#chedd's

[andyandjoe-blog]

The Broggers' Restaurant Review #1

Tonight, September 14, 2012, the Broggers A and J dined in beautiful downtown Sioux Falls at Chedd's Gourmet Grilled Cheese restaurant. Here is our 'professional' review of our experience for the benefit of our readers. 

J's review

Service:  I loved it. The guy who helped us was a nice person. He was verrrry polite. *burp* It was sort of fast service. We ordered at the counter and we had to come get it ourselves. Grade: A+

Ambience: It was pretty cold in there. It was pretty cool decorations in there. My favorite one was the mouse with a “cheese belly”. On the walls they have pictures, Wisconsin license plates and a big fat balloon cow.. welllll... maaybe not fat... but pretty skinny. It was really relaxed in there. I thought the furniture was pretty good... pretty soft chairs.. once again I am saying the word “pretty”. And now i’m going to give it a grade... drum roll pleeeeeaase .... A

Menu/Selection: It was a pretty good selection. There was lots of cheeses to pick from. My favorite cheese is cheddar and American. AMERICA!  Grade: A+

Taste/Quality of food: I had a grilled cheese sandwich with white bread and cheddar cheese. They put a lot of cheese on there, they do. The ingredients in the food were fresh. Luckily they know that some people like ketchup on their grilled cheese. Like me! (haha Andy spelled people wrong) My sandwich tasted reeeallly good. It tasted kinda... kinda CHEESY. It was both soft AND crunchy. I thought they might have put too much cheese on mine.. well i guess i did only have cheese on mine so.. yeah. The bread was verrrry good. I wonder if “Big Easy” from the Globetrotters likes cheese, then we could call him the “Big Cheesy”. For dessert I had a chocolate milkshake. And it was kind of melted when I got it. I didnt really like it melty, but it was still pretty good. I ate it all.  The Grade issss : B+

Presentation of the food: The presentation of the food was PRETTY lousy. All they did was take my grilled cheese sandwich and cut it in half and wrap it in some paper. It felt like a present.. but it was a sandwich. (Andy keeps spelling sandwich wrong). Grade: D-

Cleanliness: It was really really clean in there. I felt like it was safe to eat the food. Our table was very clean. Umm .. uhhh ... i cant think of what i was gonna say... OH YEAH ... uhh I forgot again. The reason may be that the customers were pretty clean. The bathrooms had one toilet in each... i mean I think ... i didn’t go in both. I’m just guessing. They didnt even have stall doors they just put a little toilet in there. But it was very clean in the bathrooms. 

Grade: A+

Overall: ****.5  (out of 5)

**********

A's REVIEW

Service: I thought the service tonight was actually pretty good. I've been to Chedd's before when it hasn't been as good. The guy who helped us was really nice and helpful. He didn't make us feel rushed or try to talk us into ordering something we didn't want. He chatted with us, thanked us as we left, and laughed at Joe's oddball remarks. The few times I've been to Chedd's I thought the service was kinda slow for grilled cheeses.. even gourmet grilled cheese. However.. tonight it was rather prompt. Overall, I was quite pleased. Although I have my doubts as to whether it is consistently good, the review is for tonight! Grade: B+

Ambience: I really like the inside of Chedd's. It's kind of a counter style place. With the milk shakes and grilled cheese it has a 50's diner kind of feel. Very laid back, but it's still kind of unique and 'hip' (I use this word cautiously as I myself have very little experience in what is 'hip'). The walls are decorated with various cheese and dairy themed pictures and knick-knacks, including wisconsin license plates that actual customers have donated in exchange for a free sandwich. Seating is limited, although we had no trouble getting a table. My main complaint is that it was really cold in there and we could feel cold air blowing on us the whole time, which made the meal less enjoyable. Grade: B+

Menu/Selection: For a restaurant specializing in such an ordinary sandwich like grilled cheese, Chedd's offers a wide variety of interesting and unique variations to the classic. You can also create your own gourmet grilled cheese. Just pick out a type of bread, a cheese (or two), and then pick from various sauces, vegetables or meats. I'm not sure how it fits but Chedd's also offers grilled brats. It's a little random.. but I love brats, so I'm all for it. There is also soup and chips as well as cookies and milkshakes for dessert. It's a pretty good menu and ice cream in any form counts for bonus points. Grade A-.

