Kate N.

Caveat: This review goes for all Cheesecake locations, and I'm writing it because my friends and family are done listening to my rants on the subject. If you have a strong loyalty to the Cheesecake Factory, perhaps you should go read something else. Just a thought. I remember the first time I went to a Cheesecake Factory -- it was in Jersey, in a mall. Even as a surly 13 year old with the palate sophistication of an alley cat, I was entirely underwhelmed. There was no sense of being momentarily welcomed into a respite from the world, like you experience at truly good restaurants at any price range. There was a weird taste coating my mouth when we finished. This uneasy feeling -- as if I'm dining on a movie set and everything looks real, but isn't -- has only grown with the numerous work-sponsored "team bonding" lunches at CF's I've had to endure over the years. The conclusion I've come to is that, like so many other restaurants, CF is pure mediocrity and it simply exhausts me. CF should accept the fact that it is on par with an Applebee's or Friendly's. At least those places don't attempt to be anything they're not! The food is no better and neither is the service. And at CF, you have to try to stomach that Wal-Martized version of fine dining decor. Larger portions do not = better quality. Really. The price might be right, but those massive piles of cardboard doused in fat and sugar are all that is wrong with America. Why on EARTH would you want to eat somewhere called a "factory"? Go out and pick up Pollan's "Omnivore's Dilemma." Try and tell me, after reading it, that you want to put something that ADMITS to being straight from a factory in your mouth! (Even if you're not going to tell me anything of the sort, read the book anyway.) As I write this, I realize that many will wonder why I care. "If you don't like it, don't go there!" (You were thinking that. I know.) And you have a point. However, I think what I'm really railing against here is the sense that people don't demand better food, atmosphere, service. No one thinks twice about spending their money on something perhaps temporarily tasty but ultimately insubstantial, and that's why these places exist. These mediocre restaurants keep popping up like mushrooms, and eventually people start to think its the norm. For the price of a CF meal, you can easily feast somewhere more genuine, if you're willing to look. So, no, I won't go to CF anymore. I'll skip the office birthday and "so sorry you're leaving us" celebrations. I'll just hope that people start putting their feet down before all the real places are stamped out by these alien, heartless, species. Trust me, if you stop to think about it, you can tell the difference. That is all.

Matthew E.

Don't come here hungry, because it will take you at least 20 minutes just to go through all their menu items and decide on what sounds the best. Three and a half stars would be given if possible. I love this restaurant, especially in a large group. Everyone can get something they want without restricting the rest of the group to one type of culinary delight. The cheesecake is also a MUST. Chocolate cookie dough is always great, and so is Pineapple Upside Down, which unfortunately is only available seasonally. The only main problem with this restaurant is that they don't take reservations and weekend nights usually mean long wait times.

Lee C.

I've been to the Cheesecake Factory in Buffalo and have had a pleasant experience each time. On a trip to Chicago, I wasn't expecting anything less and sadly the experience was way below par. The floor was slippery from my table all the way to bathroom... the Blackhawks could have held a practice session on this floor. The restaurant was jam packed and obviously understaffed because the service was terrible. The food was horribly timed as well. Our table had ordered 3 fish tacos with 1 grilled and 2 tempura. How could they serve 1 tempura while the other 2 didn't come out for a good 20 minutes? At the very least, the 2 tempuras should be served at the same time. That was the story for everybody else's dinners; nothing came out at the same time. The tempura taco itself was completely overstuffed and the first taco itself was soggy (and an absolute mess to eat) as a result. The last taco you eat will be the soggiest since it's been bathing in its own juices the entire time. Simple requests like salad dressing on the side were completely ignored, as were requests for lime wedges that weren't bone dry. As for dessert? Somehow they still managed to mess that up by serving the strawberry shortcake long after the rest of us received and finished eating our cheesecakes. Our waiter apologized for the service and said that the weekend before school starts in September is when they get slammed the hardest. This is still no excuse for the restaurant if it were properly run. Save your money and skip this location; it was a complete disgrace.

A Z.

Food is the same as usual, so lets talk about the DECOR. This place is like walking into Alice in Wonderland, everything is poofy! I'd say to go in here just to check out the atmosphere, they really put a lot of effort into making this place interesting. I got the Pasta Davinci per usual and it was mahhhvelous. My waiter was also very nice.

Brian F.

The cheesecake is decent but the service blows. I think our server thought he was Kanye West. After the hostess jammed us into the 2x3 table with 6 inches of space on each side, he quickly stopped by to say "what up". Well Kanye, I think your music is great, but it would be nice if I could get a refill on my $4 coke.

Kim J.

Got stuck going here for a work lunch today. To add to my list: 5. The bathrooms were GROSS. Like Chinatown gross. It felt like they hadn't been cleaned since I was last there a year ago. 6. You can't make a freaking reservation if you have a big group. There were 16 of us from my office, and we got split up. For a freaking celebratory luncheon. After we were told we'd all be able to sit together on the phone. 7. Did I mention that the food sucks? Blech.

Philly G.

Don't sit at the bar if your going to try to eat a burger lol. Monterey burger was delicious as well as white macadamian nut cheesecake. However I asked for a well done burger and it was pretty pink inside, so much so that I took some of it out. Fresh lemonade was good too. not too pricey if you pay attention to what your ordering. Always a bit of a wait on the weekend.

Jessica G.

So we came here for lunch with a group of work folks today. It's pretty busy at lunch but they seated 7 of us, though somewhat awkwardly, in a round booth, almost right away. Our server was very friendly and took our drink orders in a timely fashion, as well as our food orders. The food took quite a while to come out and then half the items were brought and then 5 minutes later, the rest of the items came out. We had one person on a bit of a time crunch and he had to have his food packed to go so he could make his meeting. The food is ok overall. Portions are enormous, even for lunch. I had the "Renee Special" which is half of a turkey sandwich with salad (ask for it without the dressing if you don't want it drowned in dressing) and, which I did not realize when I was reading the menu, a cup of their soup of the day. It was really a lot of food. Not horrible and a decent price for the amount of food. For a chain, it's ok but not somewhere I'd seek out on a regular basis anymore.

Candace M.

When I recently visited the Cheesecake Factory it wasn't my first visit, I just haven't been for awhile, but I was given a gift card for CF and I wanted to use it. I agree with the fact that the menu is overwhelming, I barely got passed the appetizers selection. My daughter and I had to wait only 20 minutes for seating. At first, the lady tried to seat us at an end table where another guest had all their belongings in the seat. That would have been entirely too crammed for me so I asked if we could sit in an available booth that I saw. She without hesitation accommodated us. That was a + in my book. I ordered the Avocado Egg Rolls (absolutely delicious), quesadillas and the fried mac & cheese (delicious) (like I said before I couldn't get passed the appetizers). My daughter ordered the grilled cheese (huge) & fries (hey, she's four...what do you expect). My overall experience was ok. This is not a regular place for me but hey since I had a gift card and I was having a mother/daughter day on the mag mile, why not. I would definitely visit again.

Mike P.

Coming from any direction, You pass at least 500 hundred restaurants that are superior to The Cheesecake Factory. If a good restaurant is Walt Disney World, then The Cheesecake Factory is Euro-Disney. Just get the cheesecake to go. Don't subject yourself to the hit or miss qualities of this suck-hole of an eating establishment. The cheesecake gives them 3 stars. If not for that, Negative 20 stars.

Beth P.

My family is visiting Chicago for the first time ever- and I've lived here for 3 years. I had so many ideas of where to take them, but you know how it goes with visitors. After a few sites, we found ourselves at the bottom of the John Hancock, and they wanted Cheesecake Factory next. Ummm... We had a 3 and a 4 year old with us, and waited forever to be seated. With all the tourists there with young children, I was surprised to find out that there is no section for kids foods in the novelesque menu. Do they think they are really that fancy that they can't bother to have a kid's menu section? Pssh. We all know the portions are grotesquely huge, and tonight was no different. But size isn't the only thing that matters, I guess. I'm a fan of comfort food (lord help me) and I found the mashed potatoes and popcorn shrimp to be really good- not together though, ha. Everything else (sandwiches, pastas, pizzas, corn mystery side dish) was flavorless. Mac n Cheese balls- narsty! Salad- brown lettuce?!? And I really don't like how all the servers wear tight, white, and most times a bit see-thru pants. ps- I don't like cheescake, but I heard that they do it well.

Cathy H.

I love some things about the cheesecake factory: huge menu (great for groups), fun decor, fun location (bottom floor, Hancock Tower), and generally decently tasty food. And the wheat bread is to die for--sometimes I come here just for the wheat bread, I kid you not. Sadly, I don't think any of their food is super-great (like I said, I come here for the wheat bread--I don't think I've ever felt like I've wanted to come for anything else). And the cheesecake is just so-so--it's tasty, but it's nothing to write home about (argh, dangling preposition!!).

Hope G.

I've been to Cheesecake Factory alot. I've been to this particular location once, and ordered in once. My past two experiences with this place have signficantly increased my feelings towards their food. I once thought of this restaurant as pretty mediocre. The Thai Lettuce Wraps keeping me coming back. The three sauce combination is heavenly, the chicken is always smoky and tender and the butter lettuce cups are very refreshing. I would eat this great low carb dish all the time. More importantly, the past couple of times I've been extremely impressed with some of their other menu items that are pulling me away from my regular wrap order. The cashew chicken is served piping hot and has a delcious sweet and tangy sauce - really yummy! But once I tried my friends Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo order I was hooked. I stopped eating my own meal and just kept reaching across the table for more of his. Lucky for me, he liked the cashew chicken better and we switched. I'm obsessed with the gumbo and have searched long and hard for a copykat recipe. Perfection! Other appetizer options are tasty and worth mentioning, but they are too numerous to describe. You really can't go wrong. Beware of portion sizes on salads and entree items! Additionally, you should definitely get cheesecake! However, since you will be so full from your meal, I recommend doing what we did last time and ordering the cheesecake to arrive first. Take a few bites to tantalize your taste buds, and then set aside for after your main course. If you're still hungry, eat away, otherwise take it to go! This place will definitely make you fat! mmmmm....

The Cheesecake Factory is a total tourist attraction located at the base of the John Hancock building along the Magnificent Mile in downtown Chicago. I know because I ate there as a tourist. The menu is impressive because it lists everything under the sun and then some, including over 25 different kinds of cheesecake. However, I found the food to be less than impressive. First of all, I ordered the orange chicken. It was good, but it wasn't great. The portion was huge. Two people could have been fully satisfied with the amount of food on that plate. If I lived in Chicago, the large portion would be worth it. But this is the Cheesecake Factory. It's a well-known chain restaurant in a big tourist city, and tourists don't want left overs. Also, I found the rice to be dry. Now the reason I was looking forward to dining at the Cheesecake Factory was dessert. Hello, it's in the name! So I got a simple traditional cheesecake with strawberries and whipped cream. Again, it was good, but it was not amazing. What was amazing was the peach bellini, which is why I ordered a second. Our tables' second round of bellinis had something a bit crunchy in them. It was glass! Apparently some glass got into the ice and all of our drinks were made in the same blender, so we all drank some glass with our dinner. The manager was very apologetic, and they did offer us free dessert to make up for it. I'm not taking away any stars for this incident because it was just an accident, and I was impressed with the way the manager handled the situation. I just didn't think the restaurant lived up to the hype. I also felt the portions were oversized to compensate for overpricing. Also, the wait is long, but on a happier note the service was efficient and friendly. Also, if you are a dessert fan but not necessarily a cheesecake person, I would recommend the Lemoncello Cream Torte. It's light, a bit sweet and quite delicious.

Gayle B.

Always a good meal & the peanut butter cheesecake was to die for.

Bess R.

The food is pretty good for a slightly nicer TGIFriday's-ish place, but the portions are ridiculous. I completely agree with Katie H.'s review. Since when did enormous portions = good cuisine? Not for me. Kids and tourists seem to like it though. Guess the restaurant itself looks pretty cool. Other than that. Blah.

Wendy Y.

If you've been to one CF then you pretty much know the drill. Its a good place to go if you are with tourists, family, or when you are not in the mood for trying something new and different. I haven't really had a bad meal here. In fact, the Chicken Madiera is really good. Dont go to the bathrooms unless you really have to, they are gross. We put our name in, walked around WaterTower, then came back so the wait wasn't that long. But the 10 minutes we had to wait was an absolute nightmare because it is such a clusterf*ck in the waiting area. Be warned- put your name in and then walk around for a bit. There is no reason to sit around there, getting crowd-rage.

Fate O.

I wouldn't exactly say this is an accessible place. It was our half-anniversary dinner date and we had forgotten to make reservation but we were willing to wait more than one hour... I thought that by looking at us, they would know we were on a special or romantic date (I should have told them but they were so occupied running around). They seated us in the most distracting area in middle (nowhere near window or in 2-seaters booth). This already dampen my mood a bit after having waited so long-- nonetheless, we proceed to try and make it pleasant.. that is, until the waiter neglected to be culturally aware (we had told him we're Deaf and he kept on talking and talking). What's more, we noticed everyone were getting bread baskets while they waited for their meals. Us? He did not even bring one to our table. I thought he might have fear of contracting our deafness so he didn't want to bother with us. How nice. It was only later until after our meals were we served a basket (by another server). There was yet a 3rd server who also came by-- she talked then show us what she was trying to say as if she was testing us-- I was a bit annoyed-- why was she talking if she knew we are Deaf? Customer service, 1 star. I had Chicken Bellagio- we both LOVE it. He had Famous Meatloaf- too spicy for us. We had Mango-Rasberry Iced drink-- YUM, we also LOVE this! All worth the price we paid, 4 stars. Average: 3 stars

Laur T.

3.5 stars! Eons ago, this was my first visit to the cheesecake factory. Yep I know it's a chain but back then, it was pretty cool. Food is your average fare but the sizes of those cakes surely take one's breath away. I remember this fondly because it was such an experience, with tons of people waiting in line to get in and the vibe from the restaurant within was so high that I was thinking to myself after, hmmm I should probably take this franchise outside of the US. All talk and no action...heh.

Erica K.

This place, as many tourist traps on the Mag Mile do, raises prices on average or below average food because they think people don't know the difference. Well, I hate to tell you Cheesecake Factory, but I know good fish when I taste it and I'm just not into your pseudo asian fusion appetizers. They're not fresh, they're over seasoned (SOY SAUCE?), and just plain not good. And your decor sucks. Really. Sucks. With so much good food in the city and trains that are easy to navigate, I have no idea why people bother with this. Even Frommers has better suggestions for places to eat than Cheesecake Factory....so there's no reason to suggest people can't find anything else. Edit: Also, there is far better cheesecake to be found.

Nana H.

The first time I came here I wait was an hour once we got seated our food came pretty quickly. The location is really cool. The menu is really huge and the portions are also huge. I hadn't tried cheesecake before then I loved it. Thankfully they opened to locations a couple years ago(Mayfair and Bayshore). The Bayshore location has curbside service.

Charlotte O.

I understand that this is a chain, and also a tourist trap with super long wait time, but I really enjoyed my visit here, so much so that it does deserve it's five stars. It was my birthday. My S.O. wanted to take me out for dinner and when He asked what I wanted, I told him steak. He had me flip a coin and though I had no idea what that meant at the time, My choice had led us here. We got itnand had a long long wait. The booth however was pretty comfortable, and we were really in no rush so the wait didn't bother me. It was kinda fun to people watch and listen to the different crowd noises. I had never been to a Cheesecake Factory so I had no idea what to expect. When we finally sat down at our table we were greeted by a really friendly waitress. All smiles, and as far as I could tell she was not faking her friendlyness which made it all the more nice. She made great conversation with through our meal, even listened when I told her that the milk steamer on their espresso machine was clogged. ( I had been a barista for a couple years at that point...they make a very loud distinctive noise when they are clogged and I know that noise when I hear it) The menu was huge, which I think would make it a good place to bring a group to, because there is bound to be something for everyone on it. We each ordered our steaks. They came out at just the right temp and mine was perfectly medium rare. It was a really good steak! I was really surprised who knew that with a name like "Cheesecake Factory" they could make a good steak? (Glad my S.O. knew that though!) During our meal my S.O. had wondered off, he said he wanted to see if they had his favorite kind of cheesecake, well when it was time for dessert I found out the real reason. He went off to tell our waitress that it was my Birthday, and convinced her and a different waitress to sink happy birthday to me. Here they come just after we finished our meal, carrying this plate that said "Happy Birthday Char" on the edges in chocolate syrup, and a big piece of cheesecake with a candle in it. After I blew it out, I was told it was the six carb cheesecake. How lovely! He had told them that I was on Atkins. (at the time anyway!) I gotta say...It was really tasty! It had the same flavor as cheesecake, only difference really was the texture. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful birthday meal!

James C.

Are you a tourist? Then don't go..screaming kids will scream no more! Its always packed with 300 pounds of tourists and for what? The payoff is comparable or lower then most Chicago joints off the Mile. I got the hamburger.. cant remember the name, the waiter didnt warn me at all that the whole cow is included. Normally that wouldn't phase me one bit. But they put all kinds of junk on it. Tasty no...

Dallas F.

If I wanted to quickly gain 30lbs I would eat here for a week. The portions are so big its quite ridiculous. I felt like I should have boxed my leftover food for a homeless person but my last experience with giving a homeless person food didn't go so well. So I had "Renee's special" which consists of half a sandwich, a cup of soup, and a salad. The food was ok. You can't really mess these things up. In fact the Clam Chowder was very good as was the raspberry lemonade. The cheesecake I ate off of other's plates for dessert- ick. What the heck? Change your name to the Clam Chowder Factory, you do that well.

C M.

