Y'know, I've always been a big eater.  Typically I can handle whatever a restaurant can throw at me.  Well, friends, this time I misjudged; I ordered way too much food.  I wound up taking home a third of what I ordered, and had a very rich breakfast the next day.

First up was the soup of the day, along with a house salad I'd ordered with the main dish.  The salad was good, typical, but the soup was exceptional.  It wasn't called "hearty vegetable" for nothing, with enough diced colorful veggies to fill the bowl.  It's difficult to keep vegetables from mushing up when they've been stewed, but these chunks held up well, and weren't tasteless either.  I highly recommend it.

Next up was the appetizer platter I'd ordered, and I knew I was in trouble.  The "Triple Treat" comes with nacho treats and your choice of two other appetizers; I opted for the chicken tenders and potato skins.  I was NOT expecting them in the quantity that arrived.  The supplied honey-mustard sauce was well chosen for the large battered chicken strips.  The potato skins weren't soggy like others I've had before, and came with cheddar cheese and bacon bits.  The nachos weren't a messy, scoop-it-up arrangement; instead each came covered with cheese and steak bits and hot jalapeno slices.  I rate these appetizers as the best I've ever encountered.

Now, I'd already decided to take it easy on the appetizers; but while waiting for the meal to arrive, I noticed something very interesting on the dessert menu.  So, I took it easy on the main course, a full rack of baby-back ribs.  I slid half the appetizers and a third of the ribs into my doggie-bag, and prepared myself...

Wow.  They cooked up a large chocolate cookie just for me, fresh on the spot; threw on some vanilla ice cream, hot fudge and whipped cream.  This concoction was called the "Cookie Monster", and that big blue lovable Muppet would've loved it.  I barely had the room to ingest this delectable dessert, but I managed.

I did make one mistake with my meal.  The baby-back ribs were pretty good, above par for ribs at a party joint; the honey molasses sauce was very good.  Still, it wasn't anything special.  I'd had trouble selecting a main course, since I usually pick the house specialty and Cheddar's menu has no headliner.  When I go back (that's when, not if) I'll make sure to choose something different.

In fact, I may not order a main course at all.  A word of warning, to all ye who enter Cheddar's:  Beware their delicious appetizers.  They will almost certainly ruin your desire for an entree.