Paul's Rib Shack 2 meat plate was ok... good smoked flavor but not much seasoning.. overall pretty good. read more

Paul’s Rib Shack Barbecue - 2 Meat Plate - Desserts Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

Best fried ribs ever!! So juicy and tender falling off the bone. My mother in law had the bbq ribs and she said they were best she ever had. We tired a few different items. We will be back!! His team is awesome and recommend several items. This place is super cute and outside area is prefect on a nice day!! Unfortunately it rained the day we went. read more

It started off kind of slow then it got so busy the servers were put to the test on SATURDAY steak night. Very good food, music, outdoor area, and craft fountain drinks. read more

Their chopped brisket sandwiches are "KID'S SIZE" with two sides of Mac & Cheese and green beans $24.00 The Hut in Sulphur, way better bang for your money's worth. Plus their chopped brisket sandwiches are 4X larger. They both taste amazing though. read more

What can I say about Paul's? The ambiance is authentic "BBQ joint," the meats are tender and tasty, the sides as expected, the service is fast and they know their menu. The only down-side is it's pricey, but good barbecue isn't cheap to produce, so that's not Paul's fault. This is a great place worthy of followup visits. read more

If y'all don't want to wait on people, just close. I will preface this with I am not from Lake Charles. I stopped by for lunch today. I looked at the menu board and decided what I wanted. I then proceeded to the order area and waited. Everyone was talking in front of the cashier. I figured I needed to go there to order. I get to the front of the line to tell the young lady what I'd like and she tells me I need to back to the order area where I just was and noone was waiting on me. Did I mention there was noone in line. Needless to say, I left. Whataburger greeted me with a smile. It wasn't BBQ, but they gave service read more

Here from Texas and I was excited to walk in this place because it had such a great atmosphere but the food was horrible,brisket was more like beef jerky and the sausages looked like they had been sitting under a light and got dried out. very overpriced and didn't even come with a slice of bread because that also was an extra charge. The sides were small and we had flys that kept trying to join us. We won't be coming back! read more

Paul’s Rib Shack Barbecue - 3 meat plate - Desserts Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

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Tried Paul's rib shack for the first time today...why did I wait so long?!! What a nice place! Brisket topped burger was amazing! Wife had the fried ribs...forget about it!! I'm drooling writing this review while sitting in the establishment just recalling how good the meal was!! We have found a new favorite BBQ RESTAURANT!!! read more

Paul’s Rib Shack Barbecue - Desserts Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

I ordered the pulled pork, smoked red beans (highly recommend!) and bread pudding. All of it was very tasty. I bought a pint of the meat and brought it home to make 3 very full sandwhiches, so it was more economical also. Very flavorful and the service was kind and prompt. read more

The food was subpar at best. Kids running the place weren't very professional at all and quite frankly I just wasn't impressed. It wasn't the worst, but it definitely wasn't the best I've had or quite frankly to be honest... Not even close! read more

Well... if you are looking for flavor and amazing bbq ... this is not the place. Our food was cold, flies everywhere, and just way overpriced for what was offered. Don't order the nachos unless you just want meat, cheese and chips. And they were already sold out of multiple sides after only being open for 3 hours. Would not recommend. read more

Slap ya' momma delicious . Everything was excellent. Having a grilling hubby who is VERY VERY picky and particular and "bougie" about his bbq- gave it a True Blue Smokehouse . The corn was delicious and the sausage and chicken gumbo had just the right kick!! Loved that the owner gave my hubby a tour of the smokers. Added another 20 minutes to dinner, but sooo worth it for his smile!! I know people come to Louisiana for Cajun, but don't miss this bbq- the best!!! Also live music on the Saturday night we came! Great beer, seltzer and soda selection. They have "draft"Stubborn soda. read more

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Food was good. Parking is tight. Brisket was tender, moist, and flavorful! It's the main reason for the 4-star. Green beans were good. Something about the flavor though ... like Italian dressing like flavor I wasn't all in on. The corn maque choux was good as well. House BBQ sauce was pretty good stuff. Little spice that was noticeable. Actually didn't want to use it b/c the brisket was so good by itself. However, none of it was hot. Wished it would have been served warmer than it was. Atmosphere was very nice. 10x the space inside vs the parking space outside. Clean place. Will definitely be on the list to visit again. read more

