by Maureen Flanagan Battistella – URI Contributing Writer
Shady Cove has a new eatery and while its name may first catch your attention, it’s the food that will have you come back time and again. It’s at the former location of Rogue River Arts and Eats, a storefront that’s now home to Slightly Tilted Kinda Shady. Located at 21850 Highway 62, Slightly Tilted Kinda Shady opened in December 2025 and serves up pizza, lasagna, salads, sweets and lots more, all packaged up for you to take and bake at home.
Before slinging some slightly tilted kinda shady pizzas, owner Kenra Merck made pies at Mac’s Diner and had a small retail store there. “The crazy name came from a little shop over at Mac’s where the whole room was tilted so everything I put into the room slid over,” Merck said, laughing.
While the pizza menu has been worked out with favorites like The Toady (every topping imaginable), the Slightly Tilted (veggie), the Kinda Shady (for meat lovers) and the Biscuits and Gravy Pizza (available all day long) in 18” family size or 13” RV oven size. Kendra Merck, Danyle Park and Tashauna Thayer are the creative geniuses behind the menu, experimenting with fresh ingredients and scratch baked specialties to find the next big hits.
Recently Merck tried out a lasagna recipe that sold out in hours, so this family-size tray bake now has a home on the menu. On any given day you might find spinach pinwheels, stuffed mushrooms, tiramisu or bread pudding and other unexpected delights. Your daily surprise selections will depend on what looks good at the market and what whets the appetite of the bakers. Each Slightly Tilted Kinda Shady specialty is nicely packaged up and ready to bake, directions penned on the lid.
There’s a lot of snark going on at Slightly Tilted Kinda Shady, a good feeling of witty sarcasm that will make you laugh at the humor you’ll find on signs, menus and in the smiles of staff attending to your order. It’s a brand of humor that helps you get by, and was characteristic of Kendra’s brother, KC Merck. After 18 years of service as a Deputy with Jackson County Corrections, KC passed away on June 17, 2025 after a brief illness. His service and the memory of this man who knew so many and who helped so many during difficult times is what draws the community to Shady Cove’s newest specialty shop.
“The community has been so good to me,” Merck explained. Folks have loaned her equipment, refrigeration units and put up drywall. What started as a small takeout shop in honor of KC Merck is now a thriving business. KC’s carvings are everywhere in Slightly Tilted Kinda Shady and you’ll recognize them immediately as the gnomes, sprites and wood spirits that for years you could buy at Goebel’s BBQ just down the road. KC started carving in about 2002 and never stopped, getting more magical, more iconic with each curious piece. After KC’s death the family brought the carvings home to keep his craft close and his memory alive.
“It’s crazy how this has all snowballed!” Merck exclaimed. “We’ve only been open since December 6 but since then have busted through this wall added pool tables, a juke box, pinball machine and arcade.” Phase 2 should be open in about two weeks, a comfortable place where family and friends can hang out or wait while their order is put together. Beer, wine and cider will be available once the paperwork goes through the state.
Slightly Tilted Kinda Shady, 21850 Highway 62, Suite B in Shady Cove is open Thursday-Sunday from noon-6 p.m. though Kendra Merck expects to add hours before long. Watch their Facebook page for specials and call 458-505-7002 to place your order.
