History
Illusive Restaurant & Bar is the latest adventure for Chef Joseph Ventrice and the rest of the Shakin Bacon family. The Shakin Bacon quickly became a community staple in Rensselaer. Known for fresh food, cooked fast, our culinary team catered to everyone. Our aim was and still is, to cook with love. After a devastating fire in June 2017, we found ourselves without a restaurant. Over the next 9 months, we worked tirelessly to achieve a space that would allow us to reach more customers. In the process of building our new restaurant, Chef Joe realized that The Shakin Bacon name no longer fit the restaurant concept we were building. And thus Illusive Restaurant & Bar was born. We are immensely proud of what we have accomplished as a culinary family, and we hope you come experience what we have built.
Specialties
Illusive Restaurant & Bar was designed through a collaborative effort made up of industry veterans, and reflects the hip sensibilities of the surrounding area while also paying tribute to Rensselaer's storied past. The newly renovated restaurant offers the option for fast, high quality pick up service that The Shakin Bacon was known for, while also providing an enjoyable dine-in experience with a full-service bar unique to Illusive.