When an establishment names itself as the "Cheesecake Factory", all other edible offerings ranging from appetizers to entrees should be secondary (if not tertiary) to the Cheesecake. Of course, having been rendered as the Cheesecake that trumps a certain Chicago staple (for which I will omit), a visitation to the highly renowned Cheesecake Factory must be partaken. The Decor: Situated in the subterranean level of the John Hancock building, the cavernous modeling of the Cheesecake Factory provides a strange yet welcoming atmospheric feel. At first entry, patrons will have the option of indoor or outdoor seating. Immediate entry into the restaurant will reveal the delicious cheesecake offerings available for purchase. Options ranging from the Classic Plain Cheesecake to Strawberry Shortcake are on full display for purchase either by slice or as a whole. To further enter the establishment is to understand the cavernous nature and design of the establishment. As patrons further enter The Cheesecake Factory, the lighting of the establishment is engulfed by low lit tungsten fluorescent, thus enhancing the cavernous design of the walls. Patrons may find the interior to possess a subtle claustrophobic and blinding feel. What's also daunting, but slightly attractive (with respects to the design), is the echoing capacity of the facility. Given the excess of 300 patrons that dine during any given second at this establishment, the echoing roar of sporadic conversation increases the decibels levels of the establishment. The Food: Entree - Energy Breakfast: The "Energy Breakfast" consists of 3 Scrambled Egg Whites that's served with 3 oz. of Grilled Chicken Breast, Sliced Tomato, and Sauteed Mushroom & Spinach. At first glance, the first visually disturbing site, with respects to the execution of this dish, is the rendering of water from the cooked spinach. The bottom of the plate was littered with the liquid excess. This aided in the diluting of the simple seasoning used in the preparation of this application. Upon consumption, the Egg Whites contained a supremely coarse texture, thus indicating overcooking. The Chicken Breasts were excessively overcooked and under seasoned, with the texture of the chicken to be coarse. The sliced tomatoes were the victims of the excess liquid flow as they become mushy and inedible. The ultimate welcoming aspect of the dish was the sauteed spinach & mushrooms. Both were cooked perfectly and contained the earthiness found in both ingredients. The Dessert: Strawberry Cheesecake: At first reception, the excessive portion size of the Cheesecake spoke wonders to the receiving eye. Patrons will notice that the 10 oz. to 12 oz. serving size of the Cheesecake will force any patron to seek a take out box. Luckily, the excessive offerings produced a welcoming satiety to those seeking gluttonous punishment. During visual inspection, the Cheesecake was observed to have the proper white color that's accompanied by an elegant soft texture. The graham cracker crust, acting as the base of the foundation, contained a semi-firm texture. Finally, the Fresh Strawberries and syrup produced an excellent color contrast to the application. At first bite, patrons will find that the primary taste observed is from the light, velvety, and fluffy cheesecake. During consumption, the creamy texture of the application engulfs the palate by releasing the notable cream cheese flavors. Further tasting will reveal notes of vanilla, brown sugar, and butter, which enhance the creaminess of the cheese by providing a subtle sweetness. All ingredients used in the creation of the cheesecake work harmoniously to create both an abundance of flavors while keeping the subtle soft texture of the cake. To aid in the textural contrast, the semi-crunchy graham cracker crust provided the scrumptious texture and cinnamon flavors to further enhance the cheesecake. Although the Strawberries provided the round about freshness and earthiness to the application, it acted secondary to the palate consuming flavors of the cheesecake. Perhaps perfection is observed through The Cheesecake Factory's rendition of Cheesecake. By creating an edible that embodies the palate clasping flavors of the ingredients used while keeping the integrity and structure of the creaminess of the cheese, the application stands above the rest in both the complexity and tasting of this application. Few remarkable words can be noted regarding the superb execution of the cheesecake, but the ones rendered should be emphasized for it's extraordinary flavors and execution. Notes on Cheesecake Factory: 1) Cheesecake = $6.00 to $7.00, but well worth it. 2) Avoid the long wait... Simply get the Cheesecake to go. 3) Avoid the food! A lot of my party felt the food was lack and the star is the Cheesecake. 4) Service was chaotic due to the increased customer to wait staff ratio. 5) Seriously... Just go for the Cheesecake!

Melissa P.

I love going to the Cheesecake Factory. They have the best cheesecake I've ever had anywhere. I've tried to make cheesecake like theirs at home and just can't do it. I've tried so many times and made so many recipes and they will never be as good as this place. The only reason I give them 4 stars is because sometimes the wait for a table or even to get just cheesecake is bad. They really need more help sometimes or maybe just to hurry up a bit. I've had their salmon a couple times too and that is also delicious and their mashed potatoes are to die for, but I primarily stop by there for cheesecakes. I really shouldn't eat that stuff because I need to lose weight, but I can't help myself and keep on going back. That is how good they are that even a diet can't keep me away. So go on and try them out if it's not too busy around there. Probably the best time to go is during the week in the evenings. On the weekends they are too packed with tourists a lot. Not that I blame them for wanting some of that creamy goodness of cheesecake. So yeah I say go try it out if you like cheesecake or are shopping at the Water Tower mall and get hungry.

Michael B.

The place was amazing! The service was spectacular and who doesn't love their cheesecake!

B L.

Be prepared for a loooooooooong wait, as no reservations are taken. Food was OK most times I was there, but the last time I had shrimp it was over over seasoned and I had to scrape the sauce off. A simple sauce would have been just lovely. Wait staff has always been fine. LOVELY atmosphere.

Martin N.

I am a big fan of Cheesecake Factory anyway, but this was another good experience. Shows you that they "travel" well. Food was excellent, service was gr8 and we didn't have to que for that long which was a bonus.

Lauren C.

Yes, all Cheesecake Factories are the same....delicious! Reasonably priced food, huge portions and a great variety on the menu? Plus they have amazing cheesecake? Come on, you have to like this place. My recommendation - get something that you can eat the next day, and take half of it home. That way you'll have room for dessert - which really, is the whole point of the restaurant!

Rebecca E.

Great food as with all Cheesecake factories. Our waitress was really great. The design/architecture for this store was really ugly and weird. Alot of it looked like giant hotdogs plastered to the ceiling

Gary Bryan D.

Since living in Chicago for less than a month, my wife and I have been keeping franchises down to a minimum. We had a giftcard to use so we gave this "Mad Hatter" design location a shot. If you like busy restaurants with franchise-style service and the comfort of the safety net it provides on your tongue then givet this place a try. There were 3 things I enjoyed at this restaurant, and one you can't get anywhere else. First there was the decor. I thought I was on the set of "Alice and Wonderland" but Johnny Depp or Tim Burton weren't here. It's a big place so you're bound to get seating right away. Second, there was the cherry soda that is served with grenadine. If you drink like a fish and hate to wait for refills, then you're in luck because it's like ordering at 7eleven. I ordered the Cajun Chicken sandwich which was bland, perfect if you like family-style restaurants. And last but not least, there was my wife. I had a good time dining out with her and talking about our following day's activities. Only two things I'm happy with here are on the menu, and they aren't that mind blowing to get you here. The Miso Salmon is good here as well as the selection of cheesecake.

Carlos C.

If you've been to ONE cheescake factory.. you've seen them all. Food is really good (not great) and the portions are HUGE. Don't fool yourself.... share a dang main dish and get some CHEESECAKE! My favorite..... 25th anniversary Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake... Hmmm.... you WILL WAIT to sit so do what I do... GO TO THE BAR! I have no shame, I'll eat at the bar and order a coke!

Shaina H.

I know this franchise is everywhere, but I was in Chicago, on a beautiful day, craving some cheesecake. Nuff' said. Well the out side of the building is very unique and inviting, but once you get in it had an odor. (I;m sorry but odors in restaurants are the worst, the food can be fantastic but if you're smelling dirty dishwater the whole time it ruins the meal) Also the staff was not to charming. The place was empty and they still acted like they were under staffed and weren't ever accommodating. I ordered the red velvet with white chocolate frosting. I added on some strawberries and it was delicious. Cakes are great, but needs to work on that customer service.

Ron A.

Love the food but its super hectic. One day the line was about 2 hours long the next day an hour. When we finally got in, Kate our waitress made it a lot better. Food was usual Cheesecake Factory good and even though it was busy we were left alone to sit and enjoy our food. Definetly a revisit if you can get in.

Gracie B.

It's really hard to feign excitement over the cheesecake factory. It's consistent if nothing else - so that's a plus. I went here with some family friends from southern Indiana. I shared the Luau salad with my mom (really - it's one of the best things on the menu). And I had a pleasant Cheesecake factory meal...nothing bad...but not really anything to "yelp" about either. The bathroom, however, ick. I don't know whose idea the little self-contained rooms were, but they STANK. It felt like the closest I ever want to get to a prison toilet. And it creates a long line when all you really want to do is wash your hands.

Shay F.

Watched the busboy clean off a dirty table and then proceed to shine silverware with the same dirty dish rag he washed the table down with. The hostess was getting ready to seat a couple at the table the newly "cleaned" silverware was sitting on and I let her know to swap out the utensils due to what I had just witnessed. I then asked our waitress to swap our's out as well since I was pretty sure the same busboy had set our table as well. The manager came over and apologized, which was nice, and he assured me he'd speak with the busboy. Aside from that stomach turning experience, the service was friendly and swift and the food was good. The bathroom was dirty too....maybe I witnessed a pattern with this particular location? With this catering to a large tourist base, I suggest they need to work harder on clean up and upkeep. Good location, friendly staff and decent food but because of the lack of cleanliness I just can't give this any more than 2 stars...borderline 1 star.

Nikki N.

Husband and I went for dinner. It was very crowded but we did not have to wait long to sit in the in the cafe part of the resturant. We sat about 45 minutes with jus drinks. I ordered tea and water. It the waiter about 10 minutes to bring back splenda because there was none already on the table and ha forgot the water and had to go back again to get the water. We sat waiting while a party of two seated before us left and two parties. Of two seated after us was halfway finished their food. Manager came to us, asked if we were ok. After telling him no, he started making excuses for the waiter saying it's only been 20 minutes and my waiter started getting sick and that was not true because he was taking care of everyone around us. I took my salad that I waited 45 minutes for out. That's to long to wait for a salad and pasta dish that I know is already pre made.

Jackie R.

The food here is OK, if you like ordinary food. There is really no reason to go here- Chicago is a huge foodie city, so why spend $$$ on food you could make at home? Shrimp Scampi? Caesar Salad? Psssch. Sometimes there is a 2+ hour wait, sometimes the service sucks. Sometimes not. Its really hit or miss. The only reason I go here is when visitors are like "OMG! Cheesecake Factory!!! We have to go!!!" Even though they have a Cheesecake Factory in their own home town... If you must have an over-sized piece of cheesecake, send someone in to get it from the front counter and then run in the opposite direction and go seek out food that makes dining out worth while.

Scott C.

Had Sunday brunch here and glad we did! Great sized lunch/brunch portions almost to much for a very reasonable price. The atmosphere was great and the restaurant itself was really cool to look around in. Food was very good reasonably priced and of course great cheesecake.

Araceli R.

wonderfull experince in sunday nite!!! hope all the restaurants can be like this good food,good price nice friendly staff:).....we try the fried calamary,chicken sliders,pita and bean dip apple crisp and vanilla ice cream and factory hot coco we definally come back soon love it:)

miss a.

i like their food. noisy crowd but it's ok for those that can hold conversations without others eavesdropping. a very busy location

John S.

this place is ok. they give you huge portions, for it to be located in downtown chicago, right on michigan ave, the food cost wasnt that bad. i spent 87$, tax include, but for that i got two appetizers, to meals, a pop, and two slices of cheesecake. and out of that, we each took half of our food home to eat later. that wasnt bad at all however, once you add in parking, 25$, it gets pricey. we got there on a late sunday afternoon and had around a 30 minute wait, but it didnt seem that long. the food was average, i have had better. the star of the show is the cheesecake. i had the raspberry-lemon cheesecake and my wife had the pineapple upside down cheesecake. both were very good. in hindsight, i would have rather just had a couple of pieces of cheesecakes instead of the food.

Rich K.

Great management, called last minute on a Sunday morning for a table of 20. The place was packed, no problem with seating. Food was normal for a Cheesecake restaurant, everyone seemed pleased with their meals.

Lonniece B.

This is a good place to take out of town guest. For a born and breed Chicagoan, it's just another tourist trap. The food is mediocre at best, prices are expected to be high since it's downtown. The waitress we had screw up everyones order (twice), one of the darkest restaurants I've been to and it had no personality. I would only return if no other option was available.

Izzy N.

Customer service blew hardcore. After realizing that my friend had never received her credit card back at cheesecake 10 minutes later, (we were in Victoria's Secret by then so it was a short walk) we immediately turned around and told them what happened. Everyone was clueless, non chalant when it came to trying to find the card after checking back in person later that evening and via phone call. Here's an idea, cut the crap and double check with our waiter! I had a cheese steak sandwich and subway could have made a better sandwich. Oh well. I knew I should have just ordered cheesecake for lunch. On a nicer note.. we were seated quickly during lunch (weekday) and the crab rangoon was pretty good even though it looks like they don't know how to wrap those things. It's cool. but they're still DEAD TO ME.

Evan L.

food good, service good. I love this place because it was never redecorated same copper sculptured walls from the late 60's which are a work of art. It's nice when some things dont change I miss tha Gold Lion, Xanadu, Adolphs , Mel Markons, Don Roth's Blackhawk and whatever that restaurant was next tto the Chicago Theater. I'm done ranting. Thanks for reading. I remember now, it was Fritzels

Matt S.

All Cheesecake Factories are awesome. what makes this one so good is the 4 hour wait in line. I too eat at the bar saves a lot of time. Tiramisu Cheesecake maybe one of my favorite things to eat in the world...... this side of Chicago Pizza and one of those good Italian Beef Sandwhichs or well everything is good to eat in Chicago.

A C.

This place is PACKED on a Friday or Saturday night. The patio is very nice! The Cheesecake is Oustanding! The Pulled Pork sandwich is surprisingly good! Of course all of their burgers are delicious as well!

Meow P.

This place is so nostalgic of dinners following high school dances, but you know what? I've never liked it. Not even the cheesecake. The food is average. It's pretty much the same exact stuff you could get at Houlihan's or any of your "fancier" Applebee's-type places. It's not bad, but nothing is ever very memorable and there isn't a single dish that I'd return again and again for. THAT's what I look for in a restaurant, and obviously The Cheesecake Factory doesn't have it. I really don't like heavy cheesecakes at all. I'm probably a bit of a cheesecake snob, but I much rather prefer the real deal. I like the light, fluffy Italian-style cheesecakes made with mascarpone and ricotta--the kind of cheesecakes you can actually savor throughout the process of eating a slice! Here, you have 6 pounds of cream cheese mixed with some sugar. I mean, obviously it doesn't taste bad, but it's just so gosh-darn rich that after one bite, your mouth goes numb and you lose all taste. And for me, the worst part is, they always get me on these awesome-sounding cheesecake flavors, so of course, I have to get a slice. How could you pass up chocolate coconut or chocolate peanut butter cookie dough or even fresh banana? But then I try a bite or two and I'm sick of cheesecake for the next year-and-a-half. I don't know. Maybe I just don't have enough estrogen flowing throughout my body to truly appreciate The Cheesecake Factory. I'll probably love it once I hit menopause. Or maybe I'll just go there after I watch a Golden Girls marathon on Lifetime. I'm sure it will hit the spot.

Bethany S.

HUGE PORTIONS! You must try the chicken samosas... they are absolutely fantastic. The pear martini was wonderful... we had amazing food the night we were there. We split a burrito, wanting a light dinner since we were planning on going out later that night. The burrito, even after we split it, was enough for a complete dinner portion for each of us. Of course we had to try the limoncello cake afterward which also didn't disappoint. We're still dreaming of the chicken samosas. It was a pricey dinner and totally worth every penny.

Meghan B.

Eh. Never really as bad as I think it's going to be. My mom and sister love to come here when they're in town, so we go. Seems the wait has decreased in the last year or so. That's usually the worst part. The menu is huge, the service has always been friendly, and the cheesecake is of course very good. I'd never go here on purpose, but it's fine when family's in town.

Brianna L.

i am the HUGEST fan of their Evelyn's pasta dish..i think thats what its called? minus the pine nuts!! and i also LOVE the salmon bc the tartar sauce if you can even call it that is yum-() bc of the dill it has in it love love love the dill!!

Sue K.

It's just a little too cheesy. There's something about the decor of this place that puts me off. Great effort has been made to make you feel like you're in the middle of a piece of cheese cake - with puffy yellow walls and swirls everywhere. The fact that it's basement level makes it weirder. Maybe a great place for kids after a hard shopping day - or if you're a cheese cake fanatic. The food menu is supposed to be good, but looks like it could get hectic during busy times.

Jay I.

Being not a big fan of franchise restaurants (meaning I have low expectation for them), this place surprised me a little bit. We tried some chicken and steak with madeira sauce, which was quite good. Their cheesecake is always above average so you can dwell on that too.

Amy M.

Holy busy Batman! We wanted to eat dinner here but being a group of 10 on a Saturday night with a packed house and a line out the door.....I decided to just get some cheesecake to go. Can't go wrong there!! :) The tiramisu was splendid. Really terrific blend of tiramisu & cheesecake. The white chocolate macadamia was a little too sweet for me but still good. Saved the Red Velvet for my Mom's Christmas Birthday...it was so good and my Mom really loved it. I was thrilled to have a special cake for my special Mom for sure!

Danielle S.

I have been to 4 Cheesecake Factories in my lifetime, and this location is what started it all. The downtown Cheesecake Factory is bar far the prettiest of them all. The water fall outside is so pretty, and the inside makes you feel like you are in a scene from Alice in Wonderland. The menu is GINORMOUS. The cheesecake is unbelievable (so is the lemoncello cake!!), and the farfalle pasta...I have to get it every time. Ther service is great - they are always willing to help you pick something on the menu to eat if you can't decide. It's very, very busy, so be prepared for a wait. I don't think I have ever seen that place dead. And for a good reason - it's delicious!

Yee Gan O.

OK I've finally done it. Despite my many trips to the USA, I've never been tempted to dine at the Cheescake Factory. However, I've been informed that I was missing out.\ So, during my trip to Chicago, when I spied a Cheesecake Factory at the base of the John Hancock Observatory close to my hotel, I decided to pick up something for dessert after my evening meal. I headed to the bakery section and was confronted by a bewildering array of cheesecakes. Apparently, they have more different types of cheesecakes than Baskin Robbins have flavours of ice cream. I can well believe it! I asked the server for advice and he recommended the red velvet - that way, I had the cake layer of red velvet to eat and also the famous cheesecake layers between the cake. Well, the portion was enormous! I'm not sure how people eat a main course and then fit one of these in. I actually ate the cheesecake over 2 days. It was tasty in a sinful sort of way. However, too much of it would give you a major sugar rush! So, I've finally done it and eaten from the Cheesecake Factory. If I had a major sweet tooth, I'd be back in a flash

Tammy M.

I did a very positive review the other day after a great lunch visit. We had such a great time we decided on dinner there tonight. Completely different experience. The staff wasn't as friendly. Food was overly salty. I got the petite filet and the outside was charred and burnt. Side choices are poor. No option for baked potato or side salad. Couldn't read the menu because the light above us was burned out. We mentioned it to our waiter and 3 others. One employee said it has been like that for awhile and it bugs her too. Had to wait over 15 min just to get our cheesecake at the end. Bad atmosphere and sub-par service today shows an inconsistency in this restaurant. I lower the rating from 5 to 3. Was a five at lunch and a 1 at dinner. I am averaging the two.

Sruts A.

Food is good, portions are large, it's usually crowded. Get there early, especially if you're a large group, otherwise, try finding a spot in the bar area. While I'm not a big fan of any of their appetizers, the burgers, sandwiches and salads are great. The waiters all happy and quite fun. One of them even split checks for a group of 18 of us once! If you're here just for the cheesecake, grab one at the cake bar at the entrance.

Stephanie F.

Loved this place. The staff was so friendly. I brought my friend it was his first time to eat here. He really enjoyed the food too.

Saurav T.

The service is horrible. After taking order and 45 mins later they come up and say - "sorry we dont have what you ordered." This is unacceptable. Wish I could give a ZERO star.

Edward E.

Been a big fan of the Cheesecake Factory for many years, but today's experience was horrible. Was told the wait was 20minutes yet we waited over 45 minutes to be seated, followed by another 15 min for our waitress to come take our drink order. To top it off the food was cold. Very disappointed and will not be visiting this location again.

Firat A.

I saw a restaurant front that looked so wacky when I was walking down the street. Looked inside but did not see anybody, last second I saw a sign that said to continue down stairs for the host. Once downstairs it was a fairly large and busy place. Being from out os country, I did not even realize it was a chain at first. It defiantly has a unique design. Once we got our menus, we were surprised with the amount of selections, their menu is a booklet! We ordered some appetizers and martinis and they were great. Our main dish were also great! We were very happy with the experience and the prices were quite cheap. Later I learned it was a chain, which kind of took away from uniqueness....

Mrs. And Mr. G.

Heard alot about this place. The food is tasty but very small portion. Good service. Maybe will try it again

Liz T.

Review based solely on the turkey burger: worst turkey burger I've ever had. Mushy and horrible taste. Only thing good was the bun. They also put grilled onions on it which made it even worse. Looking back, I wish I would have had them take it back. Service fine.

Blanca S.

I have very mix reviews and feelings about the Cheesecake Factory. This review is for the downtown location which I visited this past week. We grabbed lunch around 12 o'clock so we waited a tad few. No biggie. Mind you I could see that the restaurant wasn't at full capacity, but I digress. Our server seemed very heavy footed and I could feel him reading me like a book. As if he somehow knew these two Mexicans weren't going to tip him the appropriate amount compared to his more sophisticated white tables. Turns out he was just a flat out horrid server. He did these super long pauses between dropping off drinks, bread, appetizers and taking our lunch order. Last time I was here the waitress was so helpful. She told us about the soup of the day the specials and even recommended her favorite dishes. So friendly and attentive. Total opposite from my most current experience. He didn't tell us anything but the soup of the day. He said the sod was clam chowder and that it was the only soup available in a very harsh monotone. As if saying we better not even think about wanting something different or else. Yikes. We started off with stuffed mushrooms and the crab bites. This day the mushrooms had a funny taste, sort of like old mushrooms. They didn't taste fresh which it why I usually order them. The crab bites are always delightful. Very crispy on the outside but moist on the inside. When dinning at The Cheesecake Factory I usually get the pasta carbonara. The sauce in the pasta is very delicious. Very very calorie filled but very delicious in deed. Peas and bacon, How can you go wrong? I decided to try something new. The Shepard pot pie screamed my name. Mushrooms, carrots, squash, ground beef, mash potatoes , yum! The dish was very savory. I really wish it had some sort of pastry crust. That would of definitely brought the dish together. I forgot what my bf had. He liked it. Something Cajun maybe I can't remember. Ha. To quickly sum my experience up I had a nice lunch for the exception of our server. I only saw him hovering over us when he wanted us to pay the bill. Made me not want to return to that location in particular. But who am I kidding. I just won't sit in his section. If only I remember our waitress name :(( Ps. The cheesecakes are out of this world. My all time favorite is the banana cream followed by the Godiva chocolate one. Oh god.. I'm getting hungry.

Lindsey A.

I've lived in Chicago for six years and have never once had the desire to endure all that is the Cheesecake Factory. But, my partner having received a gift cert for the chain, and us already being downtown on Saturday evening, we ventured in with patience. It's not that the Factory has bad food or bad drinks or bad service or bad anything, really (it's actually all mediocre). It's just that it is exactly what its title says - a factory. You wait 45 minutes with 1,000 tourists to grab a seat in a restaurant that easily serves hundreds. Your waiter or waitress will immediately saunter up and say they're really busy (because, well, they are) while you pour over a 10-plus-page menu of everything from tacos to pastas to pizzas to sandwiches. When you finally decide on an over-priced dish, your waiter will ask if you need anything. You'll suggest water and it'll take 10 minutes to come. Servers, hostesses, bussers and other members of this food manufacturing facility will sashay by - busy as bees. Your food will arrive semi-quickly, a portion so huge it might as well be stamped with "America!" on it. If the factory cut their portion sizes in half, they could also cut their prices in half, which for the actual food itself, would make sense, because it's nothing we haven't had before. My chicken and biscuits were indeed chicken and biscuity, just as they should be, but my partner's salmon packed much more flavor (I wanted comfort food, though, and it did meet that expectation). Service? Meh. Our guy was nice enough - when he was around. We ended up with a hybrid approach to being waited on - a woman who filled in when our guy kept forgetting things (water, an explanation of the menu, etc.) The factory is exactly as I expected it to be, nothing more and nothing less. They should consider slowing down a little - I suspect that 45-minute wait is standard busy or not - and cutting portions (nearly every table I spied had take-away bags) and besides, shouldn't we all just be here for the cheesecake, anyway?

Vineet S.

Considering the location(close proximity to Michigan ave and John Hancock), it is always buzzing with people.Specially on weekends there are always huge wait list.Reserving a table before arriving makes sense. They have a long menu list. Our waiter did not arrive even after we were seated for 20 minutes.Tried the Chicken pizza, which wasn't great.The banana cream cheesecake was nice.

Andrew B.

Guys, it's the Cheesecake Factory. Most people know exactly what to expect when they go here. And that's EXACTLY why we go here. I branched out this time. I ordered Renee's Special for lunch (1/2 sandwich, soup, salad), and it was more than enough food (literally--I didn't finish). Everything was great, as usual. Mom ordered a perfectly cooked omelette. Yes, it's a chain. But it's the best damn chain restaurant I've ever been to.

Victoria G.

Not a fan! This is more commentary on the service than the food. My cousin and I came in on a Saturday night and it was packed, so we sat at the bar. We had been seated for at least five minutes and were never greeted, but the bartender Leah greeted customers beside us who sat down after us. When we finally flagged down the other bartender, he was nice enough, but neither seem very concerned with providing any kind of service. The mojitos were bad and way too sweet and while the food was good, it took 15 minutes for the cheesecake we ordered to come out -- why? Don't you just slice it? Hopefully sitting in the main areas provides better more attentive service for customers.

Amber C.

I have been known to fantasize about this place. So much so that we make sure to stop in whenever we're in Chicago. Part of the reason could be because of the fun, Alice in Wonderland-esque atmosphere, complete with a lovely waterfall outside. Add a gigantic menu and friendly service and I'm a happy girl. I have been with groups of 10+ people, all sharing dishes, and have yet to try something I didn't enjoy. The portions are large enough that you'll be stuffed, yet will still have plenty of leftovers. Their Crispy Artichoke Hearts are a personal favorite (the lemon-garlic dip is addictive) and you can't go wrong with finishing your meal (assuming you have any room left) with a slice of the ridiculously delicious and decadent Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake. The downside is that this location can get pretty packed, so you may want to plan your visit. The lines get quite long, although I haven't had much trouble when dining close to opening time.

Melliza S.

The hostess said 5-10 mins for a table of 2. We got called 20 mins later only to find out our table is taken. This server have to go back to talk to the hostess to get us another table to find out again that the table is not ready and he wants us to wait again! My goodness! There are plenty of table around! We have been to other branches and we never experienced anything like this. This place SUCKS!

Angelica M.

I honesty hated the service I got, the waiter would never come to see if we needed anything. We had to call him every time. He took 20 minutes just to go get my cheesecake, which is already made so I don't know why it would take so long to bring it to me & I also ordered for more bread & he ignored me & never got it for me & payed for it. SUCH A BAD SERVICE, DONT RECOMMEND.

Mohan R.

After running around Chicago, we were very hungry. Choose this place and did not regret it one bit. Even though it was super busy and wait was a little longer than I liked, the food and the service was worth it. Had an excellent burger, and that made up for the wait.

Cindy D.

Went here yesterday with my husband. The service was horrible! Extremely slow. No water with drinks served. No bread to the table as you're seated. Drinks, entrees, and meals for my husband and I were served separately. My husband's burger he ordered med. well looked like a charred hockey puck on the exterior, with a bloody interior. The clientele was coarse, and ill-mannered. The 3 individuals seated in the neighboring booth had an occupant who kept shaking her leg. When my husband leaned back to stop himself from being shook, the female reprimanded him for doing so, and started yelling very loud. This was because the bench seat of the booth was so loose, it rocked. There was at least 4 instances where the crashing of dropped dishes/glass ware hit the floor, and we witnessed one couple with a small child crying because one of their wait staff had bumped into where she was seated, and dropped water all over her. I wouldn't eat here again, even for free. If I could rate this a negative 5 star I would.

Nicole W.

I was on my way shopping and tried to convince my boyfriend to go to The Cheesecake Factory because from my experiences in other areas, they aren't "that bad". I should've just kept walking! To preface, I am NOT a picky eater nor do I like to complain at all. Went in, sat near the bar, he ordered a Fat Tire (bottled) and I ordered a Goose Island Draft (the 32 oz). Since we were sitting near the bar, I sat and watched the bartender pour my draft which just foamed up. All foam. Top to bottom. Guy just left it there. Server came by and said they had to switch the tap so I said, "Sure, as long as I can get a new beer and not the one sitting there." He agreed and eventually I got my beer. But, the issue was, the bartender decided to just ADD to my foam that had been sitting there as foam slowly turning into beer for 15 minutes. The beer was rather warm and nasty. Server came back, I asked for a new beer, and received new beer somewhat correct (the bottled beer was WAY colder than the draft beer). By then it was after my apps came out that I finally received my beer. It was 20 minutes to receive a beer. It was also very weird that when I went to tell my server about the beer all I had to do was say "excuse me" and he goes, "Is your beer warm?" like he already knew.... For dinner, I ordered the Chicken Tacos. They brought out shrimp then came back with the correct ones after saying that I ordered chicken. Bit into the tacos and started to wonder why they tasted funny. Turns out the taco shells were stale! Told the server, and the poor guy just can see it and feel it.... the look on his face. Thankfully he comped the tacos because by then, I really did not want to eat there. The people were nice but it is rather clear there is something wrong with their managers (a bartender who can't pour beer and a kitchen that can't keep taco shells fresh). I say go anywhere -except- there. TL;DR: Ordered beer, got warm foam-beer. Ordered tacos, got stale shells.

Justine M.

Cheesecake Factory is a tourist attraction. Although they give you big servings, it's not worth the price. The food also lacks creativity and flavor. Our waiter was horrible. He would passby and drop off our food/drinks without stopping to talk or engage. Not a fan.

Jackie C.

We had a gift card so we decided to tackle the tourist crowd and go. I expected the wait and I knew we needed to be in a patient mood. What I didn't expect was the MOST ridiculous seating process EVER! Brace yourselves when you go... you will wait for your pager to go off- standard. But instead of someone seating you they escort you to the back of the restaurant to wait with the other group of 10 pagers that went off and wait AGAIN for your name to be called. So chaotic and the most ridiculous sitting process I've ever encountered.

Megan M.

The food is always good, the service is usually sub-par. I had a really awful experience here once, but decided to go back because my boyfriend likes it. This time around the staff was very kind but again, slow and MIA most of the time.

Alana T.

THIS IS MY SPOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've been going to Cheesecake factory faithfully for quite a few years, and when I say, I'm NEVER disappointed, I'm NEVER disappointed. The most recent time I went, I had the Chicken Bellagio. Man, pasta with pesto sauce, chicken and cream sauce on top. If you think that's not enough, they PILE a a beautiful bed of Arugula on top. It's such a nice compliment. Cheesecake factory has quite the extensive menu. There are pages and pages and pages of menu items. For all taste buds. I find it really hard to believe if you say you can't find something on the menu you like. But, I wouldn't necessarily blame you if you just got tired of searching. But, PLEASE, keep trying. It's stellar! Of course, you can't go here without having it's namesake! Personally, I recommend the Banana Cream Cheesecake without the extra whipped cream (I gotta be good somewhere). It's awesomeness! So... 1) Food is banging. The portions are HUGE! Definitely enough food to share and take some home! 2) Service is always awesome. I always get the best servers, and I'm one to chat it up with them, so I do so. 3) THE BROWN BREAD! EAT THE BROWN BREAD. I always tell them, "don't bring any of that sourdough stuff". THE BROWN BREAD has me on my knees, pleading for more BROWN BREAD. 4) The price is right!

Joelle G.

This is the most mammoth Cheesecake Factory location I have seen. Whoa... I don't care if it's a chain, I LOVE eating here. The servers were very nice at this location & the food amazing as usual. Free refills on the lemonade, yeah :) Oh yeah, you bet your bottom dollar I'll be back.

Saira K.

Touristy. Service was slow. I'm not really a fan of Cheesecake factory - comes from living in NY and regularly having to-die-for cheesecake. But, if you like Cheesecake factory, this is a good location.

Lady B.

What can I say about this place....well it is dark for a reason. What you can't see will harm you. On August 17, 2013 my husband, me and two friends decided we would eat here since we were already in the building. We waited 45 minutes and when we were seated the first (worst) thing the server did was put the nasty menus over our plates ummm ewwww. Our table was NOT cleaned properly because we noticed what we hope was left over food and not snot (yes it was green and chunky), and our silverware was dirty, yummy!! We let our waitress know and she had someone clean the table and handed us new silverware...but wait it gets better. The menus were sticky and didn't open which means they were loaded with germs and lord only knows what else (and no we didn't forget the server put them on our plates). So, after discussing the nastiness of this place we decided to leave. Oh and they put the individually wrapped butter cubes in with the bread...my guess is that the person probably didn't wash his/her hands before scooping handfuls and putting them in the bread basket. If you are blind and don't seem to care about health code violations than this is the place to eat....for everyone else SKIP IT!!

Tupac L.

The service is very good. But the food is just okay they give u huge portions which makes the food taste nasty lol The only good thing is there buffalo wings and pina coladas oh and they have fancy cups!

Denise H.

Waitress was awesome! However, they have changed the way they fix artichokes, which is fine just not to my liking. I was given another appetizer the fried potato tarts, delicious! My guy ordered the Orange Chicken with rice, it was Bone Dry, I asked for Shrimp Scampi, I got Shrimp with Pasta and Tomato Sauce. I sent that back and was given the Shrimp Scampi, the pasta was pasty and the shrimp were cooked to long and enough basil to share with the entire restaurant. I asked for the manager, I showed him how hard my guy's rice was and that my scampi was unacceptable. He took both dishes and apologized. He did not come back the waitress came and brought our check, which still had the charges for the scampi. When he walked passed our table I asked him why was I charged for the scampi, he says because I ate two of the shrimp, I only ate one and had cut the other and mixed with the pasta. He then said, "they (???) told him I had eaten the shrimp. I didn't mind paying for our drinks and appetizers but to pay and then have to go to dinner was to much! $17.95 + is what it cost them to loose a customer and my RECOMMENDATIONS!

Dion T.

Good: - Red Velvet Cheesecake; it's excellent. - Godiva Cheesecake; it's INCREDIBLE. - Macaroni Balls; delicious by themselves but even better with the accompanying sauce. - Stuffed Chicken Tortilla; initially thought I'd need some heat/spice, but all the pieces work very, very well, this was really tasty. Not so good: - Strawberry Lemonade; you're pretty much just drinking a glass of sugar. Just a hint of lemonade for me. - The wait, part 1; they told us an hour, gave us a buzzer that went off in an hour, we turned it in and were told to wait in a line for our name to be called, which was an additional 30 minutes.... - The wait, part 2; .....because they lost track of people's names, including ours. - The wait, part 3; A manager put in an appetizer to appease us....but didn't tell our waiter. The appetizer was delivered to the wrong table while the waiter was heading to the kitchen to check on it. Since we were already waiting, we added a second appetizer to the mix. A waiter-helper brought the original appetizer (!!!) plus an appetizer...that...we...didn't...order. True story. - The bill; We were told by our waiter the the manager wouldn't take anything off. We told him we need to talk to him/her. We explained our experience to the manager that came, and the bill was cut in half. Then the waiter said that THIS manager was the one he was hoping to get initially, not the one that first denied our claim. So there's a rogue manager roaming the premises and pleasing the customers...ok. - For the love of God, I would love to actually see the person sitting next to me. Mood lighting is one thing, nap lighting is another. Irritatingly dark in parts of the restaurant. Final thought: The food is, and has always been, excellent for us. The experience has always been frustrating. Our next visit(s) will be for cheesecake only, to-go. 5 stars for food, minus 3 for the experience. If you're a patient person, you can endure, it's not a life damaging experience. If you expect ultimate and exacting accountability from your restaurant, think twice about this place.

