Mac's will always be one of my favorites. It's located in the Short North, right near a public parking lot. For those of us that don't live in the Short North, that parking lot is pretty great (especially when it's cold). Every time I've been there, I can easily find a seat and we are helped relatively soon after. There was only one time where we came late on a weekday and no one came over to our table in the front. We still kept going back. We love their wings and they have a good selection of draft beer. A great place to hang out for awhile. It's one of those places where it doesn't usually get overwhelmingly loud (so you can still have a decent conversation). read more

Mac's is a funny little place with one of the BEST Happy Hours in the area. Its very long (4-8 I think most days) and VERY cheap. I love it. Its not a bad bar to eat at either. The scotch egg appetizer is a unique absolute must, and I am a bug fan of the spicy bbq wings! Not very spicy but great flavor. Cant wait to go back and try some more things!! read more

For the past few weeks, I've had the same Saturday routine. We go out to dinner with the intention of going to Betty's. When we see there's a wait, we walk across the street to Mac's. I think we just try going to Betty's so we don't tell ourselves that we're going to Mac's yet again because, let's be honest, the food at Mac's is good. As everyone has said, the scotch egg is delicious, but there are ton of other amazing entree items. The burger is good. The tuna melt is good. The salmon burger is good. I had one of the entree items served with onion rings, and that was good. It was like a puff pastry filled with meat and gravy. Everything is tasty. The sandwiches are always served with more of the side than you can possibly eat. French fries? you have to share. Onion rings? be prepared to shovel your face, which embarrassingly enough I literally shoveled onion rings into my mouth here. There was one time when I completely cleared my plate of onion rings. I was pretty disgusted with myself, but our server was impressed. read more

Mac's is a place that I've spent a decent amount of time at during my college experience and after graduation when I've been in Columbus. This Short North bar is the perfect place to get a group of your friends, grab a table and settle in for a few hours. When the jukebox gets going, expect most of the patrons to join in. The servers and bartenders are really great. After a while, you pretty much become like friends. They have a large selection of beers available, both domestic and international. This place can get busy on the weekends but you'll be with plenty of good company. Expect a younger crowd here comprised mostly of young professionals. The burgers are good and so are the fish and chips. A must have during any visit to Mac's is an order (or two) of their tater tots and an order of the sauerkraut balls. For some reason, there's nothing like them. Expect good size portions for a low price. Can't be beat in the Short North. read more

Mac's has become my go-to place in the Short North, especially since it's only a few blocks away. It has a laid back, neighborhood pub atmosphere, and even on weekends it is a welcome change of pace when places like Front St and the Arena District are packed and way too noisy. The servers and bartenders are always friendly, and I have yet to have anything less than excellent service. They have a rotating selection of draft beer, and it is consistently good. You can also get Guinness at a proper temperature here, and they have a separate tap for it. For food I've never gone wrong with the turkey reuben, and I love that they offer tatter tots as a side instead of friend. Drinks and dinner for two will usually end up running you around $30 with tip, and always feels like a bargain compared with some of the much pricier restaurants nearby. Highly recommended. read more

If the "scotch egg" still mystifies you, you could do worse than to grab a counter seat at Mac's Cafe and try one. A pub style restaurant that brings high-quality food to the Short North with a scottish flare, Mac's has become a lunch-time tradition for many short north workers. Most Short North restaurants offer a limited set of possibilities.... seafood or steak, American or Italian, but at Mac's, their American/Scotch menu forces you to choose whether or not you want to stay American, go full on Scottish, or mix between the two. While it may be what most consider a "simple" food, one of my favorites is chicken salad sandwiches. Ive been eating at Mac's Cafe for years, and Mac's by far is the BEST chicken salad sandwich I've EVER had.... and I keep coming back for more. A generous helping of their yummy chicken salad piled onto an over-sized croissant and topped with tomato, sprouts, and lettuce. Simple? Yep! Simply delicious. You almost have to cut it and eat it with a fork! Next time you're in the Short North for lunch.... I highly recommend you stop by Mac's Cafe. You won't be sorry you did. read more

I thought this place was the greasy pub that you go to late at night...no longer! This is great anytime. Great food and drink! Posh interior

I really like Mac's because it offers a difference experience than my other go-to places in the Short North (Bodega, Barrel 44, etc.). Mac's is a little bit more low key, and their happy hour specials are awesome. (For the record, half-price appetizers go a long way in making me a happy grad student.) I absolutely cannot resist their hot pretzels. I'm also pretty impressed by the great seasonal beer selection, both draft and bottle. Yet another great thing about pubs and bars in this city. I'll be back at Mac's again and again. Of the tavern-style places in the Short North, this is definitely my preferred. read more

