The Best And Worst Of Fast Food Mac And Cheese Ranked

Macaroni and cheese is the ultimate comfort food. It's loved by kids and adults alike, and, conveniently, you can order it from quite a few fast food restaurants. However, some options are much tastier than others. If you love mac and cheese as much as I do, which is a lot, knowing how fast food recipes measure up against each other in a head-to-head comparison will serve you well. After all, you may be in a hurry if you're grabbing fast food, but that doesn't mean you have to settle for subpar mac.

I figured the only way to determine the best and worst fast food macaroni and cheese dishes was to try them all. So, I grabbed a side from nine different places and taste-tested them all myself — happily I might add. I thought I already had a pretty good idea of what most fast food joints offered regarding their mac and cheese, but I'll admit, I was surprised a couple of times and you may be, too. A more in-depth explanation of my methodology can be found at the end, but for now, let's get to the good stuff: A ranking of popular fast food chain macaroni and cheeses.

Unfortunately for Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard, its mac and cheese not only came in last place, but it is downright awful. I mean, seriously, I'll never order it again (even if I swing through Good Times for the amazing Wild Fries). I might not even finish the small side dish I bought, that's how unappealing it is.

Good Times makes its mac and cheese with nicely cooked cavatappi noodles, but that's the last compliment you'll find me uttering. Other than the noodles, there wasn't much to it. When I first opened the container, it looked like dry noodles, nothing else. Initially, I thought maybe all the sauce had settled in the bottom and it just needed a good stir, but I was wrong. Sure, there was a very small amount of cheese sauce, and mixing helped, but the difference was almost unnoticeable. It wasn't cheesy or creamy by any means.

My friend actually laughed and said what is this? Dry noodles?! They even thought that maybe Good Times made a mistake and gave me the wrong thing, but unfortunately, the mac and cheese was just that bad. There are a few mistakes that sabotage cheese sauce, and Good Times seems to be making them all. Don't waste the $3.99 a side dish of this mac costs or you'll regret it.

Next up in the second to last position is KFC's mac and cheese. While it is significantly better than Good Times, it still didn't hit the mark, at least not for me. One of our taste testers said they would have bumped it up a couple of spots to sixth place, but I disagree. The best thing about this mac is that it is priced fairly low at $4.19 per side. However, the portion size was pretty small, so it's not as good of a deal as you might think.

So, why didn't KFC mac and cheese measure up against the competition (price excluded)? For starters, it tasted completely artificial and left a weirdly fake aftertaste in my mouth. I did not like it at all. It was definitely cheesy and pretty creamy too, but the flavor was all wrong. In fact, it was quite bland and while it had a good texture, there wasn't much to the actual taste. The noodles were a bit too soft for my preference as well.

Colonel Sanders may have a wild history and what seems to be an unshakeable legacy, but KFC really let us all down with its beyond basic, bland mac and cheese recipe. I do not recommend it at all.

At first glance, Church's Texas Chicken Mac and Cheese looked like the stuff you get from the grocery store deli (something I tend to like). Just by sight, I could tell it had a thick, creamy, cheesy sauce. It even had what looked like a tiny amount of melted cheese on the top, but, as it turns out, the appearance was quite misleading, at least for me.

Interestingly enough, my taste-testing buddy took one look at Church's Mac and Cheese and passed. They didn't even want to try one bite; the appearance alone was enough to turn them off entirely. I, of course, was more than happy to give it a try, but what I discovered was that my friend may have had the right idea.

After having a couple of spoonfuls of Church's mac and cheese, I realized the "melted cheese" on top was probably just congealed sauce from the top of the pan they scooped it out of. Plus, nothing about the sauce tasted like real cheese. The flavor was super fake; similar to KFC. The noodles were also overcooked and mushy. Fortunately, a side of this mac only costs $3.49 (plus tax) but even if it was free I'd probably still get something else. It was slightly better tasting than KFC and miles ahead of Good Times, but still far inferior to every option that ranked higher.

