I’d argue that a grilled cheese is the ideal meal. You’ve got gooey cheese and perfectly toasted bread—what more could you need? In my dining hall, I make a beeline for the grill just to see if any were made that day. Because of my deep love of all things related to the sandwich, I decided to seek out the best grilled cheese in every state.
Keep these places in mind as you begin road trips and other adventures. Maybe even plan a trip around grilled cheese, if you haven’t already.
Alabama: MELT
MELT is home to the Mac Melt, a grilled cheese on Texas Toast with homemade mac and cheese stuffed inside. The restaurant also has a truck, fondly known as Matilda, that can be found at certain locations throughout Birmingham.
Alaska: Arctic Roadrunner
The best grilled cheese in Alaska is found in the state’s most populous city, Anchorage. Made with a mix of American and mozzarella cheese, this grilled cheese is sure to warm the cold, subarctic winter days.
Arizona: Toasted
The Arizonan capital is home to the best grilled cheese in the state. The grilled cheese gastropub, Toasted, has everything from the ‘Merika, which is a classic grilled cheese, to the Trailer Park, a frito-crusted, deep fried, and chili stuffed grilled cheese.
Arkansas: Hammontree’s
Located steps from the University of Arkansas, Hammontree’s Grilled Cheese offers interesting takes on the classic grilled cheese in Fayetteville. Customers are able to build their own with over 15 cheese options, as well as choose from 16 pre-designed sandwiches.
California: The Apple Pan
The Apple Pan offers an off-menu, no frills grilled cheese that’s surely the best in California. Made with mayo instead of butter, it’s a classic take on a classic sandwich that will never disappoint.
Colorado: Sputnik
The Mile-High City and capital of Colorado has the best grilled cheese in the state (coincidence?). Sputnik’s signature grilled cheese is made with cheddar, Swiss, Monterey jack, and tomato basil spread on sourdough.
Connecticut: Caseus
Caseus makes their grilled cheese with half a pound of their best melting cheese. Imagine eating half a pound of cheese. Just imagine.
Delaware: Loma Coffee
Located at the intersection of caffeine and inspiration, Loma Coffee makes the Grilled Cheese Mambo with cheddar, provolone, tomato, and Italian spices on sourdough.
Florida: Central Melt
Take time in between beach trips in St. Petersburg, Florida to check out the best grilled cheese in Florida. With variations on the classic melt, there’s sure to be something everyone enjoys.
Georgia: Buckhead Diner
The Bulkhead Diner in Atlanta serves what you want when you don’t know what you want. The restaurant’s Two Fried Eggs Grilled Cheese BLT not only contains all of that but also fontina, bibb, and mayo on country Italian bread.
Hawaii: Kissaten Coffee Bar
This 24-hour coffee bar located in Honolulu is actually paradise. Hawaiian coffee, beach, and grilled cheese is all you could ever want.
Idaho: Bleubird
Surprisingly, there are no potatoes involved in the best grilled cheese from Idaho. Instead, Bleubird makes their grilled cheese using brie, gruyère, cheddar, caramelized onion, fig preserves, and dijon aioli.
Illinois: Gayle’s Best Ever Grilled Cheese
If it says it in the name, it has to be true — Gayle’s Best Ever Grilled Cheese is truly the best grilled cheese in Illinois. Made by Gayle, is also only made with locally sourced and homemade ingredients.
Indiana: Pure Eatery
The best grilled cheese in Indiana is found in the capital, Indianapolis. At Pure Eatery, when you order a grilled cheese you get a sandwich made with swiss, havarti, provolone, tomato, pesto aioli, and your choice of sourdough or multigrain.
Iowa: The Cheese Shop of Des Moines
At the Cheese Shop of Des Moines, you start with a classic grilled cheese and add on extras like arugula pesto, pickled shallots, olive tapenade, or local almond butter.
Kansas: The Westside Local
The Westside Local is home to a buffalo chicken grilled cheese sandwich made with smoked gouda, pepper jack, and sharp cheddar cheeses. It is also served with homemade ranch and truffle fries.
Kentucky: Bourbon’s Bistro
Louisville does it right with their pork belly grilled cheese. Get it with tomato soup and you’ve got a killer night at Bourbon’s Bistro.