Dan M.

While I generally enjoy their food, it took 35 minutes just to get cheesecake.

Theresa C.

I was surprised on a busy Saturday night (and New Year's Eve no less) the wait for a table was only 45 minutes. My friend and I decided that Cheesecake Factory would be a perfect base for our night of drinking ahead. That's where the pluses end. We must've had the biggest space cadet for a waitress. First it took a long time for her to come over and take our drink/dinner order. But she was forgiven for that since it was so busy. We then get our drinks and a promise that the bread would be right out. Normally I'm not into bread but since both of us were hungry, we were kinda looking forward to it. So here starts the crisis: the waitress comes by three more times to say the bread will "be right out if the oven." She then goes on to say how the whole wheat bread is delicious and it's so good but she's still waiting for it to come out. Seriously what the fuck? You don't tell a table of hungry people that the bread is delicious but sorry you don't have any yet. I could really give two rat asses about the bread but it was built up so much, I wanted some. So we were figuring the entrees would arrive before the bread, which they did. And the fresh baked bread? Cold. But wait, I thought it was right out of the oven? My entrees wasn't any better. When I go to CF I usually get the Baja chicken tacos because they're consistently yummy. These tacos were so bland, it wasn't funny. The portions were huge but had no flavor. Such a disappointment because the entree is really delicious when made right. The beans and rice were the highlight of the dish and that was sad. All in all, the service sucked, the place was about 500 degrees and the tables were so close together. Nothing like putting my ass in someone's face when I needed to get out to use the restroom. The only plus is there's a bevy of hot guys. My friend got a good look at one of the blondes. I unfortunately got a bad look of a guy who shouldn't even be allowed to wear white pants. Boo!

Angela N.

I generally really like the Cheesecake Factory because the food is good and they give you generous portions. However, the service of this establishment completely turned me off. The hostess was semi-unprofessional and seemed to not care a bit about us. We wanted to sit outside and then she told us that there would be wait for a table (but we clearly saw that there was available seating outside and NO ONE in line to be sat), then she continued her conversation with her co-workers about some lady that was super picky about seating (NOT a conversation you should be having when guests are around you #sideconvos). When we finally did sit, our server was extremely inattentive. We didn't even receive cups of water until a buser came by to ask us if we were okay. However, I'm one of those sympathetic people that will analyze the situation and make up an excuse for you like he's having a bad day, or he's just really tired. I work in the service industry and this is just not okay. But we were super happy with the food when it came so it extinguished the steam that I was feeling from the lack of service!

Lisa P.

I really did enjoy my dinner here tonight and the cheesecake? Well the name of the place gives you some type of hint, right???

Nickie P.

As everyone else said, expect the wait to be long, but well worth it. We were able to find a table near the bar, so we didn't have to wait too long. I have to say that we had a good meal and great cheesecake! We all loved the corn tamales appetizer, my dad loved his cheesesteak sandwich, and my salmon was great. My mom and sister really liked their steak, but wished it had been a little bit more tender. Huge portions! After from stuffing all that food in my face, we took our cheesecake to go. Every cheesecake I've had from there is great, but my favorite is the original with strawberries on top. If you can't deal with the noise and the wait in the restaurant...at least grab some cheesecake for the road!

Kristen O.

I'll start by saying nothing was terrible with my meal. The food was good, our waitress was friendly and nice, service was a little slow, but they were pretty busy, and the meal as a whole was nice. The slider appetizer was surprisingly fresh and delicious. My popcorn shrimp appetizer (I got for a meal) was not your run of the mill frozen shrimp and had some better breading than most. It also came with cocktail sauce and aioli. Honestly, the $11.50 top-shelf Long Island Iced Tea, that didn't get me drunk enough is probably what's keeping me from forking over 4 stars.

Odranre B.

the food taste like...well, the food from all the other cheesecake factory...it's always too loud inside...so many tourists...no reservations...there are no parking, so you'll have to pay private parking which will cost you around this area $20...the place is located on the base of the hancock building, which would explain all the tourists everyone deserves chances so i will occasionally re-visit establishments that did not get favorable reviews from me in hope that they have addressed the issues and will revise my views accordingly

Anna H.

LOVE this restaurant! Hubby & I went here recently for Valentine's Day dinner without a reservation. They took our name and seated us right away (less than 7 minutes). I absolutely RECOMMEND the fried MAC and CHEESE. . . an indulgence starter plate of 4 HUGE fried mac and cheese balls with a red sauce that is so delicious! I ordered the Mediterranean Mahi Mahi that came on a bed of tomatoes, capers, & mashed potatoes! I LOVE THIS DISH! It is light and healthy, but so flavorful!! And of course, their cheesecake is delicious! =)

Ben B.

The menu is enormous. You're sure to find something you'll like. I had the Teriyaki Chicken, and it was good. The restaurant is a little cheesy, but that can be forgiven as long as you're not one of those people who is all about "authentic" little bistros in plywood shacks somewhere. I don't have anything particularly negative to say about the Cheesecake Factory, but there was a bit of a sticker shock when we got our bill. Were those martinis really worth $10 a pop? Um, no. For two entrees, two drinks, two slices of cheesecake and a tip, I walked out $80 lighter. That seems disproportionate. If the prices were more reasonable, I could notch this baby to 4 stars, easy. I consider this a nice place to take your out-of-town visitors or a worthy stop just for the desserts.

Rob M.

This location of Cheesecake Factory, located at the base of the John Hancock Tower, must be a gold mine for the company! It's absolutely packed all day long. We decided to give it a try after a long day of sightseeing -- it's only a block from our hotel. At 7:45 p.m. it was still crowded, but the wait was only about 20 minutes, and they have plenty of places to sit until your buzzer goes off. Service was a little spotty when we first sat down -- the table wasn't completely set and the coffee I ordered was just lukewarm. But things improved rapidly after that. Our server was good about bringing anything that was lacking, including more bread and a new pot of good, hot coffee. We split the "appetizer" size Caesar salad -- it's merely humongous. NEVER order the full size Caesar here, unless you've brought along the Mexican Soccer Team to share it with you (the salad was invented in Tijuana, so it's not Italian, despite the name and ingredients)! My BF ordered the wild mushroom burger, which came with a more-than-bountiful fountain of fries, and he just loved it! I ordered the carbonara, made with fettucine instead of spaghettini, and it was good and filling but a bit blah, flavor-wise. The sauce needed to be cheesier, I think. True to form, it was an enormous portion that I couldn't finish. We wrapped things up with a slice of their chocolate coconut cheesecake, which came with two giant dollops of whipped cream. The cheesecake was dense and rich and coconutty, on a chocolate crust. We finished about half of it and brought the rest back to our hotel for a midnight snack. All in all a pretty good experience. Cheesecake Factory is good for basic kinds of foods, mostly well prepared, with a rather wide variety of choices, so it's especially good if you're with a group that's not quite sure what it wants! Entrees are certainly more than large enough to split. The cheesecake, of course, is excellent and available in many, many flavors (the Godiva chocolate one is total decadence). Service is good, and prices are moderate to pricey, depending on what you order.

Michael B.

I love this place, very good food and generous portions. Service a bit slow though. I had a blue cheese BLT burger, amazing, with a salad. The salad was just ok, probably should have changed it up. The entree salad was nothing impressive. The shepards pie is good. We had a few drinks, not bad, and to go, we left with some cheesecakes which I am always a fan of. Recommended. 5 stars because of its food, portions, price and cheesecakes. However, not 5 star service.

Julia J.

I think the only restaurant open in hell is the Cheesecake Factory. My mom and her husband got a certificate and invited me and my husband to join them. So, it was free, and I still don't have any good things to say about this place. Why anyone in the Chicagoland area would go to the Cheesecake factory when you have your pick of world class restaurants at every price level is just beyond me. The restaurant is a giant, loud, overpriced, disorganized mess...just like their entrees. Never again.

Lyndsey N.

I went here on a very busy Friday afternoon. I think this location is always very busy and touristy. We were told about a long wait, but gladly we were seated pretty quickly. There was no option of sitting on the patio area, cuz they were not serving out there. It would have been nice to sit outside in the nice weather. I ordered the Little House salad, which is not a regular house salad at all. The vinagarette dressing is supposed to be tossed with this salad but I did not taste the dressing at all. I would not order that again. Of course the Cheesecake Factory has a huge menu so anything would be great to order. I ordered small. Also got the Crispy fried Cheese which is so delicious and sounds simple but a great appetizer! My friend ordered the blueberry cheesecake which was a HUGE piece of cake. The server was very nice and patient with us while we looked at the long menu to order.

Evelyn O.

Satisfied every time I go to the cheesecake factory, the waiters/waitresses know the menu and explain it to you very well in case your in the mood to try something new from the menu.

Jennie T.

I'm not big on the Cheesecake Factory in general, but this one, I'm a fan of because I work in the building and it's nice to be able go downstairs if I want pasta (sorry L'Appetito but heated pastas aren't the same; they actually make me a little sick). The servers are nice to me. A telltale sign of a customer from the building is one that goes into the restaurant donning only office wear when there's snow outside the building. The service is a little slower than I'd like for my one-hour lunch break, but it at least wouldn't span over an hour. That would get me in trouble. I think they know that, so it's nice. Plus, you can always tell them that you need your food fast. Beware though, the portions are huge. You will have leftovers.

Ashley N.

This food just isn't good. The cheese cake is! But for a meal? nah. 2 stars for the cheesecake.

Natalie M.

I went here after work last summer and the place was packed. The wait for a table was ridiculously long, so my friends and I decided to order our food to go and eat our meals at the tables outside the restaurant. After flipping through the menu, which was thicker than an issue of the Oprah magazine, I decided to order the crab cake bites and the arugula salad from the appetizer menu. My friends ordered a pasta dish to split between the two of them. Our food was ready in about twenty-five minutes. About 5 minutes more and I would have passed out from sheer hunger. The crab cakes were well seasoned and paired well with the arugula salad. I was still hungry after I ate, but at least I was no longer starving.

Dorotka K.

The restaurant was super crowded. The place is huge and it looks like you are walking through a maze, but all the tables are so close to each other that it gives you a feeling of chaos. They do not take reservations on the weekends and we waited for about 25 minutes, which was not too bad. They have a lot of seating available for people waiting for a table, but it literally looks like there are 50 people ahead of you. I was hungry and seeing all those people was a cause for concern. Anyway, we got to sit at a booth and I immediately felt claustrophobic. While the tables are quite large, the seat area is very cramped. We had our winter coats with us and had to hang them off the side of the booth, otherwise, we wouldn't fit comfortably. Our waiter was nice, but clearly busy, but we are not ones to make small talk anyway. Our food took a while. Probably around 40 minutes... I dunno, I lost track of time. The food was a hit for 2 out of 4 in our party. I guess the menu is a hit or miss. By the way, the menu is incredibly long. Most of the items there are 2000+ calories, but if you are not one to diet occasionally, you have nothing to worry about. My choices were limited to fish and salads. We did not have dessert, so I cannot comment on the highly complimented cheesecake. Overall, I wouldn't visit this location again, nor would I visit Cheesecake Factory. I think the money would have been better spent elsewhere.

J B.

Excellent Waiter, Good Food...but the undisciplined kids (and parents who don't set boundaries with their kids) ruined the evening. There is a shiny brass pass-through from the regular dining room to the bar area seating. We were seated right next to the pass-through and had kids jumping, playing, crying and doing everything possible that could ruin your evening while being out with your own children. Not only were we completely disrupted, but it felt more like a Chucky Cheese than a sit-down restaurant. Not to mention, the food is a little pricey, but I would be more than happy to pay it if there didn't involve a three-ring circus next to our table. Our kids sat quietly and ate their dinner (that's what is expected in a regular restaurant). How management allowed this nonsense is beyond me. The only thing missing was a mother who thought it might be a good idea to use that area as a changing station... Will not return anytime soon.

Katie K.

For a chain, this place is pretty good. I think the place is a little pricey. If I am going to be paying that much for a meal, I'd rather go somewhere that is not a chain, but that is just me. The food is good, I had a chopped salad and it was very fresh, fresh. The cheesecake was quite tasty too. It was overall a good experience. This place is a tourist trap, so be prepared for that, I suppose.

Brittany S.

I'm an avid Cheesecake Factory fan! I have been to a few different locations and will continue to eat at these restaurants. My mom and I got in to town late and strolled in to eat at Cheesecake Factory at 10:30 p.m., our server Brittany was so nice and very helpful. She genuinely cares about the people she serves which made the experience great. I had my favorite dish, crusted chicken romano, yummmmmmm. And we finished off the night with a slice of smores cheesecake, so rich, but so yummy!

Mark L.

Yes, this is definitely a tourist trap. Does that make it any worse for wear? No way! I came here with a party of 4 on a crowded Friday lunch hour. I was pleased that I only had to wait about 10 minutes for a table because when I saw the brouhaha inside I was assuming at least a 30 - 40 minute wait. Once seated, we ordered a few drinks, strawberry and raspberry martinis, both incredibly tasty. As a guy, by social pressure and choice, I don't usually order martinis but I was on vacation, so I gave in and was not disappointed. They make 'em pretty strong so be prepared for a nice long meal. At lunch, be sure to look at the specials in addition to the normal offerings. The menu is so expansive that it took me several minutes just to order a drink. Once our food arrived, I heard only compliments about each dish: "This pasta is glorious!", "I thought you could only get jambalaya likes this in Louisiana!", "It's like every food I like is partying on this sandwich!". Stuff to that effect. And of course, we had to order at least one slice of cheesecake, chocolate mousse. It was so rich that one slice was enough for the four of us, given the delicious meal we had just eaten. If you're in Chicago, tourist or not, the Cheesecake factory is worth a visit.

Layda C.

Great drinks and dessert ! Our server was amazing . I would ask for Andrew to take care of us again!

Melanie S.

Huge portions of mediocre food. Why does that get people all lathered up? This place always reminds me of the line in the Woody Allen movie 'Annie Hall': "The food here is terrible. Yeah, and such small portions." What you will get here are NOT small portions, but what is the appeal of a huge plate of uninspired, mass-produced food? And make no mistake. For this privilege, you will likely wait a LONG time for a table. Hell, you will likely have to wait just to put your name in for a table. Invariably, I get roped into coming here once or twice a year by friends or relatives visiting Chicago, or coworkers who think "it's such a great place for a group." Sure, the menu is enormous, but there's still nothing I want to eat here. It takes me forever to find the least offensive thing on the menu. People I'm with will say "So many great things to pick from it's hard to narrow it down, huh?" Umm, no. It's hard to narrow it down because there's literally nothing out of 15 menu pages that I want to pick at, hoping it will be decent. I usually end up with a salad of some kind. Even when I get the "lunch size," it's still enough to feed 3 people. And it's not like salad keeps all that well, so there's no point in taking home the leftovers. Maybe I'm being too hard on this place. But it's expensive, crowded, and even their signature cheesecakes ain't all that great. I'm done with the 'Factory.' I've been here at least 20 times since it opened and I've never liked it. But I've never gotten food poisoning from eating here either, so that's why it's getting 2 stars instead of 1. From now on, if someone suggests going here, I'll just politely decline. I say skip this place. Life's too short to have even one mediocre meal.

Courtney W.

This place is like tourist central in Chicago. It's below the Hancock and people just can't help themselves. Personally, when I travel to a city I try to eat some of the food that has made it famous or is unique to that location so I don't quite understand the rush to this place but who am I to judge. I've been here and I've waited almost an hour to be seated since they don't take reservations. Unlike other locations, you can stray too far from the bar area or your pager won't go off. It kind of feels like a cave in here since you are pretty much in the ground and the base of the Hancock. They have everything that all of the other CFs have and I normally go with quesadillas or the bow tie pasta chicken dish. It's easy to split something here or order an entree for yourself and be prepared to have lunch for at least a day or two on leftovers alone. The menu here is ridiculous. If you can't find something on it, you need to never eat out again because you will never be happy anywhere. The cheesecake is slightly overpriced but they come in way too many flavors to count. The red velvet is a personal favorite, as is the Oreo.

G.U. E.

Skip this place. The hostesses are rude. The manager should retrain these hostesses or fire them. More professional employees are needed.

Anaher B.

I've been here a couple of times. The first time I ever went I had an amazing time, seating, service and food were all great!. The second time it could have been better since the seating and service were not up to par. I do love the cheesecakes!

Keith C.

This place is always busy, but, you can't go wrong.

Lisa B.

Why do people wait an hour or more to eat here? That is the question. My excuse was that I had signed up with a secret shopper organization, and was getting a $40 gift card for my trouble. I figured, I'm reviewing things anyway, might as well receive some remuneration, right? One of the rules was I had to go for dinner at a particular time, and apparently 6:00 p.m. was when everyone in the world came downtown to hit the after-Christmas sales. I was not thrilled to wait an hour for a table, but rules are rules. The nice lady at the hostess desk informed me that the buzzer would not work outside the restaurant. She did not inform me that the upstairs cafe -- with its shorter menu and shorter wait -- was an option. I had to figure that out on my own. The decor of this place is so bizarre -- the puffy tubelike ceiling made me think of intestines, and all the food moving through them. Ew. Our service was delightful and the food was not half bad. I really enjoyed my Cashew Chicken Salad, though I would venture to guess that about half the cashews were peanuts. And the cheesecake? Meh. I prefer Eli's. People, don't wait an hour for this place, especially if you have hungry, cranky little kids in tow. There are better places a stone's throw away. Food Life at Water Tower Place, for one. FYI -- they take reservations for groups between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m.