A person I know once told me that Popeyes Mac and Cheese was the best they had ever had, like ever (not just for fast food). As a result, I was kind of excited to give it a taste. I'll admit, I was a bit skeptical because how could a $3.49 side dish of mac and cheese be better than anything homemade? Still, I was intrigued nonetheless. However, after I tried it, I quickly realized that the person who recommended it either hasn't had much quality mac and cheese or, they have pretty low standards.

Don't get me wrong, compared to the previous three options, Popeyes is in a class of its own. Actually, this is where the list takes a huge turn for the better. However, I still wouldn't go out of my way to get Popeyes Mac and Cheese. It certainly wasn't gross and it lacked the prominent artificial flavor that KFC and Church's have, but it wasn't great. It certainly should not be someone's lifetime favorite. Popeyes does manage to give their mac a much better cheesy flavor, but it still had a lingering artificial taste, just nowhere near as noticeable as the lower-ranking options. The sauce was pretty creamy and thick too. They even melt a small amount of cheese on top. Even so, the noodles were a bit mushy. Some people may think Popeyes sells perfect fried chicken, but the same can't be said for its mac and cheese, not even close.

Noodles & Company is known for selling drool-worthy pasta dishes in a fast casual setting, and people love the food, myself included. In fact, before I conducted this head-to-head comparison, I thought the Wisconsin Mac and Cheese would probably rank No. 1 on my list, or, at the very least, make the top three. However, as you can see, it only earned a solid middle place ranking as No. 5 out of nine. It definitely blew the four lower-ranking options out of the water but simply didn't measure up to the top four.

Noodles Wisconsin Mac and Cheese is made with cheddar and jack cheese for classic flavor. It also has cream to bring it all together. Overall, the flavor is fantastic. The noodles are cooked to the ideal al dente texture, too. They give the dish lots of bite and balance the creaminess to perfection. Even so, it was pretty dry overall. It could have used about twice as much sauce (something you can order) and the flavor wasn't as rich as you'd expect. Actually, it was a bit bland. I wouldn't say it was bad by any means. I still like it quite a bit and will most likely order it again many times in the future, but a dash of salt and a bit more sauce would go a long way.

Noodles also offers several variations on the classic Wisconsin Mac, like Buffalo Chicken Mac, BBQ Chicken Mac, and Gluten-Sensitive Mac. You can also load up your $6.50 (small) or $7.50 (regular) bowl with lots of veggies and other proteins. So, if you are looking for a complete meal, Noodles has you covered. Just make sure to order extra sauce.

Ah, Panera Mac and Cheese. Honestly, I really struggled with how to rank this dish. It tasted amazing and the sauce and flavor were spot on. However, a very small side dish costs a whopping $8.49, which comes out to over $9 with tax. The bowl-sized portion is even more expensive. Maybe I'm being picky, but I think this is wildly overpriced. I mean, I can buy a whole entrée at an actual restaurant with servers (not a fast food place) for about the same price. If price was not a concern, Panera could have easily made it to the No. 2 spot on this list, but alas, it had to price gouge me.

Unlike the other macaroni and cheese options on this list, Panera uses small shell noodles (which are essentially extra large elbows). As a result, they hold an abundance of sauce — yum! The sauce is also incredibly creamy, rich, and cheesy. The béchamel sauce was super thick, too, and, really, it was almost perfect. There's lots of flavor and nothing about it tastes artificial.

When you think of Chick-fil-A, crispy fried chicken and maybe even those cows urging you to eat more chicken are most likely the first things that come to mind. However, the mac and cheese is also out of this world. Not only did it have a yummy, classic cheese flavor, but it even had a nice crust of melted cheese on top, making it reminiscent of a homemade dish. In addition, it only costs $4.39 plus tax, so it's a great choice all around.

Just like Chick-fil-A's chicken, the mac and cheese had robust flavor, there was nothing bland about it. The ratio of cheese to noodles was also ideal and the sauce was beautifully creamy, smooth, and rich. Plus, the noodles were slightly al dente and far from mushy. My friend gave Chick-fil-A's mac two thumbs up and they would have easily awarded it the No. 2 spot, but I prefer the more complex flavor of Potbelly and Dave's, which we'll learn about coming up. Really, they were all pretty close, so you can't go wrong with any of them.

