MacGregor's Grill & Tap Room

After a long day at Niagara Falls, my friend visiting from DC insisted we have a late dinner at MacGregor's. Being from RIT, he had fond memories of many a night spent here with many a (cheap) beer.

Our party of 6 was seated quickly. Our server was attentive and answered our questions. MacGregor's has revamped their menu since the last time I went (which was to watch the World Cup Final in 2006...). The menu seems more streamlined and more restaurant-y (vs bar). My friend insisted on getting their loaded fries (known as Tremendous Fries) on the menu. We got the bacon on the side and the fries were still amazing. They use real cheese (no Velveeta here!) and it was insanely delicious. We also tried the Irish Nachos (waffle fries loaded with chili, cheese, jalapenos, olives, scallions, etc) and they were also very good. The chili had a slight kick to it. Thanks to my other friends, I also got to sample the curly and sweet potato fries - also delicious.

Then, things started going a little downhill for me. Their menu states they make their own bread and meat (roast beef, turkey, etc). I ordered the roast beef on kimmelweck. I ordered the garden salad as a side after my server told me it was an iceberg/romaine blend. When my meal arrived, the roast beef looked more like thickly sliced steak. Sounds deliciously beefy, right? Wrong. Every other bite was tough, chewy and sinewy. The bites in between were still an exercise for my jaw. The bun itself was warm, salty and good. The garden salad was mainly brown iceberg lettuce with some shredded carrots, tomatoes, etc. I literally had 2 bites. The wasabi vinaigrette I ordered turned out to be closer to a creamy dressing...the white balsamic lime dressing I got after I sent the wasabi one back tasted fresh and light.

My friends enjoyed their cheeseburger and fish fry. One of them remarked that their reuben sandwich tasted like cinnamon. We narrowed down the bread as the source of the cinnamon-y flavour  - maybe it is just how their rye tastes? A friend also ordered the Stout flight. He loved most of it (apparently Victory Storm King was too bitter for him) and he thought it was a good deal at $9.

In summary, all their fried potato products were on money and that is a challenging feat to pull off for any restaurant. Alas, I am trying to eat healthy and therefore, the fact that the salad was mostly brown lettuce is a bigger deal to me.

Would I go back to MacGregor's? Yes, if someone wanted to and definitely as a much better alternative to the Distillery. If I were you, I would just skip the side salad and roast beef, and head straight for the tremendous fries and Irish nachos.

I love MacGregor's! I don't know why I have waited so long to review it. This is definitely their best location.

They have so many beers on tap, and a nice little menu to help guide you.

I know most of the bartenders fairly well, and most of them do a really good job mixing drinks. I often like to get a long island iced tea here, it's a lot of bang for your buck. Though there definitely have been times when the bartenders have made it a little "off" but when this happens it is definitely off in a overly strong way, than in a watered down way so I guess it could be worse.

The bar food is pretty good too. I've had the nacho's before and they are an intense amount of food. You are going to want to share them.

The place is pretty mellow, not too loud, lots of places to sit, and some games to play if you get bored. Even when they get busy, it's still not too overwhelming, and there are pretty much always places to sit.

This MacGregors has an amazing number of draft beers, a good assortment of televisions and an above-average food menu. Why only 3 stars?

8 years ago this place would've been 4 stars without thinking for me. In the last decade, however, the local chain has expanded its locations without putting any effort into maintaining its powerhouse one. The sign outside is faded and weathered and the paint is peeling and chipped. The TVs inside are embarrassingly old, especially when you consider that small dive bars have better equipment. The furniture is old and the bar is worn. It makes me upset actually - MacGregors, don't you care about your Henrietta location?

Despite the slide towards entropy, this place still offers a variety of beers that no other place can match and manages to be laid-back and unpretentious. Fried food here is great and you won't ever feel pressured to look or act a certain way to be accepted as a customer.

If you're looking to expand your repertoire in beer, this is the perfect place - they serve just about everything in the half pint option so you can dabble without committing. Thumbs up!