Luis C.

I never knew that this place had other food besides cheese cake! I ended up here instead of the signature lounge in the Hancock building and sure glad I come downstairs. This place had good food just a bit overcrowded and managed incorrectly. I would visit again though.

Justin P.

I would like to start by saying the food is pretty good and they definitely give you generous portions for reasonable prices. The staff is attentive and friendly which is especially impressive when you consider how much of a zoo it always is. However, the interior is in need of a serious renovation as it looks closer to an indoor jungle gym than a restaurant. I have seen other Cheesecake factories that have a classy and modern decor while maintaing a upscale vibe that they are going for. The location is in the middle of Magnificent Mile and is always packed so be prepared for some serious waiting. Pro-Tip: Keep an eye-on the first come first serve bar seating where we have been able to snag a table within the first 15 minutes of arrival.

Lauren T.

I come here from time to time and I am always satisfied. My experiences with the waiters/waitresses are mixed with good and bad but we are not going to get into that. The portions are huge. I usually go for the Shrimp Scampi pasta or the combo with Shrimp Scampi and Steak or fish. You cannot leave here without trying at least one dessert item. My suggestions: can't go wrong with the plain strawberry cheesecake, but if you want to try something new try either the Red Velvet cheesecake or the carrot cake or the strawberry shortcake. My new favorite cheesecake Craig's Crazy Carrot Cheesecake.

Mandy L.

Had the first one on the menu. Loved it!

Diana G.

My favorite thing to order is the Grilled Chicken and Avocado Club. My brother gets the Cajun Jambalaya Pasta and it's got a kick to it. The tiramisu is very good!

Nichole M.

Um, it's a chain so don't get your hopes up, but they do have some delicious cheesecake. So, this is a 3.5. The menu is extensive, meaning each dish is going to be mediocre. I like their sliders, thai lettuce raps, potstickers and wontons for appetizers. Their main dishes are always just ok. So if it were my choice, i would go here and just get a bunch of yummy apps and not bother with the main courses. Why the main courses are "eh." 1- The portions are disgustingly big. And you wonder why America has the most overweight people per sq mile? When I get my plate of food, I immediately feel sick. 2- The seasoning and flavors of things like the sauce on the pastas or the marinade on the chicken just isn't all that flavorful. Their cheesecake is always good and if I liked dessert, I would be in heaven here. But I like food, real food.

Hina Q.

So back in December 2011 I ordered a 10" cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory for my husband's birthday. I called into the location, told them which cake I wanted, gave them all my details, TIME of pick up, etc. So the day of my husband's birthday I had to ask a friend to pick up the cake since I couldn't get away, when she got to the restaurant, they had NO RECORD of my order!! wth!! So she had to wait 20mins for them to get one together. Highly unprofessional. So what was the point of taking all my information??? hmm...

Stephanie A.

I love the cheesecake factory. But be warned if you want to come here for dinner to expect an hour wait. I suggest you ask to be seated outside. The wait to seat outside is a lot less wait. The service here is okay. The waiter I got last time was great though. So don't judge them after only going once.

Jeanne H.

Sensible lunch portion, and amazing white chocolate rasberries cheesecake!

Lara Z.

I'm all about supporting local restaurants, so The Cheesecake Factory pretty much epitomizes my nightmare restaurant. The first time I visited this chain I had to wait about 50+ minutes or so to be seated, which strikes me as a ridiculous wait time for a chain restaurant. Will I wait 50+ minutes for a table at The Aviary? Absolutely. Will I wait 50+ minutes for a table at the Cheesecake Factory again? No way. To be fair, the Cheesecake Factory does, well, as you would imagine, have decent cheesecakes. I tried the Godiva cheesecake and well you can't go wrong with anything that has Godiva chocolate in it. Yet in general, the size of portions is simply off-putting - someone described it well in a previous review - it's like they're yelling "AMERICA!!!" in your face x20. I have a tough time eating that much in one sitting, and I usually have a large appetite. Also, I hate low ceilings and overly crowded places - so The Cheesecake Factory is really not my cup of tea. Perhaps go once for the experience but no need to make it your regular spot, there are far better (local) restaurants in Chicago!

Pat E.

Huge portions, at the bottom of the John Hancock! I had one of the best burgers ever here! I can see why this would be a top spot for an average tourists, and I am from the suburbs! The design of the place is AWESOME! GET CHEESECAKE (Oreo)!

Krati G.

I just loved the Blueberry mojito!! I haven't had a better mojito before. Rest, the food was alright (I am vegetarian). The portions were too big for a medium sized person.

Ed A.

The cheesecake factory was very good. I know, I know, many of the reviewers on Yelp have a repulsion towards corporate chains. Sometimes, I feel the same way. But good food is good food. Located in downtown Chicago, it is an easily accessible and affordable place to grab lunch or dinner. Yes, it is touristy, if that also includes suburbanites. But the service is always great and I have yet to be let down by anything I have eaten. The avocado egg rolls are outstanding! I could do without the decor. And, I don't like cheesecake. But besides that, the Cheesecake factory has solid food at reasonable prices for downtown Chicago.

Rhonda G.

So, when you think of cheesecake factory do you get visions of oompa loompas running around with some weird dude in a hat making all sorts of cheesecake? OK, me neither. So we're on the same page. Everyone knows what the cheesecake factory is and yet some of us still go (don't judge me). I have a friend who had never been and i'm sure going was on her "must do before I die list" so we went. The cheesecake is quite good and they have tons of different ones (snickers, ahem). BUT the food is absolutely terrible. The one in schaumburg had better food and that isn't saying much. I ordered pasta and it was undercooked and crunchy, the sauce was watered down and it was flavorless and gross. I immediately asked to order something else and the staff was very nice and accommodating (read: I don't think they spit in my food). My new order was a turkey burger and while it wasn't gross it just wasn't much of anything: turkey and buns...no WOW unless tomato and sad looking lettuce is their idea of wow. If you can order the cheesecake to-go then please do. The food is really not worth it and there are better places within spitting distance of this place. Seriously.

Heather L.

What can I say, I unapologetically love this chain of restaurants. I have been to this location and the one in Schaumburg. They are consistently yummy with fast friendly service in a semi-upscale room making it an excellent option for a Mom looking for a Ladies Day bite to eat with her eight year old BFF daughter. I have twice ordered the Thai lettuce wraps which are incredibly difficult to eat but the flavors are so good, I love them. Yes, your hands will be sticky but just ask for a wet nap and they provide you with warmed wet linen napkins. Very nice, thank you very much. The lettuce wrap is colorful and fresh and light but filling. It comes on a large platter with piles of julienned carrots, chopped cucumbers, cilantro, marinated chicken pieces, bamboo shoots and three Thai dipping sauces, the peanut butter chili sauce being my favorite. Of the three cheesecakes I've had on my last three recent visits, Chocolate Reeses Peanut butter cheesecake, Red Velvet cheesecake and Chocolate Candy Bar cheesecake; the Red Velvet was definitely my favorite. The other two being just a bit too dense and rich even after fresh salad. The decor is whimsical and fun but also warm and inviting. The service is efficient and friendly. The gentleman here was a little goofy but that worked for us. And they make a nice old fashioned.

Anuj S.

This place is definitely an experience. You gotta go at least once. You should see their menu... it's literally a BOOK. They have basically every kind of cuisine under the sun. Well, almost. I remember the quesadillas were really good. The pasta is OK. The pizza is also OK. Oh, the portabella sandwich is nice and juicy, if you like that. We really enjoyed these avacado spring rolls they have for appetiziers. Never seen that anywhere else. Taste-wise... I'd say the food is good. Not the greatest, but if you put everything else together, I like this place. Of course the cheesecakes are really special. Their dinner portions are so HUGE, though, you gotta remember to leave room for the dessert. That's gotta be the best part. Update: I went back here recently and remember why I'm not so high on this place. The food is just very average and I remember seeing them pop up on the worst foods in terms of health in the COUNTRY. I had the burrito this time. It was just so average...

Mike D.

Had some lunch with fam. Great cheesecake. Good bread. Nice atmosphere. Had strawberry and red velvet cheesecake. All good. That's how we roll ...Jack!

Heather W.

What can I say? It's a Cheesecake Factory. New menu seems to be the same as the old one to me. Cheesecake Factory really isn't anything special, but I like the vibe here and the service is always good. It's an easy go-to for lunch when you want something 'safe'. Snag a seat outside, if you can, when the weather is nice

Dhrisha P.

I Love this place. I have eaten here plenty of times and they never fail.. large portions of food great seasonings and drinks. I also forgot to order a cheesecake from there also. Dark setting so relaxing.

Ashley C.

If it was only their star cheesecake being rated, it would be a solid 4 of not 4.5 stars, but the rest of it just doesn't stack up. I find this place hard to rate because it varies so much. I've had some experiences better than others. I do love their cheesecake and will pay the $6-7 for it. I normally always get the Strawberry because it's classic, but this time I ventured out of my comfort zone and got the White Chocolate Blueberry. Amazing! Somehow when people visit, they always want to come here since no one has been. If it is going to be a chain, I'd prefer this one over others. We went for a late lunch is to avoid all the tourists (at 1:45 it was still busy but no wait). Their service (2 stars)... is medicore. This past time it was okay, but the waiter seemed rushed to get us out. When you want to enjoy lunch and good company, the last thing you want to be is rushed . There isn't enough staff for the volumne that they get there. The food was decent. I had the BBQ Chicken salad which was pretty tasty although it could have been more favorful. The dressing was good but the greens were too plain for what you pay for. I did not like that some of the lettuce did not seem as fresh (NOT GOOD). My friend ordered the pasta carbonara and really enjoyed it. Had the food not been on the pricey side, I'd probably get 3, but for that, the stuff should be more than decent. I should no better though since it is on Michigan Ave. Overall, I would definitely go back for their cheesecake. Most likely, I'd eat elsewhere and get it to go.

Andre W.

They have earned one more star from me because yesterday, my girl's parents came into town and one of the things on their agenda was the Cheesecake Factory. We got there around 5PM and for the second time out of all the times I have been there, there was hardly anyone there (I know to just show up during the week instead of the weekend). We all got cheesecake and my choice was my all time favorite, The Key Lime Cheesecake and it was great as usual! We all had martinis. The three of them got Cosmos and even though it wasn't on the menu, I got a French Martini (love those). One of the best French Martinis I have ever tasted in my life (true story!). My girl and her parents have never tasted a french martini, so I let them taste mine and the next round were all french (They are hooked now!) Service was awesome and for the first time ever I used the bathroom in this place and it was really nice actually. Good times, good company, good drinks and good cheesecake! Well deserved extra star Cheesecake Factory!

Karla P.

Nice lite menu. Really made my trip enjoyable. Good service too. They had Ginness

Javier Q.

This review is not about eating here but working for Cheesecake Factory. I was excited to work for such a big company and show case my skills as a cook. I learned about 20 items for the particular station, but the only main skill would be is BE EXTREMELY FAST. More of an intense labor, I didn't feel respected as an individual, but treated more like a number, or a robot of some sort. Breaks here DO NOT exist, you would work your whole entire shift without a break. I felt extremely bad for the employees who stayed in the back and rolled silverware all day without being offered drinks or food. I remember working 14 hours, and ONLY having a 30 minute break. May I add that the pay is not good, I did expect more of Cheesecake Factory to pay their workers more money than a "slow commercial restaurant" As fast-paced and POPULAR this place is, PENNIES are giving to their employees for all the hard work they do on a daily basis. I'm sorry but the owner's of Cheesecake Factory seem to be very selfish and find it RIDICULOUS to not pay employees for holidays. You expect ME TO WORK ON CHRISTMAS DAY WITHOUT getting paid more? HA! You must be joking! This place is not worth applying nor working for. If you enjoy being a "ROBOT" go ahead and work here. This place was by far the worst place I ever worked for, my voice has to be heard as I don't allow big companies not appreciating their employees for all the work they are doing to keep it running. REMEMBER, if it wasn't for the worker's there, there won't be no successful business as the worker's are the one's that bust their behinds for the pennies that they get because the Owner's of the company are very selfish individuals that don't care about no one else but themselves. And some advice, DON'T come bring your family when it's very busy here as if the food falls onto the floor they will pick it up and put it right on your plate. They simply have no time to make a brand new order. This is simply my opinion, and freedom of speech.

Jennifer T.

What happened to you, Cheesecake Factory? The last few times I visited this location we've had a few problems. One, you have to wait way too long for take out. My usual navajo has been dry and made with one small piece of chicken. There's more shredded lettuce than chicken. They ignore requests like "no mayo" even though it's on your take out receipt and they forget to give you your cheesecake. Thank goodness we called and made them aware that we paid for the cheesecake but didn't get it. They took it off our credit card and said if we came back they'd give us a free one. That was the best thing about the meal which shouldn't be surprising I guess since it's called the cheesecake factory. I'm disappointed though. I don't ever suggest that one should go to the suburbs but if you want to know what a Cheesecake Factory should really be, you should head to Oak Brook.

Ryan T.

Oscar was a phenomenal Manager this evening! We had a confusion finding the place and were stressed upon arrival, but Oscar, and our server John, cleared everything up and made us feel like royalty! You can't afford NOT to eat at the Cheesecake Factory at the Hancock!

Ethel I.

Great place, customer service. Very clean and good is great, large portions as well

Dawn H.

Pros: Great cheesecake. Great food (especially the avocado eggrolls and Thai lettuce wraps). Cons: Horrible wait. Every time. To make things worse, there's no where to wait. You're stuck obstructing the path of those arriving, those leaving, and the servers. Very claustrophobic experience....but what else do you expect from a chain restaurant on the Magnificent Mile? Worth visiting once per year. Enough said.

Bethany S.

Like the rating states; "Meh, I've experienced better" Go somewhere else, very expensive, no parking - if you drive downtown your parking for at least $20+ and the prices are very expensive for low quality and little quantity. Go somewhere else; there are plenty of other wonderful places to dine in downtown Chicago.

Jessica S.

My boyfriend had a gift certificate to the cheesecake Factory that we finally decided to take advantage of. Now, usually a big chain like this is not my style but the waitress was SO warm and attentive and the cheesecake was fantastic (the Craig's Carrot Cake Cheesecake was delectable) that we may decide to go back. A touristy spot for sure, the large palatial dining room is kind of cool. Cheers to cheesecake!

Rita W.

Although I like their cheesecake a lot, I feel the waiter in the restaurant is not professional. The service is bad. I almost had an argument with the manager. I won't go to that store anymore, and I believe there are other great dessert stores out there anyway.

Chuck W.

Cheesecake Factory food was good -- always is. On this Thursday noon, service was very slow. And the place was very, very cold.

Meghan H.

We actually come here pretty often due to its great location spack dab in the center of all of the Michigan Ave shopping. I've always loved the atmosphere of this place--unique (hard to describe)... Even when we come here at the prime lunch/dinner hour and it is packed, we never have to wait too long for a table despite our being a party of five. The service is always great. The complimentary bread is really yummy, especially the darker, oat-wheat loaf. It always takes forever to figure out what you want to order here because their menu is seriously a book. It is sooooo long; they have way too many items. Everything I've ordered on their menu tends to be good although the huge portions make it feel so heavy to me and consequently I feel guilty for eating it even if I only finish half of my plate (which is still a LOT of food). All of their cheesecakes are WONDERFUL. I have never had a bad experience there. Like the size of their meals, their cheesecake slices are huge, rich, and DELICIOUS! After such a huge meal, we're always too stuffed for dessert. But occasionally we'll order some cheesecake to go--yum :)

KuangYou C.

This is my second time to Cheesecake Factory, but last time was in San Francisco. It was good because we ordered a lot of food, and of course it cost me lot of $$. This time, my friends and I all had cheesecake and ice cream, but in different flavors. I had the caramel one. It was good but very sweet. I think it goes better with a coffee or tea. Besides, so many people there during weekends. I think it is better to go there during weekdays to avoid crowds and tourists.

Nari H.

Reasonable prices for what you get - good portions, quality food and good location (minus the parking) and it's almost always busy :) Favorites are: Angel Hair pasta with Shrimp and Kobe Beef burger (hits the spot) Tips: Can be a little loud. Visit the John Hancock Signature room on the 96th floor for drinks and an amazing view afterwards!

Marjorie F.

Living in Chicago aka "land of many options", I'm not a huge fan of chain restaurants. The few times I've been here have been 1) for work (I used to work in the Hancock), 2) because an out-of-town visitor insisted on coming here, and 3) when a friend has a craving for their cheesecake. Last night a friend had a craving for their food. This is something I just don't understand because of all the wonderful restaurants we have in this great city! But anyway... We started out with the avocado eggrolls. Strange, but tasty. I ordered the meatloaf while my friend ordered a salad. The portions are GI-NORMOUS!!! Good grief... I forgot about that! No wonder we have an obesity epidemic in this country. The meatloaf was OK... Not the best I've ever had. When I saw the plate, I knew it was too much. The portion was too big, sauce was overflowing on everything, and once I tasted it, there was too much salt. We also ordered dessert - the tiramisu. Holy whipped cream! There was a small slice of tiramisu with FIVE huge dollops of whipped cream on top and on the sides. Yuck... Too much whipped cream. Ummm... Are you noticing a theme here? Yes, TOO MUCH. The service was friendly and fast, which was nice. I'll give them that. Our server even went the extra mile to get the tirimisu from the main kitchen since they didn't serve it in the cafe section (on the 1st floor) where we were sitting. Bonus points to him! The decor is very much like Alice in Wonderland. I recommend laying off the hallucinogenics before coming here. Parking in the area is terrible, so you have to pay a high fee to park in their garage. It's something you can't avoid unless you have access to public transportation ( transitchicago.com ). Overall, my experience here was OK. Will go back? Only if you make me. In the meantime, I will continue my practice of avoiding chain restaurants as long as I live in this town!

V.i.o.l.e.t.t.a. D.

