Intrigued by the name and the menu since it opened in April 2010, I finally had the opportunity to dine at Grilled Cheese & Co. on Edmondson Avenue in Catonsville (just inside the Baltimore Beltway). It's been a while since this review was written, but Grilled Cheese & Co. is alive and well at this location. We also see them around town in a food truck and at events. Definitely check them out!
Grilled cheese is one of the ultimate comfort foods, so a restaurant that serves nearly a dozen variations of this classic is the perfect stop on a chilly, damp Friday evening. Located on the first floor of what appeared to be an old house at 500 Edmondson Avenue, GCC is a made-to-order fast food restaurant. When you order at the counter, you can see the grills lined up and the racks full of white bread as well as the turines of soup. The seating area is rather small considering that there's no place to take your food if home isn't an option. We did luck out and were able to grab a two-top. Unfortunately, it was next to the front door, and we were met with cold air everytime someone walked through.
The menu is simple and painted on the wall for all to see, whether you're sitting down or standing in line to order. Eleven different grilled cheese variations plus soups, salads and a few sides: fries and chips.
I ordered a Classic Grilled Cheese and a bowl of Cream of Tomato Bisque. The sandwich was piping hot, as a grilled cheese should be. I had to open the bread halves to let off steam but still managed to burn my mouth. Still, the sandwich was everything a grilled cheese sandwich should be - golden brown bread surrounding creamy, melted cheese. Mmm. The soup was served hot and was garnished with shaved parmesan and croutons. With bits of tomato chunks, it was heaven. Creamy, nice flavor. The serving could have used a little more soup and a few less croutons - I felt as if the soup was the afterthought and would have liked a bit more; the eight-ounce serving should have contained a full eight ounces of soup.
Bob ordered the Crabbymelt, a rich combination of crab dip, cheese and lump crab meat grilled to perfection. Again, the sandwich was piping hot and sinfully delicious. Bob chose to sample two different soups and was pleased that both were served too hot to eat (we've had problems in the past at other venues with soup served just above room temperature). His first, Cream of Broccoli, was a blend of creamy broccoli soup with parmesan cheese and chicken. It was probably one of the best Cream of Broccoli soups we've tasted in some time. The second soup was an Italian Sausage, Mushroom and Barley. This soup was perfectly seasoned with a spicy Italian sausage that nicely complemented the mushrooms and barley. More of a stew, the soup proved to be quite filling.
Overall, the food was very good. We were a bit disappointed that for the price ($4.99 for a Classic Grilled Cheese and $7.49 for the Crabbymelt) that the sandwiches were served without even a pickle garnish. We'd have happily paid 50 cents more for a handful of chips to be served on the platter as well. If we're sitting down to a meal, presentation is important, and GCC is just sit-down enough that this matters. On a scale of 1 to 10, we give it a 7.
Grilled Cheese & Co. is located at 500 Edmondson Ave., Catonsville, MD. Their website is http://www.ilovegrilledcheese.com/
Grilled cheese is one of the ultimate comfort foods, so a restaurant that serves nearly a dozen variations of this classic is the perfect stop on a chilly, damp Friday evening. Located on the first floor of what appeared to be an old house at 500 Edmondson Avenue, GCC is a made-to-order fast food restaurant. When you order at the counter, you can see the grills lined up and the racks full of white bread as well as the turines of soup. The seating area is rather small considering that there's no place to take your food if home isn't an option. We did luck out and were able to grab a two-top. Unfortunately, it was next to the front door, and we were met with cold air everytime someone walked through.
The menu is simple and painted on the wall for all to see, whether you're sitting down or standing in line to order. Eleven different grilled cheese variations plus soups, salads and a few sides: fries and chips.
I ordered a Classic Grilled Cheese and a bowl of Cream of Tomato Bisque. The sandwich was piping hot, as a grilled cheese should be. I had to open the bread halves to let off steam but still managed to burn my mouth. Still, the sandwich was everything a grilled cheese sandwich should be - golden brown bread surrounding creamy, melted cheese. Mmm. The soup was served hot and was garnished with shaved parmesan and croutons. With bits of tomato chunks, it was heaven. Creamy, nice flavor. The serving could have used a little more soup and a few less croutons - I felt as if the soup was the afterthought and would have liked a bit more; the eight-ounce serving should have contained a full eight ounces of soup.
Bob ordered the Crabbymelt, a rich combination of crab dip, cheese and lump crab meat grilled to perfection. Again, the sandwich was piping hot and sinfully delicious. Bob chose to sample two different soups and was pleased that both were served too hot to eat (we've had problems in the past at other venues with soup served just above room temperature). His first, Cream of Broccoli, was a blend of creamy broccoli soup with parmesan cheese and chicken. It was probably one of the best Cream of Broccoli soups we've tasted in some time. The second soup was an Italian Sausage, Mushroom and Barley. This soup was perfectly seasoned with a spicy Italian sausage that nicely complemented the mushrooms and barley. More of a stew, the soup proved to be quite filling.
Overall, the food was very good. We were a bit disappointed that for the price ($4.99 for a Classic Grilled Cheese and $7.49 for the Crabbymelt) that the sandwiches were served without even a pickle garnish. We'd have happily paid 50 cents more for a handful of chips to be served on the platter as well. If we're sitting down to a meal, presentation is important, and GCC is just sit-down enough that this matters. On a scale of 1 to 10, we give it a 7.
Grilled Cheese & Co. is located at 500 Edmondson Ave., Catonsville, MD. Their website is http://www.ilovegrilledcheese.com/
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