Louisiana: Killer PoBoys
If you find yourself in New Orleans and not in the mood for a PoBoy, be sure to get a Whiskey Grilled Cheese. Made with Irish whiskey, aged cheddar and whole grain bread, Killer PoBoys should change their name to Killer Grilled Cheese.
Maine: The Great Lost Bear
Getting the Almighty Cheesus Burger means you get a burger between two grilled cheeses. You can also add bacon or a fried egg, if you’re into that kind of thing.
Maryland: Grilled Cheese & Co
Head over to Baltimore to try Grilled Cheese & Co’s famous Crabby Melt. This sandwich is made with homemade crab dip with sweet claw crab meat and Monterey jack cheese grilled on ciabatta.
Massachusetts: Flynn’s Irish Pub
Flynn’s Irish Pub in Massachusetts has three locations. At all three locations, you can get the Sligo—a swiss and bacon burger between two grilled cheese sandwiches. What more could you ask for?
Michigan: Cafe Muse
How often can you say you’ve had an Oprah Winfrey approved grilled cheese? In 2008, Cafe Muse was featured on Oprah’s “Sandwich Showdown” where Gayle King gave it a five star rating—her highest. The Cafe Muse grilled cheese is made with havarti, fontina and mozzarella cheese, as well as honey, which provides an interesting twist.
Minnesota: The Depot Tavern
The grilled cheese at the Depot Tavern is so good its called The Grilled Cheese. Cheddar, American, and provolone are all grilled together on brioche bread. Add avocado and all your bases are covered.
Mississippi: The Camp Restaurant
The words “homemade bread” are beautiful things. That’s exactly what you get at The Camp Restaurant. Mississippi’s best grilled cheese is provolone and American on bread made in-house.
Missouri: Fountain on Locust
Missouri’s best grilled cheese is called the Royal Grille and is served at an authentic soda fountain. The Royal Grille has white cheddar and mozzarella with Fuji apples on whole grain wheat bread.
Montana: The Garage Soup Shack and Mesquite Grill
All sandwiches in this Bozeman restaurant are served on ciabatta; the grilled cheese is no different. The three cheese blend comes with tomato on the flat Italian bread.
Nebraska: Toast
The Grown Up Grilled Cheese is the sandwich to beat in Lincoln, Nebraska. Toast does this by combining swiss, cheddar and smoked gouda to execute the perfect grilled cheese sandwich.
Nevada: The Goodwich
Viva las grilled cheese—am I right or am I right? A grilled cheese at The Goodwich is simple, timeless, elegant. As described on the menu, it is “bread, American, bread.”
New Hampshire: Hammersmith Sandwich Company
In between mountain climbing and skiing, make sure to grab New Hampshire’s best grilled cheese at Hammersmith Sandwich Company. It is here that the Granite State does its best with a classic take on grilled cheese.
New Jersey: Say Cheez
This Princeton, New Jersey restaurant has grilled-cheese-making down to a science. The establishment offers specials that include the Beefy Mac, which has mac and cheese and brisket, and the Glazed Haze, which is served on a glazed donut.
New Mexico: Range Cafe
The best grilled cheese in New Mexico is found in Albuquerque. At Range Cafe, grilled cheese is made with swiss, white cheddar, parmesan, bacon, and green chile tomato jam on sourdough
New York: Stella’s Diner
You really can’t go wrong with a classic grilled cheese. That is exactly what you get when you go to Stella’s Diner in Syracuse, New York.
North Carolina: Orrman’s Cheese Shop
Orrman’s is bougie as hell but in the best way possible. The sandwiches range from cheddar and gouda to raclette and rosemary ham.
North Dakota: Pounds
Give a sprout out to this grilled cheese. The Garden Grill Cheese at this Fargo, North Dakota restaurant is made with muenster, provolone, tomato, and sprouts on sourdough.
Ohio: Melt Bar and Grilled
Bring back old school, literally, with the Kindergarten Grilled Cheese at this Cleveland establishment. Served with fries and made with homemade bread plus your choice of cheese.
