Mac Shack

As far as food trucks go, Mac Shack is one of the most appealing options I’ve seen, because it’s a gourmet spin on a classic comfort food, it’s easy to eat (unlike some sandwiches– I’d prefer to not wear my lunch around the office for the remainder of the day), and their prices aren’t terrible (at least, in comparison to other food trucks).
And let’s not kid ourselves here– who doesn’t like macaroni and cheese?!
Mac Shack parks outside my office pretty frequently. I ordered The Bacon Made Me Do It, which is their signature mac and cheese topped with bacon, tomatoes, and green onions. The bacon was deliciously crispy (because, if the bacon is going to be soggy, what’s the point?). The tomatoes were just chopped hothouse tomatoes, which didn’t add very much flavor, so I think I would have enjoyed grape or cherry tomatoes better (particularly if they sautéed them!). Oh well. It was good, but didn’t knock my socks off.
Let’s just say that if the Mac Shack truck is parked outside my office building, I liked it well enough to eat there again, but I wasn’t so impressed that I’d ever feel the need to hunt the truck down.

EVERYTHING on their menu is amazing! I love the cluck like a buffalo mac and cheese, its spicy chicken, buffalo sauce, bleu cheese and green onion all mixed in with the amazing mac and cheese! The garlic parm fries are a must try as well!

This little truck is filled with awesomeness! Who knew that there were so many ways to make macaroni and cheese even more delicious than it already is? I consider myself a Mac & cheese connoisseur and this one truck lives up to the hype. The service is good, though there’s a bit of a wait. The papa smurf is my favorite. It’s loaded with caramelized oniony deliciousness. Just writing about it makes me want to go track down the truck.

One of the best and most unique food trucks in Detroit! They cut their little slice out of hipster heaven to bring some killer mac and cheese options around metro Detroit. I love their buffalo mac sans blue cheese. Haven’t ventured off the traditional grid to try others like Pad Thai but my friends have and love it. If you see mac shack at food truck lunch gatherings in downtown and Southfield give it a shot!

Had Mac Shack almost one year to the date to the first time I had it, and it was even better. I got the «Cluck Like a Buffalo»: spicy chicken, green onions, blue cheese, buffalo sauce for $ 8. Yep, it was delicious. It looks like it’s not that much food for $ 8, but then you keep eating and eating and getting full from the chicken and blue cheese. The sauce is on point; no too hot but just enough spice. Still a great food truck in Detroit.

Mac Shack was at Eastern Market when I ventured downtown with my daughter. We arrived a little later in the day, and was happy to see almost everything on the small menu was still available. We opted for one item so we could try other trucks.
We ordered «the bacon made me do it «. It was good. It was Mac n cheese with bacon (of course) and tomato, we ordered with bacon only. It wasn’t greasy, totally goey, and yummy. It was $ 7, on par for a food truck.

Best Mac I’ve ever had in my life! The truck, the crew, the food, just amazing! I wouldn’t go anywhere else for mac n’ cheese. Planning on renting them for any event and ordering drop off catering whenever I can!

Absolutely amazing! Best food truck in the city, bar none. Super friendly staff, great prices for the amount of food you get, and fresh/​made to order dishes. I love catching them around downtown Detroit and at special events. Even saw them at a grad party I went to! These guys know street food. Try em out!

My favorite food truck in metro Detroit! Their mac and cheese is heavenly. I usually get the Papa Smurf or The Bacon Made Me Do It. I used to get a bowl to split with my hubby but now they have half bowls so we can get whichever flavor we want and we don’t have to split. Perfect!

