I have been eating here for years and about a year ago I stopped as I felt from those last few visits that the quality was not there. However, let's talk NOW. It is VERY GOOD!! I was impressed with the QUALITY OF FOOD. The freshness of the vegetables. The servers were very attentive and courteous... I have to say Kudos to management of these WONDERFUL IMPROVEMENTS. Definitely making it a regular stop again since it's so close to our office. Cheers!
(4)
Chad L.
I've been to many Cheddars over the last 15 years. This chain, though growing quickly, is not as large as many other restaurant chains. However, when you see one, you need to stop and eat! With the exception of just one location, I've always had a great meal with great service. This location is no exception! I arrived with my friends for lunch. The parking lot was nearly full, but don't let that stop you. We were seated immediately and were taken care of properly. Portions are good, prices have gone up over the years, but are still respectable. If you are new to Cheddars and not sure what to go, the chicken tenders are a staple. My wife loves them and they might be the most popular item on the menu. Some of my lunch favorites include the buffalo chicken wrapper, Monte Cristo and more. Salads are huge. You pretty much can't go wrong with any dinner selection either.
(3)
Glorimar S.
If I would've known the sauce for the grilled fish tacos was demanded to drench through the tortilla, I wouldn't have ordered them. The side of broccoli was flavorful but I can also make a mean broccoli at home. The level of noise in a restaurant typically isn't the defying factor of my experience, but this place was outrageous. We were yelling across the table to speak! The waitress seemed bothered as well and could have quite possibly been the reason for receiving my margarita 20 minutes late. If I ever return, it will be to sit at the bar for a margarita.
(2)
J B.
Well this used to be one of my favorite places to eat. As of tonight, no more. Let's get started; The wait was about what was quoted. I felt the place definitely busy for this time of year, basically the off season. The service was decent. She wasn't as attentive as she should have been. Kept me waiting for drink, A1, and I gave up on more dressing. Polite none the less. They have kept the prices reasonable, some less than $10 choices and the largest 11oz steak was $13.99 that's inexpensive compared to any other chain eatery. It's typically $15-16 for an 8oz. But that's the good, now for the bad. The food is where my disappointment lay. I've eaten at Cheddar's for YEARS! And mostly I order the same couple favorites when I'm in. Tonight was the 11oz sirloin smothered in garlic and parmesan, and yes it was smothered, too much! Temp was correct but the steak was crap. Not near as flavorful as I remember. Definitely seems like they're cutting corners. Seems a cheaper beef stock or something. I'd eat my shoe if it was an Angus cut or similar. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Salad, they've changed the dressing. Thousand island was crap, oily and cheap tasting. And it was lettuce cheese and croutons. Thank goodness for the honey butter croissant. Buttered corn, theirs was actually what started me eating corn out. It was flavorful and tasty, but no more. This was so bland, so, so, bland. And half the corn seemed as if it was turning, not the bright yellow you'd expect. They brought the loaded baked potato out 10 minutes after my meal, it was hot and cooked which is a milestone at restaurants these days. But that didn't last as they forgot the butter and by the time they brought it out it was cold. No chives makes me a sad yelper... How much do chives cost... :(( I left more than I ate. And for $25 with tip it doesn't make me want to return. I'm not sure how to rate this, but I think I've been fair. I may give it another go in a number of months. If my experience changes I'll update my review.
(3)
Elena M.
Drinks/cocktails are great! Food is very affordable and great value. Try the croissants they are fantastic! Service I ok and I would like to see that restaurant get an updated makeover, a bit outdated.
(4)
Liz B.
My family ate here last night after traveling across the country from Michigan. The waitress was friendly and the restaurant was decent. The food was delicious, but it took a VERY LONG time for us to get our food! I understand they want to bring everything out together, but I was so hungry that I almost got full off of two glasses of strawberry lemonade. I ordered the chicken tenders and ribs. I really like the portion sizes at Cheddar's. So the only complaint I have is the wait time for our food.
(3)
Bo W.
This place looks very nice from the outside. The inside is clean, and our server was fast and friendly. The reason in giving a three star rating, and not a higher rating was the food. I ordered a steak, and my wife ordered blackened salmon. My steak was okay. I was expecting a little better cut, but live and learn. My wifes salmon was raw inside. We told our server, and he told us he would get the manager. The manager cane to the table, so we showed her the raw salmon. She took it to the kitchen to finish cooking, and we didn't see her again. Some fish is raw quality. I'm sure this place does not get that quality fish. Why get a manager just to take a plate to the kitchen? I thought we were going to get a complimentary dessert, but there was no offer to make up for the mistake. I guess serving raw fish is too common of occurrence here. I don't think I'll go back. For the price, there are too many other, BETTER options.
This place has ups and downs. Hopefully it'll survive Ford's opening next door. Prices are among the best in Brandon, though service can sometimes be an issue. Good is consistently good, though
(4)
Beth L.
Excellent service. Every time I come here I'm more and more impressed. The waiter was excellent. I ordered the monte cristo and it was amazing. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone.
(5)
Mindy M.
Been here years ago. Had the Painkiller and Chicken Tenders. Both were excellent. Came a second time last week. Was told the wait would be 30 minutes. Still was not seated after 30 minutes, but managed to experience some entertainment in the form of people watching. One girl had her legs draped over her date in the waiting area, allowing everyone across from her to see all of her "glory" they eventually left due to the long waiting time. Another lady came in her pajamas with a sleeping cap. Her date wore what appeared to be house clothes with socks and sandals. We left and decided to go to Chick Fil A down the street...
(2)
Keith D.
I don't know why I keep coming back. The service is always HORRIBLE! The food is okay. A lot of servers walking around
(1)
Samantha J.
I've never been to a Cheddars previous to this location. I would say it was okay, didn't exceed my expectations or disappoint me. Standard customer service and the environment had a lot of character, which was nice, and it was decently clean. The bathrooms could use an upgrade but they were pretty clean. We ordered the onion rings as an appetizer and you definitely get a large portion for the price. They were very tasty but I found them to be a little heavy from being fried. The Napa Chicken Ciabatta sandwich was really good and was a good size for the price. The side caesar salad had a little too much dressing for me but that's easy to fix by asking for the dressing on the side. The second time I went I ordered the Chicken Alfredo, which was pretty good with the pasta and chicken being cooked well, however the Alfredo sauce lacked originality in flavor and tasted pretty plain. So far my absolutely favorite things on the menu would be the chips and queso dip as an appetizer and the honey croissants you can order additionally or get with a side salad. I highly recommend those two to try! Otherwise it's just an average restaurant with hit or miss things on the menu, nothing spectacular but decent enough for a dinner night out.
(3)
Olivia B.
Food is excellent and cheap but it is always just so crowded and noisy most of the time. Otherwise, everything else is great!
(4)
Richard N.
Pleasantly surprised! This was my first trip to Cheddars and certainly won't be my last. From the time we walked in the staff was very courteous. All the staff was dressed up in Halloween costumes which I though was very cool. Upon entering you walking to into a small but very nice waiting room with wood paneling and brick archways through to the bar/outdoor seating. The main feature of the main dinning area is this very large rotating fan. It's very cool....literally. The food is very good. I had the New Orleans pasta. It has shrimp, sausage, penne pasta, chicken and green peppers in a creamy Cajun sauce. It was really good and all for only $10.49 I've had similar dishes at other restaurants and most go for $16-$20 for the same size portion I had. The appetizer onion rings could be a meal in them selves. The stacks had to be 8 inches high above the plate, and they were delicious. Lastly for desert we had the hot fudge cake sunday. The slice of cake was very generous and so moist and delicious. Initially I was worried how good it would be given that I had heard it was all so very cheap. Our bill pre tip for an appetizer, two entrees and desert along with sweet teas was $38!! This restaurant is on par with food and service wise with some of the more upscale restaurants I have been to to. I would highly recommend trying this place out.
(5)
Robert D.
One of the best values for American food in the Tampa area. The building is inviting. Food is very good (especially the chicken tortilla soup and broccoli casserole) and the menu has plenty of variety. Makes a great spot for after-church lunch. One of our favorite spots in Brandon.
(5)
Michael C.
LOL, so I'm just updating my last review, because once again I feel prey to the "we haven't been here in awhile" syndrome. I'm lowering my previous two stars to one. The food is nearly unpalatable. Disappointed once again. Not sure why about every six months or so I give this place a chance to disappoint me again. 45 minutes after the order was taken our room temperature food arrived. Would have been okay if it had a good flavor but it didn't.
(1)
Joseph R.
Never got inside due to dishonest wait times, but the food at the Lauderdale Lakes (Fort Lauderdale) is amazing, so I'm sure it's the same. The wait times are a joke. They will say 20 minutes when they know it's going to take longer. Why lie? Anyways, i won't be back.
(1)
Kaylin V.
Arrived at 11:30. Seated by 11:35. Ordered food around 11:40 nothing complicated. 11:55 drinks nothing fancy just soda. 12:15 no food. 12:20 server comes to table "Your food will be right out". 12:35 still no food. Flag down other server and inform. Manager comes to the table. "How is everything today?" REAL!!!!!! Cancelled order and left at 12:44. Grabbed Steak and Shake. Can never go wrong with some Steak and Shake.
(1)
Adam B.
Bartender was rude and inattentive. Lots of open seating but no staff to run the restaurant. No reason for a wait but a 35 min wait nonetheless. Always poorly managed but the food is good and cheap so you get what you pay for.
(2)
Tierra D.
I came here yesterday with a few friends and there was a small mix up with one of the orders BUT, the manager Joe came out and took care of us he is great he made what would have been a bad experience turn completely around. GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE JOE! I will definitely be back the food is GREAT! Try the New Orleans pasta its soooo goooood!
(4)
Letitia K.
We have eaten here several times in the past. Today we stopped by after the movies to get a late lunch. There were only a few cars in the parking lot so we thought great we won't have to wait for a table. Once inside we noticed several empty tables. The hostess said it would be a 20-30 minute wait. I looked behind him noticing all the empty tables. He explained they only had 2 severs then he said " Do you want to wait?" When I said no he said in a condensing voice "Well have good day." It's to bad because my family enjoy's eating here but it will be a long time if ever before we go back!
(2)
Arturo R.
Over the past years, we've seen this place from being a good place, to a lousy place! The food isn't terrible, the drinks are ok, no drink specials, but the service is just thee worst!!! They will tell you 10-15 min wait, while there are plenty of empty tables, people just walking around, some holding up the wall when there is plenty of people waiting to have a seat. This has been my last time. Just fu&@ing terrible!
(1)
SP W.
Beautiful exterior and grounds. Great sign. Great entryway. Until you get inside and all you see is a dirty, lazy, dont listen, unkempt MESS.. So so average food nothing to write home about. Server aka bartender was wearing an unironed shirt with lint all over...he got my order incorrext and the guy next to me all wrong...he came just shy of are blaming us._
(1)
Les M.
We have been to Cheddar's a few times since moving to Brandon in 2007. Each time I have left wondering why we picked that place to eat. The food is bland if not horrible, the drinks are weak and the services is lousy. I cannot understand how anyone can rate this place above a 1 star. Either they have never been to another restaurant or their sense of taste has been compromised. They need to put this place out of our misery and bring a new and exciting eatery to this location. My suggestion would be the Stein & Vine currently on Bloomingdale as that place will soon need room to grow.
(1)
Elizabeth W.
I hate to give this a 3 but the service really ruined it for me. I am a Cheddars fanatic and it will always be one if my favorite restaurants and I will always return because it's wonderful food for a great price. I hadn't been to this location in a while and I don't know if it was the time of day I went or because service level has decreased over time. The restaurant was almost empty and though there were tons of servers who l seemed to be socializing a couple tables down instead of doing their job. I watched my waitress sit down and eat a sandwich while I waited and waited and waited for a refill and the opportunity to ask for honey mustard. The guy that brought our food was snappy for no reason. When I ordered they said they could substitute my Texas toast for their SO UTTERLY DELICIOUS honey butter croissant and it didn't come out with my food, they brought the toast. I explained this to the guy that brought the food and he was like only theirs comes with croissants (referring to my friends) and I again explained the situation and he was like they aren't done yet in his snappy tone. He never brought them out when they were done and I had to ask my waitress again and my friends never got the ones that were supposed to come with their meals. The food was good as usual though and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I've literally never had anything there I didn't like. Their Cesar salad is great, the accompanying honey butter croissant is even better, the monte cristo is delicious, the chicken tenders are wonderful, the croissant bread pudding is made up of their honey butter croissants and it is definition of heavenly.
(3)
Hannah B.
Appetizers were good, entrees were horrible. It tasted old and it was over cooked - burned & tough. Indigestion would be an understatement. Never coming back.
(1)
Nadine F.
I have been to Cheddar's on several occasions and I'm not sure why this is the first time that I thought to write a review! I have a lot to say about them. Cheddar's is an all american restaurant with an atmosphere that is a little more upscale than a Chili's or Applebees. They have a nice outdoor seating area that includes a water fountain.The prices however, are extremely reasonable for what you get. Appetizers: They have a great spinach dip and the onion rings come piled high! They have a secret menu item not found under appetizers but you can also order a plate of Honey Butter croissants as an ap. They are exactly as named- croissants with Honey and butter drizzled on top. They don't exactly melt in your mouth but they are sinfully yummy for those days you allow yourself the carbs. So speaking of carbs...this is one of my favorite restaurant to go to when avoiding them. They have a lot of choices of sides so you are not tempted by french fries. Entrees: they have everything from steaks and ribs, big yummy salads (that come with a croissant) and more southern selections like roast beef and mashed potatoes or chicken fried chicken. On our last visit, we took my mom and she commented :"The roast beef is better than Cracker Barrell's." and that is a huge compliment from her. A great place to come for chicken tender lovers because they come piled high! I admit, I have never had dessert here but that's because I spend my calories on drinks. The drinks are very reasonably priced and the margarita menu is awesome. Their version (a copy of Chili's) Presidente Margarita, is better than Chili's. It was good and made me quite toasty. Just be careful when ordering a margarita as some of them are similarly named and the servers get confused by this. I also love that you can get frozen Sangria! I don't think I have ever seen that anywhere else. So now, speaking of servers...THIS IS WHERE THEY LOSE 2 Stars!! As much as I raved about the menu a restaurant is not good without good service. We have been here several times and never walked away feeling like we had great service. More often than not, we leave feeling like our servers did not have time for us. I don't know if this is an overload of work issue or just bad training, but even the management doesn't seem to interested in service. I absolutely hate that I will wait 30 minutes for a table and run the risk of being sat at a table in the bar when I could have sat at the bar 30 minutes ago. They will not seat large parties unless you called ahead and arrive early. They won't seat you at all after a certain time. And unlike Chili's or Applebees, you can't walk in 5 minutes before they close and still expect a table...they have no problem turning you away. Drinks are never ever refilled unless asked. On multiple occasions, different server every time, they never refill our drinks, not even water glasses. So in closing, a great place to come when you are looking for comfort food and drinks but don't come late, don't come in a hurry and don't come with the expectations of great service.
(3)
Chris B.
Bourbon salmon was amazing!!! It was perfectly cooked and had a beautiful flavor. The waitress was very attentive and provided great service. The food came out fairly quickly and the restaurant was very clean. We will be back :-)
(4)
Rachel M.
**This is a tirade about the service** I haven't been to Cheddar's in years, and after today, I will not be going back. From the moment we walked in, the hostesses (and possibly a manager?) looked at us like they were clueless on how to greet us. I finally said hello and a young lady sat us. This same young lady came back and dropped silverware at our table and quickly ran off while saying "enjoy." Look, I've worked hospitality all my life. I know when the place is busy and you're in the weeds, you can sometimes get overwhelmed-- but at the end of the day, you're still in customer service. A server (who was not ours) got our drinks, which was nice; and our server never came to greet us. We paid for our drinks and left.
(1)
Michael Z.
Clearly, we needed another chain restaurant serving pub food! It was remarkably crowded at the location I went to and seemed to be popular with large groups. The menu had a little bit of everything - think Cheesecake Factory here, Chili's there and a heavy dose of Applebee's. The prices were very reasonable and they had a fairly large drink menu, but the food was underwhelming. Lots of salt and processed items (not that I am a health nut) but it was a shame to waste the calories on something so average. If you find yourself in a strip mall and looking for a reliable meal, Cheddar's is not a bad option. But if you need to give your name and get a buzzer to wait for a table, I would submit that it is not worth the wait.
