Last year, The Mac Shack opened in Kerrisdale -a restaurant that specializes in mac and cheese. I’ve been loving Kraft Dinner since I was a child, as they make great lunches to bring to school and I used to make them when I’m stuck at home. I’ve been eager to make my to The Mac Shack for a while, and I was sleeping over at my friend’s house who lives in Kerrisdale- so I found some time to go there today.

I liked this little display they had on their wall- it’s not just food, it’s food memory.

I’ve read mixed reviews about this place via Urbanspoon and Yelp- there have been extremely negative reviews and also positive. Thus, when I went in, I didn’t have much expectations.We went around 1:30pm, and the place was still relatively packed, so my friend and I sat at the high tables near the window. Their menus are projected onto walls and you can choose from their selections of Mac and Cheese, or build your own. (Menu here)

I ordered a regular sized Creamy Pesto Chicken ($9) with gluten-free pasta (additional $3- I did not know it cost that much!) The cashier was on the phone while punching in my order, so I felt a bit put off by that. She handed me a number and I sat down, and waited while they brought over my order.(There are 3 sizes- regular, jumbo, and ultimate.)

The mac n’ cheese came in a skillet- which is original and makes eating more fun. It smelled really good when it arrived and I was eager to dig in.

The macaroni bits on the top were drier and not very chewy- either they were more crispy since they were on the top or they’re gluten free. As I was going through my mac n’ cheese, I found that the cheese is mainly on the top, but inside is mostly cream. However, I do not like overwhelming cheese and I love creamy sauce, so it did not faze me and I was content with the blend of sauce and macaroni.  For those who love more cheesy goodness, they may be disappointed.

I had a decent ratio of chicken and macaroni. The chicken was juicy and the cream sauce/pesto made it heartwarming. This was a fairly big dish for me, and I ended taking half home.

This dish is comparable to those Asian fusion cafes where I usually order cream sauce with chicken, but at a more affordable price WITH a drink.

My friend chose to build her own Mac N’ Cheese with – whole wheat pasta, lactose free soya mozzarella, (there’s such thing!) chicken, caramelized onions, and mushrooms.

She finished it so she said it tasted fairly tasty, but noted that the macaroni was a bit dry, the cheese was overbearing. The lactose free cheese is a great option, but it wasn’t as smooth as the usual cheese.After tax- the total was $11.76 for this customized dish.

In essence, the concept of this place is great, but it is a bit overhyped. I find it to be on the pricier side for a lunch meal, even though I didn’t finish. Since the restaurant hasn’t opened for a year yet, hopefully experience will soon improve the quality of their recipe and I do see myself returning to try other menu items. This is great comfort food, but not comfort food at its best.