Where To Order The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich In Every State

Grilled cheese has come an awful long way since its humble origins as a slice of American cheese between two pieces of white bread. What began as a fast and easy way to make lunch has blossomed into its own subgenre of gourmet food, to the delight of cheese lovers everywhere. While a basic grilled cheese sandwich made with processed cheese and white bread is a classic — and still served in homes and restaurants around the world — some chefs have transformed the grilled cheese into an art, with variations ranging from four cheeses on artisan sourdough and fillings like lobster, to even stranger combinations like mac-and-cheese grilled cheese and grilled cheese where the bread is actually just more cheese.

Because grilled cheese sandwiches are, for many people, equal parts nostalgia and flavor, and because not everyone wants lobster mucking up their cheese experience, the term "best grilled cheese sandwich" can never be anything but subjective. To create this list, we chose restaurants with five-star grilled cheese reviews, eateries with local and national media mentions, and culinary award-winners, as described below. 

MELT's classic grilled cheese is no-frills, featuring a combination of cheddar, Monterey jack, and American cheese on Texas toast. If you want to try something a little weirder, MELT also offers the Mac Melt, which is exactly what it sounds like: mac & cheese between two pieces of bread, grilled and served with chips, fries, soup, salad, or ... wait for it ... mac & cheese.

MELT

Multiple locations

Spenard Roadhouse gets a lot of buzz for its grilled cheese sandwich, which features sharp cheddar and Havarti cheese on sourdough bread. Order it without any frills or add grilled apple and bacon or turkey. Reviewers frequently recommend ordering Spenard's grilled cheese with tomato soup, though sweet potato tots, salad, and mac & cheese are also options. 

Spenard Roadhouse

(907) 770-7623

1049 W Northern Lights, Anchorage, AK 99503

Perfect Pear Bistro has four grilled cheese sandwiches to choose from, but reviewers most often praise the Perfectly Grilled Cheese, a four-cheese blend with arugula and bacon served on spiced pear bread. The combination is on the sweet side, so if that's not your thing, the Bacon & Jalapeño also gets high marks: a four-cheese sandwich with bacon, roasted jalapeños, caramelized onions, arugula, and spinach dip. 

Perfect Pear Bistro

Multiple locations

Family Destination Guide used the words "cheese-induced euphoria" to describe this Fayetteville eatery. With 17 grilled cheese sandwiches to choose from, you might have a hard time picking. If you like your cheese with a little meat, the Pig Sooie is a customer favorite. It features pulled pork, caramelized onions, smoked bacon, BBQ sauce, jalapeños, and two kinds of cheese, served on jalapeño cornbread. 

Hammontree's Grilled Cheese

(479) 521-1669

326 N West Ave #8, Fayetteville, AR 72701

If a French restaurant doesn't seem like the right place to order a grilled cheese sandwich, well, not only did an LA Times writer praise Pasjoli's Croque Matthieu, they also called it "the best grilled cheese in the universe," so until space aliens arrive to inform us otherwise, it's a must-try. The Croque Matthieu is made with Gruyère cheese, Mornay sauce, caramelized onions, and shaved Bayonne ham. But there's a catch! The restaurant only makes 20 at a time and only on Mondays.

Pasjoli

(424) 330-0020

2732 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405

The Gwarled Cheese — one of The Brutal Poodle's most-praised menu options — is a meat-lover's grilled cheese featuring three cheeses (cheddar, smoked Gouda, and American) with candied pork belly and tomato compote. If that's not enough cheese, it's served on cheddar-jack crusted challah bread. Take it up a notch with grilled onions, bacon, a fried egg, guacamole, or green chili.

The Brutal Poodle

(720) 379-6281

1967 South Broadway, Denver, CO 80210

Crispy Melty by Caseus offers nine different grilled cheese sandwiches, but the one that tends to get the most attention is the Classic Grilled Cheese. It contains six different cheeses: provolone, Swiss, Gruyère, Gouda, sharp cheddar, and Muenster. If that's too basic for you, you can dress up any of Caseus' sandwiches with bacon, ham, chicken, pesto, or onion relish (among other things).

