Mac & Min’s

I’ve got to admit, I miss Jerry’s but in a pinch, this is an ok place for a sandwich. Unfortunately, it’s kinda pricey. The gumbo was very good. Not too spicy, not too mild. Service is pretty slow, I can’t imagine they have more than 2 – 3 people working there. The shrimp po boy was very tasty. I may call this a one in a while kinda place. There are some other sandwich places in the neighborhood where you can save yourself a few bucks.

Cajun food is hit or miss here in Chicagoland. Mac and Min’s itself is hit or miss as well. Prompt service is always a plus. The place is very unassuming and blends into Madison St. all too easily. As for the food, I tried out the oyster po’ boy and the red beans and rice. First off, the prices are pretty damn expensive! Those two totaled to $ 15.50 including tax! I will say though, the red beans and rice, while on the salty side, warranted the $ 5 price tag! Smoky spices that warm one up as well as chunks of Andouille sausage marry wonderfully with the beans and rice. I’ll grab the large next time. As for the po’ boy, it was underwhelming. While the bread was great, everything else about it was «meh». The oysters were OK, but not enough to merit rating almost $ 10 for a six-​inch sandwich. The options do look interesting though so I will be back to try the shrimp or Voodoo chicken po’ boys next time.
So yeah, I do see myself scarfing down a huge order of red beans and rice again, but not the oysters. Looks promising though, so I’ll give it at least one more shot. I don’t see myself going out my way to head there though.

Thought this was a great take on cajun with the same feel as Jerry’s… I like the 50 sandwiches idea and have always loved the lay out… it is a little over priced but you get quality ingredients and it is on madison street people… get the chicken

Having just gotten back from NOLA, my desire for a Po Boy was at an all time high so I made my 2^nd trip to Mac and Mins. The first time, the voodoo chicken and bbq shrimp po boys hit the spot so I figured I’d do one of those again. The restaurant being out of voodoo sauce (!) threw a small wrench in to my plans so I had to audible to a fried chicken po boy, which was still pretty good.
I know NOLA natives will argue that the bread isn’t the same (and they might have a point) but Mac and Mins is doing it all right. And for those complaining about the price, the Po Boys in NOLA cost about the same so I guess don’t go to NOLA either.

1* Corned Beef
3.5* Shrimp & Oysters Po’ Boy
3* Gumbo

Tried to go back on Fat Tuesday and was super excited for an alligator sausage po boy. showed up (at 7:45) and they had a sign on the door they were out of bread! I was heartbroken!
Then I said «you’re still open what can I get that’s not on bread?» the woman offered me the insides of a po boy on a salad or just «in a basket» but meh. I said «can I go buy some bread and bring it back here for you to make me sandwich» to which she replied that they closed in 15minutes anyway. OK then! Guess not!
I was really upset, not only because they should have anticipated a rush on Fat Tuesday and had enough bread, but also that the stated hours on their website were wrong (the site says 8:30 but the employee informed me their «winter hours» are only til 8 despite not having that posted anywhere).
I won’t be back.

Went today, the place seems pretty good, I would probably come back again. I had a Po Boy of shrimp and oysters as well as a Boylan Soda. They actually went pretty well surprisingly.
I only give it 3 stars simply because other than the wide variety of Po Boys and drinks. There is not much else going for it. I feel the place would be good if they stuck to this idea of Po Boys and Drinks and stop right there, No need for fancy décor or anything like that. Just save some money, drop the price a buck or 2, and cut the floor space in half and just sell what is good.
The service is fast and prompt, I would love to see this place improve in the coming months. I will be coming back, but maybe just take out or delivery

After my last review I was contacted by one of the owners and we traded a few emails about my opinion of Mac and Mins and the direction that he is intending to take the place. It was cool that he seemed genuinely interested in my opinion (and I’m sure others as well).
Today I went back for the first time since the last review and was really pleasantly surprised to see three sandwich sizes available now vs. two in the past (when one was small and over priced and the other was way too big). I opted for the medium and it was absolutely perfect.
Also — I know a big part of my complaints in the past were sitting around the place for 15 – 20 minutes waiting for the sandwich to be ready. I think calling in advance is definitely the way to go!
If MandM continues to get it’s act together — this will definitely be a very nice addition to the West Loop. So far, I’m liking the improvements I’ve seen very much!

To those fretting about the price, fear not, you certainly get what you pay for.
I’m usually not too big a fan of Cajun Cuisine, but this really hit the spot. I got a cup of their Crab and Andouille Sausage Gumbo and a small order of the delectable sweet potato fries with a drink all for under $ 10 and I was quite satisfied. The food was full of flavor and well worth the 5 minute (gasp!) wait. Maybe if you’re in a hurry to get back to your desk you’re better off with a quicker option, but if you have the time, it’s a great place to grab a unique lunch.
Bonus points if you can brave the Alligator Sausage.