My boy and I came in around 8:15pm waited forever to be seated; one hour and forty-five minutes (all well worth it in the end). We were celebrating our friend Ashley's birthday and our waiter, I wish I could remember his name, was fabulous :] (all I remember was that he was a shift manager, blonde-ish) Anyways, I ordered the garlic noodle dish with pine nuts, asparagus, and Shitake mushrooms. I didn't care for the mushrooms, kinda wished they had been 'bellas and I didn't even get one asparagus tip, just the stems....BUT, it was still amazing so I didn't mind too much. For dessert my hunnie and I shared a strawberry cheesecake....heaven on a spoon. Per couple expect to pay $50 at least. (two entrees and one dessert)

Alesha S.

I enjoyed eating here.....again....and I will be back.

C M.

FYI: Despite what the above says, they still DO NOT TAKE RESERVATIONS (sorry for bold, just something I want people to see). They *might* for very large groups now (they did not 3 years ago), but definitely not just a few people. When I called after seeing the 'accepts reservations: yes' thing (I haven't been in a few years), I was told "Seating is on a first come, first serve basis." So they don't take reservations, and the above needs to change.

Oreo L.

Cheesecake factory has never really disappointed me or my gf for all the visits at different locations we've been there. One of our favorites is the Avocado spring rolls.

Jenna S.

Mmmmmm Dulce de Leche cheesecake. You are my weakness. I like the Cheesecake Factory. Yeah, I know, it's a chain restaurant. Chain restaurants can be good, too. I have no problem with the fact that it's a chain. If anything, the only problem I have is that it's busy so often that it's almost impossible to eat there without waiting at least 40 minutes for a table. The restaurant itself is a very nice place. Classy, kind of dark - a nice place for a date or a fun group outing. They have a nice bar in the back with first come, first serve tables and a nice place to hang out while you're waiting for a table. The food is great! I've never had a problem with anything I've ordered. I really like their veggie burger, regular burger and all of their appetizers. I am confident that anything I order will be good because the quality is good and the quantity is unbelievable. This is definitely a place that provides a ton of leftovers after the meal. And the cheesecake!! They have anything and everything possible for every taste. You can get a slice or an entire cake, whichever you choose. I've been at parties that have Cheesecake Factory desserts - yum!! Cheesecake happens to be my favorite dessert, so perhaps I'm biased, but it's fiercely delicious.

Erika G.

The only thing I ever order here is the gigantic Cobb Salad, which I lived large on today and dropped $15 for lunch. It's like crack though, so delicious. Ordered take-out, too much of a zoo to put up with eating in. The outdoor dining area can be pleasant, and at the foot of the Hancock, has some glamour to it. Jordan Mozer's cartoon interior isn't holding up so well with time, starting to show a bit of age and wear. I had such a crush on Chicago's Bad Boy of Architecture in the 80s. His interiors are really imaginative, but apparently don't age well. The bar can be fun, to snicker at the tourists. I only like this place in the winter, 'cos it seems closed in to me, and not a lot of windows, which I don't like. Good place to bring picky eaters, the food is reliably good, but nothing special. My love of giant salads continues unabated, but wow - the service at this place is pretty bad. Don't wait on someone else before you're finished with my transaction, woman!

Negin J.

You have to wait, almost 45 minutes, but it's worth it. The portions are big, and the brown bread that comes before your main course is out of this world. I ordered chicken madeira which was the waiter's suggestion and it was excellent. Their red velvet cheesecake is not as good as what you get at Swedish Bakery, but is delicious. You can also buy the whole cake and take it home with you without waiting in the line.

Raymond N.

Hostess was very rude. The paging system can definitely use improvement. I can't understand why after your pager buzzes, you need to go to another waiting area only to wait some mroe for the table to be ready. The waiter was very nice and professional, which compensated for the rudeness of the hostess. Place is located on a busy street (Michigan Ave) just under the John Hancock building. It has an outdoor seating area, which is nicely situated below street level for good amount of privacy) Speedy service. My favorite new dish at this time would be the chicken and shrimp gumbo. Great sauce with a generous amount of chicken and shrimp. Pack half of your meal otherwise you will not have room for a slice of their awesome cheesecake. GET THERE EARLY! I'm talking 5:30-6PM early and maybe you will wait just 45 minutes on a lucky day. A lot of tourists in the area.

Kori M.

Let me start by saying I need for everyone to get over this whole "chain restaurants are the devil" attitude. Yes it's a chain. Get over it. Oh and get over yourself too. If you were that much of a foodie you would have never stepped foot in this place to begin with. Okay! So now that we've got that out of the way on to the review... :-) So, I've been to Cheesecake plenty of times. Overall, it's not a bad spot. I think the ambiance is cute...in a weird but whimsical sort of way (Yes I said whimsical). The menu is overwhelming and it's hit or miss. Once you find something you like you should probably just stick with it every time. Keeps the disappointment down you know? Last time I was in this place I had the most excellent server. She was amazing. Every recommendation she made was spot on. Oh and they have a new pineapple upside down cheesecake that is TO DIE FOR. I rarely eat their cheesecake but this one is definitely worth a trip back. Overall, this place isn't bad. It's super crowded and touristy so I'd say stick to going during off peak hours. Also, once you find that meal you love...stick with it. Oh and leave your food snob friends at home. They'll only ruin the experience for you.

Stacey W.

I'd give it more stars, but the price and service were ridiculous. I got the chicken and biscuits and it was absolutely amazing. The biscuits were flaky and buttery and the mashed potatoes that came with it were phenomenal! The gravy was delicious as well. Of course we ordered cheesecake. I got the vanilla bean which was decadent. Our service went from good to decent to horrible. It took forever to get our drinks. The food came out in a normal time period. We had to wait a good 20-25 minutes just to get our cheesecake after we were done with dinner, and coincidentally our waiter was nowhere to be found during that time period. Needless to say he got the tip he deserved and we got out of there as quick as possible.

Konrad K.

I REALLY didn't like it here. Had to wait a very long time to be seated and the stuff seemed very rude to me. I'll never return there even if they paid me to.

Feskeli G.

My fav spot for avocado rolls! Fav spot for asian chicken salad, and pomegrante mojitos.

Joe X.

The food at Cheescake Factory is a 2 but we had good service here. The menu is confusing, there are too many options. They should cut the number of menu choices in half and raise the quality of the food to match that of what they do best: cheesecake.

Maria C.

It's touristy but still a nice place to eat. I really like the atmosphere and the restrooms especially. It wasn't a long wait at all to get a table. The server brought us some delicious bread that I kept ordering. I would've just been satisfied w/ that. I thought that the server was one of my favorites in a long time. I tried remembering his name but unfortunately I couldn't think of it. I had the "little" chicken tenders w/ a side of mashed and I substituted the corn for mac n cheese. I got back this huge portion which I'm glad that I have leftovers for today. I really wanted to make room for the cheesecake but I couldn't seem to stop eating my entree. I love it that I can enjoy food and a good conversation and of course a funny waiter.

Michael V.

I really wish the Cheesecake Factory came to Canada. Talk about a place that wants to stuff you. I think they should start with the dessert menu first then the main courses. No matter what I order I get a ton of food. I think the next time I go, I am going to share my dish with my wife... and son... that's how much food they give. I ordered the Kobe burger and it was divine. Such tender meat patty... I am drooling as I am typing. Overall, this chain is very good. They treat their customers well and the food is great for the price.

Michael K.

I love this place!! I've been to several Cheesecake Factories in different cities and never had a bad meal or a bad experience. Wanna know what's good? EVERYTHING!! They're notorious for their huge menu which people describe as a "book". The only issue might be that depending on when you go, you could be waiting over 40 minutes for a table but if you drink, that time will pass quickly if you wait at the bar. I HIGHLY recommend their Passion Fruit Mojito. IT'S UNBELIEVABLY GOOD!! For their food, I recommend their Crispy Taquitos for a appetizer and their Kobe Burger is delectible. Their salads are HUGE but delicious. I can go on and on, but I'm sure if you go, whatever you order will be good.

Helena G.

If you are a cheesecake lover this place is for you! They have many types of cheesecake! It's a challenge to choose one piece! I already tasted a few! My favorite one is the banana cheesecake. I don't recommend the Godiva chocolate unless you are a cocoa addict! Otherwise it can be too much! I usually share a piece with my fiance and in the end I always feel full!

Kathy S.

Ah yes, Cheesecake Factory...I would come here more often except for my love affair with its sister restaurant Grand Lux. (Sorry CF, I still love you...) I remember my first time going to Cheesecake Factory and seeing Jerry Springer with all his crazy groupies...that was quite interesting...especially since, for a couple minutes I couldn't put my finger on why "that guy" looked so familiar (Please don't look at me in disbelief...I didn't watch the show). Anyways, I instantly fell in love with the avocado eggrolls...delicious! And to this day, I always make sure to order it when I frequent CF. Another default of mine would be their chicken and shrimp jambalaya pasta (FYI, Grand Lux has this too but with rice instead). For dessert, I love their chocolate tuxedo cheesecake...it is absolutely scrumptious. People think that Grand Lux is a tourist trap but I don't know, Cheesecake scares me more in terms of that. I think it has to do with the fact that it's in the Hancock building.

Kwoky L.

With a location right under the John Hancock building, this Cheesecake Factory is probably the busiest one that I've been to. Every single time when I walk in the door, this place is close to full house. Now, is the food really THAT good? It's decent enough that picky me would want to be back here in the future. I've been here on several occasions, even for my own birthday. I like how extensive the menu is. You have a variety of items to choose from and their taste was consistently good. Not particularly inventive or avant garde, if that's what you are expecting but the menu is varied enough that you won't go, "Oh geez, it's the usual burger, fries, and pasta again?" Yes, not to mention, fabulous cheesecakes. I find them quite expensive, about $5-$7 a slice if I have not mistaken. It's not awesome but again, it's good and there's plenty to choose from. I would recommend the Godiva cheesecake.

Rishabh A.

Food is great... But very large portions... I and another friend shared an entree and we ordered appetizers as well.. it was enough for both of us.. Otherwise a nice place to visit. But make sure you have reservations before hand as we had to wait for 45 mins on a weekend night.

Jessica W.

So for my birthday, a couple of friends and I decided to take a road trip to Chicago. Best idea yet. We will be back soon. Anyways. The first restaurant we decided to dine at was the lovely Cheesecake Factory. Although it seemed busy, we were seated in a matter of minutes. The inside is dim but very nicely decorated and a lot of seating. We sat down, looked at the menus and... wow. Pages and pages of items to choose from, it was a booklet. We ordered our appetizers, I believe three of them. Holy cow they were good! As a seafood lover, I was pleased to see so many dishes available, and the prices were reasonable. No complaints about the food quality whatsoever. Next, dessert. You haven't seen a desert menu until you've looked at theirs. You will need more than a couple minutes to pick one or two out. Our cheesecakes were absolutely delicious, and we were beyond full. As I mentioned earlier, prices are reasonable, so our checks were average. The next time we come to Chicago we are definitely dining here again!

Anna P.

I only come to Cheesecake Factory when I am in the mood for...well, cheesecake. And every time I do that, I am very happy and satisfied. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend coming here - this location is strangely dirty and the food sucks and the service is good but it's just not worth it considering all the other options nearby. Stick to what they do best - dessert - and you'll walk away full but happy.

Rick F.

Atmosphere: Cheesey! Food: Standard Theme restaurant fare Service: Lunch SLOW! Prices: Slightly overpriced for the level of service Bathrooms: Clean Server was very formal for a lunch service, zero personality. Took a long time to bring the check. It's lunch! he should have been more cognizant of his job! Food was good! Spring Rolls, Chopped Salad and Edamame! Go for the location!

Glynis W.

Always a good restaurant selection when visiting North Michigan Avenue!

Kate S.

We went to this place last night and it was packed to the max! We were told that we would be waiting for approx. 30 minutes, which ended up to be 50 minutes. The good thing was that we were given a beeper, so we could go outside to take pictures in front of Christmas tree and the little train installation at the second entrance. As at every Cheesecake Factory, the menu was extensive and it took me another 15 minutes to decide. The Avocado Egg Role was as expected delicious, particularly with the sweet sauce it comes with. The Hibachi steak I ordered was decent, so were the wasabi mashed potatoes. Everything a little unspectacular, but we didn't expect more from a chain like this. However, the selection of ice creams was a bit disappointed, but once ordered the Godiva chocolate brownie sunday ice cream thingy, it made up for it in size. It could've fed two tables actually. At the end we ordered two cheesecakes, the low carb and the banana one, and they really were the highlight of our breakfast table next morning. All in all, our waitress was friendly and casual, the food is decent, the selection extensive, but nothing special. The waiting and the place being so packed, was not great though, to say the least. Just order some cheesecake here and take it home to enjoy with a good movie. P.s. Don't take your date here! Although the lights are dim, there're more romantic and private places. At least the girl at the next table did not look too impressed. Don't think the guy will get a second date.

Shannen B.

This place stays crowded. Every time I visit Chicago I come here and and surprised at how crowded it is, but also how short the wait time is. We waited about 15 minutes for a table for two. The place was jam packed. Our waiter wasn't the best, we had to keep reminding him to bring things, but he was attentive. The menu in this place is ridiculous. It's something like 15 pages long. This is going to sound silly, but I wish they had more non cheesecake desserts. I actually really dislike cheesecake and would have liked to have ordered dessert if they had better choices. I ended up getting a rather tasty Pasta Carbonera. All their food is tasty, really. It's also rather pricey. I was shocked to discover that my strawberry lemonade was 4.95! My dining partner ordered strawberry cheesecake and he wasn't too impressed by it. Considering that Chicago has tons of delicious authentic restaurants this is an ok choice for when you're shopping on the Mag Mile, otherwise skip the trip.

Sherry C.

This used to be my absolute number 1 place to go, and for years I went every Sunday night without fail! They're menu is so extensive and they have everything you could possibly want! The service is usually quick and efficient although they can get pretty slammed. So I go here after about a year's hiatus and I notice how SMALL the portions have gotten! My boyfriend and I shared the spinach cheese dip, and the dipping bowl was incredibly tiny. Then he ordered a burger and I had the shrimp scampi with angel hair pasta. I've seen their pasta dishes before, and I'm telling you they must have cut that bad boy by about 2/3rds of what it used to be! My boyfriend's burger was mostly bread and looked like it came out of McDonalds. This was the first time I have ever left Cheesecake Factory disappointed and still hungry! What happened?

An P.

I guess when my dad thinks of downtown, the first thing that comes into mind is Cheesecake Factory. That being the case, me and a cousin went out to meet him but I was running late due to the latest series of CTA cutbacks. Being late, I hurried to the Cheesecake Factory and entered through the upstairs entrance. The entire upstairs was abandoned, nary a sole and the lights were off with about a dozen or more tables and room to sit but no one manning the door. Getting the hint, I walked downstairs and saw empty rows of seating everywhere for noontime. I knew tourist season was over, but how could Cheesecake Factory be THIS empty!! After walking down through more of the restaurant I found someone who asked if I needed help, I kept on going and found my fam waving at me but was confused as no direct path was available and had to navigate through more zig zags and around the corners. When I sat down, the other table started waving trying to flag down their waiter and made fun that they had finally got his attention. I quickly ordered some Tropical Iced Tea and we waited for our bread. Eventually the waiter came back and we ordered two platters of fried shrimp and a crab cake appetizer. The food came out relatively quickly and our drinks were refilled but the lunch entrees came before the bread did doh! The food was standard bar food and wasn't anything special in my opinion. It is typical American dining out fare, you will find much of the same at Red Lobster, Appleby's, TGIFriday's, Ruby Tuesday, etc. I kind of lump them all in the same category, nothing especially unique, but still good atmosphere and tasty unhealthy food when you feel like it. Better than Long John's Silver haha!!

Natalie M.

As a Chicago native, I usually on go to the Cheesecake Factory when a. I have a craving for good cheesecake or b. tourists are in town. I used to go more often, as I found something on the menu that wasnt terribly huge with an excess of calories-their vegan burger w/broccolli instead of fries, but they discontinued that selection. The four-cheese pasta is tasty(and yes loaded with calories and fat), but anyone going to the Cheesecake Factory knows what they are getting into. I say its nice for a special occasion inwhich one desires tasty rich food......but this is not a place to go to regularly. I do think Grand Lux has them beat on desserts that are not cheesecake, but I think the food at Cheesecake Factory is of better quality.

Shradha A.

I just cannot make myself to like this place - I've given it 3 tried before finally making my decision to put a 2-star on it! This place is the perfect example of chain restaurants gone out of control! Their breakfast is better than their lunch, but still not good enough to make my go back again. I just feel this place has hollow hype and word of mouth value, more for the "experience" of having been to "THE Cheesecake Factory" and not much else. The Boston ones are much better!

Tj M.

We dined here one evening while staying in the gold coast.My girlfriend wanted to try this and I was up for it as it looked nice.This is in the basement of the john Hancock building. We sat in the lounge area and it was a trendy and different place to dine. The menu was real big and they had everything and the pops that they brought were in big glasses.With everything they had we actually just got the grilled cheese as that what we had a taste for.It was gigantic and we could not even finish it,it comes with a lot of fries too.Of course there cheesecake and other desserts our there too, but we were full.We thought this was a good place to eat and I think you'd enjoy it here. You can dine inside or outside in the patio area.

Joshua C.

You get a lot of food for the price, but there is no other spot to get Cheesecake but here.

Bob D.

The only thing missing is the cattle prod. Maybe I should be glad this institution is here. Perhaps I should be grateful for the way the uninformed and main street American types flock to this watered down trough. It is possible this keeps me from watching people drop ice cubes in their white zin at my favorite haunts. The menu reads like a glossary from a menu text book. Written by accountants and bean counters alike. Something for everyone. Everywhere you turn the "greatness" of the Cheesecake factory is shoved up your rear. If they laid claim to giant portions of mediocrity, they would be right on. The claims of "delicious", and "mouth watering", fall well short of their promise. Enormous portions are what most people tell their friends about, this should be heeded as a warning. These are the same boasts people waddle away from Old Country Buffet muttering. The business plan is simple, give the customer a bunch of shiny things to distract them, over flow the plate with fries, lettuce and whatever the cheapest thing out there is, and when they realize how unsatisfied they are, stick a giant piece of sweet stuff out there, (which was most likely the only reason you agreed to have this meal), and guilt everyone into paying for this epic failure of gastronomy. My daughter opted for the strawberry shortcake, her words were, "the cake is hard and dry". As for the other foods, does it really matter, it all comes from the same feed lot.

