Taco Mac - Metropolis

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.44/5  rDev -12.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2.75 | selection: 4.5 | food: 2.75 | $$

The wife and I were going to Empire State South (a fine restaurant!) and guess what, there is a massive Taco Mac right across the street! My first Taco ever... Inside it looks like any suburban chain restaurant, but the long, serpent-like bar is plenty cool.

140 taps! Great Divide Yeti, Dragon's Milk, Trobadour, Boulevard Nommo and Tank, Green Flash Friendship and a bunch of local/regional brews (French Broad, Duck Rabbit, Red Brick, O'Dempseys, Red Hare).

The place was empty on a weekday at lunchtime during Christmas, but the bartender looked hurried and overwhelmed, and it takes time to get a beer. Here I learned that service is the Achilles' heel of all Taco Mac locations!

The ambience is blah and bland, the food is mediocre but goes well with beer (queso and salsa).

Come for the beer only! The selection is damn good indeed.

03-04-2013 01:38:37 | More by DoubleSimcoe

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev +17%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $$

I stopped here after dinner at Vortex, and found Taco Mac much more to my liking. There were about 100 taps, filled with solid selections (Stone, Duck Rabbit, Ommegang, Terrapin, Sweetwater, Dogfish Head, etc). Prices were variable, some cheap and some too pricey. I went for the Duck Rabbit Baltic Porter (only $4) followed by Ommegang Chocolate Stout ($8.95). Why such a big difference in price? The atmosphere is basically BW3 style, a more or less classic sports bar with wings. I recommend a visit here over Vortex if you only have time for 1 stop.

09-26-2008 10:53:43 | More by TurdFurgison

shivtim

Georgia

3.98/5  rDev +1.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 3 | $$

This is easily the best Taco Mac location (with the Decatur branch coming in second). It's a little sterile modern glass/metal/wood combo, but not too bad. Tons of TVs all over. 140 taps, and 300+ bottles. As this is a newer location, it's hard to tell if they'll move the taps fast enough to keep things from getting stale. It seems they might actually succeed at this location, given the excellent midtown placement right on Peachtree that keeps things hopping. I've never seen this place empty. Servers don't really know much about beer, but they're friendly and willing to ask to find out. Bartenders seem on top of things. I have not seen frozen glasses here, as others have complained about. In fact, my Duck Rabbit Barleywine was served up in a snifter/tulip. Food is the standard Taco Mac fare... fried bar food and so-so burritos.

10-15-2008 14:57:14 | More by shivtim

glid02

Georgia

4.13/5  rDev +5.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Went here for the first time for the Stone release.

Atmosphere is a sports bar like any other Taco Mac, although this one seems classier somehow. There are tons of TV's, two tiers of seating and a pretty good sized bar.

Quality is good. All of the high gravity beers I ordered were served in miniature snifters, and none of them were chilled..

Service was good. The bartenders were real excited about the release and were very friendly. Additionally, the pours were done pretty well.

Selection at this Taco Mac is better than the ones at Lindbergh or Highlands. It seemed like there was more emphasis on more uncommon beers than Lindbergh, and of course the selection was much greater than the one in the Highlands.

Food was solid as always at Taco Mac. Nothing spectacular but I always know what to expect.

The prices were very reasonable, and it was cool that they had 8 oz. sample sizes for the release, although they may always have them.

Overall I think that this is my favorite location so far. It just seems a step up from the others.

09-23-2008 04:47:33 | More by glid02

ViveLaChouffe

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev -2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3 | $$

If you're lookiing for a sports bar/beer bar combo, this might be the best spot in metro Atlanta.

140 tpas and 280 bottles advertised but I didn't bother to count for myself. Admittedly, about half of the selection is crap but that still leaves about 70 taps of good craft beer. I got a Dogfish 60 Min that tasted fresh.

Staff was decent. Again don't look for a lot of beer knowledge from the servers. But our waitress did bring me some malt vinegar for my fries without batting an eye, a request that usually gets me odd looks and requires extra explanation here in Atlanta.

Food is standard bar fare and not bad at all. If you're looking for lighter fare, check out the wraps.

This would be a fantastic place to watch the game while enjoying a few quality brews.

09-15-2008 01:55:18 | More by ViveLaChouffe

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.53/5  rDev +15.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

When you walk in it seems a bit angular and shiny for a beer bar, but you still feel invited in. There are a lot of large-screen TVs, which make this an ideal place to catch a sporting event, such as the Super Bowl. The servers are well-trained and alert, and even when the place is busy they make sure that you receive attention. Food is better than the average bar food - maybe not gourmet, but still quite toothsome. They have a good variety of appetizers and sandwiches.

Their beer selection is just plain awesome. Not only do they have over 100 beers on-tap, but there are hundreds of different bottles, mainly craft brews and imports. In addition, you can join the Taco Mac Passport for free to keep track of the different beers you have tried, rather like the Passport Club at the Summits Wayside Taverns. Just a couple blocks from the Midtown MARTA station, this is a great place to meet with friends for a game, or just to chat and enjoy good beer.

