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The Cheesecake Factory
Categories: Restaurants American (New) Food Desserts Restaurants American (Traditional) American (New), Desserts, American (Traditional)
6223 S. State StreetUnit 2001
Murray, UT 84107
(801) 266-9100
Announcement
The Cheesecake Factory Gift Cards, the perfect gift for any taste or occasion. Purchase Now! http://bit.ly/uFsxYm
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 12 am
Sun 10 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dessert, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
35 reviews for The Cheesecake Factory
Review Highlights
"Usually a long wait on weekends except Sunday."
(in 6 reviews)
"the red velvet cake breaks up the monotony of cheesecake's..."
(in 3 reviews)
"...love the cheesecake factory, every time and it never feels."
(in 5 reviews)
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35 reviews in English
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Review from Mike M.
FOOTHILL RNCH, CA
12/31/2011 2 photos
Our server, Jessica, was fantastic and very helpfull.
She steered us to some great appetizers. The two appetizers we had(sweet corn tamale cakes and Tex Mex egg rolls) were fabulously tasty.
This place was very busy but our service was great.
We split the chicken Madiera shrimp scampi combo and still could not finish it.
The food was very good. We had a lemonade that was much too sweet we could not drink it without diluting it with our water.
We had a very good time and I will be back. -
Review from Jean W.
11/7/2011
Since The Cheesecake Factory's inception, I've never read an "America's Most Unhealthy Chain Restaurants" list that didn't feature TCF in the number one position.
Just in case their infamous 7000-item menu isn't your first indication that TCF food is mass-produced, preservative/sodium/MSG-ridden, and flush with unparalleled fat and calories, perhaps your next medical exam will be.
On the scales of food v. evil, as attractively presented and abundant as the food is here, served on colossal plates (we call this "family style" elsewhere), it's every bit as detrimental. A good percentage of the food here is tasty enough that you forget how terrible it is for you as you inhale it. It's a little bit hypnotizing.
Their entrees - even the salads - are unprecedented in size. Three servers are required to carry one. Even the appetizer servings are ridiculously huge.
I find it entertaining that they have a section called "SkinnyLicious Menu." Even if this stuff had a fraction of the unhealthy composition on the regular menu, it would still be on Dr. Oz's poop list...and not in a good way.
Their Asian offerings are particularly tasty in a MSG kind of way. Not authentic by any definition, and served with sauces and dressings that deceivingly delight your taste buds as they harden your arteries.
The real celebrity at TCF - the cheesecake - is reeeeeeally good, for the most part (not a fan of their low-carb varieties). It's not a mystery - cheesecake is awesome. And they have more tempting flavors than anywhere else. Also, really no one is surprised by a hefty chunk of White Chocolate Caramel Macadamia Nut Cheesecake coming in at 2,200 calories and 42 grams of saturated fat.
But, if they really cared about their customers, they'd invest in a post-meal wheelchair-to-car shuttle.Listed in: One Miss Wonders
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Review from Drew T.
Provo, UT
10/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
The Cheesecake Factory has a lot going for it; good food, good service, nice atmosphere, and great dessert (as the name would suggest). The problem is that is also has quite a bit that does not help it; long lines, expensive prices, also the menu is ridiculously long( due in part to the full page adds it sells but by no means would the menu be anything but excruciatingly long with out them). To go along with this the portion sizes are big enough to feed a medium sized family. I understand that people want to feel full after they have eaten at a restaurant they have spent some of their hard earned money on but these portion sizes are just laughable.
On a side not this las visit we had a waitress that was not so great. She took ten minutes to get our drink orders and that was only after i had to ask somebody to find her. She also told us the special of the day was "So so". Not exactly the best service but i would dare say that this is by no means the norm. -
Review from Dan S.
Provo, UT
1/4/2012
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Thats all
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Review from Dylan L.
10/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good food, good service, but definitely on the expensive side.
I've had lunch here a few times when I'm at the Fashion Place mall, and it is a nice addition to the area.
The interior is very nice, and the patio is a great choice for warm, sunny day. Even on cooler days, they have heaters going so you can enjoy the fresh outdoor air.
