McCormack’s Whiskey Grill & Smokehouse

I’ve always had great experiences eating and drinking here. The place is classy with a wonderful top shelf menu of highly sought after liquid courage. I enjoy the food as well. I’d highly recommend this place for the bourbon connoisseurs and foodies out there. It got to the point where William the owner would just poor me a drink before I even sat down. I’d always ask him to surprise me and I never left unsatisfied. Definitely check this place out. It is a great bar for the sophisticated crowd.

Just happened to stumble upon this place, looking to cash in on a steak dinner owed to me by my girlfriend. ‘Twas quite an experience. The atmosphere is warm and inviting and the bartender who served us was incredibly helpful. We started off with a sazerac and whiskey sour which were both delicious, paired with some green bean fries. For my main dish, I got the black pepper-​crusted steak. I would absolutely recommend every single dish we got. If you’re looking for a comfortable atmosphere and downright delicious food, visit McCormack’s!

Thorough selection and a good atmosphere (love the booths). But also, I promised I would write the following review, so here it is: DEREK IS THE BEST!!! Huge Derek fan! You go, dude!

New year’s eve, we were a party of 8. Not being loud or obnoxious, all people at the table were over 28 years old. Red bearded bartender got pissed that one of us didn’t have ID and tried to take a few sips of someone else’s drink (so the bartender’s anger was warranted, definitely not arguing there). Received one warning, and then was screamed to «GET THE FUCK OUT». Thought the expletive was excessive, didn’t argue back, all just walked out. Probably not coming back.

Ever walk into an ABC store and feel a bit overwhelmed by all the choices? There are so many to choose from and I don’t want to make a mistake. I say this because McCormack’s has such an amazing selection and knowledgable staff that I can try new things here and made a decision on whether to buy a new spirit to add to my home bar.
Of course you can come here only for the amazing selection of Whiskey and other premium spirits but the food here is always surprisingly good.
On our last visit, my kale salad was fantastic. It had a bit of savory and a bit of sweet with just the right amount of dressing. Schweety had the steak entrée and I must admit to stealing a few bites. Cooked as requested, it came with toasty roasted potatoes and a fresh veggie side. There was even a little left over that went onto an omlette at home the next day.
The night we were there was pre-​Christmas and the place was almost to capacity with only the bartender serving the entire place. I have to commend him on his hustle to get everyone served in a timely manner. Oh, and they also give a discount if you pay with cash!

*spoiler, this is a long one*
As it was my friend’s 28^th birthday, we wanted to start the night somewhere he’d mentioned having a great experience. So we headed out to McCormack’s — somewhere no one else had ever been. It was only 7:30, so the bar was not crowded and we were not «those people» who had spent the day binge drinking with Santa hats. We were a party of 8, but only the first four of us had arrived before they chose to seat us at a booth that perhaps held 6 at most. When we tried to explain to them that there were 4 more coming, they begrudgingly offered us the standing bar near the entrance.
After a long wait without service, we ordered drinks from the bar, which clearly seemed to annoy our eventual waiter. He made sure that the first thing he said was that our friend was not allowed to wear his gray, logo-​less, wool ball cap stating that there was a «no hat» policy here. The friend sought to point out that there were several other gentleman wearing assorted styles of hat throughout the restaurant, otherwise this wouldn’t have been an issue.
The waiter simply said, «no ball caps» and walked away. He didn’t ask for our order, didn’t even come back with waters when he did eventually return.
Waiter took our drink orders, and one food order — green tomatoes.
After we received our first drinks, the waiter never returned, never refilled our waters and never asked if we needed anything else for the remainder of our visit.
A non-​exaggerated hour later, our waiter returned with our checks. Our checks. On the check my «green tomatoes» friend was given, was in fact. the green tomatoes he’d never received. We pointed this out and the waiter said we’d never ordered them.
The waiter walked away, returned later stating that he’d missed the green tomatoes on the order he took down and would return shortly with the food.
When he returned with the food, we asked him to remove the tomatoes from our bill.
His response was simply, «oh i’m not doing that. if he didn’t want the tomatoes he should have spoken up».
I responded with, «well if he was hungry an hour ago, wouldn’t he be hungrier an hour later?»
The waiter then says to us, «look i’m not dealing with this bullshit. you got the tomatoes, now pay the check».
Not having a bill of my own, i told the waiter that i wasn’t going to sit here any longer and let him talk to us like second class citizens and i simply left the establishment, never to return.
I was told later that my friend was comp’d for his tomatoes, but the words «sorry» or «apology» were never uttered by any of the staff.
At one point, a waitress stopped by and commented that our waiter is known to be an «asshole» and it didn’t surprise her at all that he’d treated us that way.
That this person is allowed to work in customer service with a known history of treating customers like crap is a clear representation of McCormack’s and the way they feel about their clientele.
I will forget that McCormack’s exist and make sure Richmond City does as well.

