March 14, 2010
Ah, Cantono Mac. All Taco Mac locations essentially boil down to: booths, bar, ONE THOUSAND televisions. The food is pretty tasty, plentiful, and reasonably priced for bar grub. Typically, I go for their Turkey and Swiss Panini or Havana Cuban (until discontinued) or Smothered Kettle Chips (until discontinued). Okay, so, I guess it’s just the Turkey and Swiss Panini for me! The service, as is true for any bar, ranges from adequate to proficient. This is another reason for sitting at the bar, as it expedites the entire beer-getting process, plus the bar staff is usually a bit more knowledgeable, beerwise, as they spend their shifts stationed right next to the taps and coolers. I find their draft prices to be wholly acceptable and cannot remember a single time I balked at the bill, though their prices on large-sized, imported bottled beer can be a bit high and knee-buckling (particularly with the shape of the economy), though, in the last couple months, all Taco Mac locations have worked to reduce their bottle selection. The parking situation for this particular location is sufficient, this locale is hunkered in amidst a retailer center just off I-575 featuring everything from a Target to a Best Buy. Overall, it doesn’t display the grace, finesse, and the rich experience that a trip to the Brick Store Pub can provide, but, for those of us facing long drives to Decatur, a Taco Mac, with their many locations, will do in a pinch. This is especially true of the Canton locale, as you’d be facing an hour-long drive to the Decatur Square area providing traffic was reasonable and cooperative (which can seldom be said of Atlanta). This particular unit has 100 or so beers available on-tap and, due to some city rules & regulations, closes promptly at midnight regardless of the day, whereas many locations are cookin’ until 2AM. On the upside, the Canton Taco Mac also features a beer engine, but on the downside it’s been 0 for 3 for having something actually installed on it during my visits. You know what they say: Lucky at Cards, Unlucky at Cask Availability. All in all, it serves as a nice little oasis in the North Georgia beer wilderness.