10 Things You Didn't Know About Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen

The main complaint most diners have about chain restaurants is that very few, if any, have much of a reputation for making their dishes from scratch. But as you might have guessed by the name, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen prides itself in doing things a little differently, and there's a lot you might not know about this popular Texas-based chain. 

When shopping around for names for their new restaurant concept, Rogers and Good decided to ask a group of schoolchildren. When presented with a handful of options, "Cheddar's" was the overwhelming vote. 

The chain got its start as just Cheddar's, then several years later it was changed to Cheddar's Casual Café. In 2015, as part of a larger rebranding effort meant to emphasize the freshness aspect of their menu, the name was officially changed to Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen. 

In 2012, Zagat bestowed four awards on Cheddar's: the top full-service restaurant chain, top overall American cuisine, top rated food, and top rated décor and facilities. It's also won top honors from Consumer Reports and Nation's Restaurant News. 

As opposed to many chains, which usually reheat food to order, each Cheddar's kitchen has a fleet of cooks actually chopping, prepping, and cooking food. 

Only one item on Cheddar's entire menu contains more than 2,000 calories: the regular-size cheese fries, which clock in at 2,104 calories, 140 grams of fat, 47 grams of saturated fat, 117 milligrams of cholesterol, and 4,320 milligrams of sodium. 

The average kitchen at Cheddar's is 3,500 square feet; for comparison, the average kitchen at Applebee's is just 2,000. 

You'll also receive regular emails about new menu items and other news. 

As part of the chain's rebranding when the name was changed last year, locals were invited to submit their favorite family recipe in a contest held by each location, with the winning recipe being featured on the menu for a brief time. One of the winners was an 8-year-old girl, whose recipe for "Jara's Creamy Garlic Mushrooms" beat out hundreds of entries, winning her a spot on the menu for six weeks as well as a $250 Cheddar's gift card.

You can either email or print your cards, or arrange for them to be emailed to the recipient up to a year in advance. 

The surprisingly thorough and well-maintained site has sections covering community, food, health and wellness, lifestyle, and restaurant news.