I feel sorry for what I’m about to say, but The Cheesecake Factory is one of the most overrated experiences someone can have.
I recently visited to see if I was false or correct in my initial observations, and clearly, it wasn’t the former.
When I arrived, there was no wait, and the waitress was very polite. Unfortunately, that is the only positive thing to come from this experience.
When sitting down and opening the menu, I immediately became overwhelmed. It looks like they’ve tried to fit as many words as possible on their menu. The menu has dishes from egg rolls, to quesadillas, to southern fried chicken sliders.
It’s obvious The Cheesecake Factory couldn’t be bothered to make decisions to create a real-themed menu. Instead, they decided a menu with over 250 dishes would do the trick.
After flipping through the twenty-seven page menu, which excludes the signature SkinnyLicious® menu, my friends and I found an appetizer we could agree on: the warm crab and artichoke dip.
Within five minutes of putting in our order, the waitress came to tell us they were out of the crab and artichoke as well as the spinach and artichoke dip. Thankfully, there were 249 other dishes to choose from.
After a long debate that could have been avoided had the menu not been so lengthy, we agreed on the eggroll sampler. The sampler included Avocado, Tex Mex, Cheeseburger Spring Rolls and Chicken Taquitos.
I then discovered that no one should ever try to americanize Asian cuisine–especially by trying to make a spring roll taste like a cheeseburger. Not only was this an insult to Asian cuisine, but to American cuisine, as well.
We eventually ordered our entrees (four-cheese pasta, salmon, and chicken piccata) that could have been made for $5 at home and tasted just as good. This solidified what I already knew. I will not be eating at The Cheesecake Factory again.
Why, in a thriving city like Columbus, would someone decide to eat at The Cheesecake Factory? If you’re going to spend the money to go out to eat, there are much better alternatives. I’ve saved you the trouble and found a couple suggestions myself.
Forno, located in the Short North, is a much better alternative. It has a young, energetic atmosphere that offers better food and drinks. And the best part is, their menu is only two pages! They also offer weekly happy hour specials that make the experience that much better.
Marcella’s is another alternative. This Italian restaurant has a clear and obvious menu. You won’t waste your time trying to decide what kind of food you’re in the mood for. This is another place that offers a happy hour.
These are just a couple of my favorite options in Columbus, because it’s 2021 and we shouldn’t have to go to an overpriced, overrated chain restaurant for a good meal.
