This place was good, wings were slamming and the pickles were a 10/10. Would love to see better marketing for bands as the room was empty and they were so awesome!! read more

MacDowell's - Fried pickles - Nightlife Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

See all

The Caribbean Jerk Chicken entree was out of this world. And the veg salad was fantastic as well. It was a Saturday night and the music was amazing. Staff was friendly & manager was kind and we all had a great time celebrating my friend's birthday. I really like this place in terms of the atmosphere, it's very relaxed and such a fun place. Highly recommend stopping here if you're in town. The food is pretty good and the inside bar is also relaxing. Pretty big space outside in the sand area. read more

Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya to Leesburg...there was sand and Mai Thai's, along with what was my favorite part: a band! Departing from island life, I went with a Reuben while listening to the sweet sounds of the Melissa Quinn Fox Trio up on stage. Part tiki bar, part I dunno what, MacDowell's had amenable service and straightforward food, but when paired with the live music, made for a pleasant afternoon in Tha 'Burg... read more

MacDowell's - MQF - Nightlife Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

Cute little beach like restaurant in the middle of downtown Leesburg that has sand to dip your toes in. The service here was good. They had some good quesadillas. read more

MacDowell's - Nightlife Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

See all

Awesome vibes here! They usually have live music which is amazing and the whole outdoor seating area is done so well. There were a lot of people when I went on a Friday night where I could find a table, but it was one of the last ones open. The people I met they were really nice and all the workers were really attentive, even though they were so busy. Their drinks are made fast and taste good even though they can be pretty strong. read more

MacDowell's - Outside - Nightlife Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

So as far as a bar / restaurant goes it's ok. The outdoor beach area is what makes this a cool little destination spot in the downtown Leesburg. The palm trees the old shack looking bar and a live band (good or just ok) ... can really transports you to a vacation beach location ( well not a 5 star one) but you can escape the hustle and bustle of the work week. I had the coconut shrimp... really tasty. The Caribbean jerk chicken is next on my list. read more

See all

A 2 Hearted Ale draft cost 9.86... are you effing kidding me ?!? F@ck these guys !!!! I will not be drinking here again !!!!!!

Great concept but falls flat. Visited on a Saturday afternoon and the tables and grounds were covered in cigarette buds and trash (even next to the kids sand area). Not a good first impression for a first visit. There are no signs or information that you have to go to the little shack up front to order anything. After sitting for about 10 minutes we realized no one was coming to the table and promptly ordered our drinks and appetizers at the shack. Food came out quickly and everything was nice and hot. We ordered the fried pickles ("Frickles") and the peel and eat shrimp appetizers. Frickles were super crunchy and the boom boom aioli added a nice spicy kick. The peel and eat shrimp were good, not much if you're sharing it with multiple people however. Shrimp were seasoned with old bay and simple. The food was the only redeeming quality for this place. The kids sand area is a cute concept but I wouldn't consider this a kid friendly place unless you don't mind your kid playing in cigarette buds and cigarette smoke. We only had appetizers because based on what we saw outside and what little we could see inside we weren't too convinced the place was clean. There were strawberries left out in the shack area and flies were batted away. I have no idea why they didn't just cover them, but that apathetic attitude overall was enough for us to pack our bags and leave. Pros: The food - if you're the chef and reading this, you're not getting the recognition you deserve. I'd look for a new stomping ground because I think you have more talent then what's shown here. Cons: atmosphere, apathetic employees (when we walked in one employee was just dropping f-bombs one after another...thankfully my kids weren't present), and lack of cleanliness inside and out. We won't be back and I'm sad because this place had so much potential! read more

See all

We had a great time on the Sam on the outdoor patio. We had excellent bar service. The food was excellent, and the Caribbean band was really good. read more

