The Best Cheese Shop in Every State
Updated: Feb. 23, 2024
Have your cheese graters, slicers and spades at the ready—we've rounded up the best cheese shop in every state.
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Say CHEESE! Here’s a state-by-state guide to America’s best cheese shops, including delis, dairy farms, markets and even a cheesy place to rest your head in Kentucky. (It’s a brie & brie.) In some places, the competition to be the “best” is hotter than a habanero Havarti.
Alabama
Belle Chevre, Elkmont
Bagel lovers should get to know Belle Chevre, a creamery that whips up spreads in flavors like fig, honey and coffee—all made from goat milk. Stop by the shop, housed in a reimagined century-old cotton warehouse, for a tasting and tour.
Alaska
Fromagio’s Artisan Cheese, Anchorage
Build your cheese vocabulary—far beyond “cheddar” and “Swiss”—at Fromagio’s Artisan Cheese, a shop that also offers classes. Learn history and flavors in Cheese 101, or take your taste buds on a spin around the globe (well, at least to Spain, Italy and France) in Taste of Place.
Arizona
Milk n’ More, Tempe
Sink your teeth into fresh curds and simultaneously support local farmers. Milk n’ More is on the campus of the United Dairymen of Arizona and stocks the cooperative’s full line of cheeses. Grab spicy supplies and make double jack mac and Tex-Mex cheesesteaks at home.
Arkansas
Sweet Freedom Cheese, Bentonville
Let freedom ring! Especially when it’s the sound of the cash register tallying up your purchase at Sweet Freedom Cheese, a cut-to-order spot inside the South Market Food Hall. Satisfy your dairy desires, plus ask the expert on duty for a perfect beer or wine pairing.
California
Petaluma Creamery, Petaluma
America has wine trails, a pizza trail and even a Buffalo chicken wing trail, but gouda gourmands will be most impressed by Sonoma County’s cheese trail. There you’ll find Petaluma Creamery, a go-to shop for Asiago, Monterey and three-year aged cheddar to match the area’s award-winning wine. Bonus: the creamery also serves ice cream.
Colorado
Truffle Cheese Shop, Denver
Journey to Europe without picking up your passport. Truffle Cheese Shop has served small-batch artisan cheese and charcuterie from across the Atlantic for the past 20 years. You’ll also find fresh baguettes, French butter, olive oils and vinegars at this outpost with global goods.
Connecticut
Bleu Squid, Mystic
Cheese and wine shops go hand in hand, but a bakery combo is less common. That’s what makes Bleu Squid, a cafe where you can match your queso with a cupcake, so special. Peruse the grilled cheese menu, then use the Squid’s mix of sweet and savory as inspiration to prepare an apple-white cheddar grilled cheese at home.
Delaware
Cheese Chalet, Wilmington
Spanish Manchego, English Stilton and Danish blue—Cheese Chalet has it all. This shop and restaurant also dishes up plenty of entrees smothered in gooey goodness, like chicken enchiladas and meat lasagna. Can’t get enough? Order a cheese and fruit tray to go.
Florida
La Femme du Fromage, Orlando
Naturally a city that’s known for a certain mouse would have exceptional cheese. La Femme du Fromage is essentially an amusement park for your taste buds. Order cheese and charcuterie boards or feast on Le Grand Fromage, a grilled cheese sandwich with prosciutto on garlic bread that’s been hailed the best in Orlando.
Georgia
Cheeses & Mary, Milton
Devout dairy lovers in Georgia flock to Cheeses & Mary, where sampling the shop’s artisanal eats—sourced from local purveyors—is somewhat of a sacred experience. Order a party platter for your last, er, next supper, or gather supplies from the store and build your own cheese board.
Hawaii
Naked Cow Dairy Farm & Creamery, Waianae
Say “aloha” to cheese the Hawaiian way. Naked Cow, the only dairy farm on Oahu, depends solely on feed grown in the state, such as grass, pineapple and macadamia nut by-products. The flavors here have plenty of island influence, too. Kona Buzz, for example, is made with local honey, Hanapepe pink salt from Kauai and Kona coffee.
Idaho
Ballard Family Dairy & Cheese, Gooding
Fetching some feta comes with an animal meet ‘n greet at Ballard Family Dairy & Cheese, where you can take a tour and get up close to the property’s cows. In addition to feta, grab some award-winning truffle cheddar and Danish pearl gouda. Buy a surplus and you can bake apple-gouda pigs in a blanket when you get home.
