Elite Event at The Elbow Room Barclays

I got there late and the event wrapped up early, so I didn’t partake in the full experience, but I had a chance to snack on the mushroom Mac and Jamaican jerk Mac. The mushroom mac was absolutely delicious. I sort of never want to have a hotdog at a basketball game again and feel as though mac n’ cheese could be my new sporting event meal at Barclays.
I’m not used to wholesome alcohol-​free events, but this was kinda cool especially since it was a Saturday early afternoon event. I may just change my ways. Thanks Unilocal

I’ve got to admit, my extent of mac and cheese before this event was the boxed version I ate as a kid (Wacky Mac) and trying a bite my friend’s lobster mac and cheese once.
So I took a pretty steep plunge into «the real stuff,» and came away really impressed. My favorites were the Old School and the Vegan. Yes, vegan. Believe it or not I had no idea it was vegan until they told me so. It’s got some great crispy and spicy things going on in there that give it a great kick.
For the more devoted cheese lover, I would steer towards the Mushroom Mac. If you can handle gruyère (sadly it’s out of my league), you’ll love this dish. Not to mention the crispy shallots (similar to mini onion rings) that they throw over it.
All in all a cool space, very easy to meet and talk to people. Thanks to the hosts, servers, and Peter D. for a sweet event.

This was a great introductory event for me to the Brooklyn Elite scene.
I was nervous about coming solo and potentially not knowing anyone (awkward social anxiety), but the Brooklynites were exceptionally welcoming and friendly.
There were a few different vegetarian Mac n Cheeses for me to sample. Surprisingly, the vegan was my favorite, and I LOVE CHEESE. It may have had something to do with the addition of the avocado, soy chorizo and hot sauce.
Growing up vegetarian, mac n’ cheese was a big staple of my diet. I make some mean mac and usually find restaurant mac disappointing. It was actually pretty good here though, and they had a nice variety of flavors and mix-​ins. I would come back in to try some of the other menu choices the next time I’m in the area.
I don’t normally drink soda often or energy drinks, but the the carbonated energy beverages were free flowing and I can’t turn down free! They weren’t too overpowering in taste and would make decent mixers. Bummer, they didn’t get their liquor license in time for us!
The event was pretty small and fairly intimate. Everyone was very nice and I appreciated the friendliness of the crowd. Thanks BK crew!

I can’t remember the last time I had mac and cheese, so I was excited to try everything that Elbow Room had to offer.
My favorites were the Old School Mac, The Mushroom Mac, and the Brats and Beer Mac. You can’t go wrong with any of these it just depends on what you are in the mood for. The Jamaican Jerk was interesting but just not for me. Same goes for the Vegan Mac and Cheese. Just a bit too spicy for my taste. I will say it was some of the best vegan food I have ever had though.
Nawgan provided 3 flavors of fruity drinks to help wash down all that mac and cheese. All were great, but if I had to pick a favorite I think I would go with the strawberry kiwi.
Big Thanks to Peter, Unilocal,my Elite Peers, Elbow Room and Nawgan for a wonderful event. Looking forward to the next one.

The best way to refuel your body after a good Saturday workout is to eat loads and loads of Mac and Cheese. No? You don’t agree? Well honestly neither do I, but that didn’t stop me from trying every flippin’ cup of ooey gooey goodness.
By far the mushroom rocked my world and the vegan treat was a close second. I’m pretty sure I can apply to be a part of Mensa after guzzling a can of the raspberry Nawgan.
It was a nice relaxed Saturday event with friendly staff and of course, lovely Unilocalers.
Thanks Peter D et al!

well I was really happy that I was able to attend to event. where ever there is mac and cheese I am always there ha ha. some reason I have a huge love for mac and cheese and I was glad to taste a few at the elbow room. I enjoyed the Old School Mac it was very flavorful and so yummy in my tummy .my second favorite was the Brats and Beer Mac. everything was so delicious and everything had really good taste didn’t feel restaurant like felt like home made which I enjoyed a little more .
Jamaican Jerk mac was a very different style had yummy Jamaican flavor had some pineapple and coconut with a kick .
I would have never thought fruit and spice would go well with mac and cheese lol. I want to come back and try a few other macs on the menu so I cant wait to get the chance to go back very soon. the staff were super nice and so sweet and friendly and the owner explained all the detail and ingredient’s in each mac and cheese which was so sweet of her. Peter D thanks for this event because of you now I know what to eat before any events at the Barclay lol. I also enjoyed the Nawgan drinks. everything was great. Glad I was able to attend. lol I also enjoyed my Unilocal elite socks so cute lol