So the price for food here kind of sucks, but it’s really no different from Jerry’s. If it’s a bit pricey it still rocks!
Sure you don’t get a side with any sandwiches but you don’t really need them, the portions are pretty large. The Fried Oysters Po Boy was so big I could barely take down the whole thing and believe me I tried. I was also able to try the muffaletta sandwich it wasn’t the best I had but still pretty solid. I’d recommend skipping the Sweet Potato Fries for an extra $ 4 they just aren’t worth it.
If I worked closer I’d hit up Mac & Min’s for lunch often but good thing they are still open when I get off so I can grab a sandwich for dinner.

As a native New Orleanian who takes food seriously, I had high hopes that were not entirely met… but I have to give an A for effort. The inclusion of Zapps potato chips, Barq’s, and other Nola specialties were great touches, and the po-​boy bread, though not exactly authentic (a nearly impossible feat outside of NOLA anyway)… certainly wasn’t the worst I’ve ever had.
I had the Blackened Trout Po-​Boy (though I would’ve preferred if their menu included my Nola favorite – catfish), and the flavor was pretty good, although their remoulade wasn’t entirely to my liking. The Red Beans and Rice were OK, but oversalted and a bit on the watery side. I sampled some of the fried oysters, which were tasty and had a nice spicy kick. I was also impressed that the fried shrimp in the Shrimp Po-​Boy were sizable, even resembling Gulf Shrimp.
Overall, the po-​boy sizes weren’t bad, considering that I was full after an $ 8 small (half of the 10-​inch) and side of red beans. However, given that the prices (especially for the full-​size) seemed much higher what you’d pay in New Orleans for the quality/​quantity…
I might come back purely for nostalgia, though I’m not sure the food succeeds as of yet — on either an authentic NOLA fast-​food/​po-​boy level or a gourmet big-​city level.

So I have to agree with the other Unilocalers in that the price of the sandwiches is high but quality was very good and so was our service.
My husband and I decided to do carryout so we just ordered our dinners and waited inside the restaurant (who’s A/​C was not working well that day).
Prices were not written on the blackboard so you have to get the prices on the paper menu, which we found outside.
We ordered the following: shrimp and oysters po boy, alligator sausage (they were out of chaurice sausage near closing time), and sweet potato fries with remoulade sauce. We had originally said we’d get ketchup with the fries but the chef recommended the remoulade sauce and we were not disappointed w/​that recommendation.
While waiting for our food to come out, they comp’d us their homemade lemonades which were so refreshing — not too sweet and not too sour — just perfect!
Although I wished there were more oysters in the sandwich, I was pleased with the flavor of the breading and the quality of the shrimp that was packed into the sandwich. The shrimp weren’t baby shrimp but good med sized and so yummy. The gator sausage was pretty good too, but it didn’t really taste that much different from regular sausage. The sweet potato fries were great — not greasy at all and had just the right amount of salt.
I can’t wait to try their other sandwiches but I’m really hooked on the shrimp and oyster po boy.

First of all, if you don’t want to pay for fresh, high-​quality ingredients, go to subway and stop crying. I was initially going to give Mac & Min’s 4 stars, but all the unjustified 2 star ratings compel me to give it 5 stars.
First of all, Jerry’s was mediocre and Mac & Min’s is better. Jerry’s was unremarkable and just another sandwich shop. Mac & Min’s offers Chicago something beyond your hamburgers, sub sandwiches, and Italian sandwiches.
The bulk of their sandwiches are poboys. We had the fried shrimp and oyster, as well as the corned beef. The bread they use was extremely fresh, just the right amount of crispy on the outside and soft airyness on the inside. It wasn’t the type of french bread that scars up the roof of your mouth. The shrimp and oysters were extremely fresh. The shrimp wasn’t crappy small popcorn shrimp, they used full size nice plump shrimps. The corned beef was also very delicious, it tasted fresh, and was moist and not overly salty.
We also had the gumbo which was pretty good.
I don’t understand what everyone is crying about. I wholeheartedly believe that you get what you pay for. For those whining about the price, go to potbelly.

I thnk that the kinks others mentioned have essentially been worked-​out. We ventured down here on a Wednesday at about 1:00 and had fast and friendly service. I ate the fried oyster and shrimp po boy (Small) and my friend got the Voodoo Chicken Po Boy (large) and we split an order of sweet potato fries. That coupled with two yummy Boylan sodas was about $ 30 — which is high, but not outrageous given how much food you get and how fresh everything is.
It is a bit of a walk from downtown (even though we are officed on the west side of the river) but I would definitely journey down here again for another taste of the bayou!

