McCormack brings southern comfort to the Fan
Mac McCormack has been serving up spirits, brews, and punk-rock atmosphere in his Shockoe Bottom bar, McCormack’s Irish Pub, since 1999. Starting today (hopefully), RVA residents can partake in Mac’s newest endeavor: family-friendly restaurant meets edgy, cool bar.
Mac McCormack has been serving up spirits, brews, and punk-rock atmosphere in his Shockoe Bottom bar, McCormack’s Irish Pub, since 1999.
Starting today (hopefully), RVA residents can partake in Mac’s newest endeavor: family-friendly restaurant meets edgy, cool bar.
Located at 204 N. Robinson Street, former home of Sushi Ninja, McCormack’s Whisky Grill & Smokehouse is hard to miss. With its copper-topped roof and hand-painted sign, this new piece of Fan District charm has a lot to offer.
“I wanted to build a place true to who I am and what people think of as ‘my place,’ but with a more diverse crowd,” Mac said. “It’s a restaurant where Elvis and The Cramps will be playing, for example, but also a place where you can bring your children.”
Mac said the new place was intentionally created with a different focus than the pub. The menu is geared toward southern comfort foods, which include barbecue, a variety of entrees and sandwiches, decadent desserts, and even funnel cake.
“Our focus is really on the food and the bar side is a secondary thing,” he said. “We have two ovens and two fryers, so we are also a ‘vegetarian-friendly meat restaurant’.”
Images of John Wayne, Mae West, and Elvis Presley – to name a few – add to the decor. Whiskey barrel tops are displayed throughout as well as signed music memorabilia. The walls are covered in rough hewn cedar and accents of slate and granite tile-work abound. Every edge seems to be kissed with steel detailing, including the floor-to-ceiling liquor shelf.
“It has 20 shelves total, each shelf is 60 inches long – all staggered,” Mac said. “I wanted to make it so people can see everything – the idea was to have at least 1,000 bottles but it can probably hold 1,400.”
And if sheer size alone doesn’t impress – the attached rolling library-style ladder should do the trick. Various whiskeys and hundreds of other liquor varieties will eventually call Mac’s epic rack home.
Truly a do-it-yourself project, the restaurant makeover consisted of using several recycled and re-purposed materials. Mac said he did much of the work himself with the help of friends like Garnett Ryland, Patrick Hooker, and Thor Levesque (who is also the chef).
Mac said he has many hopes for the future of McCormack’s Whisky Grill & Smokehouse including a variety of homemade jerkies, real breakfast foods, and coffee served every morning. Mac said he also plans to host “School Nights” on Tuesdays to educate patrons about premium liquors.
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Marge Weimer
Marge Weimer had the distinct honor of being RVANews.com’s first intern. She is a good sport, and we thoroughly enjoy her.
Notice: Comments that are not conducive to an interesting and thoughtful conversation may be removed at the editor’s discretion.
WOOHOO!!! I always felt bad about not going to mac’s more, it’s just hard to make yourself drive to the bottom when there are 10 other bars within walking distance
Come on Jeremiah… Mac’s vs. Buddy’s… is there really any question there? Can’t wait to check out the new digs in the Fan. I’ve heard rumors that I like whiskey and seeing as Mac will have a bottle or two, I’ll definitely have to pay a visit soon to get educated.
Awesome!! I can’t wait to walk over and check it out.
I think I might check this out tonight or tomorrow, sounds so good.
There!
I am very excited to hear that there will be funnel cakes!!! My week has been made.
The big difference is with Macs your willing to drive rather than walk to a place.
I’M IN!!!!!! Been riding by for weeks in anticipation!!! I Miss the good ole days of swingers and can’t wait to partake in this establishment!!!
A much needed change for the fan! I’m more than excited to see a real bar with a real idea behind open in the fan. Mac’s always done a great job and this looks to be amazing. Best wishes and can’t wait to finally return to the fan to have some drinks with real people. Thank you!
Do we have an opening date yet? I can not wait to come check it out! I’m really excited that there are two ovens and fryers for the veggies too!
Nice!!! Sorry Jeff-ie … I will totally be going more now that I don’t have to go to the Bottom… :)
aw yeah. I’m in! And I can walk there.