(2)
Don M.
I have eaten here several times and am never disappointed. Great chicken fingers, Mac and cheese, nachos and other kid food for adults and kids alike. Very large portions at reasonable prices. Clean and efficient.
(4)
Kim S.
Weird waiter. Very slow service. Two hours for basic truck food. Cheap though, large portions. Drinks were reasonable and good. It's like Applebee's had a baby with Outback. Don't order dessert unless you have an hour to kill.
(2)
Maria L.
It's definitely a hit or miss with this place. Service can be good or bad, you never know. But the food (this pasta that is kind of like a gumbo too) and especially a drink called the Pain Killer.. Oh cheese and rice it's delicious! I go back there.. just for that. Lol. :)
(4)
Radar M.
We used to enjoy eating here. Noted on our last couple of visits that when we got seated in or near the carpeted area there was nasty odor. Guessing wet carpet or something..really should get rid of that stinky carpet. Again, we used to really enjoy the place. Good drinks and used to really like the Country Fried Steak. With Cheddars having started out in Texas they used to make a real good Country Fried Steak with actual round steak or similar. On my last visit I ordered my usual and noticed that now they just hand bread a hamburger patty..yuck. Waitress said they changed their food vendor and that's the meat they get now. Pros: The bar area & patio is nice, good drinks and good appetizers. Cons: Carpeted area has a constant smell / stinky odor. The Country Fried Steak is terrible now that they just bread a hamburger patty instead of using an actual cut of steak. Don't have any plans on returning anytime soon.
(2)
Yamile B.
The food and drinks are really good, but today was not that busy and we waited over 20min and nobody came to our table it was so bad we had to leave really disappointed
(1)
Nate J.
My first visit to Cheddar's Casual Cafe on Saturday for an early dinner with my fiancee and her family. First off, I'm a pretty plain eater. I dont normally order spinach dip but if its there I will try it. Needless to say I really enjoyed it! I got a bacon cheese burger (one of my favorite things to order) and let me tell you, its was a great size, I couldnt eat the whole thing. The fries were cooked and seasoned just right. The service was good, I never went without a drink (water) and the waiter was pretty friendly and always had something good to say about the food. This was a great experience and we will definitely be back!
(5)
Marie W.
It's a chain restaurant that is inexpensive and good for what it is. Honestly-this is my preference over Applebee's (which I refuse to eat at) and Chili's. Quality seems better and variety is good.
(4)
Daniel N.
By far the worst experience I have ever had at a restaurant. We waited for 30 minutes to be seated and once we did we were seated at the bar. Our waitress was the person behind the bar, I had no problem in who it was, it was just really busy and I knew taking my order and waiting on me was going to be slow. Aside from this, I seen people just walking in and sitting at the bar, being served by the same person. If I had know that I was going to be seated at the bar from the beginning I would have not waited to be seated and just walked up to the bar and ordered. There were many other people that showed up after I did and that were waiting to also be seated but for some odd reason they never sat any other party where we were seated, even though there were two tables open. I dealt with what was going on but the one thing that pushed it overboard was how unprofessional the person behind the bar was. After I talked to a manager, who was very helpful and was the reason I stayed, my waitress took my order and walked back to the bar where she started to talk to everyone at the bar about what had just happened and that I " just didn't want to sit at the bar." This was the most uncomfortable I have ever felt at a dinning establishment. Therefore I will never be returning to any Cheddars restaurants no matter where it is.
(1)
Rose Q.
Ate there for the second time last night (Tuesday night). There will not be a third time. The decor theme and overall atmosphere seems unfocused - are they new American, Southwestern, tropical island? Overall the place is really noisy. They seemed understaffed with waitstaff but too many hostesses. Our waitress brought our appetizer but failed to realize we had no silverware or napkins. Food was just blah.
(2)
Brandi P.
My husband and I decided to try this place out since it always seems busy. I ordered the chicken tenders and shrimp while he ordered the cajun pasta. The chicken and shrimp portion size was incredible especially at the price point so I was quite pleased when they brought our food out. The fries were fresh and well seasoned and the corn was delicious. The chicken tenders and shrimp could have been cooked a little longer for my taste but overall my meal was satisfactory. My poor husband on the other hand was not happy with his meal at all. The pasta was mushy and the sauce was watered down. He barely ate 2 bites of it before deciding to help me with my meal instead. Our server was attentive at the beginning but then pretty much ignored us once we received our food. We had to ask for silverware just to be able to eat. Then when he finally checked on us I told him about the pasta being unedible. He acted surprised to hear that and then walked away to get our check. No offers of apologies were made. If he had checked on us sooner my husband would have asked for something else but since he didn't we were forced to pay for what we had ordered even though he didn't eat. I am very dissatisfied will my experience here and do not see us returning anytime soon.
(1)
Kari L.
I wish I could leave zero stars. This place was horrible. You walk in and it's super loud... We were seated and the table smells like old washing water that has been reused... I asked for bottled water and they only have tap... We asked for ribs and they were out... I was so disgusted I decided not to eat... And a minute into placing our order we decided to go somewhere else. We cancelled the food but you better believe they charged us the $6 for a mango ice tea and a coke! As a manager that's something you don't charge customers when they sat in your restaurant for a total of 7 minutes and were so disgusted they chose to leave. Will NEVER be returning and sure as hell wouldn't recommend this to anybody!
(1)
Margaret F.
I've been going to Cheddar's for years and I absolutely love this place. The prices are great, the portions are HUGE, and I've only had bad service once...and that was all on the waitress. I LOVE the Buffalo Chicken Wrapper and my fiance loves the Chicken and Waffles. The only thing that I don't like that I've taste is the mac and cheese. I would give it 5 stars, but the fact that there is always a wait there is a bit annoying. It is always packed, but you know that means that the place is good. They also have really good cheap drinks such as their skinny margarita and Texas sweet tea. I definitely recommend this, just know that if you go later in the day, you'll probably wait.
(4)
Melissa M.
I've been here a few times for lunch and have always been sat fast and had great food. Salads are awesome. The lunch deal is a ridiculous amount of food for less than $8 and they will throw any sandwich in a wrap for you if you ask! You can sit at the bar if there's a wait to get out of there early. I've been there to meet up with friends once and they have yummy drinks too.
(4)
Deniese M.
First time at cheddars and it was just OK. Chicken Pot pie was kinda Blah. The braised beef was tender and a good size portion but also lacked seasoning. The Cesar salad was very good and the croissants were also very tasty but extremely sweet. They would of been great with Ice cream but they were too sweet and didn't go with the meal. The edamame was also just ok. The seasoning they give is a little salty and the soy wasn't that great. Service was not great either. our waitress walked by us several times without noticing our drinks needed refills and the restaurant was not busy. I don't think I'll be returning.
(3)
Sashimi M.
It is what it is...a chain restaurant with inexperienced staff and institutional food. We went there the day after Thanksgiving at 5pm. Though we were told it would be a 20-30 minute wait, there were many open tables. We went to Cheddar's for a birthday celebration for our grandmother, and there were 3 senior citizens in our group. We got bounced around a bit and finally told we could sit in a booth in the bar. We got situated, a hostess came over to say we couldn't sit there, and we told her that an employee said we could sit in the booth for dinner. Then a manager came over to speak with us and share some of his attitude. After a less than hospitable exchange, we stayed at the table where we were seated, ordered our meal and left. Bad food, Bad service, bad Scene...
(1)
Katy S.
Cheddar's is a good lunch or dinner spot in the Brandon area. I've been here several times and have had very mixed experiences with the level of service. I've had great service and awful service, so I would like to see more consistency as I never know what I'm gonna get. As for the food - they have some really good American food offerings. The croissants with the honey butter sauce melt in your mouth! I often find myself ordering something else that comes with honey mustard as the honey mustard dressing at Cheddar's is the best! Another recommendation - the chicken Caesar pasta salad. A chicken Caesar salad with PASTA NOODLES in it (What!?). Really good. Overall, three stars. Four for the food - but moved to three for the consistency issues.
(3)
Diane S.
Food is OK. Restaurant is a bit run down especially the restrooms. The crossiants were good. Everything else was just OK.
(3)
Chris B.
I've had good meals at Cheddar's, and some not so good. But, when it's good, it's really good. This is the only restaurant I will order chicken tenders (try them buffalo style). The prices are more than fair. I always leave with leftovers as the portions are so large. Expect a brief wait around lunch or dinner time.
(4)
Clara M.
Never again i would ever visit this place. It took almost 2hrs for them to accomodate 13 people! Poor service Mngmt was young and incompetent! Food. Not the greatest. Overall. ...it sucked!
(1)
Brandy K.
The food was inexpensive and decent for what it was. Good service.
(3)
Bob C.
While we had a bad experience 6 months ago and vowed never to go back, my mother-in-law's birthday was this weekend and she wanted to have her celebratory dinner here. We were a party of eight. We arrived at 4:40, put our names in and were told 30-45 minutes. After about 30 minutes I want to check and see how seating looked. One hostess made the biggest mistake of telling me that they had already given our seating area away to someone else at one point and it would be another 15 to 20 minutes. It's still technically would have been within the guidelines, but the wife became unglued. Neither one of us could help but notice there was a large area in the center of the restaurant completely unoccupied. Management had closed it because there were too many flies in that area. While that may have been a good thing to do, it was not something I would tell customers. We finally got seated in that area (we had 2-3 fly sightings, nothing really unusual though). To make up for the problems we had management gave us two free hors d'oeuvres and we ordered another one. Onion Rings and Edamame. Both were excellent. And that's the one thing I really like about this restaurant are their very huge order of onion rings that are very tasty and usually done to perfection. I am not a huge edamame eater, but everyone who tried them, liked them. The assistant manager that came around, several times, to see how we were doing because of the fact that it took us so long to get seated, probably will go far in the restaurant business. But his profuse apologies we given too many times that night to do either of us any good. The waiter that took our order must have had this entire station we were sitting at added to what he already had to service because we only saw him three times: ordering, drink fulfillment and a late dinner drink reorder. We were there a total one hour twenty minutes AFTER being seated. In other words even though we were a party of 8 and did have appetizers it sure did take a long time to get our food. When our food finally did arrive I got mine, Shepard's Pie, the person across from me got theirs, New Orleans Pasta. It was over 4 minutes before any more food was brought out, so the two of us sat there with our food getting cold. Finally 5 more meals arrived, the final meal brought out soon thereafter. The N.O Pasta was excellent, as was the Grilled Chicken Alfredo. I heard some complaints on the salads however. My Shepard's Pie was dry, very dry. like they had left it in an open crock pot too long. In fact as I delved into it I did notice that there were some areas that were burnt. Since our wake her seem to be so busy running around doing everyone else in the area, I never got a chance to complain. Once again, my wife to the rescue, as when the assistant manager came around for the third time she exploded. They of course asked if I wanted anything else to eat but at that point between the onion rings and everything else I was pretty full. They did take it off the check however. Ironically, the birthday person never even got a little cupcake from the restaurant, even though we had been singing happy birthday and all the women were wearing happy birthday crowns. The restaurant did give me one present that kept on giving all night long: By 9:00, it was evident that I had been given food poisoning! No matter what you're doing or what you're celebrating don't ever invite me back to the Brandon, Florida location of Cheddar's restaurant.
(1)
Christopher R.
In this world you get what you pay for. But at cheddars, you get way more than what you pay for. This place is inexpensive and they pack the plates high with good delicious tasty hot food!! You'll definitely need a doggy bag. Great food!!
(5)
Katrina P.
My husband and I come here quite a bit, especially on our Saturday lunches together! Food: I love how Cheddars doesn't skimp on the food, giving a variety of options with VERY low prices. My favorites are their onion rings (a ton for like $4), oriental chicken/shrimp salad, lemon pepper catfish, and the good ol' burger. If you're looking for a place with big portions but good quality food this is a great place! Atmosphere: There is a bar section and the general restaurant seating. If here and needing to hurry or wanting to get food right away, you can seat yourself in the bar area without having to wait. The servers are pretty nice and able to make recommendations too. Drinks: Yum. Where else can you get a HUGE margarita for $3.50?? There's not necessarily a happy hour here and prices are reasonable ALL day! Cha ching!
(4)
Jason H.
Huge portions, be prepared! I usually put down a lot of food, but Cheddar's bested me. My girlfriend and I started with onion rings as an appetizer which, priced at $4, I expected to be one stack. The portion is in fact two stacks that would each fit the length of a person's forearm! Decided on the buffalo chicken wrap for dinner. No frills, just four (yes four) decent sized wraps, each with a big piece of chicken inside. It was delicious and I managed to eat three of the four - though that was a mistake. Was miserable the rest of the night from being so full! That's definitely a good thing to complain about though. Give Cheddar's a try if you want to get bang for your buck.
(4)
Lisa B.
Appetizer late. Chicken in chicken Caesar salad overdone and underdone. Don't know how they managed that one. Fish in grilled tacos totally tasteless. Oddly sugary coleslaw used in tacos. Waitress rather uninterested. Not coming back to this one.
(2)
Katelyn B.
A favorite by far! Menu has so many options. I love the chicken Caesar pasta salad. It's unique and delicious. The buffalo chicken wrap is my husbands favorite. Prices are very reasonable especially for the large portions. Staff is friendly and fast. They have great drink specials. The atmosphere is cute with a neat middle section that is well lit with cool fans. Very nice for a chain. They do a fantastic job with large groups. The only thing I would change is that it's so popular! It's always packed when I'm there.
(5)
David M.
Rarely disappointed here. Jessica e loves the spinach dip. I love the cold beer and my favorite is the New Orleans Pasta. Shrimp sausage chicken and penne. The saucers very tasty. You can even get a 1/2 lb burger for under 6 bucks. I also think the fried spasagna bites are pretty cool. Service can sometimes lack but for price and good food, a great choice in Brandon.
(4)
Fernando G.
Chicken & pasta was very dry. Seemed as the food was laying around for awhile. Definitely was not freshly made.
(2)
Traci M.
Food is always good here and you cannot beat the cheap prices and huge portions given. I have always received adequate service here. Only once we had an issue when we ordered Togo but we could clearly see it was not the curbside employees fault. Family friendly.
(4)
Danielle O.
I was seated immediately in a booth near the bar. This is one of my favorite places, hands down. While I wanted to give then 5 stars, I'll share why I didn't. My server was a pleasant female. I ordered my usual cornmeal catfish lunch portion w/ mashed potatoes and white gravy. Also, another side of broccoli cheese rice casserole. The order came out wrong w/ a load of fries. I pretty much had an overload of sides bc my casserole came out too. The server would disappear for a while so asking for more napkins or box was irritating when I could catch her. I'm not a picky person but i gave up on the condiments i asked for. The booth was dirty so I requested another wipe down. All in all, I'm faithful to the great taste and affordable dishes at Cheddar's. please just tighten up a bit.
(4)
Krissie C.
I was not impressed by this location. My cousin, aunt, and friend visited here on a Friday night and were extremely disappointed. We were there for drinks, dinner and gossip and usually will stay somewhere an hour, to an hour and a half catching up and enjoying each others company. This time was different. The waiter seemed annoyed that we were at his table, and quickly kept bringing us the check when we weren't done yet. There were vacant tables all around us however we kept getting the stink eye from the hostess and what seemed to be the manager. We weren't loud, or annoying... just 4 women enjoying our dinner and conversation. I probably won't be back anytime soon, although I did enjoy the drink the Pain Killer! I definitely recommend that to ease the woes of someone giving you the stair down.
(2)
JenLee R.
Strong cheap drinks competition for applebees nice menu too.
(3)
Kristen L.
1st time here, came for late lunch early dinner. Had a great experience! Our server was very attentive and friendly. The manager came out to let us know they had a problem with their printer not printing our order and offered an appetizer even though we were ok. Our meals came out like one minute later anyway. Two of my family members ordered burgers and they must have been good because they cleared their plates. I ordered the Braised Fall-A-Part Beef Roast, I highly recommend this! Absolutely delicious! Also used the restroom which was clean, that's always a bonus!
(5)
Todd G.
Good, fast lunch. Buffalo chicken wrap, asked for no ranch (fine) and broccoli. Only issue was that the broccoli came buttered and garlic'd, and she assured me it was just steamed. It was good anyway. Overall, fast, as ordered. Good to go.
(4)
Melissa R.
All my experiences have been solid. I've only been here a few times but each experience has been great. I know every year they win the Taste of Brandon for their ribs so if you like ribs this is the spot! Not being a huge bbq fan I've tried several of their salads. Most recently they had one with chicken and some sort of maple dressing. It was really unique and quite tasty. I think this is also one of the better places to order apps or dessert. Their onion rings are outrageously good and so is their chocolate cake among other things. I hear they have huge margaritas but I haven't tried them just yet. All-in-all every experience I've had there the service has been good, the food has been fresh and it's been an all around solid meal.
(4)
Kenneth S.
I wanted to follow up and say I received a call from the corporate office and I do not feel my experience is an accurate reflection on Cheddars and I look forward to visiting another location.
(5)
Kelley D.
I like this place as I come more often than not. However, stay away from the chicken and waffles. Definitely not what I expected. Prices are good though. Spinach dip is the best !!
(3)
Abby A.
The location, atmosphere and food are all great! Wishing I could find more coupons but the prices are good. I love the soup and everyone was very nice and helpful. I had the catering at a wedding and it is awesome!!!
(4)
Brandon K.
There is nothing bad to say about Cheddars. I love this place. If you want awesome southern cooking for a great price this is the place you want to go. The broccoli casserole is awesome. All the portions you get are large and definitely worth the cost. The alcoholic drinks are awesome also. I always recommend eating here to everyone.
(5)
Kimberly M.
First 'perfect' dining experience in Tampa/area. Awesome service, tasty food, casual family atmosphere. I will say (this is an update to original tip!) that it's kind of hit or miss. Of the now half dozen times we've been, it's been great 5/6. But...when it's bad, it is BAD. Like cold mashed potatoes bad, server arguing with you over wanting them reheated (I am kind of afraid of what would have happened had I asked for a replacement vs just heating them up! I mean, seriously, the cheese wasn't even warm/close to melting!)...bad. But we will try 'em again if only because they have a decent record. Maybe that server was fired or left...
(4)
Melli B.
Went to Cheddar's on a suggestion from a family member. I think this place is a chain although I've never seen one in my area or while traveling. The name CHEDDAR'S made me intrigued also. It sounds like the food would be...well delicious and cheddar-y. Well, I didn't see anything great like Cheddar Mac n cheese or cheddar biscuits on the menu. It was a good menu but mainly fried foods, standard vegetables like broccoli and corn, grilled salmon, steaks, seafood etc. the prices were comparable to a Chili's or similar but the food may have been slightly better than Chili's. I had the Bourbon salmon with mashed potatoes, broccoli and cheese casserole and a side order of corn. The food was good but not great! The casserole was cheesy but not cheddar cheesy...more like Velveeta? I'm not complaining about the food BUT with a name like Cheddar's, I think the menu should be revamped to fit its name. I don't know...maybe some roasted red pepper and cheddar mashed potatoes, some cheddar crusted corn bread...maybe even some cheddar cheese soup... I'm just saying...anyways I hope a manager reads this and adds some special cheddar dishes to the menu and if nothing else, ADD SOME CHEDDAR MAC N CHEESE for crying out loud! The waiter told me that tons of people come in looking for Mac n Cheese on the menu. Add some sort of signature Cheddar items Otherwise, people who are seeing this name, may be fooled the way I was!
(3)
Gerard B.
The salmon and tilapia are among my favorites here. The southern style dishes are on the bland and boring side though. For appetizers, the onions rings are highly recommended a well as the spinach dip. The great prices increase the appeal - especially for good food. The good - onion rings, spinach dip, bourbon glaze, and fish entrees The so-so - the burgers and the chicken pot pie The bad - southern style dishes such as fried catfish and shepherds pie (the chicken pot pie isn't bad though)
(4)
Richard F.
We've eaten at many of the Cheddar's across the country and have always found the food to be outstanding and the restaurant to be very clean. I can't say the same for this location. We were very disappointed. As for the food, I ordered the turkey, bacon cheese club sandwich with fries. It arrived as a single soggy sandwich. The turkey was watery and tasteless, the lettuce wilted, the bacon tough and not fully cooked and the bread was soggy. My wife ordered the cornmeal catfish. It was a generous portion but, half of it was not fully cooked. Fortunately, the server went back to the kitchen and brought back two orders of catfish with a box and said take these with you and have them for dinner. That was nice and she earned a nice tip. However, the worse thing was when I looked up all the vents were coated with a black creasy dust. Then as I looked around a little more, the whole place was dirty. The tables, the ceiling fans, floors and the plants. Definitely, not up to the Cheddar's standards. We won't go back to this one.
Poor service. Waitress was a complete ditz. One of the worst waitresses I have ever had. Had to ask for things 3 and 4 times. Once finally went to the bar to get our lemon wedges for our tea after asking not only our waitress multiple times but also another one for them. Was however, quick to grab the tip off of the table before we had even gotten up to leave.
(1)
Megan D.
This restaurant was great in a pinch when you are traveling with your boss. We did not want to dine at a chain we could go to at home. The service was ok, the beer specials were awesome, and I had the New Orleans Pasta with a side salad. I loved that they did not skimp on the amount of sausage and shrimp in the dish, and the peppers were very fresh! Definitely seemed like a popular restaurant, even for a weeknight!
(3)
Pamela G.
Dissapointed. We had a reservation for 20. So they knew to expect a large party but we were all served at different times. Food was cold, under cooked. Nothing to brag about.
(1)
Victoria P.
Good, cheap food. You get a lot for your money's worth and if you choose the right thing it's not so bad.
(4)
Camaron A.
This place has become of my favorites, when we can't think of some place new we come here , we know the food is consistent and very affordable. Again we started with the chips and Queso , if you don't like your queso too spicy , this will be perfect for you and around $4 , its a good deal. I was in the mood for the Asian Chicken Shrimp Salad, I feel its one of the best out there , especially at less than $9. I am a big guy and this salad fills me up its good from the first bite to the last. The generous portion of chicken is cooked and seasoned well, the crispy noodles and all the other typical Asian chick salad ingredients come together so well, its become my favorite item on the menu here. My GF ordered her fav, the Bourbon glazed salmon with 2 sides, this time however she felt the salmon was not as good as her first initiation but still enjoyed it. Our server this time was not as attentive and was at times aloof so that was irritating when we were trying to get refills on our variations of iced teas. But overall its become my favorite chain style restaurant altho cheddars is not as mainstream as the other more well known places, I think they are better in some ways. Good Value for Good Food
(4)
Jessica D.
I have eaten here twice. Had a painkiller both times. The drink is so good they limit them two per guest. I love their batter. I had fried chicken when I went for lunch and country fried steak for dinner. Delicious. My friend had the steak, really well cooked (she likes it medium rare to rare). The queso with beef was the best queso I have had. Service is always nice.
(4)
Benny B.
If I could give this place 0 stars I would. Eater beware this is a SYSCO food joint. Went with the wife to grab some grub and we've always driven by only to find a line out the door. Finally we catch it when it was not busy. We ordered the chips and queso, Roasted Pear Salad for me and Half rack of ribs for the wife. The chips for the queso were stale and definitely mass produced and we kept commenting that we had been having much better and fresher chips at a few other locations recently. When our food arrived, the wife's caesar salad that came with the ribs were absolutely flavorless. How can you not have flavor on a caesar? Just add pepper ya dummies. My Roasted pear salad which I thought I would get some nice chunks of pear with it only had 4 wispy tiny pieces of canned roasted pear. I said ok I can deal with it until half way through the salad I bite into a rotten cherry tomato. No more dinner for me. The wife was tortured by her lukewarm microwaved ribs. Thats right you read microwaved. We can certainly tell the difference between the effort put forth on a grill to something that comes from a frozen bag. Especially when we get our food 10 minutes after ordering. Yes our server was a lovely lady who made the best of everything, If I was you hon, I'd go and work for Smokey Bones which is where we wished we had gone instead. One last note. I'm actually feeling sick after eating a salad.
(1)
Don B.
Table of 4; ordered apps (onion rings and chips & queso) they came out then 10 mins later my soup and a salad for my son-in-law came out with main meal. Very poor timing. AND, the shepards pie was a plop of potatoe's with very weak shepard's pie filling around it.
(1)
Alysia W.
Good ol' Cheddar's. I've been a fan since my 1st visit. My favorite things to have here are: Spasgana, the Key West Chicken and Shrimp, and the Buffalo Chicken Wrapper. You can never go wrong w/those entrees. I am also a fan of their heavily carb'd and caloried Broccoli Cheese Casserole. Most of all, I am a #1 fan of their $3.50 Margaritas! When I tell you they're huge and worth it, they're huge and worth it! It's also great to pay $1 for an extra shot :-). I have gone here numerous times, and I have family in other cities where there's a Cheddar's and they love it as well. My most recent trip was for a shift outing with my coworkers. We have actually chosen to go here twice for our outings as we get good group service, the food is plentiful, and the drinks are on point. There was a group of about 15-20 of us including a child (not sure at the moment), and we all had our food and drink served around the same time. The only thing my sister and I found a bit strange was the fact that a group of us at the table didn't have our drinks served in glasses, but rather in the styrofoam to-go cups. We were advised there were no more glasses available in the restaurant and they were waiting on a new shipment, but would bring clean glasses over as they were washed. Instantly my curious mind started to wander. I wondered if they broke the last few cases they were delivered? If they were burglarized and someone decided to take their "fancy" glasses (yeah right), or what? We were never given an answer, but nonetheless, we had something to drink. I've sat at the bar a plenty of time visiting here so I can watch TV or just sit by myself and eat. I've gotten good service over there as well. I haven't dined outside, but it seems you may be forgotten about if the place gets too busy because the barbacks/bartenders are responsible for that area (or at least during the day for lunch). Cheddar's, I'll definitely be back!
(4)
Robert M.
Cheddars is pure and simply chain dining at it' absolute worst. As uninspiring as it is tasteless about the only thing this eatery has going for it it's cheap pricing...of course as the old adage says, you get what you pay for. The decor is campy and spartan, but not in an amusing way as you might find at an over the top restaurant like hooters, instead this appears to be the restaurant that Walmart decorated. Greatly akin to the bland and vanilla accouterments the menu is equally distasteful offering all the expected and overused American regulars from cheeseburgers to cheese fries, but with such lack of inspiration, seasoning or taste as to make the McDonald's Angus burger seem upscale and gourmet. If you like eating flavored cardboard this is your place, if not....steer clear and enjoy any number of countless other quality restaurants in and around the area.
(1)
Nat W.
If you wanna have a cheap gigantic portioned American meal, this is the place to go. Their quality is mediocre, just like any other chain restaurant. But their portions are huge and they are for reasonable prices. To me the food was just too greasy and you can tell their food is just not fresh at all. If you got a big family to feed or are a hungry teenager with no money then Cheddar's is the place! Otherwise, do not bother going there.
(3)
Kristen C.
I have been wanting to try Cheddar's for a while and when i finally did, i must say I was a little disappointed. Dont get me wrong, i enjoyed my meal but i guess i expected more. We went on a weekday evening and it wasn't very crowded but there seemed to be quite a few tables with children there and the loud sounds and the atmosphere kind of reminded me of a cafeteria.. The waitress was nice, she didnt come around much but got us what we needed. Menu had a decent selection but the prices were cheap which was a plus. Felt like the food took a while to come out after we ordered it. The food was good but nothing that really stood out except for the broccoli and cheese casserole side which was really yummy. Definitly wished they gave you a bigger portion of it though! All in all i was satisfied with my experience at Cheddar's but i expected to me a little more "wowed" than i was.
(3)
Ryan M.
We were greated immediately and were sat in the bar area. The bartender Gina was very nice. Although it took her a few a minutes to greet our table even with only one guest sitting at the bar. We both ordered the top shelf shaker Rita. The margarita was served in a rocks glass not in a martini as advertised. Gina also mentioned to be careful with the shakers because the top doesn't stay on and it will spill. Seems as though the bar and employees are missing some tools they need to execute properly. The best part of our visit was when a server picking up drinks from the bar (Darrell) came over showed our 3 year old a magic trick. This guy truly understands what the hospitality industry is all about (even if the concept doesn't fully get it)
(3)
Pete M.
I have been here many times before. And this has been the worst experience ever. Even went to the manager and I see can why the service is suffering. Bad service and a manager with no people skills.
(1)
Jerry G.
My wife and I saw this place while driving around and decided to try it. It was pretty busy on a Sunday afternoon around 2. Also, prices are good, and the portions are huge! We had the texas cheese fries (delicious, they reminded me of the Ruby Tuesday ones that are sadly no longer sold), chicken caesar salad, baked potato soup and a world class chicken sandwich. All of which came out quick, and was pretty tasty! The only complaint I had is I wanted to try the baked spasagna, and I had ordered it and the waitress came back to say they had run out! At 2PM, on a Sunday! Not sure how this is possible, especially since you can get it in marinara, meat (and I think alfredo). All three were gone? YIKES. We will be back, the prices and portions alone make it a good place to stuff yourself on a budget. I do hope they have the spasagna next time!
(3)
Philip C.
I went with a group of 8 for happy hour and the food was ok. I had a burger and it is wasnt anything special. No, it wasn't bad it was just your average run of the mill hamburger. The best thing they have there are their Drink specials. Very well priced and yummy! The service and atmosphere was great the help was accommodating and the manager even came to the table. I would recommend any appetizer and any drink special as a better meal alternative.
(4)
Edward C.
My wife and I eat here at least once a month. The staff is always polite and courteous. I get the same thing every time I go. The RIBS! A huge portion of fall of the bone baby back sweetness. Served with a pungent sweet sauce that is as tasty licking off your fingers as it is on the food. The fries and a nice portion and the cole slaw is some of the best in my opinion. HUGE portions for the price you pay. We ALWAYS take food home with us. A full rack of ribs, fries and slaw is only 14 bucks. Plus - the food is good! One of my favorite places for ribs in Florida. Check it out if you haven't already. Oh - and if you are not a big rib eater, they have a FULL menu including burgers, salads, steaks, sandwiches etc. Something for everyone
(4)
Amy S.
We wanted to go to Fridays... this was the cheaper closer alternative in Brandon. Definitely cheaper... but better?? Well, not exactly. We waited 45 minutes for our food... 20 minutes for drinks... had to ask twice for my drink which took forever... three times for plates. Our waiter was hard to track down. My friend who recommended this place says that it's pretty hit or miss here. You're either going to get a really great meal or on a different day, order the same thing and get food poisoning. The quality of my Grilled Salmon lunch plate was slightly better than cafeteria style food. The fries were crunchy yet so was my steamed broccoli. I would have cooked both the broccoli and salmon a bit more --- the fish was a little pink and fishy tasting. The lunch size portion was a good size and did fill me up, though didn't taste the best. The spinach dip appetizer was cheesy and pretty good, but the chips, though fresh, tasted slightly oily. Grandma liked the burger, which was a good size and brother liked the chicken tenders - though I thought they were flavorless and had thick no-so great batter to them. Probably not good to eat here all the time.. but would recommend it if you're on a budget or are looking for a comfortable place to get drinks with friends. The place is huge so there is no trouble being seated around lunchtime and the atmosphere is casual. The drink prices are good and my drink, at least was pretty tasty. I had the Starbucks Mudslide - which was huge and quite frankly, the best part about my meal.
(3)
Ebony G.
I love Cheddar's! The food quality is great each time. The servers work their butts off and are super friendly. I have never encountered a bad waiter/waitress in all of my numerous visits. I'm a fan of the spinach dip, croissants, salads and grilled chicken dishes. However, my recent visit has now made me a fan for sure of the restaurant. I tried the portabello sandwich last Friday night and it was perfection to say the least. So much so, I'm sure I'll be back there for lunch this week. The only down side to this location is seating times. Other than that, it would receive 5 stars.
(4)
Carlos H.
