking to have a great meal there are much better options. If you want a fun place to hang out and not looking to eat. Highly recommended

This is our favorite BBQ place. We drive 45 minutes. Ribs Kielbasa pulled pork brisket Chili Stew

The food is great ans the staff is amazing! If you're looking for barbecue that is consistently rated the Best of Manchester and New Hampshire, this is the place to be. They often have entertainment in the evening and everything I've seen has been was totally worth the drive! I would recommend them to everyone looking for excellent food, good entertainment and fantastic staff. Check them out, you'll be glad you did. Oh, and the specialty drinks are off the chain! I really like the Key Westside. Lots of parking and plenty of tables. The outside Tiki bar is a destination when the weather is nice. I love this BBQ joint!

Order the two meat platter. Ribs and brisket. Both were very dry. Beans and coleslaw were very good..Also took a very long time to get our meals out.

Food is always good, esp the salt and pepper chicken wings. Staff is great. Highly recommend. The only reason I give 4 stars is because it's a bit pricey, but not unreasonable.

Went for the first time, sat at the bar. Tried a two combo plate with the chili, beans, brisket, pulled pork. Brisket was absolutely nothing to write home about kind of flavorless not very tender, and the pulled pork to me tasted kind of strange almost plastic like. Beans and chili were just OK, To be honest their chili tasted exactly like Wendy's canned chili you can buy at the store....Service I would say was a little below average considering how slow they were. Seemed like they were more interested in catering to the regulars and chitchatting then checking on what people needed refills. Probably won't go again.

The service is very friendly and attentive. The sides of baked beans and Brunswick stew were very good. The cardiac sandwich was flavorful, but hard to eat with the bun being so soaked. I love the vibe of eating in a barn.

Great brisket. Service is terrific and the meats are prepared excellently. Atmosphere is relaxing.

Great spot for good BBQ with nice casual atmosphere. Family friendly, especially with the 'campfire smores' dessert option. Only downside can be the wait on a Friday Saturday night; no reservations allowed but apparently you can call ahead 2hr prior? Need to try that next time to avoid what ended up being an hour wait for us, otherwise a good meal experience.

Checked out KC's for the first time recently and loved it! Great atmosphere, great service and great food! Manager Brandon visited our table and provided insight on the various meats, sauces and freshly made mashed potatoes. Everything surpassed our expectations and KC's is now our "Go To" place for BBQ.

KCs Ribshack just made my 50th birthday party a ripper! We did a house warming party 2 summers ago and spent about $500 on meat alone.. sides & breads were another $150? Then I spent 50% of my time at the grill, which I normally don't mind although ppl trying to talk to me had to stand next to the grill, and if I made a mistake oops.. 100 people eat bad food! We pre ordered Brisket, chicken, ribs pulled pork and cornbread and people. were. floored with how great everything was. We knew and expected it but the big quantities were 100% as good as if wed just ordered at the restaurant. A MASSIVE triumph, and Mrs & I got to enjoy the whole party, telling everyone to eat at will as everything was over sterno cans keeping it warm. Price - this is a tough one to articulate.. my lovely has a tendency to go overboard with food. She easily ordered double what we needed, so in a sense we over spent. People were leaving with literally a foil tray of bbq and we STILL had leftovers. The cost was higher than we'd *liked to spend* initially, but we 100% could have spent 1/2 that, been BARELY over what we spent 2 years ago, and STILL had enough food for the 80-100 ppl here this time, and we spent zero time manning the grill, enjoying the party - stress free. KCs is Always my favorite restaurant in New England, and 150% would do it exactly this way again

Great wings,beer and BBQ! Excellent service You have to try the ribs great bark and smoke ring

Ambiance was nice and a very friendly staff that was welcoming. The food and drinks came out quick with a generous selection of sauces for your food. There's a ton of art and every where you turn there's something colorful to look at. The food was extremely good and the cornbread with the sweet apple bbq sauce was !

Food was great !! Drinks were strong & service was quick & friendly. Highly recommend the wings . We were a larger group with separate checks & the waitress handled it with ease .

Go there it's fantastic Pulled pork the most tender I have eaten Tasty sides Saw a family get the shovel meal ! Great service friendly

Ordered the pull off pork ribs coke slaw had no vinegar just mayo yuck & ribs where tough they leave the membrane on Disappointed & very expensive, never again The AC made it cold no one took their jacket off & said it's been broken for mo's So no one cares & it's an awful way to run a business

Great brisket! Ribs were done just the way I do them in my smoker at home! KC's never lets me down!

Words can't describe how good the food is! The flavors of BBQ sauce, the tender meat, yummy drinks. So good

Stopped in for a late lunch and the place was already packed with a 30min wait at 2pm. Slid into the bar and annoyed our combo meal plates-fast service and food was delicious!

I visited this joint a few months back and forgot to review it, so I'm making up for lost time! Bellied up to the bar as most of the joint was packed on a Tuesday night, and opted for a hazy. Ordered the 2 meat platter, and was once again amazed at the amount of food...I guess I didn't learn my lesson the first time! Nicely smoked tender brisket and pulled pork served along side Mac salad and fries. The cornbread was there but I had no gastrointestinal real estate to mess around! Ambiance is backwoods chalet, service was friendly and attentive, and prices are in line with area. I'm sure I'll be back, but the bbq is good for the area, but not good enough to make the list...

IDK if Kevin is still the owner but I'm back.... Came for wings as a quick dinner since I'm just getting to town. Well that damn Brunswick stew almost made me a stray cat. It's excellent and very filling. I forgot how good the fries are there too as I stole a few from my coworker. Yes I'll be back again if I come this way!

This was absolutely delicious, a great stop on the way to Boston. Fun decor, and friendly staff.

