Mac’s Landing

So I scouted out this restaurant months ago but unfortunately they don’t accept cards and I didn’t have cash on hand so I couldn’t dine in back then. Fastforward to last weekend, after a longgg day of Black Friday weekend shopping lol, I decided to meet the hubby here for a late brunch. Our wonderful server greeted me as soon as I came through the door, not even seated yet and he noted that he remembered me and was happy that I returned. WOW, that made a banging first impression! Then I was seated and was told the drink specials for brunch which by the way, you won’t get any mimosas cheaper than this on this side of Brooklyn… so if for nothing else… come get your drink on for brunch!
We both ordered the chicken and waffles which were really good. So good, I almost didn’t want to finish it – as I strongly considered saving some for later, but I was FAMISHED so I did. The chicken was perfectly seasoned… I really didn’t expect it to be that darn good but it was! Pleasantly surprised. The waffle was your average waffle but the chicken is really what makes this dish. I will definitely be back sooner rather than later and I’m feening for another strawberry mimosa. Can’t wait to try the rest of the menu. Great restaurant and excellent service!

Very odd vibe. Waitress was overworked and going nuts. One cook was cooking and one guy in the kitchen was just standing around brooding. The couple next to me waited over an hour for food and the place was empty.
UPDATE: When my food finally arrived it was quite good. The staff is also very nice. This would be a great place if it was organized either by an experienced manager or if the staff could collectively work together.

Mac’s Landing is a phenomenal small-​scale neighborhood place. I recently went there for a send-​off lunch with my friend who was leaving town and everything was great. We both had burgers (he did the turkey, I got the angus) and we were both impressed. I was particularly into the fact that they used challah buns for the burgers, the flavor of which complemented the meat nicely.
Service was quick and friendly. We went around 12:00 on a tuesday and the place was quiet without feeling empty or desolate. Everything ran on time, which was good considering my friend had to catch his bus in an hour.
In conclusion, a great place for lunch if you’re in the neighborhood.

Ok, just finished eating here. Solid. Solid. Solid. Need I say more? Ok, maybe a little. Had the southwestern omelet. If you don’t like black beans, too bad bra use they toss a whole can on there. Topped with sour cream and cholula hot sauce … Perfection. Service unfortunately has not yet been perfected, BUT that won’t stop me. The waitress was extremely accommodating to make up for the missing or unprepared menu items. Will be back again. Free wifi. Great spot for getting some early morning work done.

Reminiscing on my experiences at Mac’s Landing makes me laugh out loud and shake my head in disbelief. I’ve been there 3 times, 2 of which I walked out before I was served any food.
My boyfriend and I went there because we’d heard good things about the chicken and waffles. The first time we went, we ordered our meals and waited literally 40 minutes before the waiter finally came up to us and explained «our normal waiter is out today… sorry it’s taking so long» and we decided to wait a few more minutes since we’d put in so much time already. We waited an additional 15 minutes and finally decided to leave. On the plus side, the waiter was pretty apologetic and even comped me the iced coffee I had been served shortly after arriving. Since he was nice, we decided to give it another try.
A few weeks later, we went into Mac’s Landing and sat down. It was around noon on a Saturday. We ordered coffees from our waiter. About 15 minutes later, a lady yelled at us from the kitchen that her chef was nowhere to be found, so they «didn’t have any food.» LOL! It’s like, okay… thanks for seating us and letting us sit there for 15 minutes before telling us! We paid for our coffees and left.
We decided to give it ONE more try, and I’m glad we did. The chicken and waffles were pretty yummy (but pricey, whatever) and so were the sides of scrambled eggs and spinach we ordered. I don’t see myself going back there due to the price, but it seems like a pretty hit-​or-​miss place. Despite their dysfunction, I do remember this place fondly because the staff is actually very sweet and has great energy. I saw the owner of the restaurant walking around, making conversation with the patrons and she was really warm and funny. I do hope that this place gets organized so it can stay in business, because I dig the vibe and the food is pretty good.
If you’re up for an adventure, why not give this place a try! The décor is super cute and you can draw with crayons on the table mat :)

