Which restaurant chain makes the best mac and cheese

Mac and cheese go together like a warm cup of tea on a severely cold day; like a plunge into the depths of a cold pool on a sweltering summer afternoon. The inventor of the simple dish known as mac and cheese can rest easy knowing that the meal is one enjoyed by millions the world over. Now we can all make a mean mac and cheese at home thanks to Kraft, but when going out, just where can we get the absolute best mac and cheese?

And what of the inventor of this wildly popular dish? Well, according to Wikipedia, the dish was invented by Elizabeth Raffald, and the recipe first appeared in her book, published in 1769, The Experienced English Housekeeper.

Now the recipe that appears in this publication of hers is very different than what we see today at our local grocery store in the freezer section. You won’t find any powdered yellow cheese in a sachet here. In fact I’m laughing my head off imagining Raffald holding said packet up to the light, wondering just what in heaven’s sake it is.

Anyways…

Her recipe is still practiced by classically trained chefs to this day however, and can be found at quality restaurants who know just how to make a mean mac and cheese.

The classic recipe, her very own, is based on a béchamel sauce. A béchamel is made by boiling milk and adding a roux, a mixture of butter and flour (used to thicken the milk), rendering it a thicker and velvety cream.

I know what you’re asking right about now: Where’s the cheese? Hold on a second. You can’t make a mac and cheese without cheese. The word ‘duh’ comes to mind….

As it turns out, you need to make a Mornay. And what’s a mornay? All you have to do is add grated cheddar cheese to the aforementioned Béchamel and there you have a Mornay sauce. As simple as that, folks.

In Raffald’s classic recipe, parmesan is also added, and when mixed with the pasta, the whole deal goes into the oven and is baked until the top is beautifully crispy and golden brown.

Many places make a great mac and cheese, but just who makes the best one? Keep reading to find out…

These days, the dish is also topped with bacon, bread crumbs, and is very popular in southern cuisine, paired with collard greens and fried chicken. Which perhaps brings us to the question of the day: Which restaurant chain makes the best mac and cheese?

So obviously we’ve got our fast food portion of the massive food industry. There are a lot of locations that make a mean mac and cheese for sure, and they’re great for a more readily available option that won’t necessarily break the bank, so to speak.

On the restaurant chain side of things…

Top three on that list would have to probably be: Panera Bread. Their version is smooth and velvety. The cheese isn’t too overpowering, and the pasta is cooked al dente, which is the real way pasta should be eaten.

I will not lie, Chick-fil-A makes a great mac and cheese too. Yeah a little mass production style, but sometimes that can go a long way.

Finally we have Boston Market, which is similar to Panera Bread but the cheese is a tad sharper here, which is sometimes just what you’re looking for.

The winner here is clearly Panera Bread. It’s the only one that comes closest to the next category…

Finer dining side of things…

But what if you’re looking for something a little more haute gamme, as they say?

There are many in the fine dining industry here in North America of course, and we can’t name all of them that are spread out over the continent, so I’ll narrow it down and before the end make a selection for the top spot.

Worth mentioning are of course: Chris Santos’ Beauty & Essex. Their mac and cheese is served with rigatoni, and I mean hey, you can’t go wrong with that type of pasta; it’s so full of thick pasta and when cooked al dente, it provides that necessary crunch that counterbalances all of the creamy cheese sauce.

The Yankee Lobster Company in Boston makes a mean lobster mac and cheese. I know Chef Scott Conant once said you shouldn’t pair seafood and cheese, but man, was he wrong on that count.

In Kansas City, Missouri, you’ve got Gram & Dun that makes an incredible mac and cheese to go along with their exceptional BBQ dishes.

And finally, Cobalt Restaurant in Vero Beach, Florida. Every bit of their menu is delicious, folks, and the dish in question in this article is indeed banger at their location.

But at the top of the list, including the fast food items we mentioned above and the more haute gamme picks we’ve just gone through, just who makes the absolute best mac and cheese out there? Well, before I give you the goods, I’ll just say a whole lot of cheese is involved and even a nice helping of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes!

What!?

Yes, dear readers…Corn Flakes.

It is at Good Dog Bar in the beautiful city of Philadelphia that the absolute greatest mac and cheese can be found, and it is worth the trip if you’re in Canada or in any one of the beautiful United States…heck, it’s worth a trip even if you’re currently reading this from across the pond, friends.

You don’t want to miss this one; trust me, dear readers. The dish is perfectly executed and yes, it is topped with a nice helping of Corn Flakes, and the flavor combination is something to write home about, or at least write an article about—which I have quite obviously done here.

So there you have it folks, our pick for the absolute greatest mac and cheese dish available to one and all.

But how about you, Guilty Eaters? Where have you found your favorite mac and cheese dish? Or do you have a recipe you’d like to share? Let us know.