Illinois
Caputo Cheese Market, Melrose Park
Caputo Cheese Market has been making Italian-style wheels and slices since 1978. And while the shop has an old-school appreciation for formaggio (psst… that’s cheese in Italian), they’re also rolling with the times. Their latest? Elevated Cow—a fresh mozzarella that’s infused with CBD.
Indiana
Oh Mama’s On the Avenue, South Bend
A cheese shop that doubles as a deli means you don’t have to wait until you get home to sink your teeth into cave-aged blues. At Oh Mama’s On The Avenue, order a cheesemonger’s plate to eat onsite. If you’re still hungry, try a triple-cheese pressed sandwich and follow that up with a cheese tower for dessert.
Iowa
The Cheese Shop of Des Moines, Des Moines
Here’s a club for the culturally curious—dairy cultures, that is. The Cheese Shop of Des Moines offers seasonal selects sent to your doorstep each month. But stop in the shop and there’s plenty to tempt your palate in person. The sandwich menu will inspire you to get creative—with, say, tuna artichoke melts—at home.
Kansas
Alma Creamery, Alma
If you were to road trip from coast to coast in search of the most irresistible curds across the country, Alma Creamery, which has been around since 1946, would be a must-stop spot. The curds here are so satisfyingly squeaky, they should be declared a national treasure. (Not from the Midwest? Here’s why cheese curds are squeaky.)
Kentucky
Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese, Austin
The nibbles at Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese are so un-brie-lievable (sorry), you’ll never want to leave. And you don’t have to… at least for a day or two. This 350-acre dairy farm has Airbnb apartments, so you can get a real feel for the cheesemonger’s life. Visit with cows, enjoy the countryside and, yes, eat loads of cheese.
Louisiana
St. James Cheese Company, New Orleans
Forget Bourbon Street. The real action in the Big Easy is on Tchoupitoulas and Prytania Streets—that’s where you’ll find the two locations for St. James Cheese Company. Buy hunks of Taleggio, sign up for a cheese-of-the-month club or grab ingredients for a cheese-centric recipe, such as baked spaghetti.
Maine
The Cheese Iron, Scarborough
Like watching a flower bloom or catching a caterpillar turn into a butterfly, visitors to The Cheese Iron can peep the cheese maturation process in the shop’s onsite cave. Is there anything more stunning than mozzarella metamorphosis? Also pleasing: the selection of over 200 domestic and international kinds of queso here.
Maryland
Cheese Galore & More, Baltimore
Buttermilk, cranberry, mango ginger—those are just a few of the blues you’ll find at Cheese Galore & More, a Cross Street Market shop that really takes the “galore” part to heart. As for the “more,” take your pick of homemade crostinis and French baguettes baked daily.
Massachusetts
Formaggio Kitchen, Cambridge
How do you like them Alpines? This Boston-area shop—with two sister spots nearby, plus one in NYC—has truly delectable Gruyere Reserve Aged Swiss Alpine Cheese. Formaggio Kitchen also has over 40 years of experience, plus owners that have covered thousands of miles visiting cheese makers across the US and Europe to source the very best artisanal eats.
Michigan
Frankenmuth Cheese Haus, Frankenmuth
There’s no missing Frankenmuth Cheese Haus, with its chalet-style building and oversized wedge with a cartoon mouse out front. This entire Bavarian-themed town is a road tripper’s dream and the Haus is a haven for anyone hankering for Havarti, Swiss, cheddar and even chocolate cheese.
Minnesota
St. Paul Cheese Shop, St. Paul
Let a pilgrimage to St. Paul Cheese Shop inspire your next culinary adventure. There, you’ll find cut-to-order cheese, meats and gourmet grocery products, plus ooey-gooey-gotta-lick-your-fingers melts. Afterward, you may even dive grater-first into the cheese recipes we crave the most.
Mississippi
MAFES Sales Store, Starkville
Walk across Mississippi State University’s campus and you’ll find more than school spirit. The agricultural department churns out cheese, a tradition that dates back to the 1930s. You can buy a “cannon ball” of MSU’s beloved Edam cheese at the MAFES (Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station) Sales Store in the Herzer Food Science Building.
Missouri
The Better Cheddar, Kansas City
Learn to pair with purpose at The Better Cheddar, a shop that’s been around since 1983 and has expanded to two locations. Here, you can take classes in mixing cheese with chocolate, wine, beer and even French holidays (as in Bastille Day). Keep your eye on the calendar and your belly filled with cheddar.