Somehow I was blessed with an 80 degree day on my February Birthday and I could not wait to have dinner at Mack's Beach! So glad it was open. February. In Leesburg. Live music. Feet in the sand. Drink in my hand. Doesn't get much better! Thanks Mack's for adding such a fun spot right in my little town. Definitely the best happy hour place in Leesburg. read more

MacDowell's - Nightlife Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

Who knew this beachy spot was right in the middle of leesburg? The sand, the palm trees, the tropical boozy drinks? All great for an afternoon of enjoying the sun with some live music and friends. The bartenders are wonderful, helping me pick out a sour and also letting me try the frozen cocktails. I ended up picking out the Blue Hawaiian and the Easy Lay cause why not enjoy something colorful? Both boozy drinks were delicious and my friends and I enjoyed the relaxing vibes all around. read more

O it was alot of fun, laughs, and live music. It was the drink for me....child look that drink was appropriately named "Easy Lay" it was incredible...the bartender doesn't know it but ummm sir we are in a relationship now lol...joking for all you serious ppl out there. It was truly amazing. I will return for that drank and the sexy fries. Yes! You read that right sexy fries and they are. The staff hands down was amazing thank you Mikey for everything. It was a busy night and he was so quick to assist, friendly, and very funny. That's the post. Check this restaurant out. read more

MacDowell's - Easy lay sooo good - Nightlife Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

Disappointed in humanity today. Out in Virginia in this establishment with friends wishing us farewell for our next overseas assignment and a friend speaking Spanish to the Spanish speaking bar back was told by the bartender to speak English. The person speaking Spanish is a first generation American, Navy veteran and a law enforcement officer. No one loves America more than him. He walked away. I came back and explained how disrespectful that comment was as I too love this country and we should not be penalized for knowing more than one language. The bartender berated us and said you need to speak English. The US has no official language. I hope that one day we can all embrace our heritage and our "Americaness" without being disrespected. Please be kind. Our children and the rest of the world are watching. Do better MacDowells. I would give zero stars but I can't on this app. read more

This has to be the weirdest place in Leesburg. During the winter, the place looks like it had been hit by a hurricane. The inside area more or less boarded up. So they're only open during the warmer months? The food is pretty good and the vibe is infectious when they're open. But who knows if that will happen again... read more

A group of us came here for their Caribbean Sunday brunch. We ordered some ciders and they were really tasty. The food was good as well. We order the Sexy Fries, Chicken wings and the food came out pretty quickly. Our server was nice as well and very attentive. The only thing I would inform guest about is the sand, the place actually gives you a beach vibe so if you are going to wear sandals you will get sand in your shoes. Definitely would go again. read more

Great place for drinks and live music! We visited and sat outside in the rain for 4th of July a few years in a row! It was tons of fun. The overall atmosphere is laid back and fun. The sitting is outside in the sand. You order food and drinks yourself at the bar and the food is brought out to ya. The love music varies by presenter but great experience overall. read more

MacDowell's - Burger, Coconut Shrimp and Old Bay Shrimp. - Nightlife Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

See all

The worst chef burger I have ever had. It was room temperature and it tasted as if it had bread crumbs mixed in with the meat. Could not finish it. My friends had the mushroom sandwich and it had just a few mushrooms. Would not go there again. read more

They might be closed. Emailed, called, messaged...no response. Used to be a decent place for live music.

COVID REVIEW. You guys are not abiding by any of the social distancing guidelines. You told people at the door you're "trying to fill to capacity" and built a line for beer because "your waiters were overwhelmed" and are not going by the rules of wearing a mask... You're team has also placed tables of families of 3 and 2 at the same table (WHO ARE STRANGERS!!!) without masks and it is truly appalling how little you care for your clientele. This is ridiculous after covid. This is phase one and you are showing you could care less about your clients. side note, bathroom; there was ONE roll of toilet paper between two stalls in the women's bathroom stall. me and the women needed to share and were disgusted. toilet paper everywhere This is not okay!!!! read more

