The Cheesecake Factory isn’t exactly known for restraint – and we admire the mind-boggling variety – but if you think the most calorie-laden thing on the menu is the decadent dessert that gives the restaurant its name, you’re in for a surprise. The average slice of cheesecake has close to 1,250 calories, but there are plenty of entrees — even salads — that easily eclipse that number. Here are just some of the gut-busting dishes that you might want to avoid or divvy up (or opt for ordering off the SkinnyLicious menu, which offers items that are 590 calories or less) if you’re also planning to indulge your sweet tooth.
Related: Eat These Gut-Busting Appetizers at Your Own Risk
Bacon-Bacon Burger
Calories: 1,590 The Cheesecake Factory may call its burgers “glamburgers,” but we’re pretty sure you won’t end up looking like a supermodel if you eat enough of them. The worst pick of the bunch is the Bacon-Bacon Burger — shocking, we know — which is topped with two types of bacon and slathered in a mysterious secret sauce. It has 108 grams of fat, 320 milligrams of cholesterol, and 3,450 milligrams of sodium. Oh, and don’t forget the fries, which add another 530 calories and 23 grams of fat to your meal.
Related: These 20 Gut-Busting Cheeseburgers Have More Than 1,000 Calories
Macaroni and Cheese
Calories: 1,550 While some of the other calorie-laden items on this list may make good ol’ mac and cheese look like a diet food in comparison, consider this: At The Cheesecake Factory, this isn’t an entree, but a side. That means hungry diners could be scarfing an additional 1,500 calories and 109 grams of fat, 67 of them saturated. What’s more, there are 4.5 grams of dastardly trans fats.
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Carrot Cake
Calories: 1,720 If you think you’re doing yourself any favors by choosing carrot cake over cheesecake (hey, carrots are veggies, right?) you’re sorely mistaken. The Cheesecake Factory’s liberal use of cream-cheese icing in between thick layers of cake means this indulgence also packs in 122 grams of fat and 116 grams of sugar — both more than double what you’d get in a slice of Original Cheesecake.
Famous Factory Meatloaf
Calories: 1,800 Humble though it may seem, meatloaf offers no respite from The Cheesecake Factory’s gleeful decadence. Served with mashed potatoes, grilled onions, corn succotash, and a liberal layer of mushroom gravy, it has 103 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of trans fat, 540 milligrams of cholesterol, and a yikes-worthy 4,700 grams of sodium.
Fish and Chips
Calories: 1,860 It’s not particularly surprising that a meal of fried fish and French fries is packed with more than 1,860 calories, plus 121 grams of fat and close to 3,000 milligrams of sodium. What is shocking: The lunch portion of this meal still has 1,680 calories, making your “light” midday meal anything but.
Related: 20 Amazing Seafood Shacks Across America
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Sheila’s Chicken and Avocado Salad
Calories: 1,830 Here’s an entry for the salads-aren’t-always-healthy file. While avocado fans may scream that many of the 122 grams of fat in this popular pick are so-called “good fats,” keep in mind that it comes tossed in a citrus, honey, and peanut vinaigrette. As a result, this salad also harbors 56 grams of sugar. For anyone keeping score, that’s more than a slice of Original Cheesecake, which has 51 grams.
Thai Coconut-Lime Chicken
Calories: 1,870 The Cheesecake Factory’s dizzying specialties menu boasts several items with Asian flair. For the most part, none are particularly easy to include in a low-calorie diet, and Thai Coconut Lime Chicken, bathed in a rich coconut-curry sauce, is no exception. The dish has 106 grams of fat, 43 of them saturated, and 355 milligrams of cholesterol.
Chicken Enchiladas
Calories: 1,910 This may seem like a (mostly) reasonable south-of-the-border choice, but you would still have to eat more than 11 Taco Bell Doritos Locos Tacos to take in this many calories. If you’re undeterred, you should know that that 111 grams of fat and 3,590 milligrams of sodium will also torpedo their way into your digestive system.
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Monte Cristo Sandwich
Calories: 1,880 If you’re not exactly sure what makes up The Cheesecake Factory’s Monte Cristo, let’s be clear: It’s bacon, ham, scrambled eggs, and melted Swiss sandwiched between slices of French toast. Because that’s not indulgent enough, you get strawberry preserves and fried potatoes on the side. We’re honestly a little surprised that all this clocks in at under 2,000 calories, plus “only” 114 grams of fat. Also, watch out for the sneaky 70 grams of sugar.
Related: Where to Find a Good, Cheap Sandwich in Every State
Fried Shrimp Platter
Calories: 1,920 To be sure, the Fried Shrimp Platter won’t be winning any nutritional awards, but there are two things going for it: “Fried” is in the name, so there are no pretenses here, and sides of french fries and coleslaw are included in the admittedly hefty calorie count. Other nutritional sins: 104 grams of fat, 3,160 milligrams of sodium, and 191 grams of carbs.
