What's the best thing since sliced bread? We're pretty sure it involves putting slices of cheese in between said bread and heating it up in a frying pan, with butter. From picky eaters to dairy indulgers, grilled cheese sandwiches are easily the crowd favorite of the lactose tolerant. Before your New Year's diets kick in, we recommend trying five grilled cheese sandwiches that were too good to be confined to the children's menu.
See also: 10 Best Burgers in Metro Phoenix
Griddled Cheese at The Main Ingredient Ale House
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. We harbor a soft spot in our stomachs for the restaurants that keep it simple and The Main Ingredient is one of them. Though their menu focuses primarily on sandwiches, salads, beer, and wine, the quality is consistent. Take the Griddled cheese for example. This straightforward sandwich offers three kinds of cheeses, havarti, muenster, and cheddar, plus tomato on toasted sourdough. Is it the most progressive sandwich you've ever tasted? Probably not. Does it pair well with a draft beer on the patio? Every time.
Pepperoni grilled cheese at The Pig's Meow
Ever since our first visit to the Pig's Meow, sister business of The Whining Pig, it has been pleading for us to return. The Arcadia tavern takes fun and games to an old school level with Nintendo NES systems and card games set up at each table plus a menu that consists of only one thing: grilled cheese. Of the five variations available, our top pick is the the grilled cheese with pepperoni, copicola, Siracha, cherry peppers, and white cheese. It packs as much heat as it does flavor and, for only $5 a piece, you might be tempted to juts keep 'em coming.
Carnitas grilled cheese at Paradise Melts
When a food truck puts all its energy solely into making grilled cheese sandwiches, you can bet your soon-to-be-shot diet that those melts are going to be anything but mundane. While it's hard to choose just one item from Paradise Melt's "sandwich roster," what with offerings like the Jailbreak Four Cheese and the French Onion Grilled Cheese, our gut ultimately guides us to the Carnitas. This evolved grilled cheese features green chili pork and a cheesy trio of cotija, oaxaca, menonita held between two slices of jalapeño cheddar bread. It comes with a side avocado cream sauce and believe us when we say that sauce is there for a reason. To calculate your next meal, check the Paradise Melts schedule online.
Grilled cheese at Welcome Diner
We can't say that we're surprised Welcome Diner serves a top notch grilled cheese sandwich, given their previous record with, well, everything. We just can't believe we didn't order it sooner. The Welcome Diner grilled cheese is served on sourdough with tomato confit and three kinds of cheeses: munster, smoked gouda, and cheddar. And although it's not noted on the menu, the Welcome kitchen is happy to add a few slices of thick cut bacon to take this hearty sandwich to the next level.
Chard grilled cheese at Ollie Vaughns
Don't be surprised if you need a half dozen napkins to consume Ollie Vaughn's chard grilled cheese. This sandwich is served with sautéed chard, large slices of mushroom, and a generous helping of mozzarella and white cheddar -- so much so that the bread starts to lose its hold halfway through eating it. Our best recommendation? Eat this sandwich fast and without fear of the calories. And hey, if it makes you feel better, you can always order one of their side salads to balance things out.
