Cheddar’s Menu With Prices (Updated October 2026)

Cheddar’s Menu Prices at a Glance

Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen opened in Arlington, Texas in 1979 and built its name on a simple promise that most casual dining chains quietly gave up: cook things in house. The tenders are hand breaded, the ribs are smoked on site, the croissants are baked through the day and the mashed potatoes start as real potatoes. Darden, the company behind Olive Garden and LongHorn, has owned the chain since 2017, and it runs close to 180 restaurants, mostly across the South and Midwest.

The item names and several prices on this page come from Cheddar’s own 2026 menu. The rest are typical dine in prices gathered from menu boards and pricing trackers in October 2026. Cheddar’s restaurants are company run, so prices are fairly consistent, but expect small differences by state. Delivery apps charge noticeably more than ordering at the table or through Cheddar’s own curbside pickup.

Shareable Appetizers

Order the croissants no matter what else you get. They arrive warm and glossy with honey butter, and at $1.99 for two they are the best value on any casual dining menu in the country.

Seasoned ground beef can be added to the Chips and Homemade Queso at no charge. The Trio Sampler lets you pick three of the chips and queso, spinach dip, hand breaded tenders, cheese bites or queso fries.

Weekday Lunch Specials

Lunch specials run Monday to Friday until 3pm. The sandwiches come with fries and the plates come with their usual sides, and at under $11 they undercut plenty of fast casual chains.

Steaks and Ribs

Steaks are center cut and grilled over an open flame. The baby back ribs are slow smoked in the restaurant and finished with honey BBQ sauce. Every plate comes with two sides, and you can swap a side for a house or Caesar salad.

Upgrading the 6 oz sirloin on any combination to the 8 oz cut costs $2.00 more. Calorie counts on this page include the default sides and change with the two you choose.

Combinations

Shrimp on any combination can be grilled or beer battered. Grilled is the lighter choice by a wide margin.

Chicken

The No. 8 Special is the dish Cheddar’s is known for. The tenders are breaded to order and come classic, Buffalo or honey hot. It sponsors Kyle Busch’s No. 8 NASCAR team, which is where the name comes from.

Seafood

The white fish at Cheddar’s is farmed swai, which the menu states plainly. It is mild and flaky and takes the lemon pepper seasoning well.

Comfort Food

This is the part of the menu that separates Cheddar’s from most of its competitors. Meatloaf, pot pie and country fried steak here are proper scratch versions, and the portions are large.

Spasagna is Cheddar’s own creation, a twist on lasagna made with spaghetti, four cheeses and a mix of alfredo and marinara. Add tenders or grilled chicken to it for an extra charge. The Vegetable Plate is a house salad or a bowl of baked potato soup with four sides, and it is the best meatless meal on the menu.

Sandwiches and Half-Pound Burgers

Every sandwich and burger comes with fries. Burgers are grilled medium well unless you ask otherwise, and sauteed mushrooms or onions can be added.

Salads and Soup

The Caesar Pasta Salad can be made with blackened salmon for a few dollars more. Dressing choices include honey mustard, ranch, chunky blue cheese, thousand island, honey lime and balsamic vinaigrette.

Homestyle Sides

Dinner entrees include two sides. Most are $2.99 on their own, and three premium versions carry a small upcharge.

The green beans and red beans and rice contain pork, which matters if you are ordering for someone who does not eat it.

Desserts

Cheddar’s desserts are built for sharing. The Monster Cookie and the Hot Fudge Cake Sundae are each big enough for a table of three or four.

Kids Menu

The kids menu is for children 12 and under and each meal includes a drink, with one side on most plates.

Drinks and Cocktails

Soft drinks, teas and lemonades come with unlimited free refills. Flavored teas and lemonades can be made with peach, raspberry, strawberry or mango.

The Painkiller, made with Pusser’s rum, cream of coconut, pineapple and orange juice, is limited to two per guest. That is a real house rule, not a joke on the menu.

Cheddar’s Hours

There is no breakfast menu. Cheddar’s does not take standard reservations, but most locations offer an online waitlist, which is worth joining before you leave home on a weekend.

How to Order at Cheddar’s for Less

Go at lunch on a weekday if you can. The same cheeseburger that costs $10.99 at dinner is $8.79 before 3pm, and a pot pie with salad drops from $12.49 to $9.99. At dinner, remember that every entree already includes two sides, so there is little reason to order extra appetizers for the table beyond the croissants.

For a family, Cheddar’s family bundles to go feed four to six people, and the Chicken Tender Family Bundle is currently $24.99 for 16 tenders, two family size sides, sauces and six Honey Butter Croissants, which works out far cheaper per person than individual plates. Order through Cheddar’s website for curbside pickup rather than a delivery app, and add a gallon of tea for $5.79 instead of individual drinks.

Cheddar’s Nutrition Notes

Portions at Cheddar’s are generous and many entrees pass 1,500 calories once two starchy sides are added. Fried dishes such as Country Fried Steak and the Chicken Tender Platter are the heaviest mains, and the appetizers are designed for sharing, with the Trio Sampler above 2,000 calories on its own. Our calorie calculator helps you see how a full dinner fits your day.

The menu marks several dishes that come in at 650 calories or less when paired with Southern green beans and sweet baby carrots, including the 6 oz sirloin, Lemon Pepper Chicken, Key West Chicken and Shrimp, grilled salmon and grilled white fish. Choosing those sides over fries and a loaded potato is the single biggest change you can make.

Current Cheddar’s Deals and Offers

Cheddar’s does not run coupon codes or a points program the way Chili’s and Applebee’s do. The savings are built into the menu instead, and the weekday lunch specials are the clearest example: a full plate with sides for under $11 before 3pm.

If you come for dinner, the Honey Butter Croissants at $1.99 for two are the one add on worth ordering every time, and splitting the Trio Sampler is cheaper than ordering three separate starters.

Cheddar’s Menu FAQ

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