Thriving institution: Mac's La Sierra remains one of the mainstays on Central

Way out on the west end of town, just before Central gets swallowed up by Interstate 40, a few remnants of old Route 66 remain. Motor hotels mostly, they pop up like mirages among vacant lots, strip malls and fast food joints. Some have fallen into a state of decrepitude; others have been repurposed.

A few, though, remain just as vital and thriving as they were when Route 66 was the only highway through town — perhaps none more so than Mac’s La Sierra.

More than 70 years after it opened. Mac’s has achieved institutional status. Generations of locals have dined here. It’s the kind of place where politicians go to press the flesh. It’s become an almost mandatory stop for Route 66 completists.

Mac’s has operated at the northeast corner of Central Avenue and 63rd Street since 1952. The motel that once ringed its parking lot is gone, but the sign that commands the intersection remains, albeit in modified form. Today, it is topped with a sculptural representation of a brown-and-white cow that glowers down at passing motorists.

The interior is busy with signs and knick-knacks. Just inside the entrance, a cash register sits behind a display case of cookies the size of Frisbees. Beyond that is a short countertop with a few stools. The dining room in the back has crimson banquettes set against wood-paneled walls. The servers navigate the cramped space with the grace and assuredness of figure skaters.

The menu retains a sense of its original purpose: fuel up auto travelers for the long, barren stretches of highway outside the city. The all-day breakfast items include items like chicken fried steak and pork chops with eggs that promise to keep drivers full at least until Flagstaff.

Mac’s cooks have great finesse with the fryer, a fact amply evident in the Super Mac’s Combo ($15.99). The goodies — three steak fingers, three taquitos and three chicken fingers — arrived under a shroud of fries. The taquitos, finely ground beef under a chewy tortilla tubes, were made for soaking up the red salsa that comes with the dish. The chicken fingers, big and craggy, would have benefitted from some other dipping sauce options.

The highlight of the dish was the steak fingers, strips of beef battered and fried. Steak fingers are a Western thing, having allegedly originated in Idaho when a butcher was looking for something to do with the leftover beef trimmings. I was expecting Mac’s version, fat cigars of beefsteak in a fried-chicken batter, to be tough, but they were quite tender, and the crispy coating adhered to them while imparting a peppery bite. Like the taquitos, they paired well with the red chile salsa.

The bright, silky scoop of guacamole served in a bowl on the side of the plate merits special mention.

While the hulking cow atop Mac’s sign suggests a steak-centric menu, the bulk of the lunch and dinner menu is made up of Mexican food, generally in the $9 to $13 range. The Special Mexican Plate ($13.49) offers a convenient introduction to it all. It was efficiently apportioned on an oblong serving dish with rounded corners, the taco poised artfully on top like a ship in a fiery sea of red chile sauce. No sooner had I commented that the sauce was not hot at all than the burn crept in: noticeable, but not intolerable. The sweetness of the tamale and the sponginess of the enchilada shone through all the sauce. The beans, still fairly firm, were excellent.

The high end of the menu is comprised of a modest selection of steaks, chops and seafood.

The most expensive item is a T-bone Steak ($22.49) served with a scoop of mashed potatoes and gravy. The steak arrived as a thin sprawling cut seared to a deep brown while still pink inside. The sear held lots of flavor from the grill, and the filet portion of the steak was pull-apart tender. The potatoes under buttery gravy were a decadent treat.

A tangy vinaigrette enlivened the fresh, crunchy salad that preceded the steak.

On a second visit, we tried a Rib-eye Special ($21.49) that was promoted on a sign near the entrance. It was thin cut and cooked properly, but without the tender filet portion of the T-bone, it was unmemorable.

A supplementary menu holds a list of daily specials. Befitting an area with a large Catholic population, the Friday specials are Grilled Rainbow Trout ($15.99) and Fish & Fries ($11.99) made with cod.

The special listed for Saturday is Green Chile Stew with two sopaipillas for $10.49. Twice I asked for it; twice I was told it wasn’t available.

That mystery aside, service was solid. Two servers worked the dining room, while a third person roamed around bringing out drinks and bussing tables. The steaks are a safe bet for gluten-free diners — just stay away from the gravy on the mashed potatoes.

A restaurant cannot survive on nostalgia alone. It must deliver friendly service and reliable food. Mac’s La Sierra does that. Like Western View Diner & Steak House, Dog House Drive In and Monte Carlo Steak House, it’s at once a historical artifact and a thriving institution. We are fortunate that these places are still around.