| rev:text
| - I know exactly what to expect from Cheesecake Factory restaurants. The food is always consistent, they have plenty of choices (maybe even too many), and the cheesecake is rich and delicious. I've been here a few times during off-peak hours and there is sometimes still a wait. The wait on weekends just isn't worth it.
The food is rich. Everything is rich. Sauces, toppings, cheese... and if those weren't heavy enough, they bring warm endless baskets of bread with butter. Hmmm, can anyone really leave without dessert? OK, it's delicious. Yes, it's delicious. But, this isn't the place you want to eat three times a week, or you'll soon be buying a new wardrobe. (Check out their calorie counts for each menu item--some entrees have a whole day's worth of calories--and that's before you add on appetizers, bread, and, of course, the cheesecake!)
Enough of that... The menu is about a half inch thick with lots of variety. It's a 'something-for-everyone' place that offers seafood, meat, poultry, and pasta. Most of the entrees are pasta-based meals in very generous portions. We usually leave with plenty of leftovers to make another meal.
Every Cheesecake Factoy I've ever visited has the exact same menu, the exact same portions, and the exact same decor. Once inside, you can't tell if you're in a Cheesecake Factory in Florida, or a Cheesecake Factory in Pennsylvania, or a Cheesecake Factory in Moscow (if there are any in Moscow!) There is a reason they call this place a 'Factory.' It's like going into an expensive McDonald's--you know exactly what to expect, both good and bad.
The decor is 'Bellagio' meets 'Disney World.' The interior of this place (like all other Cheesecake Factories) is someone's idea of ancient Rome (I think). It looks like the interior of most houses on that old TV show "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous' proving that there is no correlation between wealth and good taste.
As everyone else comments, the wait is long--sometimes painfully long--and the seating is often cramped. They don't accept reservations, and the range of the pagers is not too far from the front entrance. The hostess will give you a fairly accurate estimation of how long your wait will be, so you're probably safe taking a walk around the mall and returning reasonably often to ask, 'How much longer....?' That's IF you really want to eat here. When I do go here, I usually plan on a late lunch/early dinner (3PM) or visit on weekday evenings.
I have to admit, I started this review with 5 stars, and as I wrote all the negatives, I kept whittling away at stars, until I ended up giving them 2. If you're in the mood for heavy, rich, 'comfort' food, by all means splurge (both calories and $$$) and eat here. I usually go here when friends suggest it. There are other many other good restaurants within a mile or two.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)