Cheez-its weren’t my go-to snack as a kid. I was more of a chocolate kind of gal, always snacking on Chips Ahoy and Oreos. However, I did go for the snack when I was in need of something salty and cheesy. So, when I heard about Cheez-it becoming a diner, I had no choice but to go. Anything that’s an ode to nostalgia, will always pique my interest. That’s when the Cheez-In Diner comes in, and it’s serving American classics with a Cheez-it twist, of course. Open for a limited time, the diner is a Cheez-It lover’s dream with cracker-infused recipes that have me definitely wanting to go back for more.
Where is the Cheez-In Diner located?
The Cheez-In Diner is just two hours outside New York City nestled between the woodsy atmosphere of the Catskill Mountains. If you find yourself driving through Woodstock, New York, you won’t miss the bright yellow and red diner located at 261 Tinker Street.
The diner is open for one week only from Monday, May 20 to Sunday, May 26 between 4 to 9 p.m. ET from Monday to Thursday. The diner will then be open late for Memorial Day weekend. Friday through Sunday, the diner will be open from 4 p.m. to 12 a.m. ET and satisfying your late-night craving for something absurdly cheezy.
Before getting into the food, the Cheez-In Diner is an experience. Walking to the front porch you’re met with a Cheez-It Taste-It Station. It dispenses a wide selection of rare and fan-favorite flavors to mix and match your very own blend of crackers — I opted for Hot & Spicy and White Cheddar. White Cheddar is by far my favorite, the cheesiness of the cracker hits right away with a bit of saltiness that I’m still thinking about.
The diner also is home to the first and only Cheez-It Jukebox. I felt like I was transported to the ‘60s and ‘70s with songs like “My Girl” by The Temptations and what seemed like Grease’s whole soundtrack to choose from. This isn’t your typical jukebox by the way, instead of coins, it only accepts Cheez-It crackers to play from its catalog of retro records.
What’s on the Cheez-In Diner menu?
The Cheez-In Diner is so retro and that shines throughout its Cheez-It-inspired menu with milkshakes, burgers, and chicken tenders. I tried everything and there are clear winners here that I’m still craving.
First up, the Extra Cheezburger. This juicy double patty burger — originally served as a single patty — was seasoned perfectly and medium-well done. The burger featured lettuce, pickles, a thick pimento Cheez-It spread, and topped with a big Cheez-It. The burger was served with a side of crispy fries that were tossed in ground Cheez-It crackers — customers also have the choice of choosing Original, White Cheddar, or Hot & Spicy seasoning. You can also get your friends loaded with pimento cheez — the same cheese that’s on the burger and on the fries that looked like little cheese curds.
The Deluxe Cheez-It Milkshake was by far my favorite item on the menu. The milkshake is a creamy vanilla shake blended with Cheez-It crackers with caramel and crushed Cheez-It cracker rim. It’s then topped with whipped cream, sprinkles, and chocolate sauce, and garnished with a chocolate-dipped Cheez-It cracker. It seems like there’s so much going on here, but the sweet and salty mixture just hits the spot. I loved the small chunks of Cheez-Its in the milkshake and I will say, a chocolate-dipped Cheez-It cracker is a game changer. To pull the whole thing together, make sure to dip your fries in your milkshake!
Another winner was the Cheezy Chicky Tendies. As a chicken tender connoisseur, I take my tenders very seriously. Piping hot these tenders were massive. The juicy tenders were breaded in Original Cheez-It crackers with a side of crispy fries and a Cheez-It Biscu-it. The chicken tender’s breading made for a flaky crust that gave a satisfying crunch once you bit into it. The tenders can be served with hot honey or Hidden Valley Cheezy Ranch, but I recommend asking for both and making a mixture of the two. The flavors of the hot honey and the cheesiness of the ranch make for the ultimate dipping sauce. The biscuit might be a side, but it is truly a star. The biscuit was one of the softest biscuits I’ve ever tasted. The biscuit was fluffy and buttery with bits of Cheez-It crackers nestled in between the layers. Customers can butter it with honey butter or drizzle it with hot honey — both are great choices, BTW.
Next up, is the Big Grilled Cheez and by this time, I was all cheesed-out. Cut in triangles, this grilled cheese was a cracker-coated Texas toast filled with cheesy pimento and surrounded by a crunchy Cheez-It cracker crust. I will admit this might have been too cheesy for me, but I loved the crunch of the Cheez-It cracker crust that complimented the smoothness of the pimento.
The Mac & Cheez-It is the ultimate mac and cheese. Gooey and crunchy at the same time, the pasta is baked in a creamy White Cheddar Cheez-It cracker sauce with a crunchy White Cheddar Cheez-It cracker crumble on top.
Finally, you can’t go to a diner without getting dessert. The only dessert available is the Sweet-N-Salty Cheezcake, a cheesecake dessert with a Cheez-It cracker pie crust topped with caramel and Extra Big Cheez-It crackers. The cheesecake filling is so smooth and creamy that made me forget how stuffed I was.
If you can’t make it to the limited-time diner, no worries! The diner has a list of diner-inspired recipes you can make at home on the Cheez-It website.