- "Carlyle Mac & Cheese" -
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The photo above was taken after I mixed up the dish a bit. The mac is presented with a baked layer on top, so it wasn't all that appealing upon first glance. However, the plating itself was still nice, especially after the pasta was mixed.
Flavor: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The dish was very savory and a little oniony, but the most prominent element about the flavor of this mac, however, was its heavy taste. After eating a few bites, I was pretty stuffed and had a mild stomach ache. Definitely a little too much something.
Creaminess: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The dish was satisfactory in the creaminess category, but did dry up a little whilst being consumed.
Cheesiness: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
White cheddar is always a thumbs up. I would say that it made up for the mac's heavy flavor to a degree.
Overall Experience:
Definitely a very hearty dish, a little too hearty maybe. The baked top was not a huge W from me, but we all like different things. Not perfect, but still not a bad mac.
Menu Link: http://carlylegrill.com/menu/
- "Macaroni N' Cheese" -
Average Rating: ⭐️⭐️1/2
Presentation: ⭐️
Presentation was jarring. The Cracker Barrel mac comes as a side, so I assumed that it would come in a separate dish. Definitely not the case. Instead, it was haphazardly slopped on the side of the main dish; there was a strong prison food vibe to this presentation.
Flavour: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The flavor was much better than I originally imagined, based on the presentation. While it was rather one-dimensional in terms of flavor, that one dimension was savory and rich, and made for a pretty palatable mac.
Creaminess: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Creaminess was certainly not lacking here. I never thought I could say this about a mac and cheese, but it may have been a touch too watery, especially for being on a plate where it has a great deal of room to spread out.
Cheesiness: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The cheesiness of this mac and cheese dish was definitely its greatest strength. It constitutes all the flavor in the dish, a delicious positive in this instance. As touched on above, the cheesy flavor was pleasantly robust.
Overall Experience:
Cracker Barrel's mac seems to function in a manner similarly to that of the KFC mac and cheese; it is an excellent sidekick for a main dish of comfort food. (Cracker Barrel's mac is significantly better than that of KFC, although maybe not in terms of portion). I think that this mac could improve greatly if it were served in a separate bowl instead of directly on the main plate; presented as it currently is, it cannot stand on its own as a dish.
Menu Link: https://www.crackerbarrel.com/menu/lunch-and-dinner/vegetables-n-sides
