I’ve eaten at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen more times than I can count. It started as the kind of place I went because the portions are enormous and the prices are reasonable. It became the kind of place I actually look forward to, because some of the best Cheddar’s menu items are genuinely excellent, the kind of food you think about on the drive home. Not every dish hits. But the ones that do hit hard.
This guide covers the 17 best Cheddar’s menu items based on real visits. I’ll tell you what to order without hesitation, what’s worth skipping, and what surprised me the most. Whether you’re a Cheddar’s regular or you’re going for the first time, this breakdown will help you get the most out of your meal.
Table of Contents
Why Cheddar’s Is Worth Your Time
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen sits in a weird middle ground in casual dining. It’s not a chain in the way that Applebee’s or TGI Fridays is a chain. They actually make things from scratch, which makes a noticeable difference in the taste. According to Darden Restaurants, Cheddar’s makes over 90% of its items in-house daily, from scratch. That commitment shows up in the food, especially in the best Cheddar’s menu items like their soups, their croissant chicken, and their handmade chicken tenders.
The value proposition is real too. For what you pay at Cheddar’s, you get significantly more food than at comparable casual dining spots. Most entrees come with two sides, the portions are generous, and the bread basket that arrives at the start is soft, warm, and genuinely good. If you order strategically from the best Cheddar’s menu items, you leave satisfied every time.
Best Cheddar’s Menu Items: Appetizers (1-4)
The appetizer section at Cheddar’s is where a lot of the best Cheddar’s menu items live. These are crowd-pleasers in the truest sense, the kind of dishes a table of eight can demolish before anyone realizes how much they’ve eaten. Order early and order more than you think you need.
1. Spinach Dip
This is consistently one of the best Cheddar’s menu items and the one I order first at almost every visit. The spinach dip is warm, creamy, loaded with cheese and artichoke, and served with tortilla chips and warm pita. It’s not the thinnest dip you’ll find; it’s thick and indulgent and borderline addictive. I’ve had spinach dips at dozens of restaurants, and this one ranks in my top three. Get it before your entree arrives and don’t feel guilty about it.
2. Queso Blanco Dip
If spinach dip is the starter champion, queso blanco is a close second among the best Cheddar’s menu items. It’s a smooth white queso served with tortilla chips and housemade pico de gallo. The queso itself is well-seasoned with a little heat that builds slowly. The pico adds freshness that cuts through the richness. This is the appetizer I order when I’m with a group and want something that satisfies everyone without debate.
3. Onion Rings
Cheddar’s onion rings might be the best Cheddar’s menu items in the fried category. The rings are thick-cut, with a crunchy, well-seasoned batter that doesn’t fall apart when you take a bite. The onion inside is tender without being stringy. They come out hot and stay hot longer than most fried appetizers because of how thick they are. The dipping sauces they bring alongside are serviceable, but honestly the rings are good enough to eat plain.
4. Monte Cristo
The Monte Cristo at Cheddar’s deserves a spot on any list of best Cheddar’s menu items. It’s a sandwich in the style of the New Orleans classic: ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese layered between bread that’s been battered and fried, then dusted with powdered sugar and served with a raspberry dipping sauce. It sounds like a dessert. It eats like one too, in the best possible way. I recommend splitting it as a starter, but be honest with yourself because you might want the whole thing.
Best Cheddar’s Menu Items: Soups (5-7)
Cheddar’s makes their soups from scratch daily, and it shows. These three are the best Cheddar’s menu items in the soup category, and any one of them is worth ordering even if you’re not typically a soup person. For hearty comfort food inspiration at home, our comfort food recipes guide covers similar flavors you can recreate in your own kitchen.
5. Broccoli Cheddar Soup
This is the best soup at Cheddar’s, and it’s one of the best Cheddar’s menu items overall. Rich, thick, and loaded with actual broccoli in a creamy cheddar base. It doesn’t taste like it came from a can. It tastes like someone made it that morning, which they did. Get the cup if you’re having an appetizer too, or order the bowl and make it a meal. The bread that comes with it soaks up the leftover soup at the bottom perfectly.
6. Chicken Tortilla Soup
This is one of the most underrated best Cheddar’s menu items. It doesn’t get talked about as often as the broccoli cheddar, but it should. The base is bold and slightly spicy, made with tomatoes, chili, chicken, and corn, topped with crispy tortilla strips and a dollop of sour cream. It has real depth of flavor from being simmered properly. I almost always switch to this when the broccoli cheddar feels too heavy for whatever else I’m ordering.
