TikToker's Hilarious California Pizza Kitchen Mac & Cheese Mishap

Imagine you're having a tough week and just want to relax with a delicious comfort meal, so you order some mac and cheese from California Pizza Kitchen to be delivered. But when that much-anticipated meal shows up and you take it out of the bag, you realize that something is missing.

One TikTok content creator doesn't have to imagine such a thing and shared her shocking, yet hilarious situation with her followers, as well as a feel-good update.

If you're craving some creamy mac and cheese from California Pizza Kitchen, you might want to just clarify that both the mac and the cheese come together before ordering. At least based on Garage Gremlin's recent experience, that now seems like a valid question.

"I'm having the worst week of my life. I'm injured, my boyfriend and I broke up, so I ordered mac and cheese from California Pizza Kitchen and they just sent me cheese," she said in her viral video. "Just cheese. No mac. There's no noodles, there's none."

She then opened the bag and showed everyone that the bag was empty other than some bread. Through her laughter at the situation, she explained that she called CPK, and "two separate people" told her that the noodles needed to be ordered separately and said that she "ordered wrong."

"I was like, I ordered mac and cheese and they said yes, that's what that is and I was like no, that's not mac and cheese. Mac and cheese is mac and cheese, there's supposed to be macaroni in it," she continued. "It's in the name!"

In just a few days since sharing the experience on TikTok, Garage Gremlin's video received more than 1.4 million views and thousands of hilarious comments.

"More like wack and cheese," one viewer hilariously wrote in the comment section. Another person shared, "Someone else got an order of macaroni and nothing."

And the comedy gold didn't end there.

"He got the macaroni in the divorce," said one viewer. Another said, "You wanted Mac AND cheese? In this economy?"

One other viewer pointed out, "Imagine you're already having a bad day and then someone unmacs your cheese, I cannot fathom."

And then there was that one really important comment, "We're on it," from California Pizza Kitchen themselves! (Remember this, as it will become super relevant later in the story.)

In a follow-up video, Garage Gremlin shared a phone call that she made to CPK to try to figure out just what's going on and where her mac ended up, since it wasn't with her cheese.

After getting a live person to answer her call, she explained the situation.

"I made an order last night for pizza and mac and cheese and I just received a box of cheese, but two people told me that that was correct and if I order mac and cheese I just get cheese," she said. "Was that a mistake or is that accurate?"

The person on the other end of the call sounded flabbergasted (and why wouldn't she, because this all sounds insane?) After asking Garage Gremlin to repeat that, she transferred her to the takeout area for further assistance.

She then went through her story once again and this person said that "should not be correct."

"The amount of people saying 'let me check,' like check what, whether you deliver loose sauce? Y'all should know," one viewer shared in the comments. Another added, "What floors me is that someone just poured cheese sauce into a box and asked not one question. And then gaslighted you!"

A few days later, Garage Gremlin got another surprise from CPK, but this time, it was a welcomed one!

Outside of her door was a present from the restaurant - a box of macaroni noodles and two certificates for free food, one for free mac and cheese for a year, and one for free pizza for a year.

"You guys, I've gone viral for so many times, and nothing has been as funny as this," she said as she ran her fingers through the box of raw macaroni giggling. "I can't believe they did this. This is so sweet and really good marketing."

She then read the letter that was included in her gift box.

"Oh hey, I heard we forgot your mac and only delivered cheese to you. OMG how could this happen?" the letter reads. "Free mac and cheese for a year and free pizza for a year. Again, so sorry this happened, and we hope this makes it right. #greatday."

People who had been following along in the mac-less cheese situation Garage Gremlin was going through seemed to really like CPK's response to it. Many took to the comment section of the video that shows what the restaurant did to turn this situation around to share their thoughts.

"@California Pizza Kitchen best comeback of the year. That’s how a good company responds," one person wrote. Another said, "They’re literally giving half off Mac and cheese for the rest of the month now and I’m loving their response. This is how to keep business going." 

Others really just enjoyed the story from the get-go.

"This whole story is so wholesome. Your initial reaction was so chill and they were so kind for this. Love your suggestion for people to donate 10 out of 10!" wrote one viewer. Another added, "I've been saying "You've unmac-ed my cheese" for 3 days straight. This is the wholesome ending we all needed to the saga."