Mac’s Drive Thru

Alright wow. I’m in LOVE with this place. I honestly have to thank Unilocal for helping me find this place because this is my absolute favorite restaurant. Not only is it affordable but the the food is just so amazing. I’ve never been disappointed. The food is cooked fresh and the fries always come out perfect. Their burgers are probably the best burgers in Gainesville.

Macs Drive Thru is a Gainesville classic. Located near downtown off Main Street, the Drive Thru is only open Monday — Friday 9A-​5P. If you’re a working professional, I recommend going post-​lunch Rush (~1:30/2) so you don’t have as long of a wait to order.
The drive thru is exactly as its implies, where the majority of traffic is driving up to the building, getting in one of two lanes, ordering, paying, and leaving all in the confines of your vehicle. The premises does have a small parking lot and the ability to support people walking up to order (though they only have two picnic tables that I saw), but it’s a little difficult to get to their parking lot if there’s a long line in the drive thru.
While they have a variety of menu options from roast beef to fish to chicken, their known for their burgers. The cost is pretty on par with most fast food joints, with a burger/​fries/​drink running between $ 6 – 8. Each item must be ordered individually as there isn’t a combo option.
Every time I’ve went the staff have always been incredibly gracious and welcoming, I would give them 5 stars off of service alone! However, since they are a food joint I’d give them 4. Their food is pretty good, but it’s definitely not the most delicious burger you’ve ever had not are the fries anything special. The food is cooked fresh, which is a plus, but other then the commodity of the experience and the classic design of the building, I don’t feel like you’re getting anything special. Still, the food is great and I highly recommend it for said experience! You have to go there at least once while you’re in Gainesville.

Cash only. For anyone unsure about whether they will like Mac’s, just look at a picture of the building. If you see it and think, «ew, not my thing, I want my burger on ciabatta bread,» then skip it and continue eating at whatever national chain you like so much — because I can’t think off the top of my head of a «classy» AND local home style burger place. But if you know what a good burger tastes like, that tastes more like real food and less like «non culinary» or exotic ingredients, you will appreciate Mac’s. Yes, the lines are long. Go on a day when you can enjoy the small town atmosphere. And, contrary to how another reviewer feels — I DO crave Mac’s. Five stars, not because it’s a Michelin style place — but because it is «what you see is what you get,» and quality food.

Best burgers! If you’re looking for a «greasy spoon «this is it!!! They are pretty quick too, so great for lunch!!! If you’ve ever been to Ralph’s in Chiefland and loved it this is similar!

For the price and ease this place was awesome! For just under $ 8 we got a double cheeseburger with bacon and fries– what a steal. Drive thru was very convenient and moved very fast. The burger was juicy and flavorful and fried extremely crispy and hot. Especially since the McDonald’s on 13^th just closed this will definitely be the new macs to always go to! Only wish they were open more hours.

Just finished lunch from Mac’s… Holy moly it was delicious. It’s a favorite of ours family after we’ve gone out for a family hike. «Ken Eats Gainesville» has it as the best drive-​through burger in town. I think he’s right.
only drawback is they’re not open more hours.

Mac’s Drive Thru sits just off of Main street, behind Zaxby’s. Its resides in an unassuming building with one way in, and one way out. On very busy days the line can stretch down 10^th ave. The lines long for good reason. Mac’s has the best «fast food» burger in town. I say fast food purely for classification. Each patty is cooked fresh, there is no hot holding going on here. The burgers are assembled to order, and if you place an order at the window, you could wait between five to ten minutes for your food. But that’s OK, the food is worth the wait.
The woman at the window greeted us with a distinctly homey «how are you doing sweetie». I ordered a double bacon cheese burger, fry and a medium coke. There are no combos, and everything is ala carte. I hung around the window for fiveish minutes before my order was up. My dad and I then retreated to one of two benches for seating located around back.
I always start with the fires, in the burger and fries world, fries are more susceptible to losing heat, and cold fries are not nearly as tasty. They were golden, crispy and fluffy. Lightly salted and perfectly cooked. Reminded me of a lighter version of the treasured McDonalds fries I grew up on.
The burger came wrapped in a wax treasure bag. The American cheese melted in with the mayo adding a creamy texture. The tomato slice was fresh and juicy, and added good contrast to the burger patty’s lightly peppered crispy edges. The bacon was cooked crispy and was thin, and the onion added a mildly spicy bite. My dad said «this is how burgers tasted when I was young».
If you are looking for a great burger, Mac’s Drive Thru is freaking delicious.

Only thing keeping them from five stars is that drive thru line… SLOW.

Mac’s is the best drive-​through burger in town. Nice people and great food. The food is off of the griddle and straight to you. The fries are amazing and the tea is brewed.

Good, old fashioned hamburgers. Simple menu and inexpensive to boot. They have two drive in windows, but this place is so popular, you will wait quite awhile.
Burgers are tasty, real cheese, fresh and cold lettuce, tomato, onion & pickles. Fried are hot and crispy, not too much salt. Definitely a must-​grab when on this side of town around lunchtime.

