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I don't like reviewing chain restaurants b/c well.... they're chains. And the pro's / con's of a chain typically persist from restaurant to restaurant. This review is no different.
Cheesecake Factory has decent food w/ large portions. There's something for everyone on the menu. Except those watching their figure. If you've never seen their nutritional information before and aren't in the mood to cry, stop reading. For everyone else, read on.
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Let's start with a chicken quesadilla for an appetizer to split! Oh wait, that's 1270 calories? With 38 grams of saturated fat? and 2270 mg of sodium? Hmm, let's skip that and grab our entrees.
I hear their Chicken Madeira is pretty tasty! Oh hi there 1420 calories, 44 grams of saturated fat and over 2000 mg of sodium! How about some pasta? I hear their Bistro Shrimp pasta is legit! Oh wait, it's 2290 calories and has 73 grams of saturated fat... I guess I'll get some healthy seafood instead... That miso salmon sounds good! And so does the 1670 calories that come with it, along with its 39 grams of saturated fat and over a day's worth of sodium! (note: none of these figures include any sides: add a mashed potatoes and you get an additional 560 calories)
I think I'll stick with a salad... how about the grilled chicken tostada salad? The chicken is grilled so it HAS to be healthy right? If 1130 calories with 2150 mg of sodium is healthy, then I guess so... (here's a note of comparison: two Big Macs actually has less calories and sodium than this salad.)
Add any slice of cheesecake and you have over a day's worth of calories and fat and sodium (all cheesecakes have at least 300 mg of sodium and some specialty desserts have over 1000 mg)
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I don't mind calorie laden food, but I'd rather save my calories for tastier food elsewhere. Yes restaurant food is typically bad for you, but if I'm dropping $20-$30 for dinner at a place and it's going to be bad for me, the food better be delicious, and taking reservations might be nice too. Since Cheesecake Factory doesn't take reservations and the food isn't all that great, I feel no remorse whenever I pass by Cheesecake Factory in lieu of other restaurants.
(end rant)
Okay Cheesecake Factory isn't the spawn of the devil as I had put it out to be, and it's not too bad for larger parties with picky eaters. And it's not like I'm going to cry if I were to go back again and again, it just wouldn't be my first choice for dinner.... or second, or third, or fourth or fifth...
Sorry ladies; you better pick somewhere else to go for that girl's night out if you want that killer beach bod in time for summer.
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