Katherine R.

Food presentation is lovely such as the veggie burger and fries dish. You cannot have an intimate dinner for two here. There are people talking all over and you can't hear yourself talk. There is a hollow sound or echo. The acoustics is not condusive for dinner for two. Yet the setting and ambiance is cool to look at with all the shimmery copper colored industrial factory. The views of the Magnificant Mile are pretty nice near the window. The dulce leche cheesecake is the bomb!

Chris D.

Took my team for lunch here. Truly enjoyed the time there. Great team building afternoon. Server was fantastic. No excessive wait. Food was typical your Cheesecake Factory dishes and everyone seemed to get exactly what they wanted. Nice job! I have no complaints here.

Erin G.

I like to come here occasionally...love the small plates and Banana Cream Cheesecake but last time I was here I couldn't believe how the service was...don't know if I'll go back.

Food Junkie S.

went here with my wife for a quick dinner. The waiter took our order and everything seemed to be normal. After we placed our orders, we waited over 20 min to receives our drinks, which I think is unacceptable. Nonetheless we ignored it. Our app. came out shortly after. We ordered a burger and after waiting 45 min, we still had not received any food. We had to ask for refills. The server was beyond rude. When we asked when our food was coming, he said it hadn't been that long and that he would check. Instead he walks by and brings the manager. This is unacceptable at any restaurant. No one should ever have to wait 50 min for food that never came out. The server (Brian I think -bar area) should be fired. The food was terrible. The manager apologized and assured us he would make it right next time. Too bad, we will not be returning. I understand it just a burger and I'm not spending a lot of money, but this kind of service and wait time is unacceptable for any establishment. The manager has wrapped up our burger to go. The togo box had a Grand Lux logo on it. Thought I had gone to Cheesecake.... avoid this place and save your money and time.

Jill W.

It was hectic and crazy. You get a buzzer and told when it goes off to go through the tunnel. Then you don't know what to do. People standing around with buzzers going off and no one helping. Finally realized you have to go down to this bar and give them your buzzer and name, then wait again for your name to be called. Food was just on, nothing I would pay to eat again. Only reason they are getting 2 stars is because the cheesecake is so good. I would recommend just going there for the cheesecake.

Jacques M.

Let me first start by saying I'm not big on the whole "rate chains low" anti corporate sentiment. For me good food is good food. That being said Cheesecake factory has its high and low points. As other reviewers of have stated Cheesecake Factory offers large portions of standard American fare. Despite the large portions, I'm still not sure I want to shell out $14 to $16 for Fried Fish, Chicken Fingers, and other easy to come by standard dishes (although I have). The dishes, while not a great bargain, are always pretty decent (albeit nothing to get excited about). However, Cheesecake Factory (at least this location) features one of my pet peeves. I simply can't stand it when restaurants do not put prices next to their beer. It puts you in that awkward situation (if you want beer), do I ask for the price and look like a cheap skate (especially on a date) or do I risk paying $7 for a bud light? As far as the cheesecake goes, it is really good. I've had the Godiva Chocolate & Some type of Cookie Dough Cheesecake both came in generous tasty portions. This is the restaurants strong point (hints the name Cheesecake Factory). The service at this location is excellent. The hostess was very friendly and the server was also friendly and attentive. If you hate tourists (or at least eating with them) don't go here. Atmosphere is strange in an interesting way (I think it's supposed to be cheesecakes coming out of the walls and ceilings??) Overall, I give it a solid 3 star rating. I'm not sure I would recommend going here for lunch or dinner (although I wouldn't say avoid it either), but definitely a great dessert spot.

Nicki W.

I'm usually not up for the limited chain establishments in Chicago, but I've been walking past the place quite frequently for the past 5 years and I'm intrigued by the general look of the place so finally I decided to take a stab at Cheesecake. My friend and I went on Wednesday night and the place was pretty busy, not to mention...it's HUGE. It was freezing outside and snowing heavily. They seated us at a nice table right by the window (which in my opinion is one of the only spots I would ever sit). The views are nice and with the snow falling it was nice and peaceful. Our waiter was really friendly and he helped us narrow down some items on the menu. Did I mention that this menu has the most serious case of A.D.D that I've ever seen? They have Italian food, Asian, Mexican, American...possibly more..but I started losing patience. I've never seen so many random items at one place. I guess they have over 200 menu options. I would much rather go to a place that specializes in one type of cuisine (otherwise I wonder about quality control). We ordered some Pot Stickers, Thai Lettuce Wraps and Roasted Stuffed Dates. I was impressed. The stuffed Dates were wrapped in Bacon and they had a great combination of sweet and salty taste. The Thai Lettuce Wraps is what I really enjoyed. The Peanut sauce is to die for and the chicken had a great marinade on it. All of the apps were pretty simple. After the apps, we were stuffed, so I can't comment on the entrees or sandwiches but the Cheesecake is something I was personally looking forward to! I get excited when restaurants have a nice list of coffee drinks (especially when it's collld out). I had the Cafe Mocha with the following Cheesecake selections: Lemon Rasberry Creme, Peppermint Bark and the Peanut Butter Fudge Ripple. Of course the Peanut Butter was my favorite...but they were all SO good. Bad news for those of us trying to stick to a healthy diet, but a little slice of heaven here and there wont kill me! The overall ambience of the place wasn't bad either, but for the most part I try to stay away from the tourist-trap dining establishments on Michigan Ave during most times of the year. If you're wondering what all that gold chrome all over the place is, I was wondering the same thing. I felt like I was inside a pie (the waiter told us it was supposed to be the inside of a Cheesecake) hmm..either way, cool place for a tourist-trap chain. I'll be back,

Gailmarie W.

Visited after Windy City Live this morning! Wonderful server, even better food! Fun,fun,fun!!!! I'm SUCH A HAPPY CAMPER!!!

Emily T.

When my friends all insisted we eat dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, I thought i'd be going to a cafe and getting a sandwich and cheesecake. But it's a full restaurant, with a full bar. And I sure didn't expect to get drunk there either. We waited a loooong time to get seated,and sure the place is trendy, touristy, and the food is sub-par. But the atmosphere was nice, I had a lot of fun there and our server was very nice and didn't give us crap about splitting the check. I split fish and chips with a friend, and splurged on strawberry martinis--they were strong and delicious! The place burned a hole in my pocket, but everything is expensive in Chicago. Oh, I didn't even try the cheesecake. It's like $7 a slice. I'll get my dessert in Detroit, thanks.

Lady G.

This restaurant's customer service STINKS. That is all.

Dantee A.

I expected slow service, average food, and overpriced drinks when I took my family here to eat at this "tourist-tastic place - I was right! So why the 4-star review? There is a charm about this restaurant on how it handles tourists, ridiculous requests ("make my latte 105 degrees please" - the table behind us), and the apologetic wait-staff. It's very humorous watching the wait-staff handle these situations - they are very tolerent and should be rewarded for their patience. I would recommend coming here for dessert during a restaurant crawl of some sorts. One cheesecake is enough for two people. Just order a cheese-cake and two coffee's and your set. Sit at the bar too - they have a nice bar menu just in case you don't want to wait.

Julie T.

I was never partial to any of their food, except: Avocado eggrolls.. amazing, crisp and refreshing. Red velvet cheesecake..I don't even normally like cake, but this was moist and dense. a delicious mix of the rich cheesecake and soft velvet cake. Will not order food from here, but I will detour for a slice of red velvet cheesecake!

Marissa B.

How'd I possibly end up here?! Sigh. Oh yeah. Out of town friends who reaaaallly wanted to go. I would have thought that at 9pm on a Saturday night the wait would be shorter but I was wrong. 75-90 minutes - yikes. The food was mediocre and the service was sloooooow. No water or drink refills either. I ordered a pizza that was supposed to come with artichokes, spinach, basil & tomato. I searched and searched and all I could find were a few stray artichoke leaves scattered on my pizza. Not chunks, not pieces of artichoke... I'm talking just a few, random, thin, little leaves. I never found the basil. Sadness!! The crust was hard and coated in oil, not impressive. They had no kids menu but they agreed to a "kids size" portion of pasta & sauce for $8. It was a small bowl of bowtie pasta and a small (separate) bowl of marinara that looked like ragu. Presentation: 0 points. I also have one beef with the bathrooms: There are only sinks in each stall! So if you need to just wash your hands, well, you're waiting in line with everyone else. BOTTOM LINE: Not going back, unless there is some serious arm twisting. You can do better, even on the Magnificent Mile... just venture out a block or two.

John C.

This place is dirty. The floor was greasy, the menus dirty, the wine glasses grossed us out, and don't even look under your table. The guy working thing host stand when you come in was actually rude. There were a couple of workers there that really tried, but they are setup for failure. Mgmt should be ashamed at the condition of the restaurant. If the FOH is that way I don't want to think about the kitchen. We will never go there again.

Jung C.

I'm not a fan of Cheesecake Factory, but I was pleasantly surprised by this location. Service was great, food presentation was great, and the food itself was really delicious. I tried two different pastas, and I really liked both of them, especially the Chicken Chipotle Pasta which I thought sounded okay, but tasted pretty great. As expected, the place was crowded and loud even during a weekday dinner. My only complaint is the level of loudness and it was much too dark for me- I wish they had lit up the place a little more. All in all, great food, great service, a little lacking in atmosphere.

Amy S.

The food was very mediocre and we sat near one of the stations where the staff put in their orders and very loudly heard them talk about the people they were waiting on( all of it derogatory) but it seemed that they were all in pretty much a bad mood in our area. The prices were average.

Dan C.

Here's the deal, to be upfront. I have never been to this particular Cheesecake Factory, although I have been to a couple others. That being said: Don't go here, especially if you are a tourist!!! You are in CHICAGO. This is a foodie city. Go to a restaurant you can't go to in any suburban mall in America. Every time I go past this place there are throngs of people waiting an insane amount of time for mediocre food they could get when they go home. That being said, go ahead and pick up a piece of cheesecake to take back to your hotel room. The cheesecake is actually pretty good.

Laneka G.

cheesecake factory is always crowded, always. i go here for a takeout slice of red velvet cheesecake its divine

Jessica B.

The Cheesecakes are marvellous! I ordered a red-velvet cheesecake last friday and it was awesome, although you'd certainly need more people to help finish it up, since it's very fulfilling. Kudos for the cakes! I had fettucine alfredo with chicken too, and it was just as i expected, simple, creamy and smooth! (Beware of the HUGE portions!) The waiter was REALLY friendly and quick!! Great service overall!! The only dissatisfaction I felt was because it was too crowded on weekends.. So if you were going merely after the main courses, I'd say the wait was not worthwhile.

Lindsay A.

I should be embarrassed to like this place as much as I do since it's a chain, but I can't help it. Everything I've ever ordered here has been good -- drinks, food, cheesecake -- and the servers are all quick, polite and attentive. And, considering the Michigan Avenue location, the prices are good (at least for the food; I've always thought the slices of cheesecake were a little overpriced). This makes the Cheesecake Factory a typical stop for me during any trip to Chicago. My "usual" is the lunch-sized (but still gigantic) Chinese Chicken Salad and a slice of cheesecake. Godiva chocolate is my favorite. On my most recent visit, I tried the Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake. Not as good as the Godiva, in my opinion, but definitely not bad.

Ivan G.

Awesome place. Can't leave without cheesecake!

Albert C.

Pretty standard fare with a wide variety of lunch and dinner choices and really good dessert. Favorite entrees include the Chinese chicken salad, the spicy crispy chicken sandwich and Joe's special omelette. Most of their entrees are large enough to share (or for two meals), which appeals to my cash-strapped sensibilities. Among the cheesecakes, I like the fresh strawberry and the chocolate Oreo mudslide. Being located in the lower level of the Hancock on Michigan Avenue is a nice touch. I can't vouch for the parking, since I've only ever taken the Red line to Chicago and just walked. Lots of fond memories of eatin with friends boosts this place to 3.5 stars.

Gina V.

This place would have gotten 5 stars except the hostess was terrible and the ladies restroom was gross. When we entered the hostess didn't even greet us. She told us a table (Saturday night at 10pm) would be a 40 minute wait to sit inside or outside. About 10 minutes later our buzzer goes off for our table to be ready. Either someone made a mistake or the girl was a big moron. As we were walking to where they were seating us we heard another host tell a table of 2 the wait would be 15 minutes. So I am thinking our hostess was an idiot. Our server Keith was AMAZING!!!!! He was friendly, knowledgable about the menu, the food, the drinks!!! Overall he made our experience that much better. He is what I expect out of every server I encounter. I can not say enough great things about Keith. If you go here ask to be in his section. Overall the food was good, the fried Mac and cheese was Fantastic. But I mean can you say anything bad about fried cheese and pasta. The entree sizes were huge, but the taste of them was good, they would improve a bit.

Joshua M.

The only reason to go here is if you have friends or family in town, and they're "absolutely dying to try out 'The Cheesecake Factory.'" I went with a(n ex-)friend of mine who was from Arkansas... We had a $300 bill (not surprising here - the prices are outrageous), and he STIFFED the (awesome) waiter and pocketed the tip money I figured into my half of the bill. I felt so bad, I never went back.

Ariane M.

Me and my friend went a couple a weeks back and the experience was amazing like seriously. There was no wait time, our waiter was amazeballs and even the manager on duty checked to make sure our service and meal was good. no complaints here, going back ASAP.

Tam T.

So the update to the less than expected service. After writing the review and sending it to Cheesecake, I received a phone call from Nick (their manager apparently who doesn't seem to be in office that often), who informed me of his sadness to hear my bad experience. He gave me his number and told me to call back to discuss the matter. Upon receiving the message, I proceeded to call Nick back to be greeted by one of the staff, who told me that she does not know of anyone by that name that works at the Cheesecake. I listened to the message again and tried the other number instead of the caller ID number, which went to Bryan (a staff member). This time Bryan placed me on hold for 10 minutes after he said he will try to find Nick for me. I was then disconnected. I gave them a benefit of a doubt and called back. Bryan responded by saying Nick was not there.... The PLOT THICKENS! I called back next day and got a girl (Jessica), who said that Nick was not in again. Surprisingly, a manager seems to not do much at the factory. As I type this update, I am on hold for 20 minutes already on the following day after Bryan answered and told me to wait while he tries to see if Nick is in. Now this is just purely amusement on my part at this point. Let's see what corporate will do when this is sent to them. I suspect not much since they will override it and keep on trucking since I won't make such an impact, but still amusing to me. If negative stars, I would...

Lou A.

Service is meh, food is meh, but the cheesecake is fabulous!

Lucian I.

Don't believe the hype. We went there on a visit to Chicago, because everybody told us we had to go there. The restaurant is a tourist spot, crowded, but we didn't have to wait long, about 10 mins. I hated the decor, they go for whimsy, it comes out tacky. The waiters are dressed in all white, and it makes them look like orderlies from a mental institution. The food was very unimpressive. The menu is huge, and you need a few minutes to get through it, especially if it's your first time there like it was for us. We had a BLT salad as an appetizer, which was good, and ordered 2 entrees from the seafood menu. The portions are huge (even the soft drinks came in a huge glass, probably somewhere around 30oz), and the food was ok, but nothing to make me go back there. I doubt that I will ever eat again in a Cheesecake Factory. It is overhyped and overpriced, especially since what they serve seems to be just glorified fast food. The cheesecake was good, but very, very expensive, at about $7-9 a slice. It didn't blow me away like I would expect for that price. You can find better, cheaper desserts at local Chicago restaurants. We ended up spending about $80 including tip and dessert, for something that was probably worth about half of that amount. In my opinion, you'd be better spending your money in a local restaurant, trying some of the local fare: there are lots of gems spread all around the city, where you can have a more pleasurable and satisfying experience.

Jon B.

Just a Fun Place: It's a fast paced restaurant with great service. They offer HUGE portions. They have the largest salads I have ever seen. The drinks are good, even if you prefer non- alcohol, but the best thing of all is the CHEESECAKE. The deserts are fresh and the variety seems to be endless. The service is great and the prices aren't bad either. One meal with appetizers for one comes to about ranges $20- $30

Josh H.

The food and cocktails were excellent but the service was inexcusable. We waited over an hour to get a table which was fine, however when we were sat we waited an additional 10 minutes before we were even noticed. The sever asked us if we wanted water and then brought it to us after another longer wait. It got worse after that. He was inattentive and dismissive from then on. He never introduced himself or went over any specials. When we had planned to order 2 appetizers, but after my girlfriend ordered hers, the server ran off before I could order mine, and before we we could order our cocktails. We ordered our cocktails from another server because we could not get the attention of ours, when they were brought to us one was wrong. The server alone made this night one that I wish to forget, he cost himself at least $30 in sales due to the appetizer ordeal, not telling us about the specials (we overheard another server explain that Clam Chowder was the soup and we both would have gotten that had we known) and it taking so long to get our cocktails. I reluctantly left him a 10% gratuity, but he did not even deserve that.

Gayatri D.

Two words - Strawberry cheesecake :) Our average Sunday brunch turned into an afternoon well spent at the factory. The food tastes good, the servers are friendly and it doesn't burn a hole in your pocket. For all those who don't like the massive portions or the mediocre food or the chainy touristy feel of the place ... go elsewhere and save the rest of us the 20 min wait to get a table. Thank you!

Wesley H.

