The Cheezy Mac
3031 Richmond Rd,Ste 120, Lexington, KY, 40509
The Cheezy Mac Menu
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.
Visit below restaurant in Lexington for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Lexington for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Lexington for healthy meals suggestion.
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
-
Address :
3031 Richmond Rd,Ste 120
Lexington, KY, 40509 - Phone (859) 224-3399
- Website https://www.thecheezymac.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : No
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online
Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.
Emily P.
It's a good concept- macaroni and cheese, one of everyone's favorite foods, but the layout is just wrong. Imagine a Subway, but instead of sandwiches it's macaroni, and you have a thousand things to choose from- which can be overwhelming. So after waiting in line to order for what seems like forever, you get to then pick a table and wait for another good chunk of time for your food to be prepared. Decent food, but not worth the wait. Last time, I got the pulled pork sandwich, which is exactly what it sounds like only served on top of macaroni and cheese. It was ok, but the bottom slice of bread on the sandwich was so soggy that the sandwich couldn't even stay together long enough to finish it. The macaroni lacked something. Maybe salt? I've been a total three times, and on each occasion I've had to wait in line for an unnecessary amount of time, and also on each occasion I've watched the people infront of me get tired of waiting and leave. Seems like noone knows what they are doing, and there is no communication. There is usually about 3 employees working and at the end of almost every transaction they all wind up standing at the cash register trying to figure out how to ring their current order in. The last time I went, I watched 2 separate customers complain about the wait to someone I'm assuming was the shift leader. The disappointing part was that this was during their slow hours that the wait was so long, so I would not want to stop in during busy hours. I probably won't go back. To wrap this up, I will give this place 2 stars: one for the creative idea, and one for the staff, because they have always been friendly. Hopefully they'll figure this whole thing out eventually, seeing as they're so new.
(2)Heather P.
This place is awesome! My husband and I came in to have dinner before our movie. He got the sloppy joe mac and I got the chicken pesto mac, both off the specialty menu. Big portions, well made, and delicious! The restaurant is clean, open, and has plenty of seating. The look of the place is also very nice with high ceilings and an industrial look that is trendy right now. The service was great! One of the employees was super helpful and incredibly nice! That definitely makes this place so enjoyable. Look forward to returning!
(5)Mike T.
On the day I visited, the guy working the counter was practically a zombie. No personality, not helpful, seemed ready to go home. That was very disappointing and made me skeptical of this place. Bad first impression. Keep your zombies in the kitchen and put your best people on the register, thanks. My food was very good, however. And the cornbread that came with my mac n cheese was excellent. I will be back to try different flavors and combinations. Overall I would recommend this place for the uniqueness and food quality, but with the warning that the service might suck.
(3)Ryan H.
This is the best place to go for the ultimate comfort food with a little extra. I've been here over a dozen times and loved everything I've gotten from build your owns to premade choices with the exception of the southwest taco and Philly cheesesteak, but that's just my opinion. I bring or tell everyone I know about this place. Definitely worth a try.
(5)Lee P.
Build you own Mac and Cheese. How could you go wrong. Lunch specials too. They serve hot dogs, buffalo wings, and hamburgers as well, if you're not in the mood for mac and cheese. A good Kid's menu as well.
(5)Kate S.
I was excited about the opening of this restaurant - mac & cheese is a go-to dinner at my house, and I make a pretty darned awesome version, if I do say so myself. I congratulate the owner for placing his restaurant strategically between the barn and my house, so that I am naturally hungry/tired/dirty when I'm headed toward home...good planning! I'm not going to spend a lot of time on the service (new, trying, willing) or the decor (clean, fresh, a bit dark) but would like to get right to the food...which was great. The menu isn't complicated, but you do have a lot of options. Your three main choices are (1) mac & cheese combination with ingredients you choose, (2) mac & cheese combination with ingredients already chosen, or (3) salad with ingredients you choose. The list of ingredients is long, and includes some unusual cheeses, which I appreciated. I chose a pesto mac special that included chicken and red peppers, which I swapped out for sundried tomatoes. We waited about 15 minutes for our food, which I did not think was too long with a new staff, busy opening night, and dinner hour...I've waited a lot longer at Local Taco when it wasn't busy and how long does it take to make tacos? The ingredients for your dish are all on display, and each ingredient (including par-cooked noodles and freshly grated cheeses) is added to a bowl, then it goes to the kitchen where I would assume something resembling a béchamel sauce is added and the whole thing is heated until the cheese melts, then topped with bread crumbs. My dish was delicious. I could taste all of the ingredients, and nothing was overcooked. I was with two young adult women, one of whom liked her mac (chicken pot pie) very much (though she complained that the bread crumbs were too big, until I pointed out that they weren't bread crumbs but crumbled pie crust, THEN she loved it) and the other thought she'd rather have mine. Now, admittedly, she is new to our household and may be trying to score brownie points, but one of the first dishes I made for her was mac & cheese with ham and peas and that is exactly what she ordered here. She felt Cheezy Mac's rendition was lacking something, which I'm quite sure was love. You can taste that stuff. I always add extra. But I can't really hold that against the restaurant. The price point is about $9 per item, which I believe is reasonable for quality ingredients and gourmet cheese. I mentally calculated the cost of preparing my mac & cheese with ham and peas at home and determined that it would cost roughly $13 per person. None of us left hungry, and two of us brought leftovers home with us. I bought a brownie but ended up taking it home to eat later...which I did...and it was unbelievably delicious...so delicious that I do NOT want to know where you get them! My only points of disappointment were that the forks and bowls were disposable, and that spoons did not appear to be available. I know there is added cost to serve food on real plates with real utensils, but this was not Kraft mac & cheese, and I felt that it would have elevated the whole experience. I also am less likely to regularly eat at places that generate a lot of waste. This Friday I am heading back to The Cheezy Mac to try the lobster mac, a Friday special. See you there!