MacDowell's - Nightlife Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

I had heard decent things about MacDowell's, and it looked great, beach vibe going on, tiki huts, beach umbrellas, sand, good music. But bummer, did not get the chance to experience it. Checked in around 1:45 today and was told " the kitchen told me not to seat anybody else, they are too backed up, will be 20 minutes or so." Okay, I guess that happens, was in no hurry so wife and I said fine,they took our number and we walked around Leesburg on this beautiful day. Circled back in about 20 minutes and waited patiently nearby. After 30 minutes it appeared a few other people were seated although we were told we were 1st on the list. Getting hungry by now so went across the street to Tuskies which is always fabulous and had a great meal there. Will probably try MacDowell's again, maybe just an off day. My advice though, just ask us if we want a drink at the bar, or at a table. We would had been happy to wait until the kitchen caught up. It's a crazy time, and on a wonderful sunny long weekend, I would understand. read more

Overpriced...spent nine dollars for a small slice of key lime pie..I asked if it was full fat cream cheese and the server didn't speak ANY ENGLISH Better off buying frozen Mrs. Edwards...tastes better, cheaper n could feed twelve for eight dollars...save your $$$ read more

MacDowell's - Nightlife Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

We visited Leesburg for the weekend and this was one of our favorite places. The atmosphere is fantastic between the live music, firepits (and heating lamps), sand and just a very casual vibe. We loved it so much we went on Friday and Saturday. While we didn't order any food, their beers were delicious. It was a very cute and casual place. read more

This place is great! Wonderful environment to enjoy good food, listen to very talented musicians, and relax outdoors "on the beach". The entertainment is amazing every single time. The food is well prepared and delicious! The server (Gabe) is always enthusiastic and very prompt delivering the food to your table. The huge variety of drinks available is impressive! Highly recommend this establishment for a wonderful experience! read more

This was great fun and the food was unexpectedly good as well! It felt great to relax in a beach-like setting, toes in the sand, for the final weekend of summer. The band was very good. The bartenders were very friendly and nice. We ordered the peel-and-eat shrimp, the Jamaican jerk chicken, and fish tacos. all three dishes were tasty and the shrimp was a surprisingly generous portion. read more

An average experience and menu made much better because of the awesome company. Food had mixed reviews- portobello sandwich is the only sandwich option for vegetarians and was below average in taste. French fries seasoned with old bay - not a fan. Tater tots needed salt. Everything feels a little bit dirty. Seats are unstable wobbling stools stuck into the sand at bar height tables. Sand gets everywhere - so flip flops are advised. This place turns into a smokey bar type of atmosphere outside so it's definitely not for me. Servers were helpful and kind. Even though it's not the place for me, I could see others enjoying the beach atmosphere before it turned smokey bar scene. Once the smoking and drinking became the general crowd I was eager to leave. Something that would greatly improve the feel for the place would be to have beach chairs - this would make it a much more comfortable environment. A fun concept. read more

Drove to MacDowells from out of the area for a Saturday lunch. Walked up and it looked like the outside area was a wasteland. Went inside to see no one. Waited around for about 5 minutes. Guy walks in and goes behind counter. I asked if they were open. Short answer yes. I asked if they were serving food. Tossed a few menus up on the counter like duh yes. At that moment we walked away and went across the street to eat. Macdowells may have once been a great place but it seems that owner/management have let it go. It was 60 plus degrees and outside area not even open. Patio area at the establishment across the street was. Will not go back. Note to owner "put your passion back in it". Great concept but needs a ton of work and better staff. read more

Ambiance is out of this world. Very crowded but good vibes. Didn't order food. Can't go wrong with a drink in your hand and toes in the sand

It was my first time here and I enjoyed the "beachy atmosphere". They had live music which was not "islandy" but was more like the coffee house channel on XM. New songs with a cool twist. They have beer, wine and 5 specialty drinks (decent strength pour). For apps, my wife and I had the coconut shrimp (good) and the pretzel (Huge !!) Friends had the loaded tots which were fair. Overall, if the weather is good, this place is worth a couple of hours to de-stress read more

