The Cheesecake Factory has been a great place to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other important events. However, customers have realized over the last several years that it’s not what people make it out to be.
While the desserts rarely disappoint, the service and overall experience can be hit or miss.
Today, we’re sharing the seven deadly sins you should avoid while eating at The Cheesecake Factory.
Let’s dig in!
What Is The Cheesecake Factory?
What started as a small Los Angeles bakery in 1978 quickly became a destination for dessert lovers. Evelyn Overton made and sold cheesecakes to local restaurants to serve patrons. However, the demand for her delicious treats grew substantially.
Evelyn’s son, David, opened a restaurant in 1978 to showcase his mom’s mouth-watering cakes. In addition to serving a massive cheesecake menu, it was also a full-service restaurant. With dessert being the primary focus, naming it The Cheesecake Factory made sense.
The company has continued to grow and expand over the last several decades. They’ve developed a reputation as a more upscale restaurant, largely due to their prices and unique decor. However, as you’ll soon see, their atmosphere and branding can be confusing.
You can now find restaurants with upscale atmospheres, extensive menus, and a plethora of dessert options all around the globe.
Fans of The Big Bang Theory likely remember that the restaurant was a frequented spot for the group. Two of the characters, Penny and Bernadette, were dessert-slinging employees. In addition, the scientists made it a part of their weekly eating schedule.
How Many Cheesecake Factories Are There?
Today, The Cheesecake Factory has over 300 locations in the United States, Canada, the Middle East, and Mexico. States with at least ten restaurants include California, Texas, Florida, New York, and New Jersey. However, California’s nearly 40 locations earn it the title of cheesecake king.
Unfortunately, you’ll have to find another spot for dessert if you live in or visit Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Arkansas, Mississippi, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, or West Virginia. These states don’t have a single store within their borders.
Pro Tip: We think these 5 Themed Restaurants Should Have Died in the 90s. What about you?
What are the 7 Deadly Sins of The Cheesecake Factory?
Dining at The Cheesecake Factory can be a great way to celebrate a special occasion. However, there are several sins you want to avoid committing while dining there. Let’s look at a few things you need to know to make the most of your next visit to this restaurant chain.
Not Saving Room for Dessert
You can’t go to The Cheesecake Factory without saving room for, you guessed it, cheesecake. They have an entire menu dedicated to these delicious treats. You might need to check your temperature if you can’t find something on their dessert menu that makes your mouth water.
Fan-favorite flavors include Fresh Strawberry, Mango Key Lime, and Lemon Meringue. However, we’re partial to Toasted Marshmallow S’mores Galore and the Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake.
Thankfully, they offer something for just about everyone. Trust us; you want to make sure you save room for dessert!
Assuming Desserts Are Made Fresh
Unfortunately, while the desserts may taste fresh, they’re not. The cheesecakes come from an actual factory, which is a corporate-run kitchen. They freeze the desserts and ship them to restaurant locations.
One former employee shared on Reddit that it takes approximately an hour or two to defrost once they take them out of the freezer. The cakes often get displayed in a glass case for patrons to see as they walk to their tables. Luckily, these bundles of sweetness are delicious no matter where they make them.
Trying to Eat Healthily
There’s a reason why Eat This, Not That crowned The Cheesecake Factory as the unhealthiest chain restaurant in America. The establishment has a reputation for serving guests massive portions. In addition, much of their menu has a week’s worth of calories, sodium, fat, and carbs.
The restaurant does offer a SkinnyLicious menu. However, most guests aren’t trying to count calories when they eat here.
For example, the Pasta Napoletana is nearly 2,500 calories. In addition, it contains 221 grams of fat, 155 grams of carbs, and 65 grams of protein. This menu item also contains 5,150 milligrams of sodium, nearly double the daily recommended value.
Being in a Hurry
Visiting The Cheesecake Factory may not be a good idea if you’re in a hurry. Many visitors have found that the wait staff makes it too easy for you to take your time enjoying each bite. That’s because service has a reputation for being exceptionally slow.
The speed of the wait staff can be hit or miss and depends on various factors. However, many guests write complaints regarding the slowness of service.
One guest left a review and said, “Went for Sunday lunch, and like most prior visits, service was slow. That’s not a problem as the ambiance is great, but today it took over an hour until our food arrived.”
Sadly, we don’t recommend dining here if you’re in a time crunch. It’s impossible to know what to expect from the service or how long your meal will take. It would be best if you came with a wide-open schedule.
Expecting an Inexpensive Meal
The Cheesecake Factory isn’t a budget-friendly place to eat. The establishment takes pride in providing a premium dining experience. As a result, it should come as no surprise that it’ll also come with a higher price tag.
Meals are typically anywhere from $15 to $25 per item. However, they have plenty of meals on their menu priced $30 or more. While this might be great for a couple on a date, it’s not so good for families.
Additionally, most guests don’t choose to eat here without getting dessert. One thing to know is the prices constantly change for their desserts, so they don’t usually post them on the menu. These items typically cost ten dollars or more per slice, which can cause your bill to skyrocket quickly.
Having 5-Star Expectations
Low expectations might help when preparing to dine at The Cheesecake Factory. The restaurant claims to offer a premium dining experience and has prices that match. However, they cut some obvious corners that dampen the five-star experience.
For example, they serve drinks in massive plastic mugs. When it comes to a finer dining experience, drinking glasses are standard. However, it doesn’t stop there.
The furniture they’ve chosen to place in the restaurants seems to clash with the atmosphere. Their faux marble table tops and cheap furnishings fall far short of what many consumers expect from a premium restaurant.
Accepting Quantity Over Quality
As mentioned earlier, many of the meals are incredibly unhealthy. This is largely due to the massive portion sizes they serve guests. One visitor described the portions as, “Most of the appetizers would suffice as a meal for two, and the entrees would feed a small third-world country for a week.”
Unfortunately, like many things in life, quantity doesn’t trump quality. We’d love to see them reduce the amount of food, which would allow them to cut prices on the menu too. But don’t hold your breath on this one. If they reduce their serving amounts, they probably won’t charge any less for their dishes.
Pro Tip: Ditch The Cheesecake Factory and eat at one of these 7 Most Unique Restaurants in the USA instead.
Is The Cheesecake Factory Worth It?
If you enjoy calorie-laden meals, long waits, and dining in a chaotic environment, you’ll love The Cheesecake Factory. Luckily, if you don’t, there’s a good chance plenty of other dining options are available in the area. You can enjoy a more relaxing and less hectic dining experience at many other establishments.
Have we eaten at The Cheesecake Factory previously? Yes. Will we be doing it again anytime soon? Likely not. We appreciate good food and are mindful of how we spend our hard-earned money. While we have nothing against the restaurant chain, it doesn’t rank very high on our list of go-to places when our stomachs are empty.
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