Macaroni and Cheese is one of my favorite things on this planet. So I was seriously stoked to be invited to the Unilocal Elite event at the Elbow Room Barclays! I was also happy to see Peter and Jessie, Sarit and Michael, and to chat with many others, including Tony, JT, Abby, Elvir, Mitch, just to name a few! The space is a bit small, so it was a bit difficult to make my way through to talk to everyone, so it would probably be best enjoyed while at a game/​show or for takeout.
I started with the Old school Mac, which was the traditional-​style made with sharp cheddar and had bread crumbs on top. It was quite tasty, indeed. I also had the chance to try the Mushroom Mac, which consisted of crimini mushroom, spinach, gruyère, and the best part – crispy shallots. YUM!!! This version of mac&cheese proved to me that the Elbow Room really shines when it comes to interesting flavor combinations of mac&cheese.
Something to note is that I do sometimes try to adhere to a vegan diet, and am THRILLED to note that the Elbow Room offers a vegan option – the Queso Fundido mac&cheese with amazing flavors including a bit of spice, cilantro, and tortilla strips for a bit of crunch on the top. It was actually the tastiest version of mac&cheese I was served while there! Go Elbow Room! I could have eaten a LOT more of this very interesting version of mac&cheese, and I definitely plan on getting more of it in the future. I had a great time, Unilocalers! Thanks so much for the invite! Now, if the Elbow Room would turn up on GrubHub so I can get it delivered…

It was good times at the Elbow Room in Barclays Center, which is, unsurprisingly, open only during events. The glass windows inside allow you to look in and check out what’s going on inside Barclays and do a bit of people watching while you indulge in some comfort food. I tasted about five varieties of macaroni and cheese: each one simply a decadent, filling, flavorful serving of cheesiness.
My favorite, by far, was the Mushroom Mac – it was a deliciously satisfying combination of creaminess with the delightful texture of the crispy shallots. I wasn’t a big fan of the Jamaican Jerk; the combination of pineapple and coconut, although interesting, just didn’t work for me. The Nawgan, a beverage to boost alertness and sharpen concentration, was provided for us. I only tried the red berries flavor. It was pleasantly light in taste, not overpowering in sweetness at all. As always, another nice event pulled together by Peter D. and his crew. I’ll be back to check out some of the other varieties of mac ‘n’ cheese.

We met at this lovely Mac N’ Cheese restaurant for a Unilocal Elite event; prior to this I never knew it was here! A facility dedicated to providing the public with cheesy delights such as Mac N’ Cheese with mushrooms, or the one with Jerk Chicken and pineapple, or the one with jalapenos and crunchy onions (vegan) where they use soy cheese and vegan-​bacon… The list goes on and on. This place should really be awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor for the service to their community.
The establishment is a bit cozy, but comfortable and has a very nice atmosphere with decorative fixtures, and an airiness that will give you a clean and open feeling. The staff will have you feeling like royalty the entire time.
Suffice it to say, this restaurant would propel Chester Cheese through the aerosphere in cheesy delight and land right into rehab.

Despite the time change, this event didnt SOCK in the slightest. Oh, and that was no typo because through the powers that be, we not only left in a cheesy carby food coma but we also left with these amazing Unilocal Elite Sock puppets. Well, some might actually use them as socks… what they were intended for. But me, I will be using my new sock puppets to perform dramatic reads of random Unilocal reviews. Stay tuned.
Elbow Room is tucked into the side of the massive Barclay’s Center. Inside the modern chic shop are some really tasty eats.
We imbibed on some brain boostin nawgan. The berry was my fave and while some might have been turned off by the lack of booze, i got pretty buzzed on all the good company.
The mac was plenty and everyone was just overall, you know, amazing. The highlights of the day were the mushroom and the classic. The biggest surprise was the vegan– i thought it would be a stinker but man oh man was this a goodie! Who know you could make something so cheesy without cheese!
Big thanks to the awesome and friendly staff at Elbow Room as well as the sweet peeps at Nawgan!
Had a great time.
Hats off to Peter D for putting together such a cheesy (in a good way) event on such a fantasticly gorgeous spring day!