Nice staff.
Back patio was a mess and there were two other couples; one French and the other Brooklyn natives. The natives asked the French couple, «are you STILL waiting for your food?» To which they replied with a dissatisfied «oui!» The natives reported to have been waiting in excess of 40 minutes for their meal so one can only imagine how long the frenchies had been waiting. The restaurant was not busy. We had some time to spare so weren’t too worried about it.
We ordered two iced café mochas with peppermint, a specialty drink they call a «peppermint patty.» The drinks were way too sweet. All I could taste was sugar with a hint of chocolate, no mint. It took a while to place our food order but when we did we ordered the feta/​spinach omelette and French toast.
Shortly after ordering, the natives gave up and walked out. The chef approached them and asked what protein they’d like with their French toast but the couple waved him off and said, «nah man, we’re leaving.»
Our meals came shortly after the natives left and as I feared, they gave me their French toast because it was rubbery and hard to cut, so I knew it had been sitting for some time while my girl friend’s omelette was being made. The omelette was pedestrian and certainly not worth the $ 12 they’re asking for it.
Just a bad experience leaving many bad tastes.

I will be the first to admit, I am biased when it comes to my «hood». I like trying the new places that are popping up. Some are good, others have some work to do, and a few are just a mess. This place was a total letdown.
Let’s get the good out the way for Mac’s Landing. The place appears to be kid-​friendlly. They use construction paper as place mats and every table has a cup with crayons. I have a toddler so this is a score in my book.
The food was actually pretty good. At least I thought so. I had the baked eggs. Hubby got the chicken and french toast and was not a fan. And yes, I said chicken and french toast. Experimental menu? Not really. They did not have a waffle maker but are advertising chicken and waffles. This was two weeks ago, so they may have updated the menu or purchased a waffle maker. They also used breast cutlet and not the regular leg/​wing/​thigh. Hubby is your typical man’s man and always picks the «manliest» item on the menu. He was extremely disappointed that he wasn’t given a drumstick or a wing to rip apart at the joints.
Fails:
*Took them forever to give us a menu. Not sure why. There were three other people in there.
*Handed us soft leather menus. Über gross in my opinion. Soft leather always appears dirty. And with the heat, the smell of hot leather wasn’t pleasing.
*We ordered orange juice and they brought us a massive, tall (and I mean tall) glass of orange juice, which could probably serve 3 people. Wish the waiter told us that ahead of time. We made a comment and he said «that’s called getting your money’s worth». No. That’s called wasteful because a reasonable person could not finish even a third of that glass.
*Someone arrived after us and got her food before us. She was a «regular» from the way she was chatting up the chef.
*The lady next to us ordered more coffee and the waiter goes behind the counter and started chatting to the ladies sitting at the counter. Five minutes later (not exaggerating) he brings her coffee. Maybe he was waiting for a fresh brew? Unclear, since he never bothered to explain the long wait for COFFEE. Why this bothers me when it did not pertain to me, you ask? It just further proved their sucky customer service.
*While chatting with his BFFs at the bar, the waiter cursed. Come on guy! There are crayons and construction paper on the tables.
Epic FREAKING fail
Offering Waffle with no waffle maker.
Again, the food was enjoyable. service was awful.

Cute place, but restaurant didn’t have quite a few items on the menu. What they did have came out burnt.
I’d give it a 1, but I like what they’re trying to do. I’ll come back in the hopes they do better.

I really wanted to love this place and came here a number of times for brunch, trying to will myself to.
The coffee’s pretty good and they give you crayons to draw on the paper tablecloths. Those are both pluses. The food, also is not at all bad and the portions are large. It’s just not fantastic either and not cheap.
The staff is so nice though. This place seems ideal for coffee, a pastry and some friendly chit-​chat.

I’ve had coffee and a few different types of pastries and a sandwhich here. The coffee is really very good. Every time I come in, the coffee tastes the same… at some coffee shops the taste of the coffee depends on who makes it, but I haven’t had that experience at Mac’s Landing.
I haven’t tried much of the food, but what I’ve tried was ok… Ive had a chicken sandwhich and a few pastries… Nothing to write home about. The staff is super sweet and the shop has a lovely, calm vibe. There are often many folks here for brunch and everyone looks very happy. Almost entices me to try the brunch menu… Another good thing is that I often visit Mac’s Landing for coffee when walking my dog. There’s a bike rack in front where I can tie my pooch and there’s a nice big window that I can watch to make sure he doesn’t get snatched. There’s also a nice table outside where we can sit and relax while I drink my coffee.
The coffee, the staff is sweet and ambiance is good, although the food didnt excite me.

Whenever you escape from New York, every town has a Main Street with a cozy little café that welcomes you. Such is the vibe at Halsey Street’ s Mac ’ s Landing. Loose leaf teas, omlettes, extemely tempting baked goods in the shade of the B 26 bus. A small but quality book exchange at entrance seals the deal.

