Cheese Grille

Delicious. Awesome vibe. Veg options. Beer. Two thumbs up.
Great for lunch or an affordable dinner.

I love grilled cheese sandwiches but there is never a hype for it because of how plain this dish is. But here they spice it up by adding new and different ingredients.
I walked into this store asking the lady in the front which grilled cheese she recommends. And she gave me a couple and decided to try the Crispy Goat (Chèvre, goat Gouda, applewood Bacon, Avocado on Multigrain.) I was iffy at first to come into here and just eat a grilled cheese for $ 9. As I indulged in this sandwich I savored every single taste. The bread was very crunchy and buttery, very delicious.
I wish I could give it five stars but it’s too pricey for me especially since the bread was big. But this is very filling.

I had a hankering for a grilled cheese, the simple kind you get in a diner – white bread, Kraft singles, lots of butter. Unilocal directed us to Cheese Grille and we had extraordinary sandwiches!
I had the Crispy Goat, which was fantastic (5 stars) and my husband had the Ham and Cheese, which he gives 4 stars. He thought it was a little greasy but loved the tasty grilled onions. I thoroughly enjoyed the couple bites of his sandwich that I stole. We shared the sweet potato tots – yum! I also noticed that they have vegan cheese options.
They have beer, wine, brand name and craft sodas. Friendly service, fun atmosphere, and good music complete the visit.
I highly recommend.

Cheese Grille is a fun, low-​key place to enjoy some lighter fare in the middle of the day or late at night, since it’s open at that time.
I walked in here during a late Saturday afternoon for a sweet tasting sandwich. I was glad to find that this spot offers that type of food, so I opted for the mascarpone sandwich with nutella and bananas on brioche bread, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The food tasted well-​balanced: no one ingredient in the sandwich overpowered the others, and the ice cream tasted fresh, dense, and high-​quality. My only complaint about it is that, for $ 7, the portion size is rather small: I could’ve finished the sandwich with five big bites if I wanted to.
To my pleasant surprise, there was a large TV in the seating area playing an NBA game, which I watched eagerly while enjoying my food (and after enjoying it). I stayed there for a solid three hours and while there wasn’t anyone there when I walked in a bit after 4pm, by 6:30pm, the seating area was almost full.
I like that the entrance to Cheese Grille is pretty noticeable: the top of its entrance features a painting of different people’s faces looking up at the sky, and their menu is displayed on the exterior of their building in colorful lettering, so you can’t miss it.

Passover ended late Saturday night. The matzah was over with. On to LES, in search of bread!!! The initial idea was pizza and then why not, grilled cheese, as well? So why not BOTH… Enter cheese grille, a great place right on Allen Street where LES is buzzing late night. The place has a great vibe to it and great staff. As you enter, there is a welcome station on the right hand side where you order and the eating area in the back with table tops and bar stools. Came with a fe few friends who have been here before and raved about the grilled cheese and they were not wrong. I ordered a regular 3 cheese, grilled cheese (pictures attached) and it was absolutely mouth watering. One of my favorite past-​time snacks, well prepared and just the right amount of toast with the bread from Balthazar’s Bakery in the city. If you know about Balthazar’s, you know their bread is on the upper echelon of bread. Fittingly, Cheese Grill follows this same blueprint of greatness in how they treat their customers, to how they make their food and the assortment of beers and drinks they have to offer. The manager who was there at night was very cool & chill and quickly redeemed our free drink when you check in on Unilocal.He even went as far to personally bring the food to our table of 4 people while we were engaged in the throws of JENGA. Yes, they have JENGA here and I played for the first time. I whooped ass but the game is fun and apparently in the summertime, there are $ 20 Jenga tournaments that are held at this location. Sign me up!!! Will be returning for more variations of cheesy goodness.

Came here first on national grilled cheese day when this place was giving out free grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. This place was so good that I came back a week later. Got the 3 cheese sandwich with a cup of tomato soup. The sandwich was so good, definitely the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had. The tomato soup was hearty and a little spicy. When you dip the sandwich into the soup it’s life changing. Highly recommend this place.

Maybe living with an emerging chef has ruined me, but I wasn’t impressed with Cheese Grille. The vibe is very cool and they guarantee the best grilled cheese in NYC. The grilled cheese is good, but it wasn’t the best I’ve ever had. I ordered the Ham and Cheese and it was a good lunch option, just not the very best I’ve had. I’m glad we experienced Cheese Grille, but I wouldn’t go back. It was fun to see them use Unilocal and offer a free drink if you checked in!

Pretty disappointed in this specialty grilled cheese place. There was nothing that special about it. I chose the 3 cheese grilled cheese and added caramelized onions. The onions gave the sandwich a bit of sweetness and texture, but overall, the sandwich was only ok. I wouldn’t come back for it.

