This Irresistible Idaho Spot Serves Some of America’s Best Mac and Cheese

When it comes to making macaroni and cheese at home, you still reach for Kraft’s famous blue box. And even though you’re a grownup, you’re still grabbing the box with the shaped noodles. Spongebob, Paw Patrol, Super Mario Bros., it doesn’t matter.

You’ll say it's for your kids, but we know the truth. You think it tastes better and you’re secretly hoping that you’ll hit a pocket of bright orange cheese powder that didn’t quite mix in all the way because it got caught in the noodle. Don’t worry, we won’t tell.

READ MORE: This Tasty Idaho Spot Named One Of the Best Pancake Houses in America

But let’s be honest. Once the temperatures begin to drop and the days get shorter, you start craving mac and cheese that’s more than a guilty pleasure out of a box. You want the fancy stuff that comes bubbling hot from a restaurant kitchen, with actual cheese and maybe some fancy add-ins that make you feel like you didn’t just order something from the kids menu.

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For a brief moment in time, my gold standard was the lobster mac and cheese from Freshie’s Lobster Co. in the Warehouse. Their blend of aged salted cheddar and gruyere over the cavatappi noodles would’ve been delicious on its own, but top it off with lobster chunks? Chef’s kiss. At $24 a plate, was it affordable? No. But was it so good that it was worth every penny? Yes. I mourned that mac and cheese almost as much as I mourned the restaurant itself closing.

The Lobster Mac & Cheese at the newest Bardenay on Chinden comes close to filling that void, but at $32 a plate? It’s not exactly the kind of comfort food you can justify every time you get a craving for it. Even if they add bacon into that creamy four-cheese sauce.

The Best Macaroni and Cheese in Idaho Is in Downtown Boise

But if you ask real foodies, the best macaroni and cheese isn’t topped with lobster. It is, however, delicious enough to satisfy and affordable enough that it could become a regular indulgence. Both LoveFood and the Daily Meal embarked on quests to find the “Best Macaroni and Cheese in Every State.” The two lists picked the same dish in five states and Idaho happened to be one of them.

Both handed the cheesy crown to Bittercreek Alehouse in Downtown Boise. In picking Bittercreek, the Daily Meal said:

With a harmonious blend of gouda and cheddar, Boise's Bittercreek Alehouse serves a mac and cheese acclaimed across the state. Topped with breadcrumbs and served in a cast iron skillet, this mac is classic comfort food in its natural state, but can be upgraded with bacon, chicken, or jalapeños.

LoveFood adds:

The mac 'n' cheese at Bittercreek Alehouse gets high ratings from happy customers.