The Cheesecake Factory

We love Cheesecake Factory! We make it a point to stop in here for lunch anytime we are leaving Charlotte to go home to Columbia. Today we had a great experience!
We started with Tuna Tartare, which was beautifully presented and very fresh. We loved it, and it was a nice diversion from some of their «not so healthy» appetizers. For lunch, I ordered my favorite Louisiana Chicken Pasta and the S.O. ordered teriyaki chicken. Both were excellent! Our server was awesome and we really had a great lunch with several drinks. We don’t love corporate places, but this place is an exception to that rule!

Been here several times, but tonight was a first for terrible experience. Arrived after 9pm, so there was no crowds or wait time. Order was taken quickly and the drinks/​bread also quickly. That’s were the good service ends. Ten, fifteen, twenty, then thirty minutes pass with no food, and no explanation or apology. Waiter only seemed concerned with chatting with friends at a nearby table. At the fourty minute mark, I left. He started to speak like he would be bringing the check for the drink then changed his mind. Offered to send a manager to the front to meet me, but after ten minutes of waiting and watch him goof off with other staff members, I left. I wont cross this restaurant off completely, but if they seat you and your waiter has a man bun, ask to change to another server.

OK so why does it always take a bad experience to bring me to Unilocal to post a review!
I love adding food pictures (944 of them if you want to know), but tonight there was no food, so inevitably there are no photos of food.
Why you may ask?
Well, let me explain.
It was around 9:45pm or so when we entered the restaurant, there were no lines or waiting, so we (my wife and I) were promptly seated in what I will refer to as man bun hell.
After being seated between two groups of folks along the bar seating area, we were just getting a taste of the evenings adventure as it took approx 5 – 6 minutes for our server to come over and take our drink order. We ordered ONE Chicken Marsala to be split, It was not long after that our bread and water arrived, but that was all. By now it was around 10pm as this was clearly stated by our guest at the table beside us as it was getting late and they were ready to leave. It was about 5 minutes later that the table to the right of us received their meals and they had time to finish their food even after ordering 5 deserts to go. At last look, it was 10:38, we had run out of time, patience and understanding. Our server appeared to be distracted by a table we will refer to as «friends» since he was at that table for at least ten minutes — socializing.
He did bring by an empty plate for us to share our meal should it ever arrive. We received two refills during this time. At no time was an apology given for the lack of food coming from the kitchen. The table to the right was cleaned and a new group of four guest were seated. The hostess stated that they would be taken care of «she promised»…I stated that «they should not believe the lies», as we were obviously not taken care of. They brought this to their service attention, but our own server arrived and I made it clear that we were leaving. He suggested that we speak to a manager, however it was too late. I stopped by the hostess stand but the manager came by.
During this time, the server was observed laughing and showing no interest toward any guest.
Upon leaving the restaurant I called and was promptly placed on hold for seven minutes.
I understand busy nights, but this was just not the case.
I will be following up on this review…

I usually only write bad reviews but as you can see by the stars this is not the case. The food overall was good. Not great and not terrible. My salad was excellent but my girlfriend wasn’t a fan of her sandwich. We also got two apps and cheesecake afterwards. What I really want to talk about was our service. It was incredible. I think our waitresses name was Lynn (could be wrong). She was very engaging and knowledgable about the long menu. We asked a lot of questions I mean a lot and she answered all of them and was very patient. We eat out way too much and this was the best service we have had in a long time. I’m done. Food was good service was fantastic! We do not eat at the cheese factory and only went because we had a gift card. We would have never gone there but would go again because we had an awesome waitress. If only everyone was loving life like she was!

Now I know why they call it «the Cheesecake Factory» BEST cheesecake I ever had. I ordered the sea salt and Carmel. The menu was literally 35 pages long, so it takes awhile to decide. I went on a busy weekend night but my husband went up to the bar and ordered us Mai Tais and they were really good, we sat outside on a beautiful night with our mai Tais and people watched, the time went by quickly. I ordered some spicy shrimp dish that was delicious, the bread was good and they had something for everyone. I will return. Good service and not overly priced.

Ive eaten at Cheesecake Factory at other locations and had a much better experience, so here we go… We go there around 12ish on a sunday, which was a horrible time at the South Park mall, dont do it, unless U are jus that bored. We waited approx 1hr, didnt leave because we knew all the other restaurants would have the same wait time. Once we were seated it went all down hill from there. We didnt get a «hey how are U» nor good afternoon, The waitress Whitney K. acted as if we were a bother the whole time. I ordered the veggie appetizer, had to ask for sauce, then I ordered the fish and chips– asked her if I could substitute the the cole slaw, she said «no its a Garnish and we cant do that». She never asked if I wanted to maybe pay extra for a salad or maybe another item. I had to ask for vinegar for my fish, not really understanding at this point why I didnt jus pay and leave. I was so done so no matter what she said or did I wasnt hearing it. Next I asked for the manager, he proceeded to listen and apologize.
The food really wasnt good after all this mishap, we paid and I left no Tip, which I have never done, this coulda been my child. But I feel U should give 100% at work at all times, if not GO home, plenty of people need a job. Im not always happy at work either but I make sure I dont reflect this in my service to the public. Once a manager or owner of a business has mastered this with there employees U will have happy customers who will wait and return. I went to Olive Garden the next day, and the staff were all 100% my waiter earned the 20% I left him. I never asked for anything, he was very perfesional and they were busy on Memorial Day!
Now this tops it off, before leaving I saw Miss Whitney show my receipt to the manager, I left no TIP, she made a weird face to him… really do U expect me to leave my heard earned money to someone who was rude to my family??? I wont return, my coins will B spent elsewhere… ENUFFSAID

