really great experience & Cajun inspired seafood! cool photos of musicians & cultural icons

Holy shit the shrimp po boi is amazing here ! Forgot my photos because I wanted to dig in... I'll make a point to always be stopping through here. Service on point ! Cool are everywhere that you can even buy. Nice place and big and spread out to not feel crowded. read more

Found Mac's while in town on business. WOW! Was it great! I wanted to try the boil and my server recommended the shrimp. It was delicious! I wasn't expecting so much food! It came with the usual shrimp, sausage, potatoes and corn, but at Mac's you also get a side of the best macaroni and cheese as well as a huge piece of Texas toast. I read the reviews and saved room for a piece of the daily cheesecake. Lucky for me, they had a piece of the pineapple cheesecake which was fabulous! If you're in the mood for Cajun food, stop by....but be sure and come hungry! read more

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Gumbo, shrimp gazpacho appetizer in a mug, cheesecake, live music for lunch, and more. I enjoyed the piano man playing beautiful music while dining. Sweet service. Staff work well together. I liked also how you can alter any ingredients and plates to your liking, as well as the spice-heat. Real brewed iced-tea, too. read more

Mac's Downtown - Amazing gumbo, large shrimp appetizer and mixed protein mild plate. (Can adjust spice level) - Seafood Near Me - El Paso, Texas

We were in town for work over the Valentines Day weekend and decided to try this place downtown. It was a very cozy atmosphere with friendly staff. We started with a dozen gulf oysters. The oysters were well shucked, plump, and fresh! Then we shared a large clam chowder. We liked how it wasn't too creamy. It was well seasoned. I had the salmon salad and my husband ordered the fried combo (fish, shrimp, chicken). We enjoyed everything and the service was fast. The only downside was parking, but it's downtown so we expected it. read more

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Service was nice, Ambiance was really nice. I feel like it used to have a really good history but maybe that was in the past. I had the gumbo and it was pretty good. There wasn't much seafood. I think it was only a few pieces of small shrimp. There was beef meatballs in it which I've never seen in gumbo. The taste was really good and I would order it again but I would get crab from a grocery store to add to it. I also got a cheese cake and I was expecting NY style but it seemed like Jello-O make at home cheese cake. It was good though. It came with a tiny piece of bread. It would be nice if they gave more than one small piece of bread. I would visit again. read more

Mac's Downtown - Inside - Seafood Near Me - El Paso, Texas

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Ambiance is good. I love that's it's an old building, gives it history, very tall ceiling doesn't give you enclosed feeling. The service was good. Friendly server but she kept having to go and come back because of the mix and match we ordered, didn't know the cheesecake of the day (it was after 12). The food- we ordered fried oysters and they were left. Those that tasted them were not fans- said it tasted weird, could have been the batter Ingredients? Took one bite and that was it. I ordered lobster mac n cheese which was good but waaayyyyy too much garlic pieces. I couldn't fully enjoy it. The toast was good. We ordered a slice of cookies and cream cheesecake and that was good. Very creamy. Not sure if I would revisit. Maybe order grilled salmon. read more

Mac's Downtown - Lobster Mac and Cheese - Seafood Near Me - El Paso, Texas

Mac's is what I call REALLY Dog friendly, allowing well behaved leashed pups to dine IN at certain tables. What a neighborhood jewel, family owned/run serving up really tasty Cajun/Seafood dishes. We had a nice little 2 top where the staff promptly brought over a water dish for our girls. We ordered a shrimp cocktail, blackened cod fish tacos and the Mahi entree. The food was delicious, prices so reasonable and the service/friendliness of the staff was truly gold standard. Save room for the cheesecake which is a must, we did the Hawaiian cheesecake and it was scrumptious! If we lived here in El Paso, we would hands down be regulars. Nice selection of beer and the whole vibe of the place is really eclectic... nice casual meets homey and artsy? Well done Mac's! read more

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EAT HERE. You will not be disappointed. Stopped a year ago and had a fantastic meal. Here we are again. Home run. Everyone thing is absolutely amazing. Gumbo bowl is $8!!!' This is the deal of the century Shrimp and Grits. Outstanding. The restaurant is cozy and eclectic. I highly recommend you get off the beaten path and try it. Don't be put off by it being downtown. It's easy to get to from interstate 10 and parking is a breeze. Parking on street, they have meters but who doesn't have loose change they want to get rid of. I love Mac's. read more