7. Loaded Baked Potato Soup
If comfort is what you want, the loaded baked potato soup is among the best Cheddar’s menu items for achieving exactly that. It’s thick and creamy, full of potato chunks, and topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and bacon bits. It eats more like a meal than a first course. If you order the bowl, plan to eat lighter on the entree side. This soup is filling in a way that sneaks up on you.
Best Cheddar’s Menu Items: Entrees (8-13)
The entree section is where the best Cheddar’s menu items really differentiate Cheddar’s from other casual chains. These dishes come with two sides, they’re large, and the quality is consistently higher than you expect at this price point.
8. Honey Butter Croissant Chicken
This is the best Cheddar’s menu item, full stop. If you haven’t had it, this is what you’re ordering. Chicken tenderloins are hand-battered and fried, then drizzled with a honey butter sauce and served on a warm croissant. The combination of crispy, juicy chicken with that sweet, buttery glaze is exactly as good as it sounds. It comes with two sides, which I’ll get to shortly. This single dish is responsible for converting most of my skeptical friends into Cheddar’s regulars.
9. Hand-Battered Chicken Tenders
Among the best Cheddar’s menu items, the chicken tenders are a foundation piece. They’re genuinely hand-battered, which is not marketing language at Cheddar’s. The coating is crispy and well-seasoned, and the chicken inside is moist and thick. This isn’t the kind of tender that dries out the moment it hits the table. They hold up, and they’re good with any of the sauces. Order them with honey mustard and their loaded mashed potatoes and you have one of the most satisfying meals in the building.
10. Baby Back Ribs
Ribs make the list of best Cheddar’s menu items because Cheddar’s actually does them well. The ribs are smoked and slow-cooked, then finished on the grill with a tangy-sweet BBQ glaze. They’re tender without falling completely off the bone, which means you still get some satisfying pull on each bite. The portion is generous. Half rack is the right call unless you’re very hungry or splitting with someone. These are worth the slight price premium over some of the other entrees.
11. Bourbon Street Chicken and Shrimp
This is a crowd favorite and one of the best Cheddar’s menu items for people who want something with a little more personality. Sauteed chicken and shrimp in a Cajun-seasoned butter sauce, served over rice. The sauce has heat and depth. The shrimp are properly cooked rather than rubbery. If you want something that feels a little more restaurant-quality than a typical casual dining entree, this is the one to order. It’s the best Cheddar’s menu item for someone who wants something beyond the fried category.
12. New Orleans Pasta
Penne pasta tossed in a Cajun cream sauce with chicken, shrimp, and andouille sausage. This is a hearty, filling dish that earns its place among the best Cheddar’s menu items. The sauce is creamy but not heavy, seasoned aggressively with Cajun spices that give it real heat. The three proteins make it feel substantial and varied bite to bite. It’s the dish I order when I want something that isn’t fried but still feels like it made good on a promise.
13. Triple Play Sampler
If you genuinely cannot decide between the chicken tenders, ribs, and something else, the Triple Play Sampler is one of the practical best Cheddar’s menu items for indecisive diners. It’s a combination plate that lets you try multiple proteins. It’s a good first-visit choice because you get a sense of what Cheddar’s does well across different cooking methods. On return visits you’ll know exactly what you want, but the sampler is a solid way to build that knowledge.
Best Cheddar’s Menu Items: Sides (14-15)
Sides can make or break an entree at any restaurant, and two of the best Cheddar’s menu items happen to be sides. Choose these every time.
14. Loaded Mashed Potatoes
The loaded mashed potatoes at Cheddar’s are fluffy, buttery, and topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chives. They’re legitimately one of the best Cheddar’s menu items in the side category and a reason to choose a mashed potato side over fries in this particular restaurant. The portion is generous enough that it almost functions as a dish on its own. Pair them with the honey butter chicken or the tenders and you have an exceptional combination.
15. Broccoli Cheese Casserole
This side dish is consistently overlooked, which makes it one of the best Cheddar’s menu items you’re probably not ordering. It’s broccoli in a creamy cheese sauce, baked until slightly golden on top. It’s rich and satisfying and a genuinely better choice than plain vegetables for anyone who wants something comforting alongside their main. I’ve ordered it enough times that at this point I recommend it without hesitation to anyone who asks what sides to get.
