The week before Thanksgiving, you’re invited to enjoy free food to celebrate Nugsgiving at your neighborhood Cheba Hut. The free Nugsgiving items are available at all (75 or so) Cheba Hut locations from 4:20 to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18. Choose between pretzel nuggets (served with honey mustard) or a 4” Nug sandwich of your choice.
Since there are so many choices on Cheba Hut’s extensive menu, colleague Chris Waits and I sampled some items at our neighborhood Cheba Hut in Mansfield last Thursday so we could help you choose.
Nugsgiving at Mansfield Cheba Hut
We both loved the pretzel nuggets, (soft pretzel bites tossed in garlic butter, salt and shake, served with honey butter). It’s one of their most popular appetizers, so it would be a good choice. (The garlic cheese bread is also popular and worth trying when you go back—and you will).
After talking with GM/Chef Michael Hall, we narrowed our sampling down to five different Nugs. Chef Michael said their most popular Nug is the Kali Mist, so we had to try that one. This spicy club is my #1 pick. It’s bursting with flavor from roasted turkey breast, bacon, chipotle mayo, jalapeno, avocado, pepper jack, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle with Shake and house dressing.
Chris said his favorite Nug was the AK-47 French Dip. It features roast beef, portobello, onion, shrooms, double Provolone, and Shake. Served with a side of Au Jus for dipping.
Waits
We also tried Apollo 13, a savory Greek Chicken Nug with grilled chicken breast, garlic butter, kalamata olives, feta, spring mix, tomato, onion, and pickle with Shake and Greek dressing. Our most surprising discovery was how delicious the two veggie Nugs were.
Veggie Nugs Packed with Flavor
The Magic Mushroom Nug features Portobello, teriyaki, green bell pepper, pineapple, pepper jack, spring mix, tomato, onion, pickle, cucumber, black olive, with Shake & House dressing. Power Plant (guacamole and hummus) stars those two ingredients along with feta, spring mix, tomato, onion, pickle, cucumber, shrooms, black olive, green bell pepper, Shake and House dressing.
Following the success of his Cheba Hut franchise in downtown Arlington last November, Eddie White opened the Mansfield location last June. From the size of the lunch crowd on our visit, the Mansfield location is another big success story for White and his GM/Chef Michael Hall. While the food is great, the warmth and enthusiasm exuded by these two help draw diners to the Mansfield Cheba Hut location.
White says the main ingredient for the success of his Cheba Hut franchises is good food, although location is also important. His General Manager agrees with him. Chef Michael says he is constantly trying new recipes, searching for ways to add to or improve their menu offerings.
Finding Their Niche in Hospitality Industry
Both men have found exactly where they want to be in the hospitality industry. White left a successful corporate career in banking to take on the challenge of operating a restaurant when he bought his first Fuzzy’s Taco franchise in 2009.
White says “you must choose a business you are passionate about. I am truly a people person, and the ability to interact with customers and employees to build great experiences fits my personality and a business that I want to be part of.”
After he was first introduced to Cheba Hut in 2022, White says he “fell in love with the brand. They are truly a differentiator in the sandwich space. The store atmosphere and vibes are edgy with art, murals, music, and full bar, but it is the food that is the ultimate differentiator between Cheba Hut and other sandwich shops. Our team wakes up each day with a goal of making the best sandwich in the business while providing a tremendous customer experience.”
The two men have worked together for some time, starting with one of White’s eight Fuzzy Taco franchises in Arlington. White says he’s looking for a location to open another Cheba Hut franchise, and one of the spots under consideration is in Burleson—which is also where Chef Michael lives.
The Mansfield Cheba Hut is open daily from 10 a.m., located at 2301 E. Broad Street, Bldg. 100, Suite 141, 817-225-6299. See you at Nugsgiving!
