We have come to really enjoy this place.  If you read my other reviews, I'm a big fan of summarizing places up in a single word or phrase.  I think my word for this place would be consistent.  The service here is always very friendly and professional.  Even when busy they are prompt in greeting you, getting you on the wait list and they tend to be very accurate in the wait times that they give.  Nothing bugs me more than places that consistently  and intentionally short claim you wait time to keep you from leaving.
We tend to eat here in groups with at least one or two families, and they do handle large tables very well. Â The menu is varied enough that both the kids, teens and adults all find fare that suits them well. Â One of the better dishes we've had is a dijon mustard, mushroom chicken dish that is consistently good. Â It does run on the sweet side however, so be prepared. Â
About the only thing I've ever ordered that I really didn't like was their Monte Christo sandwich. Â Generally that is ham, chicken mozzarella cheese all on two pieces of french toast.. (I know... not healthy.. but YUM). Â Their version comes out bascially deep fried. Â It's like they make the whole thing then drop it into a fryer. Â It wasn't horrible, but not a good variation of the traditional.
That being said, the decor is very nice with big fish tanks for the kids too oogle while waiting. Â Parking is ample and the prices very resonable. Â I say try it!
That Monte Cristo was perfection! Â I ate 3/4 of it and was stuffed! Â Yes, I'd really haul my cookies back to Cheddar's just for that sandwich.
Other "pros" include the inexpensive menu (most entrees were less than $10), and the endless drink menu. Â
Cheddar's is a cross between a greasy diner and a family chain restaurant. Â It lacks the "cool" of TGI Friday's, but it lacks the funeral home carpet of most Greek diners. Â Lack of identity, check.
In the past, I've had the chicken tender platter, which my dining partner agreed was just as good as Chili's. Â The fries aren't anything special, and they were borderline cold. Â Our waitress was really weird and she rubbed me the wrong way. I ordered water, and her reply was, "come on girl, water?! It's the weekend!" Â I couldn't tell by her tone how she meant it. Â She made an equally awkward comment after we declined ordering dessert. Â It came off as blatant tip sniffing. Â When she dropped the check, I wanted to leave right away, she didn't seem cool with anyone sitting and chatting.
It appears to be popular with locals, and they probably get some business from travelers being right off of I-55. Â Cheddar's is on my list for my next Monte Cristo craving. Â I'd probably sit at the bar in hopes of avoiding that awkward waitress as well.
Fine for what it was. I was disappointed that they didn't give me breakfast options at
11:30 on a Sunday morning. I should have had a clue by the near empty parking lot. My soup and sandwich combo was fine, nothing special. Â Service was petty good. The food is better than Denny's (there was one across the street, can't comment on it since I didn't eat there.) At least you could have breakfast at Denny's.
Cheddar's is the way into my heart. Â Why?
-Their onion rings are to die for. Â They're extra crispy and cooked just right.
-Service! Â I frequented this place before I got busy with with grad school and never had a bad experience. Â The manager even walks around checking in with people sometimes.
-The prices really cannot be beat. Â Too bad their "painkiller" drink has a limit of two because it's so delicious and so damn cheap!
-If you don't like booze, you can't go wrong with their fresh strawberry lemonade (which has real strawberries floating around in it!)
-Decently sized menu - I have a lot of vegetarian friends and even *they* can find something they like on the menu. Â It isn't overwhelmingly huge, but does offer several options for all palates (my person fave are the fish tacos - just incredible - at 7 bucks!)
-Ambiance. Low lighting, lots of booths, and bar seating in case you want to just hang out. Â Awesome little fireplace outside the place and a cool aquarium on the inside.
-If you really wanna ruin your diet but make your tummy happy, try the cookie monster. Â :)
Oh Chedders how I hate you so much now!!!
