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Al Mac's Grill & Bar
Categories: Nightlife Bars Restaurants Canadian (New) Restaurants Buffets Bars, Canadian (New), Buffets [Edit]
5435 Ferry StNiagara Falls, ON L2G 1S2
(905) 357-6227
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
22 reviews for Al Mac's Grill & Bar
22 reviews in English
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Review from Mark L.
9/16/2011 1 photo
While spending a few days in the Niagara Falls area, I noticed this place while driving around town. It's a fairly new, nice looking building, and they have signs out front advertising their $6.99 Breakfast Buffet.
Well... that was enough to get me interested (especially since most things in this town are quite OVER-priced). The interior of the place IS nice. The tables and chairs all look like quality stuff. The decor was decent. But, here's where the problems set in... the "food".
I don't know how many breakfast buffets YOU'VE gone to, but I know that 'I've" gone to quite a few. Usually when you go to a "buffet" you expect a fairly large selection... well... don't expect that here. Yes, they had most of the breakfast "staples"... pancakes, waffles, eggs, sausage, potatoes (in various forms), etc... But, there really wasn't much else. AND... the only fruit that they had to choose from was a BIG bowl of fruit cocktail (which looked like it had just come out of the can... in fact, I'm sure it had).
Then, as for the pastry selection... it was pretty abysmal. I mean, even the little breakfast put on by the hotel that I was staying at had a better pastry selection! That's sad. And, just like another person mentioned, any type of drink (other than water, I suppose) is extra... and they definitely charge you a premium for that drink as well. So, your $6.99 breakfast buffet with a drink REALLY ends up being around 10 bucks a person (which isn't such a great deal anymore... although, for Niagara Falls, this still might be).
It's not that the food is bad, it was okay... it's just that when you go to a buffet, you really do expect to see more choices than this place offers. The next day I noticed another breakfast buffet place in town ALSO advertising a $6.99 breakfast buffet. Well, I walked in that place the next morning only to find the EXACT SAME SELECTION as "AlMacs" (right down to the large bowl of fruit cocktail)!! I don't know if the two places were owned by the same person or what?
Anyway... if you don't mind a SMALL selection, then give this place a try. If you are looking for a better selection though, you will most certainly want to look elsewhere. -
Review from Alex K.
1/6/2012
Horrible customer service, OK food, very high prices and trickery involved to get you in.
So the sign outside says that it's $17 for a dinner buffet. Seemed decent, until you find out how much they charge for drinks.
This if the first place I've ever been to to tell me that they do not serve tap water. And bottled water cost $3, soft drink (iced tea) was $4 with refills included, and so on. Even their tea cost $3. The best part is that they start you out with a menu full of drinks and no prices listed on it whatsoever.
As for the service, we sat at our table before going to the buffet, expecting the waitress to come and take our order for drinks. After being tired of waiting, we went and got some food. When we sat down, she came over and asked us about the drinks. After finding out about the lack of tap water situation, she convinced me to go with iced tea (which I ordered with no ice and got it served with ice) since it comes with refills, unlike their bottled water.
Throughout our stay, she came once to check on us, and refilled out drinks after the glasses had been sitting empty on the table for a while.
While the place looked really nice both from the outside and inside (although it's past the holiday season, so considering to take down the X-mas decorations and changing the music would probably help), most of the plates were dirty. Our table as also dirty when we got there, and there was gum at the bottom of the table on my side.
At the end, she served us the bill without asking for it after we sat for a while in front of the table with only one plate at the end of the table waiting to have it picked up. The receipt was placed in an leather bill sleeve and there was a pocket that said "place Visa here" so I placed my credit card in it sticking out of the leather bill sleeve, and left the bill sleeve in a position so that the credit card was sticking out from the outside of the table and began to wait. We water a good 15 minutes. I went to the washroom and returned and it was still sitting there. I put my coat back on and went over to the waitress' podium. She told me to pay at the cashier at the front. It looked like she pointed to the bar, so I went and started to wait there. Several minutes later, she directed me to the actual cashier stand at the front of the venue, where by that point, a table of ~10 people who were each paying individually had formed. Needless to say, I was rather upset by that point.
