Tagged along with part of the family to this place towards 9 pm on a Friday night. Driving through the parking lot, I see an empty space as close as one can possibly get to the entrance. I do a double take expecting it to be a handicapped spot. Wrong. I instantly recognize my new found luck, take the spot and mutter to myself that this already added a star to my review. (Horrible criteria). I know.
I quickly walk up to the entrance and attempt to open this 72 foot door for my mother like this castle entrance had no match for her strong growing boy. Long story short, I'm going to blame the automatic hydraulics on the door because it didn't play out in my head as I imagined. It was more of a yank that pulled me in close to the door that may had looked like I caressed the inner panel and humped the outskirts of the door that turned into a side shuffle on the way in. Rest assured nobody was watching. I continue on and smile at my mother while opening the door and I quietly tell her I opened the door for her because people are watching. (She knows I'm kidding.)
We walk inside and I scan around to see if anybody might had seen my extravaganza with the front door. I'm quickly reminded that the world does not revolve around me and nobody cares. I look over and see my brother already has a pager. He wastes no time. Hostess grabs menus and I follow her down part of the isle only to find my family walking the opposite direction. My brother looks over at me across the way and I give him the "I can't believe we're related" look because they're obviously heading the wrong way. I turn around soon realizing I'm approaching the table with the wrong family and I followed the wrong hostess.
I make way to my correct gene pool and sit with them. They're notified I was just getting my surroundings and looking for the bathroom. I pick up the menu and start reading. Servers continue to scurry to their tables around us. I eye every one of them as I am actively involved in the sport of people watching. I notice they are all wearing white. White shirts. White pants. White shoes. I look over at the walls to check for padding thinking maybe I'm actually in an insane asylum and this is my happy place I have made for myself with a 476 item menu and endless cheesecake. I don't question much further. If the shoe fits, wear it. Our waitress approaches our table. She's all smiles which turns my ugly mug of 12 hours dealing with society around instantly. We order drinks. I ask for lemonade. She then asks if I would like peach, strawberry or raspberry lemonade. I give her a blank stare. I realize this actually is the happy place I have created for myself and I order strawberry leaning against my padded cell. I then order a chicken ceasar salad with an extra side of ceasar. (Boring I know) but I refused to read the novel of items on the menu and resorted to my brain picking up on what seemed like the first acknowledged words out of a 4 page crossword puzzle. I continue to look around the place while waiting making awkward eye contact with random people throughout the restaurant. Our food quickly arrives. My ceasar salad engulfs 67% of the table as she sets it down. I use no manners and began eating before she can ask if we need anything else. Grabbed my glass of strawberry lemonade and continued to make awkward eye contact with strangers. I finished half way through my ceasar then raised my flag in utter failure. If you're questioning the service, I think my drink was refilled 13 times past halfway point until I resembled violet from Willy Wonka. I knew the Oompa Loompas would be there shortly to roll me out. I did not like the ceasar dressing whatsoever. It taste of spicy seafood for some odd reason. I am not going to bash on the review because of this as our waitress filled the void and to judge such a restaurant on "my" opinion of the entire restaurant based solely on ceasar dressing would be just shy of moronic and I would deserve to choke on a crouton. Besides, my family loves this place.
A slice of strawberry cheesecake landed in front of me after dinner. I vaguely remember discussing it with the waitress as it was late and I was overtired. I think she just came over smiling again and had a desert menu and I mumbled "strawberries" trying to avoid drooling on myself and she filled in the blank. Well she was dead on. Can I say this in a review? That sh%# was good. "The Cheesecake Factory" weird, i know. Though it took longer than normal for my taste buds and brain to work intuitively together by this hour, I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
We got up to leave once I finished. Oompa's nowhere to be found to assist me in getting through the door never mind opening it this time. (Flaky little bast%#{^)
Overall, I enjoyed my experience and I didn't have far to crawl back to my car. I can say i will patronize this place again with a different menu item in mind. Service was great. Thanks again!