City Editor Shea here. If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s this: Mac and cheese is my love language.
I’ve spent the entirety of my time in Indy tasting all of the macs the city has to offer, and I’ve assembled a few of my top picks for you to try. You’ll thank me later.
Easy Rider | Let me just describe the Mac and Queso to you: Rich, velvety white cheese. Tender pork belly. A drizzle of hot honey. Crispy breadcrumbs. If you like your mac with a bit of southwestern flair, this is the dish for you.
Metro | This is probably a sleeper pick, but anyone who’s spent a very (very) late night dancing their way through Mass Ave’s clubs knows how important it is to fuel up. I didn’t expect Metro’s chicken bacon mac to hit the way it did, but I truly believe it helped me survive a Halloweekend a couple years back.
Baby’s | It’s so on-brand for me + my pink hair to love Baby’s and its bright, Barbiecore aesthetic. But it’s really earned a spot on this list for its amazing Talbott Street mac. Bonus: Every once in a while, Baby’s will offer a special mac on its Instagram, which is how I came to enjoy the variation pictured here.
The Eagle | Who says you can’t have mac and cheese for brunch? The Eagle’s is delicious in its simplicity (just noodles, sauce, and breadcrumbs), and I order mine with a fried chicken breast so it’s basically a balanced meal.
Pa & Ma’s Backyard BBQ | I used to eat here every Thursday when I lived around the corner (a full meal is a wee $6.50), and my box always included mac. Add some rib tips, green beans, and hot water cornbread and you’re good to go.
Fans of straightforward classic mac will love The Eagle’s dish.
Photo by @amy_eatz
Like real Midwesterners, y’all chimed in with your favorite noods around town. Here’s what you recommended:
- “As a fellow mac and cheese fanatic, I wanted to chime in to give Brewlink a mention since they have a ‘MOM: Mac of the month’ each month. They’re always delicious and certainly interesting.” — Sammy H.
- “It’s expensive and you don’t get a lot of it, but the lobster mac at Slapfish is probably the best I’ve had in the city. Kuma’s Corner is always solid, and I just had Commission Row, which was good too.” — Kyle M.
- “All of the mac and cheese offerings at Big Hoffa’s in Westfield.” — J.J. H.
- “Kuma’s Corner & The Eagle. Two of the best 🧀" — @kopfh412
- “Charleston’s Restaurant in Carmel has the best mac & cheese!” — @puckettphilipm
- “Chicken Scratch!” — @lesliedecker
- “Fire By The Monon!” — @bbech62
- “I had it years ago and still think about Greiner’s mac from their food truck at a music festival.” — @justolivia
