Restaurant: Mac’s Pizza Pub

When I was in college, there were two pizza places in town. One was Papa John’s. The other was a greasy deep-dish place with a dirty salad bar. While we were eating, Alex said these UC kids have no idea how good they have it with Mac’s Pizza Pub practically on campus. This place was good, and I probably would have loved it more if I were ten years younger. On top of that, Mac’s is just down the street from Pomodori's. As you may have guessed, pizza is one of those frequent meals for us, and we have all kinds of favorites. I think Mac’s, though, will be one we get again soon.

Mac’s has a dive feel, but inside the staff was friendly and the service was quick. No complaints there. We dined before 8 p.m. on Saturday, well before the the place was filled with drinkers for the night. They had the plastic cups ready to go by the taps. But as early as we were there, even the crowded table next to us ordering pitchers was also snacking on pizzas and fried bar food.

My only complaint is that the first two beers I ordered (off the menu, of course!) weren’t actually available. I’ve run into the same problem at another favorite restaurant of mine, but at Mac’s I got the idea that they like to boast an extensive beer list but hope you order Miller Lite like a good student on a budget. Even so, we each got a beer and ordered some fried pickles.

Fried pickles with BBQ Ranch dipping sauce, $4.49

These pickles came to us hot, right out of the fryer, and were served with a little cup of ranch with a squirt of sweet barbecue sauce in it. Although I didn’t have a problem scarfing half the pickles, I can’t say they were my favorites. The breading was lighter than we’ve had at other places, so that’s a plus. Another plus – these pickles weren’t too spicy. However, I like a little sauce on my fried pickles and this barbecue ranch was just too much flavor for me to handle. Alex didn’t have any complaints, though, and if we do this again I might ask for some ketchup or plain ranch.

How many times so far have I mentioned fried? There’s more to come. Yes. I got a veggie pizza and Alex got their signature dish, “The Macover.” The Macover is like a deep-fried calzone: you choose three pizza toppings and the dough is wrapped around the fillings, and then it’s fried. Finish with a coat of garlic butter and pizza sauce on the side. Alex loved, loved, loved this. I wasn’t too impressed, as it was mostly bread and cheese and the sauce was cold. This is just one more example of us needing to get separate foods from time to time, as he loved his and I loved mine.

The Macover, $6.79. Choose your fillings. Pictured: bell pepper, onion, mushroom

I ordered the Veggie Delight pizza, and it was (as promised in the menu description) piled high with fresh toppings. Mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, green bell peppers, and black and green olives topped this chewy crust and along with tasty sauce and plenty of cheese. I like a lot of toppings, and this pizza did not disappoint. My personal pizza was more than enough for me, but it was so good I ate almost all of it. The crust was really good, and there were so many toppings it was a little soggy toward the middle. I call that flavor concentration, though, and it's what I like.

8" personal size Veggie Delight Pizza, $7.99

In addition to the veggie pizza I ordered, there are two other veggie pizzas: a spinach and goat cheese and a pesto primavera. They also offer a vegan pizza that includes the same toppings as the one I ordered, but with vegan mozzarella. Apart from their pizza menu, they offer a vegan burger on the sandwich menu which features a Five-Star Foodies patty, a local brand that’s available in a few local grocery stores and is pretty good.