Paul’s Rib Shack Barbecue - Beef Brisket Green Beans Corn maque choux House BBQ Sauce - Desserts Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

Love love love this place! Addicted to the pulled pork nachos but you can't go wrong with their menu!!! The staff is very kind and accommodating. Outside patio has tons of seating and rotation of entertainment. Don't forget to grab a frozen margarita or 2 or 3 and a ride home! Had to take my last order to go and reconstruct at home, just as yummy! read more

Paul’s Rib Shack Barbecue - Reconstructed to go order of pulled pork nachos! - Desserts Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

Food was great & they had fun outdoor games for kids. We went after lunch so they were out of a few items we would have liked to try so maybe next time! read more

LOVE THIS SPOT! My husband and I have been twice and it doesn't disappoint. This last time we tried their Reuben and nachos. Highly recommend, the meat is amazing and the service is great as well. They also have an outdoor area that is nice now that it's a little cooler outside. read more

Paul’s Rib Shack Barbecue - Nachos & Reuben - Desserts Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

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We're here from Texas and I had the brisket for Thanksgiving dinner. I'm sorry folks, but this is not brisket. It is smoked roast beef. Not bad as roast beef, but not close to brisket meat. Too lean and hardly any char. Sauce is on the sweet side. Maybe it's Louisiana, but we serve white onions and hamburger dill slices as accompaniments in Texas. Not marinated onions and kosher dills. read more

1st time here. The ladies were very helpful when I asked for my food. I tired my best to get a little bit of all the meats. The turkeys was delicious but the brisket was on point. Pork ribs were tasty but the pull pork was a fail for me. It was good but not how I like it. The green bean side and corn were a on point as well. Hands down this place is a must try, next time this Texan is in town I'll be back. Come on raze try this BBQ out. Don't forget the beer. read more

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The main reason I knocked off the stars was the price. That tiny little boat of green beans was $2.50. The potato itself was $10. It was "loaded" which meant butter, meat, sour cream, cheese, and BBQ sauce. The brisket had good flavor and my son and husband each got a burger. It was just meat and cheese. No toppings. The burger had good flavor but I like a nice messy burger. They had a huge selection of beer which was pretty cool, my little white claw was $5 which was disappointing. Overall, this place was good. If someone invited us to eat there, I'd go, but I won't be craving this on my own especially for the price. read more

Paul’s Rib Shack Barbecue - Brisket loaded potato and green beans. - Desserts Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

BBQ at its finest, O and the smoked burger is legit! Brisket, pulled pork and RIBS that fall off the bone. Nice outdoor seating area for when it's cool outside. read more

Great BBQ! Great atmosphere! Live music! My favorite is the chopped brisket on a baked potato!

The loaded potato is to die for haven't been disappointed yet in the food or the service, all around fantastic every time so far, highly recommend read more

Paul’s Rib Shack Barbecue - Loaded brisket potato - Desserts Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

