The Cheesecake Factory

Elite '08

116

606

Dave H.

Philadelphia, PA

This was the first time I went to a Cheesecake Factory. Right by the harbor, this location was packed full of tourists (myself included), so we had to wait about 20 minutes to be seated. (Reservations weren't, and still aren't, accepted.)

All of our entrees were huge, and we took home bulging doggy bags. Their rendition of pad thai (which many of us ordered) was the bees knees, and not even spicy! Good stuff. I tried their Bang Bang chicken and shrimp, which was flavorful.

Pleasing decor, stellar service (better than any other Cheesecake Factory I've been to), and delicious fare. Not the cheapest, and they're a chain, but worth a visit if you've never been.

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Elite '08

43

379

Jonathan G.

New Haven, CT

What is there to say, really? It's the freaking Cheesecake Factory. You know it, you love it, you loathe it.

Their menu is way too big, their food ranges from pretty good to blech, and the service is existent only in the sense that someone brings you your food and drink and you don't have to physically walk into the kitchen to get it yourself.

Of course, their cheesecakes are mad crazy good.

However, in no way whatsoever is it worth an hour wait to eat here.

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4

97

K Sera S.

Columbia, MD

To quote a fellow Yelper about CF: "...you love it, you loathe it."

Going to have to put myself in the "loathe" camp.

And for the record, this Noo Yawkah would like to point out that REAL cheesecake is thin and not particularly sweet. And it does not come in 75 Skittles-esque flavors.

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27

109

A A.

Boston, MA

Same ol same ol.  If you've been to one, you've been to them all.   Their portion sizes are out of control.  The drinks are surprisingly good, though the quality of the staff varies.  There are certainly far more special places to eat in and around the harbor.

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7

71

Jessica L.

Baltimore, MD

Ok I am not one to review chain restaurants unless something went way wrong or I was blown away.  I ventured here with my husband last weekend and was pretty satisfied with the food and service.

I had the EVELYN'S FAVORITE PASTA - Penne Tossed with Broccoli, Oven-Dried Tomato, Roasted Eggplant, Peppers, Artichoke, Kalamata Olives, Basil, Garlic, Pine Nuts and Parmesan Cheese ( I suggest they had a bit more olives and artichokes).  Overall, it was very good and the serving was huge ( couldn't even finish it at home in one more seating).

My Husband had the FARFALLE WITH CHICKEN AND ROASTED GARLIC -Bow-Tie Pasta, Chicken, Mushrooms, Tomato, Pancetta, Peas and Carmelized Onions in a Roasted Garlic-Parmesan Cream Sauce (this one was also VERyY good and huge).

The bread they served to munch on before hand was warm and yummy.  We tried to figure out what he darker bread was but had no luck (anybody know?).

For dessert we ordered 2 slices of FRESH BANANA CREAM CHEESECAKE -Banana Cream Cheesecake Topped with Bavarian Cream and Fresh Sliced Bananas.  We ate one there and took the other one home and ate it the following day (still very yummy then also).  For the price for a slice you get a large serving.  If you aren't  a big whip cream fan tell the waiter because they put a lot on the plate.

Our waiter was VERY busy but was also very attentive which I was very pleased with.  Next time I head back I will try a sandwich- they sounded GREAT!

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Elite '08

11

61

Wai Y.

Philadelphia, PA

This was the first Cheesecake Factory I ever went to. I went here twice when I was in town for 2 weeks. Being I was in a "foreign" city, I asked people "what's good around here?"  Someone suggested Cheesecake Factory. It gets very busy and you could be waiting for a while to be seated. It was definitely worth the wait. The waitress that I had was attentive and friendly, but overall the staff are friendly. It was also conveniently located near the Renaissance Hotel that I stayed at and its location reminded me of being near South Street Seaport (in NYC). The variety of cheesecake they offered was "extensive". Yummy, it took me a while to decide what I wanted for dessert. I was very pleased with the service and the food here.

I would give this Cheesecake Factory a rating of 4.5 stars.

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Elite '08

185

253

kristine r.

New York, NY

Now that I live back in NYC, I pretty much avoid chain restaurants like the plague.  But back when I was in college in Towson, The Cheesecake Factory was the hot spot for us!  Who cares if we had to wait 30 minutes to an hour?  We needed to get our cheesecake fix!  Besides, it was a good excuse to come into Baltimore and hang out at the Inner Harbor.  I even had my 21st birthday dinner here.  No, we couldn't make reservations and we had to wait awhile to get a table for 12, but it was well worth it.  As an inexperienced drinker, I was excited to finally try some of their enticing mixed drinks and I wasn't disappointed.  Don't remember what I ordered exactly, but I do know it was tasty and 100% legal for me to order!

So during our college reunion in Towson/Baltimore this past weekend, my friends and I decided that we *needed* to hit up The Cheesecake Factory for old time's sake.  We figured we'd avoid the dinner time rush and go later, so we got there around 10:30.  We still had a half hour wait!  This place really is a tourist trap, and a damn successful one at that!  They're open until 1am on weekends, which is probably a good indicator of just how busy they expect to always be.

