East Lyme Restaurant Guide

I'm the reviewer from Salem who first reviewed the Shack in 2006. Since then, they have moved 500 feet up the road to a much newer building that used to be a Brooks drug store.

The exceptional food, service, and attentive ownership moved up the road. The only difference is a much more up to date building, and about twice the seating space.

One addition that has crept into the menu is the occasional (and always very good) high end special. Examples are Neptune Benny for breakfast (think eggs Benedict with lobster), fried oysters, or broiled scallops. However, all the "value" items which are responsible for the incredibly faithful clientele remain, as do those wonderful pies!

Still local dining at its very best.

Breakfast is GREAT , love the homefries.Paty melt is delish. Decor is perfect for country lovers.Very clean & prompt service.We will keep comming back.Telling my friends from Ansonia/Bridgeport area to stop in on thier way to the casino

The Shack serves very wholesome food and their menu is reminiscent of stereotypical, nostalgic "diner" fare. Their breakfasts are wonderful and it is the "gold standard" that I compare breakfasts to at other restaurants. The waitstaff are very friendly and contribute to the homey decor. My family has been going here for years. Go here for good home-style food, great service, but not ambience!

The Shack is a friendly, neighborhood place with a diner atmosphere, though it's not a traditional silver-dome diner physically. The regulars all know each other by sight if not by name, and dining is totally casual.

This is definitely not a book to be judged by its cover. The outside is so ordinary looking that many drive by without giving it a second glance - unless it happens to be during a meal time, in which case one can't help noticing the line of people waiting to get in or the ever-present 18-wheelers in the parking lot, always a reliable indicator of quality food.

The two outstanding characteristics of The Shack are great service by a friendly waitstaff with almost no turnover (I've seen the same faces literally for two decades) and consistently excellent food at reasonable prices.

Russ, the cheerful owner, has been running a quality operation for over fifteen years, and the result is a faithful clientel who reappear with astonishing regularity. Perhaps one of the most telling signs is that the waitresses regularly bring their families in when they're "off-duty." When I commented on that to one of them once, she replied, "We come in because we know the kitchen's clean!"

The Shack is famous for its breakfasts and desserts (especially the pies, listed daily on a chalkboard), and the excellent all-day menu is supplemented by breakfast, lunch, and dinner specials on two additional chalkboards which draw the eyes of knowledgeable regulars as they enter.

Servings are on the large side (OK, often huge!), but they offer "junior" portions on selected items for those watching their waistlines. If you do (inevitably) over-eat, you can always work off a few calories by hitting a bucket of balls at the immediately-adjacent driving range (April - Oct.)

The interior is informal, friendly, and clean. The large windows are painted by a talented waitress who creates new seasonal scenes of extraordinary quality three to four times a year, and the walls are decorated with old bric-a-brac ranging from tools most of us don't recognize to quaint-looking skis and other objects.

Good food, reasonable prices, and waitresses who greet regulars by name and bring their drinks to the table without having to ask what they want; this is local dining at its best. Don't miss it!

"Just the facts, Ma'am":

Hours: Mon-Sat 5:30a - 8:00p; Sun (breakfast only) 6:00 a - 1:00p.
Payment: Cash only - if you come in without it, they will politely refer you to an ATM just up the road.
Capacity: Around 15 tables (including a 10-person round) and 8 or 9 counter stools.
Parking: Free and plentiful, in a packed clay lot 100 yards from the entrance ramp to I-95.