It was OK. First off the ambiance and our server were great. Our server had incredible energy and was attentive without being annoying. I started with the Seafood Soup. Honestly really good flavor, nice heat and good chunks of both vegetables and seafood. Next I got the Ahi Ceviche. The actual ceviche was buried in chips and when you did find it there was very little flavor. The fish was cut into too large of chunks and most pieces were connected together as they had not been properly cut. Only ate a few bites. Finished with the Blackened Cod Tacos. Again, lacking in flavor... as I aggressively salted all of them. Also, way too much coleslaw and mushy at that. Less and crunchy would have gone a long way. The rice was weird as it was "buttery" and didn't really fit the meal. I was expecting more of a southwestern flavor. Would I go back... probably, but I would have to try a lot of other items to be impressed. read more

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Love this restaurant! Very very friendly and fast service. Everything was so good here. The fresh oysters were huge! The fried oysters were also good The lobster mac n cheese was incredible. Tacos and cheviche were so good too. Very recommended! read more

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Staff was very friendly and food was delicious! Service was quick and they were attentive!

From the time that we walked into the restaurant, the servers greeted us and gladly found a table for my husband, and I and our dog. My husband had the blackened codfish, and I had the salmon both of which were cooked perfectly! My only disappointment was I got the smashed potatoes and they were very buttery like lots of extra butter in the dish. But everything else was great. The service I have to say again was excellent. read more

Owner and daughter are nice and work hard to make your meal great. We had shrimp and cod, excellent. Side spinach salad was perfect. Husband had hand cut fries. I had wine and my husband draft lager. Wine was everyday but the beer good. Prices were inexpensive. They could easily go up a few bucks and still be fair. read more

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Yikes. I walked in with intention to sit at the bar and stay awhile but there was so much clutter and filth on the bar, there wasn't much room to sit even with 10 stools and only 2 patrons. Im talking complete nonsense sitting on the bar like a bottle of wood glue, unpaid bills, a fake pumpkin, packaged children's toys, multiple piñatas and other chachkies. I should have just left... but if the food is good, I can tolerate the weird bar... It wasn't. The beer on tap was barely colder than room temp, and the fish tacos were far and away the worst tacos I've had in El Paso. Unless you are a health inspector coming here to shut it down, run fast away from this place. read more

Great food! My mother in law, God bless her soul and her sister worked there. Having gone back on occasion it's still has the best food choices, fast service and the ambiance is memorable and wanting you to return. We need one in the Eastside. Like I said before my family members many, many years. Back in the 1970's when the only best restaurants were DOWNTOWN. THEY STILL ARE! read more

Oh geez! Where do I start? This place is great! All around great. The staff were super friendly with a solid sense of humor. They answered my questions and didn't seemed annoyed that I couldn't make up my mind. I went here with my girlfriends and we all ordered our comfort foods of choice. I ate the ceviche and my gal pals ordered fish and chicken. The food was farm to table fresh and absolutely delicious. Looking for a place to take your date? Or your mother? Or even your gal pals?? Take them here. You won't be disappointed read more

Lobster Mac n cheese is better than Ruth Chris Nice lay out , definitely a must if in downtown read more

Nice atmosphere and unique art pieces...that's where the positive ended. The lobster mac and cheese was overpriced and very average. My gumbo lacked meat. My shrimp tacos lacked shrimp. My friend's fish and chips were the fishiest ever. Won't be back. read more

The fam stopped by This neatly tucked hole in the wall place prior to the dia de los muertos parade downtown. They delivered a home town feel with bundles of friendly faces and served with a side of freshness. The owner was kind enough to check up on us and answer some questions. Although i didn't taste all the dishes shown, the ceviche was fresh and full of seafood citrus complimented by freshly fried tortilla chips. The oyster po boy was fried perfectly and complemented well with a creamy sauce and crispy fries. The mac and cheese is as traditional as it gets served interestingly enough with a classic shrimp broil. Make time to stop by and give it a try! $$ read more

