12 Restaurants That Make Mac And Cheese From Scratch

When you go to a restaurant for mac and cheese the last thing you want is for it to look and taste like it just came out of a box. I mean, you can make boxed mac and cheese at home for a fraction of the price, right? Why would you want to spend top dollar on a sub-par restaurant mac? You wouldn't. When it comes to fast food mac and cheese you probably aren't expecting superior quality, but at a sit-down spot, casual or not, higher expectations are more than warranted. So, when you're craving the real deal when it comes to mac and cheese, what restaurants should you look to? Let's find out!

To uncover which restaurants make mac and cheese from scratch, I combed through countless restaurant websites, customer feedback, and more. As a fanatic of the dish myself, I've also tried many of the upcoming restaurants' mac and cheese creations, so I can personally attest to them being deliciously house-made and anything but boxed. Keep reading to find out what I learned during my online search and personal pursuit of the best restaurant scratch-made mac and cheese. The answer to which restaurants make mac and cheese from scratch may not be what you expect — I know a few of them caught me by surprise.

Modern Market Eatery is one of the best places to get a quick bowl of scratch-made mac and cheese. The environment may be fast-casual, but the attention to detail they use when making food defies fast food standards, and this includes their mac and cheese. As the brand's website says, the company's priority was to, "Create a luscious, creamy sauce with a deep, cheesy flavor that both adults and kids would love." I for one think they nailed it, and I'm pretty sure you'll agree.

Modern Market Eatery's macaroni and cheese is made with five yummy cheeses. Info on the company website describes the process: "We start with freshly grated white cheddar and muenster for richness and then our three-cheese pizza blend of mozzarella, asiago, and Parmesan to take it over the top." In addition, they use ridged Cavatappi noodles instead of traditional macaroni, which helps them hold more cheesy sauce. On the menu, the mac is offered as a side. However, I've asked them to turn it into a meal-sized portion before and they happily obliged. Either way, this mac and cheese is easy to love and puts restaurants that opt for a simpler, boxed option to shame.

Noodles & Company has the fast-casual noodle market pretty much cornered. If you're in the mood for a tasty, scratch-made noodle dish at lightning fast speeds, Noodles & Company is almost always your best bet. Lucky us, this includes their famous Wisconsin Mac & Cheese. As the website clearly states, the mac is made with, "A classic blend of cheddar and jack cheeses, cream, and elbow macaroni." Even if you're skeptical because it's almost fast food, you shouldn't be. In fact, you can watch them prepare it in real time because they have open kitchens. There's no need though because they always do it right.

I've had Noodles & Company's Wisconsin Mac & Cheese more times than I can count. Sure, there are plenty of other tasty options on the menu, but something about the mac and cheese makes it hard for me to order anything else. Every time I plan on straying, I find myself reverting to the classic — It's that good! It's also customizable. You can add any veggies or meats you like and they even allow you to swap out the noodles. I'll admit, there have been a few times when I didn't get enough of the rich, creamy sauce to match my preferences but guess what? You can order extra sauce as well. So really, what's not to love?

At I Heart Mac & Cheese, you get exactly what you'd expect: Fantastic macaroni and cheese. Each store used to make everything in-house, the signature sauce included. But today, however, the sauce is made by a food vendor, according to the company's specific recipe. That doesn't mean it isn't made from scratch. The entire process just doesn't happen on-site anymore. Rest assured, they still boil the noodles at each location. Regardless of where the sauce is made, it is amazing and it leads to some of the tastiest mac and cheese around.

In addition to the Classic Mac & Cheese, you also find fun variations on the menu like Lobster & White Truffle, Short Rib Philly, Chicken Parmesan, Buffalo Blue, and Build Your Own Mac & Cheese. And the restaurant has a vegan option and allows for various base substitutions with every bowl. Instead of noodles, you can opt for tater tots, broccoli, cauliflower, or quinoa if you want a taste of the cheesy goodness without noodles. There are so many amazing choices, it'll take you a while to work your way through the drool-worthy mac options. Challenge accepted!

There aren't any I Heart Mac & Cheese restaurants in the Northwest or New England, at least not yet, but it does have quite a few spots sprinkled across the United States. If you're lucky enough to have one nearby, make sure to try it out. After all, the name I Heart Mac & Cheese says it all.

One of the reasons people like The Cheesecake Factory so much is because they have a massive menu with more than 250 dishes. In addition, whether most people know it or not, the kitchen at each location makes the food to order. According to the company's website, they "make things fresh and from scratch."That's pretty impressive for such a large-scale operation — and thankfully, this means the two macaroni and cheese dishes are also scratch-made. Yay!