Yay! I love Mac's! For being in the Short North, you'll be hard pressed to find a better happy hour. Half price drinks and apps until 8 AND all day Sunday. This includes my favorite fuel for silly nights, Magic Hat #9 (drafts only $2.50 during happy hour!). The food is okay, but really - just okay. The Scotch Egg is a good time, as are the slathered-in-butter soft pretzels. The wedge salad is huge/good and the chicken salad croissant sandwich & tots are usually a win. One weird thing is that they only play music from the jukebox. It's not really noticeable until you realize nothing is playing and then it can get a little odd. But usually someone will step in, find a few quarters and surprise you. I've heard everything from Metal to Britney here. Don't come here expecting anything fancy. You've got your typical bar food, Pub atmosphere and laid-back patrons. And don't forget the cheap happy hour! But, if you're into that (as I am), you'll love this place. read more

Stopped in before & after the DooDah parade this week. I haven't been here since it was a greasy spoon bar. Was pleasantly surprised with the face uplift & new menu. Great food & service. Accommodated our large group very well & everything was timely. (Sometimes it can take awhile to split an 8-10 person tab in separate checks.) They handled it with ease! Loaded tots, charcuterie platter, salads, sauerkraut balls, everything everyone had was delicious. read more

My favorite place to hang out in the Short North! Mac's is always busy with people, and parking is always an issue, but it's so worth it. I love everything about this place (I just discovered it connects to Fabian's!)! Try the Scotch egg, because I was so scared of it for the longest time (immature taste buds), and once I finally gave in, I've been hooked. Joey is by far the best bartender! Ask if he is working when you stop in. read more

Jon- "This place looks familiar" Me- "No, I don't think so" Jon- "Yeah, we came here with C & L " Me "oh, I think I remember, we sat in the booth next to the bathroom" I looked at the menu, couldn't remember what I ate last time. Ordered Babybirds recommendation - the Mac Burger. Food came. Started eating. Me- "I really like the burgers at Red Robin" Jon- "I could spend all day at Red Robin if they had an all you can eat french fry buffet" Verdict- I'm writing this review only as a reminder to myself that I've been here, and don't need to come again. Foods bland, boring, and not good for me. If I want a great burger for $9. I need to go to Red Robin. read more

I happened up here during the tail end of the Pride parade, as two friends and I wanted to get out of the rain. It was pretty busy, and I couldn't locate a host, so we just seated ourselves at the first open table. The table was still wet, clearly had not been wiped down. I had a bad feeling I was in for a terrible time. Thankfully, I was wrong! After about 5 minutes, a server got our drink orders, which were delivered nearly instantly. Same with our food. We got jalapeño poppers (searing hot), a burger, and 2 salads between us. All of it was exactly what we wanted and how we wanted it. I subtracted a star because the first impression was very not good. I understand they were busy, but I'm sure many people would've gotten up and walked out in the first 5 minutes. read more

My friends and I stumbled upon Mac's by accident after we couldn't find a restaurant to hold all 10 of us at 9:30 p.m. We had all just left a wine tasting at Camelot, so we were ready for some good pub food. We must have walked in at just the right time because there were three tables that we were able to push together to accomodate our large group. Our waiter immediately dropped off menus and got the drink orders rolling. I warned him that we were all going to be on separate checks, but he did not seem to mind one bit. Our drinks were brought to us very quickly (especially for a busy Friday night) and then our food orders were placed. I was so excited about the menu. So many random things to pick from. I order the grilled cheese and tator tots (while my friend joked that I needed a booster seat with my order). The food came out very quickly and from what I could tell, everyone was pleased with their orders. Two of my friends got burgers that were huge and looked delicious. My grilled cheese was great (hard to mess up) and the tator tots were an awesome addition. Good service, good beer, good food. I'll go back for sure. read more

Drinks and beers are good with reasonable prices! (Especially during happy hours). Foods are different/ not typical American. More Scottish!! read more

Mac's Proper Pub - Classic Hamburger - Pubs Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Good food, good prices, great service. My friend spilled her beer on the bar after only consuming half of it and there was a fresh pint in front of us before the bar tender had even taken his towel to the mess, that counts for something in my book read more

OK! Let me tell what three co workers and I have eaten here last week. 3 Mac's Burgers Steak Pie 2 Reuben Sandwiches Meatloaf 2 orders of Biscuits and Gravy Everything was amazing. Don't let the outside of this bar fool you(looks a little rough). They use top quality ingredients, the food comes out very hot, and the flavor of every dish was fantastic! I wish I had a place like this close to me. I don't want to eat another burger until I forget how good the burger was from Mac's. The bun comes out slightly crunchy because it has a butter grilled bottom, the bacon is crunch and juicy, the meat is flavorful and has a slight charred crunch to it. The Mac and Cheese was a perfect comfort food along side the burger, delicious. The price point on drinks and food for what you get is a steal!!!! The happy hour is great as well. Go try the food here. read more