The wait staff is consistently nice and speedy, no issues there and actually, these guys have some of the best service I've seen.
Alas, this place is pretty expensive. The last time I was here for lunch, two entrees without a drink or desert came out to be $23...yipes!
It's worth coming here every now because the service is great and the place itself is really nice, but it certainly isn't cheap. -
Review from Amy W.
Livermore, CA
11/28/2011
I've been to several Cheesecake Factory restaurants and they are always consistent. I like knowing what I can expect when dining and having meals that are reliable in flavor & quality.
So, why am I reviewing this particular Cheesecake Factory? I'll tell you.
The background: My bf and I went to UT for our usual ski/snowboard trip. We have never enjoyed dining options in old Salt Lake City (or Provo, Draper or even Park City). We decided to go to a chain restaurant to decrease the odds of disappointment and Cheesecake Factory was nearby.
The experience: when we got there, there was an hour wait (at 6 om on a Saturday night). I was amazed because it is a chain and the night was young. But, knowing the food crisis in UT (nothing is good, really!)- I understand. This is why I removed 1 star- no one should wait an hour for a chain restaurant at only 6pm. Thankfully, we were able to find seating at the bar right away.
This is where the service magic happened. We were greeted immediately, even with the crowd. The bartender & an assistant were attentive, funny and helpful. Our food- chicken madiera & steak diane- was the usual quality/taste/etc which is a blessing (yes blessing- it is Mormon country folks). The bartender made a custom drink to my bf's request & did so confidently and kindly. I had the apple martini. The highlight- we substituted well liquor for top shelf (Chopin Vodka & Grand Marnier) and we were not charged extra for this nor for the unique custom drink.
I WOULD RECOMMEND this place if you are in the Salt Lake/Draper area and are frustrated by the stand alone rip off poor quality restaurants that are abundant in this area. -
Review from Sky T.
Okay, I may be a little bias but I love The Cheesecake Factory.
I, Sky Thai, LOVE The Cheesecake Factory.
Absolutely love, love, love it. Maybe because my favorite dessert is cheesecake and it's part of the name and I loved everything I ever had here. (Not to mention that many memories of birthdays and friend's birthdays were held here.) Not sure why I love it so, but I love The Cheesecake Factory.
I think if I were a restaurant, I would be The Cheesecake Factory. Best chain restaurant in existence.
LOVE IT!
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Anyways back from my fanboy moment, it has a slightly elegant but comfortable and relaxing feel that just works to bring the best of the upscale and comfort of a lowscale together in harmony. What more can you ask for?
The lunch specials are seriously good for what they get you and are so very delicious and yum-yum good. The dinners are the same way and you get a hefty, tantalizing portion of whatever you order. They like to pretty up the tasty food so big points for plating design. (You do know you eat with your eyes first.) I have not had anything bad here and I don't expect to but hey, if you have a problem with the meal they will get another one for you at no cost. That's what they did for a friend of mine and that's what I call good customer service.
Yes, it is crowded in the evenings and the waits can be atrociously long but go on the "off days" (Sunday-Thursday) in the afternoon or early evening to get a seat. If all else fails, just go shopping at the Fashion Place Mall or at some other store nearby to kill time until the wait "should" be over. You just gotta play the waiting game sometimes but I think it is worth it.
Oh, and how could I forget about the cheesecake itself? In a nutshell, there is a huge assortment and array of the decadently guilty pleasure. I am pretty sure you will find something that appeals to your wanting tastebuds. Just go to the gym and work it off later, indulge a little.
I definitely recommend this restaurant to go to because I think it is a pleaser for just about everybody.Listed in: My * * * * * of Utah, Tasty Treasures, Guilty…
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Review from Charles S.
Salt Lake, UT
Updated - 7/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
The best thing about Cheesecake Factory is that it's always free! At least for me it is. You see, I really never eat here unless someone invites me and offers to pay.
This most recent visit was no exception and it did nothing to change my opinion of the place. "Hit or Miss" is a perfect description of CF. Case(s) in point. In our large group we ordered some things that were great (crispy spicy beef, burrito grande, salmon) and some things that were bad (overcooked pork chops, pizza with not enough toppings and undercooked "doughy" texture).
