When feel-good food is needed, I have my favorites—and mac and cheese is on that list.
So, on a gray, drizzly Tuesday, when I really needed to hit a pause on work, I headed straight for I Heart Mac & Cheese.
The restaurant opened in Augusta a little over a year ago, but it was the first time I’d tried it. Located at the Villages at Riverwatch, the cozy eatery features a handful of tables and one big menu, including mac and cheese bowls, grilled cheese sandwiches (including one stuffed with mac and cheese!), a mac and cheese taco, vegan options, plus sides, desserts and kids’ meals.
We were lucky that day to meet co-owner and Army veteran Brandie Taylor, who was staffing lunch. It made my feel-good lunch day even better, knowing I was supporting a vet-owned business. She was hustling, making the food, running the register, handing out to-go containers and answering questions: “Everyone gets the same good customer service,” she said.
We did too, as she prepared our meals to order: for my husband, Sean, a custom grilled cheese stuffed with mac and cheese and ham; and for me, a custom mac and cheese bowl with pulled pork, broccoli, carrots, tomato, cheese sauce, and muenster cheese on top (Taylor’s suggestion).
You can also order signature bowls such as mac and cheese topped with short ribs, chicken parm, or decadent lobster with white truffle oil. There’s even a skinny Jenny bowl, with grilled chicken on top of a broccoli and cauliflower base, with other vegetables and plenty of flavor from a sesame ginger sauce and a mango habanero sauce. Signature grilled cheese sammies are also on the menu, with everything from bacon to that lobster.
After we ordered at the bar, we sat down at one of the metal tables and chairs. But soon, we were like everyone else, digging quietly into our little bowls or plates. If you’re looking for “kid” mac and cheese, I Heart Mac & Cheese completely satisfies—my dish was creamy and mild (the muenster in particular was a nice touch), the pork was tender and savory, and the vegetables made a nice, slightly crisp accompaniment. I might have added a touch more salt, and at first, I thought my serving was small, but I Heart Mac & Cheese knows what it’s doing—by the end, the carbs and cheese had me full and feeling like I needed a full-on nap.
Of course, I had to try Sean’s—where else would I ever taste a mac and cheese sandwich? The words, So many carbs, thundered through my brain, but it was terrific, with the soft noodles in creamy sauce, salty ham, and crisp and buttery bread.
As we walked out, I had to admit, that drizzly day seemed just a bit brighter. And—time for maybe just a five-minute nap.
Make Your Reservation
I Heart Mac & Cheese
826 Cabela Drive.
Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday and noon to 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
Entrée cost: About $12 to $14 (but up to $20-plus for items that include lobster)
Danielle Wong Moores is a local freelance writer who’ll never turn down a shrimp cocktail, sushi or cheese dip. Her greatest food influences are her mom and writers MFK Fisher and Amanda Hesser. Her Dine and Dish column runs the second and fourth Fridays in The Augusta Press.
