Ulysses' Folk House

Restaurant: Ulysses' Folk House
Address: 95 Pearl Street / 58 Stone Street - New York, NY 10004
Website: http://www.ulyssesfolkhouse.com/main.html
Name on the Menu: Brunch Buffet Option and Carvery Lunch Side-Mac & Cheese
Price: Included in Brunch-$20 or Included in Carvery Lunch-prices vary

This is my favorite brunch item at Ulysses', it has yet to disappoint. They use elbow macaroni that is perfectly tender. The mac is baked and the top has a crust of bread crumbs. The bread crumbs add the perfect amount of crunch to the mac. There isn't a lot of sauce, but it doesn't need to be drowning in sauce. Each piece of macaroni has the perfect amount of sauce attached to it. The color of the sauce is pale yellow and has a tangy cheese flavor. It tastes like a southern style Mac n Cheese. This is probably because they use a lot of butter. If you happen to get the bottom of the pan you will get the noodles that are soaked from the butter. Try to ask for a top or middle portion. A small bowl of this is quite filling.

I give this mac 4 wedges, it would have been rated higher if there was a little less butter.

Banquet

Name of Product: Banquet Macaroni and Cheese Meal
Website: http://www.conagrafoods.com/consumer/brands/getBrand.do?page=banquet
Price: $2.00

I was looking forward to trying a new frozen Mac n Cheese entree. This entree was awful for many different reasons. As soon as I took the container out of the box I realized it was not going to be enough food. They need to remove meal from the product name and change it to light snack. The container itself was very flimsy and almost didn't hold up during the microwaving process. Though the box said the entree was made using cheddar and blue cheese, I couldn't taste it. The entree was tasteless. The only positive thing was that the elbow macaroni was tender.

I give this Mac n Cheese 0 wedges. I will never buy it again.

Yankee Stadium

Restaurant: Yankee Stadium Suites
Address: 161st St Bronx, NY 10451
Website: http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=nyy
Name on the Menu: Macaroni and Cheese

Recently I was fortunate enough to be invited to view a Yankees game from one of their luxury suites. It was a fabulous experience, but the Mac n Cheese on the buffet was slightly less than fabulous. Let's put it this way, it wasn't a home-run. In fact, it was barely a double. It looked ok. There was a little bit of crust on the top and it was made with elbow macaroni, but the color was weak. Instead of a nice yellow/orange, it had a very light yellow to white coloring. The consistency was a little soupy and the taste a little milky. I had hoped for a thicker texture and more cheese flavor. I believe that white cheddar must have been used and that would account for the light coloring. The elbow pasta was cooked just right, not too soft and definitely not hard. Hopefully, this Mac n Cheese doesn't have a long term contract.

I give this mac 2.5 wedges.

Wegmans 2

Name of Product: Wegmans Macaroni and Cheese Spirals Dinner
Website: http://www.wegmans.com
Price: 50 cents

I was a little wary of this product because my last Wegmans Mac n Cheese experience was awful. However, the price was right (it was on sale for 33 cents), so I figured I had to try it. I followed the instructions on the box, but I did not use all of the cheese powder for fear it would taste artificial. I used about 90% of the powder. The pasta was nice and tender, but the spirals gave it a bit of a bite. Strangely, it wasn't that hot so I didn't have to wait and let it sit. The sauce was orange in color. It definitely wasn't creamy nor was there a lot of it. The box says the powder is made with real cheddar cheese. The sauce was not that cheesy, there was only a light hint of a cheese taste. It probably would have tasted a tiny bit cheesier if I had poured the remaining 10% of the powder onto the pasta. I will try this the next time and see what happens. There was plenty to eat. My entire bowl was full and I was able to get two more spoonfuls out of the pot. This was enough food for one person, but if two people were sharing it they would need something else to help tide them over.

All in all it wasn't bad. I would eat it again. I give this mac 3 wedges.