Crispy Melty by Caseus

(203) 951-9758

619 Center Street, Wallingford, CT 06492

Home Grown Cafe only has one grilled cheese sandwich on its menu, but local travel sites often include this Newark favorite on lists of the state's best grilled cheese, and reviewers frequently mention it as a favorite menu item. The Home Grown Grilled Cheese is a four-cheese blend of cheddar-jack, provolone, Havarti, and feta, served on sourdough with sliced tomato and basil oil.

Home Grown Café

(302) 266-6993

126 East Main Street, Newark, DE 19711

Yeah, it's called the "New York Grilled Cheese Co." and yeah, it's in Florida, but locals don't seem to care about the decidedly un-Floridian name. This restaurant's Midtown Truffle Shuffle — a blend of mozzarella and Swiss cheese with mushrooms and caramelized onions drizzled with truffle aioli — was atthe  top of a Broward Palm Beach New Times list of best local grilled cheeses. 

New York Grilled Cheese Co.

Multiple locations

This restaurant's famous Grilled Cheesy Mofo is a three-cheese blend of pepper jack, provolone, and cheddar with smoked bacon, served on Parmesan-crusted sourdough. The Vortex also offers a truly insane grilled cheese experience: Order the Classic Bypass burger, tell your server you want to "Make it Bigger," and they'll put the meat and fixings between two grilled cheese sandwiches instead of a bun.

The Vortex Bar and Grill

Multiple locations

Fête Hawaii is a bistro in Honolulu that describes itself as part Hawaii and part Brooklyn. It's run by a James Beard-nominated chef, so you'll find slow-roasted Hawaii Island rose veal and local I'a ahi belly aioli on the same page as the restaurant's one and only grilled cheese sandwich, a blend of fontina, smoked mozzarella, cheddar, and a tomato compote on house sourdough bread.

Fête Hawaii

(808) 369-1390

2 North Hotel St, Honolulu, HI 96817

Inlander North Iowa named Meltz its favorite restaurant for several years running. Reviewers don't necessarily agree on which Meltz sandwich deserves the highest praise, but the much-discussed Ultimate Meltz won the 2014 National Grilled Cheese Invitational, so it's a great first-timer pick. No frills, just six different kinds of cheese: white cheddar, mozzarella, provolone, fontina, goat cheese, and Gorgonzola.

Meltz Extreme Grilled Cheese

(208) 664-1717

1735 W Kathleen Ave, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815

It might be overbearing to include "best ever" in your restaurant's name, and it would be embarrassing for Gayle V if no one else thought it served the "best ever" grilled cheese, but reviewers and local food sites seem to agree with the self-assessment. Gayle V's Best Ever offers 14 grilled cheese sandwiches, but the Classic is an often-mentioned favorite, made with fresh-baked sourdough bread, Nordic Creamery butter, and a creamy cow's milk called Butterkase.

Gayle V's Best Ever

(312) 219-2359

108 N State St, Suite 004, Chicago, IL 60602

The words "best grilled cheese" get thrown around a lot when reviewers talk about this Indiana eatery. The restaurant doesn't have a fancy name for its grilled cheese sandwich, but who needs a fancy name when ingredients include fontina, trillium (a triple cream, bloomy-rind cheese from Tulip Tree), truffle honey, and a duck egg. Milktooth's grilled cheese comes on cranberry walnut bread, and for a little extra, you can fancy it up even more with Italian prosciutto.

Milktooth

(317) 986-5131

534 Virginia Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46203

Marco's Grilled Cheese began as a food cart, evolved into a popular place where college students could get a sandwich after a long night of doing whatever college students do, and is now a restaurant. The Linn Street location in Iowa City offers a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches, including a mac & cheese version and a chicken quesadilla stuffed option, but the classic Marco's Grilled Cheese made with garlic butter and American cheese remains a customer favorite.

Marco's Grilled Cheese

(319) 519-6777

117 N Linn St, Iowa City, IA 52245

The Wheel Barrel specializes in grilled cheese and has 11 different sandwiches on its menu, but the Monte Cristo — made with Brie, Swiss cheese, ham, and turkey — is a reviewer favorite and award winner. It was given the "Best Grilled Cheese" award at the KC Grilled Cheese festival in 2018. It's served on country white bread dusted with powdered sugar, so if that sounds a bit sweet, try the Hangover, a two-egg sandwich on brioche with cheddar, Gouda, bacon, and sriracha aioli.

