Ten Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches in Broward and Palm Beach Counties

As an adult, life seems to be consumed by an endless stream of responsibility and minor annoyances.

You have bills to pay, a house to clean, pets to take care of, friends to see, people to date, work obligations that need attention, jury duty to attend... the list goes on and on and on yet again.

With every medical bill that comes in or cable television that needs fixing, we all fantasize of an easier time in life, a point in which we were liable for practically nothing, a period of utter unadulterated enjoyment.

It's called being a kid.

We're talking prepuberty here -- who in their right mind would want to be an awkward 13-year-old again? We're referring to the days in which you played as much as you liked with no fear of ramifications.

And few foods items symbolize childhood freedom like the gooey perfection of a grilled cheese sandwich -- there's something about copious amounts of lactose and gluten that just creates a calming sensation.

Sure, you could always pick up some Wonder Bread, Kraft Singles, and margarine and call it a day. But as you've grown older, you've grown wiser, and you just know better than that.

When you're looking to get your melted queso sandwich fix these days, you need something a bit more experienced than that. You need a sammie with some charisma.

Here are the ten best grilled cheese sandwiches in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

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10. City-Eatz

Every city has its sandwich. For Philly, it's the cheese steak. In the Windy City, it's all about the Italian beef. Miami has the Cuban. New York: the hero. Well, this Festival Flea Market eatery is all about offering transplants the best of what their city has to offer (the Cuban and the hero aren't actually on the menu). To please Wisconsinites, it serves a lactose-filled Milwaukee Grilled Cheese ($5.45). The sammie comes with cheese straight from the dairy land itself, which encases grilled onions, tomatoes, and bacon, served on Texas toast.

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9. 13 American Table

A grilled cheese is essentially the American version of a panini -- everything here is cross-cultural. This place mashes together the good ole U.S. of A. with the land of its forebears. (There's a reason pizza and tapas are such a big deal here.) The smoked chicken and bacon grilled cheese ($13) combines Spanish manchego, roasted peppers, and arugula between two slices of fluffy bread for a flavor profile that combines the best of the New and Old Worlds. It's the melding of traditions -- literally.

8. Ms. Cheezious

For the record: This food truck would be higher on the list if it weren't based out of Miami. (And if you haven't heard about it, you must be living under a rock or something.) It offers an array of specialty sandwiches that are unlike anything you've ever had. From savory Grilled Blue & Bacon (crisp bacon and creamy blue cheese and green onion on sourdough bread) to the dessert Sweet Meltdown (ricotta cheese and orange marmalade blend on Texas toast served with chocolate dipping sauce), it's like grilled cheese on steroids. While there's no going wrong at this place, we love the Grilled Harvest. It combines spiced apples and Havarti cheese, toasted on multigrain bread.

See Also: Ten Best Mac & Cheese in Broward and Palm Beach

7. Himmarshee Public House

When a place is all about global comfort food, it better melt down one heck of a grilled cheese. Unsurprisingly, this Fort Lauderdale eatery does. It's "Milk Truck" grilled cheese combines creamy layers of four-year-aged cheddar, Fontina, and Havarti on artisan white bread with the traditional side, tomato basil soup. Sure, it's slightly reminiscent of the after-school snack you loved as a kid. But, like you, it's grown more worldly over time.

6. Grease Burger Bar

Grilled cheese is all about the grease -- regardless of how much you appreciate the dairy. So a place named after the oily substance should know a thing or two about making a damned good sammie. This place does, obviously. Its triple-decker grilled cheese ($8.95) piles gooey American, Muenster, and queso blanco between country white bread for a handheld meal that'll have you questioning you mother's method within bites.

See also: Five Most Outrageous Burgers in Palm Beach County

5. Palate Party Food Truck

Life is supposed to be about celebrating. This place offers patrons "A party in your mouth" with every visit -- hey, that's what she said. She is chef/owner Robyn Almodovar, former Hell's Kitchen contestant and New Times' Tastemaker. In addition to a tempting array of gourmet bites and offerings, Almodovar serves some of the best cheesy sandwiches in town. Although she presents several suitable options, we go crazy for her short rib version; it's slow braised in a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, topped with crispy onions, drizzled with roasted garlic aioli, and smothered in aged cheddar and mozzarella between two slices of multigrain bread. Prepare yourself for a palate explosion.

4. L'Hermitage Catering

The go-to has long been the bacon grilled cheese. Yes, much of our population believes bacon makes everything better. We won't disagree, but we think the same goes for avocado. And this Fort Lauderdale lunch spot and catering company fortunately feels the same way. Chef/owner Martha Clemons makes a superb creamy sammie filled with melted Muenster and cheddar, homemade blue cheese dressing, and nature's creamiest fruit, avocado. We're going to go ahead with the justification that it's healthy -- don't ask questions.

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3. New York Grilled Cheese

If it's got its namesake item in its title, it has to be legit -- or extremely audacious. Fortunately, for lactose fans, this place is the real deal. It offers an array of melty, gooey sandwiches for every cheesy palate. From carb heaven, with mac and cheese between two slices of bread (the $8.50 Manhattan Grilled Mac 'n Cheese), to steak-house-inspired, with American, horseradish chive cheddar, caramelized onions, beef brisket, and aioli (the $9.75 Meat Packing District Melt), this place has it all. We, however, like to keep it classy. The Soho Sweet Cheeses ($8.50) with Brie, caramelized onions, bacon, and berry marmalade on oatmeal wheat bread is as sophisticated as the neighborhood for which it is named -- if such a thing exists in a grilled cheese.

2. Dada Restaurant and Lounge

It should come as no surprise that a chef known for his creative takes on Americana cuisine would melt up a mean grilled cheese. Well, get ready to be unsurprised. Dada executive chef/partner Bruce Feingold makes a handheld cheesewich with not one, not two, not three, heck, not even five cheeses but seven -- some people aren't even aware that many varieties exist. Served on homemade Dada bread made of 17 ingredients and four flours -- this guy obviously doesn't abide by the less-is-more philosophy -- it has cheddar, Swiss, American, Provolone, blue cheese, goat cheese, and sheep's milk feta. It's then melted on a panini press, wrapped in parchment, and served with tomato bisque on a cast-iron skillet. It's basically a grilled cheese on crack -- and we're addicted.

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1. Fresh First

Grilled cheese sandwiches aren't the only childhood food item we love. We like waffles too. And we like apples. Here, all of our childhood favorites are combined into one mind-blowing grown-up combo. Served on house-made gluten-free waffle bread, this gourmet sammie features exotic cardamom and spicy cinnamon with match-sticked Granny Smith apples, Brie, and white cheddar for a mix of flavors that hits us right in the memory receptors -- it's like eating a brisk autumn day. It's slightly sweet, sublimely savory, supercreamy, and utterly delicious. Sorry, your mom's got nothing on this one.

Follow Sara Ventiera on Twitter, @saraventiera.