Nachos in Paradise: Mac 24

Mac 24/7 is known for its 24 hour availability of super delicious pancakes and the cheesiest mac n cheese you can get on the island. Just recently they added NACHOS to their menu! When we found out we were stoked to have our next nacho night there. I made reservations in the bar area but little did we know that they reserved the entire bar top for us. Although spread out, it was the first time we sat in such a set-up and it was pretty cool. Our bartender, Axel, was awesome. He jumped at the opportunity to wear our nacho chip tunic and kept our drinks flowing. Not only did he cater to us like we were rock stars, but also the manager Alton came out and made sure we were okay numerous times. Even the recently hired media specialist, Mark, came over to greet us and make us feel at home.

Fun fact: Nachos are the only food specially priced for happy hour. Although MAC 24/7 has its own happy hour from 2-5pm and 12-3am, the LBLE (Lobby Bar) located just outside the restaurant in the lobby of the hotel is also a primo spot to catch happy hour and eat nachos. With happy hour from 5-7pm and live music nightly from 6-9pm, you can’t beat it. $3/$6 drafts, $5 wells, $7 premiums, $6 mai tais, $6 bubbles AND $12 Kalua pork nachos. Major bang for your buck for quality in Waiks. My favorite drink to get is always the Mac-Cano. It comes in the largest martini glass in all the land and is delivered lit on fire. If you check in on YELP, you get half off this monstrous concoction. Definitely best split with a friend.

Our nachos came out quickly after ordering and were some of the prettiest I have ever seen. They even had a little flower on them. The toppings looked fresh and colorful and it was a pretty decent portion for nachos. We were not very hungry and split it among 3. I especially loved the variety of peppers sprinkled all over. My only complaint was the way the cheese sauce and liquid from the pork pooled at the bottom like a nacho soup. This often happens with Kalua pork since it is so juicy. I just want all the cheesy goodness on the chips and not underneath them. Other than that, the nachos were stellar, bursting with flavor from the variety of toppings.

Flaming Mac-Cano

Kalua Pork Nachos - $18 or $12 for happy hour

Axel wins for best bartender to date.

Nacho Libra (4.75) – PRESENTATION: Beautiful! A lovely orchid garnish-they don't miss a thing! Love the bright, colorful chips. Everything is piled so perfectly. RAD: Mac-cano Eruption cocktail is amazing! So much freshness on the nachos! Fresh tomatoes, peppers, avocado, etc. The BBQ pork is tangy, salty deliciousness! LAME: While the sauce is awesome, missing real cheese. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 5, so much toppings! Lots of cheese sauce at the bottom that was perfect for naked chips. While they seem pricey, they are delicious. I would definitely order again. Service was impeccable. All of the orders came out quickly. Axel was engaging and super helpful. So fun!!

Nacho Mac Daddy (5) – PRESENTATION: One of the best looking plating I have seen. Big chunks of freshly cut tomatoes, onions, avocado, jalapenos. Looks like plenty of toppings. RAD: The size of the plate. Big enough to share. Oh and the YELP 1/2 off Mac-cano drink. LAME: Need more chips to eat all the toppings. Who needs an orchid on the plate. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 5, all fresh cut veggies and big pieces of avocado. Great bartender and awesome nachos! Lots of cheese sauce till the end! Axle was great. Bar seating! He even donned the nacho tunic for photos.

Tango Tango (4.475) – PRESENTATION: So much color! 3 color chips, 3 kinds of peppers. Perhaps heavy on sour cream and light on cheese sauce. RAD: We got the entire bar!!! Check in on YELP for 1/2 price Mac-cano. Staff is *AWESOME* +++Service. LAME: Onions, if you are not into them, raw onions and chives abundant. So order without if you don't like. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 3.5, quality is fresh and good variety, delish pork. Layering is only a 2, with so many chips and toppings layering is essential but lacking here. Very, very good and highly recommended but I will tweak to go sans onion next time. So good! Some of the friendliest service. EAT THESE NACHOS SOON!

