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13 Restaurants for Delicious Mac and Cheese in Chicago

Mom probably never made it this good

by Jeffy Mai
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Chicago q
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by Jeffy Mai

The deep freeze has set in and one of the best ways to cure the winter blues is with a comforting bowl of mac and cheese. This simple yet indulgent classic American dish comes in many forms—from home-style recipes that evoke memories of childhood comfort to creative offerings made with the finest ingredients—and you'll find them scattered all around Chicago. Hats and gloves are necessities in winter, but a cheesy blanket of goodness definitely isn't far behind.

As is to be expected, several barbecue restaurants are highlighted on this list because they show their meats and sides equal amounts of love. Other places, like Kuma's Corner and Hot Chocolate, have long been renowned for their prowess with cheese and noodles and will never let you down. So put down that Kraft box and check out the map below to find the best spots for some tantalizing (and powder-free) mac and cheeses, listed in alphabetical order.

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Bar Pastoral

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Cheese and wine are the cornerstones of any good diet (trust us) and few do it better than the team behind Pastoral. At their Lakeview wine bar, the kitchen crafts a seasonal, cheese-centric menu that gussies up macaroni with taleggio and podda cheeses, butternut squash and candied bacon.

2947 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 472-4781
(773) 472-4781
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Blackwood BBQ

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With three locations downtown and another in Lakeview, Blackwood offers exciting lunch options that beat the pants off any ol’ boring sandwich. The tantalizing 3-cheese mac is a cheddar and aged gruyere blend that’s topped with a panko crust, making it all the cheesy motivation you’ll need to make it through the morning slog.

307 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 621-9663
(312) 621-9663
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Bub City

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The winter weather might be quite dreadful but Lettuce Entertain You’s barbecue restaurant is comforting cold Chicagoans with the sounds and flavors of the South. Jam out to country tunes, throw back a few whiskey shots and soak up the alcohol with creamy, drool-worthy mac and cheeses. Purists can stick with the no-frills “Phoebe’s Classic” while carnivores can opt to top it off with pork or spicy chipotle-brisket.

435 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 610-4200
(312) 610-4200
Facebook

Also featured in:

Cheesie's Pub & Grub

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For centuries mac and cheese has been mainly confined to the shackles of a bowl … but what if it wasn’t? Cheesie’s challenges conventions with highly-addictive fried mac n’ cheese bites and The Mac—a grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with, you guessed it, mac and cheese. After a long night out, it’s the ultimate comfort food.

958 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 388-1574
(773) 388-1574
Facebook

Also featured in:

Chicago q

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Nothing goes better with some hearty barbecue than a delicious side of mac and cheese. Art Smith’s restaurant Table Fifty-Two is no more but he carries on its spirit with his signature pitmaster mac and cheese. Served in a sizzling skillet, gooey muenster and cheddar noodles come loaded with add-ins like burnt ends, pulled pork and pulled chicken.

1160 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 642-1160
(312) 642-1160
Facebook

Also featured in:

GT Fish and Oyster

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Mac and cheese is rich dish that’s delectable enough on its own but when you add lobster from one of the city’s best seafood restaurants into the mix, well it gets even more indulgent. Luscious chunks of crustacean and English peas intermingle with orecchhiette pasta for arguably the best lobster mac in town. It’s decidedly less cheesier than the standard variety but given the ingredients, strikes a nice balance among flavors.

531 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 929-3501
(312) 929-3501
Facebook

Also featured in:

Honey Butter Fried Chicken

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Fried chicken will always be the main attraction at Honey Butter but the buffalo mac and cheese is no slouch either. Tag-team owners Joshua Kulp and Christine Cikowski’s Southern-inspiredrecipe calls for rotini, pimento-cheddar cheese sauce and buffalo fried chicken that takes the dish to the next level with some much-appreciated heat. Also available as a side (minus the chicken).

3361 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 478-4000
(773) 478-4000
Facebook

Also featured in:

Hot Chocolate

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Come for the sweets but make sure to try the mac and cheese first. The underrated, fan-favorite offering at Hot Chocolate has been a fixture on the menu and is a creamy delight. Reminiscent of the childhood staple that comes in a box, elbow macaroni swims in a pool of cheesiness, finished in the broiler for a nice bruleed layer on top.

