THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 3, 1995 TAG: 9509060653
SECTION: FLAVOR PAGE: F1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: CHAIN REACTION
SOURCE: BY BROWN H. CARPENTER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
EVEN THE regulars at local chain restaurants may never have heard of Cheddar's Casual Cafe. The only Cheddar's east of Ohio is on Jefferson Avenue in Newport News, near Patrick Henry Mall.
There are just 22 of the restaurants in the United States. The Dallas-based chain keeps both its growth and its menu under control.
Cheddar's fare is well-prepared, the atmosphere informal and the service superb.
The interior of the restaurant is roomy with brick columns and walls, stained wood trim, ceramic tile floors and ceiling fans. Old advertisement-sign replicas hang here and there but not everywhere.
Cheddar's is, however, laden with hanging plants; soft pop music is piped through a sound system.
Diners don't have to pore over an encyclopedic menu to decide on a meal: Cheddar's offers 15 entrees, mostly chicken, steak or ribs. Chicken pot pie, stir-fries and spaghetti and meatballs (none more than $6) are ideal for offspring too old for the children's menu.
Prices also are enticing. To go over 10 bucks, you have to order a giant rack of baby-back ribs ($10.25) or the sirloin steak ($11.95).
On a recent Sunday evening, two of us began our dinner with Santa Fe Spinach ($4.95), the most original appetizer on the menu and an excellent preview of the way Cheddar's does things.
(The other offerings were more typically chain stuff - nachos, potato skins, Buffalo chicken tenders.)
The spinach starter, easily shared by two, includes the chopped, cooked vegetable with sour cream, onions, Parmesan cheese and Alfredo sauce. It is topped with grated cheeses and sour cream. Salsa and chips accompany this appetizer; the chips, of course, available to dip into the spinach appetizer and the salsa.
The spinach was hearty and filling. Go easy or you won't have much room for anything else. The salsa tasted fresh, with a touch of peppery fire.
Our entrees were Lean Lemon Pepper Chicken ($7.25), with only 9 grams of fat, and a single order of Rio Grande sirloin fajitas ($8.25). Both were excellent.
The lean chicken is a skinless breast sauteed with zesty lemon-pepper spices and char-grilled. There is a non-lean version ($6.95), but the low-cal dish is served with a baked potato seasoned with Butter Buds and steamed broccoli, cooked perfectly.
The house salad ($1.25) was fresh and large enough for two.
The beef in the fajita entree was tender and marinated just right. Placed in a tortilla along with the grilled onions, cheese, sour cream and chopped tomatoes that make up this Southwestern dish, the steak is a very tasty, filling meal.
We had no room for dessert, which included brownie fudge sundae, Cookie Monster and apple pie (all under $3).
Cheddar's sticks with a tried-and true-menu, but concentrates on cooking it right and serving it professionally.
Stop on your way home from Richmond, Williamsburg, a football game in Charlottesville, or even a trip to the nearby mall.
MEMO: Reviews of chain restaurants with stores in Hampton Roads are based on a
single, unannounced visit by a party of two or three, unless otherwise
noted. The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star pay for the reviewer's
meal and those of the guests.
ILLUSTRATION: ROY A. BAHLS COLOR PHOTO
Giant Rack of Baby Back Ribs ($10.25) comes with hickory sauce and
two vegetables.
Graphic
CHAIN REACTION
Cheddar's Casual Cafe: 12280 Jefferson Ave., Newport News.
249-4000.
Hours: from 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday, from 11
to 12:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Prices: Most entrees are under $10. Big salads, $5.95; dinners,
$5.15 (chicken pot pie) to $15.50 (double fajitas, easily shared by
two); burgers and sandwiches, $3.75 to $4.75.
Directions: from Norfolk, take the second Jefferson Avenue exit
off I-64; it's on the left, next to Patrick Henry Mall.
Reservations: Accepted weekdays. On weekends, call ahead to get
on waiting list.
Smoking: about 25 percent of the dining area.
Owned by: Cheddar's Inc. of Dallas. There are 22 stores
nationwide.
by CNB