National Mac and Cheese Day arrives every July 14, giving comfort food lovers the perfect excuse to enjoy one of America’s favorite comfort foods. Whether you prefer a classic baked recipe, a creamy Southern-style version, or a bowl topped with brisket, lobster, or bacon, Greater Cleveland offers plenty of local restaurants that serve memorable mac and cheese.
Instead of ranking one restaurant above another (we don’t want any smoke!), we instead highlighted 15 locally owned spots that have built strong reputations for their cheesy creations.
| Related: 18 Of The Best Corned Beef Sandwiches In Cleveland
Our list features neighborhood favorites, soul food restaurants, barbecue joints, breweries, and upscale dining destinations. Together, they showcase the variety of mac and cheese available across Northeast Ohio.
If you’re looking for a reason to skip the boxed version today, these local restaurants make a great place to start.
| Related: Explosive Diarrhea Outbreak: Check Your Kitchen For These Ingredients
Editor’s Note: Restaurant menus can change. Check each restaurant’s official website before visiting to confirm current menu offerings and location details.
1. Lucky’s Café
Address: 777 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland
Lucky’s makes its baked mac and cheese with cheddar, Brie, Parmesan and mozzarella. The restaurant bakes the pasta with cream, tops it with brioche breadcrumbs and serves applesauce on the side.
| Related: Who Made the Mac n Cheese? Check out these delicious family recipes!
2. Heck’s Café
Address: 2927 Bridge Ave., Cleveland
Heck’s serves a straightforward mac and cheese made with elbow pasta and its house cheese sauce. Order it as a rich side alongside one of the Ohio City restaurant’s signature burgers.
3. Soho Chicken + Whiskey
Address: 1889 W. 25th St., Cleveland
Soho offers Gouda mac and cheese as one of the Southern-style sides available with its fried chicken plates. The smoky, creamy dish fits naturally beside the restaurant’s chicken, collard greens and other comfort-food favorites.
4. The Rowley Inn
Address: 1104 Rowley Ave., Cleveland
The Rowley Inn has earned local recognition for its hearty approach to mac and cheese. The historic Tremont tavern has served both classic and loaded versions featuring smoky meats and bold toppings.
5. Angie’s Soul Cafe
Address: 7815 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland
Angie’s serves traditional macaroni and cheese as one of its classic soul-food sides. Pair it with fried chicken, catfish, pork chops, greens or candied yams for a full Southern comfort-food plate.
6. Marble Room Steaks and Raw Bar
Address: 623 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
Marble Room gives the familiar comfort dish an upscale steakhouse presentation. Its rich mac and cheese offers an indulgent side option to accompany the restaurant’s steaks and seafood.
7. Alley Cat Oyster Bar
Address: 1056 Old River Road, Cleveland
Alley Cat turns mac and cheese into a seafood entrée. The restaurant combines cavatappi noodles with lobster cream sauce, shrimp, bacon and toasted breadcrumbs. Diners can also add butter-poached lobster.
8. Butcher and the Brewer
Address: 2043 E. 4th St., Cleveland
Butcher and the Brewer operates a scratch kitchen that specializes in shareable American comfort food. Its mac and cheese provides a rich addition to a table filled with smoked meats, wings and house-brewed beer.
9. BMDS Comfort Food
Address: 3328 W. 33rd St., Cleveland
BMDS serves a creamy, gooey mac and cheese that customers often order with wings, ribs, greens and other soul-food favorites. The dish follows the restaurant’s filling, homestyle approach to comfort food.
10. Prosperity Social Club
Address: 1109 Starkweather Ave., Cleveland
Prosperity Social Club specializes in old-school neighborhood comfort food. Its mac and cheese fits alongside the Tremont restaurant’s hearty Eastern European and Cleveland-inspired dishes.
11. Market Garden Brewery
Address: 1947 W. 25th St., Cleveland
Market Garden pairs its locally brewed beer with a menu of elevated pub food. Its mac and cheese offers a rich comfort-food option for diners visiting the brewery near the West Side Market.
12. Naomi’s Recipes
Address: 11817 Detroit Ave., Lakewood
Naomi’s Recipes serves macaroni and cheese as a featured Southern-style side. Its creamy version complements the restaurant’s fried chicken, fish, collard greens, cornbread and other homestyle dishes.
13. Zanzibar Soul Fusion
Address: 627 Prospect Ave. E., Cleveland
Zanzibar includes macaroni and cheese among its signature Southern specialties. Pair it with smothered meats, catfish, collard greens or candied yams for one of the restaurant’s signature soul-food combinations.
14. Flannery’s Pub
Address: 323 Prospect Ave. E., Cleveland
Flannery’s offers hearty Irish-American pub food near East Fourth Street and Cleveland’s downtown sports venues. Its creamy mac and cheese provides a comforting option before or after a game, concert or event.
15. Landmark Smokehouse
Address: 11637 Clifton Blvd., Cleveland
Landmark builds its mac and cheese with shell pasta, smoked house cheese sauce, chives, panko and Kansas City barbecue sauce. Pulled pork comes standard, while diners can substitute brisket or chicken.
Matty Willz
Source link