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Y! MyWebRestaurant Review
Cheesecake Factory
There's something to appeal to everyone
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
BEAVERCREEK — Usually when a restaurant proclaims it has "something for everyone," my hyperbole-detection meter starts quivering. Not at the Cheesecake Factory. This national chain's 200-item menu may give you eye strain. Appetizers and entrees and pizzas and pastas and burgers borrow from every cuisine, including Italian, Asian, Mexican and points in between.
The Cheesecake Factory opened at The Greene in late August to large crowds and continues to pack them in: if you go during prime time, plan on waiting, even though the restaurant seats 380. The Cheesecake Factory does not take reservations.
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The Cheesecake Factory does not take reservations, so be prepared to wait in the entrance for a while.
With diners silhouetted against a large window in the background, Firecracker Salmon Rolls, Crispy Chicken Costoletta, and Lemoncello Cream Torte are highlighted at the Cheesecake FactoryThe Cheesecake Factory
- WHERE: 56 Greene Boulevard in The Greene, Beavercreek. [Map]
- HOURS: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. No reservations accepted.
- COST: Lunch $8.95 to $12.95, dinner entrees from $8.95 to $28.50, with the vast majority in the $15-$20 range.
- DISHES TO TRY: Firecracker Salmon Rolls ($8.95), Crispy Chicken Costoletta ($14.95), the Classic Burger ($9.50), Lemoncello Cream Torte ($6.95).
- MORE INFO: (937) 320-9901 or www.thecheesecakefactory.com
- MORE: Reader ratings, complete profile
More information
What's the attraction? For starters, portions are large. With most dishes, plan on leftovers.
And this restaurant pays attention to presentation: One of the dishes most striking to the eye is the Fresh Fish Tacos, with three soft corn tortillas with fish, salsa, cilantro and green and purple cabbage served alongside black beans, rice, guacamole and a pico de gallo-like salsa. The double-wrapped tacos would have benefited from more fish. A spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta that included peas and asparagus also was disappointing — surprisingly bland with only a vague hint of smoked red pepper.
Other dishes, though, were bursting with flavor. An appetizer, the Firecracker Salmon Rolls — spiced fresh salmon rolled in spinach and fried in a crisp wonton-type wrapper — excelled with its sweet hot chili dipping sauce.
The Jamaican Black Pepper Shrimp boasted an appealing kick of heat eased by the sweet mango salsa served alongside. And the Classic Burger is grilled to the specified level of doneness and served with a garlicky aioli-style sauce that could complement either the fries or the burger.
Crispy Chicken Costoletta elevated humble chicken breast to new heights. Breasts are lightly breaded and sauteed to a crisp goldenbrown, then served atop an herb-lemon sauce with creamy mashed potatoes and perfectly cooked fresh asparagus. The chicken was moist, the breading light and crunchy, and the sauce complemented without overwhelming. At $14.95 for a serving that provided a generous dinner followed by two at-home meals, this dish is a bargain.
Cheesecake choices abound, but consider the Lemoncello Cream Torte, layers of vanilla cake and lemon mascarpone cream topped with strawberries and whipped cream. The first bite begs the second.
This busy restaurant is not a place for quiet contemplation. Service is competent and attentive.
A hostess in charge of seating guests showed she was quick on her feet during a lunch visit. She and my dining companion approached a table for two, where we were about to be seated, only to find that on the bench seating right next to our table, a young mother was changing the diaper of her daughter, who was about 18 months old (the restaurant has a "family" restroom in addition to men's and women's rooms, but this young mother apparently thought that was just too far to walk).
"Would you like to sit someplace else," the hostess asked. Why, yes, yes we would, thankyouverymuch. She quickly found a nearby table for four and sacrificed two place settings to seat the two of us there.
One downside for wine enthusiasts: Cheesecake Factory, like its neighbor Brio Tuscan Grille, will not allow customers to take home leftover wine in a bottle, even though Ohio law allows the practice if the restaurant agrees and reseals the bottle. I'm now batting 0-for-2 with the new law.
