The Mac Shack

As a mac & cheese lover, I had come a few times back right when they first opened but had not been back in quite a while. It’s still a great concept, and a good place for some comfort food (but beware, rich and fattening).
However, they have made a few little changes since my last visit that disappointed me. First, the «build your own» option is not quite as flexible as it was before… now it comes with a set 3-​cheese blend whereas before you had complete control over your (first 2) choices of cheese. Second, they used to serve the food in your own personal sizzling little frying pan, now it just comes in a standard white bowl, which isn’t nearly as fun.
Also, I don’t recommend adding mushrooms they were incredibly salty and almost certainly canned.
Still a great place to get your mac and cheese fix, but it’s just not quite up to what it was before.

When I go to eat Mac and Cheese I expect thick, creamy, cheesey flavours.
The mac was slightly overcooked, the sauce although tasty was a bit too watery and the cheesy felt slightly gritty. For a place specializing in this, we were quite disappointed.

I was very excited when exploring Kerrisdale to see the Mac Shack. I mean who doesn’t love mac and cheese?!
The interior is a solid 5 stars, and the service was fine. The lesson here never judge a book by it’s cover started the moment my food arrived. The mac and cheese smelled odd. I can’t even describe it.
Then I bite into my food. Pure disappointment set in. Oily mac and cheese? It wasn’t good. I could eat it so it wasn’t that bad but it wasn’t the deliciousness I expected. I ate most of it out of not wasting food and took the rest home.
I got my boyfriend to try it. He is the least picky person I know and his response was that it tasted worse than KD. Considering this place specializes in Mac and Cheese I expected way more especially for the price. I mean I can make this at home the least you can do is make it delicious and better!
If you do go there order the tea. It’s okay, it’s Mighty Leaf. The tables are nice and huge. Ideal for working plus when I went it was nice and quiet with light background music. If you need to draw or work on a large project the big tables here will help.
Just don’t eat the mac and cheese. 2.5 stars.

This place is a solid two star restaurant.
When I saw that they were opening a Mac and Cheese place I was intrigued, when I saw the first reviews especially the Lobster Mac I knew I’d have to check it out.
I have now been there three times and each time it’s just alright.
The Mac & Cheese isn’t the cheesiest or the most flavourable but sometimes you just want that comforty type of food. Last time my dish was actually a little watery and very devoid of flavour.
They aren’t cheap so I expect outstanding Mac & Cheese but the combination of taste and price land the Mac Shack a two star rating. You can make better at home and use up all your leftovers in the fridge.

Blech. I had such high hopes for this place, and even got a coupon for to try them out (promo they had on Twitter). But even eating here for for free didn’t make it good. The noodles were rubbery, and everything tasted really bland.
I was really disappointed, because it’s such a good concept. But the food is mediocre at best, and over priced for what it is. I’d rather buy a box of KD and eat at home.

Okay after driving by this place numerous times I finally had a chance to try it out. Now, I have to say a good mac and cheese is a truly wonderful thing so I was stoked to try this place.
Often when I drove by it would seem like quite a busy place, but I guess I chose an off-​peak hour as it happened to be slow.
I was hungry so ordered up the bigger size classic mac and cheese along with a brew. Then sat and waited in anticipation. Upon the foods arrival it looked good… nice and cheezy!
Then I dug in and tried it… blech. The cheese on top was good, but the pasta was awful. Aldente is where it’s at, but this was chewy and rubbery and undercooked. Very bland tasting as well. No excuse. Horrible.
Quite a shame. Maybe it was an off day, I don’t know, but way to ruin a good thing.
I do give it two stars instead of one because I enjoyed the beer, but I won’t be back.

So… this place has your traditional mac and cheese comfort food I had as a child, but with more variety. The popular local favourites are the Bacon Cheeseburger (ground beef and smoked bacon) and the Creamy Pesto Chicken (chicken breast, pesto, asiago cheese). Staff favourite is the Brooklyn (short ribs and caramalize onion). They also have a Lobster Mac !! I couldn’t decide so I chose the special Meatball Mac which comes with a free coleslaw. Food was just okay, coleslaw and Meatball Mac were definitely on the bland side. The only good part was that the place was super clean, service and staff were friendly, and… the place does serve white wine, red wine, and beer.
I’ll come back for occassional mac and cheese cravings and have it to go, but that’s about it.

