In today’s ever-evolving sandwich world, it’s easy to forget the simple pleasures of one of the finest sandwiches ever assembled: the grilled cheese. It’s simple, really—cheese melted in between two toasted slices of bread—but these days, that basic formula has been toyed with and elevated, for better and for worse. Below, the DCist staff lays out their favorite grilled cheeses in D.C. Did we cover everything? No, but these are our favorites, so please take to the comments and let us know yours!

Photo by Chris Staley.

THE FULL VERMONTY AT THE BIG CHEESE: Finally, a grilled cheese sandwich that understands the simple pleasures of a grilled cheese sandwich: Sharp, tangy Vermont cheddar cheese on sourdough bread. All cheese, no bullshit. Praise be. — Matt Cohen

The Big Cheese is a food truck. You can track its movements here.

BASICALLY ANY GRILLED CHEESE AT GALAXY HUT: Galaxy Hut, one of the last remaining reasons to ever visit Arlington, is famous for their grilled cheese sandwich selection. However, their grilled cheese sandwiches aren’t so much grilled cheese sandwiches as they are regular sandwiches with an abundance of cheese, grilled. A meatloaf grilled cheese? That’s just a meatloaf sandwich. The Turcado, with turkey, avocado, and muenster cheese? Yep, that’s a turkey sandwich. But if Galaxy Hut insists on calling them “grilled cheese sandwiches” then I’ll gladly write them up for this list, because all of their “grilled cheese sandwiches” are delicious, semantics be damned. — Matt Cohen

Galaxy Hut is located at 2711 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, Va.

THE GRILLED CARBONARA AT GCDC: I’m still wary about these new-fangled bougy grilled cheese places—it’s fucking grilled cheese; just slap some damn velveeta on bread and grill that shit!—but for the sake of this list, I ventured to D.C.’s newest grilled cheese place, GCDC, and tried this beautiful monstrosity. For $10, you get creamy Gruyère blended with fresh goat cheese and accompanied by sautéed leeks and pancetta on toasty white bread. I loved it and hated myself for it. Sorry/not sorry. — Matt Cohen

GCDC is located at 1730 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

GRILLED CHEESE AT RIGHT PROPER BREWING COMPANY: Right Proper has changed their grilled cheese since they first opened, and all for the better. Their new grilled cheese is damn good. Two key ingredients make it stand out from the competition: 1. The Danish fontina, a perfect combination with cheddar for supreme melting; and 2. The heirloom tomato add-on, they roast the tomato with oregano, basil and other Italian herbs, enhancing its sweetness and adding a pesto-like flavor to the sandwich. While the base price is $12, add on the tomato and sub fries for the salad, and you are paying $17.50 for a grilled cheese (add smoked bacon for $2 more). Ouch! This is one delectable sandwich, and definitely worth the occasional splurge, but if the price was a tad more reasonable, I might just eat it weekly. — Lynne Venart

Right Proper Brewing Company is located at 624 T Street NW.

Photo by Brian Allen.

GRILLED CHEESE BAR AT RIPPLE: Ripple’s Grilled Cheese Bar offers an array of artisanal grilled cheeses, or the option to create your own. They perfectly complement Ripple’s artisanal cocktails, and are available at two of the happiest hours: 5 to 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. to midnight, Sunday through Thursday. My favorites are the ‘Shroom ‘Shroom, with wild mushrooms and chevre, and the Always Sunny, with peppers, onion, apple and gruyere. The rich cheese is balanced by its fresh counterparts, the bread to topping ratio is on point, and the bread is always toasty and the cheese gooey. The side of chips also helps justify a second cocktail. — Nicole Dubowitz

Ripple is located at 3417 Connecticut Avenue NW.

ROOM 11 GRILLED CHEESE AT ROOM 11: Sometimes you want a grilled cheese that channels all the comforts of childhood. And sometimes you want a grilled cheese sandwich that speaks to a more sophisticated palate. Room 11’s menu has changed quite a bit over the years, but one thing remains the same: their signature grilled cheese sandwich. Mozzarella and raclette keep the texture nice and gooey, while sharp cheddar gives the flavors some depth. But the real star is the spicy tomato dipping sauce. Put it all together, and it’s kind of like eating a really classy fried mozzarella stick. The rest of the plate comes loaded with mixed greens tossed with pine nuts and sherry vinaigrette, helping to balance the richness of the cheese. It’s such a nice combination that it’s almost like the salad cancels out all the calories from the sandwich. Almost. — Alicia Mazzara

Room 11 is located at 3234 11 Street NW.

SUPER GRILLED CHEESE AT STONEY’S BAR AND GRILL: Stoney’s Super Grilled Cheese isn’t fancy, but it sure is tasty. What makes this grilled cheese great is the combo of the finger-licking, buttery bread—served thick and Texas toast-style—and the thinly sliced raw red onions. Their thinness gives just enough of the onion’s bite without being overpowering, and complements the greasiness of the buttery bread and gooey cheese. The Super Grilled Cheese typically comes with bacon, tomato and onion, and you can customize your sandwich by picking your cheeses. (I can’t vouch for the bacon since I always order without, but it’s bacon, so it’s gotta be good, right?) At $9.99 with a heaping bowl of fries, this is also one of the more reasonably priced grilled cheeses I’ve had in this city. — Lynne Venart

Stoney’s is located at 1433 P St NW and 2101 L Street NW.

TED’S FAMOUS GRILLED CHEESE AT TED’S BULLETIN: Ted’s grilled cheese isn’t artisanal, it isn’t a blend of 20 different locally sourced cheeses, nor is it delicately accented with fancy fillers (not that there’s anything wrong with that). It’s cheddar cheese between grilled bread, served with tomato soup. And yet, damn it if it isn’t the sort of food that inspires cravings. Despite sharing a menu with glammed up diner meals that get more press—yes, Ted’s has boozy milkshakes and house-made pop tarts, as everyone you know who has ever been there has probably told you—but this old simple standby is one of the best meals on the menu, and one of the best, if most basic, grilled cheeses in the District. — Riley Croghan

Ted’s Bulletin is located at 1818 14th Street NW, 508 8th Street SE, and 11948 Market Street in Reston, Va.