Daniel B.
Yelp
Mac's Chophouse gets a solid four stars out of me. The only thing holding me back from giving this place five stars is there are a lot of great steakhouses in metro Atlanta and Mac's struck me as a hair beneath them. That said, for the City of Marietta and Marietta Square, I think this is a fantastic steakhouse and I recommend it. Having worked in Marietta from 2001 to 2020, and returning to Marietta regularly since then, off the top of my head, I do think Mac's is currently the best steakhouse in town.
Mac's opened on Marietta Square on June 19, 2020. The restaurant replaced decades-old restaurant and bar Shillings on the Square, which closed on November 18, 2019: https://bit.ly/3kO8eOM. Mac's owners are the McCrays, who are part of/associated with the McCray's Taverns around metro Atlanta, plus other restaurants like The Mill Kitchen and Bar in Roswell. Mac's, however, operates as a separate business from that restaurant group (LEAD Hospitality Group).
The old Shillings space was completely gutted and redone. Inside and out, the current space looks outstanding. This is a modern, upscale steakhouse without the stuffy vibe that older, more established steakhouses might have. That said, this is still a classy, sophisticated place and there is a dress code: https://bit.ly/3wOb60Z. My OpenTable reservation confirmation email had the following note: "Mac's has a BUSINESS CASUAL Dinner Dress Code Policy in order to maintain an enjoyable environment for ALL guests. We thank you in advance for following these guidelines which will be enforced at our restaurants."
Mac's uses OpenTable for easy reservations. As a consumer, I like OpenTable because I earn free dining points which can be used to redeem discounts at select restaurants or other things like Amazon gift cards. Over the years, I've redeemed my points for both. It's worked out great, getting rewarded for dining out. OpenTable does come at a cost to business owners, but from a consumer standpoint, I'm for it. I don't get perks like that from, for example, Resy.
We visited for dinner on an ordinary Wednesday and it was busy. We were seated in the upstairs dining room. Mac's has multiple bars and dining rooms. Upstairs, I saw a sliding door for "The Loft." I wonder what that's all about. This is a fairly spacious restaurant. I know they can handle large group dinners of 20+ people (and I'm sure way more than that). Here, it's white tablecloths and formally-dressed staff (e.g., aprons, bowties).
Below is a list of items I ordered/tried. Prices shown were Mac's prices if we paid in cash. Since we paid with card, a 3.5% "non-cash adjustment" was added to our bill (essentially a credit card fee).
Starters
* Crispy Homemade Pimento Cheese Fritters with bacon marmalade and comeback sauce ($12)
* Roasted Alabama Oysters with smoked andouille, spinach, and Gruyere ($16)
Chophouse
* 16-ounce Prime Dry-Aged KC Strip ($79) - added Caramelized Foie Gras on top (+$16)
Sharable Sides
* Aligot Potatoes (complimentary with a la carte steaks)
* Blistered Asparagus, shallots, EVOO, sea salt ($12)
* Sauteed Baby Spinach ($12)
Desserts ($10 each)
* Georgia Apple, cranberry crustada, sabayon gelato
* Warm Chocolate Bread Pudding, peanut butter mousse, chocolate sauce
Smoked Cocktails
* Smoked Old Fashioned ($13) - High West Double Rye Whiskey, Angostura and orange bitters, simple syrup, flamed orange, Amarena cherry
Overall, I thought everything was wonderful. I asked for my KC Strip to be cooked medium rare. I thought it was a tad overcooked. My friend got the 8-ounce Spinalis "Rib Cap" ($69), also ordered medium rare, and it looked perfect. My strip was served bone-in, with the meat neatly sliced into bite-size pieces. I appreciated that. The Foie Gras was a terrific "enhancement" for my steak. Rich and buttery. I recommend it.
The apps and sides were solid. The Pimento Cheese Fritters were addictive and expectedly heavy. The Aligot Potatoes (mashed potatoes with cheese) were smooth and creamy. The desserts were delicious. I thought both the Georgia Apple and the Chocolate Bread Pudding were equally decadent and delectable. For the latter, the chocolate sauce is poured at the table which adds to the dining experience. It's fun.
I ordered the Smoked Old Fashioned, partly because of its smoky presentation. However, my drink order came late and without the smoky pour, so that was disappointing. At least the drink was tasty.
Rande H was our server and he was excellent. He was polite, professional, and attentive.
Free parking is available on the Square. However, in my experience over the past 20+ years, you have to get lucky to find a spot. I've had better luck in the free municipal lot on Mill St near North Marietta Pkwy NW, though since the opening of Marietta Square Market in 2019, parking in that lot has become more difficult as well. Finally, you can also park on Church St for free. Note: The City does enforce the signed 2-hour limits from 8:00pm to 6:00pm.