Food Taste/Quality: I ordered a grilled cheese with sourdough bread, Colby Jack cheese, bacon and ham. The sandwich was grilled just right. I like my grilled sandwich crispy and it was, but not overcooked. I thought the bread and cheese were great, obviously good quality. The ham and bacon, however, was not as good. It was cheaper and lower quality. I think you can get better stuff just at Hy-Vee. The vanilla shake, on the other hand, was great! Unlike my fellow Brogger, I like my shake a little melty. Grade B+

Presentation: The sandwiches were cut in half and wrapped tightly in paper. Nothing fancy, but it kind of fit the atmosphere. Plastic utensils were also available. I didn't have a problem with it, but I wouldn't have minded a plate or something. B-

Cleanliness: Everything looked pretty new and clean. At no time did I fear ingesting some toxin lurking in the food or on the surfaces of the furniture. I didn't check out the restrooms, but J gave them a glowing review. Good enough for me. Grade: A

Overall: I like Chedd's. It's a nice relaxing place to go for a good meal. **** (out of 5)

-A

Recommendation: J and I both strongly recommend Chedd's to our friends and anyone looking for a place to eat in DTSF

SPECIAL THANKS to our sister MAGGIE for accompanying us on our outing for helping document the occasion with her excellent photography skillz.

[spectatorreviews-blog]

A Lot of Tiny Reviews of Chedd's

We love the idea of a gourmet grilled cheese — especially one that offers tons of varieties of cheeses toppings and meats to build an ideal sandwich.  So instead one perspective on one sandwich, we thought we'd all give you a taste of Chedd's.

Sam Rosenberry:

Sandwich(es): 1st time: BCT (bacon, spinach, cheddar, tomatoes and mayo on wheat) 2nd time: Tuscan Moon (Mediterranean cheddar, black olives, mushrooms, pesto, salami on marble rye)

To me, a grilled cheese restaurant is a brilliant move and one that I’m surprised hasn’t already happened in Eau Claire.

Maybe sometime in the past there was one, but that’s before my time. Anyway, I have mixed feelings on Chedd’s.

I think Chedd’s succeeds in flavor but fails in price. I have had two sandwiches so far, and both were delicious. Nothing was overpowering yet all the flavors were discernible. The problem is that a full sandwich at its cheapest is $5 and that is the single cheese option.

So this may be a once-in-awhile deal for me, but I would recommend giving it a try all the same.

Eric Christenson:

Sandwich(es): BCT

Chedd’s was, for all intents and purposes, great.

I had the BCT, which was incredelicious.  Granted, it’s nothing I couldn’t have made in my own home.  But only losers think that’s fun.

There’s not only delicious grilled cheese sandwiches but also bratwurst, beers and chips.  It puts the growling Wisconsin animal in me back in its cage with a gentle purr.  The variety is incredible, and for a sandwich shop, it’s reasonably priced.

The problem is, it’s not really a sandwich shop in the way that Jimmy John’s or Erbert’s and Gerbert’s are.  It’s more of a snack venue, especially with the half-sandwich.

So I’ll echo others in saying that it’s terrific, but if the prices stay out of snack range, this won’t be a huge frequency for me.

Taylor Kuether:

Sandwich(es): 1st time: The Coffeehouse (smoked gouda, turkey, pesto, multigrain bread) 2nd time: Create-Your-Own (jalapeno havarti, turkey, avocado, multigrain bread)

What makes these sandwiches great, as you would hope and expect, is the cheese. Both times, the cheese was the pinnacle of my sandwich experience (though the toppings and add-ons don’t hurt! I recommend the avocado).

What hurts Chedd’s is the price. For a grilled cheese sandwich that yes, I can make at home, it is simply way too expensive. They’re also relatively skimpy sandwiches ­— at home, you could throw on a few more slices of cheese or meat, but at Chedd’s, you’re handed a rather thin sandwich.

That said, I will be back, but not often.

Thom Fountain:

Sandwich(es): Create-Your-Own (sourdough, smoked provolone, mozzarella, onions, pesto)

Not to sound like a broken record, but it was a good yet pricy sandwich. However, I think I might have missed the mark in my ordering. Chedd’s offers half-sandwiches for a cheap $3, which I look forward to trying in between classes in the future.

A hot ham and cheese would be the perfect snack in the afternoon or after a night on Water Street.

Carolyn Tiry:

Sandwich(es): Create-Your-Own (focaccia, asiago, black olives, green peppers, pesto, sun-dried tomato)

A restaurant based around grilled cheese sandwiches seems slightly like overkill to me. I mean, outside of a PB&J, it’s probably the easiest sandwich to make, even for the culinarily-challenged or kitchen-averse.

Now don’t get me wrong — my meal was delicious. I just know that I could make it myself for a quarter of the price in a quarter of the time.

I would recommend checking it out, however, for the cheeses alone. That cheese list is a thing of beauty, especially for Midwesterners like us.