I used to be a huuuuugggeee Chedders fan when it was franchise owned before the 2007 shutdown. Â The burgers were suckulant, juicy, made right, and did I mention they would cook it medium rare to rare without acting like you were nuts? Â Chedder's was my second favorite burger next to Quigley's in Naperville (also went to s**t). Â I loved coming to Chedder and sinking my teeth into that juicy, delicious meat that dripped juices down my chin, the thought of it still makes my mouth water to this day.
What the hell happened???!!!! Â I can tell you what happened. Â Apparently the owner screwed up or something and he bailed and sold it to corporate (Chedder's is actually a chain). Â They fired the whole staff and redid the place. Â After they were done I ventured back to one of my favorite establishments. Â We were waited on by a manager because they had just reopened and were getting everything together and since they were all in training we got a manager. Â I ordered my favorite burger with onion straws instead of fries. Â The Chedder's I remembered would give you this heeping pile of delicious onion straws season in black pepper with a side of ranch dressing. Â The onion straws were piled high and I would leave with a belly so full I could hardley breath. Â Well to my shock the manager/waiter told me they don't serve the Onion Straws anymore! Â Then he said they do not cook their burger below medium well!!!! Â Yuck! I hate dry burgers! Â Then he was shocked that the old Chedder's even served less cooked burgers! Â What!!?? Â They not only do not do it, they almost thought I was nuts for asking!!! Â I passed on the burger because I did not want a dry corporate burger that I would need to choke down with tons of water. Â So I ordered some cajun dish, I can't remember exactly what it was but it was not good at all, in fact in was HORRIBLE!! Â I got this plate of genericly seasoned, not very fresh, crap!! Â I was and still am pissed, and will never return.
If I wanted a corporate chain type place I will just go to TGIF, which actually has better food LOL!
Great place for excellent food for a very good price. Went there with my parents and fiancee after driving them (my parents) back to our meeting spot in BB. Â The Bourbon Glazed Salmon was superb. The coleslaw, creamy yet didn't over do it. And the Red Beans and Rice had a definite southern flare. From a person, who lives in a neighborhood in the city surrounded by the so called 5 stars, this place fit my budget and palate. Booo to all the haters.
Review Source:My mom meets friends here for lunch quite often and has wanted us to try it for a long time. We are so glad we did! We went on a Friday night around 6:00 pm and didn't have to wait. It's a cool looking place with comfortable seating. Everyone we met who worked there was friendly and courteous and our server Midori G did a great job.
The onion rings are amazing- my new favorite anywhere! Hand breaded and made right when you order them and a generous serving piled high too. They are pretty thin and crispy and come with ranch and chipotle sauces. WOW. My dad and I seemed to have an unspoken race of who could eat them faster. I think I may have won. :)
My husband loved the Cajun pasta which had shrimp, sausage and chicken in it. It was a huge portion (we took some home) and came with garlic toast. I had the chicken fingers and the menu says they are also hand breaded and made to order. They were very good and you get a huge portion (I took half home and will reheat them in the toaster oven). You get to choose two sides with most entrees. I got the fries (I didn't like them) and their homemade coleslaw- YUM! My parents got the broccoli cheese casserole as a side and ate it all before they ate anything else. My dad's red beans and rice seemed like soup but he said it was tasty. He liked his catfish a lot and couldn't finish it there was so much. The honey butter croissants were also really good but messy.
They have 99 cent mini desserts- I got the chocolate one and it was delicious! What can you get for 99 cents these days- impressive. My mom enjoyed her mini key lime dessert too.
The negatives- the restaurant was freezing! Like so cold you can't stop thinking about it cold. And the bathrooms were really messy and the garbage can was overflowing and there was stuff all over the floor even in the stalls.
They have a great menu with many selections- so much sounds good. It's also surprisingly affordable! Even though it's a far drive from here I know we will be back.
If you want well prepared delicious food and friendly courteous service, this is the place. This is the second time I've been here and the lunch crowd is always big. I had a side salad with Bleu Cheese dressing and I'm pretty sure they make their own dressing, so good. I also ordered the Grilled Salmon and its a generous portion cooked just right. They serve it with kind of a Jamaican Jerk sauce, but its probably better without that sauce. Long story short, come early and hungry. A pretty good meal.
