I wish I would have referred to Yelp first - what's wrong with me?  My only excuse is it was someone else's suggestion/desire to come here.  Does that help redeem me at all?!  :)\n\nI went here to meet former coworkers for lunch about a week ago and was quite impressed...at the MENU.  I'd heard mixed reviews about Cheddar's for quite some time, mainly concerning their slow service, so I was a bit skeptical.  But their surprisingly tasteful interior and impressive menu brought about hope.  I have to say, the impressiveness ends at the d\u00e9cor and the menu selections.  I said SELECTIONS.\n\nI had trouble making up my mind, so many things looked/sounded so tasty.  I settled on the chicken tenders & shrimp combo and a Caesar side salad.  I was impressed that my entr\u00e9e came with two sides - wasn't expecting that, especially not for $9.99.  I selected the \""southern style\"" green beans and baby carrots.   I must give credit where credit is due; the SIDE ITEMS were great.  But it ended there.  Neither the chicken nor the shrimp had any flavor to them whatsoever.  I was shocked.  I didn't even finish my chicken tenders because they didn't seem fully cooked to me.  The breading on them was very light in color, very flaky, and TASTELESS, as though it was nothing more than mere flour and maybe egg whites or buttermilk?  No seasoning at all.  Same with the shrimp.  Very blah to say the least.  And very disappointing.  \n\nService I must admit was much better than expected, although bordering on smothering.  Had a very young waiter that seemed to try way too hard to \""be there\"" for us and to try to be pleasant & friendly (was somewhat forced rather than genuine).  Started to get on my nerves (then again if you knew me, you'd know that when you begin getting smothery you're pushing my buttons big-time!).  However given the negative reviews I'd heard in the past regarding service, I'd rather have this than a non-existent server, so I quickly got over that.  He also didn't seem to be that familiar with the menu & its flexibility (ie: this can be subbed for that, etc), so that was a little bit of a turnoff to my dining companion.\n\nIn a nutshell University City has far too many dining options, so I wouldn't select Cheddar's again.  Even with commendable service, the food has to match, and this place just didn't work for me, not even a little.  I'd rather eat at Chick-Fil-A across the street!