Wegmans

Restaurant: Wegmans
Address: 240 Nassau Park Blvd Princeton, NJ 08540-They have multiple locations in a handful of states
Website: http://www.wegmans.com
Name on the Menu: Salad Bar-Macaroni and Cheese
Price: $7.49 per pound

This particular Wegmans location just added a salad bar. When I saw that one of the options was Mac n Cheese, I jumped at the chance to fill a container. The Mac looked incredible and I was extremely excited to try it. The price forced me to only put a little bit in a container. I put about two spoonfuls in a container and it came out to $2.34. The top of the Mac looked like the color of mustard from the baked cheese and the inside of the Mac looked almost like the color of Alfredo sauce. They chose cavatappi pasta for the Mac. Unfortunately, the Mac wound up looking better than it tasted. There was very little sauce, so the Mac was very dry. I could not tell what cheeses they used in the Mac because I could not taste cheese at all. The sauce really could have used some more milk. It was an expensive disappointment. The only upsides were that the pasta was tender and it was hot.

I give this Mac 1.5 wedges.

Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Dinner Cheese Explosion

Name of Product: Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Dinner Cheese Explosion
Website: http://brands.kraftfoods.com/thecheesiest/parental-zone.aspx
Price: 99 cents

I was looking forward to this new form of microwavable mac from Kraft. I love their Easy Mac, so I figured this would just be a cheesier version of their Easy Mac. It wasn't. I followed the instructions except I took my mac out 10 seconds early so I wouldn't overcook the pasta. Barely any of the water had evaporated. When I poured the cheese powder into the pasta and stirred, I was left with orange soup. The sauce was way too watery and it tasted like water. I could barely taste the cheese. The pasta was hot when it came out, but I let it cool a bit in an attempt to let the sauce thicken. It didn't. The only thing I liked about the meal was the choice of pasta. The spirals were tender but had a little more bite to them compared to the long narrow Easy Mac noodles. The mac left me with a bad artificial taste in my mouth.

I give this mac 1.5 wedges. I would not buy it again.

Market Pantry #3

Store: Target
Address: Various locations
Website: http://sites.target.com/site/en/spot/page.jsp?title=market_pantry
Name of Product: Market Pantry-Macaroni and Cheese Cups-Swift Mac
Price: 69 cents

I have been avoiding this mac for a couple of weeks because I did not enjoy my last Market Pantry Mac n Cheese experience. However, hunger got the best of me and I gave in to it. I followed the instructions and within two and half minutes I regretted it. I had filled the water up to the line just as instructed. However, it wound up boiling over in my microwave. Luckily, I saw that it happened and stopped the microwave. I cleaned up my microwave and put the mac cup back in to continue cooking. I took it out with ten seconds to spare like I always do for my Kraft Easy Mac. I only poured 75% of the cheese powder onto the noodles. That way there is less salt, calories, and fat, not to mention the fact it helps the sauce taste less artificial. I stirred the pasta and powder immediately to avoid powder clumps. The long narrow tube shaped noodles (also used in Kraft Easy Mac) were nice and tender. The sauce turned out to be orange in color. The pasta retained its heat for awhile, which was nice. There was a lot of sauce and it actually tasted like cheddar cheese. I decided not to add any cheese crackers like I do with the Kraft Easy Mac. It tasted good without it. I will definitely buy this mac again, but next time make it my way and not follow the instructions. It makes a perfect light lunch (it was a tad bit more filling than Kraft Easy Mac) or snack. I give it 3 wedges.

Kraft Easy Mac

Name of Product: Kraft Easy Mac Original
Website: http://brands.kraftfoods.com/EasyMac/
Price: Usually 50 cents to $1 for 2.05oz

I have always been a big fan of Kraft's Mac n Cheese. When they came out with Easy Mac, I could not have been more excited. No butter, milk, or standing over a hot stove was needed to make this mac. All you need is a couple of minutes, water, and a microwave. I usually tend not to follow the instructions on the cup and make it my own way. I usually stop microwaving the Mac about 20 seconds earlier than I am supposed to. Otherwise I find that the pasta gets too soft. I also do not pour the entire packet of cheese powder into the pasta because I find it tastes too artificial and salty. I usually pour about three quarters of the packet over the pasta. If you do not immediately pour the cheese powder over the pasta it will not melt and blend into the pasta. If you wait to pour the powder, the powder will remain in clumps throughout the pasta. If you stir well enough you should be able to create a little bit of a creamy sauce. Easy mac uses long skinny hollow tubes instead of elbow macaroni. I would prefer the elbows. The mac is definitely not filling, but makes the perfect snack. I suggest crushing some cheese crackers over the Easy Mac, it will make a world of difference. I give my slightly altered version of Kraft's Easy Mac Original 3 wedges. Note the picture below is before the crushed cheese crackers.