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This place is my go-to for amazing seafood and the best cheesecake. Service is very attentive and staff is very welcoming. My favorites are their clam chowder, oysters, blackened cod with added garlic mushroom sauce, and their cheesecake of course. The ambiance is pretty chill and casual which I love. This is also a great location for dates or to hang out with friends. Its not too much of a drinking place but they do have beer. read more

Mac's Downtown - Fish plate and I added garlic mushroom sauce. Loved it! - Seafood Near Me - El Paso, Texas

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This is cool little spot. The food was good, the staff was welcoming. I would've returned for another meal, but when in TX, Mexican food takes priority. read more

Mac's Downtown - Gumbo - Seafood Near Me - El Paso, Texas

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Really ambient interior and great service and food. They have a nice private area upstairs for parties too. The etouffe made with noodles instead of rice tasted amazing, was a unique take on that creole dish. read more

Mac's Downtown - Eggnog cheesecake - Seafood Near Me - El Paso, Texas

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This place is always a joy. Stopped in for a quick lunch and had their seafood soup. It was piping hot and fresh. So delicious! You can't get more homeade, I tell you. It also had a heat that is unlike a chile or spice, maybe paprika? Very good. I also discovered their yummy French fries. Service, prices, and overall ambiance is always on point too. read more

Mac's Downtown - Seafood soup - Seafood Near Me - El Paso, Texas

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After chowing down on good Mexican food for 4 days in a row we decided to get a little seafood and found Mac's just down the street from our hotel and Pioneer square. I didn't expect much cuz I really don't think about seafood when I'm in the middle of the desert, so to speak, but Mac's was straight up good! We especially enjoyed lobster Mac & cheese. Prompt service, clean environment, nice people who I assume were the owners who came by and checked on us to see if we were okay.... and we were! Good experience. read more

Mac's Downtown - Front door of Mac's - Seafood Near Me - El Paso, Texas

What a great local place for cajun food. The service and food were outstanding. The best gumbo and coleslaw we have had. The building is historic with lots of local artwork inside. Owners were on site and were very friendly! Will be back for sure! read more

Mac's Downtown - Seafood Near Me - El Paso, Texas

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Once seated the service was great. The waiting staff was very attentive. The food was great. I order clam chowder, fried oysters, shrimp and fish tacos, and a salad. The oysters and clam chowder was really amazing. The oysters were a nice size. The tacos were okay, they were a little dry. I would certainly visit again. read more

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Not recommended. Facility good, staff/service very good, food poor. If you've never been to New Orleans or surrounding areas, you may find the food passable. I ordered the Gumbo which tasted like left over scraps in hot sauce, not consumable. I set it aside. Next came the Etouffee. It consisted of shrimp, not mudbugs, on top of fettuccine noodles. The sauce was decent but I have no idea what the crunchy veggies were. Don't be fooled, this was a poor imitation of a normally delicious Cajun staple dish. If you ever have to go there, I recommend ordering the hamburger. It takes a near genius to mess one up. read more

Great Gumbo (and I've eaten at some of the best places in New Orleans). Best seafood in EP in my opinion. Well worth the visit!

Delicious ! Why didn't I eat here before ??????? I always stay downtown but forget to check out these gems. I ordered the COD Fish Tacos, Ahi Ceviche and Clam Chowder. I ordered through Uber Eats so the order arrived pretty quickly. The Tacos were full of flavor and did not fall apart like I thought they would. THE AHI CEVICHE THO!!!!!!! If you're not getting the Ceviche I don't know what's wrong with you the flavor was fkn amazing and the chunks of fish were not what I expected at all. The portion of ceviche was enough for me although it was pretty expensive it's totally worth the $22. The Clam Chowder was on point and def worth a try as well. Next time I'm downtown im gonna give the Po Boy Sandwich a try! 10/10 read more

Mac's Downtown - Fried Cod Taco - Seafood Near Me - El Paso, Texas

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Everything we had was delicious, but the cheesecake was the best part! We'll definitely be coming back & worth the drive from Las Cruces. The owner was so nice, as were all the staff we interacted with. Can't believe we didn't know about this place before. read more