I went here for the first time yesterday. I decided to try The Brooklyn after much debate. The menu is neat. They have a lot of different varieties of mac’n cheese; however, the dish I had wasn’t all that cheesy. It wasn’t bad tasting, but it wasn’t what I expected either. The sauce was a bit on the watery side. Considering this place is supposed to specialize in mac’n cheese, I’d say it fell a bit short. I’ve had better mac’n cheese elsewhere, such as Coast or Society or even White Spot, for a fraction of the price.
If I do decide to go back, I will try the classic, maybe I was just craving something a bit simpler.

The Mac Shack: Great concept, but a huge disappointment.
I was intrigued about this idea of being served comfort food with several variations. I remember when this place first opened and everyone was talking about it. The reviews were mixed so I held off for a bit to allow the hype to settle and for the Mac Shack to work out any kinks in their menu and food.
My first choice was the «Brooklyn» (Naramata Blue Cheese and AAA Sirloin Steak, caramelized onions, mushrooms in an aged balsamic reduction and rose sauce). I was tremendously disappointed when I was informed there was no longer any blue cheese available. I refused to settle so I went with the renowned «Lobster Mac» (Asiago & Canadian Cheddar, authentic Lobster meat, oyster mushrooms, lemon, dill and truffle oil in a cream sauce).
In theory, the Lobster Mac was supposed to be phenomenal. According to friends, it was something I just had to try so I ordered the «Ultimate» size (a 7.5″ skillet). For $ 21 worth of mac and cheese, this baby better had been worth it.
Nope.
What I was served was a lukewarm, dry, flavourless and unappetizing jumble of macaroni pasta in a greasy skillet. Some of my cheese was stringy and there were pieces of lobster here and there, but my overall dining experience was a tremendous failure. I didn’t notice a single mushroom, nor did I taste any lemon or dill. Truffle oil? It’d be an insult to even consider using it on what I was presented with.
I’ve since concluded that if I wanted a better and more flavourful mac and cheese for less than what I paid for here, I’d visit Burgoo or even get my mother to make it (for free, of course).
The staff aren’t exactly helpful either since there is no waiter service, and the place is louder than a pub on a hockey night. If you’re hoping to find seating in this restaurant, good luck. There were so many customers left standing around due to the lack of seating. Oh, I should also mention that the Mac Shack should probably look into pest control. I witnessed a huge moth crawling around the floor then up my stool leg.
The only thing stopping me from giving this place a single star is because of the interior design and layout. I found the menus projected on the wall via three separate projectors to be quite innovative. Asides from that, the Mac Shack needs to get their act together.

YES. YES. YES. Staple foods reinvented. Quick service, piping hot and fresh mac and cheese, and staggering menu variety.
Order a few and share with your friends. The Bacon Cheeseburger Mac, and the Brooklyn (Mac with AAA steak) were easy favorites. Because I was with a friend who had a seafood allergy, we couldn’t order the Lobster Mac (understandably more pricey than the others), but one of the other tables did, and they had nothing but good things to say about it. I will be back for the Lobster Mac on my next visit!
FREE WIRELESS (ask for the password).

I was actually kind of hesitant going in here, people had written some harsh reviews and a restaurant devoted to only one thing can easily be a ‘miss’. The place is like a gourmet fast-​food concept, sort of a cross between easy eating and classiness. You walk in and choose your mac — they have a lot of great combos or you build your own (I went with regular white pasta, standard cream sauce, aged cheddar, ground beef, tomatoes, broccoli and truffle oil — yum!) and then have a seat.
They bring you a skillet filled with your chosen mix, and even the «regular» size is too big to finish, for under $ 10 that’s a deal. You can get booze there too, if you feel like classying it up with some wine.
The mac was delicious — especially given the price. I really liked all the extras you could put in, as I’m a lover of truffle oil. Lots of ideas for mac&cheese that I never would have thought to try, so I’m definitely going back. It was lunch time during the work week though, and heavy pasta makes me sleepy, so I think it’ll be a dinner/​weekend adventure.
The actual restaurant was lovely — the bathrooms were really clean, and I liked that there was a QR code at each table that you could scan for a free coupon for your next visit.
Definite win.

I really love the ambiance here. It’s like a very comfortable, modern diner. You order at the cash register and then they bring you your food and drink.
Every flavour of mac ‘n’ cheese comes in three sizes. The smallest size is good for 1 person, the medium size can be split by two adults, and the largest size could be split by two hungry adults or three adults.
I recommend ordering a couple of flavours of the medium sized mac ‘n’ cheeses so that everyone at your table can compare the flavours.
I’ve tried the 4 Cheese, the Supreme, and the Lobster. I recommend the 4 Cheese and the Lobster. The next flavour I’m trying is the Bacon Cheeseburger.