I'm definitely not returning to this joint, and wouldn't recommend it. They trick you with their decent buffet price and then charge you insane amounts for drinks. Their buffet size is rather small, and you come out with all your clothes reeking of deep fryer even if you don't have much of the greasy food. The total of $47 with taxes for two people seemed a bit much for what we got, even for Niagara Falls. -
Review from Chris G.
Stoney Creek, ON
8/28/2011
I wish we had checked Yelp before we went here. All the bad reviews are spot on.
The decor was nice. That is about the only positive thing I could say. The food was mediocre, the service was lacking, and get this, a cheesy accordian player in a cheap buffet!
And what is with the beverages? $3 for a bottle of water, $4 for a soft drink, and no free tap water?
I realize it is a $17 buffet and I shouldn't expect much, but it almost seems like they were trying to be cheap. Good service and quality doesn't have to cost a lot.
So the quest for decent affordable food in the tourist areas of the Falls continues. -
Review from Tina Z.
8/19/2011
Possibly one of the worst restaurants I've been to. They advertise $6.99 for the breakfast menu until 2pm, but they don't serve tap water, and drinks are $4 each. Apparently there are refills but we didn't get to see any of that at our table.
The menu does not have any greens at all. You'd expect a tomato or spinach or mushrooms in an omelet. French toast was tasteless, bacon overcooked and tough, the canned fruits left a weird aftertaste.
During our half hour in the restaurant, we were visited by many friendly bees and flies, and there was a piece of chewing gum on the floor (stepped on by one of the party). No ketchup on our table, and the waitress couldn't be found except at the very end for the bill.
Avoid this place. -
Review from Jenny M.
6/15/2011
i think some of the reviews on here are harsher than they need to be! First of all, the place was immaculately clean, and the decor was nice. Our server was very pleasant, and parking is very easy...
We came here for the breakfast buffet, and got exactly what we expected. Seriously, guys... you don't pay $6.99 for an all you can eat buffet and expect the best fresh fruit, crepes and eggs benedict! Instead we got maple drenched scrambled eggs, pancakes, waffles, french toast, donut holes, bagels, muffins, and baked beans. My dad and I packed it in, and spent the rest of the day walking it off. We came here at 10:30am, and we didn't even have another meal for the rest of the day.
So for $7 to get me full the entire day, especially when you are on a budget vacation... that's pretty damn impressive. Lol. -
Review from Marie S.
10/9/2011
One word: SCAMMY! The $6.99 breakfast is an illusion (unless you are able to eat without also drinking anything, or are willing to bring in your own bottled water). $2.99 for coffee, $3.99 for soft drinks. I've paid less than that for BEER! Also...NO TAP WATER, but you can buy a SMALL bottle of water for $2.99. Typically, restaurants make lots of margin on liquids, but this one goes as far as making up money on WATER, in addition to outrageous prices for other drinks. Is it even legal not to serve free tap water? Whatever. Be warned, and read the reviews, as I wish I had.
The food is edible. But I don't think it was any kind of great value - $24.00 for breakfast for 2 people (we had a coffee and a soft drink) and generally the food was low quality. It didn't make us sick, at least. And they did have everything listed on the sign board out front - including the "fruit" - although that was fruit cocktail from a can. Ew. The place was reasonably clean, but loud.
I think you can probably do much better than this for breakfast elsewhere, thought we didn't find a decent value breakfast during our stay in NF. Of course, the poor reviews don't seem to be hurting this business much. We can only hope that maybe someone will open a $6.99 buffet close by that includes FREE WATER, and reasonably priced beverages!! Competition is a beautiful thing, and gee, NF, there seems to be a big opportunity for a good breakfast at a real value!! -
Review from Shaun B.
Richmond Hill, ON
8/22/2011
no tap water. Seriously?? i'm not a socialist but i did wonder if that was legal. $3 for 500ml bottle of water and $4 for a kid's juice.