                                                         

Delilah's Southern Cuisine

Restaurant: Delilah's Southern Cuisine
Address: Reading Terminal Market 1136 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 1910-She has 4 other locations in Philly
Website: http://www.delilahwinder.com/default.htm
Name on the Menu: Side Items-Macaroni and Cheese

Ever since I watched Food Network's Mac n Cheese Throwdown between Bobby Flay and Delilah Winder, I have been wanting to try her famous Mac n Cheese. Though she lost to Bobby, she still held the coveted title of making the best Mac n Cheese according to Oprah Winfrey. However, every time I stopped by her stand at Reading Terminal Market I have either been discouraged by the line, the look of the Mac, or the fact I was not hungry. After re-watching her Throwdown episode recently, I decided the time had come to finally try her Mac.

The first thing that shocked me was the price. The small was $5 and I received the same amount of food as an order of Popeye's small mac for $1.76. The next thing I noticed was that it was a bit cold. The elbow macaroni was tender, except for a few pieces that were hard as a rock. They must have either been from the top of the Mac or stuck to the bottom. There were clumps of cheese throughout the mac, which was my favorite part of it. Though she claims to use 7 different cheeses (Muenster, Monterey Jack, Gruyere, Asiago, Mozzarella, Cheddar, and Velveeta) I could only taste the cheddar. The mac was very buttery. At the bottom of the container was a tiny pool of liquid butter. I was disappointed that the mac was not creamy. Overall, I did not think it was worth the money. I would give this mac 3 wedges.

Au Bon Pain

Restaurant: Au Bon Pain
Address: Multiple Locations
Website: http://www.aubonpain.com/
Name on the Menu: Stews-Macaroni and Cheese
Price: $3.79

Au Bon Pain is like my second home. However, previously I had only bought their pastries, breads, and sandwiches. Today, I finally tried their Mac n Cheese. When I opened the lid of my container of mac, I was met with the smell of cheese and nutmeg. The aroma was wonderful. I immediately noticed that there was a lot of sauce. The elbow mac was hidden under all the sauce. I chose to stir my mac up a bit in an attempt to thicken it. The pasta was soft and the sauce was extremely creamy. The sauce's color was on the light orange side. You could taste the cheddar, though it was mild. You could also taste the nutmeg, which in combination with the pepper gave the mac a nice kick. There was no aftertaste, which was nice. The container did its job and kept the pasta hot. It was very filling. So I ate half for lunch and half for dinner. I ate a little bit of the mac cold for dinner and it tasted awful. I reheated it and it lost all of its flavor. So make sure to eat this mac right away.

I give this mac 3 wedges. The sauce was a little bit too liquidy for my taste and did not stick to the pasta at all. There was really no bite to the pasta, so I could have slurped it all down. I like to actually feel like I am eating something. The redeeming quality was the flavor of the sauce. If you do not mind adding calories to your meal, buy some bread and mop up all the leftover sauce.

Stouffer's

Name of Product: Stouffer's Macaroni and Cheese
Website: http://www.stouffers.com/Index/Index.aspx
Price: Usually $2.29-$2.99 

Since I started this blog, my friend Brian has encouraged me to try to Stouffer's Mac n Cheese. I bought it right after he suggested it, but it has taken some time to get to it. So, Brian I finally ate it and I loved it. I followed the instructions on the box for 1100 watt microwave. This is the first frozen Mac n Cheese where I could actually hear and smell it cooking. I stirred the dish, then I let it sit for 2 minutes to thicken up because there was a lot of sauce. The sauce smelled and tasted like cheddar cheese. The sauce was thick and creamy, which is rare for frozen Mac n Cheese. The elbow macaroni was tender, not too soft and not too hard. Even after sitting for 2 minutes it was still very hot. It retained its heat for the entire time I was eating it. After I finished eating all the pasta there was still some sauce left. The sauce was too good to leave it, so I scooped it up with a spoon. The box claims that they use real cheddar cheese and fresh pasta. You can taste both of these facts. There are no preservatives. All of these factors help make the sauce taste authentic as opposed to the artificial taste of some of the other frozen Mac n Cheeses. I was very hungry before eating this dish and after eating it I felt full.
I would definitely recommend this frozen entree to anyone who likes Mac n Cheese. I give this dish 4.5 wedges. The only reason that it does not get 5 wedges is because there was no crust on top or layer of cheese. 

