Do we ever tire of restaurant drama in this town? Can we just stop nibbling the ends of our fingers as we drive by under-construction joints waiting to see if perhaps they might be secretly open? The answer is no, because we’re hungry.

Maybe one of the MOST driven-by and peeked-in places is Smack Shack which told us we’d be lounging on the loading dock deck with our lobster boil by the end of August. Well, that didn’t happen. What did happen was a lot of learning about soil compaction and potentially sinking footings and how different contractors work differently. Needless to say, there was a stop in construction that put Josh Thoma and crew off schedule, but the good news is that it’s moving again.

With the whole management crew already on staff, the menu has been largely figured out in their kitchen lab (a.k.a 1029 Bar). And here’s a sneaky peek for you: it’s loaded with things like southern fried oyster sliders, smoked duck poutine, those freakishly awesome mini lobster corn dogs that ran from the truck during the fair, a hot buttered rock shrimp roll, a halibut cheeks po’ boy, all this and more plus a boil every night. Super tip: bits of the menu have been rolled out for testing on the unsuspecting public at 1029 as nightly specials, so if you want an advance look, belly up.

I dipped into the warehouse space on 6th & Washington in the North Loop and saw the structures that will hold the huge pot for boils, which will anchor the room. The bar will have it’s own area right up in the front, along with a wheel of fortune and (hello) pull tabs for charity, and will open to the dock/patio area that runs along the side. From the heavy, old garage-style doors to the brick and rough beam ceiling, much of the space is going to stay the way it is. This isn’t going to be white-tablecloth lobster eating, it’s going to be checkered tablecloth lobster eating, so adjust your expectations accordingly.

So when does all the fun begin? Let’s say you can start driving by the first week of December.