Mac and Cheese Fest will offer up samples of the best in Houston this weekend

PHOTOS: The best mac and cheese in Houston

Dig out your stretchy carb-eatin' pants, Houstonians. This Saturday afternoon comes the first Houston Mac and Cheese Fest, featuring dozens of restaurants offering up their own spin on the popular comfort dish alongside a selection of breweries serving up suds to wash it all down.

Click through to see where to get your noodles and cheese fix in Houston... less PHOTOS: The best mac and cheese in Houston

Dig out your stretchy carb-eatin' pants, Houstonians. This Saturday afternoon comes the first Houston Mac and Cheese Fest, featuring dozens of restaurants offering ... more Photo: Michael Paulsen, Staff Photo: Michael Paulsen, Staff Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close Mac and Cheese Fest will offer up samples of the best in Houston this weekend 1 / 17 Back to Gallery

Dig out your stretchy carb-eatin' pants, Houstonians, there is a new fun food festival coming to town.

The first Houston Mac and Cheese Fest kicks off Saturday afternoon, featuring dozens of restaurants offering up their own spin on the popular comfort dish, alongside a selection of breweries serving up suds to wash it all down.

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More than two dozen eateries will be competing at Silver Street Studios (2000 Edwards) to have their submission named one of the best in the city of Houston. Visitors can expect a variety of variations on noodles and cheese, which is beloved by people of all ages.

General admission tickets run $50 and that includes unlimited samples from vendors, a vote for "Best Mac & Cheese" and five drink tickets. The $80 VIP package includes all of the previously mentioned perks but with quick entry, a special T-shirt and access to the VIP section.

Restaurants and breweries that are bringing their mac game to the fest include Beaver’s, Harlem Road Texas BBQ, Peli Peli, Ritual, Max’s Wine Drive, Saint Arnold, La Grange, Karbach, Hughies Tavern and even Luby’s, which serves a mac and cheese that seems to bridge generations.

The full list can be found on the Mac & Cheese Fest official ticketing page.

Two-ounce servings are what festival goers can expect from the vendors.

Whether it’s made from ingredients in a box or from scratch with homegrown ingredients mac and cheese is a versatile dining staple. Kids love it paired with chicken nuggets or fish sticks and adults can’t help but adding in things like jalapenos or bacon to jazz it up.

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It’s also rather economical in its base state, as parents and college kids can attest.

This festival though will see the dish get teased and pulled in ways that attendees would have likely never imagined.

Local breweries 8th Wonder, Town in City, City Acre and Buffalo Bayou will be serving beer to wash down all those cheesy carbs.

A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the Washington Avenue Arts District.

Click through the slideshow above to learn which Houston-area restaurants we think have macaroni and cheese worth raving about...