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| - This was my first visit to a Cheesecake Factory location. I typically try hard to avoid restaurants in shopping malls. But today, I figured life is short so wanted to give it a go to expand my horizons. We enjoyed it pretty well.
This location is in West Town Mall. It faces the parking lot so there is plenty of parking and big signs to identify and where to enter the restaurant. I was surprised at how beautiful the restaurant is. It is upscale'ish with white linens but casual. They have outdoor seating, a very nice bar area and a variety of different types of tables.
We were greeted and seated promptly by our hostess and our waitress followed close behind. We were there for lunch and the menu given to us was large and extensive. Nice! Another nice touch was a basket of warm sourdough and whole wheat bread which came out with our drink order.
Being my first visit, and still being on a quest for the best burger in town, I had to order their standard cheeseburger and fries as a litmus test. Dining partner had a Cuban sandwich. Frankly, I was not expecting much figuring everything must come out of the back of a Sysco truck. But I was pleasantly surprised.
My burger seem to be hand formed, was cooked to my requested medium doneness, and served on a sourdough baguette with grilled onions and tomato. The beef could have been seasoned more but it did taste fresh. The onions were cooked perfectly and the sourdough bread toasted just right. The fries were very good as well. All told, it was pretty good.
I am told that the Cuban sandwich was also very good, with the pickle within it being of particular mention.
For the prices, our entrées were smaller than would be expected.
We had to try a piece of cheesecake. As expected, their cheesecake selection is extensive. We went with the banana cream cheesecake which was also very good. (Note - - they have a bakery area where you can purchase baked goods to go). A nicely sliced banana garnished the cheesecake. I was impressed that the banana was perfectly sliced and perfectly ripe. Neither over nor underripe. I give them credit for that attention to detail. Good for them! It is appreciated.
Our lunch entrées were about $13 each. Little high for a burger and sandwich here in Madison. Although the food quality was strong, I'm not convinced it was quite proportionate to the cost per Madison standards. For our entrées, one slice of cheesecake and one soft drink, our bill was about $40, before tax and tip.
The space is beautiful, clean, with friendly and helpful staff. For me, a nice place to bring my mom or grandma for lunch or if I was from out of town and needed a safe and solid bet for good food in a relaxed but upscale'ish setting.
As mentioned, I don't expect much from restaurants in shopping malls. But today I was pleasantly surprised and I'm indeed better for it. Now that I'm on a roll, on to The Red Lobster (ahem)!
For what it is, a strong Yelp four stars. See you there!
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