(3)Heather P.
I always tend to like the "build your own..." places. This place was no different, I loved it! First off, cheese is expensive... so I think the classic mac alone is worth the price that you pay here. Then, after you add all of those fresh toppings... you can't make any pasta dish at home at that rate. As a carb-aholic I've been stalking this place since they broke ground in the same plaza as the Richmond Rd Kroger, beside of Suttons, in the same building structure as Little Caesers. Take note to look for Little Caesars if you're coming from the back way, because that side of the building is a bit unmarked right now. They're brand new people, give 'em a break! Plus, this is their first location. The concept, logo, etc. are ideal for a franchise, but right now this is the only one. Finally, this place opened last week and then finally I got to check this place out. Just to clarify and as a full disclosure, I was given a personal run down of the place and the menu by the local owner. No, he didn't pay me and no, I don't give five stars lightly. When you go through the line, you can either start with SALAD or one of the three versions of pasta... regular, whole wheat or gluten free pasta. Yes, they have true non cross contamination gluten free options... or however you say it. You then choose your topping/mixture options, then your cheese (several of those to choose from) and then your protein. I'm skipping a bit, but I think that you get it... I can't believe that no one has pointed out that you can get salad instead of noodles and then top the salad with the wide variety of toppings. You can do the pick two meal, with half portion of Mac and cheese and a half portion of salad... or soup. If the "build your own" idea is over whelming, they have several of these Mac and Cheese dishes picked out for you... BBQ pork noodles topped with Grippos and a grilled sandwich (my new guilty pleasure fav), pot pie, chicken wing, cheese burger, and many more that I need to try. Next on my list thought is the lobster mac and cheese... they only offer it on Fridays and it's limited. So, I'll either be using the Cheezy Mac app or calling ahead on a Friday real soon.
(5)Amanda F.
Ate here for the first time today was okay nothing special. It wouldn't be the first place I recommend. I like the uniqueness of the restaurant but the food was a little blah. I ordered the pesto chicken mac and it just tasted like it was missing something. Got a good sized portion but was not worth the price I paid for it. A little pricey for the quality of food you get.
(3)Nicole M.
Expensive for what you get. Food was good not great. They do however have gluten free options which will bring us back.
(4)Jim B.
Interesting visit I got the lobster mac and cheese. They list only some of the ingredients on the menu for that special. Red peppers in the dish was not very good. However they remade it and didn't complain the manager was very nice. The second coming was much much better. I think the fact u can custom make a Mac and cheese is a fresh concept for Lexington. But might scare off some people. However I have a few ideas to try being a true foodie. So far the cheezy mac meets this reviewers expectations for a "fast n ready" restaurant style Please keep in mind I'm little harder on reviews three stars is pretty good for me
(3)Kellie W.
I came here just to try the fried macaroni and cheese fritters. I have eaten these at dozens of restaurants and the ones at the Cheezy Mac are by far the best. The fritters are served three large super golden brown squares to an order with a side of creamy and delicious marinara sauce. I usually order something similar at The Cheesecake Factory and these were far superior! I will be back for these again and to try other menu items!
(5)Alan H.
My wife and I tried The Cheezy Mac for the first time last night and did not leave with a very good impression. I ordered the Pulled Pork and she got the New World Lasagna both from their Food for Thought portion of the menu. Once we paid we sat down and began our wait. And we waited. And we waited some more... And while we continued to wait, we both complained about how uncomfortable the seating was. My wife was sitting on a banquette type seat and I sat in a small metal chair. I complained to her that my neck hurt from looking up at the menu board, their "history" on the blackboard wall, and one of the 2 TV's which was mounted extremely high. After what seemed an eternity, the kid who rang up our order, came to our table and asked how everything was. I simply looked down at our table and indicated that we only had napkins and our cups of water and told him that we were still waiting on our food. To which he replied, "Oh, my bad..." and he went over to another table to check on them. After a few more minutes, I asked my wife what was the time-stamp on the receipt, and it had been 20 minutes since we ordered and we still had no food. And they were not even busy! There was one other couple who were ordering when we came in and one other table of customers who already had their food. After about another 5 minutes, our food FINALLY arrived. It was not awful, but did not live up to my expectations, especially after having to wait so long for it. My wife said hers was "good", (AKA average). My order consisted of about 1/2 an order of mac and cheese with a little pulled pork in it and the other half was served as a grilled cheese with texas toast. The sandwich was by far the better part of my meal. The texas toast was very good, so that was a plus. However, there was way too little of the pulled pork and barbeque sauce in my mac and cheese for my liking. Overall, I would give this place a "5" on a scale from 1-10 for the food, a "3" for aesthetics and a "2" for service. At $9 for the mac and cheese entree, I was disappointed. As I told my wife while we were waiting for our food to arrive, if we do decide to come back, we should definitely order ahead for Pick Up. Food wasn't horrible but atmosphere and speed of service were definitely very disappointing.
