Smack Shack - Minneapolis St Paul International Airport MSP

CLOSED July 31(?), 2023

4300 Glumack Dr Terminal 1, Airport Mall

Established 2017

Visited February 16, 2018

Media Exposure: Diners Drive-Ins Dives. It was the Minneapolis location occupying space in the 1029 Bar featured, not this outpost.

What: Lobster Roll, Lobster Mac and Cheese

If I believe the price of $17 for a fresh Lobster Roll in Portland, ME is outrageous, I wasn't going to order one of unknown freshness in a Midwest airport at an even more ridiculous $22. And I didn't see lobster mac and cheese offered which I probably would have passed because of it would have also have a jacked up price.

No instead, I settled for a more wallet friendly breakfast sandwich at under $6. Fried Chicken, Egg, and Cheese on Bagel. It's a typical bagel sandwich that can be had at typical breakfast places. The bagel is slightly above average. Einstein Bros need not fear. The egg is poured out of a pitcher. The fried chicken is reheated in a hot fryer. The cheese has fully melted and fused to the bagel top. The ensemble tastes plastic.

Smack Shack's calling is its lobster, not breakfast.

5/11/18 I'm back on a layover and lunch is available. I order the Lobster Mac and Cheese. It's been a long time since I had lobster.  The first piece of lobster I have has a slight stale far from ocean fresh taste with a rubbery texture. This is not good. The next piece of lobster I eat is far fresher but still lacking ocean fresh taste. I stir the lobster into the cheesy noodles. I find one more piece with a stale taste. The macaroni and cheese leaves a good impression. The noodles are cooked just right. The cheese doesn't overwhelm. It's an expensive dish for mostly carbs and to me, this tastes more like a sustenance dish at splurge prices.

Food: ★★1/2

Service: ★★1/2
Probability of making an out of the way return: 0%
Probability of returning if in the area: 25%

Bottom Line:  It's decent but I give it a Hype rating.