Went here this afternoon for lunch. Ordered my standard cheeseburger all the way and an order of fries, and was not disappointed!
The drive-​up line here can sometimes get a bit out of control, streaming out into the street. If that is the case, park across the street in the Publix parking lot and walk across the street. The walk-​up line is very often not all that bad.

A cash only only business WTF are they laundering drug money or structuring deposits to be under $ 10,000 to avoid paying taxes. It was very inconvenient to have to use the ATM at Publix in that neighborhood and dangerous.

My office isn’t far away, and I eat here more regularly than a cardiologist would advise; but it’s that good!
Don’t be surprised to drive up and see the drive thru line backed up into the street. That’s normal at lunch time. It’s worth the wait.
These aren’t the gourmet burgers you can get at other places around town. If you are looking for those, try Sweet Mel’s downtown. But what they are is an old-​fashioned burger joint that will make you skip the chains whenever possible. Get the double cheeseburger all the way. Wash it down with a sweet tea. Then find a place to nap while the food coma sets in.
While most of the old school approach is a home run, there is one throwback I could do without: they only take cash. Too many of us these days carry cards instead of cash. There have been many times I would have stopped by but went elsewhere when I realized I didn’t have cash on me.

THE best drive-​thru in Gainesville hands down. The best fast food burger and/​or chicken sandwich. I never carry cash but I will go to the atm around the corner just to get this burger. My order is always right, my meal is always fresh, and my wallet is always thankful. It’s a Gainesville staple and you have to go at least once.

I can’t believe I’ve lived here my whole life & just tried them! Soooo good! Adults & kids were very happy & ate it all. I grew up on sandwich inn but this place beats them out hands down. Perfect old school burgers. Bring cash and expect a wait but its worth it!

One of my favorite burger spots in Gainesville! It’s not a fancy burger joint, so if you’re expecting that, I wouldn’t recommend it. But the price is good, and their burgers are good. I occasionally go when I am craving fast food — definitely better than going to a chain.
Cash only, and this place is drive-​thru only. Not open on weekends or late in the evening. The only negative comment is how long it may take to get your food. Expect to wait in a line of cars for at least 15 – 30 minutes on a typical day.

I’ve lived in Gainesville for a little over a year-​and-​a-​half now and I’ve been remiss in visiting and reviewing all the «local legend» establishments. Mac’s has been on my to-​do list for awhile, so today I took the opportunity to have lunch there.
I didn’t get the real «drive-​thru» experience and I didn’t miss that part. Even with two windows, cars were backed up into the street as of about 1pm … but since I was bicycling, I ordered at the walk-​up window. Only one couple ahead of me, and that was because they knew what they wanted and I had to look at the menu.
Quick, polite, competent service — cash only though, so don’t show up with a debit card hoping to eat.
I ordered the double cheeseburger (not «all the way», just the mayo and onion — «all the way» would include, IIRC, lettuce, tomato and pickle as well), fries and a soft drink.
Burger: Best burger I’ve had in quite awhile! Not huge — for a double cheeseburger, I’d guess to total pre-​cooked meat weight at maybe ¹⁄₃ pound — but definitely a reasonably big burger for the price. Just exactly greasy enough to evoke that old-​fashioned drive-​thru nostalgia, and it comes in wax paper too! I’m in love.
Fries: Meh. Not bad, not remarkable either.
Soft drink: Styrofoam cup, some ice but not too much. They don’t cheat you on it anyway.
Price-​wise, about what I would have paid for a combo meal of comparable size at one of the fast food chains. Quality-​wise, head and shoulders above. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger, «I’ll be back.»

For what it is, this place does it right! Locals. Drive thru could be faster (always a line out to the street), but who am I to tell them they could make more money…

A classic cheeseburger and fries joint that, unlike the commercial chains, gets the order right and isn’t a sloppy mess when you bring it home.
They aren’t gourmet burgers and it is just as the name states: a drive thru so no seats or fancy dining. The wait is longer near lunch time and they close kind of early. The price I paid for my cheeseburger and fries was 4.22. Good burger, good price is the bottom line.

I was finally in the area early and arrived here at 10:30am to wait in line for 20 minutes for two burgers and an order of fries. They have the same amount of customers as Sandwich Inn right around the corner, but they take a very long time to prepare the orders. However, they give you more meat on the burger at Mac’s. So be ready to wait if you come here, even when there are no other customers.
The burgers are tasty and on the small side, about as large as your fist. It is $ 0.39 extra per piece of bacon that you add to your order. They use salt liberally on the meat and the toppings are fresh. The fries are nothing fancy, reminding me of Wendy’s fries. I enjoy the good amount of butter used on the bun when it is toasted. The menu has some sandwiches, one size of fries for $ 1.39, and an assortment of sodas.
Nothing fancy. Cash only.