CheeseSmith — Restaurant in Wilmington

I'm a grilled cheese fanatic, so I was pretty excited to finally get over to CheeseSmith. A group ahead of me (5 people) ordered and I was next. (No, they didn't order ahead of time).

The group ahead of me and I were there before it got busy, there were maybe 6 people eating. I ordered a Maple Bacon and plain fries, received my number and waited.

The order was placed at 11:47am. By 12:20 I had not received my food. I also observed a few people that came in after me receive their food.

The group of 5 had already received their food and had time to finish eating, in-fact by this time they were sitting around talking. When I approached the cashier, there was another lady complaining about being overlooked as well.

The cashier asked for help from what I assume was a hostess or manager. I explained my situation and asked for a refund. Her response was that 30 minutes is about average for service there.

I told her that seemed excessive for a simple order, but understandable in a popular place, however the issue remained that the group ahead of me had not only received their order, but they in fact also had time to finish eating, were talking, and I had still not received my order. Again, I had also observed other people come in behind me and receive their order.

She then asked well maybe they ordered before arriving, to which I assured her, I was right behind them and observed them ordering, so no. She then stated that well specialty dishes take longer, did you order a cheesesteak or something? (Even though I had already told her my order) Again, no and repeated my order to her once again.

She offered no apology or appeared to really understand the situation. She went back and forth from the kitchen twice and saw what appeared to be frustration and confusion.

She then came back and only said yet again, 30 minutes is the average wait time, they said they will have it ready in a few minutes. At that point, oblivious to the fact that I was understanding of the average 30-minute grill to table time but was upset that other people had in fact finished their meals that were ahead of me, and others had received their orders, I asked for a refund. 30-minute avg. wait time isn't a factor when the people ahead of me had already finished eating. My order was overlooked in the kitchen. Plain and simple.

She wasn't catching on, I couldn't make it simpler, that or she refused to admit mistakes were made. That's what is really upsetting. A simple admittance and apology would have solved everything. She refused and seemed really out to touch ... and yes, I did see her facial expressions as she processed my refund.

The atmosphere is nice, I can't obviously comment on the food. I also observed several people coming and going from the kitchen. I would suggest having your staff more in-tune to their environment, situational awareness, customer service. Even the cashier turned around several times and saw me. You would think that they would be more observant and at some point, check on customers when they notice they have been there for a while waiting on a...

After missing the Cheesesmith Food Truck the last 3 times I had planned on visiting...tonight was the night to try a couple of their staple sandwiches. I was very anxious and eager to taste, what has been dubbed the best grilled cheese sandwiches around. And here we go...

FOOD: The O.G. (Cheddar, American, House-made tomato jam) + Buffalo Baby (Havarti cheese, buffalo braised chicken breast, house made buttermilk ranch, quick pickled carrot & celery slaw) + 2 orders of Garlic Parmesan Fries. Let's start with the fries...golden brown, crispy, seasoned wonderfully and not greasy. My wife says they are the best fries she's ever had. I don't think I disagree. The O.G. and Buffalo Baby sandwiches were nothing short of culinary masterpieces. Each sandwich had fresh bread, buttered and grilled to perfection. Each bite delivered just the right amount of "crunch", followed up by smooth, creamy cheese blends inside. I tried both sandwiches to see which was my preferred choice, but I simply could not decide. The O.G. has this homemade tomato jam that is superb. It reminded me of a subtle apple butter that offered up sweet notes and is a perfect marriage with the cheeses. Buffalo Baby?? I can't find enough words to describe it. I'm not a fan of celery, but Cheesesmith strategically pickles this strong, pungent veggie along with carrots and the taste is sublime. The pickling of the added veggies transforms their natural flavors into a semi-sweet, edible garnish. The buffalo sauce has adequate kick and not too much heat. Everything was fresh, delicious and mind-blowing. I would have never guessed a "grilled cheese" sandwich could hold so much merit. 5 STARS!!

SERVICE: During the pandemic of 2020, Cheesesmith was fully prepared and offered online ordering, the evening before, allowing full payment through their site and scheduling a time for pickup at The Flying Machine Brewing Co. Simple, effective and no hassle. I arrived prior to my scheduled time, and followed the instructions on my e-mailed receipt to text my name and vehicle so that we could adhere to social distancing. The food was delivered to my Jeep with a smile and a heartfelt "I hope you enjoy" farewell. Considering the circumstances in this crazy world, Cheesesmith was on top of it. Well done. 5 STARS!!

OVERALL SCORE: Cheesesmith surpised me with their creations, flavors and flawless execution. With each bite and chew, you attempt to compare it to something else you may have had in life. But I assure you, you probably won't be able to. The flavors are unique and Cheesesmith is in a league all on their own. I look forward to another meal with this food...

I have no idea why this place has so many rave reviews! I was expecting one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I've ever had and what I got was average at best. I ordered the OG. At first glance I was already disappointed because my sandwich had been smashed down while being cooked so not only was it flat but pressing it while it's cooking makes the bread go from thick, light and toasty to this weird hard, crunchy crust texture. So strike one before I even bit it. Sure enough I bit it and the bread on one side of the sandwich just had that off texture to it because of how it was pressed. Also for $8 it could have used an extra slice or 2 of cheese. The amount of cheese was underwhelming, as was the amount of tomato jam. Most of my sandwich didn't have any jam on it at all, a few bites had some, like it was spooned on in one spot and never spread around. I've had better grilled cheese sandwiches at other places...I've had better at my house. I feel bad for anyone that said this was the best grilled cheese sandwich they've had. It is a beautiful space though and the employees were friendly.

Update So while i stick by my reveiw of their grilled cheese i upped my review a star because i ate here again and found something i loved. Their cheesesteak was awesome. My mother in law had a turkey sandwich, without the turkey, and she said it was one of the best sandwiches shes had in a while. She also loved the banana pudding. So while their grilled cheese is not my style, the...