(2)Olwen C.
Cheezy Mac is a great new addition to Lexington. I am a big fan of the "build your own" meal style, and even though I don't typically love Mac and Cheese this is a very cool new dining option that also offers salads for those who are trying to avoid carbs. I was invited to come in for a sampling of their menu, so I got to try several different noodle dishes. As I said before, it is build your own if you like, but they also have several dishes with selected items that go together well, like buffalo chicken mac, etc. My favorite dish out of those we sampled was the pesto Mac and cheese. Omg! It was so good! It was like something you would find at a fancy Italian restaurant. We also tried chicken pot pie Mac, a Mac and cheese fritter (it was huge!), pasta salad, brownies, regular Mac, etc. Next time I will probably try the salad option, it sounds great. Cheese and greens with whatever toppings you want?! Sounds great to me! Someone who left a negative review of this place mentioned that they gave out salt and pepper in a little dish. That is definitely not true. They have really cute mini soda bottle salt and pepper shakers on every table. It was one of the first things I noticed while we were waiting for our food. The place is very modern and nice inside. My opinion on the price, of $8.99 for a bowl of Macaroni and cheese is yes, a bit higher than you'd expect. However, it is build-your-own and the ingredients are of good quality from what I could tell on my first visit. I think $6.99 would probably be more ideal, especially because that seems to be the going rate for Chipotle-style build your owns. Cheese is expensive, but not all cheese. They could do a lower base-price with optional add-ons that cost extra. A fancier cheese costs more, etc. I think the kids meal price is a little high. I brought the menu in to work to show my coworkers. Most of them said they would not be willing to pay $6.99 for a kids meal very often. But they were excited about trying it once. Let's see, what else...the owner is really great and friendly, I'm excited for this place and hope to see more locations in the future.
(4)Samara B.
I want to preface this by saying i really wanted yo like this place. I even hesitated writing this because I know it is a chain restaurant and it's new. I expect things to be wonky and the staff not to quite know everything about every dish and the kitchen to be a bit slow. These things I expect. What I didn't expect was what was served to me. I decided to order the Philly cheese mac-n-cheese. It has green peppers, onions and mushrooms then noodles, cheese and steak. When I think of cheese steak, I think of thin sliced of beef, not 2 inch cubes of beef that are chewy. Even if I over looked the chunks of meat, the dish itself lacked flavor (and salt). It was served with what I think was suppose to be a mini cornbread muffin (WHY?), but it was more like a hard cornbread cracker. Nothing seemed to have any flavor. The manager stopped by and asked how was everything. I told him my issues. He offered to make me something else. He offered the chicken pot pie mac-n-cheese. Reluctantly, I agreed. He brought that out and while it was better, it was very much one dimensional flavor profile. So far, it seems like they need to get the basic flavor of mac-n-cheese corrected.
(2)Brian W.
Every time I drive by this place it looks empty. I have no idea why?! This is a design your mac and cheese/salad joint. Multiple different cheeses from Smoked Gouda to Ghost Pepper Cheese! 3 noodles. Regular, Wheat and Gluten Free Tons of add on items for the salad and the mac and cheese along with quick order combos. Took my son to eat here. He had regular mac and cheese. You get to pick as many different combos of cheese that will fit in the cup they put fill your bowl with. I got the sloppy joe. Mine came with a bowl of macaroni and cheese with sloppy joe mix on top. On top of that was a sloppy joe sandwich with noodles in the sandwich. And in all of that were BBQ Chips! Both of our meals were top notch. High quality food and good service. The guy behind the counter was super nice and helpful during our first visit. The inside of the building is clean and modern with lots of space. I think some of the negative review must have been from the first few weeks this place was open. We did not experience any of the negatives others have mentioned. This is a great place for a family or group of friends to get together for some excellent comfort food.
(4)Sarah R.
Tried this place for the first time and wasnt disappointed. I had already researched it so I knew exactly what I wanted so it didnt take long to order, the wait for my meal was a little long considering it wasnt busy and only one person ahead of me. The pasta was hot, plenty of cheese and veggies and pulled pork was good. Also tried the fritters great portions for the price and loved the sauce.
(4)Christina K.