The service, as usual, was very good. And the salads, as usual, were fresh, crispy and humungous.
Cheesecake Factory never "wows" me, but usually doesn't totally disappoint, either. It's A-OK, I guess... especially when I don't have to even look at the bill.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/14/2010
When I'm spending a decent amount of money, the bar is set pretty high. And Cheesecake factory never… Read more »
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Review from Sam V.
I know that there are a lot of food snobs who scoff at the idea of eating at a chain restaurant, but you can't help but give some props to Cheesecake Factory. Nowhere else have I ever gone into a restaurant and gotten mentally tired from reading a menu. Okay, that may not seem like a perk, but the novel-esque menu just shows why it's such a wonderful place to take a large group of people who happen to have very differing food preferences.
Personally, I get overstimulated when reading the menu so I typically a) determine how hungry I am, b) shove the novel, i mean menu, aside and c) choose one or two of the following:
- fried macaroni and cheese balls
- ahi carpaccio
- miso salmon
- the navajo
I know it seems kind of lame that I stick to the same things on the menu, but sometimes I really enjoy tried and true foods. While I enjoy my meals here immensely, it's not enough to justify waiting between 1-2 hours to get seated. Luckily, it's located close to the mall so I can get some shopping done in the mean time.
Now... I've mentioned this before, but I still have yet to try cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. I know it seems wrong, but after the tremendously long wait, I have a tendency to down my food fairly quickly and find myself far too full to have cheesecake. Or... in those rare cases when I'm having a huge sweet tooth craving, I get Linda's Fudge Cake. I know, it seems wrong, but haven't you ever seen Matilda when Miss Trunchbull makes the fat kid devour a huge chocolate cake? Well, this cake is what I imagine that cake tasted like, I just prefer eating it in smaller quantities.
Maybe one of these days I'll see what the big hype is over the cheesecake?Listed in: Sandwiches
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Review from Kari M.
Boise, ID
6/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
This was the worst food/service I have ever gotten at a Cheesecake Factory!
The only thing that saves this from a 1 star review is that our crabcakes and our crab/artichoke dip were FABULOUS!
My "seared" ahi was dang near fully cooked. They took it back politely and brought back a chinese chicken salad. It was huge, but part of the huge-osity was the fried rice noodles that almost broke my teeth.
The cheesecake is always scrumptious, but for 7 bucks a slice, it should be. -
Review from Tony L.
This place is still one of the most popular teenage dating spot in Salt Lake even after the initial opening hypes die down over the years, so expect a wait longer than steakhouses. The dim light and classy decors both sets the mood for your romantic conversations. The service has been quite consistently good for all of my visits here.
As for the food, I truly believe they wanted to bring out your indecisiveness with the excessive number of items on their menu. Every time I came here, their menu always overwhelmed me, and it took numerous processes of eliminations to figure out what I want to order. If you are limited budget, I would recommend their Sunday Brunch, it actually has more food than dinner for lower price, and I personally enjoyed their Egg Benedict. It is healthy, delicious, and I sure love a perfectly poached egg.
For dinner appetizer, I would go for the Spicy Ahi Tempura Roll. It is not exactly a traditional Japanese dish, more like a Chinese-Japanese fusion with western plating, which to my surprise turned out very well. Crunchy like egg rolls with texture like sushi~ The portion is huge, you may consider substituting that for the main course.
For those that just want to get a salad, I recommend the Seared Tuna Tataki Salad. The fish and fresh vegetable just went well together. For the actual main course, I would go for the Wasabi Crusted Ahi Tuna. I could not tasted any spiciness in the wasabi, but the crust goes very well with the tuna, and the miso sauce rice underneath seem to go well with the dish overall. I do believe they need to enhance the wasabi flavor more.
Now for the bad... the steak is pretty bad here, I never had a single good experience with their meat dishes here. They seem to have a tendency of overcooking them with poor seasoning... bland is the word I would use to describe them. The pasta is next bad choice I experienced here. I tried the Shrimp with Angel Hair and it was painfully flavorless. I would however recommend the Thai Chicken Pasta, which was delicious. Other dishes I tried tasted pretty average.
