I Heart Mac N Cheese in Parma

Who doesn’t like mac n cheese? When done well, mac n cheese can put you in a happy place. When I went to New York City a few years ago we made sure to eat at S’MAC, which I think (and Goldbelly agrees) is probably the best mac n cheese restaurant in the U.S. The variety there is amazing. I wanted to love I Heart Mac N Cheese, but it’s no S’MAC. S’MAC offers a lot more varieties – and adult-friendly varieties. I Heart Mac n Cheese is perfectly okay, but I don’t see myself going out of my way to eat there.

Once you get to the ordering station, you tell the person your order. If you want mac n cheese, they fill a bowl with pasta, add whatever mix-ins you want (vegetables, meats, etc.) and ladle cheese sauce over it. They then put a couple slices of cheese on top and run it through the conveyor belt broiler/salamander. If you order a grilled cheese, they grab the bread, layer on the cheese (and mac n cheese if requested) and run it through the conveyor belt broiler/salamander. You can also order tater tots and tomato soup.

You can build your own mac n cheese bowl using pasta, broccoli, cauliflower, quinoa or tater tots as a base and add on your favorite proteins, cheeses, and vegetables. They have all kinds of set options too – like buffalo chicken, short rib philly and chicken parmesan. Bonus points for offering gluten-free options and being vigilant to prevent cross-contamination. Extra bonus points for offering vegan options and vegan cheese. If my mother liked this kind of thing I think she could safely eat here.

The first time I went they had just opened, and I brought my dining out group there. Everyone was very healthy and ordered veggies to add to their mac n cheese. I was less so and ordered the Lobster & White Truffle Mac n Cheese minus the truffle oil. Truffle oil is the easiest way to ruin mac n cheese if you ask me, and every restaurant feels they need to add it to make it fancier than it is. Mac n cheese is mac n cheese. It doesn’t need to be fancy. I enjoyed the lobster mac n cheese. I wish they offered different noodles than just cavatappi, but do understand that cavatappi makes a nice mac n cheese. The cheese sauce was really bland. A dash of hot sauce might help. They weren’t chintzy with the lobster, which I appreciated.

They make a mean grilled cheese, and I love the tomato soup. I am not normally a fan of tomato soup, but their tomato soup is quite creamy and flavorful. I am not a fan of the tater tots. They are just kind of mushy and not very crisp. I felt like I was biting into mashed potatoes shaped into tots. They come with a small container of tomato soup for dipping, but you can also get ketchup if your kids want it. This is definitely a kid-friendly place, but it’s not S’MAC. If you want to try S’MAC for yourself you can order it through Goldbelly. My favorites are the four cheese and Napolitana, but the Parisienne is out of this world (make it yourself at home with this recipe).