cheesecake factory portions.

[swamp]

DH an I went for the first time last night. Holy crap the portions are huge. I could barely eat half. Do people really eat all that and have dessert?

[ArchietheDragon]

I don't understand anything about the Cheesecake Factory.   The lines and wait, always.  The giant portions.  The subpar food.  The ok Cheesecake. Why?

[swamp]

We are not near home, so we couldn't do the leftover thing.

And I was so full the thought of dessert was nauseating.

[swamp]

Aug 26, 2014 8:22:01 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

I don't understand anything about the Cheesecake Factory.   The lines and wait, always.  The giant portions.  The subpar food.  The ok Cheesecake. Why?

No line. Food wasn't bad, but not fantastic. I'm not sure what the hype is either

[Deleted]

DH and I don't go there for that reason. I've been there a few times on business- as archie says, OK food. I've never had room for dessert. We prefer locally-owned places and not chains, and we don't want to pay for giant portions even when we can bring leftovers home.  If I want a double portion, I'll order one to eat and one to take home.  Don't force me to order twice what I want as a single portion just to enhance your bottom line.

[ArchietheDragon]

Aug 26, 2014 8:23:20 GMT -5 swamp said:

Aug 26, 2014 8:22:01 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

I don't understand anything about the Cheesecake Factory.   The lines and wait, always.  The giant portions.  The subpar food.  The ok Cheesecake. Why?

No line. Food wasn't bad, but not fantastic. I'm not sure what the hype is either

No Line is surprising.  I have never walked by a Cheesecake factory and not seen a line outside the door.   There is one in the center of our town, surrounded by better restaurants, probably 20 of them of various price points,  and it is always packed. 

[NancysSummerSip]

I'm a healthy eater, and the few times I've ventured into a Cheesecake Factory, I've never been able to eat my way to the point where I could see the plate. I don't get the portion size, other than it seems to be an American thing. Other cultures just gag when they look at our portions and plate sizes. I've shopped in the kitchenwares department of many stores, and heard the giggles of foreign visitors as they point and laugh at our idea of dinner plates.

[CarolinaKat]

When we go, we usually just order dessert. Ours has a dessert counter with an outdoor patio. You can also take it back into the food court if the weather sucks.

The nearest two cheesecake factories to us are both attaches to very large malls.

[Nazgul Girl]

   My DH & I had to go to a Cheesecake Factory once while on a business trip to a convention on Las Vegas.   I thought it was overwrought, in the decor, the portions, the food, everything.   I was able to eat about a third of the dinner.   I had some cheesecake, since the boss insisted on us all ordering some, and I liked it, but I hardly ever eat cheesecake, so I'm no judge.   We've never been back.

  Another restaurant we don't like is Rainforest Cafe.   We went to one in our state, and to the one at Disney World.   The decor is cute the first time, but after that, hmmm, and the food is overdone and beyond unhealthy. 

[Cookies Galore]

I try to make it a rule to not frequent chains. We went to Cheesecake Factory once because we were given a gift card, and I will eat free food, even if it's the Olive Garden (grandmom gives us a chain restaurant gift card every year for christmas). *shudder*

I live in an area with a lot of great restaurants, but if I'm traveling, that's what Yelp is for. I'm a snob. I own it.

[CarolinaKat]

Aug 26, 2014 8:57:05 GMT -5 Nazgul Girl said:

   My DH & I had to go to a Cheesecake Factory once while on a business trip to a convention on Las Vegas.   I thought it was overwrought, in the decor, the portions, the food, everything.   I was able to eat about a third of the dinner.   I had some cheesecake, since the boss insisted on us all ordering some, and I liked it, but I hardly ever eat cheesecake, so I'm no judge.   We've never been back.

  Another restaurant we don't like is Rainforest Cafe.   We went to one in our state, and to the one at Disney World.   The decor is cute the first time, but after that, hmmm, and the food is overdone and beyond unhealthy. 

I like Rainforest cafe's fishtanks. DH and I enjoy any resturant with a good fishtank.

[chiver78]

totally with you on portion sizes. it's crazy there. if I go for lunch from work, I'll get a half salad that I still can't finish. if I go for dinner, either I get something that will keep well as leftovers (pastas) or I get an appetizer. dessert is always to go, unless someone wants to split something with me.

[Wisconsin Beth]

I liked the banana slices and itty bitty bread slices they used to provide for my toddlers about 30 seconds after their butts hit the seats.    As the kids have gotten older, they're more willing to hold out for french fries as an app. 

[MJ2.0]

I agree that CF is overhyped for sure. The cobb salad is decent IMO, but even the lunch portion is huge! I've never made it to dessert.

[Ryan]

If it wasn't a chain, there wouldn't be so many haters on the cheesecake factory.  I love that place, but think the lines are not worth the wait.  

I don't usually order desert (I'm more of an appetizer guy), but I will when I go there.  I actually think I order appys, main course, and split desert with my wife.  I basically just graze on all the courses....kind of a waste of money I guess.

[morrisr2d2]

They now have a "skinny menu" and have to post calories, maybe it's a NYC metro thing. I got a turkey burger and side salad for 500 or 600 calories total, and it was actually pretty good. I eat healthy though so I won't order the vast majority of stuff on their menu. Maybe I will try the salmon on the skinny menu next time. We go there once every few months for a change. Brunch can be good there too.

[movingforward]

I have eaten there a handful of times with a friend who likes it.  We always split a meal.  The portion sizes are ridiculous.  We have also gone there only for dessert which I am okay with. 