Cheesecakes are also hit or miss, the Tiramisu and Wild Blueberry cheesecakes were very good, but ones like Cherry, Key Lime, Pumpkin, and the Low Carb ones were very hard and bland.
Overall, if I only tried the good things in this place, I would be a fan, but after experience the bad, I have to average down the overall score. I guess with a menu this big, you are bound to experience vicissitudes in your visits.Listed in: Sunday Dining
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Review from Mindy P.
8/24/2010 2 Check-ins Here
If I am going to eat cheesecake that has been delivered frozen from the factory....I'll buy one from Costco/Trader Joes for half the price. I ordered the Dutch Apple Pie cheesecake and expected warm apples on top with a streusel crust....nope. Streusel was on top and was super dry....had to crack it to separate. There were maybe 1.5 slices of apples in the cake. The whipped cream was the best part.
Service was horrible, after 10 minutes, we went to the bar and ordered. After our drinks arrived, our server finally came. She was waaay under par.
Food is okay....chicken parmesan was a bit too salty. The beet and goat cheese salad was delicious, I recommend. Then there was the iced tea fiasco....black tea came and tasted fruity, sent back...try again, nope, still fruity. Then the manager had to brew a new batch just to get it right.....apparently the bartender made all fruity tea. Took forever to just get a normal tea.
Very pricey for the quality of food and service.Listed in: SLC, Where NOT to go
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Review from Kelie H.
2/4/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Cheesecake Factory is a chain that I do enjoy dining at from time to time, mostly on lunch while at work during the week. I have visited this location maybe 3 times in the past 2 years, most recently today!
The wait is always long. I was surprised that there is still a huge line out the door even though they have been open for some time now. We opted to sit at the bar where we found 3 seats readily available and enjoyed some great lunch conversation and hijincks with some older gentlemen sitting off to our left. The bartenders gave us exceptional service the entire time and were attentive and talkative, but not overbearing in their recommendations.
I feel like the menu at Cheesecake Factory is incredibly overwhelming with too many choices and the ads especially bug me, but the dishes I have tried are delicious and prepared well. My favorite is the lunch portion (which is still enormous) of the pasta da vinci. I also like the stuffed mushrooms on the small plates menu and the passion iced tea is flavorful.
I never order cheesecake because the slices are humongous and the calories in one are probably two days worth of your daily allowance, but it looks very, very delectable. -
Review from Camille C.
Salt Lake City, UT
5/28/2011
I have only been to the Cheesecake Factory like three times in my life... and each time I went, I swore I would never be back, but then I would try it again because so many people seem to like it, but not me, not until the 4th time I tried it. I think anytime you have to wait in line for over an hour for food... well, you will always be disappointed, because after 45 minutes of standing in a crowded lobby being pushed by a zillion other people who are also waiting in line, well, you just get grumpy and really too annoyed to enjoy the food. I was also annoyed on my previous visits, that after waiting in line for 90 minutes, I then had to then read through a menu that was about the size of a Harry Poter novel and attempt to choose something. Fortunately for me, I have now found my perfect Cheesecake Factory companion who did all of the navigating and hard work for me, so I could just show up and enjoy the food. He had been to the place dozens of times, and seemed to know just the right time to go so we wouldn't have to wait and just the right thing to order, so I really didn't even have to open that ridiculously obnoxious menu. His recommendation was the Crispy Chicken Costoletta, and I must say, I am a fan. It tasted much better than I expected it to and the portion was so large that I had enough for lunch the next day. My favorite thing though was the small plate Endive Salad, it was delicious, and when I got home I searched the internet for a recipe for the dressing... but did not find it, so I will have to go back again, just for the salad. We also ordered a piece of the Red Velvet Cheesecake, and it was good, but honestly, I could give or take the cheesecake, what I really cared about was that yummy Endive Salad. Aside from the food, we also had one of the best waiters I have had in a really long time. He was attentive, friendly, knowledgeable, and seemed to know what we needed before we had to say anything. I wish I could remember his name, but he was great and we made sure to let the manager know how much we enjoyed his service.