The Wheel Barrel

(785) 408-1278

925 N Kansas Ave, Topeka, KS 66608

Momma's Mustard, Pickles & BBQ's webpage is littered with award badges, including a nod from "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." Momma's serves seven different grilled cheese sandwiches, all made with your choice of Havarti or white cheddar and your favorite meat. Options include pulled pork, pulled chicken, meatloaf, and fried bologna (among others), but reviewers most often praise the grilled cheese brisket.

Momma's Mustard, Pickles & BBQ

Multiple locations

St. James Cheese Company is a cheese shop that serves grilled cheese, so it's basically cheese, cheese, cheese, and more cheese with extra cheese. You can grab lunch and also buy everything you need for your next charcuterie board. The Gruyère Sandwich is by far the reviewer-favorite; it features Swiss Gruyère 1655 and caramelized onions on multigrain bread. If you like sharp cheddar, the Classic Grilled Cheese featuring Hook's 2-year white cheddar is not to be missed.

St. James Cheese Company

Multiple locations

Reviewers are pretty divided on which one of Cheese Louise's grilled cheese sandwiches is the best, but the Vermonter (yes, just confirming that this place is actually in Maine, not Vermont) edges out the Baconator and the Godmother. The Vermonter is a cheddar and Muenster sandwich served on sourdough bread; the Baconator adds bacon. Meanwhile, the Godmother is a little more robust, with mozzarella, tomatoes, pesto, and balsamic glaze. 

Cheese Louise

Multiple locations

Grilled Cheese & Co. has more than 20 different sandwiches on its menu, and it's hard to pick one that stands out. It's worth noting, however, that the Today Show called out this restaurant on a nationwide list of just five great places to get a grilled cheese sandwich, and the menu item it mentioned was the Crabby Melt. The Monterey Jack grilled cheese is piled with house-made crab dip on ciabatta bread (reviewers love it too).

Grilled Cheese & Co.

(410) 747-2610

500 Edmondson Avenue, Catonsville, MD 21228

Roxy's serves a few grilled cheese sandwiches, but the one that gets the most props is the Green Muenster Melt. Don't worry, the word "green" describes the guacamole, not the cheese. This sandwich also features applewood smoked bacon, which adds crispy, smoky umami to all that gooey goodness. All of Roxy's grilled cheese sandwiches default to locally baked sourdough bread, but they do have a gluten-free swap, too.

Roxy's Grilled Cheese & Burgers

Multiple locations

Besides having the coolest restaurant name and logo in the Great Lakes region, HopCat also has the best grilled cheese north of Ohio (for the geographically uninclined, there are no states north of Michigan). HopCat's Madtown Grilled Cheese is a unique blend of dill Havarti, smoked Gouda, and Muenster, topped with apple slices, garlic aioli, and honey on sourdough bread. The addition of a cup of tomato basil soup and fries elevates this sandwich to true grilled cheese meal perfection.

HopCat

Multiple locations

At this Minneapolis eatery, "The Jerk" isn't a rude waiter or the customer who stole the ketchup bottle off your table. It's a sandwich featuring Jamaican jerk-seasoned chicken. The cheese is a basic mozzarella, but who cares. In the presence of spicy jerk seasoning and homemade guava jam, the cheese is basically just a flavor-delivery vehicle anyway.

All Square

(612) 778-9880

4047 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406

This Mississippi restaurant's Grown Up Grilled Cheese consists of a blend of American, cheddar, and Gouda with sliced tomato. The restaurant also has a Kids Grilled Cheese, in case you're not feeling terribly grown up, though it's safe to say no one's going to ID you. Side note: The Camp still brags about the accolades it once received for its Pimento Grilled Cheese, though it's unclear if it's still available.