My friend and I usually drive around town when we are looking for somewhere to eat. I had heard Cheddar's was good from some food magazine I read earlier in the year, so I suggested we stop and eat there. We were slightly alarmed at first because there was a ghetto guy standing outside the place, but he was right next to a sign that said "RATED BEST DINING IN BRANDON", and apparently that has been the case since 2004. My friend and myself were seated quickly despite how incredibly packed the place was, and we were immediately attended to for our drinks. We also ordered our food, since the girl I was with was pretty much starving. Prices here were incredibly CHEAP. You literally pay the same price you would pay at McDonald's or Burger King for better food. Their menu also had plenty of options; from fish; to chicken; to burgers; to pasta. The appetizers were also really cheap, which made me eager to have some, but we decided on desert instead. I ordered a Cheeseburger and my friend ordered some chicken with rice and corn. We started talking and in the most amazing event ever, the FOOD came out ahead of the DRINKS. We were really only sitting there for like 10-15 minutes. I was pretty amazed. I took one bite into my burger and it was delicious, way better than any Big Mac or Whopper. I would still say that the Cheesecake Factory has better burgers, but this is a close runner-up. The fries were also very good, which is surprising, because normally the type of fries that they served me are disgusting or bland at other restaurants. My friend ate her chicken incredibly fast , and so we moved on to dessert. My friend want to have the Cookie Monster. So we ordered it, and shared even though I was really full. It was delicious and off we went. I came back with my family a few weeks later because I enjoyed it so much. I tried their croissants, which were very close to the quality that Hops use to have before they went out of business. They were really cheap too. I then ordered Country Fried Steak with Idaho Mashed Potatoes and Cole Slaw. The Cole Slaw was traditional, not tasting like my favorite which is KFC, but still good nevertheless. The steak was perfectly cooked, the meat tender and the shell country, with delicious country graving poured on both the mashed potatoes and steak. I also had one of their Pina Coloda's which weren't the best I've had, but it wasn't that bad either. So check this place out!
(5)
Ryan C.
Good friendly service, but worst burger ever. I know it's not a burger restaurant, but it should be better than that. I read another yelper mentioning the same thing. I wish I would have listened. No crayons for my 2 year old to color with either. My wife had a chicken sandwich which was good though. We probably won't be back any time soon.
(2)
Genna H.
I have been to chedders a few times and always walk away satisfied. The prices are fair and reasonable. They have delicious drinks. There are healthy options to choose from. The portions are large, I had more than enough when I ordered a childrens item off the menu
(4)
Marlyn L.
I could eat here 5 days in a row. What I love: The grilled salmon with 2 sides and rice. The lunch portion is only $7.99 and the dinner portion (2 fillets instead of 1) if $9.99. This is ridiculous! Anyway, it's not just because the price is a steal... it's because the food is so fresh. The salmon is flaky and the sides all great. I get steamed broccoli and either the sweet carrots or the buttered corn off the cob. Their sandwiches are awesome. The Double Decker has great ham on it. GREAT! Napa Chicken sandwich is another good one. Comes on ciabatta bread, roasted garlic aioli, roasted tomatoes, Fontina cheese, avocado and spring greens. I usually eat half my sandwiches at other places, but I have a hard time putting this one down. Their onion rings? I can die. They are freshly made and awesome. The batter is light and they go great with whatever that chipotle dipping sauce is and their ranch. I've had their fish tacos. These were pretty good. I'm not too enthused by fish tacos in general, but I wanted to try more of their menu. They put this sauce on em that gives em a little kick. Their burgers and fries are good! Hefty size and good taste. Though, I always have a hard time not getting my beloved salmon. Hawaiian chicken salad is a good way to go if you want something lighter. I liked the pineapple and crispy tortilla chips. Though, I generally don't order salads if I'm already eating out hah. The key lime pie is a huge wedge of heaven. You can really taste the key lime in it, and it's awesome. Enough to share. Same goes for their apple pie. Amazing. I haven't had the giant cookie but have seen and smelled it. Looks awesome. The place is really nice inside. By the name, I expected it to be divey hah. It's not. The waitstaff is normally super nice. Sometimes it gets really busy (especially on weekends) but give it a shot. It's really my favorite place to go in Brandon. In general, the food seems like it's better for you (not greasy or gross, etc) and the prices are great. They also have a good selection of beer and drinks. The only thing I've tried that I wasn't crazy about was the tortilla soup. It just tasted salty and like it came out of a can. No big whoop. There you go, I said something bad about it lol.
(5)
Jim C.
Our party of four enjoyed everything we had. It was Sunday afternoon, very busy, it took 20 minutes to get seated, lots of people and noisy, but most crowded places are on Sunday. Our waiter was great, he kept our drinks full and was knowledgeable about the menu. This was my first time and will be back.
(5)
Marquette N.
Took my Grandma to Cheddars while visiting Family in Tampa. Good Atmosphere, clean restaurant and good service. I had the Peach infused ice tea and it is amazing. I also had the grilled salmon with veggies and loaded baked potato. The food was wonderful and I have plenty to take a doggie bag home. The prices are modest and the food was excellant. I would recommend Cheddars casual dinning to anyone.
(4)
John S.
Everyone I've been with has loved Cheddars every time. Friendly and competent service, and GREAT Philly Cheese Steaks.
(5)
Amy K.
Good food. Big portions! Great broccoli/rice casserole!!!!! YUMMY
(3)
Peggy L.
I went to the Brandon, FL location last night Thursday at around 8:30pm so there wasn't a wait at all. My friend and I were greeted by a waiter that was not only knowledgeable, but pleasant and super fast. Appetizer: For starters, we ordered the Chips and Queso appetizer. Meh...it was okay. Honestly the appetizer looked like something I could have put together at home. The queso came in a small bowl with ground beef on top. It didn't look as appetizing as I was hoping it would be and it tasted as simple as it looked. Melted cheese with ground beef on top. No zest, no flavor, no fun. Thumbs down. Main Course: I had their salmon (bourbon glazed style) with loaded baked potato (which was pretty small) and buttered corn. The main meal was better than the appetizer for sure but it still didn't wow me. Atmosphere: Nice decor, clean, and reminded me a little of Macaroni Grille's interior decor to give you an idea. They also have a large bar area with TVs if you don't want to sit in the main dinning area as well as an outdoor patio. Overall: I felt it could have been better. The decor and atmosphere made me assume the food was going to be really great but it was a let down. Maybe it's the presentation but it didn't seem to present as well as even some of the Chili's dishes do. Would I go back? Probably not. The prices are very good, cheaper then most chain restaurants I have been to but the food is far to mediocre to make an effort to go back. I'd rather pay a dollar or two more and go to Chili's.
(2)
Jim B.
As chains go: Better than average. Pros: Attentive staff. Waiters that are on the ball. Our waiter was FANTASTIC in his knowledge of the menu - my lovely dinner companion has MSG issues, and he was able to answer (without checking!) which items had MSG and which did not. Win. Since we were hungry, but not starving, we split the queso and chips, and split the chicken cibatta. Our waiter had them substitute a plain chicken breast instead of the seasoned one since that one has MSG. It comes with a side, we got the steamed broccoli for her and I had a side of mashed potatoes added for me (they do have MSG in them, I'm not that sensitive). We both had water since we were already a couple of cocktails in from the hotel. Amazingly (get THIS): We both ate for about 14 bucks. I tipped the guy 50% for the value of the table and the fact that he was so on top of his game. Impressive. I'd certainly go back and have no reservations about suggesting this place to anyone. Prices are on the low end of better casual chains, but the build out and food rank above average based on this single visit. I wonder: Why the heck do people use MSG? Its just terrible stuff.
(3)
Dayman B.
My company, American Plumbing Solutions, has the honor of providing plumbing service to Cheddar's Casual Cafe in Brandon. You know you have a great restaurant when the plumber that services the place eats there. I have been enjoying their food for years now. Everything is freshly made and very tasty. The portion size is very big vs. the price on the menu. Love it!!!
(5)
Thuy H.
I came here thinking it was going to be a good place to eat. I was kinda disappointed by the food, but the price is good that it didn't bother me too much. My husband has been talking about this place for a while, since his co-workers and him went here for a team bonding lunch. I am more of the quality and my husband is more of a quanitity. I ordered the chicken fried steak, my husband ordered the catfish platter and we order a chicken finger platter for the baby and the dogs to share. We got an app to share. The spanish dip was good. The food came out pretty quickly. The coating on my chicken fried steak was very disappointing. I ended scrapping it off after a couple of bites. I had a taste of the fish and it was very good. Usually when people fry fish, it comes out greasy but this was very flaky and light. The service was very good. Our waitress was very attentive and we didn't have to wait too long for a table. When we asked for something, it came very quickly. The price is very good. The burger prices here is cheaper than McDonald's.
(2)
Denise S.
I don't think it matters what time you go to this place, it is always crowded. We got there around 3:00pm this past Saturday and were told it would be about a 25 minute wait, but were seated in about ten minutes. Our waiter was helpful and friendly but the kitchen must have been getting slammed because it took more than 15 minutes to get our appetizers and drinks. The atmosphere at Cheddar's is casual, the entrees are in the 10.00 - 15.00 range, and Margaritas were tasty and under 4.00. So how was the food? The food was good, not amazing, but well worth the money. We had loaded potato skins for our app and I enjoyed them. They were filled with cheese, seasoned well, and the skin was nice and crispy. If you are not a cheese lover, like my date, you may want to avoid this one. Although my date simply scraped off about half the cheese and ate and enjoyed the rest. For our entree we both had a rib combo. Mine came with fried shrimp, hers with chicken tenders. I didn't care for the shrimp, they were too small, and there was way too much breading. We both enjoyed the ribs, and she loved her chicken tenders. A must have, which you have to request, but it is included in the meal, is the croissants. They were flakey and buttery and hot and drizzled with honey. Yummy! Would I go back to Cheddar's? Absolutely. That was not my first time there and it won't be my last. I don't know what it is about that place that keeps it packed but whatever it is they are doing, they should keep it up, because its working. Well, on to the next. As always, I wish you Happy Eating!
(3)
Todd R.
This is one of our top 3 favorite restaurants in the area and a "go to" family favorite. The food quality is excellent, the portions are large, and the service is usually outstanding. They have great salads and are known for their hand breaded chicken fingers. I don't personally like chicken fingers anywhere else, but theirs are very tasty and the buffalo version is highly addictive. Like a previous reviewer, the grilled salmon is my favorite followed closely by the Hawaiian chicken salad. My wife and middle child always order the chicken dijon and never seem to tire of it. I've yet to see a dish that disappointed, so really I don't think you can go wrong here. Be prepared to wait for a seat during prime times as this is not a very well kept secret. It is a great value (our family of 5 is usually out the door for $40 or less including tip) but I would choose this place over a lot of places that cost twice as much.
(5)
Melissa M.
Terrible. The food was just awful. Canned corn is their buttered corn. Mashed potatoes that tasted like instant was mixed with under cooked potatoes. Very gluey. Tortilla soup tasted like they heated the salsa and added chicken. Slow service. They were nice. But I won't be going back. Disappointing.
(1)
Ryan B.
The food was decent. The lower priced items were a much better value, as some of the more expensive items were not very good. The server we had was completely unaware of the menu, could not answer our questions, and was not very timely with our order. One member of my party had his side orders completely undone. If I were to go there again, I'd likely just stick with burgers or sandwiches.
(2)
Katie B.
Well, trip number two to Cheddar's proved my last experience was no fluke. The service was remarkable; our server was attentive, knowledgeable, and efficient. I've determined that the $2.99 margaritas are 18 ounces of frozen or on-the-rocks goodness. I recommend the frozen as they're really more like alcoholic slushies. Another Bennigan's reference and it will (hopefully) be my last comparison. (I worked there for 2 1/2 years and loved the food, so sometimes I can't help it!) Cheddar's has a Monte Cristo... Let me preface this by saying that I've had many a Monte Cristo in my day and Bennigan's will always be the king. Many restaurants out there sell slightly fried (but mostly soggy) ham and turkey sandwiches and pawn them off as good ol' Monte... Don't be fooled. Cheddar's, on the other hand, is the real deal. One bite into that crispy, golden brown mess of powdered sugar and I felt a little piece of me die; the piece that always held Bennigan's as king. Now that the corporate restaurants have gone out of business leaving only select franchises open, I think Bennigan's will be happy to have such a worthy predecessor.
(4)
Cindy D.
If you would like to eat somewhere where the food is great, the service is amazing and the portions are big enough for two, Cheddars is your place! I had the lemon pepper chicken, came out nice and tender, the broccoli was delicious and the baked potato was cooked just right. We started off with Texas cheese fries and tortilla soup and an order of onion rings... We took over half of it home!
(5)
Shane M.
Good, cheap and plentiful!
(4)
Don G.
This place is pretty great. I go every time i am in Brandon. Perfect for lunch and there's really nothing that casual about it. Really nice place, very comfortable feel and the one time there was a line we just went to the bar to eat (first come first serve). They're famous for their onion rings, for good reason, and the menu features a bunch of great food. The monte cristo is my favorite and you can get sides like red beans and rice instead of settling for french fries. The buffalo chicken wrap is a big hit, though I haven't tried it yet I'm jealous when I see it carried past my table. The kicker comes when you get your bill, no way they're that good and cheap!
(4)
Charles M.
I have taken the family here a few times. The food is good, along with the service and the setting. I have two small children so we can generally get out for under $50 or right around it. The food has always been good, however like a lot of chain restaurants it is nothing to write home about. I think its a good place for families but I doubt you will be craving anything specific. I would recommend trying it and I am sure we will go back.
(3)
Meg B.
I've been to Cheddar's several times over the past 4-5 years and honestly it's gotten more and more mediocre over time. Most recently I had Baked Spaghetti and it was way overcooked. Yuck. Needless to say I have not been back. The prices were reasonable and we usually didn't have to wait too long; but I can't justify bothering with so-so food.
(2)
Jen F.
bad attitude from the girl in the front so far..
(1)
patrick R.
I see that this Cheddars has had some bad reviews a few years ago.. Well I guess they have turned around a bit! The Cheddars in Brandon Off of Causeway Blvd is usually quite packed on a Fri and Sat Night but the wait for me anyways has only been about a half hour at the most. Lets start out with the Service... I have been here about five times and four out of the five has been great service! Servers are always very prompt to get your drink... even Alcohol from the bar doesn't take too long. Further more you get your food very quickly... even for the more complicated dishes. Atmosphere... Its not bad, They have outdoor seating that has a little waterfall which is nice... Its more of a dark setting on the inside... I wouldn't say bring on a first date to impress but after that Cheddars should serve fine. Food... I thought the food.. for the price which was very low was great! Every dish that I have had here was well cooked and exactly what I ordered... Also the portions were large. To sum it all up Cheddars Is a great spot to go for a relaxing non budget busting meal!
(3)
Patti V.
I too went to Cheddars in Brandon and found it to be very dissapointing. After a day of shopping at Lowe's my husband and i found ourselves wanting to try something new in the ever evolving Brandon resturaunt building boom so we chose Cheddar's. Now, we had never, ever been there but assumed by the large crowd waiting that it must be good. That was mistake #1. After waiting for almost an hour we were offered seating at the bar. Mistake #2. We were met with a bartender slash part time comic but today he was not wanting to be funny. I guess the large amount of money, I mean customers waiting to enter his establishment pissed him off so anyone who sat in his arena was gonna' get it. Unless you were a couple of young girls, scarcely dress who were hammering Margaritas and giggling at just about every word he uddered. He slammed one menu down for us both and leaned on the bar and grunted "Let me guess I bet you are going to eat something? Well you are going to need to order a drink since this is a bar." Wow!! O.k. this was mistake #3. Was it not only not a bar but he was anything but a bartender. It was stocked with a bunch of bottom shelf liquors and he was "just helping out" because the "real bartender" was too busy. We ordered 2 beers and our food because we were starving. It took approximately 20 minutes for our order to come out. Just as my husband was about to put the food to his mouth the waiter that brought us our food grabbed the plate and said "not yours sorry" and proceeded to put it on the table behind us. Now maybe they were really busy, or understaffed or all the above but that was our first and only trip there. Carlos, I am not sure which one you went to or who in the world voted it best dining in Brandon.
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
HJ C.
I have been eating here for years and about a year ago I stopped as I felt from those last few visits that the quality was not there. However, let's talk NOW. It is VERY GOOD!! I was impressed with the QUALITY OF FOOD. The freshness of the vegetables. The servers were very attentive and courteous... I have to say Kudos to management of these WONDERFUL IMPROVEMENTS. Definitely making it a regular stop again since it's so close to our office. Cheers!
