Mac & Cheese/Burgers at The Great Room

Come to this hidden treasure to experience Lynchburg's (the world's?) best mac & cheese!

Description: Hotel steakhouse serving mac & cheese and burgers

Price: $13 for mac and cheese; $9 for burgers

Great for: Date night, outing with friends

Why it's a treasure: Most bang for your buck among Lynchburg burger joints

Check the Kirkley Hotel site for menus: https://www.greatroom-restaurant.com/#side2

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We've been on the quest for the best burgers in Lynchburg since we moved here, especially one that doesn't break the bank. While we are crazy about the burgers at Bootleggers (hello, port wine blue cheese), the price makes that restaurant a special occasion place for us. Granted, we probably make up more "special occasions" than necessary....but I digress.

I found The Great Room on Yelp, where it received glowing reviews. Customers often used the phrase, "hidden gem" to describe this eatery, so of course we wanted to check it out. The restaurant is actually situated in the Kirkely Hotel, a surprisingly ritzy hotel across from the River Ridge Mall. The vibe of the restaurant is both upscale and modern. There's also a separate banquet room, perfect for rehearsal dinners or other private parties.

We also read on Yelp that the mac & cheese was killer here. I could quickly see why....goldfish crumb topping, anyone? We also ordered a standard burger that was surprisingly inexpensive (9 dollars) and waited to taste these supposed "treasures" of Lynchburg.

And wow...never have and I ever experienced mac & cheese like this one. I ate all the gooey contents of the hot skillet I was served, despite being semi-lactose intolerant :) Worth every bite and chug of Pepto ever. The goldfish topping tasted oddly gourmet, and we've adopted the habit on our Kraft since coming here. The portion was huge, not to mention the salad and side it was served with. We would recommend the Sweet Potato Cottage fries for the side, by the way; picture Chick-fil-A waffle fries, but crispy and orangely sweet.

Picture retrieved from Yelp.com....because I ate mine too fast to get a picture

The burger was also a shocker, too. It didn't have anything special on it...just standard cook-out edition. But it was cooked to absolute perfection. It also came with a side of fries, making this burger our new pick for Bang for Your Buck. We swore off a bunch of burger joints in town that will rename unnamed.

It's been said before, but I'd have to agree: The Great Room is Lynchburg's hidden gem.