Mc Kinley's Restaurant & Pub

wow, i always have a blast at mckinleys. the staff is funny and fast even when it's busy, which it usually is. looks like all the negative comments are from people that call the staff names, don't pay their tab, don't tip, or generally don't know how to act in public. no wounder you don't like it there, because they don't like seeing people like you coming. which is fine because the fewer people (from the list prior) that show up, the better time the rest of us have!

Posted 11/14/09 | Report Abuse

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been going for years and always have a good time and great food. sounds like mckinleys doesn't put up with any drama that can negatively effect a business.

Posted 11/05/09 | Report Abuse

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I've been a patron of McKinley's since my mother was a waitress there years ago, and I used to love it. The food was always good, the service wasn't horrible, and the atmosphere was cheery and relaxing.

THIS BEING SAID, after they went under new management, the service declined in a drastic and appalling way. After my mother quit, she and a few of her friends had a girl's night out at McKinley's and received horrible service from one of the waitresses. The friend that was paying that night decided not to tip. Because of this my mother was physically assaulted right outside the restaurant by their waitress and then was told that she wasn't to come back.

As a waitress myself, I'm amazed that A) the waitress that assaulted my mother is still working there and B) that McKinley's is still in business. While I still go in every now and again for the pub chips, I do not linger long and I feel it's necessary for my own protection to leave a good tip. More often than not I find myself deciding to NOT go to McKinley's, and I have not been there in quite some time.

Years ago I would have given McKinley's a five-star rating, but I cannot in good faith do that now. DO NOT SUPPORT WAITRESSES THAT MAKE MONEY OFF OF BULLYING CUSTOMERS. DO NOT GO TO MCKINLEY'S.

Posted 10/30/09 | Report Abuse

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McKinley's is horrible. They are rude and slow. They have told friends of mine not to come back because they do not tip (when I have watched them leave large tips). There is only one good bartender, but besides that the waitresses are mean. Really, they do not deserve tips anyway. I agree that everybody should stop going...the music is usually good, but if no one goes the music will follow the patrons and go somewhere else.

Posted 10/28/09 | Report Abuse

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I've been a regular customer at McKinley's for years, and 've always found the food and service to be great! Don't listen to the reviews here saying it isn't, these people had a bad experience, or we're thrown out because they acted inappropriately!!! The waitresses and bartenders there work their butts of, and yes, they do expect you to tip them (that is their income). The food is great, especially the Prime Rib on Fridays, and they have the best wings around! The people here complaining must be a bunch of idiots who probably don't get very good service anywhere they go!!!!

Posted 10/14/09 | Report Abuse

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Don't waste your time and money. The owner, his girlfriend and bratty daughter do not appreciate your business.Take your friends to another bar in Clayton that lets you have fun and treats you like a customer.I truly believe Erwin kicks out pretty women from McKinleys so she won't feel threatened!!!!!WAKE UP AARON.******ATTENTION JOHNSTON COUNTY PATRONS: Stop going to McKinleys so maybe they will close and someone else will re-open with good food, great customer service and that appreciates their customers.

Posted 10/12/09 | Report Abuse

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This is absolutely the worst customer service experience I have ever had; it was so horrible it bordered on scary. I have a similar story to a couple of reviews already left and would actually appreciate hearing more. I genuinely have never had an experience this bad with the the staff of any place, anywhere. I don't recommend it and hope that service like this does not continue to receive money from consumers. I didn't expect the food to be good, and it wasn't, but the service was literally backwards - I was serving them.

Posted 09/05/09 | Report Abuse

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I have been to McKinley's on many occasions, not for the food and definitely not for the friendly service, but to listen to music and hang out with friends who live in Clayton. On several occasions I have seen people thrown out and thought it was a little odd because they seemed like perfectly decent people and noone seemed to know why they were being (forcefully I might add) asked to leave. My girlfriend and I were there Saturday night and a guy sitting next to us playfully threw her ring on the bar. Unfortunately, it fell to the service side of the bar. My friend asked the bartender (the one pictured on their myspace page) if she could hand her the ring. The bartender looked at my friend, looked at the ring, rolled her eyes and walked away. Obviously, my friend had something to say about the waitress to me and did not say it loud. Apparently, the bartender is schooled in reading lips and immediately, like a spoiled child, walked over to the bouncer (not sure if he's the owner) and told him. My friend and I were shocked and could not believe what was happening. He walked over, pulled my friend's chair back and said, "You've got to go." Of course, we tried to reason with him, but he only became more hostile. The bartender also came back over and was very nasty with us. It is unfortunate for McKinley's because my friends and I have supported that business for years and have a network of people who will no longer be spending their money there.

Posted 03/17/08 | Report Abuse

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They kicked us out just for smoking a little pot.
Everyone smokes pot, don't they?
They kicked us out just for smoking a little pot.
Everyone smokes pot, don't they?

Posted 02/13/08 | Report Abuse

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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The only food that has ever been satisfactory from this restaurant are the chicken quesadillas, wings, and pub chips. Aside from that I have found almost all of their food to be sub-par.

Aside from the quality of food, the service is awful. VERY slow and VERY unfriendly. I have been on a number of occasions with plenty of different waiters and waitresses.

Don't bother with it! I think it's a waste of time AND money.

Posted 02/09/08 | Report Abuse

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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by oriolesbum
11/25/2007

I went to McKinley's on 11/16 and was approached by a waitress I had seen previously in the restaurant and she asked me if I had come in before and I said yes. She was referring to 9/23/07 and said that I had walked out on my bill, I said no, but I remembered the incident. She stormed off with a large attitude and I continued to enjoy my visit. One a trip to the bathroom, the owner and my husband began a heated discussion about the situation. I interjected and suggested that I present a bank statement showing proof that I had paid for my meal that day and the waitress told me that wouldn't prove anything. The owner was rude and proceeded to tell me that the current problem was that the table we were at on 11/16 wasn't tipping. Wow. We left, I went home, produced the bank statement and went back. The owner admitted that the girl was wrong in the way she approached me, but he NEVER admitted that they made a mistake about my identity and the fact that I was not the one that walked out on my bill on 9/23. I didn't want a free meal, I just wanted an, I'm sorry, she remembered your face from that day, but must have gotten you mixed up with the real culprit. This is all I want. This is a small town and a small pub and I can assure you that the owner and waitresses were talking about this the entire time we were there. I will never visit again and will be on a negative campaign against this establishment forever.

Posted 11/25/07 | Report Abuse

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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McKinleys is a great place to go if you are a smoker and do not mind being in a very smoky environment for the evening. The food is pretty good as is the atmosphere but the sheer amount of smoke was a definite turn off for me.

Posted 06/22/05 | Report Abuse

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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