1747 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 489-1747
(773) 489-1747
Facebook

Also featured in:

Kuma's Corner

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It takes a lot of willpower to resist ordering one of the behemoth burgers at the heavy metal bar but the customizable mac and cheese is just as drool-worthy. Build your own with a list of add-ins that includes Andouille sausage, bacon, chicken, jalapeno, roasted red pepper and more. If you’re feeling ambitious, get a burger AND mac & cheese and save the leftovers for a killer lunch the next day.

2900 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 604-8769
(773) 604-8769
Facebook

Also featured in:

Ms. Lee's Good Food

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Grandma always knows best and Lee Hogan certainly knows her way around the kitchen. She worked at the late South Side institution Glady’s Luncheonette for 31 years and when it shuttered, Hogan opened her own soul food joint. Here, she’s cooking up everything from fried chicken and baked meatloaf to fresh pies and, of course, home-style mac and cheese. You’ll have to order it to go since there’s no seating, but chances are it’ll be devoured before you ever make it back home.

203 E. 55th, Chicago, IL
(773) 752-5253
(773) 752-5253
Mike Gebert/Thrillist

Nana

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Our nanas didn’t quite make mac and cheese like this but we still love them anyway. Luckily, this Bridgeport spot picks up the slack and invites guests in for an organic, down-home version that blends gruyere and jack cheeses and adds a balancing crunch with biscuit crumbs.

3267 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 929-2486
(312) 929-2486
Yelp

RPM Steak

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The elegant River North steakhouse isn’t all about the beef. The menu also offers an elevated mac and cheese that’s an aromatic blend of housemade pasta, white cheddar, fontina, truffled butter, hen-of-the-woods mushrooms and Hobbs Farm bacon. Top it off with grated breadcrumbs and you’ve got the perfect, decadent dish to complement the mouth-watering steaks.

66 W Kinzie St, Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 284-4990
(312) 284-4990
Facebook

Also featured in:

Uncommon Ground

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Mac and cheese is a simple and humble dish that needs little refinement. That’s why Uncommon Ground is happy to let the quality of the ingredients—cheddar, swiss, butterkase, pasta shells and toasted bread crumbs—shine. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

3800 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 929-3680
(773) 929-3680
Facebook

Also featured in:

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Bar Pastoral

2947 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL 60657

Cheese and wine are the cornerstones of any good diet (trust us) and few do it better than the team behind Pastoral. At their Lakeview wine bar, the kitchen crafts a seasonal, cheese-centric menu that gussies up macaroni with taleggio and podda cheeses, butternut squash and candied bacon.

2947 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 472-4781
(773) 472-4781
Facebook

Blackwood BBQ

307 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60606

With three locations downtown and another in Lakeview, Blackwood offers exciting lunch options that beat the pants off any ol’ boring sandwich. The tantalizing 3-cheese mac is a cheddar and aged gruyere blend that’s topped with a panko crust, making it all the cheesy motivation you’ll need to make it through the morning slog.

307 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60606
(312) 621-9663
(312) 621-9663
Facebook

Bub City

435 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654

The winter weather might be quite dreadful but Lettuce Entertain You’s barbecue restaurant is comforting cold Chicagoans with the sounds and flavors of the South. Jam out to country tunes, throw back a few whiskey shots and soak up the alcohol with creamy, drool-worthy mac and cheeses. Purists can stick with the no-frills “Phoebe’s Classic” while carnivores can opt to top it off with pork or spicy chipotle-brisket.

435 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 610-4200
(312) 610-4200
Facebook

Cheesie's Pub & Grub

958 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657

For centuries mac and cheese has been mainly confined to the shackles of a bowl … but what if it wasn’t? Cheesie’s challenges conventions with highly-addictive fried mac n’ cheese bites and The Mac—a grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with, you guessed it, mac and cheese. After a long night out, it’s the ultimate comfort food.