02-23-2009 18:53:19 | More by Cyberkedi

jophish17

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3 | $$$

Visited this week for the first time, and it changed my opinion of Taco Mac (and thus made the rest look bad!).. even though I believe there is room for improvement

First off, I really dig the location. We were able to park within walking distance to Taco Mac and the Vortex, two of my fav midtown spots. The interior is a nice change from the typical Taco Mac decor that I am used to. A lot more modern looking. We sat in the dining area, so I didn't get to really check out the bar, but I was impressed by the wall of taps that puts the rest of the locations to shame

The draft selection is not only large but impressive to a BA as well. The ratio of macro beers to quality craft beers is the best I have ever seen at a TM. Pretty much all the locals that are currently available were offered - Terrapin and Sweetwater from GA, Highland and Duck Rabbit from NC etc. Lots of Stone, Lagunitas, Left Hand, Ommegang, Heavy Seas and most of the typical major American crafts you see in Atlanta. The best part to me was the selection of Belgians - St Bernardus 12, Houblon Chouffe, Delirium Tremens, Lindemens Framboise etc etc. Another sweet bonus was the vintage drafts available - 07 Duck Rabbit Barleywine and 08 Sweetwater Donkey Punch were both available along side the latest releases of each (vintage Oak-Aged Yeti had just run out) As for the bottle list? Not quite Brick Store, but probably the 2nd best in Atlanta after them. 300+ deep and lots of options I've never seen at Taco Mac.

I do wonder how well the beer turns over here. Neither I nor my friend had any issues with freshness, but I really hope that all that selection doesn't result in a lot of stale beer. Its in a good location to turn over quickly though.

As for service, food service was good for us, drinks took a bit of time to get from the bar to the lower dining area. I might expect that when busy, but the place was MAYBE at 50% of its capacity.Bar service has been pretty hit or miss too - depends on who's working. Our server earned some points when he was able to recommend beers similar to the Sweetwater Creeper that my buddy ordered. The value was a mixed bag. I only paid $4.50 for the vintage Duck Rabbit barleywine on draft -- the same price as this years; and then there was the Schlenkerla rauch bottles for $14.50 -- three times the average retail cost in Atlanta! (another bar in town charges about $8/bottle) I try to stick to draft at Taco Mac for that reason.

Food? eh.. its Taco Mac. I'm not the biggest fan in the world, and there are only a few things on the menu I really like, so they can get old quick.

This is not what I'm used to in Taco Mac! The beer lineup makes up for any shortfalls in the service and the generic food, and thus I have a new favorite Taco Mac, and probably the best place in midtown.

01-11-2009 20:28:24 | More by jophish17

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

2.8/5  rDev -28.8%
vibe: 1.5 | quality: 2.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$$

Taco Mac Metropolis...an odd place in Midtown with a great beer selection, but not much more.

The atmosphere here is very unimpressive. I feel like I'm in some sort of a mix between a diner, a sports bar, and a night club. I really dislike it.

The beers are generally served in incorrect glassware (unless standard pint glass is appropriate), but the beers here are generally fresh (though I haven't really tried my luck with many bottled/canned IPAs - a true test for me).

The service here is not bad for a restaurant, but not good for a beer bar. The bartenders generally have some beer knowledge, but the servers generally have very little.

The beer selection is pretty decent. They have A LOT of beer, but much of it is mediocre/standard. I have a hard time picking out beers here because I've generally had everything. For a sports bar, the selection is very good, though.

I actually find the food quite decent at Taco Mac. It's not the interesting, well crafted dishes of Brick Store, but it's good for chain bar food.

The prices are actually quite high. Some drafts can go for nearly $10, which you will not see at the other craft beer bars in Atlanta.

10-27-2010 20:27:52 | More by coreyfmcdonald

gabeerfan

Georgia

3.7/5  rDev -5.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Went for the Stone release, but have been to several other T.C.'s before.
Pretty urban feel. Lots of sleek lines, painted wood and brushed metals. Raised bar over the regular seating area. A little loud, but the crowded bar may have had added to the noise.
Service was quite good. Our server took good care of us and made well-reasoned remarks on the beer. I did see some beers in chilled glasses, but the Stones were not served this way, thank goodness.
Selection overall was about the same as most of the other T.C.'s. And prices seemed pretty much in line with other locations as well, despite the expensive location. Of course, the Stone release contributed to the heightened idea of the good selection.
Menu is the same as all the other locations. We only had chips and salsa, but I can assume the other food is on the same level as elsewhere.
Beer and food was all reasonably priced. 6-9 8oz. beers plus chips and salsa was only about $30, so I felt we got a good value. Lots of food items under $10.
This is probably the best T.C. location I have been to and will be returning. If you are in town, skip the original Virginia-Highland location, which is only about 1-1/2 to 2 miles away, and go here. You will be glad you did.

November '08 Update: If you go at lunch on a weekday, sit at the bar if you can. My wife and I sat at a table and ordered beers. Took over 15 min. to get them and the manager removed them from the bill. Apparently, the bartender wasn't used to pouring beer at lunch and forgot about our order. Service score lowered accordingly.

09-23-2008 00:39:32 | More by gabeerfan

Philby11111

New York

4.53/5  rDev +15.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

Stopped in during a recent business trip for some late-night food and drink. My first Taco Mac, so I didn't know what I'd find. Overall a great experience and much better than I expected.

Sports bar atmosphere with finger foods. Some of the best buffalo wings I've had in the south (I'm from upstate NY). They were open until 2am including the kitchen.

Beer selection was extensive, especially for the south, over 100 taps and 200+ bottles, mostly US micros. A great selection overall, with very reasonable prices.

Service was friendly and helpful, but not necessarily knowledgeable at first. Once my servers realized I was a beer guy, the manager stopped by for some in-depth beer talk, along with a few shares from under the counter. We spent the next two hours sharing craft beer experiences and learning from each other.

Definitely worth a stop, especially if you are in mid-town. These guys have a great thing going and are eager to grow and expand their offerings. I look forward to my next trip to ATL to see how they are doing.

12-29-2008 16:54:14 | More by Philby11111