Montana
Flathead Lake Cheese, Polson
Gaga for gouda? You’ll be in good company at Flathead Lake Cheese, a bright-yellow creamery just a couple blocks off Main Street. Pick from seven different kinds of housemade gouda, including Buckshot (flavored with black peppercorns) and Galiki (loaded with garlic). Buy extra and work your way through our favorite gouda cheese recipes.
Nebraska
Osceola Cheese, Osceola
Aged to perfection, Osceola Cheese has been around since 1944. And as many years as they have in the biz, they have even more varieties of cheese on their chilled-out shelves—over 275 total. Of course they’ve got the fancy stuff (we’re looking at you, Gruyere), but the string cheese here gets rave reviews, too.
Nevada
Valley Cheese and Wine, Henderson
Even Sin City gets a slice of dairy heaven. Valley Cheese and Wine in Henderson is the area’s go-to spot for cheese and charcuterie boards. Plus, the owners moved to Nevada from Paris, so they certainly know their way around wedges of Roquefort, Beaufort and other French selections.
New Hampshire
Harman’s Cheese & Country Store, Sugar Hill
Are you on a cheese diet? We’re only partly kidding. First, zip over to Harman’s Cheese & Country Store, who claims to have “the best cheddar in the world” (hard to argue with a place that’s been cheese wheeling and dealing since 1955). Then, use your haul on a handful of these recipes that don’t skimp on cheese.
New Jersey
The Cheese Cave, Red Bank
Make like you’re a superhero and escape to The Cheese Cave! Your superpower will be sussing out a deal, as each Friday tastings here are only $5. Your kryptonite? Not getting extras to take home with you, but fear not—you’ll save 15% when you purchase any of Friday’s featured cheeses.
New Mexico
Tully’s Italian Deli & Meats, Albuquerque
Meat may be in the name, but make no mistake, this spot has plenty of cheese as well. At Tully’s Italian Deli & Meats, the Parmigiano Reggiano, Locatelli Romano and Fontinella are all imported right from Italy. And don’t “fuhgettaboutit” when it comes to adding cheese-and-wine sausage to your order, too.
New York
Murray’s Cheese, New York City
If there were a cheese hall of fame, Murray’s Cheese would deserve a wing, or at the very least, a few busts carved out of Brie. This iconic emporium got its start with a Jewish veteran of the Spanish Civil War back in 1940 in NYC’s Greenwich Village. Today, Murray’s products can be found in shops across the country.
North Carolina
Orrman’s Cheese Shop, Charlotte
Ever feasted on raclette—the old-world dish from the Alps that involves melting cheeses on stones by the fire? You can get it at Orrman’s Cheese Shop, an outpost at the 7th Street Public Market with over 100 varieties to satiate the modern-day monger. In the meantime, brush up on even more dairy history with these amazing facts about cheese.
North Dakota
Pinch & Pour, Fargo
Pinch & Pour will also give you plenty of reasons to slice and nibble, as they’ve got an impressive selection of cheese, in addition to olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Checkout their “Cheese 101” class for a primer or a refresher on everybody’s favorite subject.
Ohio
Grandpa’s Cheesebarn, Ashland
Grandpa’s Cheesebarn is precisely the name needed to sum up the joy this place brings. Who wouldn’t get giddy at the sight of wheels of maple bacon cheddar and tubs of roasted homemade pineapple habanero spread? Psst… they have homemade chocolate pizza, too.
Oklahoma
Swan Bros. Dairy, Claremore
You could call Swan Bros. Dairy a farm-to-cheese-board operation. Buy your japaleño curds in the store on the same property as the cows milked to make them. This is also a great place to stock up for all your Colby cheese recipes. That’s the first fromage that turned Swan Bros. from simply a milk purveyor to a cheesemonger, too.
Oregon
Cheese Bar, Portland
Imagine a world where the most notable vice is excessive cheese consumption. “Hey barkeep, slice me another Manchego. It’s been a long day.” It seems somewhat plausible at Cheese Bar in Portland, a city where a dairy dreamland is suitably quirky. You’ll also find craft beer, wine and cider here, but imbibing in the hard stuff (as in cheese) is where it’s at.
Pennsylvania
Di Bruno Brothers, Philadelphia
Taking the trophy for largest selection we’ve seen yet, Di Bruno Brothers packs more than 500 cheese varieties into each of its Philadelphia-area stores. The brand got its start in 1939 when three brothers emigrated to the US from Italy, eventually setting the groundwork for what’s now an empire of cheese, cured meats, olives, oils and pasta.
