Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen — Restaurant in Smyrna

I recently dined at Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen restaurant with two other family mambers and we were disappointed with the overall experience. The service was slow and inattentive due to an apparent lack of servers for the number of customers. The food was overpriced, and some items had significant issues. For example, the hamburger I ordered tasted as much like fish as it did like beef. The chicken pot pie was significantly watered down – and tasted as such - we have experienced this watered-down issue several times in the past with this item. The ranch dressing intended for the salad was watered down to the point that it flowed out like water and tasted the same. The beans and rice we received appeared to have been setting out for an extensive amount of time based on their appearance in the top of the container. The other items were acceptable but pricey. Cheddar's has always been noisy, but we already knew about that. I have noticed that the consistency and quality of their food can change over time. I asked my waiter if I could see the manager. A few minutes later, the waiter told me they had told the manager to come to our table. However, after waiting 15 minutes, the manager never showed up to our table, so we left at that point.

10/16/2024 My follow-up - after Cheddar's response I wanted to share my response from Cheddar's in case others were unable to see it.

Response from the owner 5 days ago "How disappointing, Don! We want each visit to be nothing short of perfect - complete with Honey Butter Croissants, of course. We'd love to help address this with our restaurant team. Please email us at guestrelations@cheddars.com with your name/handle, phone number, and your receipt (if you still have it)." They also give me a $30 Coupon.

I am disappointed by the response I received, as it does not address the issues I mentioned in my original post. The response seems generic and lacks any specifics about how the issues will be handled. It's clear that the response was not from someone with the authority to resolve these issues effectively.

I would like to know your plan for addressing the systemic issues that have persisted over the past 2 years. It's important for customers to have a better understanding of how these issues will be addressed, considering they have developed over a significant period of time.

I believe it's necessary to escalate this matter to a higher level within your organization to ensure a more deliberate and effective response. We will be looking forward to seeing...

When I first walked in, the atmosphere felt warm and inviting. I loved the soft glow of the lights and the overall vibe—it was comforting, almost promising a great evening.

Unfortunately, that promise was broken by our waitress. She had magenta-purple hair and slightly crooked teeth, and while appearances don’t matter to me, her behavior did. From the moment she approached our table, she came in with high energy—talking fast, waving at us—almost like she was on overdrive. At first, it was quirky and harmless, even when she joked about the baby we had with us, asking if he wanted Patron or Modelo. I let it slide and didn’t take offense.

She took our orders and returned with our food surprisingly fast. But after that? It felt like we stopped existing to her.

About thirty minutes later, I was still eating my buffalo wraps, which were falling apart in my hands, while the fries sat there dry and unappetizing. I finished my drink and the side of ranch, waiting for a refill. She didn’t come. Fifteen… twenty minutes passed. I watched her chatting at the bar with other staff, laughing, making conversation—everywhere but at our table. She only acknowledged us when she happened to bring food to another table nearby, asking how we were doing for the second—and final—time during the entire visit.

We told her we needed to-go plates, drink refills, and more ranch. She agreed, brought us the boxes, and even though the service had been lackluster, we still tipped her $12, hoping to show kindness.

Then came the longest wait of the night. Twenty more minutes went by with no drinks, no ranch—just us watching her pick up menus outside and stand talking with another staff member. When she finally returned, confused about why we were still there, we had to explain our request again. She apologized, saying she “was doing other things,” then brought our drinks within five minutes… but still no ranch. At that point, we just gave up and left.

What really unsettled me, though, was how she kept touching and fussing over the baby, even making a motion like she wanted to squish his head. Then she launched into a strange story about a man being arrested and compared it to our baby, saying they were “both alike.” It was uncomfortable and bizarre.

Even my own mother said the waitress had a certain kindness about her—but with an odd, gothic undertone in everything she said and did.

I can confidently say this: I will never request her...

Very Beautiful location. Definitely a resort atmosphere feel. The food is amazing. The server was amazing too and she was pregnant she did an excellent job with our crew of multigenerational women. Teenagers middle life and senior citizens. The only thing is that we can suggest that since it's a party the placed us all over in a West wing .. 😂 lol (technically I don't know or care which side was North at this point but where the location of the Bathroom was to our Location). The bathrooms were like going to Bermuda. Such a long walk from the party room they place us in. Definitely a hike for an elderly disabled person to go if they have to go ya know. Yes that rhymes but so does time. And the time to speak up is now We definitely loved the Food and the Manager and server were amazing. Definitely if we are back in the area we probably go there again, because it's Cheddar's 🎉. It's always delicious and made from Scratch. So in closing, Bathrooms--Need to either make additional seating area near the bathrooms location, which is right now close to the bar area, and/or make an additional bathroom on the side of restaurant that has the party tables. Which if you are short in height be well advised do not sit in the booths you will need a booster seat. The table is up too high from the seat to eat comfortable. And if you have more than 2 then someone will have to move to accommodate the bathroom trips or if you need to go outside for that business call etc...

So in closing we probably will come back to this Cheddar's as we have family in the area. Because for all it's worth with the bathroom location and the seating for parties the Cake...ohh the Birthday Chocolate fudge cake with ice cream. Wow. Amazing Thank you Cheddar's staff for making my Aunt's birthday dinner luncheon the...