Grilled Cheese: The over-advertised sandwich that seems to appear on every American TV has made its way to Fresno with the vision of two individuals to open an eatery that primarily serves grilled cheese. But not just any grilled cheese. Located on 1345 N. Willow Ave, Grilled Chz is a small restaurant with rave reviews and a killer sandwich that I can’t seem to get enough of.

With much skepticism, I was not interested in reviewing a restaurant that basically only offered grilled cheese; in fact I thought to myself “this is not a money maker or something people will want to spend their money on.”

Grilled Chz has been serving Clovis and Fresno for five months, and the owners hope to continue and expand within Fresno.

Walking into Grilled Chz, I was captured by their version of art, which was graffiti that spelled out the business’ name all over the wall. The vibrant colors were a big part of the atmosphere, I felt like I was a little kid in a candy shop but with the selection of different cheeses, rather than sweets.

“Grilled cheese is a popular comfort food and everyone enjoys it,” said a Grilled Chz employee {name witheld}. “Grilled Chz is different because we offer our customers sandwiches that are not made anywhere else.”

With few people on their payroll, I waited in line for about five minutes to order, but that gave me a while to choose from the vast amount of options for my sandwich. I decided to order the Double Cream Brie Delight with some of my own personal touches of bacon, fresh spinach and onions.

Once my food was ready, I was excited to smell the rich, bubbly and foreign cheese that was exported from various eastern countries. The sandwich was stuffed with white gooey brie cheese oozing from the sides. The sourdough bread was briefly fried to perfection, with a golden brown color that indicated that the top piece was brushed with butter. Just the way I like my bread, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Upon my second arrival at Grilled Chz I decided to order something similar but with a different twist to the sandwich: macaroni and cheese.

The grilled cheese was even better the second time with sourdough bread along with creamy brie cheese, chunks of bacon, caramelized onions and mac n cheese. It was delicious. The sandwich was dripping with bits of macaroni and cheese, which complimented the rest of the ingredients.

Because I ordered the combo, which I didn’t order the first time, my meal consisted of extra-crispy, thickly sliced french fries. I was not fond of the fries due to the lack of salt, but they were indeed crunchy. Along with the meal came a cold fountain drink that washed down each bite with free refills — most restaurant charge for refills.

Shockingly, my total was more expensive than what I had anticipated, but it was worth it. I do not regret stuffing my sandwich with goodness at the expense of my wallet. Yet, Grilled Chz is still economical, as family of four can eat there for around $30.00 with a side and drink included.

My skepticism for Grilled Chz no longer lingers with me, as my eyes have been opened to a new eatery — one I can always enjoy even if I do have to travel quite a ways. I would recommend that, in the future, they could find a larger venue, the space is limited and during lunch hours it can get very crowded.

I have to say, I really enjoyed Grilled Chz the second time around because I was more familiar with the restaurant and the menu. Although Grilled Chz is fairly new, I know they will be around for quite a while. In fact, according to the co-owner, Robert (last name witheld), they will be opening a new Grilled Chz in River Park later this year.

Grilled Chz is located on 1345 N. Willow Ave. #110, Clovis, CA 93619 (NE corner of Willow & Nees, behind Sonic) or contact them at 559.797.8715.

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