Overall, I am giving The Cheesecake Factory 3 stars, I would go back there again, but only with my Cheesecake Factory Companion ..... because I don't think I would have had such a great experience without him. So, 3 Stars to Cheesecake Factory and 5 Stars to the friend I went with! -
Review from Ryan R.
Salt Lake City, UT
12/13/2010
I didn't even get to eat at this location! But the fact that you can't call ahead and put your name on the 90 minute waiting list is complete crap. My wife and I frequented the Cheesecake Factory in Waikiki....HAWAII! Surprisingly we would get in that location with no more than a 20 minute wait and the service was great!
Unfortunately, for some reason they overshoot your wait time and under deliver at this location. I would have had better luck getting seated by buying a plane ticket back to O'ahu before I ever got sat at this Salt Lake location. -
Review from Tiffany L.
San Francisco, CA
5/19/2010
I always love the cheesecake factory, every time and it never feels. Its hard that a place like this can go wrong with its intense menu and fast service. Even if the service is a bit below par, the managers always step in and make sure you are completely happy. I'm surprised with the rating for this place for Utah considering it was insanely packed when I went on a late Friday. We didn't want to wait so we sat at the bar which was perfect! The bartenders are quick and super friendly. We ordered off the small plate list which was a great deal and the portions were crazy (of course). We had the corn fritters, the endive salad, a side of fries, and the strawberry shortcake. The corn fritters were pretty big, the size of the balls (haha), and sweet tasting. The endive salad I always order and it was perfect as usual. Everything tasted great and I left completely happy!
Tip: Order off the small plate list because its a great deal for all the food you get and the variety is right too. Also, if you hate waiting, never ever go here unless you want to sit at the bar. -
Review from Eugene F.
Campbell, CA
4/17/2008
Admittedly, I avoid going to chain restaurants because I prefer to enjoy local, smaller places to eat. When i was at home this weekend, my mom said she really liked The Cheesecake Factory and wanted to have lunch there. So, being the obedient son, I went with her.
They have these all over California, and I have never set foot in one. The ambiance of the place is reminiscent of any large chain restaurant. However, this one has really high ceilings giving it a really nice, open feel to it. The one thing that I noted that was nice was that they had a partition that went from floor to ceiling (half of it being glass) that separated the kitchen from the dining area. I thought that was really nice because often the kitchen area can get a bit loud.
I ordered the half turkey sandwich, salad, and soup lunch, and my mom got the miso glazed salmon. The portions are really large here, so be prepared to come with your appetite like I did. The soup was black bean and actually fairly tasty, the sandwich was on a baguette and really nice and crispy, and the salad had a nice vinaigrette on it. I tasted my mom's salmon and the glaze was actually decent, but she found it a little bland and had to add some more salt and pepper.
Becky, our server, was good about checking up on us and gave me refills quickly.
Also, of note, there's a full bar here, too. Not sure if you have to a membership, or not, but probably can just head in after a hard day of shopping at the mall. ;-p
Overall, a decent first-time visit to The Cheesecake Factory. Would I return, probably not, but overall a decent experience. -
Review from Dustin B.
Salt Lake, UT
3/15/2010
Like many others I've been avoiding this place under the assumption it was all hype. I just figured that when people went the the Cheesecake Factory in Vegas and raved about it was because they were half drunk and high on the Vegas experience. I was wrong, this place has really good food.
My first misconception was that the hype was all about cheesecake and not food. But one look over their humongous menu lets you know they aren't just a place for desert. Seriously find the menu online, it's 20 pages long!
I got the Steak Diane, steak medallions in a mushroom wine sauce, basically my favorite dish so I figured it's a good measuring stick for restaurants. It was delicious, maybe a bit peppery but not much more than other places that advertise a black peppercorn Angus steak.
The portions are huge, it's best to just plan ahead and divide the dish in half and eat the rest for lunch the next day. Especially if you have desert, if you eat it all you will be over-stuffing yourself way beyond the safe comfort/health point. During the long wait for a table you'll notice everybody walking out with huge bags of take-home leftovers.
