Macs Ice Cream & Restaurant

1 Star for Just Being. Absolutely the worst restaurant we have been to in our two weeks in Ireland. The ONLY good thing about the restaurant was that the waitress was nice and welcoming. Food was terrible. Ham Hock (completely fatty and dry — guess I should have trusted my gut) and Cabbage (a few cabbage leafs spread around the plate like rose pedals) — absolutely the worst dish I think I’ve ever had. Mashed potatoes were dry. The dressing on top was some blend of mustard/​Dijon and Horseradish/​Mayo. Vegetables were also dry and I think the cauliflower was on the edge of something you’d throw out in a supermarket. My son had the chicken curry, which was also sub par, very bland and nothing to write home about — although perhaps Unilocal.Not even quite sure what to call the place given the eclectic (not in the positive sense) menu. Italian, Irish?, American and Thai? Hmm, very interesting indeed. Save yourself and find another restaurant amongst the many in Killarney.

Fish and chips were good. Steaks yummy. The chicken curry was so so, more meat and not much else. We had a decent late dinner here. I thought it was a bit pricey for what we had, but it did fit our needs.

If you were trying to design a restaurant to appeal to the lowest common denominator, one that would register completely neutral on the average person’s aesthetic scale, you’d wind up with something like Mac’s. I don’t necessarily mean that as an insult, just that it has no particularly distinctive features that help build an impression of the place, favorable or unfavorable.
The host who seated us was a little brusque, but then again he appeared to have just dealt with a rude tourist who left in a huff, and he had a large hen party (bachelorette for us Yanks) to deal with on a busy Saturday night, so I don’t blame him. Once we got seated, the service was decent, although the waitress erred slightly on our salad order. The food itself was solid, my cottage pie was way too hot when it came out, leading me to wonder if it was made in advance and just heated up, but after I let it cool it was tasty, and the chips were nice and crispy the way I like them.
All in all, this isn’t a bad little spot to end up, even if it isn’t the finest dining experience in Killarney. I wouldn’t tell everyone to rush over, but I’m sure you could do much worse.

Very slow service kept me wating 45 mins for ice cream and got my order wrong ordered a strawberry Sunday and they gave me a chocolate one was not happy

the town of killarney is not as small as one might think so the eating options are quite extensive… why we ended up at mac’s i’m not sure, but while the food was good, i don’t think i’d necessarily recommend stopping here… the atmoshpere was more american-​diner than irish-​traditional and given we’re in ireland, i want a pub-​experience!
food was fine — fish and chips and shepard’s pie… standard really.

Food/​Cost: (3) My traveling companion and I came for a late lunch on a weekday in early March. I ordered the Fish and Chips (12 euros), which came with a tiny side of mashed green peas. The Fish was a single, huge fillet of cod, battered and deep fried. It was a bit bland; but I had fish and chips again at another restaurant and it was just as bland. Perhaps the lack of seasoning is common for this dish? The fries were average — nothing great. The mashed peas and the tarter sauce were the two most flavorful items on my plate, and they were good for dipping my fries and eating with my fish. Though my entrée was ok, it is overpriced for the taste and quality of the food.
Ambiance: (5) The décor of this restaurant is Parisian glamour meets ice cream parlor. I liked the décor as it was clean, simple, and chic. There was a decent crowd when we arrived for lunch, and there was a constant stream of patrons.
Location: (5) Mac’s s located in middle of the main street in Killarney. It’s an easy walk to the shops, hotels, dessert shops, and pubs.
Service: (3) The waitress did her job: directed us to our booth, promptly gave us our menus, asked for our orders after a reasonable amount of time, and brought out our food pretty quickly (less than 10 minutes). That gives her the A-​OK, 3-​star rating; but there is no reason to rate her higher as the service wasn’t anything exceptional.
Overall: (3) You basically pay a bit extra for the ambiance of being in a chic looking restaurant. I’m not sure I would return for the entrees, though the ice cream and pastries may be worth another look.