Met some family here for Sunday brunch and left a Mac & Bob's believer. Bloody Marys are half price on Sundays (so they were $3.50) so that was a big plus. I ordered, and somehow finished, the Boston Zone. It's a huge buffalo chicken calzone, hung off both sides of the plate. One complaint is that the calzone was mostly dough--the meat/cheese was all in the very center portion. Should have been more spread out. My wife ordered one of the breakfast meals, with eggs, bacon, grit cakes and a biscuit. It was just OK, but priced alright at $5.99. I can definitely see where this is a popular college hangout and place to catch a game. Would go back again for sure.
Review Source:Not being from Salem, we looked to the hotel for a suggestion, and were handed a map of places to try. Many of them were chains and chain-like places, and we ended up choosing Mac & Bobs, as it was one of the closest, easiest to find and it also was pretty packed the night we were there. Trifecta!
Unfortunately the parking situation is bad - even with a largish parking lot in back, another lot slightly behind that and nothing much else open in the area, it was tough to find a spot. That's good if you're looking for somewhere that seems popular, bad if you want a spot to park the car.
Once inside, we had to wait a short while for our table, but nothing outrageous. What was bad was the service. After being seated, it was a good bit before anyone came up to offer drinks, and a long time after that before our orders were taken. By then the drinks were about forgotten, so we had to give those orders again. Naturally, they didn't get refilled often during dinner either.
Strangely, the food actually came quickly, and it was fairly average for your fast casual restaurant - it's just that the service was bad. This could be because of the location we were seated. It was what seemed to be a sort of enclosed porch area, as opposed to the main dining room. Something you may want to consider if you're ever in the area.
Great spot for breakfast in the quaint little town of Salem, VA. Â I had the biscuits and country gravy which was terrific. Â I am a big guy with an even bigger appetite and I could not finish the huge portion I received: three biscuits halved with at least 4 ladles of sausage gravy. Â Sports themed restaurant which looks like a fun spot to catch a game over a pitcher of beer or ten!
Review Source:First time here was disappointed with avocado rolls because they were left in the oil too long. Received a voucher for free appetizer.
Second time here I had the ahi tuna salad and it was soooo good! Wasabi dressing was a little spicy so I had it on the side. Coworker had the taco salad with chicken chili which he also enjoyed. Lisa L was or server and she was very friendly and attentive.
Bad service, but the garlic knots were off the chain! Calzones were delicious, too. Too bad the service sucked, because the food was fabulous and this place has a chill vibe. We were there for lunch on a Tuesday. It wasn't very busy. Not sure why it took 15 minutes for a waitress to show up at our table to take drink orders? Good thing there were big screen TVs to distract us from our hunger.
Review Source:Great bar, great patio! Every sport on many TVs! & that is ok because this is a true sports bar! Don't get me wrong, there are many places to sit where you won't hear the TVs!
If there is a game you want to watch, soccer, rugby or tennis they will accommodate you!
The food rules! They make their pizza dough and between the pizza or the calzone you have it your way! Kendalzone ? I think that is how it is spelled, is just a smaller calzone. I order my pizza a bit more baked so that it is crustier!
The chicken Marsala is amazing. As is the Pittsburg sizzler steak! Served on it's own small cast iron plate sizzling as it arrives topped with a sugar based caramelizing yumminess.
Their highballs are a decent price and an ok pour. It gets super busy when the Roanoke College crowd hits later in the evening. Events in down town Salem pack the place also. As does Roanoke College events like parents weekends.
In all fairness to another review the paninis, they aren't that great. Get an augustino if you want a great sub or sandwich. Their French onion soup is great! I Â never cared for thick cut fries or potatoes.
The Katie salad is bar none the best salad and the most unique. Spinach, fresh fruit, walnuts and marinated chicken breasts with their poppy seed dressing. Bring a friend to scope you out for stray poppy seeds in your smile! :)
I think the bathrooms need more cleaning but that is worse thing I can think of that I would change. There is a smoking block at the rear entrance...ok two things. Â I smoke and I hate walking through the folks as I am coming into the back parking lot entrance. But hey, we have a place to do the devils weed! And on occasions I have noticed the wait staff can be complacent. But where do any of us go that, that doesn't occur?
They have the best celebrations! St. Patrick's day features a Gaelic band and shepherd's pie, corned beef & cabbage & green beer of course. It is my favorite place to pick up food that day! generous & delightful.
They are closed on family holidays.