Speaking of the long wait. I was there on a Thursday and waited 45 minutes; this is considered a short wait here. You cannot reserve ahead of time so stop by, get your name down, and then try to find something to keep you occupied for the next hour or so.
This is also an awful place to have a conversation, the noise level really is out of control. You have to shout to be heard over the rest of the diners which just leads to an even louder restaurant. Considering how many people are packed in it's not really surprising why this happens.
The service is also average, the waiters and waitresses are working a full speed but there are just so many people to take care of that you'll only see them a couple times during the night. They're friendly but don't expect them to be attentive to your every need while dining. I prefer they stay out of my way anyway so this wasn't a big deal to me.
Overall I don't plan on going back there unless it's on somebody else's whim. It's not the food isn't great, I really liked it; it's just not the atmosphere I want in a dining experience. Dinner is where you go to talk before or after doing something with family friends or loved ones. Cheesecake Factory is like a loud, rowdy, communal dining experience. The decor may be a bit fancier, but I don't feel like I'm spending intimate face to face time with people here. -
Review from Max S.
Salt Lake City, UT
12/21/2010
Meh, what a great word to describe this place. If McDonald's tried to get into "fine dining" this, is what it would be. The food is greasy and bland.
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Review from Michelle E.
Salt Lake City, UT
1/8/2008
Okay, it's the same menu as any other Cheesecake Factory so... yay. (Me likey.) But there are 2 things seriously wrong with this Cheesecake Factory: 1) Be prepared to wait way over an hour. 2) There's no bar in the bar (!) and the bar area is assigned seating. (So what's the point of having a bar?!)
I won't go back for a very long time.... or unless I need to eat at 3 O'clock in the afternoon.
If you do go, though, I suggest the guacamole. YUMMERS!!!!! -
Review from K J.
Murray, UT
7/31/2008
First visit impressions:
Like said before here - pretty much like other huge chain restaurants. Food is flavorful and handsomely prepared. Waiter was very nice and helpful in assisting us with our selections.
Portions are indeed gigantic! I believe I witnessed EVERYONE leaving the restaurant with a bag. I was no exception, and I only ordered a salad. I was stuffed after eating only 1/2 the meal. It was good enough to think I might eat some more of it the next day. (More than 1/2 the folks I watched leave the place were packing around several dozen previous meals on their hips and waists.)
I have to say too that the screaming kids were annoying and the wait time was ridiculous. The herding of patrons in the seating process is reminiscent of an attraction at Disney World.
Our waiter said they hadn't switched over to the 1.5 oz. liquor metering yet so I opted out of the $7.50 Mojito. $7.50 is just WAY too much to pay for only 1 oz. of juice in a drink.
After the meal I was too full for any desert. Our waiter told us you can buy some of the cheesecakes (all made in California and shipped frozen) at Costco for cheaper than you can get them at the restaurant. So, if you want to avoid the trough-feeding experience and just get a cheesecake it may be a good idea to try out Costco. -
Review from Richard B.
Kent, WA
4/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great food, very long wait to get served.
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Review from Jana F.
Salt Lake City, UT
Consistently excellent!
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Review from Gerardo C.
Salt Lake City, UT
12/21/2010 1 Check-in Here
I wasn't impressed with the food here. I had heard great things about this place, but think it is overpriced for the quality you get. I doubt I will eat here again.
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Review from Joseph K.
South Jordan, UT
12/10/2010
My wife and I like to try a new cheesecake every time we come here. We especially like the Godiva cheesecake.
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Review from Antonio L.
West Covina, CA
10/9/2010 1 Check-in Here
Just gonna review on the cheesecake. I've only been here 2 times just to get a slice of cheesecake. First time I was here, it was the Red Velvet Cheesecake. Love it! Definitely would come back for this. Today, it was the Kalua Cocoa Coffee Cheesecake. OMG, another great slice of cheesecake. It was pretty rich though, especially the chocolate on top. Cheesecake Factory never seems to fail as a great dessert to end the evening!
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Review from Virgo M.
Bay Area, CA
Updated - 8/1/2009
The 30th anniversary Triple Chocolate Cheesecake is a lil slice of life and love.
