Mix N Mac, Middletown, NY

Fried Bacon, cheddar and macaroni balls

I heard about the new Mix n Mac restaurant in Middletown a few weeks ago when my wife told me that people she knew went there, and that they said it was good. I looked them up online (not the people but the restaurant) and checked out their Facebook page. Next I added them to Urbanspoon, and put them on my short list. This is what foodies do when we stalk a restaurant prior to a visit, we plan it out and dream about what we're going to eat. 

Well, today we stopped by and I must say that I have to applaud what I think is pure genius. Some brilliant person has taken one of the most classic of comfort foods and built a restaurant concept around it. This idea ranks right up there with that grilled cheese place I went to a couple of months ago.

Buffalo Chichen Mac and Cheese

Mix n Mac sits in a strip mall on Rt 211 by the Pizza Hut. It isn't that big inside, but it looks like a fairly efficient operation. There is a counter to order from, and where the food is assembled. You can watch the food being made and it reminds me somewhat of a Subway Restaurant in some ways. In the back is a kitchen where the steak, shrimp and other ingredients are cooked.

The wall menu over the cash register lists a whole bunch of options like; cheeseburger, buffalo chicken, cheese steak, mexi, vegi, lobster, shrimp scampi, and the classic American with prices ranging from $6 to $14. You can even mix it your way by choosing the cheese and adding three ingredients for $8. 

The process is simple, after they take your order they take an aluminum pan and put in the macaroni (white or wheat), then add whatever is needed and run it trough a conveyor oven where it comes out all cooked and browned like the picture here. We watched the girl make an order and asked her some questions while she did before deciding what we wanted.

I chose the Buffalo Chicken at $7 and Teresa got a Noodle Salad with cilantro dressing at $8. We also had the Fried Bacon and Cheddar Balls at $6. The fried mac and cheese balls were very good and came with a dipping sauce that tastes like what you'd get with onion blossoms and fried pickles, a spicy Russian dressing/remoulade of sorts. The Buffalo chicken was good. Good like getting a back rub and a foot massage at the same time. This is comfort food at its best and you should stop by and give them a try sometime. We'll be back.