Uptown restaurant is new "big cheese" of fast food

For instance, there's the B.B. King, which is mac and cheese topped with barbecue chicken and bacon. Also on the menu is the Fleetwood Mac - a mixture of mac and cheese with mozzarella cheese, pesto and tomatoes.

Mac Shack also offers soft drinks, desserts and has a list of interesting options - like ranch dressing and hot sauce - customers can have added to their order.

Even better-gluten-free mac and cheese is available for an additional $1.

Since the restaurant opened in mid January, I've been curious about seeing what Mac Shack had to offer. But, when I saw lines stretching down the block, I decided to wait.

Last Friday I finally got to see what all the excitement was about, and while I found many things to love about Mac Shack, I feel I have a few suggestions that might make their already superior brand better.

First, when I'm going to a restaurant I've never been to before, I like to check out the establishment's website and online menu to see what my choices are and how much money I should be prepared to spend.

While Mac Shack's online menu served up my dining options in great detail, there's no mention of what my portion options are and how much each dish costs. That information doesn't appear until you're actually placing your online order.

Secondly, the restaurant is located in a spot that's perfect for people who work uptown, or are out walking around. But, if you're planning on driving there be prepared to have to search for a parking spot and walk a block or two to reach your destination.

Inside the restaurant, I was surprised to see that there's no place to sit while you're waiting, and the music was way too loud for my tastes.

On the other hand, the menu board was in plain sight and clearly informed me that I had two portion sizes to choose from: regular and large.

I chose the Mac Shack's original mac and cheese called, Lovin' Spoonful, and my man ordered the Pink Floyd - or mac and cheese with bacon and caramelized onions. I was also thrilled that my order came in aluminum containers that - while they can't be microwaved - really kept my order warm until we were ready to eat.

Many times when I've ordered take-out food, I've had to ask for utensils and napkins. Though, this was not the case at Mac Shack. Plus, my order came in a high quality paper bag that didn't rip or tear all the way home.

Though, what made this date night a treat for me was that my man simply hates mac and cheese. Like me, he grew up eating so much box macaroni and cheese that his appetite vanishes at the mere mention of this dish.

To my amazement, he really enjoyed the Pink Floyd. He was especially impressed with the amount of actual bacon that was in his meal, and it's texture - which he described as "not hard or brittle and cooked like bacon ought to be."

As for my Lovin' Spoonful, it was absolutely delicious. I've had restaurant style mac and cheese before, and know that it's not uncommon for the macaroni around the edges to get a bit hard and crusty. 

I'm very happy to report that every single bite of my meal was expertly cooked!

Today, the fast food industry is overflowing with restaurants that focus on having options geared to feed entire families. In contrast, Mac Shack is a great option for hungry single people who don't feel like cooking and who just want a nice meal at a reasonable price.

And, speaking of price - I spent a little under $22 for two large orders of mac and cheese. While some might think that this is a lot of money for what looks like a small container, the meals we got were both extremely filling and very satisfying.

Thanks to Mac Shack's Facebook page, customers can stay up to date on the restaurant's daily and weekly specials, as well as any limited edition mac and cheese creations the restaurant will be offering.

So if you're ready to make the swiaa from boxed macaroni and cheese to something feta, then I suggest you head over to Mac Shack!

Mac Shack is open Sunday and Monday from 11:30 a.m. until 11 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday from 11:30 a.m until 2:30 a.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m.until 4 a.m.

For more information on Keystone's Mac Shack visit eatmacshack.com.