Editor's note in 2025: There were once many more mac-n-cheese places on this list before the pandemic. Is there one we're missing that you currently love? Email us at info@thebolditalic.com
Some foods you eat because they’re trendy and some foods you eat because they’re too bizarre not too. But when you’re homesick, or tired, or cozy and happy, you don’t crave fancy foie gras or squid tentacles (if you do, I want to read your life story, you are already way cooler than I am); You want something simple and familiar, a dish that is basically a creamy, carby hug that reminds you that you’re gonna make it after all. I’m referring, of course, to macaroni and cheese.
From the blue box of Kraft to your grandma’s secret recipe there are few meals that make you feel so good so fast. And it’s no surprise that in the land of adult children, this is one dish many restaurants throw on the menu. Here are some of the best macs in the Bay (please resist the urge to lick your computer screen).
In Cheesus name we pray.
Bender's Bar & Grill
806 S Van Ness Ave.
San Francisco, CA
Website
This is the perfect, non-pretentious mac for when you’re craving all the Kraft you used to eat. It’s definitely a step up from our favorite blue box. Bender’s version is gooey and thick and pairs well with the tartness of side dishes like fried pickles or tater tots. Plus, this hearty mac can serve as the perfect foundation for a night of serious drinking or an “oh god it’s getting late and I’m suddenly starving” option. If you’re adventurous, Bender’s also makes grilled mac and cheese sandwiches that are to die for.
Wayfare Tavern
201 Pine St.
San Francisco, CA
Website
This is a surprisingly simple dish for such an upscale establishment. Wayfare Tavern’s mac is luscious, made with Vella dry Jack cheese and a panko crumb crust that stays crunchy. The white sauce tastes like the delicious love child of traditional mac and cheese sauce and Alfredo sauce. It’s baked with floppy noodles that are more conducive to a good slurp than most macaroni noodles. The sauce is so good you’ll want to lick the bowl clean, but don’t — the fancy waitstaff will judge you hard core. Trust me.
Souley Vegan
101 Broadway
Oakland, CA
Website
I’ll confess, I’ve been skeptical about fake cheese in the past. But the mac and cheese at Souley Vegan led me to the vegan promised land. With thick, deliciously sloppy noodles, and oozing “cheese” sauce, this mac tastes anything but artificial. I honestly don’t know what kind of cashew or vegetable had to die to make the creamy sauce here, but whatever it is, I thank it for its worthy sacrifice. This mac also has a strong, lovely cayenne bite that makes this dish the spiciest on the list. Pair it with crispy fried tofu (another thing I rolled my eyes at initially, then immediately loved) and you’re in for a good time.
Homeroom
400 40th St.
Oakland, CA
Website
If I had only one day left on this earth I would go to Homeroom, sit my ass down, and eat every one of its 12 mac and cheeses. Full disclosure: This was number 8 out of 10 stops for this story and I was beginning to get sick of this dish by the time I got here, but Homeroom helped me get thoroughly back on the wagon. And because I’m committed to journalism, I ordered two dishes: the Mexican Mac and the Gilroy Mac. The Mexican Mac is a fiesta of fresh chorizo, chipotle peppers, and Jack cheese, and the lime you get on the side makes all the difference. One squirt of citrus and the mac gets a refreshing twist. The chorizo is spicy but not overpoweringly so. The Gilroy Mac makes your taste buds feel like they are sinking slowly into a cheesy garlic bath. Splurge and add bread crumbs to the top of any mac for just 99 cents. You are so worth it.
