The Cheesecake Factory

Recommends

Jennifer S.

Joined 1 year ago

What you can expect overall. The service at Cheesecake Factory is always very cordial and professional. Once arriving at the front desk, the host or hostess gives a friendly greeting and is honest about how long the wait time is to get seated. Most know that because it is such a popular restaurant the wait time can be as long as 45 minutes to an hour during their rush hour. The trick is to either come for breakfast or lunch instead or come and have an early dinner, like 6 or 6:30pm. My experience of arriving before 7pm for dinner has always been a maximum wait time of only ten to fifteen minutes. Another thing most people know with how Cheesecake operates is that they do not take reservations, so following the early arrival suggestion is helpful.

Once getting seated it can be hit or miss for how long you wait for the server to arrive and introduce themselves. Sometimes the server is prompt and sometimes the wait can be about ten minutes. This can be frustrating especially when you are hungry. All of my experiences with the servers at Cheesecake is that they are genuinely interested in providing a smooth experience and they are knowledgeable on the several-page menu. Even though all the servers are very professional, what seems to happen most of the time is that at some point the server will introduce another server to your party to temporarily cover while the main server goes on break. However, this does not seem to affect the quality of service except for special circumstances. Circumstances like if you secretly told the initial server that someone from your party is celebrating a birthday, and then servers change half-way through out, there may be a chance that the temporary server did not get the news and fails to gather other workers to sing Happy Birthday.

The menu at Cheesecake is extensive. There are several types of dishes to pick from such as salads, pizza, chicken and steak entrees, pasta, seafood, and so on. The entrees are all served in large portions, so if dining with a friend on a budget, it would be reasonable to split an entrée, or leftovers is another good option. Having tried a few different salads, I was not pleased with either of them. These were the Chicken Tostada salad, the Cobb salad, and the Santa Fe salad, and they all tasted bland and the chicken is not warm. Being a fan of Chicken Picatta, I always try the dish anywhere it is offered, and Cheesecake’s version is pretty good. The only problem with it is the sparing amount of capers and the exorbitant amount of grease/oil on the dish. Other dishes have been satisfying and you can count on them being consistent.

Of all the Cheesecake Factories I have been to, the setting is great. The lighting is not too bright, the décor warm and intriguing, and the atmosphere is pretty lively. These restaurants are usually large with many tables and booths. If you are looking to dine in a quiet place, this is not the place for you, but if you are going out to eat with a large group, this is the place since the menu has a little bit of everything.

Doesn't Recommend

sland20196

Joined 3 years ago

Bad Business Here. Don’t ever celebrate anyone’s birthday there at the Cheesecake Factory, they give you as a desert some lousy whip cream with a squirt of chocolate in a shot glass, it was terrible! Find someplace else and enjoy your birthday.

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IHateStupidPeople

Joined 5 years ago

If you don't know how to eat out, don't post restaurant reviews.. I usually get just what I expect. I wait a while for a table, but food is good for a casual dining resturaunt and service is friendly. I can't complain about price, since I usually have enough for another meal later. I read some reviews and I don't understand why someone who wants to change the type of pasta -after the cooks have started cooking it - feels empowered to complain about service. If you don't know what you want, don't order. it's really not that hard. You waste the company's time and money, and the rest of us pay higher prices because of morons like this. If you want to complain that your salad is too small, do so before you have eaten it all. Maybe then your server will believe you. Of course the server was irritated with you. I have received incorrect dishes, and the staff has always been appologetic and accommodating. Things happen, and no place is perfect, but my experience is usually pretty good.

Doesn't Recommend

mrsherman

Joined 5 years ago

Good Food, Wrong Location. Good food but the service was mildly traumetizing. I decided to change the type of pasta in my dish but the cooks had already started preparing it. My waitress told me, "if I change the type of pasta, the money will have to come out of [her] pocket. That's the Cheesecake Factory policy." After speaking with the manager, I was informed the waitress was blatantly "manipulating" the truth so to speak. This same waitress conveniently "forgot" it was someone's birthday at our table, and never sang the much beloved Happy B-day tune we Americans adore, then failed to deliver the tasty birthday treat we were all waiting for. My final moments at the Cheesecake Factory in Woodland Hills were spent in line waiting over a half hour for one slice of cheesecake to go; I didn't want to purchase it from our mendacious waitress at this point as anyone could understand. Save yourself the agony--go to any Cheesecake Factory for delectable food OTHER than the Woodland Hills location.

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janaschreiber8

Joined 5 years ago

Go-to place. Always the place to go when I'm looking for a place with trusted and true good food. They have plenty to choose from and plenty of room to accomodate a large group of diners. Their brown bread- mmmm soo delish!- might be my favorite thing about the cheescake factory!

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Decadent cheesecakes and classic American cuisine makes this a popular chain.. In Short
Faux-rustic finishes and colorful light fixtures abound at this almost always crowded chain. The thick-as-a-book menu features Americanized versions of worldly cuisines--Mexican, Vietnamese, Italian, Thai--but succeeds best with American classics. Burgers are a good choice, especially the ""Roadside Sliders,"" mini burgers served as appetizers. The myriad cheesecakes are over-the-top in concept and decadence. You'll leave full, with leftovers.

Doesn't Recommend

shelly1234

Joined 6 years ago

RUDE SERVICE AND RUDE MANAGEMENT!. Forget Cheescake Factory in Woodland Hills. The service and management is slow and rude. And don't ask for any refills on your lemonade as they will charge you, even though the glass was filled 90% with ice. It's too bad as the food is good and you can almost find any item you want on the menu. But... if you go to Cheescake Factory, don't go to the Woodland Hills location.

Doesn't Recommend

suziel

Joined 6 years ago

VALET THUGS at Cheesecake Factory in Woodland Hills, CA. Used to be a great place to visit but the VALET people are so obnoxious and RUDE that it makes going to that place a horrible experience. On another occasion, a friend of mine car was keyed and they refused to accept responsibility. The Valet manager refused to even look at the damage done and instead screamed at my friends. Do not allow them to park your car.

Doesn't Recommend

jennafaith1

Joined 7 years ago

GO TO THIS RESTAURANT IF YOU WANT TO GET SCREWED, THERE ARE WAY BETTER RESTAURANTS OUT THERE!!!. Arrived at 6:45 PM, got seated within 5 minutes, then placed our order 5 minutes later. Restaurant wasn't really busy at the time, we ordered a salad and a chicken dish, but we didn't get our food until 45 minutes later!!! EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS EXPERIENCE!!! THIS HAS HAPPENED TO US ONCE BEFORE AT THE SAME LOCATION. We used to love Cheesecake Factory, but with 2 TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES, WE'LL NEVER COME BACK EVER AGAIN!!!

Doesn't Recommend

theredsea

Joined 7 years ago

Terrible Service, Disrespect, and Valet Cheats. I've always been a fan of this chain, however after my experience this long time customer never wants to return again. Today I ordered a full size salad, and was given the lunch sized portion. I know this because I compared it to a lunch size portion that somebody else ordered at my table. When I pointed this out to the young lady who brought the food (not our waitress), she told me that I was correct and that it was a lunch portion. I decided not to send it back because we had already waited over 30 minutes just to get the wrong order, and I had business to return to. When check time came, I was charged for the full sized order. When I told this to our waitress she took my plate for comparison and didn't believe me when I told her that my salad was the not the full portion, despite the fact that I had a large plate. Long story short, I was forced to pay the full portion price, and on top of that the valet charged me for "complimentary" parking, even though the car in front of me was not charged. I know this because the car in front of me were friends from my office. I'm extremely disapointed in this once great chain and now understand why their stock is tumbling.