Cheesecake Factory 1st Time Review: Massive Portions, Tacky Decor

Cheesecake Factory 1st Time Review: Massive Portions, Tacky Decor

Table of Contents

On a work trip to Chicago in May I finally visited the Cheesecake Factory for myself. I went to its only restaurant in the city center, at the bottom of 875 North Michigan Avenue, formerly the John Hancock Center — one of Chicago’s tallest buildings.


The exterior of the Cheesecake Factory in Chicago on the Magnificent Mile. The photo shows its outdoor seating

The Cheesecake Factory I visited was located at the bottom of 875 North Michigan Avenue.

Grace Dean/Business Insider



These were decorative pillars throughout the dining area, as well as a very strange 3D ceiling that looked almost like it was inflated. Overall, the restaurant was very warm-toned, with gold, red, orange, yellow, and brown decor and dim yellow lighting.


The interior of the Cheesecake Factory in Chicago on the Magnificent Mile. The photo shows the patterned ceiling

There were pillars throughout the restaurant.

Grace Dean/Business Insider



As for this hole in the wall — I have no idea why it was there.


The interior of the Cheesecake Factory in Chicago on the Magnificent Mile. The photo shows a unique wall decoration

There were interesting decorations throughout, like this hole in the wall.

Grace Dean/Business Insider



The restaurant was designed by Jordan Mozer & Associates in the 1990s. The architecture firm says it was inspired by psychedelic rock ‘n’ roll posters, French cafés, and elements of ancient Asian artwork. To me, it felt like a bizarre cross between an art deco Parisian café, a cartoon-like attraction at Disney, and Atlantis. It was quite unsettling.


The interior of the Cheesecake Factory in Chicago on the Magnificent Mile. The photo shows empty tables

The restaurant had a warm-toned interior.

Grace Dean/Business Insider



Source: JMA

And, boy, was there a lot to choose from. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a restaurant with such an extensive menu, which included pizza, tacos, steak, salad, pasta, seafood, and much more.


A photo of the Cheesecake Factory's menu. The page is open on small plates and appetizers

The menu was incredibly extensive.

Grace Dean/Business Insider



The Skinnylicious menu alone was extensive enough to be a main menu.


A photo of contents of the Cheesecake Factory's Skinnylicious menu

There were over a dozen entrées on the Skinnylicious menu.

Grace Dean/Business Insider



I ordered the Vegan Cobb Salad, which included quinoa, avocado, roasted beet, grilled asparagus, and almonds. The portion, unsurprisingly, was massive. I’ve never been given such a big salad before.


A plate of Vegan Cobb Salad from the Cheesecake Factory

My Vegan Cobb Salad was huge.

Grace Dean/Business Insider



Then it was time for dessert. There were so many different flavors to choose from — chocolatey, fudgy, fruity, nutty. Some of them used the brands of the products they were made with to draw diners in, like Oreo, Reese’s, Hershey’s, Godiva, Cinnabon, and Ghirardelli.


A fridge full of cheesecakes at the Cheesecake Factory in Chicago on the Magnificent Mile

It was hard to choose between all the cheesecakes.

Grace Dean/Business Insider



My bill came to $42.41 post-tax, pre-tips. The cheesecake itself was on the pricy side, but overall it didn’t seem too bad. The bill came with a note in six different languages, telling diners that “it’s customary in the US to tip 15-22%.”


A photo of a note about tipping practices in the US, written by the Cheesecake Factory

Diners were advised that it’s “customary” to tip in the US.

Grace Dean/Business Insider




link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *