Mac’s at the Lake is one of the newest restaurants on the Westside. Located just east of Laurie on Route O next door to the B & B movie house, Mac’s is open Wednesday through Monday at 11:00 a.m. serving sandwiches, pizza, Italian, Cajun, and salads.

Mac’s may be new to the Westside, but owners Denise and Mike MacDonald are not new to restaurants. Mike moved from playing football and working in restaurants during the off-season to full-time restaurant ownership at the age of 23. Denise brought customer service expertise. She still does. She meets and greets customers while Mike cooks.

The MacDonalds have been coming to the Lake since 2008, and in 2014, they made the leap from full-time restaurant owners in Kansas City to full-time Lake retirees--until, that is, they went to a Meet and Greet at Indian Rock. Someone at the gathering knew about the MacDonald’s background as successful restaurant owners. Soon, someone else had talked the MacDonalds into opening and running the clubhouse serving bar and grill foods. Six months later, the MacDonalds moved to their own Lake of the Ozarks restaurant across the road.

The menu features their personal favorites from the menus developed for restaurants they’ve owned, loved, and sold over the past twenty years. Two items are Mac’s versions of Cajun-styled food they grew to love at the Oyster Bar in Las Vegas.  They even stood in line for three hours just to enjoy the Oyster Bar's Bouillabaisse and Combo Pan Roast. Both are rich in seafood and served with Cajun herbed rice.

When we tried Mac’s the first time, we were there for a late lunch, but the dinner special, Fettucini Alfredo with shrimp, was ready for service so we ordered it. The menu promised a “creamy Alfredo sauce,” and the menu didn’t lie. The sauce tastes of cream and butter; the shrimp resting on the pasta and sauce were delicately seasoned and tender.

Two buttery slices of garlic bread and a small salad completed the dish, but a special word about that salad: it had plump pickled cherry and pepperoncini peppers on the side. Both were delicious. 

The dish also looked good, suggesting that good tastes will follow. They did. In fact, that’s part of Mike MacDonald’s philosophy. He says, “perception is reality” and strives to present foods that please the eye as well as the taste buds.

MacDonald believes that great food and consistency are keys to success. Denise adds that great service is another component of their success, and she is responsible for that service. She is patient as new customers study the menu. She’s accommodating and quick when customers need something more--that to-go carton, for example. She is also personable, making it easy for diners to ask questions and chat.

The second food we sampled was the Hawaiian Pizza. We chose the hand-tossed crust instead of the thin, but later learned that people rave about the thin crust as much as we do about the hand-tossed. It was golden at the outer edges but not tough or too crisp to enjoy. The small sliced pieces of ham complement the pineapple chunks nicely, and the fried bacon pieces--not well-preserved bacon bits--and sliced onion add a pungent punch to the traditional Hawaiian flavors.

We liked the atmosphere at Mac’s, too. The restaurant has a cozy bar area just beyond the entry.  Several high tables with comfortable seats are handy for lunches and after-work meetings. To the right is open seating with lots of light pouring in from a bank of windows. Beyond the parking lot is a well-maintained green belt masking O Road on its other side.

On Wednesday nights, from 5-8, customers can take advantage of the pizza buffet. This feature may be expanded to include weekend hours through the summer so keep checking the restaurant’s Facebook page for an opportunity to sample all the delicious pizzas the restaurant prepares fresh and serves hot. You’ll also see photos of special menu items featured on Facebook.

Mac’s at the Lake will be a great resource for great food and great customer service through the year. Closed on Tuesdays only, the restaurant will offer casual dining year-round. One Tuesday soon, the MacDonalds hope to enjoy their other favorite pastime: golf. Until then, they’ll be fully committed to the pastime that has been their challenge and joy for more than 20 years: restaurants.

Update: Mac's at the Lake continues to thrive and is about to double its locations. Beginning March 1, 2016, Mike and Denise MacDonald will return to Indian Rock's restaurant. Soon diners will need to choose between lunch at Mac's and dinner at Indian Rock or dinner at Mac's with lunch at Indian Rock. Enjoy! 

Al and Connye Griffin create Our Eyes Upon Missouri.

Connye wrote this one. Al provided the photographs.