Fat Willy's Rib Shack

Ratings Guide:
Half handshake, half chest-bump hug – 5 stars
Chest bump – 4 stars
Fist bump – 3 stars
High five – 2 stars
Handshake – 1 star
Fone and fone – 0 stars
Manly ass slap – ½ star


Restaurant: Fat Willy’s Rib Shack
Location: 2416 W. Schubert

Let me tell you a little something about myself. I’m a very proud person. And one of those times when I get very proud and braggatory, if you will (yes, I know braggatory isn’t a word, but it is now, so suck it), is when I feel like I’ve discovered something before anyone else I know has, and then I’m the one who tells everyone about it and sets the trend. For example, years ago I “discovered” Norah Jones (insert Brokeback Mountain joke here), and I absolutely loved her stuff. I started telling everyone about her and got as many people to listen to her as I could. Eventually, she got popular and even won a Grammy. When that happened I was very proud. I felt like I was a big reason for her success. I loved being the trendsetter. Being able to say, “Yeah, I was listening to her before anyone else was.” Why do I tell you this? Well, Fat Willy’s was almost one of those moments when I could claim its “discovery” as my own. A couple of years ago I went and saw a movie at the AMC City North 14 on Western, and I saw Fat Willy’s, and I said to myself, “I’ve gotta eat there. It looks like my kinda joint.” (And honestly, the fact that this is located across from a theater where thousands of people have gone, and 90% have for sure noticed Fat Willy’s, it makes it that much more ridiculous that I felt like I “discovered” this place) Well, I never did eat there. Not since I first saw it.

And I wanted to, and I talked about it a lot, but I never did. Then, not too long ago, Fat Willy’s was one of the featured restaurants on “Check, Please!” My buddy Denny called me up soon after and wanted to go check it out and maybe catch a movie. That was it. I had officially missed my chance to be the one to tell the world about how great this joint is. I’m not sure why I care, but I do. And I know you don’t care, so let’s just move on.

Here is what Fat Willy’s has going for it:

THE NAME
Seriously, how can a place called Fat Willy’s Rib Shack be bad? It can’t. If a guy named Fat Willy came up to you and said, “I’m Fat Willy, and I can tell you where to find the best barbeque in town” you’re gonna believe him. Why? Because his name is Fat Willy, so he must know what he’s talking about. It’s almost like a Mafia thing. If they call a guy Tommy The Gun, then you know he got that name for a reason. Same with a name like Fat Willy. It means a guy named Willy knows food. And why does he know food? Because he’s fat. So, short story long, you call a joint Fat Willy’s Rib Shack and you’re pretty much telling the world that you’ve got some kick ass ribs. And they do.


EMPLOYEES MUST HOLD HANDS BEFORE RETURNING TO WORK
That’s an actual sign I saw in the restaurant. I don’t know why but I must have read it 100 times and laughed each time I did. It’s so simple and stupid (and I’m sure it’s been done thousands of times across the country and around the world), but it’s the first time I’d ever seen it, and it made me laugh. I’m very easily entertained.


THE LEMONADE
They have hand squeezed lemonade. Now that I just typed that out, I’m not sure I want someone’s hands all over a bunch of lemons and squeezing them into a glass. It reminds me of the time that I was at a buffet, and I grabbed some hard-boiled eggs that didn’t have a shell on them, and my friend Steve asked me, “Is the shell already peeled?” “Yeah.” I answered. Then he asked, “Who peeled them?” At that point my gag reflex acted up a bit as I imagined a former inmate with his dirty, never-washed hands back in the kitchen peeling my eggs. But I’m sure the employees of Fat Willy’s clean their hands. And even if they don’t, they at least hold them before returning to work, and that’s good enough for me. And by the way, the lemonade is awesome. I can’t wait to go back there in the summer, sit outside, and down a couple.


TEXAS TOAST
They have Texas Toast. Enough said.


THE FOOD
And most importantly the, the food is great. Great barbeque. Just a smooth flavor that isn’t over-powering and doesn’t try too hard. Terrific stuff. And they have a ton of stuff to choose from. I went with the rib tips, which were great, but I wouldn’t recommend them. Rib tips (and I always forget this) require a little more effort than anything else, because you have to work around the bits of rib bone, and it’s harder than a typical slab of ribs, because they are cut up into pieces. You could get brisket, slabs of ribs, different types of sandwiches, mac and cheese, and so on. All the stuff you would expect to find at a barbeque joint you’ll find here. And the portions are large and hard to finish, even for me. (note: that’s if you get the full basket. You could always go with a half order, or the half basket.)


I can’t wait to go back to this place, and I’m hoping many, many times. Especially in the summer when they have a good sized outdoor eating area. I know I didn’t discover the place, but I still give it a chest bump with a manly ass slap and recommend that you go.



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