We were looking forward to enjoying the beautiful weather last night and enjoying some music but we left a little disappointed. It started with a cover charge just to get in. Then we didn't realize there is no table service. You have to go to a counter/bar to order your food and drinks. Okay thats fine right...well they don't give you table Numbers or anything so staff is running around trying to fixture out where everyone is seated and food kept getting taken to the wrong tables. Then the food was poorly plated and just Okay. We will return for the outdoor setting but probably just grab drinks and maybe hit a non-cover night. read more

Waitress mixed up our drinks, beer was served warm and not foamy... like it was sitting awhile, took 1 hour 40 minutes before they took our food order. Food was okay... the chicken on my salad was so dry it was hard to cut. Honestly other than the unique sand experience I'm not sure how this place stays in business. I don't plan on ever going back and do not recommend it. read more

Awful awful awful service! Seriously walked in, sat at the bar to the immediate left and tried to get the attention of one of the three bartenders crowded around the computer with two of them looking kinda lost. There were people waiting to be waited on and they did nothing to greet or even give a menu to any of the customers. I kept waiting... Thinking well I should wait my turn.... But then they seriously kinda looked at us and ignored us because a gaggle of girls walked in looking for liquor. Wtf.... Ummmm.. I'm here sitting on the barstool leaning over the bar trying to get your attention force past 10 minutes and still no hello. Forget this place.... I see why people are so dissatisfied with the service. I didn't take away all the stars because the venue itself is pretty neat, great setup but the service aspect killed it for me. I've gotten better service at fast food joints with lines going out the door and cars wrapped around the drive thru. Ugh. Get your act together MacDowells! You have potential to be awesome but you need better management obviously and better servers/bartenders. read more

MacDowell's - 3 people.... No help - Nightlife Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

I've been here 10+ times for drinks - and after today I know to keep it that way. The menu isn't descriptive: I ordered fried pickles. Most establishments serve fried pickle "chips" which are slices of pickle, breaded and fried served in a basket with some kind of chipotle aioli. These were pickle "spears" and if the menu had specified, I wouldn't have ordered because a whole fried pickle wedge is actually disgusting. After dipping in the sauce, it tasted like I was eating pickle and a tablespoon of horseradish as my nose was burning. I ate one, brought it back, explained my misunderstanding of what I thought I ordered and asked for a side of fries. A SIDE of fries. Like when you order a burger and they give you a side of fries. TELL ME WHY they gave me a whole meal's worth of fries. It's just me dude. I clarified what I ordered with the blonde bartender with who I think was a manager nearby. The manager clarified that there is no "side" of fries portion but when you order fries, you get a whole basket of what must have been a pound or more of fries. I was obviously discontent when speaking with them that I inadvertently ordered a surplus of fries. When I paid my tab, they made me pay for EVERYTHING!!! Having come from working in multiple restaurants, I've never witnessed such disregard for a customer's dissatisfaction. I actually felt bad for them at the end of the day because I realized this must be how they run their business. The blonde bartender, even though she was rude and apathetic, looked pregnant so i was sure to at least leave her a little bit. I won't be back for a while and definitely not for food. read more

I went there on a Wednesday and they had karaoke. It was a good mid week unwind. The outside is one of a kind! The burgers are great and they had a good beer selection as well. I will be back back! ...the place was very kid friendly as well. read more

It's been a few years since I had been here and our group stopped in during the recent Pub Crawl. They had live music playing all afternoon and it was PACKED. The beach area now has plenty of seating but we still had to stand because there were so many people enjoying the music and the beautiful weather. The inside bar area is much larger than I remember. Everyone seemed very nice. We didn't order food but I saw lots of food being brought through and everything looked delicious. We would definitely go back! read more

