Savor Scout › Food guides › Mac and cheese
How to find good mac and cheese
Mac and cheese has two great forms: Southern baked, firm and sliceable with a browned top, and creamy stovetop. Both depend on real cheese and pasta that is not overcooked.
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What separates a good one from a bad one
- Real cheese — Sharp cheddar and other cheeses grated and melted, not a powder or processed sauce.
- Pasta with bite — Not mushy.
- A browned top (baked) — Crisp, caramelised cheese or breadcrumbs.
- Seasoned — Mustard, pepper, a pinch of cayenne. Bland mac and cheese is underseasoned.
- Hot — Served bubbling.
What to order
- Baked mac and cheese — As a side at a soul food or barbecue place.
- Lobster mac — Rich, as a main.
- Mac with brisket or pulled pork — At a barbecue joint.
- Mac and cheese bites — Fried, as a snack.
- A corner piece — If baked.
How Savor Scout looks for it
The search reads for baked, real cheese, homemade and crispy top, and favours soul food and barbecue kitchens where mac and cheese is a signature side.
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Looking in a particular city?
Each of these opens Savor Scout with the location already set, so you can say what you want and it searches from there. It covers 1,000 US cities in total — these are simply the largest.
- New York, NY
- Los Angeles, CA
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- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
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- San Diego, CA
- Dallas, TX
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- Indianapolis, IN
- Jacksonville, FL
- San Francisco, CA
- Columbus, OH
- Charlotte, NC
- Fort Worth, TX
- Detroit, MI
- El Paso, TX
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- Denver, CO
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- Corpus Christi, TX
Related food guides
Soul food, barbecue, Southern food