Bottom Line: Great smoked BBQ meat, tasty sides, wide selection of drinks, friendly & responsive staff, clean premises, and excellent Blues music. Top Line: For dinner I ordered 1/3 lb of smoked ribs (which came to 3 bones), a small order of cole slaw, a larger order of BBQ beans, and picked up a bottle of Canebrake wheat beer from one of the ice filled tanks that guide you from the front door toward the meat carving station. I also got some pickled onions from the condiment station where you get napkins, plastic flatware, etc. The ribs were super well rubbed & smoked. They had a nice sharp smoke bite at the front end that quickly mellowed into a tongue tingling, well rounded smoky flavor. These ribs were bursting with flavor & needed none of the little cup of sauce that came with them. The flavor packed a punch from my first bite to the last. While not literally "falling off the bone" tender, they were certainly tender enough. Their texture was a bit drier than might be expected because they were trimmed fairly close. But that texture was nonetheless well inside the substantial & meaty range. The BBQ beans were a solid step above the usual versions I've gotten at other BBQ joints. I talked to Paul, who was cleaning tables & checking up on the customers in his busy eatery, and he clued me into some of the factors that make the beans complex and very tasty. He uses several kinds of beans, adds in a few ingredients I won't divulge out of consideration to his recipe, and cooks them on the smoker so they get that deep rich smoke flavor note infused throughout. They had enough sauce on them to not be dry at all and were also not soupy by being over sauced. The flavor was robust, well rounded, and had a snappy peppery bite. The cole slaw was crunchy crispy fresh. The sauce drenching the cabbage was a smooth mayo dressing that wasn't either of the usual slaw dressing flavors (sweet or vinegary tangy). The slaw made an appropriate complementary side to the very strongly flavored ribs and the zesty BBQ beans. The pickled onions were tasty & had marinated a long time, as evidenced by their very uniform, somewhat pale color and smooth non-oniony-sharp taste. The first few days of marinating red onions in an acid (I use lime juice) to pickle them, the sharp sulphorous onion bite is still strong. Over time, that bite fades & mellows. Paul's onions had mellowed to a fragile almost sweet taste. Very nice. The Canebrake wheat beer from the local Parish Brewing Co was pretty neutral in flavor & quite light in body, as is expected with a wheat beer. It's a fitting drink with the strong flavors of the meal. The staff were all very friendly and hyper responsive to deliver any requested items. Somewhat industrial interior (steel topped tables, metal chairs) was clean, bright, and festive. Wonderfully tasty Blues music was playing on the speakers. I have to say that Paul's Rib Shack is the best BBQ I've found in the Lake Charles area and it makes me very happy to have them on my radar for any subsequent trips to this area. read more

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Forget it! Texas has nothing on this brisket! Oh my it is sooooo good and the bark is amazing! Wish they were in Flordia. The bread pudding is amazing too! Only sad part they were out of mac and cheese! read more

Paul’s Rib Shack Barbecue - Brisket and bread pudding after we ate half. OMG - Desserts Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

That was disappointing. The building and grounds are aesthetically pleasing for what you'd think would be great bbq, but I was sorely disappointed. Considering the cost is higher than most of the best in Texas, I thought it's still bbq, and you can't make bad bbq. I was wrong. I ordered ribs, a link of beef sausage, and half a pound of brisket with some sides. The beef sausage tasted fine, and even reminded me of Luling's city market's flavor, but just cold. The ribs (which are their namesake) were sweet, but dry. Very dry. The only thing more dry, was the brisket. Now, I'm not sure if the brisket was given rub after it was smoked, but the rub came right off. It had a smoke ring, but didn't appear fresh. I get the feeling that the meat sits for a while under warming lamps or from a previous day's cook. I suppose I'm comparing it to TX bbq, but when you've got logs out and big offset smokers in the back, you'd think you could smell it, and taste it, but I couldn't really. It was lacking. I'm sorry, but this was a big swing and a miss for me. read more

2nd time dining with Paul's Rib Shake! Really good bbq, meat is always tender and cooked perfectly! Very nice relaxed atmosphere. Very clean also and spacious pertaining to Covid guidelines. Sweet tea was very good ( big deal for me lol). I did try the dessert this time the blackberry rum bread pudding - it was a little little to tart for me. I will try the cookie next time! We will be back! read more

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Over priced lunch. 1/2 lb ribs and a pulled pork sandwich, fries and rice. $37.00. Crazy!

Love eating the very best bbq in town under the beautiful Oak trees and listening to Three Sheets play music. Fast service and very friendly staff. read more