Oklahoma: The Mule
Grilled cheese from The Mule can include, but is not limited to: focaccia, cheddar, red potato mash, chicken, bacon, caramelized onion, grilled jalapeño, spinach, and BBQ Sauce.
Oregon: Paragon
Perfect for lunch or dinner at this Portland restaurant, the grilled cheese is made with local Oregon cheese and served with tomato soup and salad.
Pennsylvania: MeltKraft
The best grilled cheese in Pennsylvania is found in Philadelphia at Reading Terminal Market. This is honestly one of the best grilled cheeses I’ve ever had—and I’m not just saying that because I love Reading Terminal.
Rhode Island: Ogie’s Trailer Park
I’m not biased or anything, but Rhode Island is the best state in the country. Where better to find the best grilled cheese in the best state than on the west side of Providence? Ogie’s Trailer Park offers a classic grilled cheese with the choice of marinated tomato, red onion gastrique, poached apples, or slab bacon.
South Carolina: Cory’s Grilled Cheese
South Carolina’s best grilled cheese is found at a restaurant entirely dedicated to the masterpiece that is grilled cheese. At Cory’s Grilled Cheese, be sure to get Cory’s Famous, which is made with muenster cheese, bacon, and honey dijon all served on cinnamon raisin swirl bread.
South Dakota: Old Market Eatery
Feel like an adult with the Grown Up Grilled Cheese at this Brookings restaurant. Complete with rosemary goat cheese, cheddar, mozzarella, tomatoes, green onions, and sautéed vegetables, you’ll feel like you’ll be able to do your taxes, or whatever else adults do.
Tennessee: The Grilled Cheeserie
With over 33,000 Instagram followers, The Grilled Cheeserie is absolutely killing it. The food truck and brick-and-mortar store offer a variety of specialty grilled cheeses. The best selling of these designer sandwiches is the pimento mac and cheese, made with homemade pimento cheese, Tennessee cheddar, pasta, tomato, and bacon all on country sourdough bread.
Texas: Burro Cheese
Who would’ve thought that dulce de leche would go well on a grilled cheese? The people at Burro Cheese did. At this Austin restaurant, you can get the Croque-Madame, made with smoked ham, gouda, pesto aioli, and topped with a fried egg and dulce de leche. Genius.
Utah: Even Stevens Sandwiches
Every sandwich sold at Even Stevens is a sandwich donated to a local nonprofit. So that means when you get your JP Grilled Cheese with garlic and roasted jalapeños, someone else does as well.
Vermont: Woodstock Farmer’s Market
Vermont really does know what they’re doing when it comes to cheddar. Check out the farmers market in Woodstock and order a Quechee Gorge to get smoked Vermont cheddar, provolone, parrano, and tomato with honeycup mustard on roasted garlic parmesan bread.
Virginia: The Grilled Cheese Bistro
Known as The Hangover, this grilled cheese is made with black truffle mac and cheese. I’m not sure how you eat this, but I would be 100 percent down to try, if given the opportunity.
Washington: Cheese Wizards
The best grilled cheese in Washington state is named the Voldemortadella. Become a true Death Eater by ordering this sandwich made with provolone, mozzarella, cream cheese, mortadella, salami, black forest ham, and olive muffuletta.
Washington, DC: GCDC Grilled Cheese Bar
You can find the best grilled cheese in DC at DC’s only grilled cheese bar. Become a DC insider by ordering the DC classic, made with a four cheese cheddar blend and tomato on white bread.
West Virginia: Bluegrass Kitchen
Bluegrass Kitchen makes its home in Charleston, West Virginia. Make your way over to Washington Street to get yourself a muenster and pesto grilled cheese.
Wisconsin: Monty’s Blue Plate
I trust Wisconsin when it comes to all things cheese. That’s why the best grilled cheese in Wisconsin is Farmer John’s Italian Grilled Cheese complete with roasted red peppers, provolone, Farmer John’s fresh mozzarella cheese, and kalamata olive tapénade on sourdough.
Wyoming: Cafe Genevieve
Avocado grilled cheese. That’s all I have to say.
This grilled cheese journey has deepened my love and appreciation for all things related to the sandwich. Take note of the best grilled cheese in your state—you’ll thank me one day.