Lawrence BBQ at the Boxyard
Just off the highway cutting through Research Triangle Park in Durham, North Carolina, is an indoor/outdoor seating, eating, and shopping destination called the Boxyard. There are roughly 5 restaurants in the Boxyard, and one of them is Lawrence BBQ. Lawrence BBQ is a walk-up-and-order restaurant with outdoor seating, at least during COVID. The service was like food truck service. They offer typical barbecue food like pulled pork, beef brisket, etc. Most importantly, however, they sold their Three-cheese Mac. The mac n’ cheese was served in a small plastic container, about 8 ounces. It was definitely meant to be a small side, and not by itself.
The cheese was thick and creamy, made with cheddar, Kraft easy melt, and a secret type of cheese. To me, this cheese mixture tasted very much like there was some barbeque sauce added to it. Because the cheese was so thick, no oil was left at the bottom of the container when I finished. Additionally, the cheese looked like Russian dressing due to its reddish hue. What I really appreciate on a mac n’ cheese is a crumble topping. This mac n’ cheese was topped with “Voodoo Crunch,” which was crumbled-up Zapp’s “voodoo” flavor potato chips. There were also diced chives on top. The crunch topping gave the thick cheese a nice, light, and crispy crunch that was a much-welcomed addition to the mac n’ cheese as a whole.
The noodles in the mac n’ cheese were regular elbow macaroni noodles. They were very soft; so soft that they practically melted in your mouth! The noodles added to but still complimented, the thickness of the cheese.
Overall, I would get this mac n’ cheese; however, it was a bit too expensive at $4.50 for a small side. The portion must have been roughly 6 to 8 scoops with an average plastic spoon. I thought it was a solid mac n’ cheese with a diverse flavor profile. The crunch was a perfect addition. It was a great snack.