The Camp

(601) 897-0466

21 Silver St, Natchez, MS 39120

Westside Local is known for its beautiful outdoor beer garden and farm-to-table food, and it also has one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches in the state of Missouri. This sandwich bears the basic name Grilled Cheese, but with its blend of white cheddar, Emmentaler, and Brie, it's anything but basic. If you want to spice it up a little, you can order it jalapeño popper style.

Westside Local

(816) 997-9089

1663 Summit St, Kansas City, MO 64108

Mavens Market is both a market and an eatery, featuring breakfast and lunch options, gourmet gelato, and specialty cheese boards. Its much-loved grilled cheese sandwich is the Montana Gold, made with locally baked sourdough and Mavens Cheese Blend, the latter of which appears to be proprietary, since information on the specific blend is hard to track down. Not a super important detail, though, because just look at that sandwich.

Mavens Market & Cafe

(406) 624-6790

720 W Main St, Bozeman, MT 59715

You'll have to take a small leap of faith for this one, because Block 16's "fully loaded, super-tasty grilled cheese" isn't the same sandwich from one week to the next. It is, however, still a favorite local destination for grilled cheese sandwiches, which can only mean one thing: All of Block 16's featured grilled cheeses are to die for, from its lobster crab grilled cheese (pictured) to meatier options like birria grilled cheese.

Block 16

(402) 342-1220

1611 Farnam Street, Omaha, NE 68106

Süp is a Reno restaurant that specializes in gourmet soups, sandwiches, and salads. Its one and only grilled cheese sandwich — the unassuming Grilled Cheese — is admittedly a pretty simple recipe, because sometimes, simple can be brilliant. It's just New York white cheddar on garlic sourdough, but if you like your grilled cheese with a little something extra, you can add turkey, avocado, or prosciutto.

Süp

(775) 324-4787

669 S. Virginia St, Midtown Reno, NV 89501

Grilled cheese and ice cream? This local favorite lunch spot offers a gooey and delicious Chicken Bacon Ranch Grilled Cheese, featuring shredded mozzarella cheese with chicken, bacon, and ranch dressing on a ranch-seasoned homestyle bread. If, for some reason, you don't want an ice cream cone for dessert, you can follow your lunch with a dessert grilled cheese sandwich filled with cream cheese and raspberry jam. 

Shorey's Grilled Cheese and Ice Cream

421 North Main Street, West Franklin, NH 03235

The Committed Pig has three different grilled cheese sandwiches on its menu, but if you want something a little different, the Fig-N-Brie Grilled Cheese is a sweet and savory twist on an old classic. It contains just the one type of cheese, creamy brie, topped with fig preserves. If you want a sandwich that's a little meatier, try the Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese. 

Committed Pig

Multiple locations

The Grove is another one of those one-stop eateries plus grocery shopping experiences. The menu's only Grilled Cheese sandwich is made with white cheddar and Havarti on sourdough. For an extra dollar, fancy it up with caramelized onions or green chile. When you're done eating, browse the Grove's market shop for specialty breads, small batch hot sauces, and other fun stuff.

thegrovecafemarket.com

(505) 248-9800

600 Central Ave SE, Suite A, Albuquerque, NM 87102

As its name implies, the Melt Shop specializes in gooey cheese sandwiches, some of them simple (like the Classic), some of them a little meatier (like the Grilled Chicken Chipotle), and all of them gooey. If you're craving a classic grilled cheese sandwich like your mom used to make and you're extra hungry, the Melt Shop's best menu option is the Biggie Melt, a double-decker grilled cheese made with American and cheddar.

Melt Shop

Multiple locations

Papi Queso's best seller is the Pig Mac, which is a fun play on another famous lunch item, but it's nothing like the sandwich it borrowed its name from. The Pig Mac is half pulled pork in Carolina barbecue sauce, half cheddar and Parmesan mac & cheese, with pepper jack cheese and caramelized onions, for a delicious, cheesy mess. 

Papi Queso

(704) 999-1764

1115 N Brevard St, Charlotte, NC 28206

Nova Eatery & Supper Club serves a Fancy Grilled Cheese of the Day it describes as "fancy cheese & other good stuff." The restaurant changes its grilled cheese sandwich every week, so that's about as much detail as we can provide, but the uncertainty doesn't stop customers from raving about it. Sometimes daring (like spinach mushroom artichoke dip, pictured), sometimes wonderfully ordinary (American cheese with bacon), and always delicious.