Review Source:Service was wonderful. Â No complaints about that. Â Son ordered the grown-ups grilled cheese, which he did enjoy. Â The onion rings were good. Â I ordered the country fried steak, which I proceeded to cut thru, and out shot bright red blood. Â Yuck! Â Lost my appetite for the meat, but did eat the sides, which were okay. Â The waiter was apologetic and did offer to get me something else, but my son was nearly done, and I didn't want to wait. Â They did not charge me for the steak. Â We may go back one day, but certainly won't be ordering country fried steak.
Review Source:Terrible, we were seated immediately, waited 20 minutes before seeing a server, and it was not ours, cocktails were watered down, 30 minutes, no server, wife went to ask manager to wait on us, he said ok, then he, the GM, went to the bar, and just started chilling, and chatting putting his charm on the bartender. We decided to leave, he then got off bar stool, and said he would wait on us, my son in law said too frickin late, not swearing or being loud, and the GM jumped his business, wow, we were floored, and went across the street. The GM has serious issues here. They will never see the four of us again
Review Source:My wife and I both agree that this was the absolute worst restaurant
experience in our lives... We she had one that was even worse when she was about 8. We decided to go to Cheddars with our 22 month old. We ordered our drinks, received them, and not too long afterwards, our daughter spilled her's on the ground. We don't really expect them to rush over, but after about 5-10 minutes, I would have thought they would have at least gave us a few paper towels... Something. Â Then they bring out the food, and as they are leaving, we inform them that the floor is wet, and it took another 5 minutes for them to come. When they come, the guy cleans the isle, but leave a big puddle under the table, so I am frustrated beyond belief.
I could have dealt with all of that fine. Now it's about 8:30pm, and aside from us, there was only one other family in our area. Since they didn't bother to clean the spill, we decided to moved to the table across from us. The waitress Amy says with a major attitude, "I just cleaned that table!" Then she did not give our daughter another drink. By now, I had officially lost my appetite, and wanted to speak to a manager. The manager obviously didn't care about anything we had to say. All we wanted him to do is have some level of understanding. We wasn't looking for a free meal. In fact, we gave the very rude waitress a great tip. It's just after a long day of intense work as an IT Manager, and my wife as a full time mom of 3, we'd like to just unwind. Not deal with horrible attitudes!
I have been to Cheddar's after work many times after my original review. Each time the service gets worse....the past two times we were waiting....and waiting...then they would forget something....drinks were made sloppy...after this last time we decided we may have to go to another place to hang out after work. I guess I can't ask for much since we are buying super cheap drinks...
Review Source:I have been to 8 different Cheddars, and boy was I pissed when I came to this location the food was okay too which I have had much better at other locations. Now the customer service was a H.A.M (hot a** mess) it is pretty bad when you have to get up to find you server when she only has 2 tables, it was almost like she had forgot she was at work and if you asked me she seem like she was getting over a hang over.
Review Source:A very good example of traditional American Cafe. We came here for the first time, although we been passing this place everytime. We checked this place out of curiousity because of the tower fireplace in the parking lot. Very cozy inside, lights are subdued and they even have a huge rotating hand fan in the main dining area, nice huh... Okay let's talk about the food. Menu selections is just average but the kicker is the price list, I mean very affodable.
Appetizer - Â Stacked onion rings - the batter taste okay but the grease is dripping which I ended up peeling it off and just ate the onion flesh.
Appetizer - French fries with cheese and bacon bits - huge portion, taste is so so.
I ordered deep fride catfish for the main course - very mild and tender inside and the cornmeal covering is just light so it's not taking over the delicate taste of the catfish, for me its very good. The only problem is our server did not include the tartar sauce but he gave me one when I asked.
Drinks: Mango Mojito - sour tasting the one I like, they used mango pureed. Although the Pina Colada is very good, I could taste the rum overpowering the coconut flavor.
Our bill for a dinner for 5 is less than $ 90 bucks. Now use your judgment.
Let me first say that my wife and I have been here numerous times and we like the catfish (lunch or dinner) and New Orleans pasta. No to mention, the drinks are good and cheap and the croissant are amazing. Â We never had an issue until now.
During our last visit on presidents day the experience was just horrible. We invited my sister-in-law and her family to try Chedder's and I was embarrassed. Firstly it was not at all crowded but for some reason they sat us in the back and the service was horrible and slow. Â After we ordered our waitress came back 10 minutes later to tell us they had no more of one of the entrees we ordered. Â Our appetizers came out slow and luke warm and finally after almost and hour our entries finally came out. We where so disappointed with the service we didn't even want to order dessert because we did not want to wait another 30 minutes. Â Our waitress not once during the wait came to tell us what was going on, top off our drinks or simply check on us. Each time what appeared to be a manager walked passed not once did they even look in our direction. We where do angry we could not wait to leave.
It will be a long time if ever we return to Chedder's.
2 stars because in the past the experience was better but this time left me with a very bad feeling about Cheeder's.
I find it bizarre that we had to wait to be seated at 4 pm due to a shift change. I've never had that happen at another restaurant so this place must have poor planning when it comes to staffing. Other than that I did like it, particularly the appetizers. Both the onion rings and spinach dip were delicious. I ordered the key west chicken and shrimp. I liked the shrimp but the chicken and rice were just ok. My sides - mashed potatoes and broccoli cheese casserole - were both really yummy. I'd go back to try some other menu items or just order all appetizers since they are very inexpensive and delicious.
Visited: November 27, 2011
I have eaten here in the past before the remodeling & it was always one of our favorite restaurants. But after this last visit this past weekend, I think not anymore.
The biggest impression I got from this place was SALT!! They have way too much salt on everything. My husband actually couldn't even eat his entire meal, because the salt was upsetting his stomach. He also went through more drinks than usual. I was disappointed that we had to even ask for any refills, which we needed desperately because of the salt. I had ordered the Spasgna w/ meat sauce and the sauce was loaded with salt. Had to scrape it off.
I also ordered a Painkiller which, I think, is some sorta Pina Colada. It tasted like it had no alcohol in it at all. In the past I tried their Margaritas, one of my favorite drinks, but theirs are lousy. I would say stick with a beer.
And I guess recently they have stopped serving fries w/ the burgers. What's up with that!!! Who doesn't eat fries with their burgers in America?!
Lots of food! Little money!!! This place is wonderful. The atmosphere is just right, clean, open and nicely decorated. The staff is very friendly but when the place is busy they tend to come around less often. Their drinks are delicious and huge! You can't beat these prices. I definitely think you need to check it out!
Review Source:OMG this is one of my favorite restaurants now. I went there not knowing what to expect but the cozy atmosphere wad very inviting. Sitting my large party was a challenge to the hostess but the manger on duty was very accommodating apps were on him. The prices were so cheap so I assumed the food would not be good but I was completely wrong the portions were huge and the food was excellent. The waitress was very attentive to the table so I did not have a need for anything. The chicken tenders and shrimp were good ad well as the catfish, smokehouse burger, and the New Orleans pasta.
Review Source:The food wasn't bad. Service however was pretty lousy. Â Our waitress seemed pretty annoyed at having to be there for the entire time we were there. Â Can't say I was super impressed. Â The lemon pepper chicken I had was pretty good, and that famous croissant of theirs is quite tasty. Â The staff just needs a friendly injection.
Review Source:I enjoyed my experience at Cheddar's. My waitress was very accomodating and attentive. We had a party of ten with one arriving late and she never missed a beat. I wish I could remember her name, I really love reporting good service.
The food portions were very large and filling.
Absolutely, nothing bad to say. Â I will definitely return.
I had not been here in about ten years, and they have remodeled it since then. Â It looks great on the inside, and the food is still good! Â I recommend you try the honey butter croissants!! Â I had the shrimp dinner with red beans -N- rice and green beans. Â It was all good! Â The shrimp were huge butterflied ones. Â The red beans and rice were different than what I was used to. Â I am used to a thicker consistency, but cheddars red beans has a great taste!! Â The food here is very reasonably priced as well.
Review Source:Looking at the reviews it seems like before remodeling this place was pretty dumpy. Good thing it isn't the case now!
So this is one of the only times I actually tried a place without looking on yelp first and I'm glad I did! If you look at this place from the outside it looks pretty nice with it's gas lamps outside.. Inside there is a nice fishtank and these really cool ceiling fans.. Needless to say I was quite impressed with the interior..
Had one of the limit 2 per person drinks.. it was the Texas Sweet Tea.. I forgot what alcohol was in it besides the vodka, but this was really good. You can tell there is booze in it, but not enough to not be able to slurp it all up in no time! I was nice and boozed with it..
Food itself was cheap and really good. I had the chicken pot pie which came with a salad.. I don't usually have anything good or bad to say about side salads, but this was a good portion and the croissant it came with was really delicious. Also loved the Vermont Honey French dressing it came with.. Pot pie was nice and hot with a flaky crust.. Just really good..
Also had the cookie dessert which wasn't as big as I thought it would be, but was satisfying.. Only ok part of the meal and not enough to detract from the overall service which was really good. Really attentive..
It's kind of sad to see so little reviews for some places in the 'burbs, but I am glad to be able to share this review of what I deem to be something special..
Cheddars is a solid chain restaurant. Be careful if you like your steak rare. I sent mine back twice and on the third time it was still medium. The staff was very patient and the steak was really good even though it was medium. I loved the salad, side dishes, and honey rolls. It is cheap. You can stuff yourself for ten bucks.
Review Source:We LOVE Cheddars! My family comes here at least once a month and it's the first place we recommend to other people. We even had our wedding rehearsal dinner here in 2005 for about 60 people. I was devastated when they closed but was happy it was just for a remodel. Â The food here has always been great ~ super fresh. You certainly can't beat the prices. $9 for a huge plate of chicken strips and 2 sides. We always bring half of it home for lunch the next day as the portions are huge. I agree that the wait staff is a little lacking at times, but I feel the overall quaility of the restaurant trumps this. Oh! And did I mention the spinach dip and fresh brewed mango iced tea!! Â yum :)
Review Source:I've lived near this place for 7 years and never went in. The place just looked shady to me.  Then I noticed recently that the place had been remodeled. The outside looked inviting and the parking lot is full  every single time I  pass by.  So, we finally decided to give it a shot and boy am I happy we did.
I love the  decor, it is trendy , clean, and inviting. The staff was attentive and friendly. It was a busy Saturday night. Our waiter came back to our table twice to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything.
Now on to the menu.  Hmmmm. I tend to eat on the healthy side, so the burgers and fried food aren't  for me.  I decided to go with the Pecan Chicken Salad $7 and OMG! It was HEAVENLY.  The pecans are honey roasted and I swear I'd go back just to have another handful of those.  It also comes with a buttery melt-in your mouth croissant. I don't even want to know how many calories were in that!  It was delicious.
I also like the fact that you can get alternate sides for about $1.69. I addeda loaded baked potato which did not disappoint. Â As for drinks, I also tend to stay away from pop and was thrilled to see that they had strawberry lemonade...you know the kind with REAL strawberries floating in it. YUM! Â
My husband went with the Bacon Cheeseburger for $4.99 and a pint of Blue Moon (on tap) $2.99 and also had a loaded baked potato. Â He gave all of it two thumbs up.
The check arrives- $26 for a delicious meal that we will DEFINITELY be going back for. Â
Cheap and good, my kinda dinner!
I've been going to Cheddar's for a while...pretty much since their original opening in Bolingbrook and, I must say, the food was simply not good. I ordered that beer battered shrimp and let's just say that those shrimp still had some fight left in them. They were completely undercooked....how in the world do you mess up fried shrimp?!?! My sister order the bourbon glazed salmon and she said that there was so much glaze (which was all over the plate) that it just totally made the dish unappetizing. The saving grace was the honey-butter croissants (my FAVORITE) and the fact that the place was not so crowded, but I've been there when it's been packed (I was once seated in the indoor "patio" where it was not only freezing cold, but the floor was NASTY! It was like people just dumped whatever was left over from their plates onto the floor. I won't be going back.
Review Source:I have been eating at Cheddar's for years. They closed down for about 6 months and just opened back up yesterday 1/12/09. I of course was there last night because I was so excited they were back in business.
It was well worth the wait. The food was just as amazing as it was before. They did beautiful renovations and everything was it great shape. I am under the impression it was closed because it was taken over by corporate and remodeled.
The food was great and the staff was even better. I have never had a bad experience there in all the years I have been going. I have never had food I didn't enjoy either. I love this place!
First, a smart idea would be to review the Cheddars corporate website at: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cheddarsinc.com&s=b44a227940df5bef79d309ad649b80c1122a530499f56768cf469fdfab324e84" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.cheddarsinc.c…</a>. Read the ideas and concepts that Cheddars stands for and represent. Soo, it would be less than assertive to say this Cheddars location is not a corporate owned location. With a decade of visits to many Cheddars Casual Cafes, this restaurant is peculiar from others. Some say wine gains quality with age? This Cheddars is a bottle of spoiled cooking sherry. The wait staff is lacklustered; that is, unsanitary, poor hygiene, unsightly, and mannerless.  Young or mature, male or female. What company enables a criminal to work with a bruised eye socket after a shakedown by  law enforcers?  I suspect that the entire staff including management is under the influence of illicit substances of some sort, and has been for some time by the looks of themselves. I think I may have even saw a white powder in the restroom stall that an employee "may" have used during my last visit. Second, the quality is below par in all ranges. If the portion is large it is because the waitress has had relations with the cook or is the same ethnic background. Sometimes hot; sometimes not. Can get in and out for lunch in 15 minutes and  should  expect to be there for 45 minutes or more. Lastly, the management is a shuffle board? Seems that there are 2 or maybe 3 regular members, yet there is always a missing link to the team.  Ask to be seated in the booth closest to the kitchen prep area door and you will be  garanteed the verbal side-show of a lifetime! Remember to leave the kids home or they will learn a few four lettered words you may not be happy with!  Mostly, keep your personal items closely watched and watch out for the over abundant amount of gang members lingering around the parking lot and bar area! Yikes.. wonder where the law enforcement is during those times? All in all,,,, Patronize at your own risk readers.
Review Source:Another one of our re-visits. After a few more times here we saw that the new managment have taken steps to improve things hence my higher rtaing.
Like an reviewer stated there should be no reason to wait for seating when the palce isn't full? Otherwise, a vast improvemnet over my last review.
Cheddar's, you didn't do right by me. Â I used to love you, but this is a relationship that ended today. Â How could you possibly have taken the Cheddar Cheese soup from your menu? Â Now your menu looks like every other chain restaurant known to man. Â Nothing stands out, nothing special. Â I ordered a Philly Steak Sandwich. Â I didn't realize it was supposed to be made with crunchy little pieces of shredded roast beef. Â The nice waitress and the tasty strawberry iced tea are the only things that made this a partially sweet farewell. Â But do you know what really ended it between us? Â The fact that it has now taken me three hours to write this simple review, because I'm doing it in between trips to the fuc$*$ bathroom. Â Thanks for the memories and the unforgettable case of diarrhea.
Review Source: