5 Restaurant Chains With the Best Steakhouse Mac and Cheese, According to Diners
If you like mac and cheese, the creamy, carby dish is a perfect accompaniment to steak. This is the reason why pretty much every steakhouse has some sort of mac and cheese dish on the menu. While some of them stick to traditional, minimalist versions of the mainstream, others add decadent twists, like using gourmet cheese, bacon, or even lobster. Where can you find the best version to eat with your steak? Here are 5 restaurant chains with the best steakhouse mac and cheese, according to diners.
The Capital Grille
The Capital Grille has one of the most legendary bougie mac and cheese dishes, the Lobster Mac ‘N’ Cheese. The popular menu item is made with “Al dente pasta” tossed with a blend of “cream cheese, mascarpone, parmesan, and havarti,” and chunks of succulent lobster, and then topped with white cheddar and a Grana Padano crust. “Capital Grille has a lobster mac & cheese with a special kind of crunchy, cracker-like topping that is absolutely delicious. The only way to describe it is some kind of fried, crispy butter crumbs. It must be some kind of panko, but none like I’ve had elsewhere,” a Redditor explains.
Ruth’s Chris
Ruth’s Chris also has an indulgent lobster mac and cheese on the menu. Their version is made with cavatappi pasta and tender Maine lobster tossed in white cheddar sauce. Diners maintain it is worth every cent and calorie. “The lobster mac was not too cheesy, and was creamy,” a Facebooker writes.
Outback Steakhouse
My kids request Outback Steakhouse dinners, and steak isn’t even on the agenda for them. The chain’s Steakhouse Mac & Cheese is wildly popular and an upcharge side. Megan Hagemen tried the mac and cheese at three steakhouses and selected it as one of the best. “It comes in a minuscule cast iron skillet, nicely dressed up for the occasion. The noodles are cavatappi and corkscrew-shaped,” she says, adding that they are topped with parsley and a light dusting of crispy bread crumbs. “Understated cheese, but bold flavor,” she continues. “It lets the noodles—served perfectly al dente—breathe and shine. The breadcrumbs added a welcome layer of texture and a tiny crunch in every bite. But, what defines this mac and cheese is the seasoning mixed into the cheese substance. It’s similar to a southwestern spice blend, and I detected something like paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, or maybe a combination of the three, which gives it a hint of mild heat. Outback does not create your average, everyday mac. No, the chain has invented something even better,” she concludes. “Outback’s premium mac and cheese, it’s the best!” a Redditor says.
Morton’s The Steakhouse
Morton’s Steakhouse has two rich and indulgent macaroni and cheese side dishes, most notably their Smokey Joe’s Mac & Cheese, which is made with bacon and onions. There is also a Lobster Macaroni & Cheese. “Literally the best,” an Instagram user commented. “The Mac n cheese is so good it brings tears to my eyes when it arrives,” another adds.
LongHorn Steakhouse
Hagemen also liked the LongHorn version of Steakhouse Mac And Cheese. It too, is an upcharge side item, “served in a classic, oval-shaped baking dish. Curly-cue noodles, or cavatappi, make up the base. It all gets covered with a four-cheese layer, which is bubbly and browned. Bits of applewood-smoked bacon peek through,” she says. Another diner maintains “it has the perfect blend of cheese w/ Cork screw noodles,” writes a Redditor.