We were there for dinner, selection was disappointing, and scarce judging by others propensity to reach and grab as soon as a dish comes out. Dessert was very "minimalist".
On Sun night there was a live band which was interesting, i think they'd be better off putting more effort into the food and not ripping people off on drinks. -
Review from Monica S.
8/9/2011
We arrived at 12:30 for a breakfast lasting until 2pm. Our server was very nice, but the food was not. Let me preface that by saying that we were full from breakfast until 8:00 pm. On the menu were eggs, sausage, bacon, ham, waffles (which ran out and were not replaced), pancakes, oatmeal, fruit, yogurt, and french toast (which was rubbery). There may have been a few other odds and ends, but I did not notice. The area we sat in was not clean and had little bugs flying around. All in all: parking was ample, the food was edible (what you expect from a $6.99 buffet, drinks are not included in the price and juices and water come in bottled form and you have to pay for each round, service was good.
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Review from a k.
Toronto, ON
8/31/2011
I love their Ribs. They are very clean. worth the money. pretty much all their selections taste good. smaller choice than mandarin but a good spot for families with kids. i would definitely come back.
The violin and accordion adds to the cheese factor, i like cheesiness when i am on vacation. :)
Cheers to you guys. -
Review from Fabiano P.
Toronto, ON
3/26/2011
We've passed in front of the all mac's yesterday coming back home and the price of the all-you-can-eat breakfest got our attention. As my lady never had one of those we thought it could be a good choice for the first meal of the day.
So at the other morning we went to check the nice place at rhe corner of our hotel! The place is really beautiful, clean and wasn't too crowded. The waitress explained us that the breakfest does not include any drinks, not even coffee... First down point but ok.
At the buffet no fruits at all, instead of it just fat, fat and more fat! Everything nice and beautiful but don't think you can have a healthy choice in here.
We decided we would tale the day to gain some pounds and we've gone heavy on it!! Six hours later and i still can't have nothing.
At the end of the day, the food is junky but tasty... And we spent more than we wanted for the "cheap" choice. -
Review from Wojtek W.
Mississauga, ON
11/6/2010 2 photos
Wow!!! This is the most horrible place I ever visited when it comes to breakfast. Food tasted like cardboard the pancakes were dry, so dry the edges were crunchy.
My girl got OJ a nice small glass that tasted more like TANG than orange juice. The price for the OJ was $3.99CND so come on at least put some real stuff in the glass.
We tried everything on the buffet menu. The only thing that deserves more than one star were the eggs cuz that is very hard to screw up.
So the bill came to $25CND for 2 $6.99 buffets a cup of tea and OJ. Yeah!! Do the math.
The place is so bad I even told a couple walking in to stay away!!!!!!!! -
Review from ABBY A.
6/23/2010 1 photo
$6.99 for a breakfast buffet? Can I get a, "Hell yea, son!"? Private parking lot, no wait, friendly waitress, and all-you-can-eat eggs, bacon, sausages, bean soup (bean soup???), breakfast potatoes, hash browns (yumm!), French toast, BEAN SOUP (blugh!), oatmeal, Belgian waffles, a few bakery selections...hmm what else...OH YEAH, and some beeeaaan soup! Drinks are not included in the $6.99 but I think its still worth it, especially if you're hungry.
Minus one star for the bean frikkin' soup. -
Review from Derek L.
Oakville, ON
11/23/2010
I came here for the breakfast buffet. The low price offer got us in there. the buffet itself was quite a disapointment. It really didn't have much to offer. Just not enough food, plain and simple. It can be cheap, but I would be willingn to pay the extra $5 for a great breakfast. So, although I might return to this place, I can't really give it a good review.
Derek -
Review from Lisa B.
Toronto, ON
11/7/2010
I am forced into rating this place a star when it's not even worthy of that.
Sure service is good, seating was quick. But there is nothing like being excited for some pancakes and all it feels like is biting into pennies. MM Mmm MMmm! Tasty. Then hoping to go for a refreshing glass of orange juice.. I am expecting to be the best glass of OJ since it's about 4 dollars. Nearly the same prices of the buffet! Boy was I wrong.