Brando (3) – PRESENTATION: Lovely presentation, even had a flower garnish. Multi-colored chips, avocado, sour cream, peppercinis, pork, tomatoes, chives, olives. RAD: Thicker chips, pork was really tasty, diverse toppings. LAME: A lot of onions, I usually prefer graded cheese to cheese sauce. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 3, the cheese was a sauce, not grated. but pretty evenly dispersed with the exception of a few dry pockets. All toppings were fresh. Would have liked some beans on that bad boy, but I am a spoiled Californian. Service was great, sitting at the bar was nice. Axl was a great bartender. The music was generic but I am hard to impress in that department. Overall had a good time.

Ashley (3) – PRESENTATION: Very colorful! WOW! RAD: Fresh peppers - YAY! LAME: Not very flavorful. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 3. Axel is awesome! Fake Mexican taste on the backend.

Roberto (2) – PRESENTATION: WOW! Beautiful! RAD: Very fast! Beautiful presentation! Fresh jalapenos and avocado. LAME: Cheese is interesting. I hate olives. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4, not layered evenly, but amounts are perfect. Flavor is not nearly as bold as the appearance. Axel put on the nacho costume! Tequila….yum!

Tequila Cat (3.5) – PRESENTATION: Beautifully served in a bowl. I love the fresh jalapenos and lovely avocado chunks. RAD: We got the whole bar reserved for us. Also, the bartender wore the tortilla chip poncho. LAME: The reservations were difficult to make (per Shannon). TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 5, better than most. There were actually toppings left at the bottom. A solid 3.5, only challenges were that they needed more spice and more girth (for the $18 price tag). We love our bartender Axel!

Shananigans (4.5) – PRESENTATION: Gorgeous! It comes with a f*cking flower. RAD: Pork is onolicious. Love the multitude of multi-colored peppers and tri-color chips. Everything is fresh. LAME: Not layered well and kinda watery. Could use more cheese but have I ever met a nacho that I did not say this to? Vive le fromage! TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 3.5, needed more chips, more cheese, better layering. Axel is the best bartender in all the land. Nacho bartender! Dalton made sure we were taken care of and made a point to see what we thought of the nachos. Some of the best service we have experienced on the island. Above and beyond!

Jessie (5) – PRESENTATION: A mountain of nachos. RAD: Large scoop of sour cream. LAME: Nothing. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 5. Great service!

Lizzy's picky version with everything on the side for Wammy to enjoy

Wammy (4.5) – PRESENTATION: Pretty, I enjoy the different colored chips. RAD: The flavor of the pork is fantastic! Too often places skimp out on the taste when many ingredients are included. The sweet heart of the pork is the centerpiece. LAME: I may be alone on this but fresh jalapenos < pickled jalapenos. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4, I wish I had more chips. maybe Lizzy just ate them all before I had a chance to get to them. Next time I am getting my own plate. This place feels like a really clean Denny's. Service was super friendly.

Lizzy (3) – PRESENTATION: So pretty! Wait, where's my flower? RAD: The pork was delicious. The did a great job putting stuff on the side for little miss picky. LAME: I wish there was shredded cheese. I like the yellow and red chips only. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 4, they gave me extra since I am super picky ya. I wanted even more pork. PS…Wammy is a turd. I loved the pork, the cheese was just OK, black corn chips are weird. Looks/feels a little like a Denny's and probably could fix with better lighting scheme. Service was friendly and great!

Amy (0) – PRESENTATION: Pretty. RAD: The YELP drink. LAME: The nachos. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: 1, I really did not like these at all. Took 2 bites. Gross. Service was decent. Nachos were the worst ever.

Rashelle (1) – PRESENTATION: Where's the cheese? RAD: Drink. LAME: Nachos. TOPPING TO CHIP RATIO: Too much chips and toppings, not enough real cheese. Service good, nachos no.