I Heart Mac & Cheese - Colorado Springs (East), CO — Restaurant in Colorado Springs

HEALTH CODE VIOLATIONS and Poor Customer Service – Will Not Return to This Location.

My husband and I have eaten at I Heart Mac & Cheese before and had a good experience, so we were excited to try this location since it was closer to where we live. All I wanted after my surgical procedure was some Mac and cheese bites, so we went here. Even though our meal was decent, unfortunately, this visit was extremely disappointing due to poor customer service and some serious health code violations.

From the moment we walked in, the experience was off. We were not greeted at all and stood there for about five minutes before anyone even acknowledged us. This lack of basic customer service was frustrating and set the tone for the rest of our visit.

We watched our food being made and didn’t notice any severe violations with our specific meal; however, the most alarming issue we noticed was an employee touching a trash can with their gloves on and then proceeding to directly handle another customers’ food without changing their gloves (at 8:27pm 03/08/2025)! This is a major food safety violation and completely unacceptable! Proper food handling procedures exist for a reason, and it was clear that hygiene standards were not being followed.

In addition to that, we also noticed just a general lack of attention to proper food safety protocols, which should be a top priority in any restaurant. Employees should not be rubbing their hands all over their clothes and then touching food or leaning over a food prep station with baggy clothing.

To address our concerns, my husband called the restaurant the next day (03/09/2025 at 1:12pm) to speak with a manager. Instead of a professional greeting that you would expect from a business, the phone was answered with a simple “hello?” making it unclear if we had even reached the right business. Most companies answer their phones with their name, and this lack of professionalism further confirmed our concerns about how this specific location is run.

Between the unsanitary conditions, improper food handling, and poor customer service, I cannot recommend this location to anyone who values cleanliness and professionalism. I strongly urge management to train staff on proper hygiene, food safety, and basic customer service practices before these violations lead to bigger problems and someone gets...

BEWARE.. Figured I’d try this place because I love grilled cheese but I can’t have milk and their vegan options are perfect for me. BUT.. my experience was somewhat disappointing. First off the menu clearly shows you can get a vegan grilled cheese for $8.99 , which is already overpriced and add a beyond burger patty for $5. What actually happens is they ring you up for a build your own grilled cheese which is 12.59!!! And then add the $5 patty, which is a bait and switch (False advertising). We also ordered the vegan Mac and cheese. The wait for the food wasn’t bad, maybe 10 min.

FOOD EXPERIENCE The vegan Mac and cheese is ok, it has a slight Smokey flavor to it. Not my favorite. I got the vegan patty melt . DO NOT GET THE BEYOND BURGER PATTY! It taste horrible. I would rather then use a real burger patty or have the option. I can’t have milk but I can eat real meat. The grilled cheese without the patty taste ok, it taste exactly like the grilled cheese I make at home but way overpriced. The tater tots are good too but you only get like 6 with your meal.

Overall the experience was disappointing and overpriced for what you get and the way it taste. You can get the same quality or better by just making a grilled cheese/ Mac & cheese at home. I would not recommend this place and I won’t...

What a disappointment! This place is a joke. Start with extremely overpriced for the amount and quality you get. The salad was very basic and not very good. They advertise the rice crispy as if it’s something special, and for the price of $4.10 you kind of expect a little something more. It’s just a pre packaged generic nothing special rice crispy. (see photos). Ordered through door dash. Ordered a Cuban and received a basic grilled cheese and didn’t even initially receive my over priced rice crispy treat. Had to drive to the location expecting for them to make it right. Manager was less than helpful, told me I had to get a refund through door dash. No, I don’t want a refund, it’s not door dashes fault you can’t fill a simple order. I want what I paid for. Manager has a little attitude and obviously lacks the skills and experience to deal with upset customers when problems arise. I know we’re all human and mistakes are made but how can you screw up this bad that I had to drive all the way there to get this fixed. The least you could have done is throw in a free drink or something for the trouble. I would advise anyone to choose a different place, but if you have to go, just have low expectations so you’re not as...