The U. of Iew

I’ve been a fan of The Cheesecake Factory ever since they opened a restaurant at The Forum Shops in Las Vegas, NV. Our family visited Vegas frequently and this restaurant was always one of the most important stops on our itinerary. The menu is huge- literally- with a wide selection of appetizers, entrees, and drinks. Most importantly, their dessert selection is large and indulgent. Come on, this is The Cheesecake Factory- it has to live up to its name, you know?Needless to say, I had mixed feelings when I heard that they would be opening a restaurant in Utah. To be perfectly honest, I’ve found that very few Utahns are capable of cooking. I’m from the South, so I might be biased; people really know how to cook down there. Still, I was really worried that Utah would utterly destroy everything that I had grown to love about The Cheesecake Factory.

Fortunately, I was surprised by our experience.

We ordered our “usual”: Tex-Mex Eggrolls for an appetizer, Orange Chicken for our entree, and (of course) CHEESECAKE for dessert. The Tex-Mex Eggrolls were alright, but they seemed to be missing something when compared to the flavor that we had grown accustomed to from the Las Vegas location. Some sort of spice, perhaps? They didn’t have much of a kick, but the flavor was still very pleasing. I wish that they would have been served a little warmer, but maybe this will be remedied on a future visit. The Orange Chicken was awesome, as always. My only complaint is that the restaurant never seems to provide you with enough of the orange sauce. Without the sauce, the chicken can come off as being a bit dry. You’ll also want some extra sauce to mix with your rice and vegetables. Again, this is probably something that can be addressed and fixed for a future visit.

My lady and I each ordered our own cheesecake; we love to share and try new things, so ordering separate items was a practical means of doing so. I ordered the Oreo cheesecake; she ordered the Tres Leches (Three Milk) cheesecake. Both were amazing; I’m glad that the quality of the cheesecake is fairly consistent at each of the locations we’ve visited. Since the cheesecake is their signature dish, The Cheesecake Factory would be disappointing a lot of patrons if they didn’t live up to their hype. Our daughter, of course, preferred the Oreo cheesecake.

Overall, I was satisfied with our dining experience. A few things can be improved upon, but I’d definitely be willing to visit this new location from time to time. Fair warning: the prices are a bit higher than some other casual dining restaurants. However, the portions are pretty large, so you can always share with a friend, spouse, etc. If you have children, then you should be aware that this restaurant does not offer a childrens’ menu. Since the portions are so large, it’s expected that children will be able to share with the adults at the table. Our daughter was perfectly happy with this, but it’s something to keep in mind depending on your kids’ tastes. If you’re in the area, give it a shot; it just might become your new favorite restaurant.