The Cheesecake Factory is the number one distributor of cheesecake in the United States. It is also a restaurant company. It created the upscale casual dining segment in 1978 with the opening of the first restaurant in Beverly Hills, California and even with more than 150 restaurant locations around the world.
I walked through the front door of it's newly opened Dubai branch and remembered the many times I've visited The Cheesecake Factory in the US. With French limestone floors and decorative columns, hand painted fabrics, contemporary lighting and an abundance of cherry wood, the lavish décor is just the beginning. We had to wait for 45 minutes to be seated as the place was fully booked, and that was at three in the afternoon. Is it because its new and everyone wants to try it? Or is it really that good? The Cheesecake Factory menu boasts more than 200 selections made fresh from scratch daily including Small Plates & Snacks, Appetizers, Pastas, Fresh Fish, Steaks, Salads, Sandwiches and Pizzas. There are 50 legendary cheesecakes and specialty desserts like the White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle, Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake, and Linda’s Fudge Cake. The menu is large which in my opinion is annoying to order from. You keep turning the pages that never seem to finish.
We ordered from the huge menu:
- Popcorn Shrimps: Shrimps Deep-Fried in a Spiced Batter. Served with Cocktail Sauce and Aioli.
- Factory Nachos: Crisp Tortilla Chips Covered with Melted Cheeses, Guacamole, Sour Cream, Jalapeños and Salsa. Also served with Spicy Chicken.
- Fried Macaroni and cheese: Crispy Crumb Coated Macaroni and Cheese Balls. Served over a Creamy Marinara Sauce.
- Quesadilla: Grilled Flour Tortilla Filled with Melted Cheese, Green Onions and Chiles. Garnished with Guacamole, Salsa and Sour Cream with Chicken.
- The factory burger: Charbroiled with Cheddar Cheese, Tomato and Grilled Onions on Sourdough French or Wheat Loaf. Served with French Fries or Green Salad.
- The classic burger: A Gigantic Chop House Hamburger. Served with a Slice of Grilled Red Onion, Lettuce, Tomato and French Fries or Green Salad.
- The mushroom burger: A Great Glamburger Challenge Winner! Lots of Sauteed Mushrooms, Onions and Mayo, Covered with Melted Swiss and Fontina Cheese.
- Hershey's Chocolate Bar Cheesecake: Hershey's Cheesecake Between Moist Chocolate Cake with Creamy Chocolate Frosting and Chocolate Chips.
- The huge portions
- Their french fries are very tasty
- The decoration of the immense place is nice and pleasant to spend some time with friends with a view of Dubai Aquarium
- The burgers are tasty yet too oily and fatty
- The huge Coca-Cola free refill cups
- Everything is too oily especially the popcorn shrimps and nachos
- I asked for a medium cooked meat and received it well done
- The light is way too dimmed. It should feel like daylight during the day and maybe dim it for the night
- The menu is really huge and annoying to browse. Putting that many choices for me is a negative point.
The Cheesecake Factory has been criticized for their heavy promotion of large servings of high calorie and high fat foods, and a corresponding lack of healthy menu options. For these reasons, the chain was dubbed the "worst family restaurant in America" for 2010 by Men's Health magazine. The average sandwich at the restaurant contains 1,400 calories.
I totally agree!
Even their cheesecakes are too creamy and fatty. Americans may be used to that but I don't think people are in the Middle East and Arab countries. I enjoyed my dark chocolate cheesecake to the maximum, but for next time, I will make sure that's all I order. This way I can enjoy it more. Having it after a full and heavy meal, there's no way you can digest it.
A nice and unique place to try whenever your cholesterol levels are low...