Market Pantry #2

Store: Target
Address: Various locations
Website: http://sites.target.com/site/en/spot/page.jsp?title=market_pantry
Name of Product: Market Pantry-Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
Price: 69 cents

Market Pantry's boxed Mac n Cheese definitely needed improvement. The box makes a point to let the consumer know they used spiral shaped pasta. I do not know why they really want us to be aware of this because it is not a factor that would persuade me as to whether or not to buy it. I could care less about the shape of the pasta; I am more concerned with the overall taste of the dish. I followed the cooking directions on the box. I did not deviate from the box even though I wanted to. The powdered cheese packet dried out the dish. It needed extra butter or milk to save it. The sauce clung to the pasta and there wasn't any extra sauce. The sauce was orangy yellow and was on the pale side. According to the box the sauce was made with cheddar cheese. Though it was tasteless, it was filling.

I give this mac 2 wedges. I could tolerate eating a whole box of it, but it needed serious help in the taste department.

Lean Cuisine

Name of Product: Lean Cuisine Macaroni and Cheese
Website: http://www.leancuisine.com/Index/Index.aspx
Price: $1.99 at Target

Even though it was Lean Cuisine, I still had high hopes for this frozen entree. Why? The first thing I noticed upon removing the tray from the box was lots of orange, which meant lots of cheese. I love really cheesy mac, so I was excited. I read the box and it claimed that they use real cheese. I checked the ingredients to find out that the cheese they picked was cheddar. I prepared the entree following the directions on the box. After 4.5 minutes I got a steaming tray of elbow mac with lots of cheese. After letting it sit for 2 minutes, I dug in. I was very disappointed. I did not taste the cheese! The pasta had no texture to it. I felt as though I wasn't even chewing anything. Instead, I could have slurped my whole meal down with a spoon.  About half way through eating, the Mac n Cheese finally started to thicken up and I could finally taste the cheese. The cheese tasted very artificial and when I finished eating, it left a bad taste in my mouth. I am writing this about 20 minutes after eating the mac and I am still hungry. I am a light eater, but even I would have needed another one to feel full. The question is, would I have wanted to stomach another one? The answer: no. So I am left to rummage through my fridge for something else to eat, while I eye all the Mac n Cheeses I still have left to try in the freezer and cabinet. However, those are for another day.

I give this mac 1.5 wedges because it had more cheese than the last frozen mac I tried. It would have been 2 wedges if the cheese tasted slightly less artificial.

Market Pantry

Store: Target
Address: Various locations
Website: http://sites.target.com/site/en/spot/page.jsp?title=market_pantry
Name of Product: Market Pantry-Macaroni & Cheese Bites
Price: $3.99

If you read some of my previous posts, you would know that I loved TGI Friday's Fried Mac n Cheese Balls. These Mac n Cheese bites from Market Pantry are the next best thing. They come frozen and there are usually 8 in a box. You need to bake them in an oven for 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your oven. I use my toaster oven. The key to getting these bites cooked thoroughly inside and out is to flip them occasionally during the cooking process and to poke holes in them. This will allow them to cook evenly on both sides and for the heat to get inside. The bites are made with cheddar cheese. The noodles resemble small tubes. The bites are nice and crunchy. There is a lot of cheese inside and it tends to ooze out. They are extremely flavorful and do not taste like they were ever frozen. They are not filling. You would have to eat the whole box if you wanted to make this your entire meal. They are great for a snack.


I would give these bites 4.5 wedges.