As some influencers recommend, you can also hack your Chick-fil-A order and turn it into a delicious chipotle-style bowl featuring a base of waffle fries topped with chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and honey roasted BBQ sauce. I have not tried this, but renowned TikTok food influencer Keith Lee gave this hack a 9.5 out of 10, so it must be super tasty.

According to reviews, Potbelly has one of the best meatball subs in the nation, however, I think their mac and cheese should also be on your radar. After all, I did award it the No. 2 spot on this list. It came pretty close to Chick-fil-A flavor-wise, but beat it out by a small margin thanks to the thick creamy texture and rich taste overall.

At $4.89 per side, Potbelly offers a deliciously flavorful mac that you won't soon forget — I know I won't be. The white sauce is ultra creamy, cheesy, and unbelievably tasty. It isn't what you'd call a classic taste, but it is drool-worthy and deliciously complex all the same. In addition, the béchamel was thick enough to cling to the noodles with ease. I'll also add that the noodles were cooked perfectly and the ratio of cheese to noodle was ideal. What I mean by this is that there weren't any dry noodles in the bowl, not even close.

Once again, my taste-testing friend gave this mac and cheese lower marks than I did simply because it was made with white cheese. If you agree, Potbelly and Chick-fil-A could be swapped, but I stand firm with its second-place position. Really, it is fantastic, regardless of the color of the cheese. I will certainly be adding Potbelly to my list of favorite places to get mac and cheese from now on, you should, too.

Finally, it's time for the number one fast food mac and cheese and the award goes to Dave's Hot Chicken. And honestly, for me, it beat out the competition by a long shot. Not only is it delicious, but it is priced right too. At just $3.79 per side (plus tax), Dave's Mac and Cheese will satisfy all your cravings and do it for a competitively low price. What's not to love? Plus, the Nashville hot chicken is to die for, too, so long as you can handle the heat.

Dave's Hot Chicken Mac and Cheese is reminiscent of a classic deli mac, but with way more flavor. It has the signature uber-creamy texture, soft noodles, and an ample amount of cheese. The sauce is also made into a deliciously rich béchamel, so it effortlessly sticks to the noodles and provides the creamy, deliciously smooth mouthfeel we all know, love, and crave.

The flavors of Dave's mac and cheese are surprisingly gourmet for a fast food spot, too. I noticed a good amount of black pepper and a rich blend of cheeses that take flavor well beyond any of the previous options. Seriously, I'm drooling. My friend had the audacity to say there was too much cheese sauce on this mac but I'm not even sure I know what that means. Too much cheese on mac? Hah! I thought the ratio was spot on and I dare anyone to try and convince me otherwise.

As I briefly noted in the introduction, there's no better way to rank mac and cheese than to taste a bunch of options, so that's what I did. Fortunately, I live in a city (Denver to be exact) and that gave me easy access to nine fast food places offering mac and cheese. So, I jetted around to all of them and grabbed a side of mac and cheese at each spot. I can only imagine what the final few people thought when they saw a mountain of fast food bags in the passenger seat of my car. Once all of the mac and cheese was acquired, I raced home to take pics and give them a taste. In order to get some varied feedback, I even let a friend have a few bites of each, as well.

While sampling the nine fast food mac and cheeses on my list I paid close attention to the quality and cook of the noodles, the overall flavor, and how cheesy and creamy each recipe was. While this is more than enough to compare and contrast all the options, I also considered price and quantity when determining my final ranking. With all of these criteria in mind, awarding each mac and cheese a number on my list was pretty simple. After all, the recipes basically spoke for themselves.

Whether you are a mac and cheese purist or someone who likes a bit of variation, I recommend avoiding the bottom four options on my list whenever possible. Stick to the top five and you'll be in mac and cheese heaven down to the very last bite.