Cheese-ology Macaroni & Cheese

Today is Sunday Nov 15 2015 I am watching the travel channel and they have a episode on Mac and cheese and just featured this place. All dishes looked great I am curious? Why did it close? Can someone kindly advise me? I travel and love Mac and cheese !?

Cheese-​ology always sounded like a place for me. I like mac & cheese. They have mac & cheese. I just never got around to visiting them.
Then I heard they would be closing March 7, 2015. To avoid wondering what might have been, I made plans to get my mac on.
I tried them for the first time this week. I hadn’t planned to write a review because 1.) they’re closing, and 2.) I took my meal to go.
However, a Unilocal friend asked me what I thought of the place. As I started writing a message to her, I realized «Hey, I’m writing a review.» So, here are my thoughts on Cheese-​ology.
AMBIENCE
The interior wasn’t what I was expecting. I get it. It’s a mac-​and-​cheese place. I wasn’t expecting waiters, white tablecloths, and chandeliers. I was just expecting something along the lines of a Bread Co., a place where I want to relax and enjoy my meal. Instead, Cheese-​ology was more like a Subway. Despite the tables and chairs, it felt more like a to-​go place to me.
SERVICE
I was happy with the service here, although I did not have much interaction with anyone. The person who took my order at the counter was pleasant, and when my food was ready, another employee kindly brought it to me.
FOOD
Mac is available in two sizes: regular or large. More than a dozen varieties are on the menu (e.g., creamy pesto, buffalo chicken, spinach artichoke), or you can create your own flavor combination. Make it vegetarian or vegan, if you wish.
I ordered a regular classic mac, made with cheddar and American cheese and topped with bread crumbs. It was plenty, but as others have said, it was a tad small for the price ($ 7.50 before tax). Expect to spend $ 7.50-$ 8.75 on a regular and $ 12.75-$ 14.75 on a large prior to any additional add-​ins you might want. That’s some major ducats for pasta.
I took mine to go. It was packaged in a round foil container with a paper lid and was placed inside a small pizza-​style cardboard box for easy transport. I recycled the box, but in retrospect, I should have kept it as a souvenir of «that time I lost my mind and purchased a hella expensive serving of mac & cheese.»
I tasted the mac when I got home and reheated it in the oven about four hours later for dinner. This obviously is not the ideal experience for a review, but reheating a to-​go order of mac & cheese is something I’ve done in the past without any issues.
My Cheese-​ology mac did not reheat well, so I’d recommend dining in or at least eating your to-​go order as soon as you can. I’d say it’s common knowledge that freshly prepared food is better than reheated food, but there are some exceptions. Homemade chili always seems to be better the next day.
Anyway, I’m not going to ding them for giving me mac that didn’t reheat well. Although I did not find the restaurant interior particularly conducive to dining in, I’m pretty sure doing so would produce better results.
Apart from the price of this stuff, my main issue was a serious lack of cheese. I ordered mac & CHEESE at a place called CHEESE-​ology. I was expecting my mac to be loaded with oodles of cheesy goodness. It wasn’t, and there really wasn’t much flavor to it. Maybe I should have been a little more adventurous. Perhaps I would have enjoyed the bacon mac.
FINAL NOTES
If you’re a Cheese-​ology fan or a soon-​to-​be first-​timer, the clock is ticking. You only have a few more days to visit them in The Loop.
At three stars, I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt. If I had dined in and ordered something else, it would have had to have been better, right?
So, don’t make my mistake. Although to-​go orders are packaged in nice, oven-​ready foil containers, don’t reheat and eat. Eat that pasta as soon as you can.
Also, I wouldn’t recommend the classic mac. If you want plain mac, you can get that anywhere. This one wasn’t very cheesy or flavorful. Take the opportunity to get something more interesting, but if you really want to keep it simple, perhaps you could try the four-​cheese mac (provolone, Gruyère, Muenster, and goat cheese). That has to be cheesier. It contains four cheeses, after all.
If this sounds like a place for you, go! Run! Don’t walk! They’ll be gone before you know it.
Best wishes to all employees as the closing approaches!

Thank goodness the food was pretty good because I’ve never been treated so rudely by staff — not just the person at the counter but then when I seemed a little stunned by the treatment I was getting by the person taking my order, but also one of the line cooks chimed in. The situation was I was having trouble figuring out which one to choose — it was my first time and I was starved — BUT — I was dying to use the restroom which seemed to be a really BIG ISSUE because I hadn’t yet placed my order and they have a policy of customers only for use of the facilities. Now I can understand this, but I had been there a good 5 minutes contemplating the menu and said it was my first time and there were so many choices which looked interesting. When the line cook chimed in that it was the store policy I was stunned — so I pulled out a $ 10 bill out of my wallet, handed it to the cashier, proceeded to use the restroom and returned to complete placement of my order. Frankly I didn’t want to rush my selection — and yes, I really had to go. Anway — long story short is thank goodness the food was good — I have to give them that — but it still has left a bad impression on me — and to think I had been looking forward to trying out this place. I could see one associate being in a bad mood — I’ve had my share of bad days too — but to have 2 associates giving me a hard time leads me to think it’s from the top down. Management should take responsibility for this and really work to train the staff on how to create a welcoming environment for the patrons. It may not be a top dollar expensive restaurant but it’s also not cheap either — and I was contemplating trying the most expensive dish on the menu (Lobster mac-​n-​cheese $ 11) but I was so put off by the service I chose something safer and less expensive. Anyway — I hope someone reads this because they need to work on it.
Kenneth