Listed in: Big Love
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Review from Sarah B.
Murray, UT
2/9/2009
Yet another difficult one to rate: I opted to be positive and go with 4 stars. Let's break this down shall we? Bad news first:
Bad: Ok, so I was tempted to only give it 1 star based on the choice of background music alone. At times it sounded like we were on an episode of Love Boat and at others, in a porno in Vegas. It was horrible. Luckily I went on a Sunday so there was no wait. Every other time I've attempted to eat there I gave up because the wait was over an hour. Seriously Utahns, it's great but no restaurant is worth waiting an hour. Call me impatient... Basically the overall feel of the place was that it was trying to be something it was not. The attempt was made for it to be a classy restaurant (building style, food, bar, etc) but it can't hide the fact that it is a family friendly chain restaurant. Not necessarily a bad thing, if that's where you want to go.
Now for the good part! The reasons why I'll go there again.
Good: The food is surprisingly tasty and is nicely presented. The artichoke appetizer was probably one of the most amazing things I've ever eaten. Obviously the cheesecake is phenomenal and I definitely recommend the Chai Latte! The service was great and even though the guy was a little creepy (the fact that I was sitting and he was standing and he looked directly into my eyes way too often possibly could have contributed to my uneasiness), we tipped him generously because he was very nice and very good at his job. The menu is ridiculously long and there are a lot of choices. Basically everyone could find something they like here. The building is decorated nicely and the seats are comfortable, although the windows face the ugly parking lot which leaves something to be desired in the view. I enjoyed myself thoroughly and I liked the food, so therefore I give it 4 stars. -
Review from Tell Y.
Los Angeles, CA
6/28/2008
When you're with the family, you got to do the family thing.
I don't know what I am mortified by more: The screaming babies and mess-making toddlers at every table or hearing an easy listening cover of Depeche Mode's Enjoy the Silence sung by an unknown female vocalist.
Everyone's meal looked appetizing, but the servings were gargantuan. All dishes where good for two people. It is sad if the huge portions are a selling feature. These people are just as responsible as McDonald's for obesity. Even if patrons don't eat their whole portion, it is a lot of waste. I can't help but think if portions where smaller, 1) prices could be lower, 2) profits could be higher, 3) waste would be lower. G and I each ordered a salad--we could have ordered one and shared it with some left over. I liked my beet/spinach/goat cheese/and other things salad but...
I lost my appetite just a few bites into my salad when I heard the Depeche Mode cover. -
Review from Joshua S.
3/15/2010 1 Check-in Here
after numerous visits
ambience A- frenetic, noisy and crowded, but it works. the decor is decent, if a bit too 'las vegas' for my taste. but, again, it works.
service A up to this point, i've never had a bad server. accommodating, prompt, and polite.
food B+ to tell you the truth, i did NOT want to like this restaurant, because of all the hype and trend. but they have pleasantly surprised me ALMOST every time i've visited. i walk away from the restaurant, take-away in hand, thinking, "how did this happen again? dang."
thai lettuce wraps (satay chicken strips, carrots, bean sprouts, coconut curry noodles and lettuce leaves with three thai style sauces - peanut, sweet red chili and tamarind-cashew.)
it's fresh. it's simple. it's always the same. and they let you assemble your own wraps. i believe in choice. thank you.
avocado egg rolls (avocado, sun-dried tomato, red onion and cilantro fried in a crisp wrapper with a tamarind-cashew dipping sauce.)
decent. not my favorite. probably because wanted lime and salt to make it pop.
firecracker salmon rolls (spiced fresh salmon rolled in spinach and fried in a crisp wrapper with a sweet hot chili sauce.)
decent. delicious, until the slight salmon aftertaste kicks in. not my favorite. but it's still delicious regardless.
pasta carbonara (spaghettini with smoked bacon, green peas, and a garlic-parmesan cream sauce)
it's difficult to get carbonara wrong. i love the cheesecake factory's carbonara. the peas were fresh, and the sauce wasn't too thick and clingy. meaning, they had enough olive oil to loosen it up. (my secret hope is that the days of the table side cracking of the raw egg on the pasta returns.)
