GrillCheezerie Sandwich Shoppe (Ann Arbor, MI)

- "S'Mac & Cheese" -

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Comes in a cute cardboard box that you can even use as a plate, so one has to appreciate the functionality here. Aesthetic placement not included.

Flavor: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
The flavor all comes from the cheese, so nothing crazy different/innovative.

Creaminess: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I suppose that in this case, it might make the sandwich pretty hard to eat if the mac & cheese is overly creamy. However, it is always pretty stable, so it seems to have just the right amount of creaminess. 

Cheesiness: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Dang~, this is one cheesy entrée. Let me break this down for you: First, you have the cheese from the mac itself, and THEN the grilled cheese cheese. If you're worried about being overwhelmed, fear not; the different textures help to tone it down.

Overall Experience: 
Let's all take a moment and tip our hats to the individual that decided to put mac & cheese in a grilled cheese. All in all, the bread is very sturdy and grilled just enough, while the mac & cheese is perfectly creamy on the inside. With every bite, there is a balanced ratio of crispy to creamy; it's always just right.

Menu Link: http://grillcheezerie.com/menu

The White Horse Inn (Metamora, MI)

- "White Horse Mac and Cheese" -

Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Presentation:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pretty nice, n'est-ce pas? The skillet is a quaint touch, and the dish is satisfyingly symmetrical; not too shabby at all. 

Flavour: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Really nice, rich flavor. A little on the heavy side, but indisputably delicious.

Creaminess: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The sauce for this mac was crazy thicc, but still very creamy. I gave it four stars here mostly because it seemed a touch overkill.

Cheesiness: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a five cheese mac according to the menu, but what those five cheeses are remains a mystery to me. I could make some educated guesses, but then again, from the photo alone I would wager that you could too. Very tasty.

 Overall Experience:
I want to start by saying that this was a little on the heavy side. I ate about half of this, and as you can see, it is not a huge dish - bear that in mind. Despite the richness, it was a very satisfactory mac. Again, cavatappi noodles make an appearance here; I firmly believe that every excellent macaroni and cheese begins with cavatappi. As you can see from the photo, Panko breadcrumbs are also sprinkled overtop of the mac, which made for a really nice mix of texture. If I may say so (which I can, since this is my blog) I much prefer breadcrumbs to actual chunks of things like pretzel or something, they're much more palatable. 

Menu Link: http://www.thewhitehorseinn.com/menu/

Tick Tock, It's Feedback O'Clock

It's your time to shine; I would love to hear any suggestions for mac & cheeses to test run, or things you'd like to see on the blog! Comments can be anonymous so you can even rip me open if you like. Comment below to let your inner food critic loose.

Bagger Dave's

- "Twisted Mac 'N' Cheese" -

Rating:  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Presentation was just OK. The toasted pretzel bits on the top were a bit much and were also a little burnt (as you can see in the photo), so a slight deduction here. 

Flavour: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WOW. This mac and cheese was insanely flavorful and/or knocked my socks off - will elaborate more in the cheesiness section.

Creaminess: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Excellent. Simply delightful. The creaminess came from the melted cheese itself (most likely the mozzarella), so it didn't dry up at all as it cooled. I abhor the word "gooey", but it describes the consistency of this mac and cheese quite well. 

Cheesiness: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If I could award six stars here (technically, I can) I would. Bagger Dave's really gives you the ole' razzle-dazzle by incorporating cheddar, parmesan, smoked gouda AND mozzarella. Seriously, what more could you ask for? As Guy Fieri might say, this mac and cheese is a one-way ticket to Flavortown.

 Overall Experience:
First of all, I am a sucker for cavatappi, so the "Twisted Mac 'N' Cheese" got some style points there. Secondly, despite the slightly burnt nature of the pretzel flakes on top, they were still a very nice addition to the texture of the dish. Finally, the assemblage of cheeses was out of this world. Truly, a delectable macaroni and cheese experience. 

