Yes; this place is 100% hype. But I definitely approached The Cheesecake Factory with zero expectations and as someone who has never experienced it before. I was glad I didn't have to wait more than 10mins on a Friday afternoon during lunch which contrasted the hour long waits that had happened during opening month. We ordered the calamari as an appetizer which was good and fried perfectly. But the sauces that came with it were another story; a terrible store-bought cocktail sauce and an overly creamy garlic dip that tasted like mayo and a bit of diced garlic. Terrible. Our entrees - fettuccine alfredo and fish tacos - continued to disappoint. The alfredo was absurdly salty and has a chunky texture that I couldn't stomach. The will flavour of that dish was salt. The fried fish in the tacos was good, but the topping were lacking and the spicy aioli had a similar texture to the calamari dip which was terrible. To be honest, the only real redeeming thing is the cheesecake. We had gotten the raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake which was honestly really good! The housemade cream on top was good and the raspberry flavour was prominent but didn't overwhelm the white chocolate.
Overall, I get the hype but I don't. It's nice when new establishments from the US reach Canada, but don't let that be the end all of whether an establishment is good. My review gets worse cause I got straight up food poisoning after my visit. Maybe it was just my immune system, but maybe it was the food. Service was great; super friendly! But my impression on the Cheesecake Factory is low due to the mediocre food at relatively higher prices, and for not a super amazing dining experience.