Disclaimer: my evaluation of this restaurant comes from three separate visits, each time when I was still vegan. So this review definitely doesn’t apply to everyone.
With that being said, I have to say that I was a little disappointed by Cheese-​ology. I’ve come here a number of times with friends and family. The prices are fairly typical for a niche restaurant like this — not cheap, but not unreasonable for the portions either.
My first time I came here I tried the original Vegan Mac. It was pretty great, but it’s made with Daiya so your mileage will this depends on whether or not you like this brand of vegan cheese. The other times I came here, I had strange experiences. On their in-​store menu there are a number of green stars next to various dishes that say «try it vegan!» Well, I thought I would give one of their non-​vegan dishes a try and so I asked for it to be made vegan. The cashier was incredibly confused and asked if I wanted it to be made with meat. I responded by saying no, I’m vegan, and that I would like to try it vegan as the menu says. He had no idea what this mean and said he would try to make it like I asked. The second time I came back I tried another dish and asked for it to be made vegan only to have the same experience — a different cashier had no idea what I meant and responded that it couldn’t be done.
Overall, the food is pretty good; then again, it’s mac and cheese which is pretty hard to mess up. I’m no longer vegan, so I’m interested in giving this another go the next time I’m back in STL. With that being said, I’m still a bit baffled that they advertise on their menu you can try something «vegan» without anyone in the restaurant actually knowing what that means.

Pulled pork mac and cheese with barbecue sauce? Yes please. This is a cute little place on the Loop with endless varieties of mac and cheese. They serve it in little skillets, which is cute and practical. I’ve never had any of the sides, because when your entrée is an entire skillet of pasta who has the room?

This was my 1^st time trying this place. I read about it a year ago. I’m a huge mac n cheese fan. So I ordered; The Classic in a regular it cost $ 7.50, and a cesar salad in small it cost $ 2.75. The cesar salad had a nice dressing tasted like it was made from scratch, do was the croutons. Good size, perfect for the price. The mac n cheese was servedv in a small skillet and I like my food HOT, with steam coming out of the dish. This was just warm. Overall for the size I don’t like the price, I think it should be around $ 4 – 5. It was lacking a little seasoning, maybe it’s because I just got the plain one. But they should invest in some white pepper. I liked the cheese sauce and bread crumbs, the noodles were good and soft. Overall okay experience, I might return, but I’m not going out of my way.

Great quick Mac n cheese on a hot skillet, tried the bacon bacon and it was excellent, added panko breadcrumbs as a topping, I’ll b back for sure, many varieties to still try!

We all tried different varieties of the Mac & cheese, I of course, preferred my bbq pulled pork over the other two. I really liked the BBQ sauce on top bc it just added a little sweetness.
The pesto was tasty too, would be great if chicken was added
The buffalo chicken was just ok. It could have used a little more zing, bc it just tasted pretty blah.
I wouldn’t waste your time on the breadsticks, they were like frozen breadsticks… I’d pass on those and fill up with the delicious Mac & cheese!

I’ve been in this place a few times in the past and recently, just the other night and it’s always great. Macaroni and cheese happens to be one of my favorite foods, even though I’m lactose-​intolerant. (This place offers Lactaid pills at the counter!) I have tried some of the different macs and I’d say my favorites are the Jerk Chicken and the Shrimp Scampi. Very good, and every time I get it I always level it out with 3 breadsticks. My only complaint is how long the food usually takes. Most of the time I’ve had to wait 20 minutes on average, even when the place is dead. But I guess I can’t complain though, sometimes certain foods take longer than others.

Food was good, fast food atmosphere. I think over-​priced for what you get. I probably would not return.

Food wasn’t all that bad but for 9 bucks the servings are to small. It’s Mac and cheese…

as far as mac and cheese goes it is decent mac and cheese. Does not taste homemade, and was a little runny, biggest offender was $ 9 for a small amount. ¾ of a cup of noodles with cheese sauce in a shallow pan is not worth $ 9.
if your looking for value for product this isn’t for you. but if you like paying for a Bugatti prices and walking a with a kia product then this is the place for you!

Delicious food, polite staff (the girls say they were sweet but I just can’t say that), vegan options, and fun atmosphere! Totally recommend this joint for your next trip to the Lou!

The attempt of placing different toppings in Macaroni & Cheese here was well executed, but lack luster. The portion and pricing are way off. $ 8 for a regular? If it had a drink or something on the side, that might compensate in why it would be that pricy for that portion.
I tried the pulled pork with BBQ sauce + Gouda and cheddar cheese sprinkled on top: wasn’t anything I would crave for later, but a nice first time experience. Nice try!

