The Shack Caribbean Seafood and Grill

Mike bartoszek

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               The slow rhythm of a Bob Marley song plays in the background, as the aroma of Tostones fills the dining room, making us eager to fill our bellies.
     Forgive my simplification, Tostones are sliced, battered and fried plantains, that make a crispy outer layer, soft inside, and is fulfilling snack and appretizer.
     From what I’ve been told, Puerto Ricans are masters of the plantain. Javier and his wife Sharon vindicate and raise that bar even higher.

              The Shack Caribbean Seafood and Grill sits just a little passed Harker Heights High School on Knights Way (FM 2410), across from the Harker Heights Community Park. In a white fishing themed building, walking in you’ll see fishing tackle, rope twisted around the hand rail, and even a small boat with an anchor setting the atmosphere as you enter the restaurant. Once inside, you’ll have the choice of eating in one of two dining rooms or outside on the deck. As much as I love air conditioning in this Texas heat, I opt for the sleek and comfortable deck seating.

Javier and Sharon work hard to make this a family friendly place where you can come relax and make new friends in this welcoming atmosphere. They’re often seen walking around talking with customers, checking on meal quality, or just hanging out sharing stories with new and familiar diners.  An easy couple to get along with, you’ll find that you’ve spent a fulfilling half-hour just shooting the breeze with them after your meal.

    Now, I’ll be honest, I’ve never really had Puerto Rican food so the menu different for me. I had no idea what Mofongo was, but here I was ordering with an addition of Conch. And let me tell you, it was delicious! Conch, if you didn’t know, is the creature that lives in that large spiral shell that. While ubiquitous to coastal living, to centralized mainland folk it is just the one you see people blowing in to all the time for the sounds. It’s a pretty rare meat for Central Texas. I had never seen it on any menu before and being the experimental person I am, I went for it and am so glad I did.

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Mary, my expecting partner, ordered the fish tacos based on her pregnancy craving and just like the website reviews say, they lived up to “The best fish tacos ever had.” They are delightfully huge! Much bigger than the usual mini tacos that are served at other restaurants. With the perfect blend of sauce, fried fish, slaw and tortilla, they were perfection. Dressed with a colorful orchid that popped to the eye. With generous portion sizing, it was more than she could eat in one sitting, so without regret, we took one to go and savored it later.

Naturally, like so many others we couldn’t leave without dessert. A decadent and moist chocolate cake that came with a refreshing raspberry drizzle, served with freshly whipped cream. It topped off our meal perfectly. 

These recent Central Texan’s Javier and Sharon have poured their heart, heritage and family into a fantastic dinning experience with delectable and truly authentic food. Keep a close eye on this gem of a restaurant. They often host parties and events for their public worth attending.   

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