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LAST MINUTE DETOUR FROM DOWNTOWN Finding Southern Comfort in El Paso continues to be a struggle for the true Southerner at heart. Mac's Downtown brings forth the energy needed to tantalize your eyes with their interior decor and take a trip down memory lane. The paintings on the brick walls and hanging light fixtures add a fine homey touch to really make it feel like you are amongst family. Now that the table is set, let me tell you about the food. The FOOD: Etouffee Pasta: PASTA DE IMPASTA If it looks like etouffee, then it should be etouffee? This fettucine tossed in a spray-tanned and freckled cream and cajun sauce looked a little light-skinned and extra creamy for an etouffee. Another yelper said it best, describing the dish as a garlic alfredo pasta rather than etouffee. The fettucine was somewhat dry despite being lathered in the spicy cajun cream sauce, which was very mild in taste and undersalted (-1 star). While the sauce was spicy, it tasted like a monsoon of cajun seasoning in a sea of cream without any other flavour (-1 star). A mix of celery, onion, and green bell pepper added an earthiness to the dish, but the onions tasted unusually sour (-1 star). In a last ditch effort to salvage this dish, I looked to the shrimp, which were crunchy, but also lacked any discernable flavour. Like little virgin gems of the ocean, the shrimp looked and tasted like they were steamed or boiled (-1 star). Each bite felt like there was something missing and the hope that a savoury, rich, umami-filled dish never came. The garlic bread was buttery and crunchy, but not enough to give this etouffee a proper identity. All in all, even if this was a garlic alfredo, it was severely lacking in flavour. I wished they grilled or seared the shrimp and added more salt/seasoning. The VERDICT: SOUTHERN WITHOUT THE SMOKE Mac's Downtown is the look good, feel good restaurant aesthetic that immediately makes you feel at home. They have taken classic Southern faire and recreated it to match the more eclectic dining atmosphere. Their po'boy sandwiches feature pico de gallo, which could make it or break it for many. The Etouffee Pasta fell short of what I am used to and also lacked any savoury or umami flavours. The fettucine was dry, the sauce was spicy but undersalted, the shrimp was plain and bland, and the onions were mysteriously sour. If I were to come back, I would consider trying something else. Additionally, two of my companions and I battled a bout of diarrhea/possible food poisoning within a day of eating this, which makes it the more suspect, but this review (like my others) was solely on the taste and flavour of the food. read more

Mac's Downtown - Etouffee Pasta: PASTA DE IMPASTA - Seafood Near Me - El Paso, Texas

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We were first-timers and really enjoyed our meals. Had the red, beans, & rice along with the jambalaya... my wife had the blackened cod & rice. Overall, everything was great. Their pumpkin cheesecake was "the bomb"... made for a wonderful evening. We'll be back... read more

My friend posted this place eating fresh oysters and I immediately texted her that I have to try this place! I can't believe there's a place with this fresh quality of seafood in El Paso. Fresh oysters were amazing with lemon, hot sauce, and horseradish! Also, fried oysters were even better! Definitely coming back to try other menu and drinks! It wasn't pricey compared to other seafood places! 10/10! read more

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

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What a great spot downtown. Very cool interior with original artwork on the walls. Bright, clean and inviting. Staff was super friendly. I felt like I was a regular. The jambalaya was spot on. Just the right heat and great flavor. The sausage, chicken and shrimp were cooked perfect. The bread was great to sop up some of the leftover juices. Crab cakes were a special for the day. Came with a crisp salad and Caprise skewers with a balsamic drizzle. The entire menu looks great, and I'll be back to try additional items. Prices are reasonable and atmosphere is casual. Definitely worth the trip downtown. read more

Mac's Downtown - Crab cake special. - Seafood Near Me - El Paso, Texas

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I have been craving oysters on the half-she'll like a mad woman!!! Just haven't even been able to get my fill!! Over the last couple of months I actually purchased some at both Albertsons & Whole Foods several times and shucked myself. Been trying to get by "MAC'S" 4 like ever, then came the day, I'm a more mature young lady and get extremely frustrated at the order thru the "app" bs. I'm "OLD SHOOL"! Anyway I called in my order for pick up, young lady was very accommodating, she didn't reprimand me for not using the app! Believe me, several other local businesses have. I won't mention any names....... My order was correct, transaction was smooth, even with me adding some clam chowder after my arrival. No problems at all. Even got to park right out front, it was about 5-6pm. I went a little nuts, aside from the 12 oysters, I got fish & chips, Shrimp & Chips, and Lg Clam Chowder. The anticipation was about killing me all the way home. Ridiculous, I know! Let me tell you! Those "BEAUTIES" were so fat!!! Way better than I had gotten at the grocery stores, I think only $1.50 each Everything else was pretty much what I would have expected it to be from any other restaurant that is menu special to a certain kind of dish. Everything was lovely, with only one exception, the chips! They were pretty limp and soggy, although not horrible, a minute or so in the air fryer at home brought them back to life. I ate on "my leftovers" for the next day or two, of course my 12 new plump little friends didn't survive the evening! I completely savored each and every one! Actually I'm thinking that I just may have to call in another order tomorrow! I can't wait to try the ceviche and shrimp cocktail! MANAÑA! read more

