Mackinnons, Glasgow

Mackinnon's hasn't changed much, if at all, since Paul McScotty's review below. Rough and ready would be the polite term for what is a very basic pub. The impolite might call it a dump. It's also extremely cheap, even by the standards of Glasgow's East End, with a pint of Caledonia Best costing me only £2.45. The draught selection is limited, with only Guinness, Blackthorn cider and Tennent's lager also available. The bar and clientele remain as described below. A trio of middle aged men were cheerfully comparing notes on their approved school/borstal/prison experiences, one boasting about how he had escaped from one of these establishments. Since he was proclaiming it loudly and openly, I assume he wasn't still on the run. I would have felt quite intimidated by all this if it hadn't been for the fact that they were all around the same age as me and didn't appear to be in particularly robust states of health. Although there were a couple of women present, the ladies toilet must have been out of use, as they were using the gents (after checking that no-one was in it). As Paul says, this isn't for the faint hearted, although it certainly provides an antidote to the overly sophisticated bars in the nearby Merchant City. Unless you're feeling adventurous, though, it's probably best left to the locals.

First up it has to be said that MacKinnon's is not for the faint hearted, this is an East end working persons pub - as noted below it has an 8am license and you get the feeling some of the punters have been in since then - on the other hand its friendly , full of characters and cheap (in general a standard drinks selection), Vodka (Smirnoff) and coke £1.90, Tennenet's £2.90. By no means a nice looking pub its basically a large room split into 3 areas - as you enter you are almost right at the bar , to the right a pool table area and the toilets past the bar is another narrow area with seating along one side where the (popular) karaoke goes one.There are 2 large TV on volume low - The bar gets a few folk popping in on the way to a concert at the Barrrowland etc , like myself and I have to say I was made feel welcome (possibly as I looked errrr "concerned" and my choice for a quick pint - I ve been back twice since so it cant be that bad) The barmaid are 2 of the most amazing folk I have seen one word (sometimes bellowed) to "behave" and the punters, sometimes 6 foot (tall and wide) blotters will fall into line (these ladies should be air dropped into Afghanistan they'de clear it up in a week) - If your a bit wary of boisterous working class type bar with sometimes foul language then avoid - otherwise if in the are you could do worse (not for an all nighter though)