Mac's Proper Pub - Mac's Burger with Mac and Cheese!!!! - Pubs Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

So Mac's. It looks like our party of three stumbled into this place for many of the same reasons as my yelp predecessors- we were hungry in the Short North and wanted some unfussy food without a 45 minute wait for a table. In the interest of fairness, I should point out that the night we visited was quite busy. We had no trouble getting a table or anything, and it certainly wasn't elbow-to-elbow in there, but it was a bustling night. So bustling, in fact, that our server apologetically informed us that there weren't enough pint glasses available for all three of us to have both beer AND water. They should probably buy more glasses- I recommend a trip to Ikea. I ordered the veggie club, and the boys both got burgers. I was excited to see Tater Tots as a side choice on the menu because only fascists don't like tater tots, you know what I'm saying? We also decided to go out on a limb and have a starter of the sauerkraut balls. They sounded delicious- unfortunately we'll never know how they tasted because they never showed up at our table. I'll assume they were kidnapped because after we'd eaten I asked our waiter to remove them from our check and he was shocked that they didn't arrive. Amber alert! I have a habit of asking the waitstaff for recommendations, especially if I am having trouble deciding between two menu items. Our server was quite honest, which was really helpful, but it also seemed like he didn't heartily recommend anything. Not such a good sign. My veggie club was only okay- it didn't contain some of the ingredients promised by the menu description which was a little disappointing- and the boys liked their burgers a lot, although later they both said they were too hungry to really be picky by the time the food came out. That's the other issue- I think we waited for about an hour for our food. Again, it was busy, but not busy enough to warrant a wait like that. I will give them props for a juke box- that's a nice touch. But I won't be coming back here again unless its just for a drink at the bar. read more

Oh, Mac's Cafe... I have spent the better part of my college years in this place. Every Monday night for half off sandwich's and after every college theatre production. I also celebrated my 21st birthday in their backroom. -They have a great import selection. -I love the location. -The food is pretty awesome. Plus they have tots. I would also recommend the friend green beans with honey mustard. -It's really great for groups. They are pretty cool about pulling tables together as long as you leave a pathway for people and servers. -You could also fit in one of their booths for a little privacy. -Downsides are, the staff turns over alot so you can sometimes play Russian roulette with what kind of server you get. -It can get a little spendy. -It gets VERY crowded on weekends. This place has been a big part of my late teens and early twenties and it will always hold a spot in my heart. read more

After seeing all the restaurants that we passed looking uncomfortably full we decided to pop into Mac's. I have eaten there a few times and always been happy and this time was no exception. When we arrived there were very few people there eating and it was perfect but by the time we left it was crowded and someone had taken the noise meter and turned it waaaaay up because in order for us to talk to one another we had to scream (yes, we were sitting at the same table) and our waiter had to bend down and get thisclosetoourface. Like another reviewer mentioned, some of the items that we wanted they were out of so we had to get our 2nd choice which not that big of a deal BUT I did have my heart set on the cookie dough cheesecake and they were OUT. We did get some of the Bailey's cheesecake though and it was out of this world! Service was great, food was awesome (try the sauerkraut balls- I know it sounds gross- just try them) and we left with a happy, full belly. Thanks Mac's! read more

Scotch Eggs. That's all that matters. Addicting. Food is always great and huge portions. The kraut balls are the best I've tried in the city. The sweet potato fries are fantastic. The scotch egg has my heart. Good beer selection. Service is hit or miss. Sometimes it's great and sometimes it sucks. Also this place is open late so it's a great alternative to pizza after hours. read more

Food was okay. Went there an go the half price chicken wings and a couple beers. Pro: good for late hang out Con: server checks you out 6 times prior writing this review. It is okay to check customer one or twice after we finished eating. But checking us out 6 times after we finished is too extreme!! read more

This place rocks! It's my favorite place to grab a drink in Columbus hands down! It's somewhat of a Sunday evening tradition for my girlfriend and I... Oh and by the way the food is great too! Joey is the man! My girlfriend and I love to just hang out and watch a movie when he's behind the bar on Sundays. Stop in... Highly recommended! read more

Mixed reviews here- I enjoyed the atmosphere and appetizers (sauerkraut balls!), but the Reuben was absolutely atrocious. It was overly salty, the meat was dry, and the bread was burnt. I will give it a second chance, but with some hesitation. read more

