13 Illinois Mac & Cheese Classics Worth The Drive
Illinois harbors a quiet tradition of mac and cheese served with swagger, in smokehouses, steak joints, rock bars, Southern kitchens, and even BBQ dens.
Over years of eating through forgivable guilt, I noticed which places don’t treat mac as mere side hustle but rather as core identity. Some coat noodles in crusty cheese, others fold in smoked meats, still others layer complexity in unexpected ways.
Below are thirteen Illinois spots where mac and cheese earns respect, where cheese pull matters, and where driving out of your way feels right.
1. Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf
The hum in Bavette’s dining room dims when the Truffle Mac & Cheese arrives: noodles glazed in white cheddar sauce, flecked with shaved truffle.
Bavette’s is known as a steakhouse, but its mac has earned its own acclaim on food lists in Chicago.
Order it as a side, it’s rich enough to share. On a chilly evening, I felt the oven’s heat in my bones, and that mac made me wish for seconds before I’d even finished.
2. Kuma’s Corner
Behind its heavy metal façade, Kuma’s offers mac and cheese built like a riff: bold, piled, customized.
On Eater’s Chicago list of mac spots, Kuma’s appears for their customizable version, add jalapeño, bacon, or Andouille.
Eater Chicago
If you come late, parts of the menu may go quiet. But the mac usually survives, crunchy on top, molten inside, perfect for jumping from burger to comfort.
3. Smoque BBQ
Smoke meets cheese at Smoque. Their mac appears on many “best of” mac & cheese lists around Chicago.
The restaurant’s roots are in barbecue, but their sides get serious attention, the mac gets a broiled crust and holds creamy texture underneath.
Fans often use it to “soak up BBQ drippings.” I joined them, spooning it across burnt ends and thinking: best combo I’ve accidentally invented.
4. Honey Butter Fried Chicken
Sweet meets savory in Honey Butter’s mac & cheese. The texture feels plush, the flavor creamy with a whisper of heat from bacon or side additions.
They’re celebrated for fried chicken, but their mac often shows up in social buzz as a supporting star.
If you ask nicely, servers might bring it piping hot. I had it that way once — the top crackled, the inside melted, and suddenly I understood why people talk about it.
5. Luella’s Southern Kitchen
Rustic charm rules at Luella’s. Their baked shrimp & sausage mac is spicy, cheesy, anchored in Southern soul.
Luella’s leans Southern comfort with integrity. It doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel; it just turns it with heat, quality ingredients, and care.
Even during weekday service, it tends to disappear. Order early or risk regret. The dish fills both stomach and memory.
6. Parson’s Chicken & Fish
The interior hums quiet energy, hip but grounded. Parson’s mac often arrives in skillet form, bubbling hot, a side that feels central rather than subordinate.
Their mac gets love alongside chicken and fish, and reviewers often call it a smart accompaniment that can steal the plate.
If you dine late, ask the kitchen to broil the top. The crust deepens. I did, and that contrast, crisp shell over molten cheese, reminded me how textures matter.
7. Bub City
Bub City sits amid jukebox rumble and smoky décor. Their mac appears on BBQ-centric menus, layered with smokiness and charm.
Eater includes Bub City among Chicago mac and cheese highlights, noting both classic and barbacoa-enhanced variations.
On a winter evening, I sat near the bar, spooning mac between sips. The salt cut into the richness; the room’s rhythm matched the fork’s movement.
8. Chicago Q
The menu is built for BBQ lovers, and their mac follows. Creamy, smoky, garnished. Served often in side proportions meant to complement ribs or brisket.
Chicago q earns placement in mac and cheese guides for combining BBQ sides with serious cheese.
Eater Chicago
Expect crowds on weekend nights. I shared a bowl among diners; the cheese held under forks and the smoke lingered on my fingers.
9. Hecky’s Barbecue
Warm barbecue aromas lead you into Hecky’s. Their mac shows up in side lists and local discussions as a standout among sides.
The texture leans dense but creamy; its flavor profile is robust enough to withstand BBQ flavors beside it.
I recommend ordering it with meat. The contrast, smoky ribs, rich mac, makes each bite ask, “why don’t we always pair like this?”
10. Big Jones
Big Jones keeps Southern tradition in its bones, and their mac arrives like a comfortable guest at dinner.
Though mainly known for Southern classics, Big Jones’s mac receives praise from locals who appreciate restraint: no flash, just solid technique.
I’ve seen regulars return for it. On a rainy afternoon, that mac tasted like welcome, not indulgence, but affirmation that good food roots itself.
11. Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap
The bar glow lights up the mac tray the moment it enters. Jake Melnick’s mixes casual energy with serious cheese work.
Menu reviewers reference it as a promise kept, burgers, wings, and a mac that doesn’t hide behind them.
Order early in your meal. I once waited until dessert mood but regretted it; the batch cooled. Warmth matters when cheese is the hero.
12. Chicago Grilled Cheese & Mac Factory
The signage upfront is bold; inside, the mac carries equal weight. Their mac blends classic techniques with friendly presentation.
Listed on Yelp among top mac and cheese spots in Chicago. Crowds arrive for sandwiches, but many leave raving about mac.
I tried a half-size side, creamy, cheesy, with a toast-crumb crust, just what a mac factory should deliver.
13. Black Dog Smoke & Ale House
In Champaign, the smokehouse feel extends naturally into side dishes. Their mac takes residence among smoke plates.
Though outside Chicago metropolitan maps, it earns locals’ praise for classic BBQ sides, mac included.
When I visited, the air carried wood smoke. The mac arrived thick, topped with golden crust. I judged it not by how loud it announces itself, but by how quiet I fell into its comfort.