Our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomachs that night.  Their menu is really extensive and pretty reasonably priced.  We ended up ordering three appetizers to share amongst the three of us - chicken potstickers, their version of crab rangoon, and spinach & artichoke dip.  The waitress left and we immediately reconsidered our decision not to order the New England Clam Chowder, a special.  So when she came back, we asked for 2 cups of clam chowder.  Okay, I don't know what dictionary they're using, but that clam chowder was in a BOWL.  Three of us could have easily split what was in there - and it was indeed a hearty chowder.  I sacrificed the last few spoonfuls of mine so I'd have room for the appetizers to come.

The chicken potstickers were surprisingly flavorful.  I'm always wary of ordering Asian food in non-Asian establishments, especially when they're chain restaurants, but these potstickers were downright tasty.  The crab rangoon wasn't as good, but I'm happy to be eating any kind of crab whenever I'm in Maryland, and crab rangoon is hard to come by in NYC.  The dip was also pretty good, but we couldn't even finish it.  So yes, I concur that the portions are pretty big and very shareable.

Our guts were literally stuffed, almost to the point of discomfort.  So we ordered a strawberry cheesecake to go and ate it in the hotel room that night.  As chain restaurants go, I think Cheesecake Factory is pretty good.  I think they do spend a lot of time honing their menu so it's not just a big selection of bland stuff.  And I think the cheesecake is pretty good, although not as good as Junior's in New York (I like mine to be a little more lip-smackingly thick).  So yeah, I'll admit it.  Whenever I'm in Baltimore (or at least the Inner Harbor), The Cheesecake Factory is still the hot spot.

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4

59

Shawn F.

Baltimore, MD

This is really one of the poorer Cheesecake Factories I've experienced. It gets one star for the nice ambiance and another star for the generous portions. However, I'm taking off two stars for the subpar food and one more star for serving large portions of subpar food.

Okay, so you already know that CF does not allow reservations, so we won't go into that. But after waiting so long for your table, you'd expect some good food, right? Not so, at least not at this Cheesecake Factory. Every time that I've been here, the food has been underwhelming. I don't know what it is, but the flavors are just...off.

There are so many good restaurants around the Harbor that you shouldn't have to subject yourself to Cheesecake Factory.

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60

44

a.v. n.

Santa Clara, CA

Great place in the Harbor if you're willing to wait.  Generous portions, but the wait is long enough for your appetite to build.

Not for folks who dilly-dally around deciding where they feel like eating.  Get to the Harbor, put in your name, walk around, then come back.  

I know, they're a chain restaurant, but this was actually the first Cheesecake Factory I ate at when I lived in Baltimore.  They didn't have one in the Bay Area yet.

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41

134

Josiah L.

New York, NY

My first impression: the entrees are HUGE!!! Everytime I went there with my friends, the girls always have to share, and sometimes we guys needed boxes for the leftovers. I fell in love with their shrimp scampi (dont know if they still make that well nowadays) and ceasar salad, and they got a pretty good brunch menu on the weekends. Make sure you have some free time for waiting if you go during the weekends, and when I say free time, I mean 1-3 hours and I'm not exaggerating. It gets mad busy on weekends.

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Elite '08

438

105

Jim A.

Los Angeles, CA

Oh, its so hard to give anything less than 5 stars when it comes to the Menu here. You can't really complain too much about the wait, because you know going in that it's popular. I have been to different Cheesecake factories for years, and being a native Californian, I have been to my share of them. Maybe seven or eight altogether. That being said, I was very impressed with the Baltimore restaurant because of its location. I can't remember where the hell I parked, but that area is congested anyway. People do have to understand that the long wait is common for C.F. anywhere, so this is a great location to have to wait, since killing time in the harbor is better than a waiting bench. As for the menu, the Chinese Chicken Salad is the best in the business, and my favorite dish is Cajun Pasta Jambalaya (I hope I got that right) and  another amazing dish is the Four Cheese Pasta. I mean, you really need to try that. I don't know how they get that flavor.

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6

84

Bryan C.

Baltimore, MD

In the midst of tourist Baltimore you will find The Cheesecake Factory.  Before you earn your spot in the establishment you must endure an extensive wait as a right of passage.  For my party of six it was an 80 minute wait.  If the weather is right you minus well explore the Inner Harbor a bit if you are new but if not enjoy people watching from a nearby bench.  You'll enjoy watching the creative homeless make their rounds or viewing the antics of other civilians.  Nevertheless all those people who were waiting are now inside cheering in anticipation and making an atmosphere of noise.  The waiting staff won't win any awards for service but do the job well considering the activity.  Don't be fooled by the name, the menu is quite extensive.  I didn't enjoy the meal as much as the others but then again I may be a bit more cultured.  It is worth noting that the servings are generous.  The Great Irish Potato Famine could have been eliminated with a single plate of the mashed and the entire Amazon jungle seems to be transferred to a salad.  Through all this wait we get to what we really want - the cheesecake.  My girl and I are self proclaimed cheesecake experts so give our opinion some weight.  Its worth the wait or a special take out order for the cheesecake.  The varieties seem endless and all delicious.

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1

29

catherine r.

Washington, DC

nothing special here.

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