Pace University

I recently had a giant helping of Mac n Cheese at Pace University. Their mac had a very thin layer of cheddar cheese on top, which looked like it came from randomly sprinkled cheese shreds that melted when it was put in the oven. They chose macaroni with ridges to help absorb some of the sauce. The pasta was soft and flavorful. This flavor came from the pepper they sprinkled all over the pasta. The mac was not super cheesy nor was it creamy. I liked that they did not go for the liquidy sauce that tastes more like velvetta. This mac tasted very southern, where every bite had cheese flavor, but it was not over the top. It was not filling, I had to go back for seconds and I was still hungry. My only recommendation would be a tiny bit less pepper and a little more baked cheese. It needed some cheese crunch for contrast.

I give this mac 3 wedges. Not bad for college cuisine.

Weight Watchers Smart Ones

Product Name: Weight Watchers Smart Ones Macaroni & Cheese
Website: http://www.eatyourbest.com/

I had high hopes for this mac. I wanted to like it because it only had 270 calories. Sadly, it tasted like only 270 calories. The mac was pale yellow and looked very unappetizing. The elbow mac cooked perfectly in the microwave. The sauce was awful. There was very little sauce. It was not creamy, instead it was pasty. The sauce left a horrible aftertaste. The ingredients list states that they used cheese powder and cheese flavor for the sauce, which was obvious. The mac was also a tad bit salty. The meal, of course, was not filling.

I would give this product 1 wedge. I will never buy this again.

Boston Market

Restaurant: Boston Market
Address: Multiple Locations
Website: http://www.bostonmarket.com/home
Name on the Menu: Sides-Macaroni and Cheese
Price: Regular  2.49  Large  4.49

I used to go to Boston Market quite frequently for their corn bread and Mac n Cheese. The quality of the mac varied depending on which location I visited. However, the mac always had a lot of sauce that would spill all over my plate. The sauce is made up of the following cheeses: American, Cheddar and Bleu. The pasta is semolina rotini. The mac was usually lukewarm, I never seemed to get it hot. I liked the choice of pasta because it seemed to absorb the sauce. The pasta was usually cooked to be on the al dente side. Sometimes I found the mac to be on the salty side. The nutritional facts on Boston Market's website have the sodium content as sky high, confirming the salty flavor. The regular portion never filled me up even with the addition of a piece of corn bread. The large portion with the corn bread was a little more filling.

I give this mac 3 wedges. 
Click to view image

TGI Fridays #2

Restaurant: TGI Fridays
Address: Various locations
Website: http://www.tgifridays.com/home/welcome.aspx
Name on the menu: Gourmet Mac n' Five Cheese
Price: N/A-Discontinued

Rick Massa won the Ultimate Recipe Showdown with his Mac n Cheese that had 5 cheeses in it. His original recipe looked delicious. Part of the prize involved TGI Friday's creating a dish based upon his recipe. They created Gourmet Mac n' Five Cheese. The five cheeses were blue, white cheddar, Parmesan, gruyere, and fontina. The dish also came with bacon bits and strips of chicken. The menu stated that the dish was supposed to come with blue cheese crumbles and a Parmesan crust. I never had a Parmesan crust on my dish. Only once did I see the blue cheese crumbles. They used penne pasta for the dish. The sauce was not creamy and there was not enough of it. The sauce tasted nothing like a typical sauce for Mac n Cheese. Instead, it resembled something closer to an Alfredo sauce. Between the sauce and the shape of the noodles, I did not get the sense that I was eating Mac n Cheese. The bacon bits, which were impossible to pull out if you wanted to, overpowered the dish. Towards the bottom of the bowl everything tasted like bacon. The dish was not filling and always left me wanting more of something else. 

I give this dish 2 wedges.
Click here for an image.

Domino's Pizza

Restaurant: Domino's Pizza
Address: Various locations
Website: http://www.dominos.com/home/index.jsp
Name on the menu: Breadbowl Pasta-Three Cheese Mac-N-Cheese
Price: $5.99

The first time I ordered the Three Cheese Mac-N-Cheese from Domino's I tasted a bowl of heaven. The penne pasta was cooked perfectly and covered in cheese and cheese sauce. The sauce was not thick and did not have a creamy texture. It was just enough sauce to coat all of the pasta. The bread bowl it came in was flavorful and tasted like garlic bread. The garlic flavor worked its way into the pasta, seasoning it perfectly. The three cheeses refer to two cheddars and mozzarella. The dish was enough for two people to eat and be very full.