Macnificent! This was a great start to an awesome day. I’ve sampled several of the Mac n Cheese’s previously at Elbow Room’s sampling at The Sackett back in February so I knew what to expect. I was really hoping for some Lobster Mac n Cheese but unfortunately it never came around. Though they did have some other nice surprises.
Elbow Room is on the Atlantic side of The Barclays, in a small nook. Upon entering I am presented with a pair of Unilocal socks. Some nice red knee socks to show off my stems when the weather gets nice (If it ever does). I am also presented with a lovely beverage from a friend. «Here have some water.» «I don’t want water!» After stare down, I finally catch on. Oh, that kind of water. The drinks from Nawgan made for some nice mixers. I tried their calorie free lemonade, which was quite splendid. On to the Mac n Cheese. The classic old school mac n cheese is your standard mac you’ve come to know and love. Delicious to the last bite, love the baked crumbs on it. The brats and beer one was unbelievable. I personally like putting cholula hot sauce on mine. The mushroom one is another good one which I really liked. I skipped the vegan one, figuring I’d focus more on some of my drinks. Though I hear that was a big mistake. Many people told me how it was the best one there. The last to come out was the jerk chicken mac n cheese. This was my favorite of the afternoon. This did not need any hot sauce. It had some serious kick.
In the end it was a great event. Chatted it up with a bunch of people. Only awkward moment was when they asked us to take pose for a huge group picture while they used three cameras. I guess no one explained the idea of having one camera go off at a time so everyone can look the right way. After the event, hung back a bit to chat away some more and was lucky enough to have tickets to The Crossing Brooklyn Ferry event at BAM bestowed upon me.
Big thanks to the staff from Nawgan. Thank you for the mixers. Loved the staff from the Elbow Room. Seriously that is some bad ass mac n cheese. Huge thanks to his grace Peter D. Much appreciate helping make this past Saturday an awesome one.

Duh duh daaaaah… and then the announcement comes over email that the event will be alcohol free. That’s okay… right? You don’t NEED alcohol to enjoy copious amounts of mac & cheese… and do the bubbles fit in the tummy with the mac and cheese? Probably not.
The event was cool. The event space small and intimate. The people… super nice and awesome!
So, instead of alcohol, we meet new to the block brain fuel Nawgan. Flavor-​wise, I’d say it’s similar to vitamin water, but maybe with more flavor… so, not too shabby. The lemonade was tart… in a good way and it definitely pepped me up (drink contains the same amount of caffeine as 1 cup of coffee).
On to the food (we tried 5 different kinds of mac):
Classic aka Old School Mac — delicious, loved the bread crumbs on top
Mushroom Mac — one of my favs, super delicious crimini mushrooms, awesome spinach, delicious crispy shallots on top
Brats and Beer — wanted to really like this one, but didn’t like the way the brats were sliced, would’ve preferred diced pieces
Jamaican Jerk — super interesting, very interesting with the pineapple and coconut
Vegan Mac — this was my absolute fav, creamy, delicious and super flavorful with a touch of spice
Highlight — Unilocal Elite Socks! Super awesome. Though now the weather is getting warmer.
It was great catching up with everyone and sooo much delicious mac.

A great low key event full of carbs, cheese and drinks that make you smart (apparently)! While the lack of booze at an Elite event was a strange feeling, catching up with familiar faces and eating on delicious mac n cheese made up for it.
Favorite mac n cheese flavor was the mushroom and the brats & beer. The jerk chicken was an interesting concept but it just didn’t live up to its potential. The vegan version, however, was a surprise and a delicious one at that! I expect all things vegan to be bland but this was anything but, with a great spicy kick of the soy chorizo.
Thank you Unilocal for putting this event together and The Elbow Room for giving me a food coma at noon.

Guinness World Records should’ve been on hand when the Brooklyn Community Manager sent out the memo that this would be an alcohol free event to archive –
Longest Synchronized Sigh
I’m sure everyone was thinking, «I don’t need alcohol to have fun» but just look at what a blast the Taliban, convicts and patients in rehab are having… I was wrong though, straightedge socializing is just as satisfying, especially when you add Nawgan brain drinks into the mix. It makes for some interesting conversations that I actually remember. Drinking is OVER, just call me Sober Stanley from now on because liquor makes people do things that sometimes they want to forget, here’s an example —
My first semester I rushed for a notorious frat on campus, known informally as Pikes. During homecoming someone rented a goat, the opposing team’s mascot, for some skits during the parade. I don’t know what happened because my job was to make Hunch Punch and assure that it flowed continuously but somehow he drowned. I heard the little buddy was tied to the swimming pool ladder and died by his own hoof. One of the Pikies from Missour-​ah said –
«Well there goes our deposit.»
No one wanted to see the animal go to waste, and we couldn’t report it… so he enlisted the house’s part-​time chef, threw down a tarp and prepped it for the grill. Which I don’t know how to do and is probably an excellent skill to learn if I want to be apocalypse-​ready. When that time comes we should all find our respective rednecks. Next day the animal was reported lost and we almost got away with it but there was a FUCKIN’ VEGAN in attendance. Somehow the headline for the school paper went from –
«Accidental Suicide of ‘Bill The Goat’ Besmirches Homecoming Victory»
To –
«Lamb Drowned And Dismembered During Bizarre Hazing Ritual»
Because of that incident we were forced to become a dry house and put on probation for 2 years. The three consequences of that were, more off-​site events, dues went up considerably to support them and I never became part of Greek life.
Vegans are frustrating, eating with them is worse but dating one is the WORST. They’re always hungry, annoyingly read every single label everywhere and you have to eat sucky food with them… until now.
The Elbow Room’s vegan mac ‘n cheese is the best vegan thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.