The Florida Foodie
The New Kid on the Block: Cheddar’s Casual Café
By Saucy Sarah
Cheddar’s Casual Café has opened its doors in Wellington just in time for the holiday season. Cheddar’s is a chain restaurant, hailing from Texas, that boasts handmade food at budget-friendly prices. I was eager for the grand opening to arrive and have the chance to try out their menu; a collection of homespun family favorites, with a touch of Tex-Mex.
The restaurant is a cozy combination of rich dark woods and stone. I was pleasantly surprised by the wide open main dining room and huge paddle fan lazily rotating over the bustling dinner crowd. The tables are made of real butcher block and there is a delightful lack of the typical “kitschy” collections of old Americana we see littering the walls at most local bar& grills.
There is something for everyone on Cheddar’s menu. A good way to
begin is to order the plate of three hot buttered croissants ( $1.99). They arrive warm and fluffy with a light drizzle of gooey sugar icing. They are addictive, so be careful not to spoil your dinner! We also tried the Homemade Onion Rings ($4.50). Thin and crispy, they come with a Cajun and a ranch dipping sauce. I was delighted that the onion rings were not greasy at all. I also tried the house salad, just $1.99 with entrée purchase, with Cheddar’s famous homemade ranch dressing. The salad is filled with fresh vegetables and the ranch is creamy and tastes homemade.
For our entrée’s, I tried the Rib & Shrimp combo platter ($13.59). The shrimp can be ordered fried or grilled, I opted for the fried. The shrimp was fried perfectly, a bit spicy, but not greasy at all and the cocktail sauce was fresh and a good complement. A half rack of nicely smoked ribs came with the shrimp. The BBQ sauce is sweet and tangy and they do a good job of not over-saucing the ribs. My companion had the Bacon Cheeseburger ($5.79). You have to tack on $1.99 if you want fries, or any side, they do not come with the meal. The burger was tasty, but we questioned if the patty was actually fresh and handmade or if it was frozen. When a restaurant’s mission is “from scratch” food, you do not want your customers wonder if that is really the case.
We were too full to try one of Cheddar’s tempting desserts, but I am
looking forward to returning for a second visit and trying the Monster Cookie Sundae ($4.99). A chocolate chip cookie baked in a cast iron skillet and topped with ice cream and all the fixings. That doesn’t sound bad at all.
Cheddar’s cozy atmosphere and good food and great prices make it an idea place to take the whole family, and visiting holiday guests, without breaking the bank. I look forward to trying more of their menu on a second visit.
In her previous life, Sarah, a Palm Beach County Native, spent ten years working in various high-end eating establishments around South Florida. She is currently a fiction thesis candidate in the MFA program at Florida International University where she also teaches creative writing and rhetoric. If that is not enough, Sarah is also the owner of Cakes by Sarah, a local custom cake shop. Sarah lives in Lake Worth with her husband and two beautiful boys. “Food, fiction, and family are my life.”
*****
AroundWellingon.com Best Burger of the Palm Beaches!
Starting December 1st through January 20th you can vote for your favorite burger join in Palm Beach County. Try all the nominated restaurants and see which one reigns supreme! The top 5 burger joints will be announced in the February issue of AroundWellington.com.
To vote, please send an email to: [email protected], subject “Best Burger” and please include your pick (from the choices below). You can also write-in a different restaurant. Only two votes per household please. Please include: 1) your name, 2) your email address and 3) your phone number … and one lucky winner, selected from a random drawing, will receive a special prize. Deadline to enter/vote is: January 20th.
Nominated Best Burger Restaurants:
· Backstreet’s Bar & Grill: 12771 W. Forest Hill Blvd, Wellington, FL 33414
Phone: (561) 795-0100 Web: http://www.backstreetsbarandgrill.com/#
**A popular, friendly bar in the heart of Wellington with a “Cheers” (“everybody knows your name” type atmosphere). Sat. night is “Burger Night.” Choose from 5 famous burgers – best known for their Peter Lugar Cheese Burger.
· Between the Bun: 1035 Gateway Boulevard #213 Boynton Beach, FL 33426
Phone: (561) 735-8820 Web: http://www.boyntonrestaurantbetweenthebun.com/
**Small, family-owned joint in Boynton makes cooked-to-order, handmade burgers on an open grill. Classic old-time burger.
· Brass Ring Pub: 10998 Okeechobee Boulevard, Royal Palm Beach
Phone: (561) 296-4563 Web: brassringpub.net
**Open since 1986 this dive-bar serves hand formed burgers cooked over open flame, using lava rocks. Quintessential dive-bar burger.
· Cheeburger Cheeburger: 460 South Rosemary Avenue West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone: (561) 833-1997 Web: http://cheeburger.com/home2/index.asp
**100% all natural Angus beef patties. Customize your burger by choosing from three different sizes. The definition of a retro burger.
· Cheesecake Factory: Several locations in PB county.
Web: www.thecheesecakefactory.com/
**This chain offer several unique and interesting burgers, including an exclusive Kobe beef burger that needs no toppings.
· Chuck Burger Joint: 4665 PGA Boulevard Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
Phone: (561) 629-5191 Web: midtownpga.com/dining/list-of-restaurants/chuck-burger-joint
**Chuck’s offers simple yet high-quality burgers and toppings in Palm Beach Gardens.
· Hurricane Grill & Wings: Several Locations in PB county.
Web: hurricanewings.com/
**This chain restaurant serves tasty grilled burgers with a toasty bun.
· Five Guys Burger and Fries: Several Locations in Palm Beach County.
Web: www.fiveguys.com/
**thin high-quality patties cooked to order on a griddle. The epitome of quality fast-food burgers.
· Foster’s Grille: 11071 Southern Boulevard Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411
Phone: (561) 333-6720 Web: www.fostersgrilleroyalpalmbeach.com/
**High quality char-burgers cooked to order, custom topping combinations.
· Grease Burger Bar: 213 North Clematis Street West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Phone: (561) 651-1075 Web: http://www.bigtimerestaurants.com/
**cutting-edge burgers on hip clematis street.
· Lindburgers: 5776 Jog Road Lake Worth, FL 33467
Phone: (561) 649-6761 Web: www.lindburgers.com/
**over 50 unique and interesting burgers to choose from.
· Moran’s Italian Burger Bistro: 2107 10th Ave. North Lake Worth, FL
Phone: (561) 318-5048 Web: http://www.moranslakeworth.com/page/morans-home
**Build your own burger at this unique Italian burger joint.
· Relish: 401 Northwood Road West Palm Beach, FL 33407
Phone: (561) 629-5377 Web: http://relishburger.com/
**A dizzying array of ultra-fresh and innovative choices for your meat and toppings. Dedicated to unique and tasty burgers of all kinds!
· The Office Restaurant: 201 East Atlantic Avenue Delray Beach, FL 33444
Phone: (561) 276-3600 Web: www.theofficedelray.com/
**hip gastro-pub with organic burgers and interesting toppings.