Your first trip to The Cheesecake Factory can be a daunting experience. The soaring, vaguely Egyptian revival decor is almost as dizzying as the massive book of a menu. And unlike other chains, The Cheesecake Factory makes everything from scratch at every location — all 250 items, not including cheesecake, which come from a central kitchen. So most of the food is actually pretty good, and not the microwaved plate of sadness you might get from some chains (we’re looking at you, Applebee’s).
Lucky for you, we’re experts on the Factory menu, and besides our personal faves, we know which meals get the most buzz. So we’re here to help you navigate your first time at The Cheesecake Factory. Order at least one of these popular dishes for the best Factory experience.
Fried Macaroni and Cheese
The Cheesecake Factory does appetizers really well, and they’re some of the most popular items on the menu, so don’t skip one. Fried macaroni and cheese balls might seem like a state fair-only kind of food, but these are so good that everyone raves about them. The goo factor is off the charts with these, and the slightly creamy marinara they’re served with is an inspired choice to cut through all that fried richness.
Buffalo Blasts
What if Buffalo wings, but in rangoon form? That’s the weird mashup at play here, and it’s great. Chicken, cheese, and Buffalo sauce (think Buffalo chicken dip!) are stuffed into wonton-like wrappers, battered (!), and fried into crispy pockets. There’s celery, blue cheese, and more Buffalo sauce on the side for dipping, of course. You might not want to order these if you’re at The Cheesecake Factory with grandma, but you definitely want them if you’re watching a game with the guys at the bar.
Thai Lettuce Wraps
Yes, there’s at least one app you should get that isn’t fried: Thai lettuce wraps. They’re a fun, communal, DIY dish, and we don’t know about you, but we’re always at the Factory with a lot of people, so it just feels right. There are noodles, chicken or avocado, three sauces, and countless veggies that you pile into a big tender lettuce leaf like a taco and shove into your mouth. This is a great one to get if you’re eating strategically to not feel bloated at the end of the meal.
BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad
If you’re a salad person, you haven’t truly lived until you’ve had a dinner salad at The Cheesecake Factory. They’re towering bowls of goodness that turn heads as a server walks by with one. This one is the best of the bunch with tons of protein (chicken and black beans), grilled corn, tomatoes, cukes, avocado, and the crowning glory: fried onion strings. Plus, the creamy barbecue ranch is homemade, just like all the dressings.
Shrimp Scampi
OK, you’ve got a good base of fried mac or lettuce wraps, and now it’s time for the main event: entrees. Skip past the sandwiches (that’s just not what you’re here for) and head to the heartier portions of the menu.
If you’re a seafood lover, you must try the Factory’s version of shrimp scampi at some point. They call it “Paris bistro style!” but we have no idea what that means. It’s got big, tail-on shrimp in a creamy white wine sauce with whole cloves of roasted garlic, tomato, and basil. It’s all surrounding a pile of angel hair pasta to bathe in all that sauce. This dish is different from the typical oily shrimp scampi pasta you’d get at a red sauce joint, and that’s a good thing.
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Cajun Jambalaya Pasta
All of the rich, spicy flavors of jambalaya are in this bowl of pasta (and props to the Factory for not calling it “pastalaya”). It’s got huge chunks of chicken and shrimp on a bed of spinach linguine, so it’s about as hearty as a pasta dish gets. You’ll find tomatoes, peppers, onions, and plenty of smoky paprika that adds depth. If you like Cajun food, this one is a must.
Steak Diane
Now we come to the steak portion of the menu, where Steak Diane will always reign supreme. It’s a retro dish that The Cheesecake Factory has made modern again in all its mushroom smothered glory. The steak is coated in black peppercorns, then doused in a rich wine-and-mushroom sauce with grilled onions. Plus there’s a mound of the Factory’s signature red skinned mashed potatoes, and they’re always a favorite.
Chicken Madeira
“Our most popular chicken dish!” proclaims the Factory menu about Chicken Madeira, and it’s easy to understand why once you try it. The mushroom sauce on the chicken cutlets is made with madeira, a fortified wine similar to marsala — so if you’re already a fan of chicken marsala, you’ll love this. They gild the lily with some melted mozzarella and asparagus spears, served alongside a mound of mashed.
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Chicken Parmesan Pizza Style
Hear us out: This is a dish that can only come from a Cheesecake Factory fever dream, and that’s why everyone loves it. The giant, plate-sized disc of fried chicken breast is somewhat unnerving at first, and then you love it — kind of like the restaurant’s weird decor and vibe. We don’t know why the Factory doesn’t have regular chicken parm, but we don’t really care. If you want the most outrageous initial experience, get this.
Brown Bread
One of our favorite things at The Cheesecake Factory is free: the brown bread you get with every entree. Go directly past the boring white baguette stuff and head directly to the oat-flecked, slightly sweet and soft wheat bread. Eat it with butter, and then use it to sop up everything on your dinner plates. There’s a reason why you can buy this one in grocery stores.
Cheesecake
Obviously, you’re going to get cheesecake at The Cheesecake Factory. If you’re too full from your meal (did we mention the portions are humongous?), just order it to go and eat it later. Every slice they offer is good, but these are the standouts first timers should consider.
- Fresh Strawberry: The classic, and most popular cheesecake for 45 years. The strawberries are whole, and they’ve got that thick red glaze all over them. They’re a perfect foil for the tangy cheesecake.
- Oreo Dream Extreme: On the flipside, this slice is over-the-top with that unmistakable dark chocolate Oreo flavor. Plus it’s got Oreo cookie mousse, chocolate icing, and one big Oreo wafer on top.
- Fresh Banana Cream: This one hits way above its paygrade, but is often overlooked for its fancier siblings. It’s dense, rich, and tastes like banana cream pie and cheesecake had a love child.
- Very Cherry Ghirardelli Chocolate: A personal favorite of ours that’s best if you can’t decide whether you want fruity or chocolatey. It’s also got a lot of satisfying chunks of dark cherries and chocolate.
- Ultimate Red Velvet Cake: There are two layers of red velvet cake and two layers of cheesecake in this behemoth, all held together with tangy cream cheese frosting. The combination of rich, tangy cream cheese and light red velvet cake is chef’s kiss.
More From Cheapism
- The Cheesecake Factory Reveals Its Most Popular Recipes — For Factory obsessives who want to recreate the experience at home instead of paying for a restaurant meal, the company has released recipes for some of its most popular dishes, from creamy seafood appetizers to decadent cheesecake sundaes.
- 21 Cheesecake Factory Dishes With More Calories Than the Cheesecake — 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 Most Popular Restaurant Chains Among Boomers — America’s dining culture has changed. Fast food got fancier, menus got harder to read, and acai bowls and matcha replaced the good ol’ Americana burger. But Boomers — being creatures of habit — still stand by the classics.