No change to my 5 star rating. See my previous review to find out why. Just a couple of comments on this visit. First, I learned my lesson from last time and ordered a small bowl of very delicious gumbo. Even small it is a meal in itself. But as usual my eyes are bigger than my stomach and I wanted to try the jambalaya. And 'try it' is an accurate description. The serving was plentiful enough to provide me a large lunch tomorrow. The only time I've had better jambalaya was at Boudreaux and Thibideaux's Cajun Seafood, a specialty restaurant in Houma, Louisiana, about an hour from New Orleans. Okay, gotta tell the rest of the story. My wife had the fried shrimp tacos. They were tasty, but the corn tortilla was not sturdy enough to hold the filling and the fell apart in her hands. A Po'Boy might have been a better option. Also, the menu didn't state the tacos come with a side of rice. Rice sends her blood sugar thru the roof so we would have asked for an alternative had we known. read more

I can not believe I have not been here. I recommend this place. Very good place to eat. Service is great and food is delicious. Everything here was super good. Well worth the price. read more

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Love this restaurant. Great fish. Great service. Fun atmosphere. The art is lots of fun to look at, too!

Service was on point. Everyone was super friendly. Food was delicious! We got their specials of the night. read more

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What an unexpected treat! Unexpected only because I didn't expect to find delicious oysters in El Paso. This is a fun, hole-in-the-wall type place. Several beers on tap and a stage which I would imagine is a lot of fun when they have live music. My server was very friendly--recommended the oysters. I had the poboy and it was great! I'm embarrassed to admit that I thought I was mistakenly given the fish poboy because of how big the portions were. Nope--just big oysters from Washington. I had a cup of clam chowder with fresh green onions to start. A delicious meal and fun scene! read more

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

This place is awesome! Gelaine took care of us. Everything was tasty and prices are so reasonable. We started with the clam chowder and ceviche and had the blackened combo, that came with blackened shrimp, chicken, and fish with a spinach salad. They took great care of us. The sign outside says "Almost Fancy. Always good." And it was really good!!!! We couldn't resist the offer of dessert and it was awesome triple berry cheesecake unlike any I had before - fruit blended in and that Graham cracker crust mmm, mmm.... I will be coming back... read more

Mac's Downtown - Gelaine's uniquely made cheesecake desert! - Seafood Near Me - El Paso, Texas

A friend of mine and I tried Mac's while visiting El Paso. It's a small place downtown. They have a couple tables outside and a few more inside. I tried the fried shrimp and fries. The shrimp was good and fresh. The breading seemed to be done with crackers and was really good. The fries were homemade and really good. My friend tried the blackened fish and salad She stated that they were excellent. The fish had a little kick. The servers were all very nice and tentative. The food was ready very quickly. We did have to pay to park in a nearby parking garage, so there is not free parking nearby. read more

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

The food service and ambiance are all top notch. You feel like you're eating at mom's house. The owners care about your happiness.

Lent special cod Veracruz. The cod fish was topped with green Chile strips and pico de Gallo and topped again with baked cheese. It came with a salad and it with was basically spinach with a little bit of almonds and raisins. It was Good Friday and pretty much empty so It didn't take long to arrive. Our server made seem it so delicious. So and so.. I guess read more