Visited the new restaurant called The Cheezy Mac and I have to say this place is fantastic. I couldn't believe the extensive variety of items that were available to select. I was able to build my meal my way and it was delicious. They also have this incredible Coke machine dispenser. I never knew coke has such a variety of diet and regular flavors to choose. The best part is that I couldn't finish my meal and have left over's for tomorrow. Looks like they thought of everything starting from the uniforms of the employees to the containers that allow me to take home anything I can't finish. If I could give this place more than 5 stars I would.
(5)Dennis W.
The good: the idea of a mac & cheese restaurant really excited me, the dining room was clean, and they have one of those fancy Coke machines to flavor your drinks umpteen different ways. The bad: the menu was confusing and hard to read from the glare on the screen, the workers didn't seem adequately trained, the cooking/order system was confusing, the food was bland and devoid of seasoning, and it was topped with bread crumbs that I didn't order and a mini corn muffin that was like a little charcoal briquette. How could someone ruin mac & cheese!? It made me cry a little into my bowl, which turned out to be the hint of salt that was missing from the dish. I also shed a tear at the fact that I paid $9 for mushy pasta, three broccoli florets, four mushroom slices, and six cubes of chicken. I think I created a Dementor bowl because the more I stared into it, the more my happy memories and good thoughts of mac & cheese were being sucked out of me. Luckily, my friends cast a Patronus Charm and we were quickly able to leave. (And by Patronus Charm, I mean the promise of dessert elsewhere!) The deplorable: curious as to how they were getting so many 5-star ratings, I looked at the other reviewers. Strangely, four of them are brand new to Yelp with only one review. One of these one-review-wonders has a photo that has an uncanny resemblance to the guy that waited on me. o.O Having employees make up reviews so you sound better than you really are is a crappy thing to do. Shame on you Cheezy Mac. My suggestion: don't go here. Take your $9 and go buy a box of macaroni & cheese, add your own veggies and proteins. You just saved money and you'll enjoy the taste better.
(1)Don M.
My wife and I went here after a docs appointment. She is a mac and cheese fan and I wanted her to try it out. We went and had a good experience. We really were the only ones in there and the menu was explained very well. I knew what I was ordering and the expectations were met. My doc on the one star would be cost. For mac and cheese it is a bit expensive. I am really indifferent because of the value if I would go back.
(4)Theresa B.
I was invited to try several different pasta options at this new restaurant and was pleasantly surprised, based on some other reviews I read. I think one thing that people need to be aware of is this is a brand new restaurant, not a franchise, and they've only been opened less than 2 weeks. So yes, in the first week or two, there were some hiccups as they are still trying to work out some kinks. I experienced no such issues and neither did my husband/son who came down to eat after I texted them that they needed to try it out (more on that later). I will also agree with another reviewer who said that you should start with one of the chef specialities. Because they do have SO many toppings for your mac & cheese (or salad), it can be a little bit daunting. After trying some of the specialties, you could probably branch out and make your own revisions to make it your own. I do wish their menu included exactly what is included in each specialty but since the menu already seems to confusing to some people, I guess it's best that it doesn't. You can always ask when you come up to order. One thing that hasn't been mentioned hardly is you can do salad instead of macaroni. They have 3 different options for salad greens. They also offer soups each day and there is a combo option on their menu that allows you to do a "pick 2" type combo. 1/2 mac&1/2 salad, 1/2 salad& cup of soup, 1/2mac & cup of soup. You get the idea... I've also seen people mention how they think it's overpriced. I have to respectuflly disagree and here's why. You're being given the option to choose from a HUGE variety of additions to your macaroni/salad. And these options are obviously fresh and pretty high quality. You're not being told what they have to offer and you get to choose the one that most appeals to you... YOU get to decide exactly what does into your creation. As someone who usually asks if they can make a few changes to a menu item (If you've seen When Harry Met Sally, then you're familiar with "my type"), I *really* appreciate this and am willing to pay a little more for the option. Also, the bowls they serve the pasta in seem kind of oversized to me.... which means the bowl is filled to the brim. I think this visual plays a trick on us, making us think we're not getting very much food. But pasta is pretty filling and I'm not sure you'd want to have your bowl completely filled. While I was at this tasting, I texted my husband and teenage son that they should come on down to get dinner because I was pretty impressed with the food. When they arrived, I gave them the to-go menu and briefly explained the concept but suggested they choose from one of the chef creations. My husband can be a little indecisive when ordering from a menu and I didn't think the place would be open until midnight, waiting for him to choose his additions. My husband chose the Chicken Pot Pie and my son chose the cheeseburger one. It was when they received their orders that I was able to see what an actual order was, how much you got for what you paid for, since what I had been eating were smaller portions but several different ones. Anyway, that's when I noticed what I think some people saw. The bowl was nearly half empty!! But there was still a really healthy portion in that bowl. It satisfied both my husband and my son, who is an 18year old man ready to join the Army in a few short months. So I think the portion is big enough and the bowl they serve it in is just a little too big. One thing I plan on utilizing is their mobile app for ordering. It seems very similiar to the Chipotle app, which i *love*. You can order what you want, pay for it, say what time you're going to pick it up and when you get there, you skip any kind of line and go straight to the registers on the left side. Sorry for the novel of a review but I guess I just had a lot I wanted to say about this place. I look forward to visiting again when I'm in the mood for a satisfying meal of macaroni & cheese with *all* the fixins! While I did receive complimentary samples of different food items, it was not done in exchange for any kind of review, let alone a positive one. The opinions in this review are 100% mine and were in no way influenced by anyone other than myself.