Nova Eatery & Supper Club

(701) 532-4303

402 N Broadway, Fargo, ND 58102

The Grilled Cheesiest is indeed cheesy and potentially "cheesiest" depending on what it's being compared to. Nuances aside, this sandwich features sharp cheddar cheese, Muenster, smoked Gouda, and dill cream cheese with a remoulade on grilled sourdough. It's the only grilled cheese sandwich on the menu, but for an extra fee, you can elevate it with bacon, fried green tomato, avocado, or kielbasa.

Rowley Inn

(216) 795-5345

1104 Rowley Ave, Cleveland, OH 44109

It's always a good day when you can say "big ass" and have it mean a large member of the animal kingdom. Although if you want to get technical, an "ass" is a donkey, not a mule, but whatever. The Mule in Oklahoma uses "big ass" to describe several menu items, including the customer favorite, Big Ass Grilled Cheese, which is a blend of cheddar and smoked Gouda on sourdough bread. 

The Mule

Multiple locations

The Tillamook cheese factory is the premier destination for travelers in Tillamook, Oregon. At the creamery, you can watch cheese being made in real time and get yourself a famous Double Cheddar Grilled Cheese, a sandwich so beloved it's been ordered more than 78,000 times. This is another one of those sandwiches that doesn't need frills; it's just Tillamook sharp yellow and medium white cheddar on two pieces of buttered, grilled white bread.

Tillamook Creamery

(503) 815-1300

4165 N Hwy 101, Tillamook, OR 97141

The two-cheese blend of American and cheddar is topped with sweet and savory bacon jam (arguably the star of the show) and served on locally baked, grilled sourdough bread. For a side dish, you can choose between chips or tomato basil soup (trust us, you should pick the soup) or upgrade to a salad or fries for an extra couple of bucks. 

Gracie's on West Main

(717) 556-0004

264 West Main Street, Leola, PA 17540

The Malted Barley specializes in pretzels and pretzel derivatives, including pretzel sandwiches, stuffed pretzels, and dessert pretzels. Obviously, this means the provolone and cheddar grilled cheese sandwich is served on a pretzel bun, but not just any pretzel bun ... an Asiago and Parmesan pretzel bun. That's right, cheese on the inside and more cheese on the outside. 

The Malted Barley

(401) 490-0300

334 Westminster Street, Providence, RI, 02903

This Charleston favorite is known for its unique marriage of two classics: French onion soup and grilled cheese. Wes' French Onion Grilled Cheese sandwich is made with Gouda, Swiss, and provolone cheeses, along with thin-sliced prime rib with smoked onion aioli, served on panini bread with au jus for dipping. Or order an Adult Grilled Cheese, made with aged smoked cheddar, fontina, and Colby Jack.

Brown Dog Deli

(843) 723-0506

225 Calhoun St, Charleston, SC 29401

Look's is one of those best-kept-secret kinds of places. It's a market that specializes in seasonal produce, fine wine, and house-made dinners, sides, and desserts, plus it's a sandwich restaurant. Customers love the Artisan Grilled Cheese, but the menu is a little cagey about what's in it, so you'll have to take our word that the artisan cheese blend on toasted sourdough is delicious.

Look's Marketplace Culture Kitchen

(605) 336-3104

500 East 69th St, Sioux Falls, SD 57108

The Grilled Cheeserie started its life as a food truck, and today it's also a Nashville restaurant. It ranks high on several national lists of best food trucks, and it's been on "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives." For a local twist on a classic sandwich, order the Pimento Mac & Cheese Melt, featuring pimento cheese, white cheddar, and macaroni with tomato and bacon bits.

The Grilled Cheeserie

(615) 203-0351

2003 Belcourt Ave, Nashville, TN 37212

It was tough to pick a favorite from this restaurant, which features more than a dozen different grilled cheese sandwiches. The restaurant's most popular choice is the Grilled Mac & Cheese, featuring Gouda, American cheese, and macaroni on sourdough, but the Cattleman's Grilled Cheese (a blend of Muenster, Gouda, and cheddar cheese with brisket and BBQ sauce) is also a top seller.