Mmm, yum. Big portion enough for sharing.
I had looked up the menu prior to coming here, so I knew that I wanted to try the buffalo chicken grilled cheese sandwich, and no regrets there. Soooo goooddd! The bread was crisp, and I liked the spice from the buffalo sauce and the jalapenos. The chicken didn’t taste dry either, so yums. The sweet potato tots were good as well, and a regular size is enough for sharing between 2 people, no need to order a large! We did not realize that the tots would be enough for sharing and each ordered one, so it was a waste to toss them out.
Will definitely be back here to get the buffalo chicken sandwich and to try their other shareable items.

I really wanted to love this place! It had all the makings for success: cheese, bacon, fries, location (LES), etc. However, I felt like everything fell a little flat.
Food:
We order the following:
Classic Grilled Cheese with Bacon (ask to be cooked extra crispy) — the cheese was ok, nothing special. The bread and the bacon fell flat as well. The bacon was thin and not that crispy. Overall, I was very disappointed with the sandwich.
Spicy Tomato Soup — it was spicy and good overall. It was different than traditional tomato soup, but good.
French Fries — good, crispy, hot — acceptable.
Sweet Potato Tots — this was weird.
Red wine and beer — acceptable for a local grilled cheese spot.
Atmosphere:
The interior is cute. I loved a few well-​positioned signage in the dining area. We had to share a table in order to see the TV (we went during the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament).
Service:
The staff was very friendly and attentive. They even offered to open up a bottle of wine for me to sample before deciding to purchase wine by the glass.
Overall, I’m glad we tried it, but we won’t return. I wanted to love Cheese Grille, b/​c I love grilled cheese sandwiches, the search continues…

After a late night at Rockwood, the natural next stop is Cheese Grille. It’s open mad late, the guys behind the counter are super nice, and the food is good. So, I mean, go there. It kind of feels like hanging out in your high school friend’s living room and watching TV on a Saturday night. Know what I mean?
I split the mascarpone, Nutella, banana sandwich (on brioche, I think?) and ice cream with a friend and we were both extremely pleased with our decision. Ugh, so good. My other friends split the recommended sloppy joe and were very pleasantly surprised.

I walked by this place a few times and never went in. Big mistake. This is a true gem and worthy of a visit when one is in the area,. I never, ever, would imagine I would say this about a grilled cheese but I must This place simply serves the best grilled cheese I’ve ever had. Not even close. Is it simple, home style food? Yes, most people make them from time to time. But something about the harmony of the ingredients and the preparation makes the sandwich very special here.
The space is incredibly warm and inviting. You order your food, take a seat at one of the tables and they bring it to you. We went with the the Three Cheese and the Warm Goat, both were outstanding. A side of onion rings were very good. The size and quality of the sandwich along with the ingredients were commensurate with the price. This is not an ordinary grilled cheese.
They have a very good beer selection on tap. Narragansett, Stella, and few others as well as La Chouffe, which is one of my favorites. A good selection of Boylan’s and they have Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Ale. I don’t see that very much in Eateries, it is far superior to the recent wave of Hard Sodas that have been coming out recently. The have wines on the menu as well by the glass and bottle. The temptation resisted is the true measure of character, I don’t know about that but I did resist the Ice Cream Soda. It looked great.
Sadly it is not in my area or I would be a regular. Which is good news to my waistline.
The owner went out of his way to host a benefit for a friend of ours and donated 25% to her cause. That is quality my friends. Give this place a go when you are in the area. You will not regret it.
N.B. — If you check in you get a free beer.

Best grilled cheese I’ve ever had!
Cute décor.
Major LES vibes.
Will return.

Got the sloppy joe grilled cheese, spicy tomato soup and an order of fries that we shared. I liked the soup a lot and it paired well with the sandwich. The sandwich was delicious as well but a bit too heavy for me. I could barely finish the second half without feeling like a greasy mess. I felt like I didn’t really need the jalapenos in the sandwich since the soup was already a bit spicy. Would go back to try one of their other options.

One night after partying with friends I got hungry & saw this place. I love grilled cheese sandwich so why not. Place looks cool. Its the type of place where you ordered your sandwich in the counter & you get it when its ready. So I check Unilocal & when you check in, you get free soda. Nice! Love free stuff.
I forgot which one I got but I’m telling you Its slammin! Its mouthwatering that you enjoy each bite. Yup!!! Its that delicious. Their sweet potato tots is really good too. I always come back here that everything that I’ve tried never dissapoints me.

Such a cute little place with delicious food. You won’t find things super fancy here; it’s casual and just perfect for a lunch, dinner on the go, or fun dessert spot.
Décor was chill and service was friendly. The employee was new and, with no one else in the front, he was running the show. When I had menu questions, he didn’t necessarily know the answers but he was quick with helping me find someone who did.
Food was just as good as I had hoped it would be and the price point was solid. Cheesy and flavorful. Yum!
This place is definitely on my ‘need to come back to’ list… need to try some more of those delicious noms.