Honestly this was my first time here, and if this wasnt 2hrs away I'd come here all the time. As soon as you get out of the car you can smell the bbq cooking. When you walk in there is a little shop you can buy clothes and probably other things and upstairs is where I sat. Very open, bar in the middle, high tables. Everything from the ribs, pulled pork even the chicken was so moist and had the best flavor. The staff were very polite and was very helpful. The bbq sauce that I thought was the best was the apple. 10/10 nothing I'd change

I have been a fan of BBQ since my earliest years in South Texas. I'm over 70 now and so I have a lifetime of experiential feasting to report. KC's does it well. I have enjoyed the ribs, brisket, beans, collards and pig tails. The latter is a creation of frying strips of rib meat. Excellent. KC's is a community treasure. We have had take out (2X) and my son-in-law and I have saddled up to the bar for a beer and a Saturday night feast in person-terrific! Ask Sam (she) to pour a local brew on tap and take your time choosing your favorite meal. Great atmosphere, great food, good people. No regrets save for the calories consumed. This native Texan is a fan of Kevin C's place!

This place is fantastic came here to visit and they don't have any places like this in California. The aesthetic is very cozy and like an old western bar. The servers are very welcoming and attentive. And by god the food was mouth watering. I am telling you I am fat and I could not finish my portion. Please make a place like this in Cali somewhere. Dang blue state needs so red love.

We are brand new to Bedford from the Boston area and saw this place online as one of the best in the area. As new residents, we are exploring all of our soon to be new local haunts. This place was GOOD, very good, and I am picky. Service by Julian was great, the atmosphere was fun and kid friendly (you can draw on the tables!), drinks were excellent (lots of coconut-y ones!), and the food was above and beyond. Please give me allll the sides. I am okay still being full a day later haha. We are tempted to go back again this week so my Dad can try it out. Highly recommend!

Always amazing BBQ! Anytime I'm in town, I find a way to have dinner here. Friendly service. Try the pig tails!

I love barbecue. I don't know if I can say that enough. Every time I am somewhere looking for a lunch barbecue is one of the things I try and find. After stopping at a new brewery, I was suggested to go to KC's rib shack. The service was very good. I ordered a brisket and ribs combo with cornbread and coleslaw and a side of stew. The stew was very tasty and the cornbread was absolutely amazing. I can't tell you how tough it is to find good cornbread these days. The stew is also quite tasty. The downside was the ribs were in re-as well as the coleslaw, which was really odd. Usually with barbecue coleslaw, you either have a mayonnaise based creamy coleslaw, or a vinegar based, neither which are supposed to be dry. This seemed like they just put a bunch of vegetables in a bowl with no kind of dressing and served it. I also noticed that the beer had a sour taste to it which it shouldn't have had. Probably will not go back.

We had a fun night, the brisket was excellent as was Brisket Chinese pie ( like Shepard pie ) and our other dinners. Atmosphere was casual, kid friendly. Everyone enjoyed the food, the drinks and the dessert - try the key lime pie not too sweet or too tart, pecan pie was good also. Our service was good, attentive but not rushed. We will be back.

I was thoroughly impressed with how our food tasted. We ordered wings to start and they were cooked perfectly and had that smoked flavor. I had brisket, mashed potatoes with gravy, and collard greens. My kids had the ribs, and pulled pork. No complaints, only happy bellies. And the cornbread is like no other! We will definitely be coming back. Our server was attentive and friendly.

We had driven up to New Hampshire for the day and was looking for a place to eat. I wasn't sure what was good around Manchester, so I let Yelp guide me to one of the most reviewed restaurants! I don't normally think of New England when I think BBQ, but KC's is really good! You can tell this place is popular, too! A few of us split a combo, which came with different kinds of meats and sides. Everything we really good, we had no complaints! If you come with a large group, you can even order a giant combo that comes with a shovel... I was very intrigued watching the table next to us with it. we had a great experience here. It's a nice place to try when you're in Manchester!

Our baseball game was canceled so we decided to find some food. Based on the great reviews and our love for bbq we decided to try this place. As much as I wanted to love it, I just didn't. First, the decor is awesome and the place is much bigger inside than it appears. When we arrived their was a line of four or five in front of us. Before long, though, we were seated downstairs. The waiter we had was friendly and seemed to know the menu pretty well. I decided to try both the ribs and the brisket and my husband ordered pulled pork. After reading about how good the ribs were I was really looking forward to trying them. We also ordered the pig tails at the advice of our waiter. The appetizer came out soon after we ordered and I couldn't decide if I loved it or not. It was, however, a good way to try the sauces which I did like. I thought the mustard sauce mixed with the spicy vinegar sauce was the perfect mix. The big disappointment for me was the main course. The Cole slaw was very bland in my opinion and the pickles they put on the plate tasted like onions. The fries were good. The meat, though, was not. The flavor was great on my first bite of brisket but both the ribs and 40 percent of the brisket was so covered with fat it was almost unedible. Actually one piece of brisket was just fat. Very sad since the flavor was actually pretty good. Maybe we just hit it on a bad day but I can't recommend this place at all. Definitely didn't taste as good as I thought it was going to. Hubs said his was OK but he wasn't thrilled either. Not sure if we will try again.

Amazing food, service and ambience. Hands down one of the best restaurants in NH and hands down the best BBQ restaurant. From the host station to the time you walk out the door you feel welcome and cared for. One of our kids left his ski tag at the table. The owner went out of her way to track us down and return the tag. We are forever grateful and are customers for life. Can't wait to come back!!

Love this place! For me, this is a perfect summer place - the outdoor patio is a great atmosphere and they often have live music. My "go to" is the bbq sundae. Which sounds so weird but it's delicious!

Great BBQ in NH might seem foolish for some but rest assured that KC's BBQ has great BBQ.