(5)M L.
We were in Lexington visiting friends and they brought us here. All I can say is this is an awesome place! Great food , friendly employees and a decent price. Hopefully you will open some of these in Texas soon.
(5)Jeremy S.
Just ate here! The food was delicious and I will definitely return. More food than I could eat so now I get Cheezy Mac for dinner too.
(5)Griff R.
Great Atmosphere, great attention to details. I built my own Mac and Cheese and it was delicious! (Grilled Chicken, Sun Dried tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, Tomato Creme sauce and White Sharp Cheddar! Kaboom) Nice relaxed place for lunch or dinner without breaking the bank.
(5)Ashley M.
Lexington has the pleasure of being the first City to experience The Cheezy Mac! It's not a chain, not yet. It's not just macaroni combinations either. They keep three different salad blends on hand to create unique salad combinations. Fresh soups are made daily. GLUTEN FREE? Why YES they do that too! Food for thought indeed. Do start with the Chef Specialties. Building your own pasta/salad bowl can be fun but perhaps leave your first experience eating here in the hands of the folks who have tried hundreds of combinations already. I have sampled four main dishes, three side dishes and one dessert. The Classic Mac N' Cheese is made with White Aged Sharp Cheddar and topped with bread crumbs. Very well done, no complaints. The Chicken Pot Pie had chunks of pie crust in it which really make the dish stand-out. Makes you want to through out all those frozen concoctions you buy at the grocery and scream "no more!". The Pulled Pork is a combo I'be never tried before: Pulled BBQ Pork with original Mac N' Cheese piled up in a bowl with Gripppos BBQ chips on top. You must try this. The last main dish was the Chicken Pesto Mac and this was my favorite. Great flavor and I was sure to eat every last bite. It's worth mentioning that each bowl comes with a corn muffin. This corn muffin has a twist. There is just a hint of Ghost Pepper Jack Cheese in them and your tongue will tingle! Don't do spicy? I don't either but I tried it and it's not enough to make your mouth cry. The side dishes were quite delicious too. I tried the Fried Macaroni Fritter and loved it at first crunch. It also has a delightful pink colored tomato sauce as garnishment. The Southern Sweet Coleslaw wasn't to my taste but I'm not a huge coleslaw fan anyways. But if you're eating anything with the Ghost Pepper Cheese on it you may want this side dish to cool your mouth off! The Sicilian Cold Pasta really took the medal though. I loved the bold Italian flavor. The only thing I'd add to it would be mini-mozzarella balls. A side of that with a half salad would be a great lighter-lunch. I'm almost done chatting so don't stop reading now :) Dessert is here! The owner has lovingly made you his mother's brownie recipe! A dense walnut brownie, covered in a layer of Marshmallow and then topped off with a thick fudge sauce. Officially my new favorite dessert. Yes, there are Rice-Krispie Treats and Chocolate Chip cookies. They even make Heavenly Hash bars and plan on having other assorted baked goods but, the brownies. You must try the brownies. (Disclaimer, I have a major sweet tooth so if you are someone who says "I just don't care for sweets all that much" then this isn't for you. Just save it for folks who can appreciate it, please & thank you.) My next visit here will be to try the Friday special, Lobster Mac N'Cheeze. Once they run out they don't remake it and the price fluctuates based on the market value of the lobster. I'm intrigued. It'll be followed by a delightful brownie :) Happy Eating Ya'll!
(4)Jenn M.
The concept is great. However, the breadcrumb topping (which I absolutely HATE) is put on your pasta after you order (and wait about 15 min to get your food) and you get no warning. Had I known they were going to add it I would've said no thank you. Also, the meat is extremely dry and overcooked.
(3)Klinton B.
Cool idea and a nice place. Talked with one of the owners. Nice guy! First day open so the new is still on the penny but I think the place will be successful.
(4)Samantha J.
The Cheezy Mac met every expectation per the staffs recommendations! I tried the pulled pork which is really like getting 2 meals for the price of one! I haven't gotten half way through my dish which doubles as a bowl of Mac n cheese with pulled pork and Grippos chips and then all of that on a grilled cheese... YES! This is a win. I'm super excited about the Food For Thought Menu and I'm sure it helped that the young lady at the register greeted me by saying, "your pork is from South Carolina!" This idea is cool. Lexington, don't miss out on this awesome restaurant b/c of a few not so awesome reviews. To top it off while writing this review, a young man just handed me a free drink with entree purchase card for my next visit for being one of the first 50 customers of the day. That's service!
