Cheesecake Factory, been there & love that!

Yes, I love Cheesecake Factory. It’s important to get that out of the way first. Normally, you’ll find me waxing poetic about locally-owned restaurants that use fresh beef for burgers or hand-bread their chicken tenders to order. While Cheesecake Factory isn’t locally owned, it does a great job of being a scratch kitchen with a massive menu. It is to be commended, not shit on like some self-righteous foodies like to do.

There are two issues I’ve always had with Cheesecake Factory. One is the wait for an available table. The other is the parts of the restaurant where they pack in everyone like sardines. I’ve learned to eat in less over the years which means delivery or pick up has become my primary way to eat Cheesecake Factory.

Yet, whenever I’m at my sister Michelle’s house in Kendall, we’ll pick some up to have for lunch or dinner. A few months back, a Cheesecake Factory opened up in Coral Gables, which is a hop, skip, and a jump from our home. Since then, we’ve picked up a few meals for early lunches.

The Factory Meatloaf is always a solid dish. My current addiction is their “Nashville Hot” Chicken Nuggets and the beautiful burger called Tons of Fun. They lovingly cook this fella on a griddle, unlike their regular chargrilled burgers.

The menu really does have something for everyone, and if you’re somehow able to leave some space in your breadbasket, a cheesecake is the only sensible way to end your meal.

Cheesecake Factory To Go Food Pictures

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Original Cheesecake Factory Post

December 12th, 2008 – When I first heard about The Cheesecake Factory decades ago, I really had no interest in going. Initially, I thought it was solely a dessert place and since I wasn’t really a cheesecake fan back then, so I figured why waste my time? My sister Michelle then enlightened me about its extensive menu. So I went, and I have never stopped going.

Fettucini with Chicken and Sundried Tomatoes in a garlic parmesan cream sauce sold me on Cheesecake Factory. It’s probably the dish I get a good 99% of the time. I spend the other 1% of the time trying to find anything else I could like as much.

Where do I starters?

I’m a big starters guy, their selection is overwhelming, and Marcela is always reminding me to control myself when ordering. So on this particular afternoon, I ordered the Buffalo Chicken Strips and the Popcorn Shrimp. Something about their hot sauce and how soft the Buffalo Chicken Strips keep me ordering this every time at Cheesecake Factory.

Plus, the blue cheese dressing served with the strips is pretty amazing. So amazing, in fact, that now The Cheesecake Factory actually will bottle and sell you any of their sauces; I, of course, could not resist and purchased a jar of their blue cheese dressing (that thing is going to sit in my fridge and rot, did I mention I have no self-control at this place?).

The Popcorn Shrimp are breaded in some beer batter. They come with two sauces. One of them is mayo heavy, and is contributing to my slow demise (but well worth it).

Since I decided to go with a burger this time, I got the Ranch House Burger. It’s an Angus burger topped with pieces of steak, sauteed mushrooms & onions, bacon, cheddar cheese, and garlic mayo. Yeah, this is a pretty good one. All the flavors are there, and it’s a good choice if you like many toppings on your burger. The picture does not do justice to how big and filling this burger really is.

Now, depending on who accompanies me to Cheesecake Factory, I will make it to dessert.

Marcela = Dessert
Fred = No Dessert
Ed = No Dessert

You get the picture. The X-factor (not the mutant group from Marvel) is when I’m with the boys, we may order 4 or 5 appetizers.