Sunday brunch was perfect! Had the Belgian waffle and chicken delicious. Of course the cheesecake never fails and the server was prompt and knew the job.

I love Cheesecake Factory so don’t get me wrong as this review is totally about this experience. I have been a regular customer to the Cheesecake Factory in Kansas. However this Charlotte one was my first experience.
I didn’t mind waiting for 1 hr 15 mins and didn’t mind the fading lights. Lights were very dim to read the menu comfortably but I didn’t mind as I knew what I wanted to order. I always start with Avocado egg rolls as they are my favorite. However they weren’t as crispy as I have had them earlier, it seemed they were sitting on the kitchen counter for around 10 mins after being fried. Which resulted in the lack of crispness.
For the entrée I wished to try a new item, the ratatouille toast. The presentation was beautiful and appetizing. The ratatouille was delightful however the toast was burnt and very dry. It was hard to eat but thinking about my prior experience with Cheesecake Factory I gave it a go hoping that the next piece would be better. But I realized it was hopeless cause. This was reported to the manager and he offered to replace it but by then I just lost my appetite. He took it off the bill which was a kind gesture. I wouldn’t have mind paying for it as its all about the having a good experience.
For desserts it was lemoncello cream torte, which is a masterpiece. Refreshing lemon mascarpone cheese sandwiched between moist vanilla cake topped with streusel.

I have to update and downgrade my review to 4 stars for this Cheesecake Factory. Although the food is always good here, they haven’t been quite as consistent at delivering top notch dishes like my first 2 – 3 visits. My girlfriend and I have noticed that the quality can vary even when ordering the same dish. Neither the food nor service has ever been bad, however, and the desserts are always exceptional!

The SteakDiane is awesome! I highly recommend it. The menu is large. It will take me a lot of trips just to put a dent in it.

5 stars for the Cheesecake. Would give it 6 if possible. I mean REALLY! I had a large group of folks (10) and thought we would jus tshow up and eat on a Sunday at 3 thinking everyone would be finished lunch. A couple minutes before arrival we called just in case. HAHAHAHa. 2 or 3 hour wait. Not going to happen. Will get the full dining experience there later. We decided to go through the to go line and buy a slice. We all got at least 1 at a big price (7.95). Thought it was pricey until I saw how substantial it was. We then took our slices to the food court and got lunch there. I got the 30^th Anniversary special cheesecake and it was so indulgent I can’t tell you. Ok, I’ll tell you. Chocolate cake layer, cheesecake layer, chunck of chocolate on top, great whip cream, beautiful crunchy tofffee-​ish crust. Absolutely wonderful experience. If you ever go here and too much of a wait, the food court at this mall is great and you can bring your to-​go slice of cheesecake to devour after your lunch at one of the great other spots in the food court or if just eating cheesecake they won’t kick you out. Both are good options. I now am on a mission to eat at this place and will one day but this experience was great and would recommend it for any dunce thinking they can get in on a beautiful Sunday where everyone and their mother is at the mall and most have eyes on this cheesecake heaven. The wait line is relatively quick and worth it. BTW. Tok my piece after eating too much Chinese food home with me 200 miles and it was damn good the next day. Really!

The wait was long on Wednesday night, we were sitting down looking at empty tables for 10 minutes before we were seated. Total wait time was 20 minutes though.
The bread they brought to the table was cold and hard and the butter was in individual packages equally cold. The food was good when we got it. I loved the LUAU SALAD. It was so delicious and plentiful. 14.95 is kinda high for a salad but it was worth it.

Me and the wife were in the area and decided to eat here. Arrived about 6:15pm and only waited about 5 minutes for a table for two. Once seated we were greeted by Gregory our waiter. His service was just (OK) but the restaurant was kinda busy. We had calamari for an appetizer, which was pretty good. For dinner the wife ordered a gluten free pasta salad and I had the turkey club. Both were just average. I think The CCF has just become average food period. This was a restaurant I used to look forward to going to, now it’s just a compromise.

Not worth the wait… so come mid-​afternoon or pick another place.
Good food, expansive menu for entrees and of course, pages of dessert choices featuring things other than simply cheesecake.
Bar can have VERY irregular service even when the place is empty.
Outside dining is great – but place your ENTIRE order or you’ll be waiting forever if you want dessert.