Three stars for the Mac Shack:
4 stars: mac n cheese. We ordered a small bacon cheese burger and a small 4 cheese. Very gooey and creamy with fantastic flavour. I love all the condiments they provide as well: chilli flakes, parmesan cheese, smoked Tabasco, Tapa Tio. The portions are healthy and for $ 8 an all round good deal. Our food came quickly and I left feeling stuffed with the beginnings of a good carb sweat.
2 stars for ambiance and service: It is way too loud in there and the staff are more focused on having a good time amongst themselves when they really should be paying attention to detail and the customers.
— super duper loud 80’s music. 2 thumbs down. Remember, not everyone has the same taste in music, so it’s best to either just have something softly playing in the background that no one really notices or provide a good eclectic mix.
— instead of plates we got aluminum to go containers to eat our mac n cheese at our table. We were told «Sorry, we broke a whole bunch of plates this morning.» Seriously? You think I care? At least give your patrons a goddamn plate to eat off of.
— «sorry, we ran out of spoons» was what we heard when we were presented with a GIANT kitchen cooking spoon to dish out our mac n cheese.
To conclude, I wouldn’t name this a go to comfort food spot for me. After all, it’s only mac n cheese. What if I want a burger? Or fries? But, I would put money down on the fact that I might grab a to go container of mac n cheese somewhere down the road, but for 2012, I’m done with mac n cheese.

It’s interesting that the range of reviews is all over the spectrum for this one. Of note is the fact that there was 1 1-​star review (Dec. 2010), and no other reviews for 10 freaking months. So I really wasn’t sure what to expect as a result.
As common as this food is (KD anyone?), you definitely don’t find a place that does ONLY this everyday. And it does a pretty decent job, if you don’t think about calories.
Parking is available on the side streets, or if you like throwing money away, there’s metered parking in this lot next to the railroad tracks across the street.
The seating area is bright and clean, and looks somewhat upscale.
The product comes in several varieties, and in 3 sizes. They’re served in cute little skillets. Saves the dishwasher some work as well. A typical dish may be priced at $ 7, 12, 17 for example.
They do have other items, such as grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup (if these count). But you’re not here for steak or bubble tea.
As lame as this place sounds on paper, it’s got some charm to it. Give it a try if you’re in the area.
If the place sucked in the past, it doesn’t suck anymore. I was happy.

The specially focused macaroni and cheese joint in Kerrisdale invited a few of us down for a special media tasting.
After a couple months in business and a overwhelming opening where they ran out of food, the proprietors were looking for some feedback.
On first thought, the menu is overwhelming with a ton of choices and different mac and cheese concoctions.
It was pretty sweet having a beer or glass a wine with our comfort food. I imagine this factor being a big hit with families where the parents can enjoy a fine beverage as kids pig out.
The big hit were the mac and grilled cheese sandwiches full of carbohydrate decadence. We tried all kinds of macaroni from lobster to bacon to chorizo and Brooklyn style. The desserts were also intriguing with brownies and double chocolate cookie ice cream sandwiches.
The place was big and spacious for a singularly focused restaurant. There was a ton of staff on hand to serve us and I dug the effort.
The mac and cheese was tasty but I’m still not entirely sold on the concept. I wonder if folks will flock to Kerrisdale for some premium mac and cheese.

3.5−4 stars
For $ 20 in Kerrisdale you can get food and drink for two people. I have to say, that is not bad.
I agree with Marc D.: I want more cheesiness to the mac! I suppose the creamy sauce it’s tossed in has a cheese-​base in it, but mac and cheese in my mind is all about pulling apart layers of pasta wrapped in that rich thick cheese-​ness.
That being said, my pesto chicken mac’n’cheese was quite tasty in a fairly generous portion. The only other thing left for the Boy and I to desire (other than more cheese, of course) was a crunchy cheesy crust on top.

