I'm a chef who visited The Cheesecake Factory for the first time, and the happy-hour deals and cheesecake blew me away

Aefa MulhollandMay 24, 2023, 04:24 IST

I'm so glad I finally visited The Cheesecake Factory.Aefa Mulholland

I'm a chef who finally ate at The Cheesecake Factory after hearing rave reviews about it for years.
I was astounded by the hundreds of items on the menu and most of the food I got was tasty.

I'm a chef who grew up in Scotland and I've worked all over the world from Australia to the US. Over the years, I've heard a lot of friends talk about how much they love The Cheesecake Factory but I've never actually visited the chain.

For a long time, I thought it was just a dessert restaurant — I certainly wasn't expecting to be faced with a menu crammed with more than 250 items.

Recently, I decided to visit for the first time.

The first challenge was finding parking on a Friday night.

The Cheesecake Factory is on the northwest corner of the mall.Aefa Mulholland

When I walked in, I immediately noticed how crowded it was.

Dozens of people milled on the sidewalk, in the foyer, and around the host desk.Aefa Mulholland

The lighting gave everything an orange glow.

The decor included ornate swirls, painted murals, and hefty pillars.Aefa Mulholland

The bar area soon filled with the post-work crowd.

Every seat at the bar filled up between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.Aefa Mulholland

The menu is so long, it's practically a novel.

I was overwhelmed by the menu.Aefa Mulholland

The Cheesecake Factory is known for its sizeable portions.

The Buffalo Blast parcels were packed with flavor.Aefa Mulholland

We devoured the spinach dip in milliseconds.

The hot spinach-and-cheese dip is a must-order.Aefa Mulholland

We also got chicken taquitos, which were pretty good.

The chicken taquitos were good, but not standout items.Aefa Mulholland

The sliders were really the only disappointment of the night.

The sliders were really the only disappointment of the night.Aefa Mulholland

We would only order the chicken pot stickers again during happy hour.

The sauce was the best thing about the pot stickers.Aefa Mulholland

The beet salad was cool and refreshing amidst all the hot items.

The Cheesecake Factory's beet salad made for a crisp contrast with the other appetizers.Aefa Mulholland

At one point, we struggled to fit everything on the table.

Next time we might wait for a bigger table.Aefa Mulholland

Narrowing our cheesecake choices down from over 30 options was a challenge.

Classic Basque Cheesecake is a newer menu item.Aefa Mulholland

The Dulce de Leche Caramel Cheesecake was remarkable.

The Dulce de Leche Caramel Cheesecake had plenty of garnishes.Aefa Mulholland

The Cheesecake Factory also has gluten-free cheesecakes available to order.

The gluten-free slice (bottom left) was amazing.Aefa Mulholland

I'll be back for the cheesecake and the spinach dip.

The Cheesecake Factory had amazing cheesecake and solid happy-hour deals.Aefa Mulholland

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