The most-loved macaroni dish offered by The Cheesecake Factory is the Fried Macaroni and Cheese appetizer, and let me tell you ... it's delicious. Instead of being a traditional bowl of macaroni and cheese, it features fried, breadcrumb-coated balls filled with mac and cheese. If that wasn't yummy enough (and it is), they come with a creamy marinara sauce that takes them over the top.

The second macaroni option at The Cheesecake Factory is found on the kids' menu and is aptly named Kids' Macaroni and Cheese. It is made with oversized elbow noodles and a yellow cheese sauce that even the pickiest child is sure to be excited about. This dish may be intended for little ones, but the pictures make me want to try it, and something tells me the kitchen would oblige interested adults as well. Who knows? Regardless, between The Cheesecake Factory's two options, you are sure to leave happy if you're craving mac and cheese.

As one of the best steakhouse chains in the United States – and an upscale joint overall — you'd expect nothing less than for every dish on The Capital Grille's menu to be made from scratch. While I can't personally attest to every item, I can tell you the mac and cheese most definitely is. There's no way it couldn't be and it's obvious the moment it arrives at the table. On the menu, it is listed as Lobster Mac 'N' Cheese with a note that says, "As magnificent as it sounds," and while this may be true, I prefer to get it without lobster. So vegetarians don't need to count themselves out of the delectable fun.

The Capital Grille's macaroni and cheese is so well-loved that there are many copycat recipes online. While I couldn't track down specific details from the company itself, the general consensus is that it is made with five cheeses: Sharp white cheddar, Grana Padano, Havarti, Parmesan, and Mascarpone cheese. The recipe supposedly includes Campanelle noodles and cold water lobster tail as well. Regardless of whether all the ingredients internet sleuths have guessed are accurate or not, the resulting dish is truly a macaroni and cheese gem that shouldn't be missed.

First and foremost, Beecher's Handmade Cheese is known for making amazingly delicious cheese. You can even watch them work their magic up close at the company's first cafe in Seattle's Pike Place Market. Considering fresh cheese is their main priority, it's no surprise the mac is no joke. It's called Beecher's "World's Best" Mac & Cheese, and I'm prone to say this isn't far from the truth. I ordered a bowl at the original location and I couldn't stop thinking about it for days.

Beecher's proudly offers up their "World's Best" Mac & Cheese recipe online for anyone who wants to purchase their cheese and try making it at home. The ingredients include Beecher's Flagship and Just Jack cheese, milk, flour, butter, salt, garlic powder, chili powder, and penne pasta. This pretty much says it all to me. The ingredients speak for themselves and this mac is downright delicious.

In addition to a few select spots in Washington, you can also find Beecher's Handmade Cheese cafes in several airports across the United States. If you ever see one, make sure to stop in and give the mac and cheese a try. It's proof that even the most gourmet palates can appreciate a well-made bowl of macaroni and cheese. If you don't have a cafe near you, many grocery stores now sell Beecher's mac and cheese in the frozen aisle too. It's not quite as good as the stuff made on-site, but it's still worth a try.

I first tried Yardbird Table & Bar's Mac & Cheese in Las Vegas and was instantly wowed. After that, I found out there was one in my home city (Denver) as well and it has since become one of my all-time favorite places to get a mac and cheese fix. It is rich, creamy, flavorful, and anything but boring. Not only is it made from scratch, but it blows a lot of other scratch-made macs out of the water.

Yardbird's menu features an entree-sized portion with lobster and a plain side dish. Both use the same recipe which includes a creamy five artisanal cheese sauce and the side comes with a crispy herb crust. No matter which you choose, the flavors and textures are beyond delicious. As the website says, Yardbird uses "cherished family recipes," and there's no doubt that the homemade difference shines through in the mac and cheese.

For now, you can only find Yardbird in Miami, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Dallas, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and Singapore. However, if the mac and cheese is any indication of the rest of the menu, I wouldn't be surprised if it continued to grow until you can find it all over.

BrewDog may be a brewery but it also serves pretty tasty grub as well — and of course, this includes their macaroni and cheese. It's cheesy — like really cheesy — fantastically gooey, and oh so delicious. Plus, the rest of the food menu, the beer, and the lively atmosphere only sweeten the deal. Aside from being an ideal place for scratch-made macaroni and cheese, BrewDog is also the perfect place to watch sports, play bar games, or simply relax and imbibe with friends.

BrewDog's menu includes a Mac 'N' Cheese side dish topped with crispy onions and an entree-sized option. The entree version varies a bit from one location to the next. For example, the Denver menu offers a Brisket Mac 'N' cheese entree with braised Angus beef brisket, beefy béchamel sauce, and rigatoni. In Las Vegas, the menu features Lobster Mac 'N' Cheese with steamed Maine lobster, lobster bisque sauce, and fresh baby rigatoni. Still, regardless of the location, you can count on them having a super tasty mac and cheese option. Even the plain side dish with a touch of crispy onions is well worth a visit.