Best Cheddar’s Menu Items: Desserts (16-17)
After a full meal at Cheddar’s, dessert might seem like too much. Order anyway. These two are among the best Cheddar’s menu items for ending a meal on a high note, and they’re shareable, which makes the decision easier.
16. Chocolate Lava Cake
This is the best Cheddar’s menu item for dessert and one of the most satisfying ways to end a meal here. A warm chocolate cake with a molten center, served with vanilla ice cream. The cake is dense and rich, and when you cut into it the warm chocolate floods out. It’s an indulgent, classic dessert done well. Get two forks, share it, and don’t feel bad about ordering it even after a big entree. It’s worth it every time.
17. Southern Peach Cobbler
The peach cobbler rounds out the best Cheddar’s menu items with something that feels distinctly Southern and genuinely homemade. Warm spiced peaches under a golden biscuit crust, served with vanilla ice cream. It’s the kind of dessert that tastes like something a grandmother would make, which is the highest compliment I know for a cobbler. On the dessert menu at Cheddar’s, this and the lava cake are the two worth ordering. Skip everything else and go straight to one of these.
What to Skip at Cheddar’s
Not every item makes the list of best Cheddar’s menu items. A few dishes underperform. The Cheddar Burger, while serviceable, doesn’t match the quality of what you can get elsewhere for the same price. The salads are fine but unremarkable and don’t justify the cost given how much better the hot dishes are. And if you’re tempted by the fish and chips, I’d steer you toward the Bourbon Street Chicken instead. The best Cheddar’s menu items are in the fried chicken, ribs, and soup categories. The best strategy is to stay in those lanes.
Also: skip the mixed drinks. The food at Cheddar’s punches above its weight. The drinks do not. Stick to iced tea or lemonade and put that money toward a dessert.
What are the best Cheddar’s menu items overall?
The best Cheddar’s menu items overall are the Honey Butter Croissant Chicken, the Broccoli Cheddar Soup, the Spinach Dip, the Hand-Battered Chicken Tenders, and the Chocolate Lava Cake. These five represent the highest quality dishes at Cheddar’s and the ones that consistently deliver on every visit.
What is the best soup at Cheddar’s?
The best soup at Cheddar’s is the Broccoli Cheddar Soup. It is made from scratch daily, thick and creamy with real broccoli, and consistently one of the best Cheddar’s menu items across the entire menu. The Chicken Tortilla Soup and Loaded Baked Potato Soup are strong runners-up for variety.
What is the best dessert at Cheddar’s?
The best dessert and one of the best Cheddar’s menu items overall is the Chocolate Lava Cake. The warm molten chocolate center with vanilla ice cream is consistently well-executed. The Southern Peach Cobbler is the second-best dessert and worth ordering if you want something lighter and more traditionally Southern.
What should you order at Cheddar’s for the first time?
For a first visit, the best Cheddar’s menu items to order are: Spinach Dip to start, a bowl of Broccoli Cheddar Soup, and the Honey Butter Croissant Chicken as your entree with Loaded Mashed Potatoes as a side. Finish with the Chocolate Lava Cake. This combination gives you the full picture of what makes Cheddar’s worth visiting.
Are Cheddar’s menu items made from scratch?
Yes. Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen makes over 90% of its menu items from scratch daily, including its soups, sauces, and hand-battered items. This is one of the main reasons the best Cheddar’s menu items taste noticeably better than comparable dishes at other casual dining chains. The scratch-made approach shows up most clearly in the soups, the chicken tenders, and the sides.
Final Verdict on the Best Cheddar’s Menu Items
If you only remember one thing from this guide, make it this: order the Honey Butter Croissant Chicken. It is the best Cheddar’s menu item on the board and the dish that will define your experience there. Add a cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup and the Spinach Dip if you’re going with a group, and end with the Chocolate Lava Cake. That combination represents the best Cheddar’s menu items across every course.
Cheddar’s works because it doesn’t overcomplicate things. It does comfort food with real ingredients and gives you more than you paid for. If you go in knowing what the best Cheddar’s menu items are, you leave with a very good meal. And if you want to recreate that comfort food energy at home, check out our Southern comfort food recipes for some of the same flavors in your own kitchen.