This was a rare find! We were wandering by down town Leesburg to look for a new place to eat and passed this little jem on the side of the street noticing an outdoor BEACH area to eat at! Yes, this place has sand! We wandered in and found a table (barrel and logs) to sit at. We were immediately helped by a sweet waitress who recommend an excellent dark chocolate beer ( new favorite now! ) Our food arrived shortly after. The food was delicious! I loved the fried pretzel roll with fresh Dijon mustard. SO tasty! The Sexy fries with Parmesan and garlic were a wee oily and lacking salt for my taste but my companion seemed to enjoy them. While we waited on our fish and chicken tacos ( both delicious!) I pulled off my sandals and dug my toes into the sand while shutting my eyes...this place has a therapeutic aspect if you are a beach lover and can't get away for the weekend. I highly recommend this place! We will be back and soon! :) read more

See all

So awesome! I haven't eaten anything here but the beers are great. Fun atmosphere, sand in your toes, and good music. Good spot to go with friends if you're in downtown leesburg. Highly recommend! read more

This is a little slice of heaven in the middle of the suburbs. There is no other place quite like it- the atmosphere is casual and fun, the people are awesome and not the slightest bit pretentious, and the staff, owners and bands are second to none. I could live off the pulled pork tacos for the rest of my days and while I can't personally enjoy their draught beer (gluten free), my friends always seem blown away by the selection, quality and flavor of all their beer. There is no place in all of Loudoun County I would rather hang out at on any night of the week and I feel truly lucky that they chose to open in and bring some much needed fun to Leesburg. Cheers. read more

MacDowell's - Love. - Nightlife Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

I love MacDowell's, Eric is a fun bartender, he has a great memory and I like how the bartenders there can make educated recommendations based on your beer preferences. Last week I had the milk stout. It was very creamy and smooth. I stop off every week after I go horseback riding, the only reason I'm giving it 4 stars is because the food isn't as great as their beer. My burger was med well instead of med rare, but I didn't send it back because it was too busy. I wish sometimes they'd keep my favorite beers longer! The variety is great, but make sure you take notes because they switch their drafts regularly. read more

See all

Here's why I would wanna be here: drinks. And probably just drinks. We stopped by hear after a meal at next door's Doener Bistro. I was drawn by the beach theme, complete with sand (that apparently got the building permit on haywires in their early days), and old boats turned into bars and seating area. You can smell bonfires all around. It's definitely THE beach spot. Our table ordered a couple of their desserts and some beers. Not much can be said about the beers - they're beers. However, the desserts are far too sweet. I thought I could handle sugar, but NOPE. Not this level of sugar. It's the same amount of sugar a 12 year old needs on Monday morning on the last day of school. I'll have to try their food next time to give you feedback - but for now, my only impressions are on the ambiance (WOW!), the beers, and the dessert. So far, the only thing that impressed me is the ambiance. If you're looking for a good spot to drink and chill, this is it, HANDS DOWN. But if you're looking for more than a quality spot and actually down a good-tasting food (desserts anyway), this is not for you. read more

MacDowell's - Strawberry cheesecake, comes with one scoop of vanilla ice cream. - Nightlife Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

See all

I moved here last year and was desperate to find a new bar for me. Most of the bars in the area seem to cater mostly to an older crowd. Enter MacDowell's, who host a larger variety of people, of all ages. They consistently bring in fantastic musical talent every weekend, have rather good food for a sports bar, and have one of the coolest outdoor spots in Leesburg. They've set up a full false beach where people can mingle, wrecked ship, fire pits, and music included. Most of the beers are craft, so its hard for the less adventurous drinkers, but the staff is very friendly, and willing to push you in the right direction. Prices are fair, especially for the area. This has really become "my bar" away from home. read more

MacDowell's - My new favorite beer, discovered at MacDowell's. - Nightlife Near Me - Leesburg, Virginia

See all