The second time I ordered it from the same Domino's it was beyond awful and cured me forever of ever ordering it again. The whole thing was under cooked. The pasta was hard and the bread was doughy. There was too much garlic on it. The sauce was oily. It was a mess, needless to say we did not finish eating it.

I would give the first order 5 wedges and the second order 0 wedges. Thus, I would average it out to 2.5 wedges. If any of you have ordered this mac and have an opinion, please share. I just cannot bring myself to try it again after the last one that I attempted to eat.
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TGI Fridays

Restaurant: TGI Fridays
Address: Various locations
Website: http://www.tgifridays.com/home/welcome.aspx
Name on the menu: Appetizers-Fried Mac n Cheese
Price: N/A-Discontinued

I am so sad that Friday's took this item off the menu. I was addicted to these little munchies. Every time my family went out, I dragged them to Friday's just so I could order this appetizer. I can still remember the first time I ordered this appetizer. I was away in Florida and the family went to Friday's. As soon as I saw the words Mac n Cheese, I knew what I was ordering. The waitress brought them out on a long rectangular plate. There were 6 fried Mac n Cheese balls. Beneath them was a zig zagged line of cheese sauce. Sprinkled around the plate were some herbs. It was a sight that would bring a tear to the eye of any Mac n Cheese loving girl. However, my family was under the impression I had ordered the appetizer for the table, so I had to share. This left me with only two mac balls. The mac balls were hot and crispy. The inside was filled with cheese and pasta. The pasta was soft, but not mushy. I savored every bite. I have ordered this dish so many times that I am surprised I did not turn into a fried ball of mac.

I have to give this dish 5 wedges. They were always good, no matter what location I visited. Friday's please bring them back!
Click here for an image.

Blue Smoke

Restaurant: Blue Smoke
Address: 116th East 27th St. NY, NY 10016
Website: http://www.bluesmoke.com/blue/
Name on Menu: Vegetables & Sides-Macaroni and Cheese
Price: $7.95

My food took 40 minutes to arrive. They felt bad and offered a free dessert to make up for it. When my food finally arrived it looked beautiful. Some of the macs being delivered to the nearby tables looked a little done for my taste. However, mine was not. The first thing I noticed was that there was a lot of sauce, which came in handy for dipping my corn bread. The sauce was very cheesy and creamy. They used elbow macaroni, which was cooked perfectly. It came out nice and hot. It retained its heat while I ate it. The pasta was not hard and it was not soft either. After a couple of bites I realized there was a kick to the mac. The mac has spice in it. It was not overwhelming though. Even though it was a side, I found it filling. Out of the three meals we ordered the only one we liked was the mac. I would give the mac 4 wedges. It would have gotten a 5 if it had had a crust. 

Silvertone Bar & Grill

Restaurant: Silvertone Bar & Grill
Address: 69 Bromfield St at Washington St Boston, MA 02108
Website: http://www.silvertonedowntown.com/index.html
Name on Menu: Sandwiches & More-Mac and Cheese with buttered bread crumbs
Price: $8

I know there is a large group of people in Boston that would disagree with me, but I am not a fan of Silvertone's Mac n Cheese. I had read about this place and their famous Mac n Cheese in a Boston magazine. I then went on the web to read more reviews for the restaurant. It seemed like a great place to eat in which they served heavenly mac.

I ordered the mac and so did the guy at the next table. It arrived in a round casserole dish. It was definitely large enough to be a meal for the average person. The entire top layer was a thin layer of bread crumbs. The crust was not burnt, which I was happy about. I was excited to take my first bite. The bread crumbs gave it a little bit of a crunch. They chose not to go with the traditional elbow macaroni and instead they chose cavatappi. The pasta was hot and cooked perfectly. However, their cheese sauce was not that flavorful. It was thick and coated my mouth. I ate the entire top layer because I liked the crunch. I kept eating hoping the mac would get better, but it did not. The mac seemed to sit in my stomach like a rock. I looked over to the guy eating it at the table next to me and he seemed to be struggling with it as well. I saw him eating more of his date's meal than his own. We both wound up leaving about half of it over.

I really wanted this mac to be good and live up to its reviews, but sadly it did not. I give it two wedges. I forgot to take a picture of it. If you would like to see a picture click here.

