Mac's C'mon Inn, located on Kingshighway past Lindenwood University in St. Charles, is a small, friendly oasis -- just the place to quaff a few after a hard day of work. The patrons here are mostly middle-aged, but the young bartenders also pull in the college crowd from time to time. This bar is so friendly, and so familiar with the details of its regulars' lives, it actually has a board showing any upcoming birthdays. Happy hour is Monday through Thursday from 1 to 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. to close, with daily specials including $4 bombs on Monday, $6 Bud Light pitchers on Tuesday, $2.50 wells on Wednesday and $1.50 16-ounce PBRs on Thursday. Since the only menu item available at Mac's is a personal pizza, smoking is still allowed.
This friendly bar/off-track betting parlor/dance club has a little bit of everything, including a beer garden and really good barbecue. Located in surprisingly cool downtown Alton, Mac's Time Out has a staggering number of televisions --62, by our count -- so you can watch as many as fifteen different racetracks from the comfort of your bar stool. But you don't have to limit your visits to race days; there's a Sunday brunch from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and dancing into the early morning on weekend nights.
The Mack lies along the Macklind Business District in the Southampton neighborhood. The sports bar serves up classic pub grub, with burgers, mozzarella sticks and its most popular item - a steak sandwich. The Mack also offers a place to catch the game or to shoot some pool.