Roni's Mac Bar - Auburn — Restaurant in Auburn

A Glorious Cheesy Coma in Auburn

Nestled in the heart of Auburn ... ahem, university town, as my college kid politely corrected me ... this place is "college-y" and I think exactly what you’d expect if someone said, “What if we weaponized comfort food and made it ridiculously awesome?”

It's kind of like if Chipotle and the Dairy association had a baby.

Let’s start with a fun fact: I had the honor of chatting with the owner, who casually dropped that this is the first & only Roni's east of the Mississippi. That’s right. Out of about 15 franchise locations, Auburn is the chosen one. Someone give that person a key to the city.

Now, onto the edible joy. The kid-size portions are surprisingly respectable, but the adult-size bowls are basically a culinary bear hug. I went with a grilled cheese sandwich that had a buttery, crispy crust that could make a grown man tear up. I added mac and cheese on the sandwich (because why not carb-load like you’re running a marathon of Netflix episodes), and went with Gouda in the mac to mix things up. Oh, and I ordered ranch, assuming it’d be a dip. Nope, it came right on the sandwich like a creamy little flavor ninja.

One of us added chicken and (shock of all shocks) it was actually good. Not dry. Not sketchy or out of a bag or can. Legit.

The BBQ drizzle on one of the mac bowls? Beautiful. Sweet and smoky, like it just got back from a summer bonfire.

The vibe inside is clean, modern, and deceptively chill for a spot located in what looks like an older building. By clean I mean physically. The merch store has a few innuendos that might make a Mac noodle blush . And bonus round: USB-A and USB-C outlets at the tables. That’s right. They said, “Come for the cheese, stay for the phone charge.”

Ordering is done via kiosk, which I normally side-eye like a malfunctioning robot; however, here, it works. It’s fast, clear, and the menu is streamlined, so even indecisive people (you know who you are) can build their cheesy masterpiece without holding up the line.

They’ve got Jenga, foosball, and multiple TVs with different games playing, so it’s basically the Mac & Cheese Sports Bar you didn’t know you needed.

And the cookie for dessert's pretty awesome as well

If you’re a college student, a parent visiting campus, or just someone whose soul craves a creamy, gooey, ridiculously indulgent bowl of pasta with extra happiness on top - this is your spot. Just be prepared to roll yourself out the door in a full-on flavor coma. And maybe bring bacon next time. I...

We really wanted to try and like this place. It is an interesting concept; place is cute; employees were friendly; service, even though limited since you order at the kiosk, was fine, order came out quickly. Food, however, was just okay. You really have to love mac-n-cheese to be willing to pay the price. It is a build your own bowl type of place but even with that, you pretty much just get the mac and cheese and not much anything else. Add your own meat option is more like a sprinkle, maybe 2 oz of protein, tops. So, all in all, it was a miss for us, albeit an...

This is the best Mac and cheese I’ve ever had!! Definitely recommend!! I’ve watched their videos on YouTube for years and was so excited when I saw this location open in Auburn! So glad I finally got to try it, definitely worth the wait. The staff were wonderful too! I have a small gluten intolerance and got the gluten free Mac but still wanted to grilled chicken that has gluten in it. The staff made sure I was aware of this when I picked up my order. I really...