958 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 388-1574
(773) 388-1574
Facebook

Chicago q

1160 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60610

Nothing goes better with some hearty barbecue than a delicious side of mac and cheese. Art Smith’s restaurant Table Fifty-Two is no more but he carries on its spirit with his signature pitmaster mac and cheese. Served in a sizzling skillet, gooey muenster and cheddar noodles come loaded with add-ins like burnt ends, pulled pork and pulled chicken.

1160 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 642-1160
(312) 642-1160
Facebook

GT Fish and Oyster

531 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654

Mac and cheese is rich dish that’s delectable enough on its own but when you add lobster from one of the city’s best seafood restaurants into the mix, well it gets even more indulgent. Luscious chunks of crustacean and English peas intermingle with orecchhiette pasta for arguably the best lobster mac in town. It’s decidedly less cheesier than the standard variety but given the ingredients, strikes a nice balance among flavors.

531 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 929-3501
(312) 929-3501
Facebook

Honey Butter Fried Chicken

3361 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

Fried chicken will always be the main attraction at Honey Butter but the buffalo mac and cheese is no slouch either. Tag-team owners Joshua Kulp and Christine Cikowski’s Southern-inspiredrecipe calls for rotini, pimento-cheddar cheese sauce and buffalo fried chicken that takes the dish to the next level with some much-appreciated heat. Also available as a side (minus the chicken).

3361 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 478-4000
(773) 478-4000
Facebook

Hot Chocolate

1747 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Come for the sweets but make sure to try the mac and cheese first. The underrated, fan-favorite offering at Hot Chocolate has been a fixture on the menu and is a creamy delight. Reminiscent of the childhood staple that comes in a box, elbow macaroni swims in a pool of cheesiness, finished in the broiler for a nice bruleed layer on top.

1747 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 489-1747
(773) 489-1747
Facebook

Kuma's Corner

2900 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60618

It takes a lot of willpower to resist ordering one of the behemoth burgers at the heavy metal bar but the customizable mac and cheese is just as drool-worthy. Build your own with a list of add-ins that includes Andouille sausage, bacon, chicken, jalapeno, roasted red pepper and more. If you’re feeling ambitious, get a burger AND mac & cheese and save the leftovers for a killer lunch the next day.

2900 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 604-8769
(773) 604-8769
Facebook

Ms. Lee's Good Food

203 E. 55th, Chicago, IL

Grandma always knows best and Lee Hogan certainly knows her way around the kitchen. She worked at the late South Side institution Glady’s Luncheonette for 31 years and when it shuttered, Hogan opened her own soul food joint. Here, she’s cooking up everything from fried chicken and baked meatloaf to fresh pies and, of course, home-style mac and cheese. You’ll have to order it to go since there’s no seating, but chances are it’ll be devoured before you ever make it back home.

203 E. 55th, Chicago, IL
(773) 752-5253
(773) 752-5253
Mike Gebert/Thrillist

Nana

3267 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60608

Our nanas didn’t quite make mac and cheese like this but we still love them anyway. Luckily, this Bridgeport spot picks up the slack and invites guests in for an organic, down-home version that blends gruyere and jack cheeses and adds a balancing crunch with biscuit crumbs.

3267 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60608
(312) 929-2486
(312) 929-2486
Yelp

RPM Steak

66 W Kinzie St, Chicago, IL 60654

The elegant River North steakhouse isn’t all about the beef. The menu also offers an elevated mac and cheese that’s an aromatic blend of housemade pasta, white cheddar, fontina, truffled butter, hen-of-the-woods mushrooms and Hobbs Farm bacon. Top it off with grated breadcrumbs and you’ve got the perfect, decadent dish to complement the mouth-watering steaks.

66 W Kinzie St, Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 284-4990
(312) 284-4990
Facebook

Uncommon Ground

3800 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60613

Mac and cheese is a simple and humble dish that needs little refinement. That’s why Uncommon Ground is happy to let the quality of the ingredients—cheddar, swiss, butterkase, pasta shells and toasted bread crumbs—shine. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

3800 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60613
(773) 929-3680
(773) 929-3680
Facebook

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