We Tried the Entire Menu at the New Cheez-In Diner and Yes, It Was As Magical As It Sounds

The Cheez-In Diner and its food

Diners are absolutely wonderful. They're the perfect combination of comfort and nostalgia and the never-ending menu has a little something for everyone. They're also a road trip staple, so it makes perfect sense that Cheez-Its set out to create its own ‘cheezy’ diner just in time for Memorial Day travelers in the Catskills.

Parade was invited to check out the diner and taste the entire menu, including the Deluxe Cheez-It Milkshake. (Yes, everything on the menu contains Cheez-Its and yes I was thrilled about that.) Read on for a look—and taste—of what the pop-up has to offer.

Where is the Cheez-It Diner and When Is it Open?

If you want to make a stop at the Cheez-In Diner, you better do it quickly. It's open at 261 Tinker Street in Woodstock, NY for one week only starting Monday, May 20, through Sunday, May 26. It's open 4-9 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday and 4 p.m.-12 a.m. Friday through Sunday.

What Does the Cheez-It Diner Look Like?

Before we dive into the menu, let’s set the scene. The place is hard to miss with its bright colors (and giant sign that says Cheez-IN). They were able to take over an ex-diner building and hire workers who used to work there for the pop-up. The Cheez-It design team did a great job merging retro diner nostalgia with fun poppy brand imagery. They hired a crochet artist to make Cheez-It pillows, there are roller skates with square orange wheels, the wallpaper has vintage Cheez-It vibes, and even the fence around the patio is in the shape of the snack. I really loved the little animated Cheez-It mascot who definitely needs his own campaign.

The kitchen is small but mighty. We watched them smash The Extra Cheezburger’s patty and cheese on the grill and assemble The Big Grilled Cheez’s Cheez-It crusted bread. There’s a lot of love—and cheese—going into everything.

After your meal, you can check out The World’s First & Only Cheez-It Jukebox, which takes Cheez-Its instead of coins (of course). I played ‘Summer Nights’ from Grease and while sadly the entire diner did not sing along with me, it was thrilling to participate briefly in a snack-based economy. If you don’t travel with Cheez-Its in your pocket don’t worry, they have some waiting for you.

You can also grab some jukebox "money" at the Cheez-It Taste-It Station. The mix-and-match station has seven Cheez-It flavors (including hard-to-find flavors, like Pepper Jack and Buffalo Wing), so you can create your very own cheezy snack mix. I tried a combo of the Italian cheeses, Pepper Jack and the Spicy Mix. It was really neat to try flavors I hadn't seen before.

What's on the Cheez-It Diner Menu?

Now it's time to dive into the full menu. Below is everything we tried in the order of least favorite to most favor-It.

The Big Grilled Cheez

“A cracker-coated Texas toast filled with cheezy pimento and surrounded by a crunchy Cheez-It cracker crust."If you’re a pimento cheese lover you'll adore this but it wasn’t my favorite because the pimento plays a big part in the overall flavor profile. The Cheez-It-coated Texas toast had a great texture and nice flavor though.

Mac & Cheez-It

“Pasta baked in a creamy White Cheddar Cheez-It cracker sauce with a crunchy White Cheddar Cheez-It cracker crumble on top.”
Of course, there’s mac & cheese! Using the milder white cheddar Cheez-Its for this was a smart move because the rest of the menu has sharper flavors in it. It's nice to have something for tamer eaters on the menu.

Cheez-It Fries

“Crispy fries tossed in ground Cheez-It crackers. Choose from Original, White Cheddar or Hot & Spicy seasoning, and Load-It with a melted pimento cheez sauce.”I tried the fries with both the seasoning and Load-It. I liked that the fries were on the thick side, which really allows you to taste the potato, even with the seasoning and the cheez sauce.

Sweet-N-Salty Cheezcake

“Creamy cheesecake dessert with a Cheez-It cracker pie crust topped with caramel and Extra Big Cheez-It crackers.”OK now this is getting hard. The cheesecake seemed to have a ricotta base vs a cream cheese, which I think went really well with the sharper cheddar crust. I loved the saltiness of the crust and bits of Cheez-It combined with the sweetness of the caramel. Pro tip: Dip the extra big Cheez-Its into the cheesecake filling for your first bite.

Cheez-It Biscu-it

“Tasty layers bursting with Cheez-It crackers.”
This is technically a side item but its big flavor is giving main dish energy. Add butter, hot honey or be crazy like me and dip it in one of my favorite condiments, Hidden Valley Cheezy Ranch. The biscuits were rich and flaky and also had some delightful cheesy crunches from the Cheez-Its folded into the dough.

Cheezy Chicky Tendies

“Juicy chicken tenders breaded in Original Cheez-It crackers. Spice-It with Hot & Spicy Seasoning and Dip-It in hot honey or Hidden Valley® Cheezy Ranch.”
I was really hoping a Cheez-It crusted chicken dish was going to be on the menu and folks, my dreams came true. I really loved the cheesy, crunchy crust on the juicy chicken. They're so good that I think I might need to try and recreate them at home. I also saw people putting the chicken tenders on the Biscu-it to make a cute little sandwich and I wish I'd done that as well.

The Extra Cheezburger

“Pimento Cheez-It smashburger topped with lettuce, pickles and an Extra Big Cheez-It cracker."
If I wasn’t such a dessert lover this one would have taken the top spot. I know I said I wasn’t a pimento lover but this burger is apparently the exception. For me, the salty Cheez-Its in the cheese and the tangy pickles combined with the pimento in the most delicious way. I knew I had a whole menu to eat but I finished my burger before I knew it.

Deluxe Cheez-It Milkshake

“A creamy vanilla shake blended with Cheez-It crackers, a caramel and crushed Cheez-It cracker rim and topped with whipped cream, sprinkles and chocolate sauce, garnished with a chocolate-dipped Cheez-It cracker.”
I saw many of my fellow patrons make an unsure face when this drink arrived at their table. But despite the initial hesitation, this mash-up was a fan favorite. There was something magical about the combination of the sweet, creamy vanilla shake and the texture and saltiness of the Cheez-Its blended into the treat. It was so good that I considered asking for another because my time with the shake was just too short (I slurped it up too fast). Adding the chocolate-dipped Cheez-It on the top was chef’s kiss.

Up next: See Inside the First and Only Eggo House of Pancakes