Homeroom Melts Hearts….and Cheese

Homeroom 510 is a place you wouldn’t expect much of, but once you’ve experienced it, you will be in for a real surprise. It’s a small restaurant in downtown Oakland, and it’s very easy to miss.

Homeroom is one of the only places that serves almost solely macaroni and cheese. They serve beverages, salads, brunch, and desserts also, but the main dish is pasta, pasta, and more pasta. There are over 15 different types of mac and cheese to try, ranging from the Dungeness Crab Mac, to the Vegan Mac.

Homeroom is open Tuesday-Sunday from 11a.m. to 10 p.m. but is most popular on Friday and Saturday nights. Most times you can walk in and be seated immediately, but when crowded, there can be up to 45-minute waits.

My first visit to Homeroom was beyond my expectations. When I arrived I was immediately seated, and after a few minutes our waitress was back to take our orders. I got the Dungeness Crab Mac, which included crab, havarti cheese, and peppers topped with breadcrumbs, and my friend got the Classic Mac, which was the creamy all cheddar macaroni with chorizo added in. The Dungeness Crab Mac was better than I imagined. If you’re a fan of zesty flavors mixed together with the crunch added by breadcrumbs, this is the order for you.The Classic Mac was also good if you like simple mac and cheese, and you can always add extra toppings.

For dessert we split the Grasshopper Pie, which was mint chocolate chip ice cream with chocolate cookies and chocolate sauce. I’m not usually a fan of mint chocolate, or chocolate at all, but this was actually very good. The warm sauce and cookies went along with the cold ice cream, a combination that went together a lot better than I expected.

For such good food, the restaurant was pretty inexpensive. Mac and cheese prices ranged around $8.50, and desserts started at $2.50.

The good food, and good service resulted in my experience at Homeroom being great. 5/5