Came to Mac Shack during their hours at Eastern Market on a Saturday. We tried to wait near to closing time before we attempted to order our food in hopes of beating the line. Our efforts were thwarted as we returned to the food cart area to find a line still forming! I ordered the mini size of the Cheech’s while my friend order the option with onions, mushroom and cheese. I was able to watch the cook heat up the mac and cheese in the cast iron skillets. It made it even harder to wait for my food! The cheese sauce IS amazing and creamy deliciousness. It seemed like they just sprinkle on the topping combinations that is on their menu. I wish they would’ve incorporated the toppings more because I was dropping my tomatoes and jalapenos left and right while attempting to eat my food. The bites were tasty and we thoroughly enjoyed our experience. I really need to come back next time to try the fried cheese balls. That would be an experience all on its own!

I had a sample from the Mac Shack at a Unilocal event so I was excited to order from the actual truck during the DYI few in Ferndale. A friend and I split the Bacon Made Me Do It. I love the cavatappi (corkscrew) pasta that they use. It helps keep the other bits of bacon, cheese, tomato and green onion goodness on the noodles. The noodles were cooked well with a good amount of gooey cheese. My friend added some of the siriacha sauce to hers that was available on the counter.
We were not the only ones and the mac truck had quite a line. But well worth the wait!

I’ve had the Mac Shack quiet a few times now. The first was at St. Andrews Hall during the Unilocal Back to School event in 2013. After that it was Eastern Market a few times, then CRAFT event, and last week at my employers place for Employee Appreciation lunch.
Mac Shack never disappointing. Amaze balls were yummy (deep fried mac balls). There’s this crunch to the outside, and gooey velvety inside. Not much more to say about the others other than they are delish. There something for everyone.
Super nice crew, creative with special events menus, and always quick.

This is exactly what food truck food should be– easy, fun, and fast without skrimping on flavor!
At a recent event with a line up of food trucks, Mac Shack stuck out at me because they had the longest line. Between their apparent popularity and the enticing discription of buffalo mac –n– cheese, I waited my turn.
What I got was a heavy and heavenly portion of their buffalo mac-​n-​cheese. So simple yet so tasty– it was comfort food at its finest. Blu cheese crumbles, green onions, and BBQ chicken bits in thick cheesy noodles. Totally worth the few extra bucks especially compared to the sad, carni food at the booth next to it.

Papa Smurf (caramelized mushrooms, onions, Parmesan cheese):
I tried this during the past weekend at the Mo Pop music festival. This was good. The noodles were cooked well and the cheese sauce was rich and creamy, making a good base. The sauce felt slightly grainy (?) to me though, like it wasn’t completely smooth. The caramelized onions were my favorite, as they added a hint of sweetness. The mushrooms were also nice, although not too flavorful. There was Sriracha, which I added for a spicy kick.
Overall, I enjoyed my mac & cheese, and I would consider getting this again if I was in the area. However, the price was rather high… It was $ 9 for a cup, which was a good portion, but left me feeling a bit hungry afterwards. I know everything is expensive at festivals, but I felt like this wasn’t the best value.

I’ve had a few samples of this delicious mac & cheese at various Unilocal events and have been in love ever since. Even though it’d been months since I last tasted their mac, my memory never faded.
I finally caught Mac Shack at Eastern Market and was so excited, I almost tackled everyone in my way to order. Luckily, they offer half portions for almost half the price… I was completely satisfied with the small for $ 3.75. Plus, paying $ 7 for some mac and cheese seems a little ridic when I’m gonna eat it while sitting on a curb.
Deliciously creamy, delightfully tangy and amazingly rich mac and cheese. If you see the yellow Mac Shack, do yourself a favor and give them a try.
P. s. I’m lactose intolerant and Mac Shack is 100% worth the aftermath.

