Living Las Vegas

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Where Everybody Knows Your Name: The Legendary Johnny Mac’s

It’s easy not to notice Johnny Mac’s. Sandwiched in between a beauty supply store and a hair salon and overshadowed by a giant Smith’s grocery store, Johnny Mac’s Bar & Grill looks like one of a thousand neighborhood watering holes in the Las Vegas valley. A popular one, though, I thought as I looked for a place to park. I wonder what makes it special.

I was here to meet Brian Rouff, the author who captured the ambience of current-day Las Vegas so wonderfully in his novel Dice Angel. Johnny Mac’s is his favorite hangout, and also, he told me, the inspiration for Jimmy D’s, the fictional bar in Dice Angel.

Brian introduced me to Johnny Mac, who looked far more like a cute surfer dude than the crusty old bar owner I had imagined. So much for stereotypes. I’ve learned it’s better to leave them at home when exploring Las Vegas, but old habits die hard.

“He’s famous for his wings,” Brian told me. “He has a secret recipe.” Johnny Mac, whose formal name is John McGinty, hails from Buffalo, New York. When he came to Nevada a quarter of a century ago, he brought his secret wing recipe with him. It worked just as well in the desert as it did back there on the edge of Lake Erie, and word spread quickly.

“This place started out small,” Brian explained as I looked around. “It was really just a take-out place. But then John added on as more space became available. He kept knocking out walls until –” He held his arms out. Johnny Mac’s has a spacious dining area and a huge bar. It’s a good thing, I thought to myself. Even though it was a Wednesday night, the place was full. “And this is nothing compared to the weekends,” Brian said. “It’s always packed.”

All because of wings? It’s possible. We tried some, and they’re perfect. Crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, and not a bit greasy. I could probably eat five or six dozen all by myself. Luckily, I didn’t, because dinner was awesome. Chris, the chef, used to work on the Strip, but says he likes the freedom he has working for John. “He lets me be creative,” he told us, and one bite of his fried artichokes was instant proof of his culinary talent. His shrimp pasta was even better.

As we sat there enjoying our food, drink, and conversation, I found myself soaking up the intangible reason people keep coming back to Johnny Mac’s, the same one that made Brian Rouff immortalize John McGinty’s bar in his novel. It’s the same reason I kept feeling like singing the theme song from Cheers the entire time I was there. The food at Johnny Mac’s is enough to make you want to come back, but the easy friendliness clinches it.

So when you head south on Boulder Highway, go on past the Wal-Mart, and look for the Smith’s on the left-hand side south of Major Street. Johnny Mac’s is always open, just like it has been for the past twenty years. In addition to a host of other loyal regulars, you might find Brian Rouff there, working on his next novel. And from now on, you just might find me there, too.

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