I try not to have super high expectations for brunch stuffs because a slightly disappointing brunch is the best way to ruin a weekend. But listen. This place is the best.
This first visit started with some wonderful late 90s music (think «Back at One» via Brian McKnight), a giant mug of coffee, and ice cold lemony water. My french toast was covered in a delicious cinnamon apple sauce that left maple syrup superflous. And my partner, who’s from the South, wanted grits so bad so in lieu of toast and she given half a plate of incredibly cream/​fluffy grits with her omelet.
We were both in awe that we hadn’t been there sooner and left a couple love-​notes with some crayons on the table. The portions are all sorts of generous, the atmosphere is swoon-​worthy, and everything is the best.

This review is actually based on four separate visits. I’ve given Mac’s Landing a few chances because I live nearby and love the idea of it. Each time, there was something off, either the food or the service. Once — even twice — I could chalk up to a bad day. But after four visits? It’s pretty clear that some things need to be improved.
Three times that I’ve gone for weekend brunch, they were seriously understaffed, which led to long waits for a menu and food.
I’ve had the baked eggs (very tasty!), a couple of espresso drinks (solidly consistent), and last time I had an omelet. This was disappointing. The omelet came with a side of nothing — no toast, no salad, no potatoes. I’ve never been anywhere where you don’t get anything with your eggs! So I ordered a side of grits. WORST GRITS I’VE EVER HAD. Quaker instant grits taste better. They were cold and lumpy, and I would have sent them back if I weren’t so hungry and afraid that sending them back would have taken another 20 minutes.
My friend (who was visiting from out of the country) ordered a panini. Unacceptable. Barely slices of toasted bread, ingredients falling out. It was clearly just a sandwich made with toast, not a pressed sandwich. Again, he was so hungry that he didn’t care.
The people there are nice, and seem to be doing the best that they can. But if brunch for 2 costs close to $ 40 (sans alcohol), I should be leaving with a full belly and happy taste buds, without having my patience tested. I can overlook inconsistent food OR service, but not both.
Maybe I’ll give them another chance one of these days because I really do want to support small businesses in my neighborhood.

Im very critical of Bed Stuy restaurants because that place is like my second home… but Mac’s blew me out of the water. My friend Ashley and I were STARVING as much as we chubby american people can from not eating for the entire morning.
So she’s like
«grumble grumble FOOD AT MAC’S grumble grumble»
so I’m like
«grumble grumble FUCK YEAH grumble grumble»
–fin–
from start I was kissed with awesome love as the service from both Waitresses (the one named Latoya). She brought us some slightly chilled water (fresh with Oranges inside) with glasses of ICe. This is a BIG DEAL to me because everyone doesn’t like cold ass water on top of cold ass ice when they eat. There were crayons on the table so I doodled some masterfully crafted pieces on the paper as we talked and passed the time in what is a very chill atmosphere. Shit they even had Nina Simone playing in the background, any place with that much musical taste deserves my love as I lust women of the chocolate variety. The space was a good mix of urbane and raw with exposed beams on the ceiling and some very unique tile on the wall closest to the door. I want my next apartment to look like that.
So lets get to my food, which was baked eggs and a mixed green salad. I like eggs, but I’m not in love with them and I can tell you that after this trip I have a whole new appreciation for them. They literally brought me a plate of the best eggs that I’ve ever consumed in my life of living. ever. these eggs are so far removed from any that I’ve had or made before that I felt that I was catapulted, by a single bite, into the space time continuum. have some. eat some. love some. the salad was great with a very awesome homemade vinagrette. it was, quite possibly the perfect breakfast. just add sex and its what could be the BEST DAY EVER.
If you’re in Brooklyn and you don’t eat here then you simply aren’t eating at all :)

I truly enjoy the ability to support local neighborhood spots. It is why I have such regret that I am posting such a negative review. Today was my second visit to Mac’s Landing. The first visit was a month or so ago with a girlfriend for lunch. Although we had an exceptional wait for my meal (a medium rare burger), when it finally did come out (around the time my friend finished hers), the manager brought an extra burger out with acute apologies for the length of time it took. We were appreciative of the recognition of the problem and left feeling positive that although we had to wait an inordinate amount of time, effort was made to ‘fix’ it.
Today, I decided for Father’s Day we would stay local so brought my family for breakfast. There were a few people already seated but it was by no means crowded. We ordered 4 meals and a coffee. The coffee came, but just short of an hour later, there was still no food and no offer of a refill. In fact, we didn’t even have a check point with the waitress at any point during the wait. When we finally did grab her attention, we were told the food was being plated. At that point, we had 2 starving and fidgety children and were late for our next obligation so we requested the food be put to go.
When we received the bag of food, we did receive an apology and the bill was reduced — however we still ended up paying nearly the full amount as change was not forthcoming. Clearly the kitchen could have used some assistance as there’s no way it should take an hour for eggs, waffles and a burger.
I wish I could say the food was worth the wait but I’ll summarize that by saying that the veggies inside one of the omelets were charred black. black.
I do truly regret not being able to support one of the few local spots in my neighborhood, but after being open nearly a year and not being at all busy, there is simply no excuse for such an unorganized and sub par experience. It’s not enough to be good at apologizing; fix things, so you’re not required to.

