Denver's downtown Whole Foods is my new favorite place. But I'll admit, I don't even like Whole Foods (gasp! I know). Here me out: I think it's overpriced and often overrated. Even now that prices have been lowered due to it getting acquired by Amazon, Whole Foods still fails to feed the average working American, in my opinion.
With all that said, I can't help but love this one-month old Whole Foods, which lies right beside Denver's iconic Union Station. It probably has something to do with how it complements the Denver vibe—trendy, yet mature. It also probably has to do with its abundance of free samples, the availability of a fried chicken sandwich, Mediterranean, and poke restaurants, and its mac and cheese bar. Yes, a whole bar dedicated to macaroni and cheese.
The Look
The first ever Whole Foods mac and cheese bar includes eight varieties of cheesy noodles, each spread out in large pans. Since this visit, I've realized that the mac and cheese changes daily, allowing mac n' cheese enthusiasts to never grow tired of the selection.
On this particular day, the options were Plain, Fiesta Taco (which appeared to have ground beef, tomatoes, and taco spice) Mac and Cheese Squared (I have no idea what the heck this was, all I could tell was it was mac and cheese with fried mac and cheese in it), BBQ Pork Rib, Bacon and Blue Cheese, Buffalo Chicken, Green Chili (a Colorado classic), and Vegan Mac and Cheese.
An initial problem I noticed about this was the labeling of the mac and cheese. Although each variety listed the ingredients included in the dish, it was not simplified in a way that we could understand what exactly this mac and cheese was. So for the ambiguous Fiesta Taco and Mac and Cheese Squared, we're left guessing a bit.
The Taste Test
There were no tasting cups, and since I did not have the appetite (nor the money) to try some of each mac and cheese, I went with a medley of Plain, Fiesta Taco, Bacon and Blue Cheese, and Buffalo Chicken. Once weighed, this came out to nearly $7. A bit pricey for a medium container of pasta but it is Whole Foods, so what can I expect?
The plain mac and cheese tasted classic with the perfect amount of cheese. It probably could have used a bit more seasoning (and maybe even some Sriracha), but I wouldn't say no to it by any means. The Fiesta Taco was underwhelming, tasting nearly identical to the plain. The Bacon and Blue Cheese was far superior, having a the subtle zing of the blue cheese. My favorite, though, was the Buffalo Chicken. The added spice of the buffalo flavor took this basic mac to a whole. other. level.
The Verdict
My experience at the first ever Whole Foods mac and cheese bar was swell. It was pretty tasty, filling, and wonderfully cheesy, albeit a bit expensive. The fact that the varieties rotate is reason enough to keep returning and trying more though, especially since one of those varieties is a lobster mac and cheese.