Excellence! Today was out first visit and we ate so impressed! We are HOOKED! Our entire experience was extremely pleasurable! The atmosphere was pleasant and uplifting. Staff was very courteous and extremely helpful with making our first time selections. Everything was very clean, neat, and organized. The food looked very appealing and appetizing. SO MANY EXCELLENT CHOICES! I wentbwiththe RIBS and cole slaw and green beans for my first meal. And it ALL tasted AMAZING!! The portions were very fair. The cost was very fair in comparison with all other BBQ diners. But, this good food is WAY BETTER than any of its competitors! Dickey's, BBQ WEST, ...... AND ANY OTHER. CANNOT TOUCH THIS!! I've tried them ALL!! The dining areas were spacious , neat, clean, and comfortable . The AC works very well. Their Restrooms (all 3 of them!!!) Were SPIC AND SPAN pristine CLEAN!! And well stocked!! THANK YOU FOR THAT!! I truly have so much good to say about this restaurant! We will be back very soon, and on a regular basis. This is our BBQ Spot now!! Keep up the excellence PAUL'S RIB SHACK!! I APPLAUD YOU WITH A STANDING OVATION! read more

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Hands down, the best BBQ in Lake Charles. Paul is one of the nicest people I've ever met and he definitely knows how to operate a restaurant. I've never had a bad experience here and the brisket is always perfectly done. If you want the true experience of Paul's magic, dine in and spent some time out back enjoying a cold beer, some delicious BBQ and hopefully live music! read more

Our family's first time to try their food. Nice, clean looking place, I hope they get some crowds to fill the tables in the back, once the weather improves. Friendly staff. As for the food...the ribs were better than some places, and that's about it. The pulled pork sandwich was maybe a little better, had ample meat. I love beans. And when we bake them, I like them almost over cooked. But after sampling theirs, I'd always pass on them, as did other members of our family. The bread pudding was OK, but very short on a good sauce. As for being the best BBQ in Louisiana as some folks have said, they must have a narrow amount of experience. read more

Still not even a one star dive. Just stopped by to let John D. know he won't have to worry about the dior hitting my behind, my FRONT side will never let it go into that dog food place again. read more

We came and ate on Saturday as a family of 7. Prices were reasonable and the food was really good! We enjoyed the Cry Babies playing outside under the pecan tree and lights. The fans made it warm, but nice! We are from out of town, but hope to come back! read more

We are from Texas where the BBQ is really good but this place beats any place I have eating in Texas. The staff was very friendly and attentive especially since they were about to close: I would definitely recommend eating here. read more

My coworker and I came in at 4pm to eat, each ordered a pound of ribs and a jalapeno sausage link, cole slaw, green beans, corn, pickles, onions and Jalapeno slices. When the server pulled the ribs out of the hot box I was instantly worried, unwrapped in a hot box, same with the sausage link, all on the verge of being dried out, the hot table items looked like they had been out since lunch service, terrible looking and not much for flavor, cole slaw had no flavor at all. If your serving bbq don't put 5 pickles in a portion cup with a lid and 5 jalapeños, and if you portion your sauce at least fill the cup up, sauce should readily available as well as japs, unpickled onions, and dill pickles. A bit overpriced also, we eat bbq all over the country, was hopeful would have be better. read more

My order was wrong, I didn't order the pulled pork I tried to eat it because I didn't want to drive back, it was dry and stringy. The smothered potatoes were hard and the piece of brisket I received wa full of fat. read more

You don't think of Southwest Louisiana as a place you'd find quality BBQ, and yet Paul Pettefer is here, cranking out delicious Texas-style BBQ. Brisket and ribs are both as good as anything you'd find in Louisiana, and would absolutely hold their own in Texas. The five beans were savory with a unique flavor. If you're in the SW Louisiana area, a trip to Paul's Rib Shack would be a stop worth making read more

Paul’s Rib Shack Barbecue - Where the magic happens - Desserts Near Me - Lake Charles, Louisiana

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What can I say - it's the best BBQ in SW Louisiana. The brisket is one you'll appreciate.

This place does BBQ correct. Meat isn't overpowered with sauce or smoke. Side dishes were outstanding. Very laid back atmosphere with outside sitting available. Patio area has outdoor games for adults & the kiddos. Don't miss this place when you're in Lake Charles. read more

Been meaning to stop by here for awhile. Ordered ribs, beans, and Mac-n-cheese. Great ribs! Just enough smoke and seasoning. Great Mac-n-cheese and beans. Staff was courteous and helpful! Clean! Indoor and outdoor eating areas with just the right amount of smoky goodness wafting across from the pits. Come getcha some! read more