They say the truth to comedy is honesty. But when it comes to a popular meme about AutoZone selling macaroni and cheese circulating the internet, that statement doesn’t seem to apply.
The Daily Dot called an AutoZone location in Lodi, New Jersey, and asked if the establishment sells macaroni and cheese. After sharing in laughter, the employee said no, it does not.
A search for macaroni and cheese on AutoZone’s website appears to confirm this as well. So why are there so many people, like this TikToker named Oscar (@oooscar.g), who are claiming to eat macaroni and cheese from the popular auto parts chain?
While some videos on the topic, such as this cat flatulence clip, are clearly jokes, Oscar’s TikTok had numerous people in the comments section honestly believing that he indeed bought a hot bowl of mac ‘n cheese at the same place he could get a quart of 10w-20 motor oil.
He records his video in the parking lot of an AutoZone location, holding a white container of macaroni up to the camera. “Guys, come with me to try the mac and cheese from AutoZone,” he says. The clip then cuts, and he continues, “All right, we just pulled up to AutoZone. Let’s see if they got the mac and cheese in stock. From the reviews I’ve been hearing, man, I’ve heard it’s good, so let’s go check it out.”
The next clip is of him approaching the front of the store. He opens the door and heads inside. The following shot is a close-up of his face. He asks someone off-camera, “You guys got mac and cheese still?”
He writes in a text overlay, “Yeah,” followed by another on-screen caption filled with flexing arm emojis. The next image is of him holding a gray plastic bag with the AutoZone logo along with a Pepsi fountain drink cup in the parking lot. “Yessir, bag secured. Got me a little drink, too. Bro, look at that mac and cheese waiting for me.”
Oscar holds a receipt in his hand as he discusses the price of the macaroni and cheese he says he purchased from the retailer, even showing a close-up of the receipt that seems to indicate it was from AutoZone. However, the item isn’t shown on the bill of sale.
“I ain’t even gonna lie, it was a bit expensive,” he says. “I did get the combo—total came out to like $14, but I cannot complain.”
Oscar then places the bag on the hood of a black pickup truck and starts to unbox the meal. “Let me go see what this about. I’ve heard some crazy stories, so we gonna see right now,” he narrates into the camera as he preps his first bite. “Mmm, pretty good, pretty good,” he says before quipping that he got “used motor oil” for the beverage, a clear signal at this point in the video that he is continuing a meme. “Super oily, but must recommend. I must say it is pretty cheesy, pretty tangy, but I don’t rock with it,” he says of his final assessment of the supposed AutoZone macaroni and cheese.
“I rate it like a six out of 10. Me, personally, the price really took the rating down for me, but it’s not something I would get again. But guys, that’s it for trying the mac and cheese from AutoZone. Y’all, let me know down in the comments what food you want me to try next?” he says before the video ultimately cuts out.
@oooscar.g What should we try next⁉️😳 #foryoupage #foryou #fyp #trending #viral #singlecab #projecttruck #macncheese #autozone #oooscarg ♬ LA DURANGO – Peso Pluma & Junior H & Eslabon Armado
It was apparent from some of the comments that viewers knew the AutoZone macaroni and cheese post was a joke. “Mac & cheese w a side of coolant,” one penned.
Another quipped, “Bro auto zone should actually just sell mac n cheese atp.”
“Bro try their chilaquiles they do good,” another said.
However, it seemed like at least one person believed the mac and cheese was the real deal. “How tf did you get Mac and cheese from auto zone,” they asked.
Where did the AutoZone mac and cheese meme come from?
The exact origin of the meme isn’t clear. Perhaps it has something to do with a Minor League Baseball team, the Memphis Redbirds, which threw an all-you-can-eat macaroni and cheese night on April 26, 2024, at AutoZone Park.
Or, if you’ve ever driven through the South and parts of the Midwest, you may have seen parked tow trailers housing a smoker and burners of food in parking lots. For some reason, it seems like auto parts stores are the places to be for these home-cooked meals for sale—like at an O’Reilly or an AutoZone, as seen in this Facebook post.
Benton County Food Trucks, for example, made a Facebook post on March 27, 2024, stating that the business would be serving wares in the parking lot of an AutoZone. This social media account made a similar post about giving out grub in one of the store’s parking lots.
While it’s unclear where the meme came from, it has given social media users a good laugh—and perhaps a hankering for mac and cheese. The Daily Dot reached out to Oscar via TikTok comment and direct message and to AutoZone via email for more information.
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