(4)Chad L.
I've been to many Cheddars over the last 15 years. This chain, though growing quickly, is not as large as many other restaurant chains. However, when you see one, you need to stop and eat! With the exception of just one location, I've always had a great meal with great service. This location is no exception! I arrived with my friends for lunch. The parking lot was nearly full, but don't let that stop you. We were seated immediately and were taken care of properly. Portions are good, prices have gone up over the years, but are still respectable. If you are new to Cheddars and not sure what to go, the chicken tenders are a staple. My wife loves them and they might be the most popular item on the menu. Some of my lunch favorites include the buffalo chicken wrapper, Monte Cristo and more. Salads are huge. You pretty much can't go wrong with any dinner selection either.
(3)Glorimar S.
If I would've known the sauce for the grilled fish tacos was demanded to drench through the tortilla, I wouldn't have ordered them. The side of broccoli was flavorful but I can also make a mean broccoli at home. The level of noise in a restaurant typically isn't the defying factor of my experience, but this place was outrageous. We were yelling across the table to speak! The waitress seemed bothered as well and could have quite possibly been the reason for receiving my margarita 20 minutes late. If I ever return, it will be to sit at the bar for a margarita.
(2)J B.
Well this used to be one of my favorite places to eat. As of tonight, no more. Let's get started; The wait was about what was quoted. I felt the place definitely busy for this time of year, basically the off season. The service was decent. She wasn't as attentive as she should have been. Kept me waiting for drink, A1, and I gave up on more dressing. Polite none the less. They have kept the prices reasonable, some less than $10 choices and the largest 11oz steak was $13.99 that's inexpensive compared to any other chain eatery. It's typically $15-16 for an 8oz. But that's the good, now for the bad. The food is where my disappointment lay. I've eaten at Cheddar's for YEARS! And mostly I order the same couple favorites when I'm in. Tonight was the 11oz sirloin smothered in garlic and parmesan, and yes it was smothered, too much! Temp was correct but the steak was crap. Not near as flavorful as I remember. Definitely seems like they're cutting corners. Seems a cheaper beef stock or something. I'd eat my shoe if it was an Angus cut or similar. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Salad, they've changed the dressing. Thousand island was crap, oily and cheap tasting. And it was lettuce cheese and croutons. Thank goodness for the honey butter croissant. Buttered corn, theirs was actually what started me eating corn out. It was flavorful and tasty, but no more. This was so bland, so, so, bland. And half the corn seemed as if it was turning, not the bright yellow you'd expect. They brought the loaded baked potato out 10 minutes after my meal, it was hot and cooked which is a milestone at restaurants these days. But that didn't last as they forgot the butter and by the time they brought it out it was cold. No chives makes me a sad yelper... How much do chives cost... :(( I left more than I ate. And for $25 with tip it doesn't make me want to return. I'm not sure how to rate this, but I think I've been fair. I may give it another go in a number of months. If my experience changes I'll update my review.
(3)Elena M.
Drinks/cocktails are great! Food is very affordable and great value. Try the croissants they are fantastic! Service I ok and I would like to see that restaurant get an updated makeover, a bit outdated.
(4)Liz B.
My family ate here last night after traveling across the country from Michigan. The waitress was friendly and the restaurant was decent. The food was delicious, but it took a VERY LONG time for us to get our food! I understand they want to bring everything out together, but I was so hungry that I almost got full off of two glasses of strawberry lemonade. I ordered the chicken tenders and ribs. I really like the portion sizes at Cheddar's. So the only complaint I have is the wait time for our food.
(3)Bo W.
This place looks very nice from the outside. The inside is clean, and our server was fast and friendly. The reason in giving a three star rating, and not a higher rating was the food. I ordered a steak, and my wife ordered blackened salmon. My steak was okay. I was expecting a little better cut, but live and learn. My wifes salmon was raw inside. We told our server, and he told us he would get the manager. The manager cane to the table, so we showed her the raw salmon. She took it to the kitchen to finish cooking, and we didn't see her again. Some fish is raw quality. I'm sure this place does not get that quality fish. Why get a manager just to take a plate to the kitchen? I thought we were going to get a complimentary dessert, but there was no offer to make up for the mistake. I guess serving raw fish is too common of occurrence here. I don't think I'll go back. For the price, there are too many other, BETTER options.
(3)Chris G.
I have visited Cheddar's a few times before, every other visit has been less than good. This time was an above average experience. The service was not perfect but it didn't detract from the visit. The best part of this visit was the food. I ordered off the lite menu sirloin steak over sautéed onions with iceberg wedge salad (under 500 cal). I ordered my steak medium rare and it came out perfect (see picture). I like a good steak sauce, however this steak had great flavor and the sautéed onions added that little boost so that no sauce was needed. The salad was good as well, the house ranch had flavor but was a little light. My wife and I both ordered off the lite menu and our bill was under $25 a nice surprise at the end of the meal. I only gave 3 stars because as good as this visit was in the past the visits have been the complete opposite. Still best cooked steak in months.
(3)Daniel S.
This place has ups and downs. Hopefully it'll survive Ford's opening next door. Prices are among the best in Brandon, though service can sometimes be an issue. Good is consistently good, though
(4)Beth L.
Excellent service. Every time I come here I'm more and more impressed. The waiter was excellent. I ordered the monte cristo and it was amazing. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone.
(5)Mindy M.
Been here years ago. Had the Painkiller and Chicken Tenders. Both were excellent. Came a second time last week. Was told the wait would be 30 minutes. Still was not seated after 30 minutes, but managed to experience some entertainment in the form of people watching. One girl had her legs draped over her date in the waiting area, allowing everyone across from her to see all of her "glory" they eventually left due to the long waiting time. Another lady came in her pajamas with a sleeping cap. Her date wore what appeared to be house clothes with socks and sandals. We left and decided to go to Chick Fil A down the street...
(2)Keith D.
I don't know why I keep coming back. The service is always HORRIBLE! The food is okay. A lot of servers walking around
(1)Samantha J.
I've never been to a Cheddars previous to this location. I would say it was okay, didn't exceed my expectations or disappoint me. Standard customer service and the environment had a lot of character, which was nice, and it was decently clean. The bathrooms could use an upgrade but they were pretty clean. We ordered the onion rings as an appetizer and you definitely get a large portion for the price. They were very tasty but I found them to be a little heavy from being fried. The Napa Chicken Ciabatta sandwich was really good and was a good size for the price. The side caesar salad had a little too much dressing for me but that's easy to fix by asking for the dressing on the side. The second time I went I ordered the Chicken Alfredo, which was pretty good with the pasta and chicken being cooked well, however the Alfredo sauce lacked originality in flavor and tasted pretty plain. So far my absolutely favorite things on the menu would be the chips and queso dip as an appetizer and the honey croissants you can order additionally or get with a side salad. I highly recommend those two to try! Otherwise it's just an average restaurant with hit or miss things on the menu, nothing spectacular but decent enough for a dinner night out.
(3)Olivia B.
Food is excellent and cheap but it is always just so crowded and noisy most of the time. Otherwise, everything else is great!
(4)Richard N.
Pleasantly surprised! This was my first trip to Cheddars and certainly won't be my last. From the time we walked in the staff was very courteous. All the staff was dressed up in Halloween costumes which I though was very cool. Upon entering you walking to into a small but very nice waiting room with wood paneling and brick archways through to the bar/outdoor seating. The main feature of the main dinning area is this very large rotating fan. It's very cool....literally. The food is very good. I had the New Orleans pasta. It has shrimp, sausage, penne pasta, chicken and green peppers in a creamy Cajun sauce. It was really good and all for only $10.49 I've had similar dishes at other restaurants and most go for $16-$20 for the same size portion I had. The appetizer onion rings could be a meal in them selves. The stacks had to be 8 inches high above the plate, and they were delicious. Lastly for desert we had the hot fudge cake sunday. The slice of cake was very generous and so moist and delicious. Initially I was worried how good it would be given that I had heard it was all so very cheap. Our bill pre tip for an appetizer, two entrees and desert along with sweet teas was $38!! This restaurant is on par with food and service wise with some of the more upscale restaurants I have been to to. I would highly recommend trying this place out.
(5)Robert D.
One of the best values for American food in the Tampa area. The building is inviting. Food is very good (especially the chicken tortilla soup and broccoli casserole) and the menu has plenty of variety. Makes a great spot for after-church lunch. One of our favorite spots in Brandon.
(5)Michael C.
LOL, so I'm just updating my last review, because once again I feel prey to the "we haven't been here in awhile" syndrome. I'm lowering my previous two stars to one. The food is nearly unpalatable. Disappointed once again. Not sure why about every six months or so I give this place a chance to disappoint me again. 45 minutes after the order was taken our room temperature food arrived. Would have been okay if it had a good flavor but it didn't.
(1)Joseph R.
Never got inside due to dishonest wait times, but the food at the Lauderdale Lakes (Fort Lauderdale) is amazing, so I'm sure it's the same. The wait times are a joke. They will say 20 minutes when they know it's going to take longer. Why lie? Anyways, i won't be back.
(1)Kaylin V.
Arrived at 11:30. Seated by 11:35. Ordered food around 11:40 nothing complicated. 11:55 drinks nothing fancy just soda. 12:15 no food. 12:20 server comes to table "Your food will be right out". 12:35 still no food. Flag down other server and inform. Manager comes to the table. "How is everything today?" REAL!!!!!! Cancelled order and left at 12:44. Grabbed Steak and Shake. Can never go wrong with some Steak and Shake.
(1)Adam B.
Bartender was rude and inattentive. Lots of open seating but no staff to run the restaurant. No reason for a wait but a 35 min wait nonetheless. Always poorly managed but the food is good and cheap so you get what you pay for.
(2)Tierra D.
I came here yesterday with a few friends and there was a small mix up with one of the orders BUT, the manager Joe came out and took care of us he is great he made what would have been a bad experience turn completely around. GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE JOE! I will definitely be back the food is GREAT! Try the New Orleans pasta its soooo goooood!
(4)Letitia K.
We have eaten here several times in the past. Today we stopped by after the movies to get a late lunch. There were only a few cars in the parking lot so we thought great we won't have to wait for a table. Once inside we noticed several empty tables. The hostess said it would be a 20-30 minute wait. I looked behind him noticing all the empty tables. He explained they only had 2 severs then he said " Do you want to wait?" When I said no he said in a condensing voice "Well have good day." It's to bad because my family enjoy's eating here but it will be a long time if ever before we go back!
(2)Arturo R.
Over the past years, we've seen this place from being a good place, to a lousy place! The food isn't terrible, the drinks are ok, no drink specials, but the service is just thee worst!!! They will tell you 10-15 min wait, while there are plenty of empty tables, people just walking around, some holding up the wall when there is plenty of people waiting to have a seat. This has been my last time. Just fu&@ing terrible!
(1)SP W.
Beautiful exterior and grounds. Great sign. Great entryway. Until you get inside and all you see is a dirty, lazy, dont listen, unkempt MESS.. So so average food nothing to write home about. Server aka bartender was wearing an unironed shirt with lint all over...he got my order incorrext and the guy next to me all wrong...he came just shy of are blaming us._
(1)Les M.
We have been to Cheddar's a few times since moving to Brandon in 2007. Each time I have left wondering why we picked that place to eat. The food is bland if not horrible, the drinks are weak and the services is lousy. I cannot understand how anyone can rate this place above a 1 star. Either they have never been to another restaurant or their sense of taste has been compromised. They need to put this place out of our misery and bring a new and exciting eatery to this location. My suggestion would be the Stein & Vine currently on Bloomingdale as that place will soon need room to grow.
(1)Elizabeth W.
I hate to give this a 3 but the service really ruined it for me. I am a Cheddars fanatic and it will always be one if my favorite restaurants and I will always return because it's wonderful food for a great price. I hadn't been to this location in a while and I don't know if it was the time of day I went or because service level has decreased over time. The restaurant was almost empty and though there were tons of servers who l seemed to be socializing a couple tables down instead of doing their job. I watched my waitress sit down and eat a sandwich while I waited and waited and waited for a refill and the opportunity to ask for honey mustard. The guy that brought our food was snappy for no reason. When I ordered they said they could substitute my Texas toast for their SO UTTERLY DELICIOUS honey butter croissant and it didn't come out with my food, they brought the toast. I explained this to the guy that brought the food and he was like only theirs comes with croissants (referring to my friends) and I again explained the situation and he was like they aren't done yet in his snappy tone. He never brought them out when they were done and I had to ask my waitress again and my friends never got the ones that were supposed to come with their meals. The food was good as usual though and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I've literally never had anything there I didn't like. Their Cesar salad is great, the accompanying honey butter croissant is even better, the monte cristo is delicious, the chicken tenders are wonderful, the croissant bread pudding is made up of their honey butter croissants and it is definition of heavenly.
(3)Hannah B.
Appetizers were good, entrees were horrible. It tasted old and it was over cooked - burned & tough. Indigestion would be an understatement. Never coming back.
(1)Nadine F.
I have been to Cheddar's on several occasions and I'm not sure why this is the first time that I thought to write a review! I have a lot to say about them. Cheddar's is an all american restaurant with an atmosphere that is a little more upscale than a Chili's or Applebees. They have a nice outdoor seating area that includes a water fountain.The prices however, are extremely reasonable for what you get. Appetizers: They have a great spinach dip and the onion rings come piled high! They have a secret menu item not found under appetizers but you can also order a plate of Honey Butter croissants as an ap. They are exactly as named- croissants with Honey and butter drizzled on top. They don't exactly melt in your mouth but they are sinfully yummy for those days you allow yourself the carbs. So speaking of carbs...this is one of my favorite restaurant to go to when avoiding them. They have a lot of choices of sides so you are not tempted by french fries. Entrees: they have everything from steaks and ribs, big yummy salads (that come with a croissant) and more southern selections like roast beef and mashed potatoes or chicken fried chicken. On our last visit, we took my mom and she commented :"The roast beef is better than Cracker Barrell's." and that is a huge compliment from her. A great place to come for chicken tender lovers because they come piled high! I admit, I have never had dessert here but that's because I spend my calories on drinks. The drinks are very reasonably priced and the margarita menu is awesome. Their version (a copy of Chili's) Presidente Margarita, is better than Chili's. It was good and made me quite toasty. Just be careful when ordering a margarita as some of them are similarly named and the servers get confused by this. I also love that you can get frozen Sangria! I don't think I have ever seen that anywhere else. So now, speaking of servers...THIS IS WHERE THEY LOSE 2 Stars!! As much as I raved about the menu a restaurant is not good without good service. We have been here several times and never walked away feeling like we had great service. More often than not, we leave feeling like our servers did not have time for us. I don't know if this is an overload of work issue or just bad training, but even the management doesn't seem to interested in service. I absolutely hate that I will wait 30 minutes for a table and run the risk of being sat at a table in the bar when I could have sat at the bar 30 minutes ago. They will not seat large parties unless you called ahead and arrive early. They won't seat you at all after a certain time. And unlike Chili's or Applebees, you can't walk in 5 minutes before they close and still expect a table...they have no problem turning you away. Drinks are never ever refilled unless asked. On multiple occasions, different server every time, they never refill our drinks, not even water glasses. So in closing, a great place to come when you are looking for comfort food and drinks but don't come late, don't come in a hurry and don't come with the expectations of great service.
(3)Chris B.
Bourbon salmon was amazing!!! It was perfectly cooked and had a beautiful flavor. The waitress was very attentive and provided great service. The food came out fairly quickly and the restaurant was very clean. We will be back :-)
(4)Rachel M.
**This is a tirade about the service** I haven't been to Cheddar's in years, and after today, I will not be going back. From the moment we walked in, the hostesses (and possibly a manager?) looked at us like they were clueless on how to greet us. I finally said hello and a young lady sat us. This same young lady came back and dropped silverware at our table and quickly ran off while saying "enjoy." Look, I've worked hospitality all my life. I know when the place is busy and you're in the weeds, you can sometimes get overwhelmed-- but at the end of the day, you're still in customer service. A server (who was not ours) got our drinks, which was nice; and our server never came to greet us. We paid for our drinks and left.
(1)Michael Z.