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Food was terrific. Service was very good! Lots of art work for sale adding to the dining experience. Because of the menu very much like New Orleans I would suggest Jazz. They have a very nice stage that could accommodate El Paso vibrant Jazz Scene. read more

Fantastic ambience and service!! Clam chowder and shrimp samich was delish:) hidden gem for authentic creole food. Check em out! Right next to the Reagan who...overprices for food and drinks lol read more

The staff is awesome and friendly here! The food is absolutely delicious!! Our waiter mentioned that the plates are good portions and you won't leave hungry! And boy, He was telling the truth lol we ordered the Salmon plate with rice and a salad and catfish with fries! I highly recommend this restaurant for everything from the staff, food, and atmosphere are amazing!! Thank you the delicious food and fair prices! read more

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Great service, cool & chill vibe, with great retro old music, all types! Ordered the Blackened Cod Sandwich, home cut fries, very good, spicy! read more

It was a really good restaurant for the price. It was a really good price. You got a lot for what you ordered. I will say that the shrimp scampi is amazing me and my mom and one of my very close friends. We all had this scampi and it was amazing like 100 out of 10. Amazing the service Was amazing. We got to meet the owner. She was very polite and nice. They brought out the food really quick the ambience was amazing. read more

Since I'm here for a convention, I'm not sure of our dining schedule. However if there is another open night, I am coming to Mac's. "So...a Mexican, an Asian and a Caucasian get together and create a restaurant..." true tale. Greg, a friendly guy of 64 who now runs the place and runs interference from the bar if a troublesome client with dietary challenges walks in (like this customer), filled me in on the story. The place is full of friendly staff, is one of those uber-friendly hodge-podge-decorated places full of interesting stuff, but above all, staff (and owner) determined to meet you where you are. Where I am is frustrated. Having just been handed three lengthy, overlapping lists of what I can no longer eat (all grains, all dairy, all spicy and acidic foods, you get it) eating on the road just got a whole lot more challenging. That is where I am, and most restaurants go to a great deal of effort to inform you of what they won't do. That makes eating out for me feel awful and no fun at all. Czarina, my server, planted herself at my table and was determined to find solutions, can't have this, well, we have that. This no? How about this? She was delightfully determined to make sure I got served, and got to eat well, despite the strict limitations placed on my intake. Greg said, and this is a lesson for all the hoity-toity restaurants who can't be bothered to accommodate folks who can no longer eat a great many things, that "we found out that you don't make many friends when you're not willing to work with your customers." Barring complex dishes like a chowder they are happy to custom-build from the ground up. I ended up with a salad and a plank of perfectly-cooked salmon medium rare, both were terrific, and inhaled too fast for my own good. Simple, well-made and super-healthy food, close to my little historic hotel. I have been in too many restaurants whose chefs refuse to work with you because their egos have overtaken their common sense. Many of us as we age can have strict dietary guidelines, like mine. It's already difficult enough to find a place where you can eat; that's exacerbated by kitchen arrogance that insists you eat the chef's masterpieces because, well, they are "artistes." The Disney movie "Ratatouille" expressed a wonderful idea: good food, made simply, and you make it for your customer. Not for the chef's ego. I'm one of the original Disney World Cast members from Opening Day 1971. Disney understands customer service. Customer service is taking care of the customer. That earns you loyalty. What I might have spent at a pricier place, I left as a tip here- because it was earned. Mac's was wonderful. If I were a local, I'd be a regular here. read more

Dropped in on Mac's & enjoyed a Sunday lunch with the fam. The ambiance in the place is always great. With the random grouping of pictures, artwork, memorabilia, etc throughout. Don't forgot the piano on the stage (girls were allowed to go up & play a tune)! Started off with the Lobster Mac & Cheese. Really creamy, perfectly cooked pasta tubes & lots of meaty lobster pieces! (4 stars) I had a cup of the Clam Chowder which was really good - lots of potatoes! (5 stars) The girls split the Etoufee with fried chicken instead of the shrimp since they didn't want seafood. (4 stars) We had one order of the Shrimp Tacos which were okay but maybe a little too much coleslaw which caused the tortillas to fall apart. (3 stars) We also had a Fried Combo which consisted of Shrimp, Cod & Chicken Breast hand breaded, served with homemade Fries - our favorite of the orders. (5 stars) The last order we had was the Po Boy Cod Sandwich - the fries on the side were great. (4 stars) The service was very personable and top notch - our favorite part of the visit! (5 stars) read more