Let's just say I left that place still hungry, and annoyed I just wasted 25 dollars on Sh** -
Review from Denis S.
9/13/2009
We came here for the breakfast buffet because we had spent a bunch the day before and wanted to keep the costs low. Buffet was $6.99 and we thought that breakfast couldn't be screwed up that bad... so why not?
Wrong, breakfast can be screwed up really bad. It seems to be an art this place has perfected. From scrambled eggs to fried potatoes, from burnt pancakes to not-quiet done French toast, it kept getting worse and worse. Next time, if you're hungry and have $6.99, break that into change and eat the change, it'll be more nutritious and taste better.Listed in: My Trip to Canada
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Review from Emily Y.
8/9/2011
I'm not even sure why we went, other than the fact that I really wanted a breakfast buffet, it was close to our hotel, I was pregnant and hungry. Barely any selection, and they use the cheapest (cost-wise) ingredients: toast, french toast, hard boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, syrupy fruit cocktail, plain communal yogurt, potatos, greasy/fatty bacon and sausage links. drinks and water are not included, and are for a fee. Skip this place. I guess I'm just thankful that I didn't get sick after eating here. Oh, they do have pancakes (oh joy).
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Review from Stacie F.
1/1/2011
$6.99 Breakfast buffet....cheap, quick, easy...so we thought. My friends and I weren't expecting the most amazing meal ever, but it was barely okay. What annoyed me the most is when I asked for a water and the response was "We only offer bottle water and it's $2.99." Thanks, but I'll have a cranberry juice. Then when I couldn't finish my $3.99 juice, I asked for a to-go cup and was told they don't have any. Then the idiot waitress recommended that I purchase a water, dump it out and pour the cranberry juice in the bottle. WOW - that makes sense! So, to punish her stupidity, I stole the plastic cup that contained my juice.
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Review from David H.
Vancouver, BC
5/17/2010
Wish I could give this place zero stars!! The place is dirty, cutlery, plates and floors were a mess. The food is inedible rock hard pancakes, cold rubbery eggs and soggy toast. Only bottled water at $3 per bottle ( half the price of a breakfast. ) all six of us at the table were disgusted. The waitress was friendly but the owner is in denial about how bad the food is when we told him. Four of our six are locals and will not be returning there are alot of other places to go for the same price and better food.
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Review from Michael M.
Dunnville, ON
Dinner. Poooooor. Who has hotdogs on a buffet? Especially with no condiments
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Review from Mark G.
Dunnville, ON
If you like horrible dinner buffets, this place is for you! The food wasn't very good it was all very bland and sketchy. The chicken looked under done. The music was so loud you couldn't have a conversation with anyone. There was one kind of soup. There were plain hot dogs on the buffet with no condiments. It was like someone with the mental faculties of a three year old decided to make a buffet. The bucket of beer was okay, but it should include 6, not 5 beers. 5 beers can cause a fight over the last one.
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Review from Patti W.
Niagara Falls, ON
5/2/2010
My husband took our family to Al Mac's today to celebrate my upcoming birthday. Its in a very touristy part of town but 6.99 for a breakfast buffet it was worth a try. We were seated very quickly. The price of the buffet does not include drinks. Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate and Pop are free refills. The Coffee and Hot Chocolate were both 3 dollars each. Very large crowd but the buffet lined moved quickly. I like that in a Buffet since you know the food is fresh. The food was all well cooked, coffee was great!
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Review from Stephen S.
12/12/2010 1 Check-in Here
There are very few buffets which I only make one trip and even fewer where I don't touch the bacon, this was one of them in both cases. We went for a Sunday morning buffet, thinking it would be better than normal days. It's not. Service was ok, the buffet was small in offerings and all the food was either soaked in grease or bland. Their "kids rate" is a dollar off. And then we received the bill and discovered they charged $4 per soft drink! On the way out we overheard another waitress telling her customer that they will special order eggs for them upon request, I guess not everyone likes watered down scrambled. Not worth the visit.