Breakfast Burrito
Calories: 1,950 A breakfast burrito sounds innocuous enough, but keep in mind The Cheesecake Factory’s legendary portion sizes — this thing is basically the size of your head — and the fact that you’ll be eating a dish dubbed “the worst way to start the day” by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Also on your plate: 128 grams of fat, 3,640 milligrams of sodium, and 910 milligrams of cholesterol — for the latter, that’s three times the FDA recommended daily value.
Cajun Chicken Littles
Calories: 2,130 There’s nothing “little” about the amount of calories you’ll be inhaling if you choose this specialty dish of breaded and fried chicken pieces, mashed potatoes, and corn succotash. While it may conjure fond memories of mama’s home cooking, it also has 110 grams of fat and 3,330 milligrams of sodium.
Related: Best Fried Chicken in Every State
Barbecue Ranch Chicken Salad
Calories: 2,150 We know the salads at this chain can be rough on your waistline, but this one stands out in a truly awful way. The Barbecue Ranch Chicken Salad is one of The Cheesecake Factory’s worst offenders among a crop of surprisingly gut-busting greens. It has 137 grams of fat, 2,870 milligrams of sodium and 161 grams of carbs — possibly thanks to the crispy fried onion strings that top it off. (Pro tip: Putting fried anything on your salad is not a great way to keep calories at bay.)
Gluten-Free Pasta With Chicken and Roasted Garlic
Calories: 2,160 It should be pretty obvious that The Cheesecake Factory’s pastas are a caloric minefield, but we include this one to caution anyone who still thinks gluten free means healthy. While the dish may lack troublesome proteins found in wheat, barley and rye, it still has more than 2,100 calories, 135 grams of fat, 3,740 milligrams of sodium and 163 grams of carbs (sadly, gluten free doesn’t equal low carb, either).
Bruleed French Toast With Bacon
Calories: 2,180 Thinking of a light brunch at The Cheesecake Factory? Then you might want to forgo the Bruleed French Toast served with a side of bacon. This so-called “best ever” French toast topped with powdered sugar and maple-butter syrup packs in 131 grams of fat, 208 grams of carbs (sorry, Keto friends) and a tooth-numbing 115 grams of sugar.
Related: 22 Extra Lavish Brunch Buffets Across America
Fettuccini Alfredo With Chicken
Calories: 2,290 Parmesan cream sauce is always a gut-busting indulgence, this time on everyone’s favorite westernized Italian dish, fettuccini alfredo. This luxuriously slurpable pasta also has 154 grams of fat and 4.5 grams of trans fats, though at least the chicken will help provide a filling 84 grams of protein.
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Calories: 2,040 It may not exactly come as a shock that a dish with “cinnamon roll” in its name isn’t good for you, but, well, The Cheesecake Factory’s Cinnamon Roll Pancakes aren’t good for you. Aside from clocking in at more than 2,000 calories, this cinnamon-swirled brunch dish has 110 grams of fat, 241 grams of carbs, and a sickening 137 grams of sugar. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, you could eat 11 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts instead.
Related: Dunkin’ vs. Krispy Kreme: Who Has the Better Tasting Doughnuts?
Pasta Napoletana
Calories: 2,470 Sausage, pepperoni, meatballs, and bacon are just four of the toppings that make this The Cheesecake Factory’s most calorie-packed pasta – and trust us, that’s saying a lot in what is easily the restaurant’s most extreme category. Order it and you’ll also be slurping up 177 grams of fat, 82 of them saturated. Perhaps the greatest sin, though: a staggering 5,020 milligrams of sodium – more than three times the 1,500 milligrams the American Heart Association recommends as a daily limit.
Chicken Parmesan Sandwich
Calories: 2,700 How bad can a sandwich really be? In this case, the answer is a resounding very. You could eat two slices of cheesecake and still take in fewer calories than this sandwich with breadcrumb-coated chicken, tomato sauce and melted cheese on a grilled french roll. And calories are only half the story: It has a whopping 183 grams of fat, 71 of them saturated, and 3,920 grams of sodium. Believe it or not, you can also tack on another 530 calories with a side of fries (but we strongly recommend the green salad instead).
Pasta Carbonara With Chicken
Calories: 2,340 Sadly, spaghettini pasta soaked in Parmesan cream sauce and topped with smoked bacon, chicken, and peas isn’t exactly easy on the waistline — shocking, we know. Besides harboring more than 2,300 calories, there are also 159 grams of fat and a hefty 4,030 milligrams of sodium. Even the lunch portion of this dish still has 1,640 calories, about 400 more than the average slice of cheesecake.
Factory Nachos With Spicy Chicken
Calories: 2,950 To be fair, this dish is an appetizer that’s supposed to be split among at least two people, but we all know that doesn’t always happen. Go it alone on these cheese-slathered nachos with all the fixings and not only will you be getting almost 50% more calories than the FDA’s 2,000-a-day recommendation, you’ll be scarfing down a bewildering 210 grams of fat and 395 grams of cholesterol. There are also 6 grams of artery-clogging trans fats, the most of any item on the menu and something most health experts recommend avoiding altogether.
