Mac's

August 29, 2013

For stop #2 on the Short North Food Tour, I stopped in to Mac's Cafe http://www.macscafe.com/. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for loud tables full of drunk guys tonight, so this review may be biased by that. On the other hand, that may be the norm here.

I stopped in around 8 on a Thursday, found a small table too close to said noisemakers, and awaited a server. I was approached presently and brought a drink and food menu. While perusing it I had a chance to perceive part of the reason for the ratcheted-up reaction: scantily-clad too obvious women were offering "free" shots of whiskey for some sort of promotion involving a stag's antlers on a hard hat. Yeah, sign me up.

I chose the Old Chub Scotch Ale and greatly enjoyed its dark rich roasted maltiness. I also enjoyed the 8% ABV, and even though I just missed happy hour (until 8) it was still not a bad price. At $5.62, however, it was a perplexing price.

I asked about the fried green beans, which I'd seen on an online menu, but the server said they had discontinued them a year ago and that it's still requested regularly. Why do restaurants do that? Give the people what they want! Oh well...

I selected the black bean burger on grilled focaccia with pepper jack and a side of mashed potatoes. The burger was homemade, large, substantial, didn't fall apart, and tasted fine. It was accompanied by lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles, with a 1000 Island/tartar sauce like dressing (unnecessary). I give it a 4/5, mostly for its homemade-ness. Actual black beans fell out of the bun, which was okay, but not great.

The mashed potatoes were...well, mashed potatoes. Apparently they usually come with gravy, so I guess that's my fault for getting them au naturel. Still, they were definitely natural, with occasional chunks of potato. That added to the charm, but it was still fairly pasty and bland, and I added salt and pepper to make it more palatable. 3/5

The server was friendly enough but not exactly personable. The atmosphere was dark wood, Scottish guy bar, loud, sports TVs, lots of neon beer signs, and a little run-down feeling. Or was that me? Not great for vegetarians, not really my mood, and I will likely not be back for a while. Standard. 3/5 overall