Rhode Island
Edgewood Cheese Shop and Eatery, Cranston
Edgewood Cheese Shop and Eatery reminds us that one of the most delicious things you can do with cheese is combine it with fig jam. But be forewarned of a likely flavor explosion. Taste for yourself with the shop’s roast beef and brie with fig jam sandwich. Or, whip up some fig jam of your own and experiment at home.
South Carolina
Goat. Sheep. Cow., Charleston
Like clubgoers eagerly awaiting the latest hot spot in town, Goat. Sheep. Cow. draws a crowd. But the dairy devotees here line up around noon, not midnight. That’s because the cheese shop, with two Charleston locations, releases a daily lunchtime sandwich, with the flavors of the day breaking on social media.
South Dakota
Cheese World, Sioux Falls
Add another planet to the solar system. The creamy offerings at Cheese World are so enticing, the place practically has a gravitational pull of its own. If you’re not too busy updating NASA on the latest astronomical findings, enroll in online M&C University, which is a database of drool-inducing macaroni and cheese recipes.
Tennessee
Bleu Fox Cheese Shop, Chattanooga
Hop on the Chattanooga choo choo with a one-way ticket to cheddar town, aka Bleu Fox Cheese Shop. This family-owned grocery store will satisfy your sweet, savory and salty tooth with its off-the-rind offerings. Load up on olives, jams, honey and crackers, too, for an “All a-cheese-board!”
Texas
Antonelli’s Cheese Shop, Austin
Keep Austin weird, but keep the wide selection of dairy delights at Antonelli’s Cheese Shop an ordinary occurrence. In keeping with the city’s creative spirit, however, the husband-wife duo behind Antonelli’s do make an effort to present their nibbles in new ways. For example, to celebrate the release of buttery Black Betty, the shop hosted a black-light silent disco party.
Utah
Beehive Cheese, Uintah
We’ve already mentioned a hypothetical cheese hall of fame, but now we’re imagining a cheese olympics—oh wait, that does exist and Beehive Cheese came home with some medals. At the 2016 World Cheese Awards in London, Beehive won for its Barely Buzzed (a hard cheese rubbed with lavender and espresso), Apple Walnut Smoked and Promontory Cheddar.
Vermont
Cabot Farmers’ Store, Waterbury Center
Vermont is a small but mighty state when it comes to dairy production. Here you’ll find the home of Cabot, a cheese brand that’s now gobbled up across the country. The Cabot Farmers’ Store, about a five-minute drive from the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory, stocks all the label’s artisanal cheese, plus Vermont microbrews and hard ciders.
Virginia
Cheesetique, Alexandria
Head to a boutique to stock your closet, hop over to Cheesetique to fill your cupboard. This shop/restaurant/wine cellar has hundreds of cheeses, as well as accompaniments and tools to help you get creative at home. Let their cheesemongers be your cheese mentors as you dive into recipes for cheese spreads, dips, balls and more.
Washington
Twin Sisters Creamery, Ferndale
The Pacific Northwest has a rep for being moody, in both its weather and music. Might we suggest taking out your blues in your cheese? Fortunately, Ferndale’s Twin Sisters Creamery—created by a husband-and-wife team and inspired by their daughters, specializes in making blues. But you’ll find additional varieties, as well as meats, jams and other fixings, at their shop.
West Virginia
Fleur de Lis Cheese Shop, Berkeley Springs
Experience pairing to perfection at Fleur de Lis Cheese Shop, which specializes in custom-made cheese and charcuterie plates, plus boutique wines. Order a combo, such as the French Kiss (brie with dried fruits, bonbons and petit toast). Then, practice the art of mixing yourself in a wine-and-cheese class at the shop.
Wisconsin
Fromagination, Madison
Woo-wee! Declaring a “best” in Wisconsin, a state where the citizens refer to themselves as “cheeseheads” and don wedges on their heads to sporting events, is incredibly tough. There truly are no losers in America’s Dairyland, but we’re going to tip our Swiss top hat to Fromagination. Here, the shop’s owner, Ken Monteleone, refers to himself as a creative director and remains committed to carrying on Wisconsin’s tasty heritage.
Wyoming
Jackson Whole Grocer & Cafe, Jackson
This boutique market has a wide variety of both domestic and international cheeses, plus staff that knows their way around a creamy or crumbly wedge. Swing by Jackson Whole Grocer & Cafe for a nutty alpine variety, paired with a local bottle of pinot. That may be just what you need after a day on the slopes or an afternoon hike.
Originally Published: September 02, 2020
