If you are looking for a quick bite but still want to eat at a nice sit-down restaurant, this is the perfect place to do just that. My first experience at Cheddar's left me wanting to come back for more food, but also made me have the post satisfying food coma after a long week.
The best part about the meal was that I ordered so much and my entire bill came out to $22. Being a college student and a foodie makes it really hard to find places under a budget, but also restaurants that taste good. Cheddar's will not disappoint for any of you newbies because it sure as heck didn't disappoint me.
Since it was Good Friday and most people, such as myself, couldn't eat meat, I decided to get a tasty fish dinner. But first, I shared an appetizer with my roommate that is a must-try.
The Santa-Fe Spinach Dip
This appetizer was so satisfying to my hunger and left us wanting more (mainly because we devoured it in less than 2 minutes). The dip is placed in a casserole dish and had four baked kinds of cheese on top - and topped with that was a big dollop of sour cream featuring a tortilla chip sticking out of it. The casserole dish was placed on another dish surrounded by more tortilla chips- yum!
The Blackened Redfish with Crab Sauce
My main dish was absolutely delicious. Being the fish-lover that I am, I tried the blackened redfish that was topped with crab sauce. The fish had super vibrant spices added to it and the crab sauce had chunks of crab mixed in. The fish was laying on a bed of white and yellow rice and had two extra sides to it - their famous mashed potatoes with mac and cheese. Each bite exploded onto my palette and made me want more - except there were so many carbs on my plate that I had a food baby sooner than I thought.
Grilled Salmon with a caesar salad and their infamous buttery-glazed croissants
My roommate had been here a few times and knew exactly what she was ordering - the salmon with mashed potatoes and a caesar salad. Their salads come with their famous croissants which are the reason most people come back. The croissants are large and fluffy and have a yellow lemon-tasting glaze on top.
The salmon was seasoned and cooked to perfection along with their mashed potatoes that have chunks of potato in it.
Drinks
We both ordered flavored drinks as well. I ordered a peach iced tea that tasted like a virgin cocktail - now that's what I really need after a long week.
For newbies like me, you can sign up for their email listserv and after 2 weeks, you will receive an email for free chips and queso appetizer- can't get any better than free queso...
So, if you are in the Tucson area and want a cheap meal with great taste, head out to Cheddar's because you won't regret it.