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

Cheap eats in Downtown. I like, I like a lot! This is a good stop when your craving some seafood cooked Southern style. This used to be Kipp's Cheesesteak and minus the $1 bill ceiling and vintage knick-knacks, they've pretty much kept it the same. Walls are still blue, the chalkboards on the bottom of the wall are still there, the tables didn't change. It just looks a little cleaned up. We went for an early lunch on Tuesday and surprisingly it never really got packed, but it could've just been the day. Our waitress was super nice and another waiter was even sweet enough to swing by and bring us refills even after we had already packed up and paid our bill. The menu is small, but it doesn't need to be any bigger. Essentially you can have fried or blackened chicken or fish that can be presented in a couple of different ways like sliders, tacos, or as is. There are a few other things on the menu like the clam chowder, shrimp cocktail, and fried oysters. I opted for the fried fish with fries while Charles went with the six piece fried oysters. These are filling portions. My fried fish came with four plump pieces and the batter was delish! Charles wasn't able to finish the oysters because those were a pretty big size too so the four piece will probably be the go-to from now on. And they also have sweet tea! I really liked that they serve their food up on Styrofoam because this is the kind of food that you can eat on the go with your fingers. Mac's Place Downtown was a great place for us to grab a bite and talk. And the staff is great. Our waitress was even nice enough to give us new sauces for our take-home boxes. read more

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I literally sat at the table and praised the po' boy to a friend for 5-10 minutes. I was in disbelief of how good the food was. read more

Mac's Downtown - Fried Oyster Po' Boy - Seafood Near Me - El Paso, Texas

If I could give this place 100 stars I would! Everything was fantastic. Our server Avery was the best. He was so friendly and attentive and gave detailed descriptions of each item we asked about and gave us amazing recommendations! Everything we tried was a 10/10. The food is so fresh and tasty and the chef even came up to us to see how we liked everything. The dessert was out of this world!! Definitely recommend trying this place out, super family friendly environment! read more

Spoiler Alert: I ordered Shrimp E'touffe. I wasn't happy at all. It was a let down after reading all the reviews for such a great restaurant with excellent food. I wasn't able to finish it because the dish tasted worse after each bite. Maybe some of their other dishes are better. I only tried the E'touffe. My recommendation would be to take it off the menu. Atmosphere: The restaurant is pretty much a roomy dive bar. Hence, the sewer smell and outdated decor. Customer Service: The staff was hospitable and friendly. In conclusion, I was looking forward to an awesome experience. I'm hopeful that the resataurant will consider my review as helpful and useful information. Best wishes to your establishment. read more

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

I'm very sorry to say that your food got my wife and I very sick yesterday. I don't believe you guys used fresh seafood. The fried oysters and the shrimp broil was not up to par unfortunately ether. I should known especially we was two of the four of the people at the restaurant yesterday around 5:30pm. I would recommend this place to anyone as of today unless your looking to be disappointed like my wife and I was. Sorry but not sorry when we both had a very bad and ugly experience yesterday. read more

Classy place, best original gumbo, the blackened fish is my favorite, and very affordable. Not to mention that Greg the owner is the best seafood chef in El Paso! read more

Excellent little place. Food was great and the employees, especially Ozzie, were fantastic. My daughter and I were traveling through and I check to see what was available in El Paso downtown prior to my trip to airport before heading home. Food was delicious and the portions were large for the money. We had the seafood soup which was cock full of all types of seafood. The ceviche with freshly made nacho chips and the shrimp po'boy. This is a must visit spot! If I'm ever in the neighborhood again I will definitely visit again. read more

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

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I slept on this review so as not to jump to any hasty conclusions. I hate giving places a bad review but I just can't figure out how not to after what happened. I went to this cute restaurant​ around the corner from my hotel after it was recommended​ by the staff. The restaurant​ staff was very friendly and knowledgeable​ about the menu. She also let me know that yesterday was the first day they were serving beer. She could not remember what was on tap only that one was an IPA or a Lager and the other was similar to Blue Moon. I decided to order the shrimp scampi and the beer that was similar to blue moon. The food came out shortly after I ordered it and it looked so good. It was hot and smelled delicious! I excitedly dug into it and it seemed to go well with my beer. About halfway through my meal, I finished my beer and it had a decidedly​ sour taste at the end. It also had black things floating at​ the bottom of the glass. I thought hmm that tasted odd but shrugged it off as an unfamiliar beer and moved on. Shortly after this I started to feel full and asked for a 2 go box. She offered me their cheesecake of the day, a blueberry/strawberry. I told her sure that sounds awesome. Well,​ it was delicious but not actual cheesecake. It was like one of those no-bake​ dump cheesecakes. I did not finish my dessert because I started to feel sick. I quickly paid my tab and made a mad dash for my hotel. Moments after returning to my hotel was very violently ill. This went on for 4 or 5 rounds until there was nothing left in my body. Unfortunately​, I got food poisoning​ from this restaurant​. I'm inclined​ to believe​ it was the beer and not the food as I did not notice anything strange about the food. Being that they were new to serving beer it is possible that they did not properly clean the lines or that some other component​ contaminated the beer. While most of the reviews for Mac's Place are good I will not be returning there again. read more

