Hot Dish Review

The promise of drunken comraderie is as much of a draw at ginormous sports bars as are the games. Taco Mac leads the way, with their extensive beer list, better than average bar food, plus tacos (naturally), and other Southwestern fare.

But the name belies the origin of this chain which originally began as a pub in the Virginia Highlands. A couple of guys from Buffalo, NY wanted to bring authentic Buffalo wings to Atlanta. Lacking funds, they chose a run-down taco stand, kept it’s original name, and soon customers were coming from all over town to try their famous wings.

Last Sunday me and ST met a couple of his buddies at the Taco Mac at The Prado for the Saints and Vikings playoff game. MT, the ladies man, and RC, the happily married nice guy.

After a treacherous drive in a torrential downpour, we were ready for a beer or three. Me and ST started off with Guinness. I always like to try something less pedestrian when there is an impressive selection like Taco Mac’s, so I ordered a Brooklyn Chocolate Stout. Served in a special glass, it was thick and rich with notes of coffee and chocolate.

And I was also ready for some food. Men love wings. Not sure why but they all do. Taco Mac serves seven flavors, from the mild Lemon Pepper to one simply called Death. MT, clearly a pussy, got some Lemon Pepper with his steak and onion rings, while the rest of us shared twenty pieces of the Three Mile Island, the fifth level of heat intensity. And hot they were! Cooled down with celery sticks dipped in chunky blue cheese dressing, these wings flew out of their basket, along with the thick and crispy onion rings.

It would simply be wrong to not get a couple of tacos at Taco Mac, right? I couldn’t resist the Los Cabos Fish Tacos since me and ST will be going there in July. Blackened tilapia with shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, and chipotle mayo were wrapped in soft flour tortillas. They were fishy. But the fries served with them were decent.

We washed it all down with multiple Miller Lites, Sierra Nevadas, and Heinekens as New Orleans continually matched Minnesota’s score, making for an exciting game. We left during the fourth quarter and I was sure we’d miss the end but when we got home, the score was 28 all in overtime. A 40 yard field goal decided the game, sending the Saints to the Superbowl.

There is something for everyone at Taco Mac including salads, burgers, burritos, wraps, and a kid’s menu. But you gotta get some wings! Next time, I’ll try Death.