johnny mack's taking over elementi space on 7th avenue

they can go out - just to darker places, duh

Ok, so.. so far I know that they need to dim their lights and that it's not attracting just the 20-something set immediately.

Anyone have anything else? Beers on tap? Burger quality?

Well, veets, don't dare go to this place! Didn't you hear Burns? You are way too old to be going out at night and disturbing the aesthetics. LMAO

Be sure to let us know how you find the lack of service, no heat, bright lights and old man smell

There can't be an old man smell... I haven't even been there yet!

Flexichick wrote: [quote=Burns]Be sure to let us know how you find the lack of service, no heat, bright lights and old man smell

Veets is old. How will she know if there is an old man smell? ;-)

(p.s. love ya, Veets!)

LOL, it might turn her on!

booklaw wrote: There can't be an old man smell... I haven't even been there yet!

LMAO! Book, you and the mrs. and veets need to go there together

Burns wrote: Be sure to let us know how you find the lack of service, no heat, bright lights and old man smell

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Sounds like they seated you in the mens room.

If so, I hope you realized those weren't hors d'oeuvres

Ok so I went tonight, and I was very unimpressed. If nobody told me it had anything to do with Johnny Mack's I wouldn't have thought of it. Even the name is different- it's Mack's 140 now.

The fatal mistake of places like this is that they have no idea what crowd they want to cater to. The tiny bar up front is crowded while children run amok through the back dining room. Meanwhile, those who want to just sit and enjoy a meal have to wait forever for their pulled pork sandwich, which, oddly enough, is scooped into the top of a small dinner roll. The burger is okay, the wings are okay, the sandwiches are okay, the beer selection is okay, the entrees are okay. It's all just okay.

The wait staff was nice, if flustered, and the decor is strictly middle-of-the-road, bright, standard restaurant-diner-style. There's no music playing, and there's just a general uncomfortable vibe.

The decor isn't at all changed from the space's time as Elementi, aside from two awkwardly placed arcade games in the back.

It's not a place I'd to with friends to have some drinks, and it's not a place I'd go with a date for a decent meal. Honestly, I don't know why I'd ever go there, and I won't be back. The food isn't good enough, and sitting in there is just too awkward.

Word to the wise- if you want to open a bar in Park Slope, open a bar. Make it an expansive, long bar, with plenty of seating, and decent food, and people will come. If you want to open a family-friendly restaurant, people will come, with their kids. Just make up your damn mind. I'm starting to get sick of this.

went to macks to grab a burger late on saturday night.. pleasant experience, although the music was a bit loud, given that there was hardly anybody in there. but the staff was nice and the food was good.. i'll probably go back.

Just went there and had a burger...I should say I've never been to the original place on 8th Ave in the south slope...The burger was very good (Among the best I've had in the slope)...I should preface this with the fact that I like a moderately thick burger that is juicy like Bonnie's...I don't care for Dram Shop, 5 Guys, and similar thin burgers that can only be cooked well done...Anyway, it was cooked a perfect medium rare, and not overseasoned...

Otherwise, the ambiance was somewhat odd...The bar had several little TV's, with big TV's on the opposite wall, where the only way to watch them was through the bar mirror. The back area had lots of little kids running around...I don't have a problem with kids in bars as a general rule, but they (like everything else) seemed a bit out of place...As others have noted, it was very brightly lit...

I really wanted to like this place...A decent bar in that area is SORELY lacking...Personally, I'd have preferred a more sports-bar type place to catch a football or baseball game some time, eat pub grub and drink beer (Sort of a smaller, lower key, calmer, non-meat-head version of 200 5th), but this place clearly isn't that...As others have noted I'm not sure why I would ever go back (Its too casual for a date, I wouldn't grab drinks there with a bud, I wouldn't really bring kids there, and I wouldn't go back by myself). The burger was solid enough that I'd order it to go (Bonnie's is an extra several blocks for me)...Maybe it would be a good place to take Mom and Dad to for lunch or dinner when they are in town? It has decent food and is a very non-threatening environment....I could also see them getting a decent brunch crowd (Assuming they even have brunch). It will do OK because there is simply no place close where one can get a decent burger and a beer...The execution seems well done, but I'm not sure about the overall strategy and positioning...

I was going to give it a try Saturday night but as soon as we looked in the window my wife and I were like "uh, no."

I like Johnny Mack's old feel. It's warm and dark whereas Mack's looks like a restaurant you'd find at a Mexican all-inclusive resort. The bar's too small to drink at, those horrible lighting fixtures, and beige color scheme just feels so antiseptic. Everyone who was in there looked a little sad. I certainly won't go there for a drinking session and if I wanted a Johnny Mack burger I'll go to Johnny Mack's.

There's just an ineffable, unappealing vibe to Mack's.

Oh, thought you were looking for food, lol