her son assist with the cooking , kindling a lifelong passion for food
“ She would let me stir a little bit of this or stir a little bit of that , but barbecue has been my passion ,” he said . Shack ’ s catering business started on Eighth Street where it was called the Boston Butt Pit Stop . From there , he moved to another location in 2006 with a new business partner . Unfortunately , Shack said , his partner pulled out of the business leaving him to manage alone .
“ So I ’ m stuck with the business , but then I made it work ,” he said . “ I had struggles . I had ups and downs . That ’ s when it all began .”
From there , Shack was offered a chance to move into his current location on 18th Avenue . At the time , he said , the building was vacant and was being used by the homeless . The owner helped renovate the building and taught Shack about the business side of operations . That is when The Rib Shack was born .
Starting out , Shack said , he offered three types of meat and three sides . Business has grown since then , and his menu has expanded to 11 meats and 10 sides . The ribs , however , remain his favorite .
Owning a restaurant , however , has been anything from easy . Shack credits the Lord for allowing him to be successful , but he has faced his fair share of troubles along the way .
Shack was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2009 and lung cancer in 2010 , undergoing treatment for both . Then in 2015 , he was diagnosed with prostate cancer .
The Rib Shack 818 18th Ave ., Meridian 601-483-9077
Tasting Tips : Try the ribs or get a mixed platter to sample two or three types of meat
Hours : 10:30 a . m . – 7 p . m . Tuesday – Saturday Closed Sunday and Monday
ribshackmeridian . com
In the left photo , The Rib Shack offers a variety of meats and sides including barbecue chicken , collard greens , candied yams and , of course , cornbread . At right , tender , fall-off-the-bone ribs are Ronnie Shack ’ s favorite item on his menu and extremely popular among his customers . The ribs can be paired with a number of side dishes and come with a smoky sweet barbecue sauce .
www . meridianstar . com
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