(5)James M.
So, I literally just happened to walk into this place and was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere, staff, and wide selection of options when it comes to Mack and cheese. As I was waiting for my order I bumped into the owner in the dining area. I was impressed to see that the owner was actively engaging with the customer experience as a instead of hiding in an office somewhere. Having never been to a place like this before I was slightly overwhelmed with all of the options. Instead of taking up everyone's time I asked for a recommendation. The person taking my order was very understanding and suggested a few menu options. I ended up ordering the steak and cheese and grilled cheese. The portions were larger than I had expected, Which was a pleasant surprise, and both were very filling and tasted great. I am looking forward to returning and trying out more of the selections on their menu.
(4)Wes C.
The Good: the idea, the build your own, large portion size. The Bad: disorganized, soggy bread coating, inexperienced staff, interior, their special not really being a special, prices, unclear menu. The Rundown: the idea of a Mac and cheese place sounds awesome, and could be if done right. The problem is that this one really isn't. I understand that I am here during their opening week, and this is a contributing factor as to why they messed up my order, but when you have a piece of paper in front of you that tells you what go in what is being ordered, there really isn't an excuse. Another problem is that they don't list what all is included in the menu items, such as their Noodles Orleans, this is supposed to have chicken and andouille sausage, (which it wasn't in my order)though the menu doesn't say that and only after the order was made did we ask and found that yes there was supposed to be that in there! I will say their little cornbread bites are good, and the buffalo chicken was ok. Texturally there is only a mushy texture, the breadcrumbs on top are not crisped up. The organization is not working out for them. They have no way of indicating what the order is to the cashier without standing at the register and telling them, meaning you have a group of employees at the register and no one helping the new customers. They use two bowls?????? They use metal bowls to put the food in, then these different serving bowls that the food is cooked in. I don't get it, just use the serving bowls so that you can write on them what the order is. The Impression: not a good first outing. While not terrible, I don't foresee me ordering anything else off the menu. The interior is almost vacant if anything. Their managers special was to get a certain emu item and get a free drink, which is already a standard on the menu anyway. Need to work on work flow instead of having 6 employees bunched up at the cash register.
(2)Michael M.
Stopped in The Cheezy Mac to order takeout with mixed results. We were the only customers there on a Saturday night which doesn't bode well for their future. The person taking our order was very friendly but unsure of the ingredients in the selections we chose so we had to watch him carefully. We ordered the Buffalo Wings Mac and the Chicken Pesto Mac (we substituted Sun Dried Tomatoes for the Red Peppers on the 2nd dish). Both of these selections were delicious although the Buffalo Mac could have used slightly more chicken. The Cornbread Rolls included with each entree were tasty and we purchased an additional order of 3 based on other yelp reviews. Unfortunately we did the same with the brownies which they call Heavenly Hash Bars but for us they were underwhelming. Another yelper's photo made them look oh so indulgent with a thick layer of marshmallow but this was not the case with our bars. Lastly the Chicken Pesto Mac was on special but we were charged regular price for it and didn't notice the error until we arrived home. Nice concept, clean restaurant, and interesting menu but the staff needs more training and better follow through. Based on the strength of the food we WILL try them again.
(3)Brandon V.
Being a huge fan of Noodles & Company, this seemed like a similar place that I might like as well, but the truth is that I've been spoiled by N&C, it seems. Maybe this place would have gotten 3 stars if it weren't for my knowing that there is something better out there in noodle land, but it wasn't meant to be. The service is extremely slow and the staff just doesn't seem to know what's going on. They just seem poorly trained and really like they aren't even the type who should be working customer service jobs. The menu is a little bit confusing and they seem to be just as confused about it as the customer, with people in the back telling the people in the front what they need to do differently to prep the plates. They also have hit on a pet peeve of mine: Blaring televisions in the dining room. I just don't want to hear two different TVs battling for my attention while I am eating. The food was just "Meh", and the price was equivalent to Noodles'nCo, so I'll just steer clear of this place from now on and stick to what I know and the ones who do it better.
(2)Benjamin M.
I re-visited a couple of weeks ago, and I was less impressed than my initial visit. I was overcharged for my meal which was pretty annoying. I ordered the daily special, but it failed to ring up at the special price. (The restaurant eventually refunded the money when I showed my receipt.) The daily special--the southwestern chicken taco--just didn't taste very good. It was hardly warm, and I barely ate half of it before deciding it wasn't worth the calories. This place has good potential, but I feel it's heading in the wrong direction.
(2)Meghan W.
Just ate here during the Grand Opening. Delicious food and love that you can build your own or taste different things from different areas. I am giving it 4 stars because the staff seems to be needing more training or just more time. Not everyone seemed to know everything that was going on, but they were all extremely nice and gave excellent customer service. I am positive it will get better...they have only been in business for about a week after all. I will definitely be going back!!
(4)Becky M.
Awesome Mac n Cz!!! Can't wait to try it with the cone!!!
(5)Amanda R.
