Matt’s Smakcin Mac’s Honey Mustard Chicken Mac N’ Cheese, taken by Evelyn Davidson

Are you a mac and cheese connoisseur or a comfort food fanatic? I would argue that most college students love a good bowl of mac and cheese; after all, aren’t we the target demographic for products like Kraft boxed mac and cheese or cup noodles? 

Boxed mac and cheese is an amazing convenience for the average college student who has little to no cooking skills, limited tools and barely any real food in the fridge. It’s like magic: cook the pasta, throw in the questionably orange powder and mix with milk and butter. Yet the problem with store-bought, boxed mac and cheese is just that – it’ll only ever be store-bought, boxed mac and cheese. You can add extra cheese, or maybe a splash of sriracha if you’re feeling spicy, but overall, it’s still terribly boring and definitely tastes like it came straight out of the sad, little blue and yellow cardboard box that we all know and often love by necessity. 

Fear not, you do not have to resort to the simplicities of powdery boxed mac and cheese every single time that you need a bite to eat. Matt’s Smackin Macs resides a mere ten minutes away on Warwick Boulevard. It’s hard to miss this mac and cheese haven in its very distinctive triangular, bright yellow building. 

Inside, there isn’t much seating room, but this will become an afterthought once you set your sights on their glorious menu. From “White Cheddar Trio mac N’ Cheese” to “BBQ Chicken Mac N’ Cheese” to “Jalapeno Bacon Mac N’ Cheese” – Matt’s has it all. My personal favorite is the “Honey Mustard Chicken Mac N’ Cheese,” because the grilled chicken is perfectly cooked and the mac is the ideal amount of sweet and mustard-y. Each order of mac and cheese comes in a nice black plastic container that can definitely be reused for storage or leftovers – a plus for college students looking to meal prep or store excess dining hall food. The best part is that each container is packed to the brim with cheesy, gooey deliciousness and most bowls range from $10-15. 

They’ve even launched a new “Hot Honey Chicken Mac N’ Cheese” and I don’t know about you, but I’ll definitely trek on over to give it a try soon. 

While Matt’s Smackin Macs costs more than regular boxed mac and cheese, you can’t beat the price for the amount you receive or the exceptionally delicious quality of the food. There’s really no other place that I can think of in the Newport News area that offers such a wide variety of specialty mac and cheese flavors, so if you’re ever looking to spruce up your mac experience, you won’t be disappointed.

Info:

13650 Warwick Blvd, Newport News, VA 23602

Hours: