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Best Grilled Cheeses North Of Boston

Seeking a grilled cheese sandwich on the North Shore? These five restaurants boast some of the best classic, creative, and perfectly toasted grilled cheese sandwiches in the Boston area. This diverse list has everything from Italian restaurants and upscale cafes to taverns and trucker diners. No matter where you stop, you'll get an out-of-this-world sandwich!

Polcari's
(Photo Credit: Polcari's)

Polcari's
92 Broadway
Saugus, MA 01906
(781) 233-3765
www.reginapizzeria.com/polcaris

Polcari's is a sister restaurant to none other than Boston's Italian favorite, Regina Pizzeria. It's safe to say that these people know how to do cheese. On Polcari's menu, under starters is their fried cheese, which is a bit different than a classic grilled cheese sandwich, but is definitely the perfect appetizer for any grilled cheese fan. The fried cheese is a cross between grilled cheese and mozzarella sticks that Polcari's takes to the next level. The menu describes the dish as "pesto marinated mozzarella served with marinara sauce for dipping." The breaded mozzarella pieces are cut up to look like sandwich pieces and are not to be missed.

Red's Tavern
(Photo Credit: Red's Tavern)

Red's Kitchen and Tavern
131 Newbury St.
Peabody, MA 01960
(978) 531-7337
www.redskitchenandtavern.com

Red's Kitchen and Tavern grew from a beloved diner in downtown Salem to a bustling tavern on busy Route One North in Peabody. Despite growing in size and changing location, this restaurant serves up diner classics all day long, so when you need some comfort food, it is absolutely the place to go. Not to mention, Red's is extremely affordable. Order a grilled cheese, hot ham and cheese, or any other sandwich, and a fountain soda or bottomless coffee and you'll be feeling like gold all day.

Agawam Diner
166 Newburyport Turnpike
Rowley, MA 01969
(978) 948-7780

The Agawam Diner is a classic early twentieth century diner in every sense of the word. Complete with a juke box, sassy waitresses, and unbeatable greasy home cooking, Agawam is a North Shore all time favorite. It is the perfect stop on the way home from a day at the beach on Plum Island or if the group decides to take the scenic route home from New Hampshire or Maine. This truck stop makes a killer grilled cheese. Order a slice of pie for dessert - their pies are out of this world.

Related:  Ask A Boston Bartender: Your Best Martini Recipe

Scratch
(Photo Credit: Scratch Diner)

Scratch Kitchen
245 Derby St.
Salem, MA 01970
(978) 741-2442
www.scratchkitchensalem.com

Visit this delightful cafe in downtown Salem to satisfy your cheese cravings. Their grilled cheese takes it to a whole new level by piling on a quarter-pound of Vermont cheddar. The sandwich is then griddle-pressed with their house baked bread bread. Personalize your grilled cheese by adding any of their grilled cheese toppings: bacon-onion jam, pickled jalapenos, fresh tomato, spinach, sweet-heat pepper relish, tomato-avocado salsa, extra cheddar, fried egg, roasted olives, sautéed onion, Dill pickle, apple, or almost anything else you can think of! Yum!

Port City Sandwich
(Photo Credit: Port City Sandwich)

Port City Sandwich Company
102 Browns Wharf
Newburyport, MA 01950
(978) 358-8628
portcitysandwichco.com

Enjoy a delicious grilled cheese sandwich from Port City Sandwich Company outside while taking in gorgeous water views of Newburyport harbor. Their super affordable menu features all sorts of delicious lunch options like burgers and BLTs, but their winning sandwich is their $4.25 grilled cheese. Add bacon for a delicious melt that will kill all your grilled cheese cravings.

Related: Boston Area's Best Gyros

Cameron Bruns is the founder of BostonGreenBlog.com and co-author of Just Us Gals Boston. She lives in Boston's North End, where her goal is to promote ethical, stylish, and sustainable lifestyle choices to all Boston residents. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.

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