#1. Mac n Cheese fritters are a must-try. These things are huge and you get three of them! #2. The portions are huge so you get what you pay for. If even consider sharing one plate for lunch. #3. I ordered the pulled pork Mac and it did not disappoint. The meal comes with a full sized grilled cheese stuffed with the Mac, pulled pork, BBQ sauce and BBQ chips. The combo of the sauce and the crunchy chips was perfect. #4. If you're not into the fancy stuff, my boyfriend (self-proclaimed mac n cheese connoisseur) said the classic Mac was "on point". You can add whatever cheeses you want. #5. The man who helped us made sure we got exactly what we wanted and was willing to change some of the suggested servings to anyone's liking. He also gave us some background about the restaurant and said they have 9 new locations in the works as well as a food truck and an app. Overall, very good food and great experience. I just hope they're building a location closer to campus! The only reason I'm giving 4 stars is because location isn't the best since it's in the same building as a Little Caesar's and isn't very visible from the road, so it may be hard for anyone to notice it. Other than that, I can't wait to come back!
(4)Jarad D.
The staff was very friendly and helpful - there are a lot of choices, but I felt rushed making a decision on ingredients as soon as someone else walked in the restaurant. The food came out in about 5 mins as expected considering prep time. The mac noodles are overly large and the sauce seemed to break down and become gritty. The flavor want bad but it sure wasn't interesting. There's a few places close by that have a better product and a better price.
(3)Brandy C.
Customer service is excellent, restaurant is clean, they recycle and the food is good!! What more can u ask for???
(4)Kriss W.
Landed here for a random Friday lunch. They saw me as a first timer and quickly offered advice. This is the Subway of pasta...pick a pasta and pick your toppings. Cheese and noodles..I'm in!!! Lots of choices and fun preselected options. I went with the Chicken Pesto...yummy! Huge portion came with a sweet cornbread muffin. Normal soft drinks were available, but this place gets extra about our for the beer selection! While bottle only, good stuff I had a Goose Island 312. So good to see craft beers in a casual joint! Any time I can drink a Flat Tire instead of having one is a good time!
(4)Ryan J.
It was one of the few locally owned restaurants open in Lexington on a Sunday evening, and had decent reviews so we gave this a try. The place is pretty much what you would expect. Mac-n-cheese with the option to add some other things in the mix. That said, it is good Mac-n-cheese (which is pretty essential given the format) and two options we tried were both tasty. We had the classic (ie, plain) and Pulled Pork which adds a tangy BBQ sauce, pork and Texas toast - it was a good blend of flavored assuming you like the ingredients I think you'll be pleased. So stop in, and enjoy the cheesy goodness.
(4)Tj T.
Starting with the service, well it is bad all around. Every time that I eat here they take an extremely long time to get the food out, once I had called ahead of time, they told me it would be 15 minutes, it took me about 20 to get there and I still waited another 15 when I got there. And twice in a row they have failed to be able to put points on my rewards card, stating they are not sure when to actually do it in the transaction. Now for the food, when this place first opened the portions were actually a good size. My wife stated that the size of the portions are it's saving grace. Well since it opened the portions have gotten smaller and smaller. The food is not bad, it isn't amazing, it's ok. Nothing spectacular. But with portions getting smaller and smaller and the poor service, not sure if we will return. (Review written after around 5-7 trips to allow for a true picture)
(1)Keith B.
I love the concept, but in practice it fell flat. My wife and kids went and no one was happy with their meal. We ordered pulled pork, the cordon bleu, the lasagna, and a kids noodles with sauce. We asked for sauce on side for the kids pasta , but it was mixed in. The food wasn't awful, just not memorable and overall pretty bland. The portions were huge and we threw away a lot more than we ate ( we did take home boxes, but no one ate any leftovers). The biggest downside was the cost (around 40 dollars) - it was definitely not worth the cost for a family. In hindsight we could have ordered two meals and shared. I really wanted to like this place, but after sampling 4 dishes I don't believe there would be a reason to return.
(2)Elizabeth G.
Wow this place has great Mac n Cheese! Super clean friendly staff. I did the buffalo Mac thought it might be too much but it was amazing better than expected.
(5)Steven M.
Overpriced! Almost $17 for a kids meal and a bowl of mac and cheese with some chicken in it. My daughter didn't even eat her meal. I tried her mac fritter, horrible. I had to pick up pizza on the way home. Don't waste time or money.
(1)bryan c.
Per Jerry's comments I'm updating my rating to a 4 as we haven't had a chance to visit the joint proper. Even without the meats our mac 'n' cheese were top notch. Lots of melts, stringy cheese to wrap around the fork. This cheese was the real deal and that's the star of the show here really.
(4)Brittney E.
My first experience here was with very friendly and welcoming people but slow service for what I expected. This is understandable since it is a new place though. My meal was just average but "to each their own" because I think I'm just not a huge fan of the ingredients I chose. My second experience was about the same in terms of service, and once again the people were so friendly. This time, though, I loved the food. I got the classic mac & cheese and it was absolutely fantastic! I didn't expect it to be so good. The corn biscuit that comes with it was amazing too. I think this is the kind of place you just have to try a few things and figure out what you like. I'm excited to try a new dish with the tomato sauce for a more Italian-like pasta meal next time.