I had my first po boy sandwich from mac and min’s. I tried the shrimp po boy and thought it was good. I would have liked the bread that it was served on to be a softer style roll but thats just my personal preference.
Even though I found the sandwich to be good, I thought the portion served was small relative to the price. I think that was a polite way of saying that the sandwich was over priced.
I will go back and try another sandwich but I will not go very often because frankly I can get a sandwich just as good with a larger portion for the same price or less.

More Min than Mac, I’m afraid.
Well, they do have Boylan natural sodas… so, 2 stars? The Diet Black Cherry makes me jolly.
*2 sandwiches (one alligator sausage, one fried chicken)
–no sides for a $ 12 sandwich? WTF.
*1 salad (roast turkey, which actually came out as chicken)
*3 sodas
*2 bags of chips
:20 minutes of waiting:
Um, $ 42? What?! Yep.
I can absolutely embrace change in the West Loop. Frankly, I think it needs some life. This is just… not good. $ 42 for a meal that does not involve waiter service, alcohol or… I don’t know, magical fairy dust does not cut it.
Subpar, overpriced fare in a spot that is banking on people coming to 1045 W Madison in search of Jerry’s Sandwiches (closed, obviously), and unknowingly being swallowed up by a whole lotta mediocre. Unfortunate. Not a winner. At all.
We easily could have eaten at one of the bars in the area for less, AND had beer. That’s what I will do next time.

My sandwich was really quite tasty, of that I have no doubt. But almost $ 10 for one half of a sandwich, and a PO boy at that? Eh… Come on, guys.
And I’m not sure if they gave me BBQ shrimp like I asked.

Basically, what everyone else is saying is spot on. The service is horrendous and the food is okay but very overpriced. My wife and I each ordered a sandwich. For mine, they ran out of BBQ sauce for the shrimp, so they asked if they could give me fried shrimp. Fine, no biggie. For my wife’s, they brought fried shrimp even though she ordered voodoo. She also ordered mustard on the side. But, where did they put it? Oh, right, in the sandwich. If it takes 15 minutes to make a sandwich (not exaggerating) at 3pm on a not-​so-​busy Sunday, you think you’d at least make it right.
Even after all that, I was looking forward to the food. The sandwich was okay. It sure wasn’t a $ 10 sandwich. The bread was good, but it would have been better if they would have used about half as much. The fried shrimp (nice and light), hot sauce, mustard, and other ingredients were fresh and high quality. Overall, it just tasted good. I wasn’t blown away, and the poor service already put me in a sour mood.
I definitely won’t go back to Mac and Min’s, but I will still go to Jerry’s on Division.

Since I’m following Ryan’s comment, I will start by saying that I am West Looper and I did love Jerry’s Sandwiches.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, you should also know that I absolutely love Cajun food. The peppery, garlicy, spicy dried flavors that come with Cajun food are some of the best that this country has to offer. So, despite losing Jerry’s, I was pretty stoked to try Mac & Min’s.
I picked up Mac & Min’s to-​go for dinner on a weeknight this past week. I had to order a cup of the gumbo for starters. I ordered the blackened trout po’boy and split the sweet potato fries with the GF. She ordered a muffuletta only to be told that they were out of the olive oil ciabatta bread (which, with the olive spread, kinda makes a muffuletta).
So, when my name was called, I trustingly grabbed the bag and walked the 10 blocks home only to find that the gumbo had been left off of my order. The flavors were all there for the blackened trout po’boy, but just because bread is hard and crusty shouldn’t mean it’s called a baguette. I ended up eating the fish with a fork and tossing the bread. The sweet potato fries were spot on.
Ultimately, the meal wasn’t terrible. The place has potential — and I will probably give it another shot. But when a couple of sandwiches and some gumbo costs $ 30, I would hope that there would be fewer glaring mistakes.

Alright westloopers, I know you guys are not into change. This is why instead of enjoying life, you are all out having babies and talking business & football at market.
I watched you all day walk in and out of what used to be your favorite sandwich shop (without ordering anything). Jerry’s is gone. Soak up your tears, get over it, and go to Mac & Min’s.
The food is good, and the service is just like Jerry’s. I had the half size fried chicken voodoo Po’Boy, which was about 9 inches long and about 8 bucks. It was just as good as any old Jerry’s sandwich and 4 bucks cheaper. Also got the mac and cheese, which was delicious. My guuuuuuurl got the root beer glazed ham Po’Boy and garlic mash– also delish.
So, once you’re done being sad about your old sandwich shop and the fact LeBron isn’t coming here, have a Po’Boy to make your day better.