The renovation makes this place nice and crisp and keeps it fresh along with the changing neighborhood. There is way more room for seating and more TVs so much better to watch games at than before. Most of their classics are still on the menu and overall prices are about the same. For it being their opening night, they were pretty prepared and ready to go. Server Michelle was super friendly even through the craziness! read more

Kitchen is open late 7 days a week ^-^ I work second shift and get out at 11pm so most restaurants are closed when I'm off. Luckily for me Mac's Cafe is open until 2am every night and the kitchen doesn't close until 1:30-1:45am. So last night I checked it out and the scene was mello. Ordered the Mac Burger and it was ready for me very fast. The french fries with it were bland as can be. The burger though was tasty. It had bacon and slaw on it which gave it extra crunch and juiciness (I think I made up a word). I can't say the burger stands out, but it is a great option late (I arrived at 1am so not much to choose from). Will have to try more of their menu in the future on those late nights read more

Now I do not drink so this is all based on the food and the all around atmosphere. I have been here a few times in the past and I have never really been a fan, first walk into a smell that is slightly mildew and a sewage mixture. Sit down at a table, it is around 11:30pm and the place has hardly anyone there. Now why did it take till my friend got up too grab a menu for someone to realize we were sitting there? Now the menu is eh, not much to choose from. So I got myself the grilled cheese sandwich and some mac and cheese. It was cool that with the grilled cheese you could pick from many different cheeses and add multiples. It was not cool that my grilled cheese came out charcoal ed. I did not return it I guess that is my fault there, I felt that I would be a nuisance if I had asked. The grilled cheese in general was kind of boring and really a weak excuse of a grilled cheese. Than I was excited for my mac and cheese, and it not only had no flavor and I had to smother it in ketchup and pepper for some kind of taste. After that just the mushiness of the mac and cheese was not pleasant, and tasted like it was sitting under a buffet hot lamp all day long. I will most likely never go back, I am just glad my friend was buying my dinner or I would be even more upset. read more

Now here is a PUB! I've only been to Mac's twice, but each time I have been pleased with the outcome. Mac's is not one of those bars that have music playing so loud that you can't hear your neighbor, but instead they have a jukebox with all the classics on it that play at a respectable level. The Inside of the bar feels like a typical Irish pub. several round tables laid about and one L shaped bar. The food - Dude we got the burger there, and it was huge, and delicious. Just about everything on the menu looks fantastic. I'm kind of sad I haven't been back for some time. The Brews are pretty legit as well. Mac's is the bomb. read more

What can I say about Mac's? It is a great neighborhood pub that offers a great selection of beers, good food, and good service. The chili is one of the best in the city. I always get the onions and cheese added - live it up some! I have tried almost everything on the menu except for a couple of traditional Scottish dishes, and liked them all. On a recent visit I had the Tuna Melt on Rye. It was so good that I thought they had went and got the Tuna from the Columbus Fitch Market, but Keith and Suzette protested such comments. read more

Went in for a quick drink. I keep hoping that one of the Irish/Scottish pubs in town would have Murphy's but all they have is Guinness. Drinks were a little more than I normally pay in Columbus (then again, I didn't hit it during any specials), and they poured the Guinness a little faster than I would have, but otherwise it was ok. Nothing special about it here, but nothing bad either from what I saw. read more

I've never been to Ohio before, but business has brought me to this new, exciting, and really friendly state. My goal is to only eat local, and fresh food, and avoid chain restaurants at all costs. I didn't realize this until I started eating around, but apparently everyone really loves reubens here, which I think is fantastic! I ordered that with a side of fries, and I'm very glad I did! Was a fantastic sandwich for a pretty fair price. The service was prompt and quick, we were seated immediately (a little after lunch time) and our food came out in an efficient manner. The decor was cool and chill, felt like a pub you could just go in get some good grub, good beer and hang. I'll hopefully be able to go back again before I leave. read more

If I could rate Mac's Cafe lower than a one star, I would. I ordered the meatloaf -- which at first glance looked delicious... and then I took a bite. I was eating raw meat. The entire inside of the meatloaf was under cooked. I called and spoke to the manager. He said sorry and said that if I wanted a refund -- I'd need to go through grub-hub. He didn't offer to send another meatloaf (one that was properly cooked). Frankly, the manager seemed like he could of cared less. I don't know how an entire heavily under cooked meatloaf was even allowed to leave the kitchen! I definitely won't be ordering from Mac's Cafe again. I'm not sure if you guys are aware... but undercooked meat can get people sick. read more

