This Fan-Favorite Chain Restaurant Makes The Worst Macaroni And Cheese

Chain restaurants typically become fan favorites by featuring a handful of beloved dishes and a reasonable amount of variety on the menu. With that said, there is such a thing as having too many options. This can hinder the quality of even basic comfort foods like mac and cheese. In Tasting Table's testing and ranking of macaroni and cheese from six different chain restaurants, the worst of the bunch came from The Cheesecake Factory.

Given the ubiquity of the restaurant, it might seem surprising that The Cheesecake Factory apparently doesn't do mac and cheese all that well. Even the fan-favorite mac and cheese bites didn't break the top 10 of Cheesecake Factory appetizers ranked worst to best, despite the popularity of the dish. All of this lends further credence to the notion that it simply isn't a food at which The Cheesecake Factory excels.

Per Tasting Table's assessment, the biggest issue with this menu item is the sauce. Between a distinct blandness and an unpleasant consistency, the cooked-past-its-prime pasta crumbles under the weight of a mediocre cheese and breadcrumb topping. The writer also notes that the use of the chain's staple sourdough bread for the breadcrumbs manages to eclipse any semblance of flavor to be found. Although the pasta is a prime shape, that alone can't save the disastrous dish and fans on the internet further echo this sentiment.

In a Reddit post, a fan shared a picture of the mac and cheese, saying, "The macaroni to cheese ratio is too high for me, so I added some of the butter and cheese I had at home to this." Another user comments, "Note to self. Don't order the mac and cheese from Cheesecake Factory." Others chime in about the obvious dryness and lack of sauce, recommending the fried mac and cheese instead. Another commenter sums it up by saying, "0/10 this is I think the saddest bowl of mac with no cheese I have ever seen. The fact that they label it as mac and cheese is an insult to mac and cheese everywhere."

It's also worth noting that the classic mac and cheese and deep fried mac and cheese balls are not the only offending mac and cheese menu items to forgo. In Tasting Table's roundup of dishes you should avoid ordering from The Cheesecake Factory, the macaroni and cheese burger is also prominently featured. It may seem like the ultimate indulgent combination, but both essentials of this duo fall far short of expectations.

Rather than wasting your time and money on a subpar mac and cheese, consider choosing a better meal from The Cheesecake Factory's vast menu or sticking to the restaurant's eponymous sweet treats. Albeit a fan-favorite chain, The Cheesecake Factory's mac and cheese just doesn't measure up.