**This review is for The Fan location**
By far the best aspect of this place is the ambience. Not only are you instantly greeted by a massive, and I mean massive, selection of spirits (I’m talking four shelves and a sliding ladder), but the entire restaurant had a smoothly polished hardwood pine feel to it. It’s incredibly inviting and cozy, especially during cold weather.
The spirit selection is of course unreal and actually very overwhelming. They give you a plastic binder of all their spirits, and it’s in very small print and completely daunting. I feel like I’m opening up my 11^th grade trigonometry textbook when I look at it. Unless you are a connoisseur and know exactly what you’re looking for, simply tell your server your price range and a flavor profile. They’re good enough to get you something.
The food is really, really good. Meaty, fresh, and big (did I mention really expensive?). The prices are a bit exaggerated I feel, but the quality and and the flavor I find to be worth it. I’ve had their bison burger and hush puppies, and both were great.
The service is friendly and laid back. They’re not snooty and pretentious, but they also are somewhat absent minded at times. First, the spirit selection is so overwhelming that I tried to order 3 different whiskeys to be told, quite tersely, by my server «ummm, we don’t have that, and we never have.» Ok? Why is it on your menu? Don’t act like I’m weird for ordering off your menu.
I also came here for dinner once and my server got almost everything wrong (he wasn’t writing anything down.) I asked for my whiskey neat and he gave it to me on the rocks, my wife ordered a vodka cranberry and she got a vodka tonic, I asked for no tomato on my burger and I got it. I’m a chill guest, and I don’t get uptight, but it’s a bit irritating when you’re not writing this stuff down. However, that same server was probably one of the most friendly and personable servers I have ever had. He made me feel welcome, he was funny, and I quickly forgave the minor mistakes due to his personality. In the end, that is what service is all about. Making a guest feel welcome and comfortable, and he nailed that aspect of the experience.
I will come back here again, and so should you. I like it here.

I really enjoy enjoying a scotch here with my bf from time to time. It’s a neat place to take people visiting or to double date with a whiskey-​loving crew. Even if you aren’t sure what whiskey, bourbon, or scotch you might like, the bartenders will help you figure it out.
The food is southern style and the bar is filled with a smoky aroma. The food is ok. Sorry. I wanted to like it more, but I thought it was pricey for what it was. We had brisket nachos, hushpuppies, and shrimp and grits. A weird assortment I know but two of us already ate before going so we just had apps. Nothing was bad, but nothing was remotely memorable.
When I go back I’ll stick to spending on the varied drink menu and eat someplace else. I would warn you to check prices though because at $ 15/​drink (low-​to-​mid range) and the moderately expensive food menu, this might be more than you bargained for. But for sure this place is one-​of-​a-​kind in Richmond and worth checking out.

If money is a non-​issue, then this is the place to be for whiskey and a steak. They have about 400 types of liquor on the shelf. And the food is surprising good. The strip steak I had was the best I’ve had in a long time. Didn’t need any steak sauce for it. I heard the meatloaf is good too. Next time.

McCormack’s is a beer hipster’s dream. Or any cocktail for that matter. Booze they have. Variety, they also have. I didn’t try the food but from the looks and smell and sight of it, they probably have game in that area. But back to the booze. You like booze, they have it. With knowledgable staff, it’s going to be a good visit.