Mac's Proper Pub - Yum, undercooked meatloaf. - Pubs Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Scotch egg... a heart attack with a side of cholesterol. But sooo goood. They also have great burgers and fries. It can get really busy on weekends, so be forewarned. read more

I saw a pic of the Mac Burger and thought the base of the burger looked good (not a slaw fan) so we decided to stop by for lunch. Besides anyplace that serves "Sh*t on a Shingle" and spells it out is going to get my business at least once. It's a nice atmosphere...deep wood tones, green and brick. Good tunes playing including a little OSU marching band medley to get the patrons pumped up for the OSU/Miami game later in the afternoon. We ordered the jalapeno poppers (cheddar) for an appetizer. They were kinda puny but still good. (Not worth the $7.25 we paid for them given the size and the fact I could've bought 2 boxes for the same price at GFS like they did) The salsa they gave you dipping was really good. We got lemonade and iced tea and I wouldn't normally review drinks but the lemonade was like sugar water with a slight hint of lemon and their freshly brewed iced tea was really strong. For an entree we both got burgers medium well. His was a burger with bacon, swiss, mushrooms, grilled onions and he added A1 and got steak fries. I got a cheddar, bacon burger with steak fries. Mine was overcooked and underseasoned. Mustard and ketchup couldn't save it. It wasn't the worst burger I've ever had but nowhere near the best. I was kind of perplexed at how bacon can taste like nothing. It's obviously cheap. The hubby agreed. The steak fries are actually not steak fries, they're potato wedges that look like they were cut from a melon sized mutant potato. They were overcooked and flavorless too. I ate 4 of them and left the rest. Sigh. The hubby had a different experience. His was cooked to his specified doneness and he liked the flavor (excluding the bacon which contained none.) But then again, he poured A1 on it and as we all know, A1 can make a boot taste good so I'm not sure how good the burger actually would've been without it. He ate all of his mutant fries and said he'd get the burger again so there ya go. Our lady server was attentive yet indifferent. The bill was $36 before tip. grumble. We'll likely be back though to give it another shot. I will get Shit on a Shingle just because being given permission to order a dish with a curse word in it appeals to my inner 3rd grader. read more

Mac's Proper Pub - Cheddar Jalapeno Poppers - Pubs Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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I'm not a fan of Mac's food, but then again, I'm a vegetarian and their menu is not rife with veggie options. The veggie club sandwich is not bad, and their fries are excellent, particulary if ask for a side of beer cheese. Everything else I've eaten there was disappointing, but again, take that as coming from someone who's never had the burgers everyone else raves about. It's a nice chill atmosphere though; you'll see fewer hipsters here than in many of the other bars and restaurants in the Short North. Decor is nothing special, but it's comfortable and pleasant. Service is adequate to good. Three stars as a good, lowkey, place to grab a drink or two, but I'd pass on dinner. read more

Came here on a wimp! My BFF was craving an amazing burger! Glad we came burger were 6.95 tonight! Best choice ! read more

Mac's Proper Pub - Hamburger with ColbyJack - Pubs Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

The well attended (on a Friday night at least) and wide-open seating area of Mac's Cafe creates a constant buzz that would lead you to believe that it would take 10 minutes for your server to take your order and another 20 to have food in front of you. Surprisingly, this wasn't the case with my experience. I ordered a reuben with a side of cole slaw, which was delivered to my table within the 8-10 minute range. The cole slaw was amazing, in fact it was probably the best I've ever had at a restaurant (it kills Brazenhead's tobasco slaw). The reuben was A-OK; it's difficult to screw up or impress with that type of sandwich. Overall, Mac's is a solid option for drinking/dining in the Short North. The only thing that would make me think twice about Mac's would be the beer selection. It seems somewhat limited when compared with some of Mac's competition in the area. Tip: Look out for some of the weekly specials that are listed on the menu. read more

Went last night with a couple of friends around 9pm. They weren't busy but the service was very slow and the food (wings and a few sides) took 25 minutes. Normally I love coming here but last night was definitely a miss. But the Scotch Egg is so amazing I know I'll be back, with hopefully better service. read more

HUGE portions for the price. Wedge salad was half a head of lettuce! Ordered the sauerkraut balls, and there was 8 of them! Most of the menu was your typical bar food, I was hoping for more authentic Scottish pub favorites. There were a few though. Husband had the fish and chips, and wasn't very impressed. Small pieces of fish, and bland fries (needed salt or something) Nice place to stop in for a beer in the Short North read more

Met a friend for happy hour and wanted to try a different place in the Short North Both Bartenders we had were great, good happy hours prices, 6pm Tuesday wing special was a nice plus as we already planned on getting wings...they were excellent.... Will be back again read more