Menu Link: https://www.baggerdaves.com/menu/

Carlyle Grill (Ann Arbor, MI)

- "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/

Cracker Barrel

- "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

Stouffer's

- "Family Size White Cheddar Mac & Cheese" -

*This review features a guest-writer, Nick Cowley.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Presentation: ⭐️
As with any at-home mac and cheese, presentation is not exactly anything to write home about. As anyone who has eaten Stouffer's before would know, it comes in a cardboard container(almost paper, honestly). On a deeper level than aesthetics, it's simply not practical.

Flavour: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Stellar. Who doesn't love Stouffer's?

Creaminess: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Stouffer's starts off delightfully creamy, but dries out slightly as it cools. It's not as bad as others, but could still be better.

Cheesiness: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The white cheddar is definitely a bold touch to the classic Stouffer's taste. 

Overall Experience:
Katie: 
When it comes to comfort food that can actually stand on its own as a meal, not much beats Stouffer's.
Nick:
Stouffer's Original holds a special place in my heart; this was the first time that I tried the white cheddar and I was pleasantly surprised. It's safe to say that their mac and cheese is solid across the board.

Product link: https://www.stouffers.com/en/our-dishes/Family-Size-White-Cheddar-Mac-and-Cheese/11446

Pretzel Bell (Ann Arbor, MI)

- "Pretzel-Crusted Mac & Cheese" -

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The presentation was okay, but not great. The bacon and pretzel crumbs were unevenly spread out, which bothered me a little bit.

Flavor: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pretty damn great. The Amish cheddar made for a great base of taste, and the pretzel crumbs were dusted with honey mustard for a truly great culinary experience. Plus bacon, everyone likes that (if you don't though, you can choose chicken, steak or nothing at all).

Creaminess: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Very creamy, quite delightful. The sauce seemed to dry out a little bit over the course of eating it, so I wouldn't give it 5 stars.

Cheesiness: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Amish cheddar was an excellent base for this mac. It didn't overpower, while still providing the warmth and savory element that only cheese can.

Overall Experience:

I would say that this is one of my favorites in Ann Arbor now. There were so many flavors that it was far from boring, which is pretty important for any restaurant dish. It was also very filling, but not too much food at the same time.

Menu Link: http://thepretzelbell.com

Michelina's

-Michelina's Macaroni and Cheese-

~(Microwavable)~

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Presentation: ⭐️

As much as I personally love Michelina's, the presentation is not stellar even for a microwaveable meal. It's mostly due to the fact that the container is cardboard. For a dish like this, I would use Lean Cuisine as a standard of comparison; its heavier-duty, clear plastic container is pretty nice for something microwaveable.

Flavor: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The flavor of Michelina's is nothing that will knock your socks off, but I am personally very biased towards these microwave dinners. There's something really satisfying about the taste.

Creaminess: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Reliably creamy every time. I think that most of the pre-frozen/microwaveable ones seem to be consistently creamy, believe it or not.

Cheesiness: ⭐️⭐️

Just your run-of-the-mill processed cheese, but again, I personally enjoy it regardless.

Overall Experience:

I'd pretend to be unbiased on this, but that would be fake news. Michelina's has always been great comfort food to me, and as simple as it is, it always quite satiating. That being said, it has nothing truly cutting-edge about it so it can't really win more than three stars. 

Product Link: http://www.michelinas.com/products/authentico/macaroni-cheese

Brown Jug (Ann Arbor, MI)

-Katie's Fried Macaroni Cheese Bites- 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Presentation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

It's bar food, precisely what one would expect. No complaints.

Flavor: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

They used original Kraft mac for the filling, so it was pretty tasty but nothing crazy. Ranch helps quite a bit, but I'm sure I don't need to tell you that. I'd tell you that if you're looking for a good mac and cheese bite that you should most certainly order these.

Creaminess: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fairly creamy, a teeny bit on the dry side if I'm being picky (which I am) but definitely still up there. The ranch pulled its weight.

Cheesiness: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fairly cheesy, but again, it was just Kraft.

Overall Experience: 

These mac & cheese bites had my name written all over them - literally. (Also - why the menu doesn't say macaroni AND cheese, I do not know). A very nice drinking snack. You also get a good amount of food for what you pay which is hype.

Menu Link: http://www.brownjug-annarbor.com/wp-content/Menu.2017.pdf