Clearly, we needed another chain restaurant serving pub food! It was remarkably crowded at the location I went to and seemed to be popular with large groups. The menu had a little bit of everything - think Cheesecake Factory here, Chili's there and a heavy dose of Applebee's. The prices were very reasonable and they had a fairly large drink menu, but the food was underwhelming. Lots of salt and processed items (not that I am a health nut) but it was a shame to waste the calories on something so average. If you find yourself in a strip mall and looking for a reliable meal, Cheddar's is not a bad option. But if you need to give your name and get a buzzer to wait for a table, I would submit that it is not worth the wait.
(2)Don M.
I have eaten here several times and am never disappointed. Great chicken fingers, Mac and cheese, nachos and other kid food for adults and kids alike. Very large portions at reasonable prices. Clean and efficient.
(4)Kim S.
Weird waiter. Very slow service. Two hours for basic truck food. Cheap though, large portions. Drinks were reasonable and good. It's like Applebee's had a baby with Outback. Don't order dessert unless you have an hour to kill.
(2)Maria L.
It's definitely a hit or miss with this place. Service can be good or bad, you never know. But the food (this pasta that is kind of like a gumbo too) and especially a drink called the Pain Killer.. Oh cheese and rice it's delicious! I go back there.. just for that. Lol. :)
(4)Radar M.
We used to enjoy eating here. Noted on our last couple of visits that when we got seated in or near the carpeted area there was nasty odor. Guessing wet carpet or something..really should get rid of that stinky carpet. Again, we used to really enjoy the place. Good drinks and used to really like the Country Fried Steak. With Cheddars having started out in Texas they used to make a real good Country Fried Steak with actual round steak or similar. On my last visit I ordered my usual and noticed that now they just hand bread a hamburger patty..yuck. Waitress said they changed their food vendor and that's the meat they get now. Pros: The bar area & patio is nice, good drinks and good appetizers. Cons: Carpeted area has a constant smell / stinky odor. The Country Fried Steak is terrible now that they just bread a hamburger patty instead of using an actual cut of steak. Don't have any plans on returning anytime soon.
(2)Yamile B.
The food and drinks are really good, but today was not that busy and we waited over 20min and nobody came to our table it was so bad we had to leave really disappointed
(1)Nate J.
My first visit to Cheddar's Casual Cafe on Saturday for an early dinner with my fiancee and her family. First off, I'm a pretty plain eater. I dont normally order spinach dip but if its there I will try it. Needless to say I really enjoyed it! I got a bacon cheese burger (one of my favorite things to order) and let me tell you, its was a great size, I couldnt eat the whole thing. The fries were cooked and seasoned just right. The service was good, I never went without a drink (water) and the waiter was pretty friendly and always had something good to say about the food. This was a great experience and we will definitely be back!
(5)Marie W.
It's a chain restaurant that is inexpensive and good for what it is. Honestly-this is my preference over Applebee's (which I refuse to eat at) and Chili's. Quality seems better and variety is good.
(4)Daniel N.
By far the worst experience I have ever had at a restaurant. We waited for 30 minutes to be seated and once we did we were seated at the bar. Our waitress was the person behind the bar, I had no problem in who it was, it was just really busy and I knew taking my order and waiting on me was going to be slow. Aside from this, I seen people just walking in and sitting at the bar, being served by the same person. If I had know that I was going to be seated at the bar from the beginning I would have not waited to be seated and just walked up to the bar and ordered. There were many other people that showed up after I did and that were waiting to also be seated but for some odd reason they never sat any other party where we were seated, even though there were two tables open. I dealt with what was going on but the one thing that pushed it overboard was how unprofessional the person behind the bar was. After I talked to a manager, who was very helpful and was the reason I stayed, my waitress took my order and walked back to the bar where she started to talk to everyone at the bar about what had just happened and that I " just didn't want to sit at the bar." This was the most uncomfortable I have ever felt at a dinning establishment. Therefore I will never be returning to any Cheddars restaurants no matter where it is.
(1)Rose Q.
Ate there for the second time last night (Tuesday night). There will not be a third time. The decor theme and overall atmosphere seems unfocused - are they new American, Southwestern, tropical island? Overall the place is really noisy. They seemed understaffed with waitstaff but too many hostesses. Our waitress brought our appetizer but failed to realize we had no silverware or napkins. Food was just blah.
(2)Brandi P.
My husband and I decided to try this place out since it always seems busy. I ordered the chicken tenders and shrimp while he ordered the cajun pasta. The chicken and shrimp portion size was incredible especially at the price point so I was quite pleased when they brought our food out. The fries were fresh and well seasoned and the corn was delicious. The chicken tenders and shrimp could have been cooked a little longer for my taste but overall my meal was satisfactory. My poor husband on the other hand was not happy with his meal at all. The pasta was mushy and the sauce was watered down. He barely ate 2 bites of it before deciding to help me with my meal instead. Our server was attentive at the beginning but then pretty much ignored us once we received our food. We had to ask for silverware just to be able to eat. Then when he finally checked on us I told him about the pasta being unedible. He acted surprised to hear that and then walked away to get our check. No offers of apologies were made. If he had checked on us sooner my husband would have asked for something else but since he didn't we were forced to pay for what we had ordered even though he didn't eat. I am very dissatisfied will my experience here and do not see us returning anytime soon.
(1)Kari L.
I wish I could leave zero stars. This place was horrible. You walk in and it's super loud... We were seated and the table smells like old washing water that has been reused... I asked for bottled water and they only have tap... We asked for ribs and they were out... I was so disgusted I decided not to eat... And a minute into placing our order we decided to go somewhere else. We cancelled the food but you better believe they charged us the $6 for a mango ice tea and a coke! As a manager that's something you don't charge customers when they sat in your restaurant for a total of 7 minutes and were so disgusted they chose to leave. Will NEVER be returning and sure as hell wouldn't recommend this to anybody!
(1)Margaret F.
I've been going to Cheddar's for years and I absolutely love this place. The prices are great, the portions are HUGE, and I've only had bad service once...and that was all on the waitress. I LOVE the Buffalo Chicken Wrapper and my fiance loves the Chicken and Waffles. The only thing that I don't like that I've taste is the mac and cheese. I would give it 5 stars, but the fact that there is always a wait there is a bit annoying. It is always packed, but you know that means that the place is good. They also have really good cheap drinks such as their skinny margarita and Texas sweet tea. I definitely recommend this, just know that if you go later in the day, you'll probably wait.
(4)Melissa M.
I've been here a few times for lunch and have always been sat fast and had great food. Salads are awesome. The lunch deal is a ridiculous amount of food for less than $8 and they will throw any sandwich in a wrap for you if you ask! You can sit at the bar if there's a wait to get out of there early. I've been there to meet up with friends once and they have yummy drinks too.
(4)Deniese M.
First time at cheddars and it was just OK. Chicken Pot pie was kinda Blah. The braised beef was tender and a good size portion but also lacked seasoning. The Cesar salad was very good and the croissants were also very tasty but extremely sweet. They would of been great with Ice cream but they were too sweet and didn't go with the meal. The edamame was also just ok. The seasoning they give is a little salty and the soy wasn't that great. Service was not great either. our waitress walked by us several times without noticing our drinks needed refills and the restaurant was not busy. I don't think I'll be returning.
(3)Sashimi M.
It is what it is...a chain restaurant with inexperienced staff and institutional food. We went there the day after Thanksgiving at 5pm. Though we were told it would be a 20-30 minute wait, there were many open tables. We went to Cheddar's for a birthday celebration for our grandmother, and there were 3 senior citizens in our group. We got bounced around a bit and finally told we could sit in a booth in the bar. We got situated, a hostess came over to say we couldn't sit there, and we told her that an employee said we could sit in the booth for dinner. Then a manager came over to speak with us and share some of his attitude. After a less than hospitable exchange, we stayed at the table where we were seated, ordered our meal and left. Bad food, Bad service, bad Scene...
(1)Katy S.
Cheddar's is a good lunch or dinner spot in the Brandon area. I've been here several times and have had very mixed experiences with the level of service. I've had great service and awful service, so I would like to see more consistency as I never know what I'm gonna get. As for the food - they have some really good American food offerings. The croissants with the honey butter sauce melt in your mouth! I often find myself ordering something else that comes with honey mustard as the honey mustard dressing at Cheddar's is the best! Another recommendation - the chicken Caesar pasta salad. A chicken Caesar salad with PASTA NOODLES in it (What!?). Really good. Overall, three stars. Four for the food - but moved to three for the consistency issues.
(3)Diane S.
Food is OK. Restaurant is a bit run down especially the restrooms. The crossiants were good. Everything else was just OK.
(3)Chris B.
I've had good meals at Cheddar's, and some not so good. But, when it's good, it's really good. This is the only restaurant I will order chicken tenders (try them buffalo style). The prices are more than fair. I always leave with leftovers as the portions are so large. Expect a brief wait around lunch or dinner time.
(4)Clara M.
Never again i would ever visit this place. It took almost 2hrs for them to accomodate 13 people! Poor service Mngmt was young and incompetent! Food. Not the greatest. Overall. ...it sucked!
(1)Brandy K.
The food was inexpensive and decent for what it was. Good service.
(3)Bob C.
While we had a bad experience 6 months ago and vowed never to go back, my mother-in-law's birthday was this weekend and she wanted to have her celebratory dinner here. We were a party of eight. We arrived at 4:40, put our names in and were told 30-45 minutes. After about 30 minutes I want to check and see how seating looked. One hostess made the biggest mistake of telling me that they had already given our seating area away to someone else at one point and it would be another 15 to 20 minutes. It's still technically would have been within the guidelines, but the wife became unglued. Neither one of us could help but notice there was a large area in the center of the restaurant completely unoccupied. Management had closed it because there were too many flies in that area. While that may have been a good thing to do, it was not something I would tell customers. We finally got seated in that area (we had 2-3 fly sightings, nothing really unusual though). To make up for the problems we had management gave us two free hors d'oeuvres and we ordered another one. Onion Rings and Edamame. Both were excellent. And that's the one thing I really like about this restaurant are their very huge order of onion rings that are very tasty and usually done to perfection. I am not a huge edamame eater, but everyone who tried them, liked them. The assistant manager that came around, several times, to see how we were doing because of the fact that it took us so long to get seated, probably will go far in the restaurant business. But his profuse apologies we given too many times that night to do either of us any good. The waiter that took our order must have had this entire station we were sitting at added to what he already had to service because we only saw him three times: ordering, drink fulfillment and a late dinner drink reorder. We were there a total one hour twenty minutes AFTER being seated. In other words even though we were a party of 8 and did have appetizers it sure did take a long time to get our food. When our food finally did arrive I got mine, Shepard's Pie, the person across from me got theirs, New Orleans Pasta. It was over 4 minutes before any more food was brought out, so the two of us sat there with our food getting cold. Finally 5 more meals arrived, the final meal brought out soon thereafter. The N.O Pasta was excellent, as was the Grilled Chicken Alfredo. I heard some complaints on the salads however. My Shepard's Pie was dry, very dry. like they had left it in an open crock pot too long. In fact as I delved into it I did notice that there were some areas that were burnt. Since our wake her seem to be so busy running around doing everyone else in the area, I never got a chance to complain. Once again, my wife to the rescue, as when the assistant manager came around for the third time she exploded. They of course asked if I wanted anything else to eat but at that point between the onion rings and everything else I was pretty full. They did take it off the check however. Ironically, the birthday person never even got a little cupcake from the restaurant, even though we had been singing happy birthday and all the women were wearing happy birthday crowns. The restaurant did give me one present that kept on giving all night long: By 9:00, it was evident that I had been given food poisoning! No matter what you're doing or what you're celebrating don't ever invite me back to the Brandon, Florida location of Cheddar's restaurant.
(1)Christopher R.
In this world you get what you pay for. But at cheddars, you get way more than what you pay for. This place is inexpensive and they pack the plates high with good delicious tasty hot food!! You'll definitely need a doggy bag. Great food!!
(5)Katrina P.
My husband and I come here quite a bit, especially on our Saturday lunches together! Food: I love how Cheddars doesn't skimp on the food, giving a variety of options with VERY low prices. My favorites are their onion rings (a ton for like $4), oriental chicken/shrimp salad, lemon pepper catfish, and the good ol' burger. If you're looking for a place with big portions but good quality food this is a great place! Atmosphere: There is a bar section and the general restaurant seating. If here and needing to hurry or wanting to get food right away, you can seat yourself in the bar area without having to wait. The servers are pretty nice and able to make recommendations too. Drinks: Yum. Where else can you get a HUGE margarita for $3.50?? There's not necessarily a happy hour here and prices are reasonable ALL day! Cha ching!
(4)Jason H.
Huge portions, be prepared! I usually put down a lot of food, but Cheddar's bested me. My girlfriend and I started with onion rings as an appetizer which, priced at $4, I expected to be one stack. The portion is in fact two stacks that would each fit the length of a person's forearm! Decided on the buffalo chicken wrap for dinner. No frills, just four (yes four) decent sized wraps, each with a big piece of chicken inside. It was delicious and I managed to eat three of the four - though that was a mistake. Was miserable the rest of the night from being so full! That's definitely a good thing to complain about though. Give Cheddar's a try if you want to get bang for your buck.
(4)Lisa B.
Appetizer late. Chicken in chicken Caesar salad overdone and underdone. Don't know how they managed that one. Fish in grilled tacos totally tasteless. Oddly sugary coleslaw used in tacos. Waitress rather uninterested. Not coming back to this one.
(2)Katelyn B.
A favorite by far! Menu has so many options. I love the chicken Caesar pasta salad. It's unique and delicious. The buffalo chicken wrap is my husbands favorite. Prices are very reasonable especially for the large portions. Staff is friendly and fast. They have great drink specials. The atmosphere is cute with a neat middle section that is well lit with cool fans. Very nice for a chain. They do a fantastic job with large groups. The only thing I would change is that it's so popular! It's always packed when I'm there.
(5)David M.
Rarely disappointed here. Jessica e loves the spinach dip. I love the cold beer and my favorite is the New Orleans Pasta. Shrimp sausage chicken and penne. The saucers very tasty. You can even get a 1/2 lb burger for under 6 bucks. I also think the fried spasagna bites are pretty cool. Service can sometimes lack but for price and good food, a great choice in Brandon.
(4)Fernando G.
Chicken & pasta was very dry. Seemed as the food was laying around for awhile. Definitely was not freshly made.
(2)Traci M.
Food is always good here and you cannot beat the cheap prices and huge portions given. I have always received adequate service here. Only once we had an issue when we ordered Togo but we could clearly see it was not the curbside employees fault. Family friendly.
(4)Danielle O.
I was seated immediately in a booth near the bar. This is one of my favorite places, hands down. While I wanted to give then 5 stars, I'll share why I didn't. My server was a pleasant female. I ordered my usual cornmeal catfish lunch portion w/ mashed potatoes and white gravy. Also, another side of broccoli cheese rice casserole. The order came out wrong w/ a load of fries. I pretty much had an overload of sides bc my casserole came out too. The server would disappear for a while so asking for more napkins or box was irritating when I could catch her. I'm not a picky person but i gave up on the condiments i asked for. The booth was dirty so I requested another wipe down. All in all, I'm faithful to the great taste and affordable dishes at Cheddar's. please just tighten up a bit.
(4)Krissie C.
I was not impressed by this location. My cousin, aunt, and friend visited here on a Friday night and were extremely disappointed. We were there for drinks, dinner and gossip and usually will stay somewhere an hour, to an hour and a half catching up and enjoying each others company. This time was different. The waiter seemed annoyed that we were at his table, and quickly kept bringing us the check when we weren't done yet. There were vacant tables all around us however we kept getting the stink eye from the hostess and what seemed to be the manager. We weren't loud, or annoying... just 4 women enjoying our dinner and conversation. I probably won't be back anytime soon, although I did enjoy the drink the Pain Killer! I definitely recommend that to ease the woes of someone giving you the stair down.
(2)JenLee R.
Strong cheap drinks competition for applebees nice menu too.
(3)Kristen L.
1st time here, came for late lunch early dinner. Had a great experience! Our server was very attentive and friendly. The manager came out to let us know they had a problem with their printer not printing our order and offered an appetizer even though we were ok. Our meals came out like one minute later anyway. Two of my family members ordered burgers and they must have been good because they cleared their plates. I ordered the Braised Fall-A-Part Beef Roast, I highly recommend this! Absolutely delicious! Also used the restroom which was clean, that's always a bonus!