[greeniis10]

DH & I went to CF once and had the same experience: food? so-so WAAAY too much of it.  I don't even recall what I ordered; I'm sure just an appetizer.  DH ordered pork chops and it came with TWO full sized ones.  I remember commenting about the plate of lasagna on the table next to us.  It was literally the size I'd serve to the family. 

[ohmomto2boys]

We prefer locally-owned places and not chains, and we don't want to pay for giant portions even when we can bring leftovers home.

This is us.  However, we have been to the Cheesecake Factory (with friends) - it has been a few years though.  We could not eat all our food and brought it home.  It was okay.  I don't find any "chain" restaurants stellar. 

[gooddecisions]

I love restaurants with huge portions. Going out once takes care of the next 3 meals. But, I do not love Cheese Cake Factory. Their menu is entirely made up of frozen t.v. dinners. If I wanted that, I would just stock my freezer and save the trouble. There is one 10 minutes from me and I haven't been back in at least 7 years. With a 30 page menu, maybe I just never figured out what to order. Admittedly, I've become increasingly picky about my food and think even the "good" non chain restaurants are over-rated and over-priced, plus the portions are wimpy.

[MJ2.0]

yeah, I'm wary of restaurants with huge menus.... makes me think that they make a lot of mediocre things rather than a few really good things.

[Deleted]

Aug 26, 2014 8:20:17 GMT -5 swamp said:

DH an I went for the first time last night. Holy crap the portions are huge. I could barely eat half. Do people really eat all that and have dessert?

We're finding that many of the restaurants we frequent are doing this and don't know why. So when we do indulge, which is seldom, we always split the dessert.

[Deleted]

Aug 26, 2014 10:03:58 GMT -5 MJ2.0 said:

yeah, I'm wary of restaurants with huge menus.... makes me think that they make a lot of mediocre things rather than a few really good things.

Having been associated with the restaurant business, in one way or another for years, I can agree with you being wary.
Unless it's a huge restaurant, it's very difficult to have such a large menu and not have foods spoil, get contaminated or freezer burned. 

[justme]

Aug 26, 2014 8:57:05 GMT -5 Nazgul Girl said:

   My DH & I had to go to a Cheesecake Factory once while on a business trip to a convention on Las Vegas.   I thought it was overwrought, in the decor, the portions, the food, everything.   I was able to eat about a third of the dinner.   I had some cheesecake, since the boss insisted on us all ordering some, and I liked it, but I hardly ever eat cheesecake, so I'm no judge.   We've never been back.

  Another restaurant we don't like is Rainforest Cafe.   We went to one in our state, and to the one at Disney World.   The decor is cute the first time, but after that, hmmm, and the food is overdone and beyond unhealthy. 

15+ years ago Rainforest had good food at Disney but around 10 years ago the food went to hell. It's sister restaurant the Dinosaur one at Disney had better food, but I also haven't been there in well over 5 years.

[justme]

Cheesecake factory is one of the few chains I enjoy going to, but I have the system down pat. We always eat at the bar area (either at the bar or the high tops) which are first come first served - and I don't think I've waited longer than 10 minutes for something to open up. The service is a lot faster in that area. If I get a pasta I always take the rest for leftovers. But lately I've only been going for their happy hour - which is mostly dealing with food items with everything around $5. So I get two apps (the avocado rolls  -drool-and the mac n cheese balls  ) and a drink. Usually eat all the rolls (they don't make great leftovers) and usually have half the mac n cheese as leftovers. It's completely not healthy, but ooooh so good the rare times I have it.

[swamp]

Aug 26, 2014 11:01:38 GMT -5 justme said:

Aug 26, 2014 8:57:05 GMT -5 Nazgul Girl said:

   My DH & I had to go to a Cheesecake Factory once while on a business trip to a convention on Las Vegas.   I thought it was overwrought, in the decor, the portions, the food, everything.   I was able to eat about a third of the dinner.   I had some cheesecake, since the boss insisted on us all ordering some, and I liked it, but I hardly ever eat cheesecake, so I'm no judge.   We've never been back.

  Another restaurant we don't like is Rainforest Cafe.   We went to one in our state, and to the one at Disney World.   The decor is cute the first time, but after that, hmmm, and the food is overdone and beyond unhealthy. 

15+ years ago Rainforest had good food at Disney but around 10 years ago the food went to hell. It's sister restaurant the Dinosaur one at Disney had better food, but I also haven't been there in well over 5 years.

Last time we went in Jan '13 it was still good.

[justme]

Maybe they got better again? I was last there in 11 I think.

[swamp]

T Rex, not rainforest. Rainforest sucked

[souldoubt]

Cheesecake Factory has some of the most brutal 'meals' when you consider the nutrition content.  Quite a few of their lunches or dinners are more than the daily allowance for regular people, i.e. those who aren't training for marathons or athletes for a living.  I've eaten there before but it's not somewhere I make plans to go to.  

[emma1420]

Aug 26, 2014 11:46:27 GMT -5 souldoubt said:

Cheesecake Factory has some of the most brutal 'meals' when you consider the nutrition content.  Quite a few of their lunches or dinners are more than the daily allowance for regular people, i.e. those who aren't training for marathons or athletes for a living.  I've eaten there before but it's not somewhere I make plans to go to.  

Some of their meals are horrendous, but that is true of a lot, if not most of those kind of chain restaurants.  Most of them are worse than McDonald's or Burger King, etc.  It's a sad day when it's tough to find a meal with under 1000 calories.