(4)Crystal H.
This restaurant has the same concept as a place like Chipotle or Qdoba, only you get Mac and Cheese (obviously). It still has that half-fastfood half-sitdown vibe and price point. The food is decent, maybe kind of average, so if you go in with that mindset you won't be unpleasantly surprised. I think a lot of reviewers may have thought this restaurant was supposed to be more than it is. If you're looking for heavy pasta with tons more flavor, you can find that at Sutton's in the same Plaza. If you're looking for a build your own pasta bowl that satisfies your pasta craving without the wait of an authentic Italian restaurant, you'll like this place. I wish the portions were a little bigger. My bowl was only half filled, and for $8.99, I feel like my bowl should have been brimming. I got a build your own with a side of rolls (be warned, the rolls are really mini cornbread bites that have a spicy kick that comes out of nowhere) and Texas toast (a few pieces were a little too grilled. My S.O. got something off the food for thought menu and seemed to enjoy its flavor a bit more than I enjoyed mine. Overall, we are happy with the experience.
(3)Lovinglife 2.
Amazing food! The Chicken Pesto Mac is SO delicious. I ate here on a Wednesday, and I was right back on Friday. And, the service is spectacular!!!!
(5)J W.
I had been waiting for this place to open for a while, I was mainly curious about how the whole build your own Mac and cheese concept was gonna work. You've got to figure it's not as easy to pull off as a sandwich or burrito shop since there's gonna be some sort of cooking involved not just adding and wrapping. I, amongst about 10 others who were at the door at 10:30, was finally able to visit this place the morning of its grand opening excited to be one of the first to try this new experiment in Lexington's vast restaurant options. The interior was nice, clean, still new and fresh which makes sense since the building was basically built for this establishment. Flat screen TVs are used for the menu boards above the assembly line plus there were paper menus available upon entering which is always nice for the people who are in line so they don't have to try to read over others heads. Once you get to the assembly line the employee explains the options available(building your own or one of their custom creations) and you walk down the line adding the ingredients you like, pretty basic. There is a pretty good variety of ingredients, I choose regular noodles, ghost pepper jack and aged cheddar cheeses, poblano and jalapeño peppers, pico de gallo, and Grippos chips(yes they have Grippos chips as an ingredient). You can then choose one protein(additional are extra cost) so I chose steak expecting some kind of steak um knockoff but was pleasantly surprised when I saw actual big chunks of what looked to be nicely cooked actual steak! It was great to see they didn't cut corners on this although I'm thinking over time this will become a premium charge meat or they will give out less of it than what I receive which was a pretty large serving. You pay at the register at the end of the line, they give you a number and you have a seat to wait for them to run it through the oven. When I received my order there was a tiny corn muffin in the bowl as well and breadcrumbs had also magically appeared on the top even though I hadn't asked for them, what I had actually thought they would do( it made sense in my head anyway) was the Grippos would be crumbled up as a topping and then baked with the pasta. This it turns out was not the case, whole chips were just scattered on top which was a little off putting but it's friggen Grippos so they are awesome no matter how they are presented. I dug in to my creation and although it was good( let's face it, the options I chose were perfect cause I chose them) it wasn't the bowl of amazement I had hoped for. The heat I wanted was there but there wasn't any real seasoning, a little salt, maybe some pepper, garlic powder, anything really to push this to the greatness I knew I had with the ingredients I chose. The only thing on the table to add is hot sauce, which I love, but it wasn't necessary. The cole slaw I ordered also seemed to lack something, it was mediocre. Let's face it KFC sets the bar for cole slaw, while this was below that it wasn't awful, wasn't even close to the awfulness that Wing Zone passes off as slaw. All in all, I will probably return at least to maybe get take out so then I can take it home and add some spices to it, the ingredients and customization options make it worth the trip. I would highly, HIGHLY suggest though that they consider having spices as optional ingredients as well and please consider my crushed chip crust(say that 5 times fast) idea as an option instead of whole chips and don't auto add bread crumbs, some people don't like them, doesn't hurt to ask. Now, let's discuss the employees. I refuse to be like some of the whiners on here who complained about the service on a grand opening day. Yes the employees did seem to be a bit confused, yes some didn't have the menu memorized as far as ingredients in the chef specialties go(went as far as to start making the wrong order for my gf but it was discovered and started over no problem), yes it seemed to get a bit jumbled with all the employees at the end of the line waiting with their orders but being this is the first advertised opening day, I understand. These things happen on an opening day, if after a week this stuff is still an issue then I understand it's a problem. My experience was that all employees were nice, polite and seemed happy to be of assistance and it was here at to see the manager(or owner not sure which) walking around checking on people. This isn't haute cuisine but with a little tweaking it could be a great go to alternative to the fast food places in the area.
(3)