(5)Todd G.
Good, fast lunch. Buffalo chicken wrap, asked for no ranch (fine) and broccoli. Only issue was that the broccoli came buttered and garlic'd, and she assured me it was just steamed. It was good anyway. Overall, fast, as ordered. Good to go.
(4)Melissa R.
All my experiences have been solid. I've only been here a few times but each experience has been great. I know every year they win the Taste of Brandon for their ribs so if you like ribs this is the spot! Not being a huge bbq fan I've tried several of their salads. Most recently they had one with chicken and some sort of maple dressing. It was really unique and quite tasty. I think this is also one of the better places to order apps or dessert. Their onion rings are outrageously good and so is their chocolate cake among other things. I hear they have huge margaritas but I haven't tried them just yet. All-in-all every experience I've had there the service has been good, the food has been fresh and it's been an all around solid meal.
(4)Kenneth S.
I wanted to follow up and say I received a call from the corporate office and I do not feel my experience is an accurate reflection on Cheddars and I look forward to visiting another location.
(5)Kelley D.
I like this place as I come more often than not. However, stay away from the chicken and waffles. Definitely not what I expected. Prices are good though. Spinach dip is the best !!
(3)Abby A.
The location, atmosphere and food are all great! Wishing I could find more coupons but the prices are good. I love the soup and everyone was very nice and helpful. I had the catering at a wedding and it is awesome!!!
(4)Brandon K.
There is nothing bad to say about Cheddars. I love this place. If you want awesome southern cooking for a great price this is the place you want to go. The broccoli casserole is awesome. All the portions you get are large and definitely worth the cost. The alcoholic drinks are awesome also. I always recommend eating here to everyone.
(5)Kimberly M.
First 'perfect' dining experience in Tampa/area. Awesome service, tasty food, casual family atmosphere. I will say (this is an update to original tip!) that it's kind of hit or miss. Of the now half dozen times we've been, it's been great 5/6. But...when it's bad, it is BAD. Like cold mashed potatoes bad, server arguing with you over wanting them reheated (I am kind of afraid of what would have happened had I asked for a replacement vs just heating them up! I mean, seriously, the cheese wasn't even warm/close to melting!)...bad. But we will try 'em again if only because they have a decent record. Maybe that server was fired or left...
(4)Melli B.
Went to Cheddar's on a suggestion from a family member. I think this place is a chain although I've never seen one in my area or while traveling. The name CHEDDAR'S made me intrigued also. It sounds like the food would be...well delicious and cheddar-y. Well, I didn't see anything great like Cheddar Mac n cheese or cheddar biscuits on the menu. It was a good menu but mainly fried foods, standard vegetables like broccoli and corn, grilled salmon, steaks, seafood etc. the prices were comparable to a Chili's or similar but the food may have been slightly better than Chili's. I had the Bourbon salmon with mashed potatoes, broccoli and cheese casserole and a side order of corn. The food was good but not great! The casserole was cheesy but not cheddar cheesy...more like Velveeta? I'm not complaining about the food BUT with a name like Cheddar's, I think the menu should be revamped to fit its name. I don't know...maybe some roasted red pepper and cheddar mashed potatoes, some cheddar crusted corn bread...maybe even some cheddar cheese soup... I'm just saying...anyways I hope a manager reads this and adds some special cheddar dishes to the menu and if nothing else, ADD SOME CHEDDAR MAC N CHEESE for crying out loud! The waiter told me that tons of people come in looking for Mac n Cheese on the menu. Add some sort of signature Cheddar items Otherwise, people who are seeing this name, may be fooled the way I was!
(3)Gerard B.
The salmon and tilapia are among my favorites here. The southern style dishes are on the bland and boring side though. For appetizers, the onions rings are highly recommended a well as the spinach dip. The great prices increase the appeal - especially for good food. The good - onion rings, spinach dip, bourbon glaze, and fish entrees The so-so - the burgers and the chicken pot pie The bad - southern style dishes such as fried catfish and shepherds pie (the chicken pot pie isn't bad though)
(4)Richard F.
We've eaten at many of the Cheddar's across the country and have always found the food to be outstanding and the restaurant to be very clean. I can't say the same for this location. We were very disappointed. As for the food, I ordered the turkey, bacon cheese club sandwich with fries. It arrived as a single soggy sandwich. The turkey was watery and tasteless, the lettuce wilted, the bacon tough and not fully cooked and the bread was soggy. My wife ordered the cornmeal catfish. It was a generous portion but, half of it was not fully cooked. Fortunately, the server went back to the kitchen and brought back two orders of catfish with a box and said take these with you and have them for dinner. That was nice and she earned a nice tip. However, the worse thing was when I looked up all the vents were coated with a black creasy dust. Then as I looked around a little more, the whole place was dirty. The tables, the ceiling fans, floors and the plants. Definitely, not up to the Cheddar's standards. We won't go back to this one.
(1)Cory C.
Gotta try the chicken caesar pasta salad!
(5)Becca W.
My fiancé and I love eating here and it's always an option when we want to eat out. The buffalo chicken wrapper is my all time favorite, I have yet to try something else and we go there frequently. My fiancé loves the philly sandwich. Never had a problem with service or quality of food. Cheap drinks too.
(5)Ann A.
Poor service. Waitress was a complete ditz. One of the worst waitresses I have ever had. Had to ask for things 3 and 4 times. Once finally went to the bar to get our lemon wedges for our tea after asking not only our waitress multiple times but also another one for them. Was however, quick to grab the tip off of the table before we had even gotten up to leave.
(1)Megan D.
This restaurant was great in a pinch when you are traveling with your boss. We did not want to dine at a chain we could go to at home. The service was ok, the beer specials were awesome, and I had the New Orleans Pasta with a side salad. I loved that they did not skimp on the amount of sausage and shrimp in the dish, and the peppers were very fresh! Definitely seemed like a popular restaurant, even for a weeknight!
(3)Pamela G.
Dissapointed. We had a reservation for 20. So they knew to expect a large party but we were all served at different times. Food was cold, under cooked. Nothing to brag about.
(1)Victoria P.
Good, cheap food. You get a lot for your money's worth and if you choose the right thing it's not so bad.
(4)Camaron A.
This place has become of my favorites, when we can't think of some place new we come here , we know the food is consistent and very affordable. Again we started with the chips and Queso , if you don't like your queso too spicy , this will be perfect for you and around $4 , its a good deal. I was in the mood for the Asian Chicken Shrimp Salad, I feel its one of the best out there , especially at less than $9. I am a big guy and this salad fills me up its good from the first bite to the last. The generous portion of chicken is cooked and seasoned well, the crispy noodles and all the other typical Asian chick salad ingredients come together so well, its become my favorite item on the menu here. My GF ordered her fav, the Bourbon glazed salmon with 2 sides, this time however she felt the salmon was not as good as her first initiation but still enjoyed it. Our server this time was not as attentive and was at times aloof so that was irritating when we were trying to get refills on our variations of iced teas. But overall its become my favorite chain style restaurant altho cheddars is not as mainstream as the other more well known places, I think they are better in some ways. Good Value for Good Food
(4)Jessica D.
I have eaten here twice. Had a painkiller both times. The drink is so good they limit them two per guest. I love their batter. I had fried chicken when I went for lunch and country fried steak for dinner. Delicious. My friend had the steak, really well cooked (she likes it medium rare to rare). The queso with beef was the best queso I have had. Service is always nice.
(4)Benny B.
If I could give this place 0 stars I would. Eater beware this is a SYSCO food joint. Went with the wife to grab some grub and we've always driven by only to find a line out the door. Finally we catch it when it was not busy. We ordered the chips and queso, Roasted Pear Salad for me and Half rack of ribs for the wife. The chips for the queso were stale and definitely mass produced and we kept commenting that we had been having much better and fresher chips at a few other locations recently. When our food arrived, the wife's caesar salad that came with the ribs were absolutely flavorless. How can you not have flavor on a caesar? Just add pepper ya dummies. My Roasted pear salad which I thought I would get some nice chunks of pear with it only had 4 wispy tiny pieces of canned roasted pear. I said ok I can deal with it until half way through the salad I bite into a rotten cherry tomato. No more dinner for me. The wife was tortured by her lukewarm microwaved ribs. Thats right you read microwaved. We can certainly tell the difference between the effort put forth on a grill to something that comes from a frozen bag. Especially when we get our food 10 minutes after ordering. Yes our server was a lovely lady who made the best of everything, If I was you hon, I'd go and work for Smokey Bones which is where we wished we had gone instead. One last note. I'm actually feeling sick after eating a salad.
(1)Don B.
Table of 4; ordered apps (onion rings and chips & queso) they came out then 10 mins later my soup and a salad for my son-in-law came out with main meal. Very poor timing. AND, the shepards pie was a plop of potatoe's with very weak shepard's pie filling around it.
(1)Alysia W.
Good ol' Cheddar's. I've been a fan since my 1st visit. My favorite things to have here are: Spasgana, the Key West Chicken and Shrimp, and the Buffalo Chicken Wrapper. You can never go wrong w/those entrees. I am also a fan of their heavily carb'd and caloried Broccoli Cheese Casserole. Most of all, I am a #1 fan of their $3.50 Margaritas! When I tell you they're huge and worth it, they're huge and worth it! It's also great to pay $1 for an extra shot :-). I have gone here numerous times, and I have family in other cities where there's a Cheddar's and they love it as well. My most recent trip was for a shift outing with my coworkers. We have actually chosen to go here twice for our outings as we get good group service, the food is plentiful, and the drinks are on point. There was a group of about 15-20 of us including a child (not sure at the moment), and we all had our food and drink served around the same time. The only thing my sister and I found a bit strange was the fact that a group of us at the table didn't have our drinks served in glasses, but rather in the styrofoam to-go cups. We were advised there were no more glasses available in the restaurant and they were waiting on a new shipment, but would bring clean glasses over as they were washed. Instantly my curious mind started to wander. I wondered if they broke the last few cases they were delivered? If they were burglarized and someone decided to take their "fancy" glasses (yeah right), or what? We were never given an answer, but nonetheless, we had something to drink. I've sat at the bar a plenty of time visiting here so I can watch TV or just sit by myself and eat. I've gotten good service over there as well. I haven't dined outside, but it seems you may be forgotten about if the place gets too busy because the barbacks/bartenders are responsible for that area (or at least during the day for lunch). Cheddar's, I'll definitely be back!
(4)Robert M.
Cheddars is pure and simply chain dining at it' absolute worst. As uninspiring as it is tasteless about the only thing this eatery has going for it it's cheap pricing...of course as the old adage says, you get what you pay for. The decor is campy and spartan, but not in an amusing way as you might find at an over the top restaurant like hooters, instead this appears to be the restaurant that Walmart decorated. Greatly akin to the bland and vanilla accouterments the menu is equally distasteful offering all the expected and overused American regulars from cheeseburgers to cheese fries, but with such lack of inspiration, seasoning or taste as to make the McDonald's Angus burger seem upscale and gourmet. If you like eating flavored cardboard this is your place, if not....steer clear and enjoy any number of countless other quality restaurants in and around the area.
(1)Nat W.
If you wanna have a cheap gigantic portioned American meal, this is the place to go. Their quality is mediocre, just like any other chain restaurant. But their portions are huge and they are for reasonable prices. To me the food was just too greasy and you can tell their food is just not fresh at all. If you got a big family to feed or are a hungry teenager with no money then Cheddar's is the place! Otherwise, do not bother going there.
(3)Kristen C.
I have been wanting to try Cheddar's for a while and when i finally did, i must say I was a little disappointed. Dont get me wrong, i enjoyed my meal but i guess i expected more. We went on a weekday evening and it wasn't very crowded but there seemed to be quite a few tables with children there and the loud sounds and the atmosphere kind of reminded me of a cafeteria.. The waitress was nice, she didnt come around much but got us what we needed. Menu had a decent selection but the prices were cheap which was a plus. Felt like the food took a while to come out after we ordered it. The food was good but nothing that really stood out except for the broccoli and cheese casserole side which was really yummy. Definitly wished they gave you a bigger portion of it though! All in all i was satisfied with my experience at Cheddar's but i expected to me a little more "wowed" than i was.
(3)Ryan M.
We were greated immediately and were sat in the bar area. The bartender Gina was very nice. Although it took her a few a minutes to greet our table even with only one guest sitting at the bar. We both ordered the top shelf shaker Rita. The margarita was served in a rocks glass not in a martini as advertised. Gina also mentioned to be careful with the shakers because the top doesn't stay on and it will spill. Seems as though the bar and employees are missing some tools they need to execute properly. The best part of our visit was when a server picking up drinks from the bar (Darrell) came over showed our 3 year old a magic trick. This guy truly understands what the hospitality industry is all about (even if the concept doesn't fully get it)
(3)Pete M.
I have been here many times before. And this has been the worst experience ever. Even went to the manager and I see can why the service is suffering. Bad service and a manager with no people skills.
(1)Jerry G.
My wife and I saw this place while driving around and decided to try it. It was pretty busy on a Sunday afternoon around 2. Also, prices are good, and the portions are huge! We had the texas cheese fries (delicious, they reminded me of the Ruby Tuesday ones that are sadly no longer sold), chicken caesar salad, baked potato soup and a world class chicken sandwich. All of which came out quick, and was pretty tasty! The only complaint I had is I wanted to try the baked spasagna, and I had ordered it and the waitress came back to say they had run out! At 2PM, on a Sunday! Not sure how this is possible, especially since you can get it in marinara, meat (and I think alfredo). All three were gone? YIKES. We will be back, the prices and portions alone make it a good place to stuff yourself on a budget. I do hope they have the spasagna next time!
(3)Philip C.
I went with a group of 8 for happy hour and the food was ok. I had a burger and it is wasnt anything special. No, it wasn't bad it was just your average run of the mill hamburger. The best thing they have there are their Drink specials. Very well priced and yummy! The service and atmosphere was great the help was accommodating and the manager even came to the table. I would recommend any appetizer and any drink special as a better meal alternative.
(4)Edward C.
My wife and I eat here at least once a month. The staff is always polite and courteous. I get the same thing every time I go. The RIBS! A huge portion of fall of the bone baby back sweetness. Served with a pungent sweet sauce that is as tasty licking off your fingers as it is on the food. The fries and a nice portion and the cole slaw is some of the best in my opinion. HUGE portions for the price you pay. We ALWAYS take food home with us. A full rack of ribs, fries and slaw is only 14 bucks. Plus - the food is good! One of my favorite places for ribs in Florida. Check it out if you haven't already. Oh - and if you are not a big rib eater, they have a FULL menu including burgers, salads, steaks, sandwiches etc. Something for everyone
(4)Amy S.
We wanted to go to Fridays... this was the cheaper closer alternative in Brandon. Definitely cheaper... but better?? Well, not exactly. We waited 45 minutes for our food... 20 minutes for drinks... had to ask twice for my drink which took forever... three times for plates. Our waiter was hard to track down. My friend who recommended this place says that it's pretty hit or miss here. You're either going to get a really great meal or on a different day, order the same thing and get food poisoning. The quality of my Grilled Salmon lunch plate was slightly better than cafeteria style food. The fries were crunchy yet so was my steamed broccoli. I would have cooked both the broccoli and salmon a bit more --- the fish was a little pink and fishy tasting. The lunch size portion was a good size and did fill me up, though didn't taste the best. The spinach dip appetizer was cheesy and pretty good, but the chips, though fresh, tasted slightly oily. Grandma liked the burger, which was a good size and brother liked the chicken tenders - though I thought they were flavorless and had thick no-so great batter to them. Probably not good to eat here all the time.. but would recommend it if you're on a budget or are looking for a comfortable place to get drinks with friends. The place is huge so there is no trouble being seated around lunchtime and the atmosphere is casual. The drink prices are good and my drink, at least was pretty tasty. I had the Starbucks Mudslide - which was huge and quite frankly, the best part about my meal.
(3)Ebony G.
I love Cheddar's! The food quality is great each time. The servers work their butts off and are super friendly. I have never encountered a bad waiter/waitress in all of my numerous visits. I'm a fan of the spinach dip, croissants, salads and grilled chicken dishes. However, my recent visit has now made me a fan for sure of the restaurant. I tried the portabello sandwich last Friday night and it was perfection to say the least. So much so, I'm sure I'll be back there for lunch this week. The only down side to this location is seating times. Other than that, it would receive 5 stars.