Popeyes

Restaurant: Popeyes®
Address: Many locations
Website: http://www.popeyes.com/
Name on Menu: Signature Sides-Macaroni n Cheese
Price: $1.76 sm $3.71 lg

Fast food versions of mac are controversial. There are people who either love them or hate them. When it comes to the Mac n Cheese side at Popeyes, I am a big fan. I usually order the small, which makes a great snack. It is usually moist and cheesy. You will never experience the dangling cheese effect because there is no baked cheese. There is also no crust on top. It resembles Kraft's. What I love about it is that it satisfies Mac n Cheese cravings without having to go to a restaurant or baking a whole pan. The 120 calories small version also won't hurt your waistline. One warning is that their mac tastes horrible if they scrape the bottom of the tub. It is hard on the bottom. So if you see your server scraping, just tell them that you do not want it anymore.

I give this mac 3 wedges for quickly satisfying my mac attacks.

Zeytuna

Restaurant: Zeytuna
Address: 59 Maiden Lane NY, NY 10038
Website: http://www.zeytuna.com/
Where to look for it: Buffet Option (not everyday)
Price: $6.99 a pound

Though they do not always have Mac n Cheese on their buffet, I often go out of my way to check everyday. It is always a wonderful treat when I see the familiar orangey yellow glow as I approach the buffet. They usually use elbow macaroni. The top of the mac is coated in a layer of baked cheddar cheese. The cheddar cheese adds wonderful texture to the mac. The pasta is soft, which I prefer. The sauce is extremely creamy and there is lots of it. It also has a little tang to it. It is not very filling, so you need to put a lot of it in your container if you want to try to make a meal out of it. They usually scatter some herbs on top of the cheese. If you live or work in the neighborhood, then I definitely recommend trying it for lunch or dinner.

I give it 4 wedges because some days it is better than others.

Silk City Diner

Restaurant: Silk City Diner
Address: 435 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Website: http://www.silkcityphilly.com/
Name on Menu: Appetizers-Baked Macaroni & Cheese with a Goldfish crust
Price: N/A-This version is no longer on their menu

Unfortunately, Silk City no longer sells this version. I wish they would revert back to this version because it was heaven on a plate!!! This was the only time in my life that I was sad I did not have a second stomach because I really wanted to order a second order.

I went to Silk City a couple of years ago after I watched it on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. The mac was listed as an appetizer and I was scared it would not be enough food for me. The waitress assured me that one order would fill me. Sure enough, when the mac came it was enough for about two people. It came in a large oval casserole dish. The entire top was covered in Goldfish crackers. Underneath was creamy cheesy pasta. The dish was shallow, which allowed every forkful to have the crunchy goldfish mixed with the creamy pasta. I loved the salty flavorful crunch that the Goldfish gave the dish. I ate every bite even though I was beyond stuffed. I never wanted it to end and unfortunately the next time I went back they put a different version on the menu.

This was my perfect Mac n Cheese, so I give it 5 wedges. Silk City please bring it back!!!

Silk City Diner #2

Restaurant: Silk City Diner
Address: 435 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Website: http://www.silkcityphilly.com/
Name on Menu: Appetizers-Baked Macaroni & Cheese with garlic bread crumbs
Price: $6

Upon being disappointed with the news that my beloved mac n cheese was changed, (click here for post on the original) I settled for the new version that came with garlic bread crumbs. I was shocked when the waiter put my mac in front of me. It was very small, at least a 1/4 of the size of their old version. The top layer was rich and creamy just like the original version. The garlic bread crumbs gave a nice aroma and flavor to the mac. However, the garlic bread crumbs only lasted about 5 bites. After that, the mac was on the bland side. It needed more bread crumbs. I really wanted it to be layered, so that between heaps of mac would be a layer of crumbs. Another thing they could have done, was to bake it in the long shallow casserole dish that they made their original version in. Thus, distributing the bread crumbs evenly throughout. I have gone back several times and have ordered this item. I usually order fries and put them in the mac after the bread crumbs are gone. The fries add crunch, substance, and seasoning.

I give this mac 3 wedges. Please Silk City bring back your original one or change this one!!