MacGregors Grill and Tap Room

I hear lots of stories about the owner of MacGregor's.  His fits of pique with staff and city officials are legend and why he shut down locations in Fairport and the South Wedge (I particularly miss the one in Faiport on 31).  As a consequence, you see a lot of turnover in staff including managers and that can make for uneven experiences.

The food is so so, but MacGregor's doesn't really pretend to be a restaurant.  They're really a bar with food.  And since they offer more beers on tap than anyone else in the area, I love them for that alone.  We often go to the Empire location because they're open late and when my wife is doing something with local theatre, we might not be ready to eat until 9:30 or 10 and Rochester is not the place to go looking for late night meals.  In that respect, they're always predictable.  Kudos for a good job, not a great one.  Like Hope, I like the waffle fries but you can't live on fries alone, unless you're at Five Guys .  .  .

Tons of beers on tap.  Decent bar menu, good wings.  I had the pretzel as an app and a small order of wings (you can order half dozens which is nice if you don't need a full order).

I was hoping the pretzel would be like the fresh one I had at Rohrbachs.  I could be wrong but I think it was a frozen one.  It was pretty hard and over cooked.  I wouldn't get it again.  

The restaurant is pretty big.  We ate at the bar.  Service was pretty good.  I don't know what else to say, it's a solid place and I'd go back again and again, but it's not my favorite place ever.  

The beer menu is what makes this place.

This is my favorite MacGregors location. Not as many taps as Jefferson Rd or downtown, but much newer, pleasant and clean dining room and bar.  Less d-bags than other locations. Great large TVs. I've never had a problem with the service. The food tastes just like the other MacGregors, with the highlight being the waffle fries. Lots of parking in the back lot and close to the bay. If you're out paddling or kayaking on Irondequoit Bay this summer, MacGregors is the perfect place to quench your thirst!