Cheese-​ology is exactly what you’d expect for a business in the Loop. It’s cute and fun inside. The straightforward menu is on the wall. There’s something about a place that makes the food in front of me that makes me smile. I think I’ve heard too many disgusting stories about what goes on in kitchens.
Cheese-​ology appeals to the five-​year-​old diner in me. I don’t like meat. I don’t like vegetables. I like cheese, grilled cheese, cheese pizza, spaghetti, fruit and candy.
The vegan mac and cheese I had on my second visit was fine but not anywhere near tasty. On this last Groupon-​prompted visit, which was my third, I returned to my first order of a meatless «The Hill. Due to my having inhaled in just a few minutes, I’ve settled on «The Hill» as my standard Cheese-​ology dish. I hope to return soon.

Macaroni & cheese is my ALL time favorite food so to find a place that ONLY serves mac ‘n cheese was mind blowing. Possibly because I eat like I’m five! Unfortunately, my cast iron baby skillet of goodness had a defeated taste. Don’t get me wrong, the portion was good and I adore the concept but it was off as a whole. I almost feel as though I’m forcing myself to like it more than I do. I ordered the creamy pesto and he got the BBQ pulled pork. Mine was rather dry like it had been left out for a while and heated back up. The pork mac actually hit the spot and faired well between us. I can’t say this is a top contender for a repeat visit but you should definitely try it once to decide for yourself.

It’s Mac and Cheese for grown-​ups. This is one of those places that you really want to try when you see the reviews about them. But, once you give them a try, you’re left slightly underwhelmed, still glad you came, but not in a rush to come. This place does a great job taking a simple, classic comfort food and elevating it to a restaurant quality dish. I just think they could improve quite a bit on the execution.
I ordered the Mediterranean and loved the addition of so many yummy vegetables to the dish. The only thing though, it’s mac and cheese? Isn’t automatically supposed to be a crowd pleaser? The Buffalo Chicken and the Spinach Artichoke were my friend’s favorites. I’ve never tried them, so I can’t really vouch, but they smelled amazing!
Points for improvement? Like Michael T. mentioned — the space inside the restaurant really could use a little bit of sprucing up. The attempt was nice, but it’s getting a little old. It’s also a really small place that can get easily crowded during frequent dinner times. My main complaint (like most of the other Unilocalers) is that the food is a little expensive for what you’re getting. Their mac and cheese is good and I loved what I ordered. However, based on the casual dining environment and the amount of food you’re getting, the price is a little steep.
So, where does that leave us, especially if this is your first visit? I’d say go — you’ll like the experience the first time around. But personally, this isn’t a restaurant I’m going to rush back to soon.

The broccoli cheddar mac & cheese vegan style was excellent! I’ve had many good and bad vegan mac & cheese’s in my lifetime and can say that Cheese-​ology pulled it off quite well; the overall flavoring was perfect. You can get most of their dishes vegan, as they just replace the cheese with Daiya.

When I first saw this place I thought «I have to try that»! I’m glad I did but I expected a little more out of it.
They have a bajillion (precisely a bajillion) different types of mac n’ cheese you can try. It’s all cooked in front of you in a cast-​iron frying pan – way more fancy then any mac n’ cheese I’ve ever made. It’s also served directly to you in the pan they cook it with (be careful, it’s hot)!
When I went, I got a BBQ Pulled Pork Mac n’ Cheese that was delicious. It’s very rich so while the flavor is amazing at first, it kind of gets redundant eating so much of it. This means it’s good to go with friends so you can try their dishes, too!
The food is pretty expensive considering the formality and amount of food they give you. If I recall its like $ 8 for a small or something like that. I would recommend getting a bigger size if you eat a lot and are looking to be full.
If you are obsessed with Mac n’ Cheese then you should give it a shot. They also have tons of beers and sodas you can get with your dish. I would come back but it’s not on my priority of places to re-​visit.

St. Louis is really lacking in fun, innovate, and creative dining options when compared to other cities, however places like Cheese-​ology and Cini Chow are improving on that.
The concept behind Cheese-​ology is simple, all they serve is Mac & Cheese, nothing more. It seems almost too simple of a concept, however they excel at what they do. By offering such variations on the traditional Mac & Cheese, they have really become a hit. My favorite would have to be the Bacon, Bacon, which combines Mozzarella and Gruyère cheese, with thick cut bacon. It is awesome. However another favorite is also the Black & Blue, which takes American and Bleu cheese adds some steak and Cajun spices to create a great taste. I haven’t gotten to try The Hill, which takes Provel cheese and Salsiccia (sausage) and tops it with marinara sauce, or the Santa Fe which combines Chihuahua & Monterey Jack cheese, chicken, corn and black bean salsa and southwest spices. I seriously need to give them a try on my next vist.
Prices range from $ 7 – 14.50, however I recommend a small. Also ask if they still over a flight of Mac & cheese, they did at one point and it let you try several varieties.
If you are in The Loop, or anywhere in St. Louis I highly recommend Cheese-​ology.