I haven’t had a grilled cheese sandwich since I was a kid. Curiosity (and hunger) got the best of me as I walked past Cheese Grille and retreated my steps into the shop. NO REGRETS.
Like NYC crepes, these grilled cheeses sandwiches come in either sweet or savory form for $ 7 – 9. I ordered a savory Little Italy for $ 8 and it was made hot on the grill (~10 min wait). The mozzarella cheese had melted perfectly and glued the sandwich together. The bread was warm and crispy. There was a subtle taste of pepperoni and tomato sauce in the cheese. I love how it’s more of a grilled cheese sandwich than a Little Italy sandwich. They’re definitely doing it right! For the next few minutes, I felt like I was in food heaven!
BONUS: free wifi and free can of beer/​soda with Unilocal check-​in!

I just cannot say enough good things about this place! If I could give more than 5 stars I would.
We were coming in from out of town ON Christmas Day (and by that time, night!) and I called in advance to see if they were open. I didn’t ask for them to stay open just for me but it turned out they did! For two extra hours! They waited just for us and when we showed up they immediately said, «You made it!» THAT’S how great their customer service is. Incredible. Staying open for two hours extra hours on a holiday (we got there at 11:30pm) JUST for one customer — pretty awesome.
We ordered our sweet little vegan grilled cheeses (I got mine with basil — which I highly recommend!!) with a side of tomato soup (which hopefully someday will also be completely vegan, fingers crossed) and it was all JUST DELICIOUS. Absolutely hit the spot in every possible way. Comfort food to the max and flavored and grilled to perfection. It’s also ranked 3^rd best tomato soup in the city but the manager said its actually first (I believe him. It was quite good). :)
They also serve beer all the way up until close which is usually 3am. Who could ask for more than amazing customer service and late night grilled cheese???
Décor was cozy and adorable and the conversation with Mischa (owner) made my night. Places like this are exactly what makes NY so great.
I heart NY and now I also heart Cheese Grille.
Oh, and for the record I am not the type of vegan that usually eats daiya cheese but I did here and it was perfectly done. God bless the lower east side.

Stopped by the Cheese Grille to refuel on Halloween. The place was mostly empty but I assumed that was because of the holiday.
I got the ham and cheese ($ 8?). It’s not listed on their website, but it’s ham, cheese, caramelized onions, and some dijon mustard. It was delicious. Boyfriend got the sloppy ($ 8), which is ground beef and cheese with jalapenos for an extra kick. It was a little too spicy for me, but he was a big fan.
My only complaint is that the grilled cheese was little more than something I could have put together myself at home, so I didn’t think it was worth the price. I’d probably come back to try this tomato soup that everyone is raving about.

The comeback that Cheese Grille made is honestly one of the reasons I’m such a firm believer in second chances. I was sent a message by one of the owners to try them out again and I knew that if they cared about a single customer’s experience to such an extent it was only fair I give them a shot at redemption. I showed up at around 1 in the afternoon and was given recommendations for what I should order. Since it was a lovely day I once again sat outside, but this time at their bar where I got to chatting with one of the employees. Apparently the place is run with a very small staff, never more than eight people.
For my savory grilled cheese I got a 3 cheese sandwich with caramelized onions and a small order of tomato soup. A little known fact, their tomato soup is rated #3 in NYC. Now, I don’t eat a lot of tomato soup, simply because the ones I have had are never very tasty. They taste tinned and metallic and are generally unpleasant, but this was NOT the case for the tomato soup at Cheese Grille. It was undeniably fresh and had the perfect blend of spices, I should’ve gotten a large. The grilled cheese was infinitely better than the crispy goat I’d had a few days before. This was perfectly cooked, and the cheese was lusciously ooey gooey. When the sandwich was dunked in the tomato soup it was positively scrumptious, a highly recommend doing it.
I then moved onto dessert. I decided to go for the strawberry sweet grilled cheese. It’s the same size as the 3 cheese, but far more rich and filling. I’d never had speculoos butter before, but it gave the sandwich a great sweetness level which was leveled out by the tartness of the strawberry jam. My only critique for this dish would be that the ice cream wasn’t really necessary. Also, maybe some sliced strawberries in the sandwich? To give it more of a bite? It was a lot of soft products (speculoos butter, strawberry jam, chevre cheese) with nothing really binding it together.
I definitely want to go back to Cheese Grille for more of their tomato soup, it was amazing. Also, I’m interested in trying their nachos. They make the cheese in-​house with BEER! How crazy is that?! And for those of you who are vegan or gluten free, they have options for you too! So swing by if you’re interested in a damn good grilled cheese. I do still stand by my first review though, go for something traditional, that’s where they excel.