Was looking for a nice lunch spot and stumbled upon Macs. From out of town so didn't know anything about the area. Staff was super friendly and food actually exceeded my expectations! The chicken sandwich was the perfect amount of fried and the bread was great. Mac n cheese also great! I'm from georgia so can appreciate some good southern food. Would definitely come back :) read more

Mac's Downtown - Chicken sandwich and Mac n cheese - Seafood Near Me - El Paso, Texas

This by far has been one of my favorite surprises on my last trip to El Paso. We walked into this quaint downtown El Paso restaurant. The day we went there was a wonderful live musician singing and it was pretty packed. There are not a lot of tables, but they flipped them quickly. The musician had a bluesy, jazz feeling and did a great job. Shout out to her (she performed on 6/15/18 at lunch). Anyone that can pull off Etta James and Blackstreet's "No Diggity" gets an "A" in my book. We were sat very quickly and placed our order just as fast. We went with the large shrimp cocktail ($10.95), blackened fish with salad ($7.95) and the special which was gumbo. Oh my it was wonderful! The shrimp cocktail may have been the best I've ever eaten. It was seasoned with the right amount citrus, a great number of shrimp, and complimented with both avocado and cucumber. The blackened salmon was perfect. A little heat, without being burned. Moist as well and the salad was the right side for this. The blackened cod was also amazing. Very light and flavorful as well. Not fishy at all. The gumbo was solid. Lots of shrimp, sausage and chicken. I liked how the rice wasn't mixed in, so with my low carb diet, I ate up until I hit the rice. The roux was good and contained the trinity of Louisiana food (onions, bell peppers and celery). The wait staff and kitchen all deserve a shout out for great service, kindness and making things work out great. If you're in DTEP and want a great little place to eat and enjoy music, this is the place! read more

I failed to review this absolute gem of a lunch spot back in March after I had to clean out my apartment and leave town on two hours' notice. I did get to return to El Paso shortly thereafter, and stay until just the other week (miss it already), and I'm so sorry I didn't get a single chance to stop in there or ANY one of my now-beloved haunts -- I was on a mission, and soooo busy every single day! I'LL BE BACK, hopefully in the winter or spring! These kind folks deserve your patronage during these awful times for businesses, AND always. What did I order, every time, without fail...? A Cabernet Sauvignon (or two) and the fried cod sammich on the homemade bread with fries... not at all what you'd expect from a region where [...where IS the nearest body of water???] but every bit of that dish is sooooo very satisfying, perfectly cooked & seasoned, sloppy, and no matter when you're full, you are gonna keep eating til your plate is clean. Totally reasonable prices, excellent service, genuinely kind folks with a passion for what they're doing. Comfy jawn, good music, interesting art. My only regret is that I never strayed from my ONE beloved menu item... I'm a creature of habit, especially while being tossed unceremoniously around the unfamiliar dessert and shuffled about the country on a moment's notice. El Paso remains the big town that stole my heart, though. Wishing you the best, and see y'all someday when I can return with husband + cat. read more

Great spot for seafood in the desert! Tender, crispy fish and shrimp. Good tasting sides and delicious homemade cheesecake!

The Étouffée wasn't quite an étouffée. The roux was runny and the holy trinity flavor was lacking. I mean it was good but it wasn't neither Cajun or creole. The oysters were hella fat! The sweet tea was alright as well. read more

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

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Definitely not Cajun cuisines. The Etouffee was like a soury pink cream and came as a pasta? And the the jamabalaya was a little generic? Just spice, peppers and a sort of cheap sausage? Didn't really taste of the andouille or blackening from the cast iron that you get when you cook it in the right order. read more

We ordered the Etouffee which turned out too white peppery (seemed like a mistake though), but they were very friendly about sending it back. Ended up with the grilled mushroom salmon and shrimp scampi pasta. Both were delicious. Also be sure to try their housemade pineapple cheesecake! read more

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