(4)Carlos H.
My friend and I usually drive around town when we are looking for somewhere to eat. I had heard Cheddar's was good from some food magazine I read earlier in the year, so I suggested we stop and eat there. We were slightly alarmed at first because there was a ghetto guy standing outside the place, but he was right next to a sign that said "RATED BEST DINING IN BRANDON", and apparently that has been the case since 2004. My friend and myself were seated quickly despite how incredibly packed the place was, and we were immediately attended to for our drinks. We also ordered our food, since the girl I was with was pretty much starving. Prices here were incredibly CHEAP. You literally pay the same price you would pay at McDonald's or Burger King for better food. Their menu also had plenty of options; from fish; to chicken; to burgers; to pasta. The appetizers were also really cheap, which made me eager to have some, but we decided on desert instead. I ordered a Cheeseburger and my friend ordered some chicken with rice and corn. We started talking and in the most amazing event ever, the FOOD came out ahead of the DRINKS. We were really only sitting there for like 10-15 minutes. I was pretty amazed. I took one bite into my burger and it was delicious, way better than any Big Mac or Whopper. I would still say that the Cheesecake Factory has better burgers, but this is a close runner-up. The fries were also very good, which is surprising, because normally the type of fries that they served me are disgusting or bland at other restaurants. My friend ate her chicken incredibly fast , and so we moved on to dessert. My friend want to have the Cookie Monster. So we ordered it, and shared even though I was really full. It was delicious and off we went. I came back with my family a few weeks later because I enjoyed it so much. I tried their croissants, which were very close to the quality that Hops use to have before they went out of business. They were really cheap too. I then ordered Country Fried Steak with Idaho Mashed Potatoes and Cole Slaw. The Cole Slaw was traditional, not tasting like my favorite which is KFC, but still good nevertheless. The steak was perfectly cooked, the meat tender and the shell country, with delicious country graving poured on both the mashed potatoes and steak. I also had one of their Pina Coloda's which weren't the best I've had, but it wasn't that bad either. So check this place out!
(5)Ryan C.
Good friendly service, but worst burger ever. I know it's not a burger restaurant, but it should be better than that. I read another yelper mentioning the same thing. I wish I would have listened. No crayons for my 2 year old to color with either. My wife had a chicken sandwich which was good though. We probably won't be back any time soon.
(2)Genna H.
I have been to chedders a few times and always walk away satisfied. The prices are fair and reasonable. They have delicious drinks. There are healthy options to choose from. The portions are large, I had more than enough when I ordered a childrens item off the menu
(4)Marlyn L.
I could eat here 5 days in a row. What I love: The grilled salmon with 2 sides and rice. The lunch portion is only $7.99 and the dinner portion (2 fillets instead of 1) if $9.99. This is ridiculous! Anyway, it's not just because the price is a steal... it's because the food is so fresh. The salmon is flaky and the sides all great. I get steamed broccoli and either the sweet carrots or the buttered corn off the cob. Their sandwiches are awesome. The Double Decker has great ham on it. GREAT! Napa Chicken sandwich is another good one. Comes on ciabatta bread, roasted garlic aioli, roasted tomatoes, Fontina cheese, avocado and spring greens. I usually eat half my sandwiches at other places, but I have a hard time putting this one down. Their onion rings? I can die. They are freshly made and awesome. The batter is light and they go great with whatever that chipotle dipping sauce is and their ranch. I've had their fish tacos. These were pretty good. I'm not too enthused by fish tacos in general, but I wanted to try more of their menu. They put this sauce on em that gives em a little kick. Their burgers and fries are good! Hefty size and good taste. Though, I always have a hard time not getting my beloved salmon. Hawaiian chicken salad is a good way to go if you want something lighter. I liked the pineapple and crispy tortilla chips. Though, I generally don't order salads if I'm already eating out hah. The key lime pie is a huge wedge of heaven. You can really taste the key lime in it, and it's awesome. Enough to share. Same goes for their apple pie. Amazing. I haven't had the giant cookie but have seen and smelled it. Looks awesome. The place is really nice inside. By the name, I expected it to be divey hah. It's not. The waitstaff is normally super nice. Sometimes it gets really busy (especially on weekends) but give it a shot. It's really my favorite place to go in Brandon. In general, the food seems like it's better for you (not greasy or gross, etc) and the prices are great. They also have a good selection of beer and drinks. The only thing I've tried that I wasn't crazy about was the tortilla soup. It just tasted salty and like it came out of a can. No big whoop. There you go, I said something bad about it lol.
(5)Jim C.
Our party of four enjoyed everything we had. It was Sunday afternoon, very busy, it took 20 minutes to get seated, lots of people and noisy, but most crowded places are on Sunday. Our waiter was great, he kept our drinks full and was knowledgeable about the menu. This was my first time and will be back.
(5)Marquette N.
Took my Grandma to Cheddars while visiting Family in Tampa. Good Atmosphere, clean restaurant and good service. I had the Peach infused ice tea and it is amazing. I also had the grilled salmon with veggies and loaded baked potato. The food was wonderful and I have plenty to take a doggie bag home. The prices are modest and the food was excellant. I would recommend Cheddars casual dinning to anyone.
(4)John S.
Everyone I've been with has loved Cheddars every time. Friendly and competent service, and GREAT Philly Cheese Steaks.
(5)Amy K.
Good food. Big portions! Great broccoli/rice casserole!!!!! YUMMY
(3)Peggy L.
I went to the Brandon, FL location last night Thursday at around 8:30pm so there wasn't a wait at all. My friend and I were greeted by a waiter that was not only knowledgeable, but pleasant and super fast. Appetizer: For starters, we ordered the Chips and Queso appetizer. Meh...it was okay. Honestly the appetizer looked like something I could have put together at home. The queso came in a small bowl with ground beef on top. It didn't look as appetizing as I was hoping it would be and it tasted as simple as it looked. Melted cheese with ground beef on top. No zest, no flavor, no fun. Thumbs down. Main Course: I had their salmon (bourbon glazed style) with loaded baked potato (which was pretty small) and buttered corn. The main meal was better than the appetizer for sure but it still didn't wow me. Atmosphere: Nice decor, clean, and reminded me a little of Macaroni Grille's interior decor to give you an idea. They also have a large bar area with TVs if you don't want to sit in the main dinning area as well as an outdoor patio. Overall: I felt it could have been better. The decor and atmosphere made me assume the food was going to be really great but it was a let down. Maybe it's the presentation but it didn't seem to present as well as even some of the Chili's dishes do. Would I go back? Probably not. The prices are very good, cheaper then most chain restaurants I have been to but the food is far to mediocre to make an effort to go back. I'd rather pay a dollar or two more and go to Chili's.
(2)Jim B.
As chains go: Better than average. Pros: Attentive staff. Waiters that are on the ball. Our waiter was FANTASTIC in his knowledge of the menu - my lovely dinner companion has MSG issues, and he was able to answer (without checking!) which items had MSG and which did not. Win. Since we were hungry, but not starving, we split the queso and chips, and split the chicken cibatta. Our waiter had them substitute a plain chicken breast instead of the seasoned one since that one has MSG. It comes with a side, we got the steamed broccoli for her and I had a side of mashed potatoes added for me (they do have MSG in them, I'm not that sensitive). We both had water since we were already a couple of cocktails in from the hotel. Amazingly (get THIS): We both ate for about 14 bucks. I tipped the guy 50% for the value of the table and the fact that he was so on top of his game. Impressive. I'd certainly go back and have no reservations about suggesting this place to anyone. Prices are on the low end of better casual chains, but the build out and food rank above average based on this single visit. I wonder: Why the heck do people use MSG? Its just terrible stuff.
(3)Dayman B.
My company, American Plumbing Solutions, has the honor of providing plumbing service to Cheddar's Casual Cafe in Brandon. You know you have a great restaurant when the plumber that services the place eats there. I have been enjoying their food for years now. Everything is freshly made and very tasty. The portion size is very big vs. the price on the menu. Love it!!!
(5)Thuy H.
I came here thinking it was going to be a good place to eat. I was kinda disappointed by the food, but the price is good that it didn't bother me too much. My husband has been talking about this place for a while, since his co-workers and him went here for a team bonding lunch. I am more of the quality and my husband is more of a quanitity. I ordered the chicken fried steak, my husband ordered the catfish platter and we order a chicken finger platter for the baby and the dogs to share. We got an app to share. The spanish dip was good. The food came out pretty quickly. The coating on my chicken fried steak was very disappointing. I ended scrapping it off after a couple of bites. I had a taste of the fish and it was very good. Usually when people fry fish, it comes out greasy but this was very flaky and light. The service was very good. Our waitress was very attentive and we didn't have to wait too long for a table. When we asked for something, it came very quickly. The price is very good. The burger prices here is cheaper than McDonald's.
(2)Denise S.
I don't think it matters what time you go to this place, it is always crowded. We got there around 3:00pm this past Saturday and were told it would be about a 25 minute wait, but were seated in about ten minutes. Our waiter was helpful and friendly but the kitchen must have been getting slammed because it took more than 15 minutes to get our appetizers and drinks. The atmosphere at Cheddar's is casual, the entrees are in the 10.00 - 15.00 range, and Margaritas were tasty and under 4.00. So how was the food? The food was good, not amazing, but well worth the money. We had loaded potato skins for our app and I enjoyed them. They were filled with cheese, seasoned well, and the skin was nice and crispy. If you are not a cheese lover, like my date, you may want to avoid this one. Although my date simply scraped off about half the cheese and ate and enjoyed the rest. For our entree we both had a rib combo. Mine came with fried shrimp, hers with chicken tenders. I didn't care for the shrimp, they were too small, and there was way too much breading. We both enjoyed the ribs, and she loved her chicken tenders. A must have, which you have to request, but it is included in the meal, is the croissants. They were flakey and buttery and hot and drizzled with honey. Yummy! Would I go back to Cheddar's? Absolutely. That was not my first time there and it won't be my last. I don't know what it is about that place that keeps it packed but whatever it is they are doing, they should keep it up, because its working. Well, on to the next. As always, I wish you Happy Eating!
(3)Todd R.
This is one of our top 3 favorite restaurants in the area and a "go to" family favorite. The food quality is excellent, the portions are large, and the service is usually outstanding. They have great salads and are known for their hand breaded chicken fingers. I don't personally like chicken fingers anywhere else, but theirs are very tasty and the buffalo version is highly addictive. Like a previous reviewer, the grilled salmon is my favorite followed closely by the Hawaiian chicken salad. My wife and middle child always order the chicken dijon and never seem to tire of it. I've yet to see a dish that disappointed, so really I don't think you can go wrong here. Be prepared to wait for a seat during prime times as this is not a very well kept secret. It is a great value (our family of 5 is usually out the door for $40 or less including tip) but I would choose this place over a lot of places that cost twice as much.
(5)Melissa M.
Terrible. The food was just awful. Canned corn is their buttered corn. Mashed potatoes that tasted like instant was mixed with under cooked potatoes. Very gluey. Tortilla soup tasted like they heated the salsa and added chicken. Slow service. They were nice. But I won't be going back. Disappointing.
(1)Ryan B.
The food was decent. The lower priced items were a much better value, as some of the more expensive items were not very good. The server we had was completely unaware of the menu, could not answer our questions, and was not very timely with our order. One member of my party had his side orders completely undone. If I were to go there again, I'd likely just stick with burgers or sandwiches.
(2)Katie B.
Well, trip number two to Cheddar's proved my last experience was no fluke. The service was remarkable; our server was attentive, knowledgeable, and efficient. I've determined that the $2.99 margaritas are 18 ounces of frozen or on-the-rocks goodness. I recommend the frozen as they're really more like alcoholic slushies. Another Bennigan's reference and it will (hopefully) be my last comparison. (I worked there for 2 1/2 years and loved the food, so sometimes I can't help it!) Cheddar's has a Monte Cristo... Let me preface this by saying that I've had many a Monte Cristo in my day and Bennigan's will always be the king. Many restaurants out there sell slightly fried (but mostly soggy) ham and turkey sandwiches and pawn them off as good ol' Monte... Don't be fooled. Cheddar's, on the other hand, is the real deal. One bite into that crispy, golden brown mess of powdered sugar and I felt a little piece of me die; the piece that always held Bennigan's as king. Now that the corporate restaurants have gone out of business leaving only select franchises open, I think Bennigan's will be happy to have such a worthy predecessor.
(4)Cindy D.
If you would like to eat somewhere where the food is great, the service is amazing and the portions are big enough for two, Cheddars is your place! I had the lemon pepper chicken, came out nice and tender, the broccoli was delicious and the baked potato was cooked just right. We started off with Texas cheese fries and tortilla soup and an order of onion rings... We took over half of it home!
(5)Shane M.
Good, cheap and plentiful!
(4)Don G.
This place is pretty great. I go every time i am in Brandon. Perfect for lunch and there's really nothing that casual about it. Really nice place, very comfortable feel and the one time there was a line we just went to the bar to eat (first come first serve). They're famous for their onion rings, for good reason, and the menu features a bunch of great food. The monte cristo is my favorite and you can get sides like red beans and rice instead of settling for french fries. The buffalo chicken wrap is a big hit, though I haven't tried it yet I'm jealous when I see it carried past my table. The kicker comes when you get your bill, no way they're that good and cheap!
(4)Charles M.
I have taken the family here a few times. The food is good, along with the service and the setting. I have two small children so we can generally get out for under $50 or right around it. The food has always been good, however like a lot of chain restaurants it is nothing to write home about. I think its a good place for families but I doubt you will be craving anything specific. I would recommend trying it and I am sure we will go back.
(3)Meg B.
I've been to Cheddar's several times over the past 4-5 years and honestly it's gotten more and more mediocre over time. Most recently I had Baked Spaghetti and it was way overcooked. Yuck. Needless to say I have not been back. The prices were reasonable and we usually didn't have to wait too long; but I can't justify bothering with so-so food.
(2)Jen F.
bad attitude from the girl in the front so far..
(1)patrick R.
I see that this Cheddars has had some bad reviews a few years ago.. Well I guess they have turned around a bit! The Cheddars in Brandon Off of Causeway Blvd is usually quite packed on a Fri and Sat Night but the wait for me anyways has only been about a half hour at the most. Lets start out with the Service... I have been here about five times and four out of the five has been great service! Servers are always very prompt to get your drink... even Alcohol from the bar doesn't take too long. Further more you get your food very quickly... even for the more complicated dishes. Atmosphere... Its not bad, They have outdoor seating that has a little waterfall which is nice... Its more of a dark setting on the inside... I wouldn't say bring on a first date to impress but after that Cheddars should serve fine. Food... I thought the food.. for the price which was very low was great! Every dish that I have had here was well cooked and exactly what I ordered... Also the portions were large. To sum it all up Cheddars Is a great spot to go for a relaxing non budget busting meal!
(3)Patti V.
I too went to Cheddars in Brandon and found it to be very dissapointing. After a day of shopping at Lowe's my husband and i found ourselves wanting to try something new in the ever evolving Brandon resturaunt building boom so we chose Cheddar's. Now, we had never, ever been there but assumed by the large crowd waiting that it must be good. That was mistake #1. After waiting for almost an hour we were offered seating at the bar. Mistake #2. We were met with a bartender slash part time comic but today he was not wanting to be funny. I guess the large amount of money, I mean customers waiting to enter his establishment pissed him off so anyone who sat in his arena was gonna' get it. Unless you were a couple of young girls, scarcely dress who were hammering Margaritas and giggling at just about every word he uddered. He slammed one menu down for us both and leaned on the bar and grunted "Let me guess I bet you are going to eat something? Well you are going to need to order a drink since this is a bar." Wow!! O.k. this was mistake #3. Was it not only not a bar but he was anything but a bartender. It was stocked with a bunch of bottom shelf liquors and he was "just helping out" because the "real bartender" was too busy. We ordered 2 beers and our food because we were starving. It took approximately 20 minutes for our order to come out. Just as my husband was about to put the food to his mouth the waiter that brought us our food grabbed the plate and said "not yours sorry" and proceeded to put it on the table behind us. Now maybe they were really busy, or understaffed or all the above but that was our first and only trip there. Carlos, I am not sure which one you went to or who in the world voted it best dining in Brandon.
(1)