Dallas Grilled Cheese Co.

(469) 620-2121

5319 E Mockingbird Ln, Dallas, TX 75206

Cravings Bistro sells an out-of-this-world grilled cheese on garlic French bread that truly lives up to its name. The Gourmet is made with feta, Parmesan, and cheddar, along with spinach, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes. If spinach is a little too Popeye for you, Cravings Bistro has 18 other grilled cheese sandwiches on its menu. Can't decide? There's also a four-sandwich sampler.

Cravings Bistro 

(801) 785-2439

25 W Center St, Pleasant Grove, UT 84062

This restaurant serves grilled cheese for lunch and grilled cheese-ish sandwiches for breakfast. If you're craving something simple, the Classic Meltdown is a gooey blend of sharp white cheddar, Wisconsin provolone, and American cheese. If you want something a little heartier, order the Feelin' Groovy Melt, which adds chicken breast, bacon, mushrooms, and spinach to a Wisconsin provolone base. 

The Meltdown Grilled Cheese and Taproom

(802) 622-8277

83 Washington St, Barre, VT 05641

This local favorite has been featured on "Diners, Drive ins, and Dives," and its Don Quixote grilled cheese is frequently called "best in the state," though it's unclear who gave it that title. It's hard to deny the appeal of Parmesan and fontina on sourdough, though, especially when it's paired with olive tapenade, roasted red peppers, and sauteed onions and mushrooms. 

The Grilled Cheese Bistro

(757) 233-2512

345 Granby St, Suite B, Norfolk, VA 23510

Beecher's is a cheesemaker with cafes in a few Washington locations. It's famous for its Flagship Cheese, a semi-hard, crumbly cow's milk cheese aged for 15 months. At the cafe, the basic Grilled Cheese is a good choice if you want to sample Beecher's signature product; it contains Beecher's Flagship cheese and Jack. You can also order a fancier version with sliced tomato, basil, and Beecher's signature spread. 

Beecher's Handmade Cheese

Multiple locations

The Art of the Dill is a pickle lover's perfect grilled cheese sandwich, featuring mozzarella cheese, sliced dill pickles, and bacon on a Hawaiian sweet bread. If you're not a huge fan of pickles, Toasted has plenty of other sandwiches to choose from, including The 3-Alarm Grilled Cheese sandwich, a pepper jack concoction with pickled jalapeños and bacon. 

Toasted

(304) 676-8233

2249 Henshaw Rd, Inwood, WV 25428

Wisconsin is famous for its cheese, so there's a pretty high bar for the title of "best grilled cheese" in this state. Madison Sourdough is a bakery, cafe, mill, and patisserie, which means it features the winning combo of great cheese and house-baked bread. Its basic Grilled Cheese is a blend of cheddar and provolone on country sourdough, served with a twist on the typical grilled cheese side dish. 

Madison Sourdough

(608) 442-8009

916 Williamson St, Madison, WI 53703

The Middle Fork in Lander, Wyoming, prides itself on made-from-scratch food and local ingredients. Its grilled cheese sandwich is simple but delicious: white cheddar and provolone served on local sourdough. For an extra buck or two, you can add bacon, avocado, or tomato. All of Middle Fork's sandwiches come with your choice of potatoes, sauteed spinach, french fries, or a side salad.

themiddleforklander.com

(307) 335-5035

351 Main Street, Lander, Wyoming 82520

Giving the title "best" to any restaurant or menu item is difficult, and because people's tastes are individual, best can never be anything but subjective. For every best grilled cheese on this list, other restaurants offer creative, delicious grilled cheese sandwiches equally deserving of recognition.

To compile this list, we looked for restaurants that got a lot of buzz on review sites, social media, and in local publications. Bonus points went to restaurants that claimed local "best of" titles or won grilled cheese competitions. Although fancier, gourmet spins on the grilled cheese sandwich found their way onto this list, we wanted to give props to restaurants that served a simple, nostalgic sandwich, too. The result, we hope, is a list that will give travelers some delightful and unexpected grilled cheese options that range from classic to bold.