Question of the Day:

What restaurant turned out to be your most pleasant surprise?  A place that exceeded your expectations by the greatest amount?

For me, that would have to be the popularly-priced chain Cheddar's - specifically the Louetta location.

On the first visit, I walked in expecting an Applebee's-like experience with mediocre prefab food served by disinterested staff.  But I was amazed by the quality of the food served, the prices, the pleasant decor, and the genuinely friendly staff.

After the surprisingly enjoyable meal I chatted with the manager, who shared that the secret to their high quality and affordable pricing was to make everything in-house.  That's more what I'd have expected from a small mom-and-pop store than a national chain.  Bravo.

So what restaurant gave you the most pleasant surprise?  Respond in the comments, please.