To my shock–and I’m guessing everyone else’s–Chick-Fil-A has now introduced mac and cheese to their menu as a side for a meal, in replacement of their fries, side salad, or seasonal fruit. Honestly, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m not the biggest fan of their mac and cheese. I had such high expectations for it, and, frankly, I’m truly dismayed I didn’t like it. Typically, I RAVE about Chick-Fil-A, but this isn’t the case.

The appearance was very disappointing. As an amateur home cook/baker, presentation is everything. I am a firm believer in the saying, “You eat with your eyes first, then your mouth.” And let’s just say… my eyes lost their appetite.

The mac and cheese itself… was okay. Nothing special. The brown residue on top that you can see is baked cheese. I love cheese, but in my opinion, it made it too cheesy. My taste buds were overwhelmed. On a positive note, you could definitely tell they used real ingredients. It was tangy and I’m 99% sure they used some type of sharp cheddar, as the flavor really came through.

I’m sad to say I most likely won’t typically order this as a side. Though I will still continue to order at Chick-fil-A and enjoy their wonderful service, I’ll just order my usual, which is a large sweet tea, and a 12 piece chicken nugget entrée.

Instead of going to my local and usual Chick-fil-A in Corona, where I often recognize employees who also go to Santiago High School, due to my plans that day I was in Los Angeles. I had arrived at the Chick-fil-A at 3113 W Olive Ave in Burbank after an escape room I visited. I arrived around 5:30, which seems to be Burbank’s rush hour because the line was extremely long, and the employees started to take orders using the tablet device. This allows for communication through the restaurant to transfer outside or drive-thru orders inside the restaurant. I thought it was strange, but nevertheless, it did speed up the process a little.

From talking to some others who have tried the mac and cheese from the Chick-Fil-A in Corona, I found the majority seemed to like it. I started questioning whether the dish would taste different if ordered from different locations. Perhaps because the workers in Burbank were more stressed, they failed to put their best effort into the dish. However, considering this, I may likely think about ordering it at the Chick-Fil-A is Corona to see if there is a difference.

In terms of price and taste, Kraft mac and cheese will forever hold my heart. The nostalgia it brings, the cheap price of 99 cents–as opposed to the Chick-fil-A mac and cheese price of $2.79 for a small and $3.45 for a medium–and the convenience of making it in the comfort of your own home really makes it a classic.