Used to be my favorite bar. Always came for the good into to good whiskeys. Came here for dinner for the first time. It was 630 and my boyfriend and I were the only table. We ordered roasted chicken and the western spaghetti. Over an hour later we finally received our food. Won’t be returning for dinner. Very disappointed.

We had a great time at McCormack’s, for drinks and apps. The selection is so massive, it can be overwhelming, but our server was really knowledgeable and for the whiskey newbies, she was able to ask our price range and recommend things for our varied tastes. The mac and cheese and other appetizers were really tasty, and pretty reasonable price-​wise. It’s not a very big place but we were there at a good time. The bar is really impressive, and they have such a great menu that there is something for everyone. They split up the checks for us as well, and discount if you pay cash!

Pretty good Whisky selection here and food is decent. My friend got really drunk and bought me a shot of yamazaki ($ 60 per glass!!!). it was definitely over priced but nice atmosphere and best way to try different whisky is to ask the bartender!
Discount for cash payers!

I went there with a group for a few drinks. They have an impressive liquor menu! The bartenders were really friendly and more than willing to offer suggestions. Would definitely recommend this very unique bar!

Awesome service! Food is fantastic. Can’t go wrong here. And yes, they have other things to drink besides whiskey. Here’s a tip: 10% discount for paying in cash

As a budding whiskey fan I was very excited to check out McCormack’s, and boy I was not disappointed.
The selection of whiskey’s which spans single malt scotch from Highland and Speyside to Bourbons and Ryes is enormous. If you can’t find a drink on this list you like then whiskey is not for you. Being somewhat new to the whiskey game, I told the server about the previous Spey’s I had enjoyed and asked for something in the same vein. He was VERY knowledgable and made several great suggestions throughout the night, pretty much hitting the flavor profile I was looking for each time. So don’t be overwhelmed when you see the menu, just ask for what flavors you like and a price range and let the professionals do the rest.
Personal favorite of the night was the Balvenie caribbean cask, which is a whiskey that is finished in a rum cask to add sweetness and a light spice. It was sweet like a dark honey or toffee, with subtle hints of vanilla that linger as the whiskey coats your mouth.
We also had food here and I was not disappointed in the least. I had the double smoked fried chicken, which is up there with some of the best fried chicken. It was cornmeal crusted (I think) and so super crunchy. You could see the smoke on the meat of the bird which was running juices and pipping hot. It came with smashed fried potatoes, a personal favorite way to prepare potatoes so yea also damn good. My buddies had poutine and hot wings apps, both were met with glee as we stuffed our faces. As a Canadian, and a bit of a poutine purist, I was not pumped about kale on the poutine, but the white gravy and cheese was delish (albeit not traditional). The portions were huge and the prices for food were VERY reasonable, although you pay a little more for the good whiskeys.
I am already excited to come back and continue the journey through the world of whiskey gems they have in stock!!!

Finally were able to check this place out. We had a great time tasting lots of great whiskey. The bartender was knowledgable and had good recommendations. The bar is very pretty itself. Unfortunately, the gas went out so we weren’t able to order food but we will definitely be back!

Excellent atmosphere and service! The Nashville style chicken sandwich is fantastic.

The atmosphere in here unassuming but once you’re in the bodacity of the place may make want to rent the apartment upstairs. I need not speak of the booze selection as it speaks for itself, but the wine list is surprising to say the least. (most of it super complimentary to the menu) I’m visiting from Virginia beach for work and this gem is on I will keep in my hat.

Every distilled liquor known to God and Bill W. — check.
Surprisingly, even though this place is certifiably one of the best examples of straight-​up drinker’s paradise in the US … the food is surprisingly good. I can’t go in the place without ordering, in addition to a bracing adult beverage, their fried green beans. Those things are a reason to be glad for fingers, and teeth, and tastebuds.
Heard recently that they’re planning a 2^nd location just down the street from me in disturbia. I for one cannot WAIT to be able to walk to McCormack’s.