The Big Cheese

➽ ABOVE: Hit up the RUTHIE’S FUELED BY GOOD food truck for grilled cheese sandwiches that range from classic to decadent. // LOWER RIGHT: TEXAS MAC AND CHEESE’s secret sauce and toasty breadcrumbs make their macaroni a winner.

Where to find gourmet mac & cheese and grilled cheese

WORDS ELIZABETH SMITH

MY FAMILY HAS A LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH MAC AND CHEESE. It’s by far the most requested food by our picky eaters, who would willingly eat it morning, noon and night if we didn’t care about nutritional value. But as any parent can attest, the more you pressure your kid to expand their food palate, the more they dig in their heels.

Lately I’ve been testing out (with some success) a new approach to encouraging food exploration: presenting foods that are similar to their go-to grub but with different textures or flavors. Enter gourmet mac and cheese and gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches.

These DFW-area eateries not only have cheesy options on the menu—they are the menu. Here kids have more options to experiment with all types of combinations, and adults can rediscover their comfort food all grown up. Give these specialty offerings a try for your own “holy macaroni!” moment.

DALLAS GRILLED CHEESE CO.

DALLAS

RESTAURANT

FOOD TRUCK

For the full, dine-in experience with sides, desserts and adult beverages, check out this gourmet sandwich shop. Two brick-and-mortar locations—the newly remodeled Bishop Arts spot and the second location at Mockingbird Station—are both open daily and offer all the fixings on 16 sandwiches (with gluten-free bread options), including the Four-Cheese Bacon Mac & Cheese and the Grilled Mac ’N Cheese Sandwich. Even the cobb salad is topped with mini grilled cheese croutons. Kids will also go for the Grilled PB&J, available in adult and child sizes. The food truck you’ll see out sparingly at select events with an abbreviated menu. Learn more at dallasgrilledcheese.co or follow on Facebook at @dallasgrilledcheesecompany and Instagram at @dallasgrilledcheeseco.

I HEART MAC & CHEESE

HIGHLAND VILLAGE

RESTAURANT

The new kid on the cheese block opened April 2022 at Highland Village Town Center—and if you don’t live nearby, the drive up north is well worth it for the sheer variety of options for the health conscious or food sensitive. They’ve got vegan cheese, gluten-free pasta and Beyond Meat plant-based proteins. Or replace the pasta altogether with a base of broccoli, cauliflower, quinoa or even tater tots.

Build your own macaroni and cheese bowl and grilled cheese sandwich, or choose from the specialty menu: everything from classic to fancy mac with lobster and white truffle. Or throw caution to the wind and try the most outrageous item on the menu: the Tacoroni, a nacho-flavored taco shell stuffed with mac.

Order online at iheartmacandcheese.com and stay tuned for more franchise locations expanding to Denton, Frisco and Little Elm.

RUTHIE’S FUELED BY GOOD

DALLAS

FOOD TRUCKS

If grilled cheese is your jam, make a beeline for Ruthie’s. The Dallas favorite going on 11 years has now expanded to a small fleet of four food trucks. Try their best-selling barbecue brisket on sourdough called The Boss, go simple with the Plain Jane or Extra Cheesy Classic, or for a real adventure, order the OMG sandwich, made with bacon and gouda mac and cheese. They’ve got it all, even gluten-free bread and dairy-free cheese (cheddar-style slices by Daiya) available upon request.

Visit ruthiesfoodtrucks.com, or follow on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @ruthiesforgood to see their full menu and where to find Ruthie’s next. This August and September, that includes special events at Dallas Arboretum and the Perot Museum. Last year they announced plans to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, so stay tuned for updates.

It’s not only the food that sets Ruthie’s apart but its philanthropic mission. Owner and founder Ashlee Hunt Kleinert, who named the business in honor of her grandmother, partners with Café Momentum to employ at-risk youth, and through the Ruthie’s Snacks of Kindness program, they’ve handed out more than 13,280 sandwiches to the community members, schools, hospitals and first-responders. Have a worthy recipient you want to nominate to receive free sandwiches? Let them know by emailing info@ruthiesrollingcafe.com.

TEXAS MAC AND CHEESE

FORT WORTH

FOOD TRUCK

Owners John and Gayle, who operate this unique food truck in Fort Worth, have a knack for the mac. Their house recipe, called Just the Mac, is a secret blend of four cheeses, topped with grated white cheddar and housemade bread crumbs. Their brisket mac and cheese, and fried chicken bites on top of mac and cheese, are among the top-requested menu items, with more savory options like pulled pork or smoked sausage, even loaded tater tots and a mac and cheese dog.

But what they’re best known for is their mac and cheese balls—made with double the cheese, then rolled, battered and fried. When the cooler months finally hit, ask about their cinnamon balls with icing. Follow on Facebook and Instagram at @gettexasmac.