OOOOOOOah! What a great experience. So many options, unusual options on the menu, servers galore and looking up to the ceiling and across the restaurant you get such wild ambiance. Kids and adults enjoy the atmosphere and loud children cannot be heard more than two tables away because the Cheesecake Factory hums.
Your menu is a spiral-​bound book. Take your time and get lost in the offerings.
Beware the «skinny» options. Yes, they are low calorie and low fat, but to me they are so lacking in flavor and substance that one would have to be on a very strict diet to be subjected to the skinny life.
Otherwise, far from the skinny life are many wonderful salads, sandwiches and entrees. Iced tea is endless and refills are prompt. The bread is crusty and warm. I especially liked their soups with the bread.
You will be full when you depart as the portions are generous.
Enjoy.

The food is ok at this restaurant, but in my opinion is quite overpriced and not worth the massive lines that are ALWAYS there.
But what IS worth the wait? THE CHEESECAKES! You will wait about 20 minutes (expect to add to that on a Saturday night) to order and receive your cheeaecake, but it is soooooooooooo worth the wait. They have at least 30 different varieties to pick from (which makes for a few minutes of intense anxiety when deciding) and I haven’t had a bad one yet!
Take my advice, go eat your meal somewhere else and take the money you save and then come here and buy extra slices of this heavenly cheesecake!

It’s the Cheesecake Factory, initially I’m not a big fan because I’ve been there done that since high school back home in Chicago. However I have a teenager and this place ROCKS to teens so we end up here from time to time unfortunately.
When I’m forced to eat here I enjoy the small plates menu items which include the avocado rolls, salmon rolls & mushroom pizza. Our teenager ALWAYS indulge in the Buffalo Blast as an app and chicken tenders with fries as a main course. The hubby alternates between Jamaican Black Bean chicken and the Miso Salmon. I personally LOVE the Miso however this location is off on flavor and the whole Miso experience.
It’s pretty weird that Grand Luxe Café and Cheesecake Factory are owned by the same company. I prefer Grand Luxe as its much more upscale and the food options are better and much more tasty and presented better. Grand Luxe would’ve been a perfect fit for SouthPark mall, wishful thinking as I’m a Chicago girl and we have it ALL.
The dessert choices include the Lemon cake/​cheesecake, the red velvet cheesecake and the chocolate cake.
Enjoy if you like 1,000’s of confusing options and the pain of the mall traffic and long waits without the ability to make reservations.

I ordered a salad off the «superfood» menu that proclaimed to have a plethora of nutrious goodness and ended up in a bowl fit for three people comprised mostly of iceberg lettuce. Dissapointing. The service was slow, too.
However, I also got an avacado tartare, don’t remember which fish was used. That was adorable and tasty but it had waaaay too much soy sauce that was not on the side and included hella fattening pita chips, a classic American adulteration of something supposed to be so pure, gah. It was tasty, though.

Great food. Slow service, I mean really slow bordering on bad service. We went at lunch when the restaurant was not crowded. I had the lunch Asian chicken lettuce tacos. They were fantastic. The twins ordered kid meals. The first was the chicken tender kids meal. One of the best kids meals I have seen. Highly recommended for kids. The second kids meal was the burger sliders they were just ok. The kids fries are served in a silver bucket which the kids love. We had for dessert the Oreo cheesecake. Safe choice for anyone. It was more than enough for one adult and 2 school aged kids.

So listen… it’s not BAD. They’re just not consistent. And when I say that, I mean it in every sense of the word. You could get something spectacular one night and order the same dish again the next night and not get the same quality.
I went there with the lady and another couple to celebrate achievements on all of our parts. The girls ordered drinks, which they thoroughly enjoyed. And then the food came out.
I ordered… uh… some jamaican jerk thing? With chicken instead of shrimp? Jeez, it’s so hard to remember when the menu is that big. I’m sure that there are a bunch of jamaican jerk things with chicken. But this one had beans and a mango pineapple salsa! And plantains! The chicken was excellent, the slaw was good (but room temp, not cold), the beans were okay (they lacked seasoning), and the yucca was seriously overcooked. I was with my Irish buddy who had never seen plantains before and he asked me if I ordered shit (yes, they were that charred and shriveled. I gotta say, I don’t blame him). However, it’s really hard to mess up the internal flavor of a plantain, and overall, it was fine.
The lady ordered Fish Tacos, and she was not pleased. But I can’t blame her, they had soaked the damn thing is so much sauce that the actual tortilla broke when she tried to pick it up because it was too saturated. She said it also lacked any flavor, though I didn’t try it.
The cheesecake IS consistently wonderful though. I do wish they gave a weeee bit bigger slices, but what can you do.
I do enjoy coming here, I really do, but… it never turns out to be as good as I think it’s going to be. Phew. Feels good to get that off my chest.