Lets start with The Customer service. They where very friendly and welcoming, everything seemed awesome, believe me The stars is for service otherwise a negative three stars would be there…
NOW food wise. Horrible.
The chef was obviously a cook for either The military i would say a 92G if i had To guess. Cannot produce quality food, meals come out cold, lacks organization. Cannot make poached eggs or hollandaise To save her life. The potatoes were under cooked and The french toast only cooked on One side and The sparce amount of fresh fruit compote was a joke and where was my fresh whip cream??? Well… I want To know???

Soul food home made… really personal service on this family style restaurant
our brunch was good and traditional, nothing fancy or exotic… just good food to start the sunday… If you need just ask them the password for the wi-​fi

I was super stressed, ready to pull out my hair over grad school applications and I desperately needed to get out the house and exhale. I was on the hunt for a local coffee shop with wi-​fi that I could sit in, sip some chai and finish these essays that were driving me up a wall.
Quick search landed me here.
It’s such an inconspicuous place. I had to have walked past here fifty eleven times and never noticed it. Plus they keep early hours, even during the week. But it’s cute, quiet and the food + beverages are all good.
I don’t even remember what I had, I was so lost in the world of trying to academically say that I am the sh*t just accept me damnit, that everything is a blur. But I do remember everything being good. I had some variation of a hot chocolate and a fancy chicken sandwich… I think. And I was happy. Especially since the barista/​waiter was super duper chipper and polite.
I would go back if they were actually open when I am free. Too bad its not on my way to the train in the morning…
BTW, when you search for coffee/​tea or wi-​fi in Bedstuy on Unilocal THIS DEFINITELY needs to come up!

Meh. I’m grading this on a groupon. We paid $ 24 or $ 26 (forgot) for 4 entrees and 4 coffees/​teas and (sorta) one side.
I ordered the breakfast burrito. It comes with sausage and potatoes. I order sausage as the side (expecting to receive more sausage)… nope. They just igonored my side order. Whatever. Burrito iself was kinda crappy. Huge chunks of potato and 3 tiny sausages. Bland and flavorless as well.
My bro ordered the rosemary chicken panini. THe rosemary chicken was also bland. Not salted at all and the rosemary was pretty overpowring.
Had it not been for the groupon, I would’ve been super pissed.
The employees are very nice though.
Kinda cool how they let you draw on the table paper with crayons.

What a great addition to Bed-​Stuy!
I happened upon Mac’s Landing on one of my early morning runs and decided that the following week that I’d stop in. Much to my delight, this time they had tables with bright white umbrellas outside for outdoor dining AND after talking to the hostess/​server saw they have seating in the backyard too.
(For some perspective Bed-​Stuy residents, Mac’s Landing is where Shakoor’s Sweet Tooth used to be.)
While I only grabbed a tea and croissant (hey, I’m in training!) I spoke to another diner whose plate was clean and he said he enjoyed the fare. As a long-​time resident (40 years!) he was happy to see another great café and restaurant in the neighborhood as well. It’s the nice little touches that matter to me: like giving diners water with a generous sprig of mint inside, and actually putting the honey in my tea instead of me begging to.
Mac’s Landing also has a Saturday and Sunday brunch and the hostess, as well as the cook, told me they’d be expanding that menu soon. As far as the present food goes, they have a nice variety of salads, sandwiches and quiche (excuse a moi!), as well as light breakfast options and danishes. I did recommend to them to add some non-​salad vegetarian/​vegan fare to the menu since Bed-​Stuy and Crown Heights has a concentrated amount of us herbivores around. We’ll see if that happens, since Peaches barely has one.
All in all, Mac’s is very comfortable, regardless of being a bit small. With seating outside and throughout though, it totally works — and I’ll be making it to back for brunch — and lunch — real soon.