Twelve Mac Attacks, Zero Free Passes: Ranking the UK’s Cheesiest Burger Hybrids

There was a time when putting mac and cheese on a burger felt like a dare. Now it’s practically a menu fixture, which means the bar has moved. The question is no longer “can you do it?” but “should you, and are you doing it properly?” A good mac-and-cheese burger needs more than a lava flow of orange sauce. It needs pasta with actual bite, a crunch that isn’t just fried batter doing all the talking, and a bun that can survive ten minutes without turning into a sodden tea towel.

We ate our way through twelve UK versions — some from proper burger kitchens, some from places that should know better, and a couple from regional spots that deserve a wider audience. These are ranked by the things that matter: pull, crunch, structural integrity and whether the mac earns its place.

How we scored them

Every burger was judged on four things. Pull is the cheese stretch — not just volume, but whether it clings and stretches rather than dribbling away. Crunch covers any textural contrast, whether that’s fried mac, crisp onions or a toasted bun. Structure is the boring but vital bit: could we finish it with one hand and a napkin, or did it collapse into a cheesy landslide? And Mac Earns Its Place is the honest question — did the pasta add something, or was it just a stodgy passenger?

Scores are out of five per category, with a maximum of 20. No bonus points for Instagram appeal. No sympathy marks for effort.

The ranking

12. The Mac Stack — Cardiff

Score: 10/20 Cardiff’s entry looks the part: golden fried mac brick, glossy bun, a fringe of pickles. The problem is the brick. It’s dense and slightly dry in the middle, so the cheese pull never really arrives; you get a crumbly shove instead. The bun gives up halfway through. It’s not offensive, but it is exactly the kind of mac-and-cheese burger that gives the format a bad name. Pull 2, Crunch 3, Structure 2, Mac earns place 3.

11. Cheesy Does It — Nottingham

Score: 11/20 This one goes heavy on sauce and light on restraint. The mac is overcooked, the cheese sauce is thin, and the whole thing leaks out of the back of the bun like a burst pipe. There’s a decent crunch from the fried onions, and the patty itself is well seasoned, but the mac is doing nothing except adding weight. A classic case of topping as afterthought. Pull 3, Crunch 3, Structure 2, Mac earns place 3.

10. The Pasta Pit — Bristol

Score: 12/20 Bristol’s effort is a tale of two halves. The mac is properly cheesy and has a good, sharp cheddar tang, but it’s piled on so thickly that the bun never stands a chance. We liked the crunch from the toasted panko, and the pickles cut through the richness. We didn’t like eating it with a fork. Good flavours, poor engineering. Pull 3, Crunch 3, Structure 2, Mac earns place 4.

9. Mac Daddy’s — Leeds

Score: 13/20 A solid mid-table showing from Leeds. The fried mac puck is crisp and neat, and the cheese pull is respectable. But the pasta inside is a bit mushy, and the whole thing sits heavily. The bun is toasted well, which helps, but by the final third it’s struggling. It’s the sort of burger you enjoy and then immediately need a lie-down. Pull 3, Crunch 4, Structure 3, Mac earns place 3.

8. The Cheese Trap — Birmingham

Score: 14/20 Birmingham does a lot right here. The mac is creamy without being soupy, and there’s a generous crunch from a layer of crispy fried onions. The bun holds up better than most. What lets it down is the cheese pull: it’s there, but it’s brief, gone before you’ve taken your second bite. Still, this is a proper attempt rather than a gimmick. Pull 3, Crunch 4, Structure 4, Mac earns place 3.

7. Patty & Pasta — Manchester

Score: 15/20 Manchester’s entry is a step up. The mac is made with a three-cheese blend that actually tastes of something, and the pasta retains a bit of bite. The crunch comes from a thin layer of fried mac on top, which is a clever double-down. The bun is soft but sturdy. If the cheese pull were a touch more dramatic, this would be top five. Pull 3, Crunch 4, Structure 4, Mac earns place 4.

6. The Mac Shack — Brighton

Score: 16/20 A regional sleeper that deserves a mention. Brighton’s version uses a brioche bun that’s toasted hard on the cut side, giving it a fighting chance against the mac. The pasta is well seasoned, the cheese is sharp, and there’s a welcome hit of mustard in the sauce. The pull is good, the crunch comes from a few stray bits of fried mac, and the whole thing holds together. Unfussy and effective. Pull 4, Crunch 3, Structure 4, Mac earns place 5.

5. Cheese & Co — Edinburgh

Score: 17/20 Edinburgh’s offering is properly engineered. The mac is chilled and set before frying, so it holds its shape and gives a clean, crunchy edge. The cheese pull is excellent — long, elastic and not greasy. The bun is a potato number that stands up to the job. The only quibble is that the mac slightly overwhelms the beef, but when it’s this good, that’s a minor complaint. Pull 5, Crunch 4, Structure 4, Mac earns place 4.

4. The Mac Factor — Liverpool

Score: 18/20 Liverpool has quietly become a mac-and-cheese burger town, and this is the proof. The fried mac is crisp, the pasta has bite, and the cheese sauce is sharp enough to cut through the patty. The bun is a toasted sesame number that holds firm. The crunch comes from a layer of pickled jalapeños, which also gives a welcome kick. This is a burger that understands texture. Pull 4, Crunch 5, Structure 4, Mac earns place 5.

3. Fry Hard — Sheffield

Score: 18/20 Sheffield’s entry is a proper showstopper. The mac is shaped into a thick disc, breaded and fried until deeply crisp, then topped with a second, looser cheese sauce. The pull is theatrical, the crunch is excellent, and the bun — a sturdy brioche — somehow survives to the end. It’s rich, yes, but the pickles and a smear of mustard keep it from tipping into stodge. A very good burger. Pull 5, Crunch 5, Structure 4, Mac earns place 4.

2. The Cheese Pull — Newcastle

Score: 19/20 Newcastle’s entry is the one we’ve been telling people about. The mac is made with a béchamel base and a blend of cheddar and gruyère, then fried in a thin panko crust. The result is a proper cheese pull — long, stretchy and slightly salty — with pasta that still has some bite. The bun is a milk bun, toasted, and it holds. The crunch comes from the fried mac itself. This is mac as a burger component, not a gimmick. Pull 5, Crunch 5, Structure 4, Mac earns place 5.

1. Mac Daddy Supreme — London

Score: 20/20 London takes the top spot because it does the one thing the others don’t: restraint. The mac is a compact, crisp-edged puck made with mature cheddar and a touch of blue cheese. The pasta is al dente. The cheese pull is generous but not messy. The bun is a potato bun that’s toasted on both sides, and there’s a layer of shredded lettuce and pickles that adds crunch and cuts the richness. The patty is still the star, and the mac is the supporting act. That’s the trick. It’s the only one we’d order again tomorrow. Pull 5, Crunch 5, Structure 5, Mac earns place 5.

The verdict

The best mac-and-cheese burgers treat the mac as a proper ingredient: seasoned, textured and engineered to sit on a burger without turning it into a swamp. The worst treat it as a topping to be piled on and hoped for. Our advice? Look for fried mac over loose mac, potato buns over soft brioche, and pickles. Always pickles. And if the menu promises “cheese pull” but delivers a puddle, walk away.