There are few spots left that really make you feel like family but Mac's is definitely one of them. Great food, great service and great prices! read more

Enjoyed the whole experience. The food was great Service was very good had a good meal pricing was good for the size of plates one gets

It's a cool little place in downtown. Looks old school but good vibes. The food was great. We got the cod po' boy and the fried fish with fries both were amazing. We didn't have any room left for desert but we can't wait to go back to try the cheesecake. Our waitress was very nice and attentive read more

Went here for lunch today as we wanted to try it. We had gumbo, which was thick and tasty. Lots of shrimp and sausage, and a very good flavor. A small cup was pretty big, and was only $4. We also had shrimp and grits, red beans and rice and fried shrimp. Everything was really good - well cooked and tasty. The grits were a little buttery but I could tell it was a long cook on the grits with a seafood broth base. We wanted to try the cheesecake but were just too stuffed from the meal. We sat at the bar and the service was fine. Nice people, family owned. Definitely a repeater for us! read more

Always good food. Service is very good. This place is one of my favorites! Learning best places to park downtown helps too. It's worth the effort. read more

The food was excellent and really friendly and fast service. Ordered the Large Gumbo. It was hearty and flavorful. Nice pieces of sausage and shrimp. The toasted brioche was delicious specially to dip in the gumbo. was so delicious. Had the Blackened Shrimp tacos and a side salad. So fresh and had lots of flavor. The rice could have had a lil more flavor but overall I would order this entree again. The salad was huge and simply delicious loves the oil and vinegar dressing on it. The Mixed Berry Cheesecake was truly decadent. So fresh and creamy and and the Berries were infused in the cake itself I was soooo taken back how delicious it was. Their Cheesecakes are unique everyday apparently I can't wait to come back and indulge. read more

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4 out of 5 because they changed a fee for using a credit card (sign clearly posted on the door but we still missed it) It does not look lime much on the outside, however, it was a very nice artsy decor inside. Cool vibe and fast very friendly service. Not much of a beer selection as I prefer craft beer options. The blackened cod sandwich left as great taste in mouth especially after I added Louisiana hot sauce. My wife had shrimp scampi and she rated it 8 out of 10. This may sound silly but the coke was real coke from a tap and had the full syrup taste. With the exception of the CC fee another great find thanks to Yelp! read more

This place was awesome! GET THE FRIED OYSTERS!!! YOU WILL THANK ME LATER! Some other things we got were grilled cod sandwich (buns were delicious) and the Jambalaya (shoots with favor)! Service is pristine as well as the ambiance which gives NY Brooklyn vibes! read more

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THE AMBIENCE, OUR SERVER, THE FOOD, EVERYTHING WAS SO GOOD, like even the wait time is not bad for 2 pasta dishes and ceviche (I went with some friends) overall a good, fun time. HIDDEN GEM read more

Mac's Downtown - Scampi pasta - Seafood Near Me - El Paso, Texas

I had the steak & shrimp with a small bowl of gumbo. Steak wax tender will very little fat and cooked perfectly. The fried shrimp was big and had just enough batter on it. The gumbo was tasty but could have used a little more spices. The staff was attentive and came by just at the right time to refill the drinks. The place had very nice ambiance to it. Overall was a pleasant experience. I would definitely come back. read more

Best Fish around!!!! A must try! The Cajun mayo is unbelievably good. Can't say enough about it and the service is top notch. read more

Omg! Ya'll need to try the Cajun cake for dessert! Food was great but the dessert stole the show! Definitely coming back. And the service! My water never made it past half glass, a piece of trash or dirty dish didn't get a chance to sit! The staff is top notch! Thank you to our server Abery who kept us hydrated. Very demure, very cutesy read more

Every one was friendly, the food was delicious and the service was on point, thank you for allowing my high school graduate a superb night out after graduating. read more