Review: Taco Mac in Macon is open. I tried it for the first time & here’s what I thought
Get ready to chow down, Macon. There’s a new restaurant in town and it’s now open.
It’s the latest in a chain that refers to itself as the “Southeast’s best neighborhood bar and restaurant,” better known as Taco Mac.
If you’re excited about this news, you’re definitely not alone.
However, I didn’t quite know what all the fuss was about. Until I ate there.
The atmosphere
When I walked into the restaurant, it immediately felt like a Friday night or Saturday during gameday.
So many TVs, open space, delicious smells and plenty of smiling faces.
When we sat down, my husband quickly noticed the rollup doors along the front of the restaurant. He commented that he thought that was a “nice touch” for the Macon restaurant.
When I later interviewed the owner and operator, Todd Casale, he said that the doors are meant to give the dining room an indoor/outdoor feel when good weather comes to visit.
The only slightly negative thing about the atmosphere was that it could probably be a bit too loud when the restaurant gets busy. Big parties or families with children will amplify the noise, no doubt.
Overall, I give Taco Mac’s atmosphere a rating of 4 out of 5 stars in this category.
The food
OK, Macon foodies. This is the most important category if you ask me. And it gets a solid A+.
We ordered the Buffalo Chicken Eggrolls to start. They were served with a scrumptious house made ranch. The eggrolls were crunchy and had tons of flavor from the seasoned chicken to the tangy sauce. Truth be told, the ranch is what really threw me for a loop. It was one of the best house made ranch sauces I’ve ever had.
Next, I ordered the Chattahoochee burger, which was a double patty with smoked gouda cheese, sauteed onions and bacon on top. I also ordered the sweet potato fries as a side.
I’m a burger girlie, through and through, and this burger made my day. It was juicy, cooked to perfection and the cheese was extra melty. Taco Mac didn’t come to play, y’all.
Oh, and the sweet potato fries were amazing, too.
My husband ordered wings for his main course. He got half of the wings in the wet lemon pepper sauce and the other half in the mild sauce, and of course regular fries for his side.
He wasted no time and got down to business with the wings. Of course I had to snag a couple bites before all hope was lost.
First of all, the wings were a decent size, so there wasn’t any skimping on the meat. And the flavor, oh the flavor. Salty, tangy, crunchy, smooth.
These wings were a delight, even if I did manage to get them all over my shirt.
I do also have to touch on the regular fries because these babies were made well. I mean, sometimes restaurants focus too much on the main and not enough on the side, but Taco Mac knows how to focus on the entire plate.
Needless to say, the fries were impeccable.
My only suggestion for the food here is to keep it this good forever.
So, I give the food a 5 out of 5 stars.
The service
The service is another hugely important category.
When my husband and I arrived, we realized it was friends and family day. If you’re unfamiliar like I was, the day is treated as a staff learning day in which the servers’ friends and family come before the restaurant opens to the public in order to help the staff learn the menu, practice serving, cooking and well, work out all the kinks.
And boy, did they already work out the kinks.
Our server, Leara, was friendly, helpful and super professional. I would have guessed she was already an expert. She knew the menu, made suggestions before we ordered, got our order correct and out fast with everything we needed and she was quick with the cleanup, too.
“Our staff is Best in Class to deliver an unmatched dining experience. As a team we are here to serve our community. If not for our guests, we have no reason to be here,” said owner Casale.
Overall, I would give the service that day a 5 out of 5 stars. I hope it continues to rock.
The prices
With prices for food at an all-time high these days with inflation, it’s often hard to find a restaurant worth the price.
But Taco Mac is worth the price and well, the prices weren’t bad.
The Buffalo Chicken Eggrolls are priced at $7.49, my burger was $13.99 (came with a side and pickle) and my husband’s wing meal (10 wings with celery and house made ranch) was $13.99 plus his side, which was an extra $3.99.
We also just had water to drink, so overall, I feel as though the prices are fairly average.
I give the prices a 4 out of 5 stars.
But don’t take my word for it, Macon. Check out Taco Mac’s full menu on their website.
The restaurant is located at 5433 Bowman Road. Hours are 11 a.m. to midnight Monday to Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday to Saturday, and 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday.
For more information, call 478-845-2809.
Taco Mac was founded in 1979 and is based in Atlanta. It has 28 locations in the Atlanta metro area and across the South.
Have you already tried Taco Mac in Macon? Comment below and let us know what you thought or email me at cmadden@mcclatchy.com
This story was originally published December 4, 2023 at 2:25 PM.