Papa Smurf is delicious– mac and cheese, shredded parmesan cheese, caramelized onions, and mushrooms.
I also tried the Oxtail Phở! The noodles were a bit too al dente for my taste, as when I eat phở at most Vietnamese restaurants, the noodles are more soggy. The oxtail was very tender, and delicious! They are generous with the oxtail (they put two in mine! yum :) and I like how they put the toppings (cilantro, thai basil, green onions, bean sprouts, jalapenos) separately from the bowl of phở. One thing I would recommend is to use bowls with a secure cap similar to the mac & cheese because my soup kept spilling having to walk all the way from warren/​2^nd to the student center of Wayne State University! broth was good, but oily (due to the fat from the ox tail) for my taste.
Oh yeah, garlic parmesan fries are delicious! Although I miss the days when they were only around 2 bucks :)

Ever since I was little, I’ve LOVED mac & cheese. And Mac Shack does it great.
I first sampled them at the Unilocal After School Special event, where I got a small cup full of their plan mac, & added some crumbled bacon on top. Mmmmm… so smooth, creamy, and delicious. And the bacon was true chunks of thick, crumbled bacon — no baco-​bits here! I was in love.
I made it a point to catch them about a week later, when they were parked in Midtown at Great Lakes Coffee, accompanying their «Tacos and Tequila» night with some spicy, mexican inspired mac. I don’t recall the name of what I ordered, but it had shredded chicken, jalapeño, tomato and onion. It packed a kick of spice and was DELICIOUS!
It’s pricey for what you get, portion wise. And as a mobile truck, you obviously can’t find them in the same spot all the time. But, I look forward to the next time I have a few extra bucks for lunch and happen upon this glorious rolling haven of cheesy noodle goodness — I’ll be a happy girl!

Vegan cheese sauce!!! Need I say more?
As a lover of mac n cheese, but a hater of what lactose does to my body, I often get severely depressed when my friends eat the mac around me. Not now. I have the Mac Shack. I chose The Cheech, a mexican style chorizo mac with jalapenos and cilantro. YUM. I cannot wait to find this food truck again to experience another fine creation! Maybe the ‘bacon made me do it’ next time!

Extreme measures are called for when the day’s already gone pear-​shaped by noon. Answering a coworker’s distress, I searched for the surefire remedy in my arsenal: mac ‘n cheese. Just one problem, who serves up a tureen of cheesy goodness worthy of Dino’s downtown? A few keystrokes presented me the answer: the aptly named Mac Shack.
Mac Shack set up on Cadillac Square so we walked over, hoping to pre-​emptively burn off a few calories before ingesting our daily recommended intake. One plump heap of noodles, cheese, and assorted toppings set us back $ 7.50, a small price to pay for continued sanity until 5 PM. Don’t be deceived by portion size. The hamburger-​sized dollop stretched from lunch to dinner.
The choice of rich temptations runs from plain cheese to artery-​clogging Bacon Made Me Do It. I favoured Kho San Road, an avenue to spicy, lip-​tingling peaks of bliss. Sriracha sauce mixed up with cilantro, two tiny fresh lime wedges, sprouts, and more hits just the right notes. This is southeast Asian cuisine pulling no punches, served with fat coils of chewy, moist noodles. I nearly embarked on a Dune Crawler with its roasted artichokes, tomatoes, and capers, but sriracha sealed the deal. My stressed out compatriot in crime forked into a Dune Crawler herself, and we both sadly left behind the breeze and music-​strafed plaza for our desks.
Kho San Road is phenomenal but not for the mild-​spicy sort of person. The lime juice is essential but just right. I really could’ve eaten just half, but my baby was hungry. My coworker drowned her sorrows underneath plump macaroni, losing herself in cheesy paradise for at least a half hour.
Mac Shack, you’re doing it right. I’m an addict.

This place shows up at my workplace in Madison Heights once every month or two. The people who work the truck couldn’t be any nicer, and they are clearly doing something right by exploiting this comfort food niche.
I give them 3 stars for their Mac & Cheese (the Papa Smurf is my favorite), which is good but nothing mindblowing. But I give an excitable 5 stars to their assorted French fries, the unsung heroes of the shack. In particular I am crazy for their take on poutine, in which they eschew cheese curds for a cheese sauce and coat the whole slathery mess with an expertly-​fried egg. Heart-​stopping goodness that is hard to beat this side of Montréal.