When I first moved to Shamokin, near my new home was this place called Rob's Six Pack Shack. It was a corner beer store- not an uncommon sight in Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania. Mostly it sold beer via both six packs and quarts, and some half cases, but it also sold some food.
Rob's Six Pack Shack was a diamond in the rough- some unique characters frequented the place, it had a dingy atmosphere with some pictures of sports stars, including local athlete Steve Kline who was a relief pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals a few years ago. Regardless of the fact that it was mainly known as a beer store, or the fact that it looked like it needed a good scrubbing, or the fact that some of its clientele would curse at you rather than smile at you, Rob's Six Pack Shack had some very, very good food.
The owner himself, Rob, is a standup guy and like me, a Philadelphia Phillies fan. He's a personable fellow who would talk to anybody. He loved to cook and you could taste it in his food. He made a great breakfast, and the cheesesteaks at Rob's Six Pack Shack were some of the best in the area. I especially loved the Smokehouse Cheesesteak, which was essentially a "Rodeo Cheeseburger" take on the much-loved combo of meat and cheese on a fresh roll. He also made his own Barbecue sauce, which was so good that I ordered a side of it with everything- they were especially great to use as a dip for the fresh-cut fries.
Flash forward to 2012, and Rob's Six Pack Shack is gone. Rob and his wife replaced it with Rob's Good Time Grill, down the street a few blocks and on the other side of Market Street in Shamokin. It is miles away a different place than the Six Pack Shack; the first view you see when entering is a fancy looking bar with three large flat screen televisions playing whatever games are on.
It has ample seating in the rear, and now boasts many community nights- there's a wing night, a karaoke night, and I understand that they had one impressive New Year's Eve Party.
Call me a stick in the mud, but I still miss the old Rob's. Despite the cosmetic upgrades and the now bigger menu, I still miss the old Rob's.
First off, I don't see Rob around very much anymore. Perhaps that is by design, but many of the newer people they hired just don't seem as friendly or personable. I've eaten there a handful of times now, and each time my encounter with the waitress has seemed awkward. Maybe it's me, I don't know- but it's just an uncomfortable experience.
The food is still delicious. I still order take out, though I will say that since the move, there have been times that my food has not been made as I ordered it. In the past three months, I've ordered the Smokehouse Cheesesteak three or four times, and I've had versions with marinara sauce on it, versions with peppers, versions with barbecue sauce, and now, I don't order from there as much. Maybe the consistency issue is something that came with the move, but it's something that makes me wonder if I really want to order from Rob's on a particular night and risk getting something I don't want. The economy hasn't picked up around here, money is tight, and it's not worth paying good money for something you didn't order (which is what you end up doing when you pick up your food close to closing time).
I also went to wing night, which Rob's has every Thursday night (and, for some reason, you have to be 21 to attend). The wings are delicious, from the homemade barbecue sauce to the Thai wings that had me coming back for thirds and fourths. They also serve their delicious homemade fresh cut fries with the wing bar. Still, some of the wings were cold, and they didn't refresh the bar as often as I would have liked.
Another issue has been when exactly Rob's Good Time Grill closes. I tend to eat late because of my employment, and sometimes I've driven into town and seen the "Open" sign lit. I've gone inside, only to be told that the kitchen is closed. That's a little frustrating.
Listen, I don't want to tear the new place apart. Clearly they are trying something new, and I really hopes it works out for them because Shamokin needs good places to eat, and I know that this group can make some excellent food. Each little issue I've brought up has been fairly minor, but when you add up the minor things, it seems like the issues have substance.
When all is said and done, Rob's Good Time Grill is a decent option if you happen to be in Shamokin. On a Thursday night, the wings are peerless, and it's a good place to catch a game. If they address the issues I've mentioned, they will definitely have a winner.
Rob's Good Time Grill
100 South Market Street
Shamokin, PA 17872
(570) 648-1191
Thanks for your straight forward comments Brian. Unfortunately I have just reviewed this on a hot day in July 2013. We have had quite a turn around with waitstaff and those we have now are quite friendly and more efficient (although, nobody is perfect). I did stop the wing buffet quite some time ago because it was doing our famous wings no justice. AS far as the Smokehouse Cheesesteak, that is to have BBQ sauce and cheddar cheese. I only wish you would have asked for an owner or manager to have this corrected. That would be me. Rob is busy and never did cook at the Shack nor at this restaurant; I do at times. Unfortunately we had an employee named Alan that did pass himself off as Rob (in other words, he never corrected a customer when they infact called him Rob). Too funny! This is not the first I have heard that my husband is a good cook....
ReplyDeleteNonetheless, I have been working on improving our staff and do take pride in the quality of our food. I by no means buy cheap products. Except for right now on Thursdays, we have a $1 burger night; although I have had complements on those little buggers. All of our steaks are fresh except for the Black Diamond of course.
I hope you by now have joined us on Facebook to learn of our daily specials. Hope you have enjoyed some good food and had better experiences, if not stop in and give it another shot!
Thanks again,
Pamela
Absolutely one of the worst experiences I have had in a restaurant in a very long time. I only came here a single time & never came back. Wait staff is not friendly at all & it took way too long to receive our drinks & place our order. Not to mention, there was only one other table of 2 present. It was very disappointing when everything I asked for they were "currently out of." I settled with eggplant parm & my girlfriend ordered a mushroom swiss burger. It took 45 minutes for us to get our food. Ridiculous. My dish was absolutely disgusting. The pasta tasted like plastic & was really over cooked. The sauce was marinara from a can & was ice cold. My eggplant had a freezer burnt taste which was horrible & indicates that nothing in the back is fresh, it's all frozen. The three pieces of bread on the side were so tiny, basically fit for portions for a baby. They were also burnt. When I asked for new bread, I was given a hard time about it & didn't get new slices until about 10 minutes later. By this time, I had really lost my appetite when I discovered crusted food on my plate which clearly wasn't washed properly. It grossed me out so much we just decided to leave. Mushroom swiss was raw by the way & came with soggy, tasteless fries on the side. I definitely would not recommend this spot to anyone. Also, the "owners" were drinking at the bar & started arguing loudly & violently in front of customers & staff. Quite unprofessional & immature if you ask me. Won't ever be coming back to this place in the future.
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