Mac And Cheese Lovers Flock To This Chain For Its Customizable Menu

Does it get more comforting than macaroni and cheese? It's pretty much the perfect side. Even the wildly cheap boxed mac and cheese options like the classic blue box Kraft Dinner manage to satisfy the cheesiest cravings. So, when it comes to a chain that's all about noodles — including multiple mac and cheese options and a customizable mac and cheese bar — you know it's got to be pretty good.

That's exactly what you'll find at Noodles & Company — a fast casual (not fast food) chain that opened in 1995 and now has around 450 locations in 31 states. The restaurant brand, which unsurprisingly specializes in noodle-based dishes, has a wide range of culinary influences that include Asian, Italian, Cajun, and American comfort foods like mac and cheese. It's also one of the few chains that serve pasta. 

In terms of mac and cheese, Noodles & Company offers four options on its standard menu, including creamy cheddar (also the base for the other three options), Buffalo Chicken Ranch, Pulled Pork BBQ and Garlic Bacon Crunch. For each mac and cheese dish, Noodles & Company allows you to customize your dish with an optional protein. Selections include Parmesan-crusted chicken breast, grilled chicken breast, pulled pork, marinated steak, oven-roasted meatballs, sauteed shrimp, or seasoned tofu.

Noodles & Company also has a mac and cheese bar that's just what it sounds like: creamy mac and cheese that comes with a choice of two proteins, two sauces, and eight toppings. But, of course, there's a catch. The mac and cheese bar is only part of the Noodles & Company catering menu. The standard bar order serves 10 and, depending on location, could cost around $120.

While the mac and cheese bar is just a catering menu option, you still have many customizable options with a standard individual order. It starts with those proteins, but you can also add additional sauces and toppings such as broccoli, spinach, bacon, Parmesan cheese, and crispy onions, among others.

Overall, Noodles & Company receives mainly positive customer reviews, including many between 3 to 4 stars on sites like TripAdvisor and Yelp. Reviewers call the creamy cheddar silky and thick, as well as offering generally high praise for the chain's other three mac and cheese options on the menu. Maybe the best thing about Noodles & Company is the large, diverse menu, so if one item doesn't strike your fancy you can always order another one of its pastas, from pad Thai to basil pesto cavatappi. We'd recommend starting with the mac and cheese though.