What’s with the tough reviews here? I love this concept! Sure, it may only be just macaroni & cheese, but it’s a different concept, new, kinda cool… just opened recently in a good part of town Kerrisdale, but nothing like this in the area or anywhere else… sometimes eating/​dining out is just about the experience…
ordered:
Bacon Cheeseburger: it’s not your typical burger, but it’s mixed in w/​the macaroni, and PLENTY of cheese, in the skillet (without the buns of course) a few minutes later, the server brings it to you… remind to tip, haha… b/​c u do have to order in a ‘fast-​food’ setting, then they’ll bring the food to you…
Squish: probably one of the best desserts i’ve had in a while that makes u think u gotta go back next time! it’s so simple, but it’s an ice cream sandwich w/​2 chocolate chip cookies, and their home-​made vanilla bean gelato ice cream w/​some tasty raspberry filling! just the right combination to chew w/​the cookies, that texture…
highly recommended just to try for the experience…

Mac & Cheese. The quintessential childhood grub of choice and the 1^st or 2^nd dish we all learn how to cook.
These guys brilliantly used Twitter to create a buzz, offering the 1^st 1000 followers a free voucher for one free regular-​sized mac&cheese from the favourites menu.
My child in me had high hopes. So much so I locked my keys in my car (honestly 1^st time ever). Finding this place in Kerrisdale was a bit challenging, but then again I’m not the best navigator, even with a smart phone.
I like the design of the place. Modern and cozy. You order up front and get a waiting number. We went for a regular lobster and ultimate.
As the kitchen is pretty transparent, I was kind of disappointed to see the chefs scoop the precooked macaroni out of big containers, like at Ikea.
10 – 15 minutes later we get our order. Lobster mac did have a fair share of lobster meat. The cream sauce was decent, though the lobster itself didn’t add much. I’ve always been more pro-​crab (dungenous has way more flavour). This was better than the ultimate, whose ingredients didn’t meld that well together. I guess that’s why they have two kinds of tabasco sauce on each table.
Portion wise, regular is just right. I guess it really comes down to ‘Could I make better mac&cheese at home?’ The answer is probably.
As they are still new, I hope they continually to refine their recipes and skill to make their Mac&Cheese into THE Mac&Cheese of Vancouver.
Best of luck.

* Nice in theory *
The concept is a nice one, in theory, of focusing on the traditional comforting mac & cheese.
When a place focuses on a specific dish they should make the best damned (insert dish name here) in the city. It should be something you couldn’t easily do at home.
Unfortunately that is not the case here. I ordered the four cheese which contained provolone, gruyère, cheddar, and aged cheddar. The dish was served in a cast iron skillet which had been baked in a salamander. While the pasta was cooked to the right texture, the sauce was overly creamy without any noticeable cheese at all! I think they basically tossed the pasta with cream sauce and then put a little bit of cheese over the top and browned it off in the salamander. I personally like a mac & cheese that has cheesy goodness in every saucy bite. This wasn’t it unfortunately. The cheese was an afterthought, a garnish, a footnote. Photo:
I’ll be curious to see what becomes of this spot.

On first approach you can smell the delicious smell of creamy cheese and garlic eminating friom the restaurant, and I got super excited and jumped up and down at the thought of mac and cheese.
We walked in and my boyfriend and I agreed it was cute. Very modern and tastefully decorated. Subway brick-​style tiled backsplash, restored wood feature walls, projector screen menus. Super cute.
Next thing we looked at was the prices. Three different sizes. personal mac and cheese, mac and cheese to serve two, and the jumbo which fed like…4 or something? We decided to share and order the pesto chicken mac and cheese, which to serve two was 12 bucks. Ordered a couple beers at $ 5.50 each, and were at a pretty pricy lunch for two.
We sat down and the first thing my boyfriend mentioned was how expensive it was for mac and cheese. I didn’t at first think so, but when I thought over how much it costs us to make mac and cheese (which we do often) I realized it was about three times the price. Kind of a bummer.
We waited about 15 – 20 minutes for our food before it arrived, and then dug in. It looked pretty delicious, I’ll give them that, but was hugely lacking in flavour. There was barely an flavour of pesto, with several flecks of brown-​looking basil, rather than a beautiful rich green pesto cream sauce. There was *no* chicken. I found three pieces, THREE, of what felt like flaked chicken in the entire two person meal. Totally can’t justify that for the price. The «creamy cheese» sauce it was in was quite bland, and I didn’t even realize how much I had done to add flavour until Jord asked me, «is it really that bad?» and I glanced down to see my portion covered in added hot sauce, parmesan cheese, flaked chili peppers, ground pepper and cracked sea salt. I kinda blushed and commented that it didn’t have much flavour.
We finished it all off anyway, because we were both starving, but I definitely think their recipes and sauces need some work. Especially in the spice department.
I will give their service props. The owner/​manager was very present and quality-​checked with us twice. The girl at the front counter was super sweet too, smiling and friendly, and it made for a nice welcome to a first-​time customer.
I’ll probably come back because I work in the area, and the experience itself was enjoyable. Great music playing, Granville Island Beer, great customer service, great atmosphere, but just the food itself could use some tweaking and some work.