Mac-and-cheese cravings don’t end in childhood. Some of the country’s best restaurants and bars are elevating the comfort-food classic, concocting new ways to create creamy, ultra-appealing renditions with luxurious add-ons (think lobster and truffle oil), filling mash-ups (mac burger, anyone?) and multicheese marvels. So grab a spoon and hit the road with these masters of macaroni.

In a city known for its country music and ’cue, this lively Nashville restaurant lets diners get their fill of both. Michael Symon stopped by on Burgers, Brew & ’Que to dig into a platter that combines mac and cheese with Southern smoked meat. Cherry-smoked pulled pork is doused in a bold barbecue sauce, then piled high with a heaping portion of paprika-spiced bacon mac. Make the dish your main event or enjoy it as an opener for a night of live country music onstage.

What happens when a specialty food truck meets a beloved dive bar in Minneapolis? They combine to form what Guy called an "adult Disneyland" that serves up lobster dishes of all sorts — and plenty of brews on the side. The Smack Shack uses the bar's kitchen as its home base and stuffs the menu with freshly made lobster rolls, po' boys and the house favorite, lobster mac and cheese, which Guy tasted on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Combining lightly poached lobster meat with a fontina and Taleggio cheese sauce, Guy compared this ocean-fresh mac to creamy fondue, calling it “rich a la rich.” With added crunch from sweet corn kernels and panko breadcrumbs, this indulgent dish is an unexpected find inside a neighborhood watering hole.

Sin City is known for its excessive inclinations, but even so, a waffle crafted from mac and cheese is like hitting the culinary jackpot. Served at sleek modern steakhouse Andiron Steak and Sea — owned by Vegas power couple Elizabeth Blau and Kim Canteenwalla — the over-the-top creation starts with a four-cheese mac. Individual portions of the baked mac and cheese are coated in panko breadcrumbs, then pressed into the waffle iron. The result is a crackly, golden-brown crust that gives way to a gooey, cheesy center, making for a dish that earned raves from Fabio Viviani on Guilty Pleasures. A topping of ground Parmesan cheese and a side of silky cheese sauce round out the richness.