After an 8-mile hike, we were hungry. We headed to Mac and Bob’s in Salem, VA to rectify the problem. We parked behind the restaurant. Being on a city street, there is not a lot of parking, but I did notice that there is a paid lot next door. As we entered the restaurant we were warmly greeted. We asked to sit at the bar and the hostess pointed us in the right direction.
The bar is massive, extending down the length of the building. It was not a busy day, just us at one end of the bar and a few customers at the other. The bartender was cordial, but not very attentive. Apparently, the customers at the other end of the bar were regulars, thus garnering most of his attention. He did, however, do a great job making my cocktail. I like Stoli Vanil with ginger ale. Made correctly, the drink tastes like a cream soda. Too much alcohol and it does not taste good at all. He was spot on with his pour and the cocktail was bright, refreshing, and oh so yummy.
I ordered the Beer Cheese, made with Fat Tire Amber Ale. While the flavor of the cheese was pleasant, it had obviously been heated in a microwave. The outside edge of the cheese was thick and hard, which was not at all appetizing.
Eventually, our bartender made his way back to our end of the bar to the rest of our order. We asked for an order of fried mushrooms and a calzone with sausage, mushrooms and extra cheese. The fried mushrooms were heavily breaded with a really hard crust which did not have an appealing flavor. The calzone was beautiful, with a golden, buttery crust. Unfortunately, both of us had started feeling ill and were no longer hungry. We decided to take the calzone with us to eat when we were feeling better. We did not box the mushrooms and had obviously not eaten more than two. I found it odd that the bartender did not ask us about them, as it was pretty clear that something was wrong.
After we returned home the next night we enjoyed the calzone. It was big enough for us to share and both get full. The calzone was nicely stuffed with plenty of cheese, mushrooms, and sausage, and the crust was delicious. I can only imagine how good it would have been if we had eaten it when it was fresh.
Cost for a beer, a cocktail, two appetizers, and a calzone $48.09.
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