10 Next-Level Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

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Not all grilled cheese sandwiches are created equal. And there’s no better day to celebrate that fact than on April 12th, National Grilled Cheese Day, which falls in the middle of National Grilled Cheese Month. But if you thought a slice of tomato and a few bits of bacon were the only way to up your sandwich game, feast your eyes on these unique grilled cheese concoctions.

1. GRILLED CHEESE DONUT // TOM & CHEE

A grilled cheese donut haiku: Watch the cheese melting, Across the crispy donut, Grilled Cheese Donuts rule. #EatsWhatsFun #HaikuFriday Posted by Tom + Chee on Friday, March 18, 2016

Tom & Chee (a play on grilled cheese and tomato soup) is taking its love of comfort food across America, with more than 30 locations throughout the country, each one of them serving up a menu of truly unique grilled cheese goodies, including a full menu of Grilled Cheese Donuts—which are exactly what they sound like. Though most of them come topped with sweet ingredients, The Classic is simply a grilled cheddar cheese sandwich—on a donut!

2. THE POPPER // CHEESIE'S PUB AND GRUB

Jalapeno Popper Posted by Cheesie's Pub & Grub on Monday, May 9, 2011

The fact that Cheesie’s Pub and Grub’s logo is a grilled cheese sandwich should tell you something about the direction in which the Chicago mini-chain’s menu leans. The restaurant offers nearly a dozen varieties of grilled cheese sandwiches, each of them overflowing with unexpected ingredients. Case in point: The Popper, which is a sourdough sandwich filled with cheddar and cream cheeses, cheddar cheese sauce, jalapeño, and bacon, served with a chipotle mayonnaise dipping sauce.

3. MELTER SKELTER // MELTKRAFT

Through its partnership with Valley Shepherd Farm, the focus at MeltKraft—which has locations in Philadelphia and New York City—is on creating a farm-to-table grilled cheese experience. Among their stellar sandwiches is the Melter Skelter, which starts with a raclette-style cheese that’s then topped with pickled green tomatoes, jalapeños, barbecue potato chips, and watercress.

4. SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN & WAFFLE MELT // MS. CHEEZIOUS

Regularly referred to as one of Miami’s best food trucks (because it is), Ms. Cheezious has been roaming the streets of Magic City since 2010, serving up nearly 20 different specialty sandwiches, including a Southern Fried Chicken and Waffle Melt with cheddar cheese, which comes with gravy and maple syrup.

5. PIMENTO MAC & CHEE // THE GRILLED CHEESERIE

Pimento Mac N Chee Posted by The Grilled Cheeserie on Sunday, January 20, 2013

In Nashville, The Grilled Cheeserie offers up what they’ve dubbed "cheesy goodness." The term seems particularly appropriate for the food truck’s Pimento Mac & Chee, which combines two of your favorite cheesy foods—grilled cheese and mac and cheese—into one. The sandwich is made with a housemade pimento cheese, local cheddar, macaroni, bacon bits, and tomato.

6. THE MELT CHALLENGE // MELT BAR AND GRILLED

Closing in on its 10th year in business, the grilled cheese masters behind the Cleveland area’s collection of Melt Bar and Grilled restaurants are still just as passionate about the sandwiches they produce. But if you fancy yourself a genuine grilled cheese aficionado, they want you to prove it! The Melt Challenge (which was featured on Man vs. Food back in 2009) is your chance to show your favorite sandwich who’s boss as you attempt to eat more than five pounds of food, with the main event being a 13-cheese grilled sandwich that’s held together with three slices of bread and topped with French fries and coleslaw. Good luck!

7. GRILLED CHEESE BAR // RIPPLE

Though D.C.’s Ripple is a lovely restaurant, if you’re in the mood for grilled cheese, you’ll want to make a beeline for the bar area. That’s where you’ll find Ripple’s Grilled Cheese Bar, where patrons can build their own monster sandwiches from an impressive lineup of breads, cheeses, housemade spreads like hot pepper jelly, and extra toppings such as a duck egg or duck prosciutto. But that doesn’t mean that they want you to stage a grilled cheese free-for-all ("don't make it gross, please stop at two cheeses," the menu advises). If you're not completely comfortable in your own sandwich-making skills, you can also choose from one of the restaurant’s own creations, like the Jolly Green Giant, with taleggio, sopresatta, and hazelnut ramp pesto.

8. ROXY’S GRILLED CHEESE

Snow in the forecast for Sunday?? #tbt warmer days and Green Muensters! Get yours in Southie 11-5, Allston 11-10, and the truck is back at Harvard Science Center today 11-7! ? @hangry_diaries Posted by Roxy's Grilled Cheese on Thursday, March 17, 2016

With two brick-and-mortar locations, two more on the way, and a food truck, Bostonians have plenty of different ways to get their Roxy’s fix. With a mix of grilled cheese sandwiches and burgers, plus a small lineup of vegan sandwiches, the place truly offers something for everyone. Including a taste of its hometown with the Green Muenster, a grilled Muenster sandwich with bacon and housemade guacamole.

9. THE GRILLED CHEESE TRUCK

MENU SPOTLIGHT: THE PEPPERBELLY MELT! Posted by The Grilled Cheese Truck on Thursday, February 18, 2016

The Grilled Cheese Truck’s name says it all: The sole focus here is on making customers the best, and cheesiest, sandwiches possible. And they’re delivering on that promise, so much so that you can find them around the country, from New York to Los Angeles (with stops in Austin, Phoenix, and a couple other places), where they’re serving up a unique menu of hearty sandwiches, like the Pepperbelly Melt, which is loaded with homemade chili, habanero Jack cheese, cilantro lime sour cream, fire-roasted tomato salsa, and some Fritos for crunch.

10. GRILLED CHEESE AND WINE DINNER // {THREE} SHEETS

Atlanta’s {Three} Sheets takes its grilled cheese seriously. So much so that the restaurant hosts a monthly Grilled Cheese and Wine Dinner, where diners indulge in a five-course meal of grilled cheese and vino pairings, including a dessert course, which might feature a cheddar, apple, and brown sugar pecan sandwich on cinnamon bread. But the restaurant’s regular menu features a Signature Grilled Cheese of Applewood smoked cheddar and Tillamook with a side of bisque.