Mac is amazing at everything he does so this has to be amazing as well. I can’t wait to take a trip down there from the west end to try it out! Congrats, Mac!
you know i will be there!!! been watching it grow and looking forward to this for a while now. <3
Grats Mac! I’ll be checking out the new place when I get up to Richmond. You better still be working the bar too! Best place to have your birthday, that’s for sure!
Hey guys,
Look for the new place to be open by Tuesday or Wednesday of next week!
Awesome Mack..See ya there!!
Just Another Bar in The Fan Ya Da Ya Da Ya Da …..
Too bad Mac is a complete prick. I haven’t gone in the “Irish” place since he refused to serve my DD a straight Red Bull. Said we had to get it with liquor it or nothing at all. I told him it was for a DD. He refused. I offered him $10. Said he couldn’t make money off selling just Red Bull. I offered him $20. Said he was still losing money on that. Maybe it was because my DD was black? Maybe it was because we weren’t cool like him? Maybe it was because he is a Douche MacGillicutty.
Ick, I don’t think anyone will miss you. And anyone who knows Mac knows skin color had nothing to do with it, nice try at a smear though.
we just didn’t sell redbull as a stand alone beverage, and i couldn’t tell you what color your DD was, however we give everyone free sodas (DD’s and drinkers alike). Redbull however we did not have programmed into our computer as an item we sold until recently. and i still don’t like selling it to people, it is a ridiculously overpriced soda.. I remember this very incident that you are referring, you seem to be exaggerating about your generousity on the price of the redbull, i told you to go up a block to exxon and get one there for $2, and that we didn’t sell it as a stand alone beverage. and for the record, i don’t like anyone trying to buy there way past the rules.. so you upping the price again and again made you look like a total douche in my mind that thought he could buy himself out of a set boundry.. sounds like you think you are the cool one.. willing to pay $20 for a redbull.. What a potential waste of money.. guess a regular working class guy like me gets annoyed at people that think they can buy their way around the rules in place..
Pretty sure you are the one bringing race into something.. especially considering the ONLY bartender i have ever trusted closing “the irish one” is black, and one of my best friends of 23 years many of which we were roomates.. (black bartender in an irish pub, go figure! only a racist would allow that!) Your DD was offered free coke, sprite, diet coke, gingerale.. all was refused.. you can call me an asshole, i can be one, you can call me a prick.. i am one of those too, you can call me a fag, not gay but i don’t care if someone calls me one, some of my best friends are gay.. nice people those “fags”.. snazzy dressers too, so i may take that word as a compliment, douchebag, whatever you call me that is derogitory in your mind.. i don’t care. But call me something false, like a racist and i will address you like this.. and tell you that you don’t matter to me, your opinions do not matter either. And that you are full of shit.
Nice anonymous posting.. why don’t you come to my bar sometime when i am working, i will happily tell you exactly how i feel about your lame attempt at slander to your face.. I offered what we gave to DDs for free, you refused, and i told you my policy on how we sold a product, and now you are attempting to make a racial incident out of that.. that is actually funny to me.
I don’t think i am cool, i am just me.. i could care less what anyone thinks about me, could care less about being cool.. I have always pretty much walked to the beat of my own drum.. probably why i have worked for myself for the past couple of decades.. I define my own self, and don’t let anyone else do it for me. I especially don’t care what a simpleminded person like you who is attempting to characterize me, the owner of what may be one of the most diverse bars in richmond a racist..
By the way, my mother is japanese, i grew up primarily in japan.. I really could care less about race, that tends to happen to people that come from a biracial family.. maybe you didn’t like that i said no to you. Get used to it, the world does not revolve around you, and you can’t always get what you want. however, your DD is more than welcome to my free sodas.. anytime. you however.. you are welcome to nothing, except wallowing in your own excrement.. as that is what is spewing out of your mouth via your fingertips.
Ick hard to take anything you have seriously when you start tossing the Race card to prove a point. Haters tend to be unwelcome anyways. Having been in a DD situation at Macs I know your just whining over something that tastes like baby shampoo. Can’t help if you have bad taste and are a race baiter.
Mac, for what it’s worth, you just made my day. I’ve been wallowing in self-pity for a long time. Between your comment and other positive things that have been happening in my life recently, tomorrow and the next day, etc. are looking brighter.
“I don’t think I’m cool. I’m just me…” That, my fellow man, is an awesome attitude and stance; something I think this city could use more of, especially me.
Thanks for sharing. I’m very much looking forward to frequenting your establishment!