stephanie's ultimate red velvet cheesecake (moist layers of red velvet cake and our original cheesecake covered with our special cheesecake factory cream cheese frosting)
i can only handle cheesecake in very small doses. BUT, i CAN handle this cheesecake all by myself. the red velvet cake breaks up the monotony of cheesecake's richness and overbearing weight. i know, how can cake lessen the weight? trust me, it does.
overall: A-
a solid 4 stars. as far as i'm concerned, cheesecake factory is doing their job. churning out pretty good food, good service and a nice backdrop. -
Review from Jason F.
Holladay, UT
4/15/2009 16 Check-ins Here
Food is as good as the others in the chain which is a plus. The mood is ruined by the throngs of children running around and screaming. Usually a long wait on weekends except Sunday. Whoever selected the music should be fired. Our waiter was very nice and actually pointed out the music to us which was a little odd. Our experience overall was fun and the food was good. Portion size is very large, be sure to take that into account when order appetizers and desert.
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Review from David K.
San Francisco, CA
7/19/2009
Cheesecake factory is nothing but pure disappointment. Over the past three years, I've been to three different Cheesecake Factories around Colorado and Utah. Every time my food and my wife's food has been gross, period. Here's some examples: sticky and hard pasta that was way overcooked and raw (and not in a good way) tuna. I'm not sure what the appeal of this overpriced chain is, but after our last visit we said never ever again.
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Review from Kyle Q.
Spanish Fork, UT
1/26/2008
This was my first visit to The Cheesecake Factory. After hearing raving reviews from coworkers about the Godiva chocolate cheesecake I had to try it out.
My Impressions:
1- Long wait. But this is the new "hot spot" so I'm not too concerned. We planned for it and ended up waiting about an hour. Not too bad if you can stand walking around the mall next door for a bit.
2- Huge menu. I've never been to the Cheesecake Factory prior to this so I was surprised at the menu. My concern though is that they don't really have a food specialty. I'm a fan of the do a few things very well instead of doing many things in a mediocre fashion.
3- Mediocre food. The portions were large so you get your money's worth but the food really wasn't anything that stood out. It was good, don't get me wrong, but I'm certainly not going to be salivating over my next trip here.
The Bad: My one reason to go there was the Godiva chocolate cheesecake. By 6 PM they had run out! Well, I guess that isn't technically correct, they still had some in the freezer if I wanted to wait for it to thaw, but they were all out otherwise. You've got to be kidding me! Its 6 PM on a Friday night! Plan ahead! People don't come for the food necessarily! Get that frozen thing out of the freezer so I can delude myself into thinking it was made fresh today just for me!
Overall I give it 2 stars for mediocre food and running out of the chocolate cheesecake by 6 PM! -
Review from grace c.
Campbell, CA
4/2/2009
As I said before, I am from the bay area (Northern California) At home i LOVE this restaurant. but the one in salt lake could stand to change. First of all. In general, there are wayy to many children in this state. This totally ruins the dining experience. This is not a family restaurant. (but i guess everything here is family) Take you and your five kids to denny's or whatever. please.
That aside, I do absolutely love the food here. The service is good and the atmosphere is nice. (on weekdays when the families aren't there) One main downside is that they don't take reservations and there's usually a long wait.
However, If i could, I'll just go home and eat at the cheesecake factory there. Save myself from the chaos and long waits at the one here.
If you've never eaten here I recommend giving it a chance. -
Review from Jason K.
Collierville, TN
12/13/2009
Yes, it is a national chain, and yes, there is always a long line...this location is no different than others around the country. I marvel at how much money this place must rake in. However, at the same time, we always enjoy our visits here, that is, when our blood pressures can take battling all the other hungry customers. Service is very friendly, but ultimately you do feel that they are trying to move you along so they can seat the next customers. The food is the main attraction, or rather, the voluminous quantity of it. Prices are not cheap, but the selection is huge and they do most choices quite well. Usually, we are not able to save enough room for desert, but sometimes we splurge and take a slice of their wonderful cheesecake home.