As a restaurant, Mac and Bobs is good. I have never had a better calzone anywhere else. They are huge and so very good. The french fries are also good. I have not tried much of anything else though because the calzones are just too good not to order.
As a bar, it depends on the day and time. I love going there on early Saturday nights before the bar scene gets too crazy. They play good music, you can eat dinner at clean table, and you can actually get a drink at the bar. Once it starts getting late, its horrible. You can't get to any of the bars because it is way too crowded. The music changes and gets really loud. Also at that point, forget about getting any good waiter to take your orders. So you end up fighting through a crowd of drunk 21 year olds to wait 10 minutes at the bar to get a drink that will be pricy anyway. If you try to go outside, its the same as the inside except you wait in a cloud of smoke.
Stayed in Salem on way to Massachussetts. Â Quiet small town. Obviously this place has been a favorite of the locals for years and now I know why. Local high school and college teams pics are all over.
Sports bar atmosphere but great for a family dinner. Â My wife and I started with the Garlic knots. Must have been a dozen and a half of them. Wow they were delicious.
My wife ordered the small calzone with mushrooms and green peppers added while I had the Augustino ( sub). Of course we both both ordered a beer to go with our meal  With my sub also came a bowl of soup, which I decided to try the french onion soup.  Let me say that had to be some of the best and cheeseiest french onion soup I've had. Yummy!!  The sub was toasted just right and having banana peppers on it was just perfect.  My wife's calzone was incredible. For a small to cover half the size of a  14" platter. Wow! She said the dough was just wonderful, not real doughy but not crispy enough to make it like a brick.
The food is absolutley Fantabulous. You won't go hungry.  Our server, Blacey, did a great job. Our drinks were never empty and she made sure we had everything we needed. I will back.  All told our bill was less than $40 bucks. If you like to sit outside the have a very nice brick patio out back with a fireplace that was burning oakwood. Mmmm  the smell of Autumn
Ok this definitely isn't any type of 4 or 5 star restuarant but for a bar that serves food, it's really good. Nothing jumping off the menu though that screams we deserve four stars.
This place is really interesting how it is set -up because some parts of the restaurant are dated and than other parts, like the patio outside, are nicer that restaurant itself.  I haven't been back to eat here for a few years  and one of the favorites I always ate was a philly cheese steak sandwich...something simply greasy and cheesy with steak fries which are just so yummy and perfect after an entire day of drinking during alumni weekend at Roanoke College.
So not gonna lie here, about five years ago, I got kicked out...purely because I told them I was the designated driver (aka I'm under 21 but forgot my ID that "says" i'm 21) and then I was caught "taking several shots without a wristband on" whatever that means...so this place always has a special place in my heart. Â
So, the fries were great but I'm a firm believer that it's really hard to fuck up fries. The philly cheese steak was exactly what it had always been and I also wanted to try the Chicken philly (was splitting these sandwiches, not that much of a fat-ass...well yeah, I am) and the chicken philly was horrible. Â Really nothing good about it at all. Â So I ate up the fries, chugged my beer, and quite bitchin'
Take care & savor it up!
Good basic food - the fastest I've ever had food cooked & delivered. Â The ONLY tiny annoyance was that we were there on a Sunday afternoon and I noticed that one kids meal was free with a paying adult. Â When we got our bill I had to ask to have that fixed. Â Also - one more tiny complaint - my son took one bite of his mac & cheese and didn't eat any more - now, he was sick and it was not the fault of the food at all - but the waiter never asked if there was something wrong and I definitely would expect them to
Review Source:Outstanding food and service, Mac and Bob's has been in business in Salem, Virginia since 1980. Â Founded by Roanoke College Alumni and located within a stones throw from campus, it's a Salem hit amongst locals and students alike. Â Every year during the college's alumni weekend in April, hundreds of RC alum head to "Bob's" to relive their college days. But don't mistaken this place as a bar only, the food and restaurant experience are top notch.
Outstanding food and drink, a recently added outdoor patio (that can seat 100) has landed Mac and Bob's at the top of the Roanoke Time's "Best Outdoor dining experience "in the Roanoke Valley. Â That says a lot, considering the patio offers limited views of the beautiful blue ridge mountains that engulf Salem.
Great atmosphere and the calzones are off the hook. Â I tried the Boston Zone from a dining companion and it was great. Â I got the Charlotte Salad and really enjoyed it. Â It appeared like Jason C. said that it was going to turn into a crazy friday night as they were setting up tables for the ID checkers.
I liked it.
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