As the name suggests, Dave's Hot Chicken is known for fried chicken, but the company's macaroni and cheese is nothing to scoff at. In my opinion, it's the best fast food mac and cheese on the market. It definitely leaves places like KFC and Church's Chicken in the dust. Why? Well, it has deliciously al dente noodles, a rich and creamy cheese sauce, and way more flavor than you would ever expect a fast food chain to be able to pull off.

Dave's Hot Chicken doesn't list ingredients on their site. However, their allergen information sheet clearly shows that the Mac & Cheese contains both eggs and milk, so that's a pretty good sign it is made from scratch (even if it doesn't happen to be fresh to order in the store). Then there's the taste and texture. It is so yummy and creamy that there's no way it comes from a box. Plus, there's plenty of rich sauce that fills the noodles while still leaving a bit more in the container — you don't get that with a boxed option. Lastly, if their humble beginnings and carefully crafted chicken recipe are any indication (they got their start with a portable deep fryer in an East Hollywood parking lot), they wouldn't dream of settling for having anything less than authentic macaroni and cheese on the menu.

LongHorn Steakhouse is another fantastic choice when you're looking for a restaurant with scratch-made macaroni and cheese. They serve it two ways: Topped with Applewood smoked bacon and also with lobster thrown into the mix. Both are cheesy, decadent, and have a touch of smoke thanks to the bacon. The Steakhouse Mac & Cheese is also considered to be one of the restaurant's signature dishes — trust me, it's not messing around.

According to a Reddit commenter who worked at LongHorn Steakhouse for four years, the mac and cheese is absolutely made from scratch. In fact, they even give recipe instructions and list the ingredients as "1 lb. Cavatappi Pasta, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons flour, 2 cups half and half, 2 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese, 8 ounces shredded cheddar, 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan, 4 ounces shredded Fontina cheese, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 4 pieces bacon. Cooked. Crumbled. (Bits), and ½ cup Panko bread crumbs." Even if you don't trust Reddit, one look at the Steakhouse Mac & Cheese, and your doubts will vanish. Besides, the website confirms the dish contains four cheeses, Applewood smoked bacon, and Parmesan bread crumbs.

Chick-fil-A's tasty Mac & Cheese is wildly popular for a reason: While surprising, it is made from scratch. Of course, it also tastes great. It is made with a blend of cheeses that includes cheddar, Romano, and Parmesan, giving it lots of classic appeal. And it has a crispy top layer of cheese. Delish! The recipe may also contain lots of interesting things like potato starch to prevent caking. But make no mistake, it's definitely thought of as scratch-made.

According to The Times (one of their staff spoke with the marketing director at Chick-fil-A), "The cheesy goodness is prepared in-house daily. Even though the noodles come prepackaged and frozen with a mix of cheddar, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses ... It's thawed, dumped in a pan and baked, and then topped with Monterey cheese just before it comes out of the oven, giving the dish a cheesy crust you'd hope for." So, while the cheese mix and noodles arrive frozen, Chick-fil-A technically still serves mac and cheese made from scratch.

Personally, I think Chick-fil-A's Mac & Cheese is really good. It's one of the best fast food options and you can tell they took extra time to put it together. I mean, there's no faking the crispy layer of cheese on top. The flavor is really good too. The excessively long list of ingredients leads me to believe it isn't the highest quality, but the yummy flavor, creamy texture, and scratch-made preparation make it undeniably delicious.

According to Panera's website, the Mac & Cheese is made with real milk, eggs, and "tender shell pasta in a blend of rich cheeses including our tangy aged white cheddar cheese sauce." However, there is also a TikTok video where employees demonstrate how Panera's Mac & Cheese is made in the store, and one thing is for sure, it's not from scratch. Basically, a frozen, vacuum-sealed bag is placed in a pot of hot water until it is heated up. Then, it is simply poured out of the bag and served as-is. This may be a bit confusing, but Panera's Mac & Cheese is actually made from scratch, just not on-site, and it's frozen before ever reaching your plate. If this doesn't count as homemade to you, I get it, but the details matter and Panera just barely meets the requirements.

Regardless of how you feel about Panera's Mac & Cheese being frozen at one point, it is pretty tasty. It has lots of rich flavor, probably from the aged cheddar and other real cheeses, and a decadently creamy texture. The noodles are also larger in size, so they hold lots of yummy sauce. In addition, you can order it with stir-ins like veggies (anything that comes on one of the salads), bacon, or avocado for a customizable finish. Or, for a ton of crunch, sprinkle crumbled Kettle-cooked potato chips on top as a garnish. Whatever you decide, expect it to pack a punch in the flavor department.