I have been here many times and always love coming here, especially when I'm starving! I have a big appetite, and the portions here are very large, but still have great flavor as if it were created on a smaller scale. The location cannot be beat; right on the bottom floor of the Hancock Center - across the street from Water Tower Place and many stores. The atmosphere is really neat also. There is a lot of attention to detail and I would describe the atmosphere as if you were submerged in a dessert wonderland (the ceiling is made to look like a pie lattice) . This restaurant so far has my all time favorite dessert - the Godiva chocolate cheesecake. With ice cream, this rich fluffy cheesecake is the cure to any chocolate sweet tooth. The meals do get a bit pricey if you add drinks and the dessert, but definitely worth it.

Heather K.

Cool bathroom! I'm serious--you have to check it out if you go. By the way, the food is amazing. Huge portions! And obviously, their cheesecake is great!

Sasha M.

My chicken and mushroom pizza tasted like it was thrown in the microwave. That sh** was a soggy mess but whatever. The red velvet cheesecake is still the sh** though. POW!!

Brandon B.

I think every time I eat here the whole experience gets a little less special. Why? Maybe I'm getting more mature? Maybe the white generic suburbanite from nowhereville America is slowly oozing out of me from the unique tastes of Chicago over many years? I shouldn't flatter myself. Maybe its the mega mentality (mega wait, mega menu, mega fem waiters (not complaining), mega partions (my salad was the size of a 400lb man's omentum), mega loud, mega annoying people who think this is a fancy place. I have to admit the architecture is pretty cool though...I feel so healthy eating a salad dinner, if I ignore the fact it was 3000 calories! And they offered cracked pepper! How fancy!!

Diana S.

This place has fun decor and huge portions. The menu can be really overwhelming because it's like an entire book. There is way too much to choose from. Make sure to save room for the cheesecake. Personally, I think Grand Lux is a lot better, but that could be because I love the beignets and they don't have those here.

Michelle H.

Oh this place. First of all, there food has enough salt in it to last me 3 years. The dishes are massive and hide what could be a good flavor with a shit-ton of salt. One way to tell when things are fresh is to see how overly salty they are. The food, aside from the salt just isn't that good. I don't understand why people wait forever, end up paying close to $30 a person, when nothing about the cheesecake factory is even worth it. Yes, they do have good Cheesecake, but better can be found elsewhere. Seriously disappointing.

Leang E.

I know I can be so anti-chain restaurants, but this place has such a huge menu and variety that there's usually something for everyone. Plus, the service I had here was pretty good. Even though there was a wait, the host let us know that there was an empty table at the bar. This was great because we were looking to eat and head out to see a musical. I had a margarita that tasted like lemonade. It definitely makes it different, and I'm not quite sure if I ike that or not. I ordered the griled chicken and avocado sandwich substituting the fries with a salad. It was very tasty! I love avocados. Our waiter was quick and very friendly, and he was quite charming. If the line isn't long, I don't mind coming here, and during the summer it usually is..

Sarah S.

Worst service I have ever seen at a restaurant! Over the course of the meal, we had at least 3 different waiters because our waiter was currently "on break". After being ready to order for at least 15 minutes, had to flag down a waiter that could take our order. We were then told we would get the bread, but 20 minutes later another waiter comes out and tells us the bread is baking so it shouldn't be much longer. About the same time the bread came out, 3 of our 4 meals are delivered. After waiting a good 5 or 10 minutes for the last meal, a waiter finally comes out and tells us the last meal wasn't put in so it will be a little longer. Finally all get our meals and finish. We had already decided on cheesecake to order and again have to flag down a waiter to go get ours. In total, it took us over 2 hours from being seated to getting our bill. So upset with the service that we wanted to speak to a manager, but yet again our waiter disappeared. By far the worst service I have ever seen. The meal was good, but the waiter ruined this experience for us.

Rocky B.

I'm not necessarily a fan of eating at this place. I mean with long lines, less than mediocre service and just okay food...I'd rather skip it. The real deal here for me is the Carrot Cake. OMG, it is awesome! I can just walk in, and yeah I wait in a bit of a line at the counter, place my order and boom...walk out with a huge, honking slice of Carrot Cake. So good, so fresh and topped with whipped cream. You take that out and sit on the steps by the water wall and there is nothing more perfect.

Geno T.

I'm not usually a fan of chain restaurants, but MY GOODNESS...I LOVE CHEESECAKE..and when it comes to a grand offering of cheesecakes, there is no better place than the Cheesecake Factory! But aside from deserts, the Cheesecake Factory has never disappointed me with their dishes of culinary delights. They are always tasty and well-portioned. Mmmm..mmmm...Absolutely delicious and I must say this is perhaps one of my favorite places in town for a late lunch or early dinner. Ooooh Soo Good :-) 4 out of 5 stars, losing one star only because it is a chain restaurant on paper...even though not in taste :-)

Bill M.

This part of the chain at least has a plum location at the foot of the John Hancock Center, with a cool design too. The menu is massive and should have something you will like, though it may be harder to find something that you will love. It's a busy place, though waiting in the Hancock plaza is not necessarily a bad thing. I guess you have to order the cheesecake, whether you can finish it or not.

Tim J.

We just got back from my wife's birthday dinner at the cheesecake factory in Chicago. We waited only moments to be seated on our reservation, but I watched 21 minutes tick by watching as tables all around us got seated with bread and water. When the table immediately to our right got their order taken and a moment later the table just beyond got their starter(both seated after us), I grabbed a waiter and asked to see a manager. We got an apology from a second manager and finally a waiter. After, starters arrived quickly. First the fried egg rolls with Guac, clearly fried in a hurry to get to us fast. Therefore very greasy and undercooked. After, the Thai lettuce wrap, which was the highlight of the evening. Although I imagine it is hard to screw up a raw appetizer plate. She had the orange chicken, a dish she had the previous day at the Cheesecake factory in Niles and said this portion was half of what it was in Niles. I had fettucini alfredo with chicken, which was incredibly dissapointing. It had about three oz chicken, the noodles were wide egg noodles and way way overcooked. They were just floppy. I ate about three oz of it and couldn't stand any more of it. Our seven year old had the chicken strips and refused to eat them, they were so over cooked. I tried them and she was right. They were as dry as cardboard....clearly pre-cooked. She ate none of them and only french fries. My wife stated the orange chicken was ok, but, "not as good as Panda". The cheesecake deserts were pretty good. My coffee was horrible and about on the level of dunkin donuts. Our bill came to $80.00 and we left a %12 tip. This was the worst money I have ever spent and I was highly disgusted with the food. I would not return to a cheesecake factory if cooporate contacted me and offered me a free equal meal. I plan to tell as many people I know what a terrible experience this was. Seriously, the orange chicken was not as good as panda?!? NEVER AGAIN

Dave S.

I made my first visit here on a Tuesday night in the middle of a blizzard. we figured that there would not be much of a wait and not be all that busy. When we got there, we were seated right away but when we left, the place was packed. I have never had the opportunity to visit this place before even though I have lived here my entire life. Now that I have visited it, I most likely won't make this place a destination for me but I won't boycott the place. The decor here is some of the cheesiest that I have ever seen. (No pun intended. Cheesy is the only word that comes to mind when thinking about this place. I think we were in a bad spot because it was really dark by our table.. It was dark enough where I was having difficulty reading the menu. When I went to the restroom, I noticed that the entire place did not seem that dark. Our waitress, Kristina, did an EXCELLENT job. She was very knowledgeable about the menu and very friendly and sociable. Everyone we came into contact with was very friendly also. The food did not really impress me as i thought it would. we started out with the fried Mac-n-cheese. Which was good but really didn't wow me. For my main meal, I had The Romano crusted chicken with pasta. Once again, it was good but it just did not wow me. I was pleased with the portion size that I received. They did not cut corners on the portions. Now it is time for the cheesecake. I was looking forward to the dessert because obviously, this place is known for the cheesecake. I had the key lime cheesecake and it was delicious. Overall, I would not wait in line to go here, but it was a solid experience.

Blair S.

OK, so we went tonite , a Thursday and it was packed. Waited just 20 minutes for what was a very forgettable meal. Sat ten minutes before we even saw a waiter, asked for drinks and water, forgot water. My wife and daughter went to wash up, bathroom flooded, filthy, and generally vile. Back to dinner, wife Oerter Cajun chicken, no Cajun seasonings at all. I ordered a vegetable side, forgot that too. Overall, a wildly forgettable meal. The place has a menu that is too large to be good at any of it. It's so large that it resembles a fire drill, and you know the food will be chain like, and forgettable. I'm done with this chain. For the price, I will make other choices.

Maria R.

Normally you wouldn't catch me in a chain restaurant, but I was actually surprised with the quality of food. We had the salmon eggrolls that were very tasty with red cabbage and my husband had surf & turf...not bad. I had a chinese chicken salad and although I had had better, this was ok. Downside: It is way too busy for me and the hosts have some major attitude - especially the very rude dude Michael who walks around with a headset ignoring everyone. BTW, the cheesecake was great - it tasted whipped and creamy. yum.

Erin C.

The proliferation of Cheesecake Factory locations is making the country fat. I mean, the portion sizes are out of control! And the weight management salads are those UNDER 590 calories? Really? That's not to say that the food isn't good, but it's just on the not so healthy side (which makes sense given the name of the restaurant). Portions are more than generous; I ordered the lunch size pizza and side salad which was more like a personal size pizza and a full size salad. I took half the pizza home and didn't finish the salad. The good thing was that I was too full for dessert. The cheesecake IS delicious though, and I recommend trying it (splitting with someone else is probably the best option). I love the pumpkin, tiramisu, and godiva cheesecakes. And the chocolate raspberry truffle is heavenly. Be prepared to wait awhile at this place unless you come at a really off time. And be prepared for a lot of tourists/suburbanites to be eating here as well (i.e., lots of children).

grace s.

I always thought there was nothing bad to eat at the cheesecake factory and the service was always good but now this is the second time trying after a bad meal and Im done with Cheesecake Factory! Me and my 2 guests all 3 got pasta and OMG, holy salt!! My one friend had ordered the shrimp scampi many times before (her fav dish) but now there was an unreal amount of salt in the dishes. We were gagging on it. WHen we told the waiter, he said "yea, we use alot of salt here. You can order something else" What?!?! He should of had them remade it!!, but acted as if we were all a headache for complaining over our $20 meal having a pound of salt in them. Just awful!! not going back ever!!

Angelica D.

Cheesecake was so so yummy! Had the orange chicken and that delicious as well. Always came here for cheesecake but never really stopped by for the food. Boyfriend and I finally decided to stop by there friday nite after work. They told us the wait was going 2b 30 minutes but we didn't really mind. A host then came like 10 mins later and asked us that she would seat us upstairs and we wouldn't have to wait for a table which we agreed to. The service here is pretty awesome. Our server was very nice and on top of everything. The upstairs was kind of different than the lower level. It was less crowded and a bit more calm so that was a definite plus. The prices were reasonable and the portions are huge. Definitely recommend this place.

Jesster A.

Ate at this location only once, while waiting to visit a friend undergoing emergency surgery at NMH. (I usually get talked in to going to the one at Old Orchard.) I admire Sarah L. for being so observant* re: the bathroom STALL doors (though her rational for the doors almost caused me to knock off a star from a restaurant chain that deserve high marks in the "quality control" department. ) Am I the only one who appreciates "prompt service" - but feels a tinge of disappointment/suspicion when the food arrives a little TOO fast? "Inside of a gigantic cheesecake?" "Soft and weird." Yes, that's how I felt as I waddled back to the OR waiting room.

A L.

Let's be honest, all the CF's are exactly the same. Decent food. Lots of it. Decent price. Our server was awesome.

Elisa H.

I love the way this place is decorated. it's like walking into a creamy, beautiful recreation of willie wonka's...or some swirly dream-like land of sugar and honey. they just put in a bit more effort than usual for the atmosphere. actually, it reminded me of vegas a bit. only more classy:o) Okay, and, you know, the food is yummy and the prices are comfortable even for those of us who don't like spending a lot of money:o) The restaurant is very large and it was a busy Friday night, but we didn't have to wait (too) long to be seated or for our food. All in all, it was my first time at a Cheesecake Factory and I very much enjoyed it:o) Quite the experience...

Misi P.

I didn't find the prices abominable, 'specially for the mag mile, but the Cheesecake Factory is definitely one of those places you take your friend from outta town who doesn't eat anything outside of burgers and spaghetti to. Big menu, but the food is standard fare, not ridiculously tasty or anything, but it works. Service is just as bland as some of the entrees, but the cheesecake is always a winner, although I personally think I make a better cheese cake (I can rock a killer chocolate swirl turtle cheesecake. booyah.)

Rachel H.

I was thinking of mojitos and oddly enough it made me think of Cheescake Factory. Lets just say its hard for me not to want to come over here and drink my lunch sometimes. They are refreshing and pack some serious punch. Anyway... This location looks as if you're inside some sort of fungus or maybe a blob of lard or something from all the weird blobby decor. It's kind of strange. I've had so many things here from the giant salads to the factory burger to the popcorn shrimp which are just a little spicy. Right now I could go for the lemon roasted chicken which comes with some great potatoes. I've been happy with everything I've gotten here. And of course the desserts are to die for. This location gets 3 stars because the service is kind of crap.

Jessica D.

The Cheesecake Factory is, well, it's The Cheesecake Factory. The food is reliably okay, anywhere in the country. I do, however, love their new small plates menu. Thus our epic begins. The first time I visited this location, they didn't even give us a copy of the small plates menu. They just gave us the regular one. Since we were all tired and hungry, this led to a lot of whining and being pissy because we thought we'd come out for no reason. The server didn't do anything to remedy that, either. After finally settling on some regular food to order, we were told that the artichokes in the kitchen were no good and so I would have to order something else. Shouldn't the servers be told that before the dinner rush? Anyway, my food finally came and it wasn't great but it was passable. My companion spilled her drink and a manager who came to check on us told her he'd be right back to clean it up for us but never returned so she sat with a lap and table full of ice water for her whole meal. At the end of the meal we spoke to another manager who then discounted the enter meal save for the cost of drinks and we were pretty much satisfied with the kind and professional way he handled the situation. Last week we returned and 'lo and behold, the small plates menu had been added to the main menu, avoiding any future confusion. Thank you, Cheesecake Factory! We ordered our meal and in the process of bringing things out, our server dropped both of my roommates' items. The food, when it came out, was tasty and I enjoyed it all (stuffed mushrooms, beet salad, garlic knots, a perfect assortment). Then the server got kind of creepy and starting trying to talk to us about the death of John Coltrane and asking my barely 20 year old roommate about her interests (he was closer to late 30s/early 40s) in a way that made us uncomfortable. So, I guess it's up in the air. Food can be awesome or terrible, service can rock or blow. Who knows?

Robert Jr E.

The bottom floor of the John Hancock building... Its your typical delicious cheesecake factory as are the one's in the United States. What made this experience memorable was good weather (lol), but most importantly eating there with friends and family... as an added bonus, I recommend you guys take the elevator to the top floor of the Hancock building... really is a remarkable sight! Also, dont forget the Sears tower!

Alan M.

The place was crowded with people who won't be coming back. Beneath the roaring chatter, I could hear a pulsing bass sequence looping endlessly. The food was bland and a little greasy. It came in large portions, which could be a plus or a minus. We had perfect service. It's too bad that it was wasted on a place like this.

Jason S.

When I lived in Chicago, I was so entranced by the thousands of choices available to me, I looked down my nose at any chain restaurant and seldom ate here. However, now that I've spent the past eight years in culinary isolation in a smaller community, I don't mind this as much. So, while I enjoyed visiting some old favorites when back in town--I did enjoy making a trek here for what I knew would be some reliable tasty food and a good dessert. As all of the other reviews mention--portions here are gigantic. Unless you are absolutely starving, I'd skip appetizers and go for the main course and cheesecake--or go for apps and main dish, but no dessert. Or, you could do what I did, ordering apps and a main dish and getting my cheesecake to go (a decadent breakfast!) The decor is odd at this one, as well as other CF's that I've been in. I describe it as "Help, I'm trapped in a cheesecake" decor. Our server, when asked, described it as a dessert fantasy. I'd call it cheesey, but the pun is too obvious. The fried Macaroni and Cheese balls sound disgusting, but are actually very good. The Thai Lettuce rolls are also a good choice. I was with a group of eight, and we ordered two of the "factory appetizer favorites" for the table--a good way to sample the wares. For dinner, I've had great luck with the pasta dishes, meats, and specifically the meatloaf. I'm not sure why someone would come here and not order the cheesecake! My favorites are the dulce de leche, white chocolate raspberry truffle, Key Lime, and Dutch Apple Caramel. We were here on the night of a blizzard warning which appeared to thin down the crowds considerably. In fact, it might be my only visit here that didn't come with at least a 45 minute wait. There are a ton of better options in Chicago. But, if you are here for a few days, and want one-night to be a no pressure day that will please everyone in your party with its diverse menu, the Cheesecake Factory will be a good choice.

Carmen C.

we have to wait 45 minutes to get a table. this is our second time. we order a salad . a fried mac and cheese and a kobe burger. the food is good. but not so amazing as other good restaurants. service is fast and friendly. this is a good place to go if u dont have to wait for more than30minutes

Emily B.

I went here for my two year anniversary with my boyfriend, which happens to be the day before Christmas, so it was really busy. We had to wait for probably a half hour but we didn't have a reservation so in retrospect that was actually pretty amazing. We had this awesome waitress who was just so nice to us (we were like, 16 at the time so having someone treat us just as nice as adults is EXTREMELY rare) and the service was so quick for being so busy. They give you SO MUCH FOOD. They are pretty expensive but you can definitely take it home and eat just as much the next day. It's like two meals. My boyfriend got the personal pizza, which was essentially a medium sized full round pizza you would get at a pizza place. They give you a lot of food. The cheesecake is very good also. We tipped the waitress like, $30 because she was so great (a lot of money for anyone, much less totally broke 15 year olds.) Go there if you have the cash.

Robert M.

Come for the cheesecake and tripy mushrom decor

Sarah L.

God do I love the cheesecake factory. Notable features of this one that set it apart from others I have been to: 10 foot tall mahogony doors with gigantic nickel doorknobs and heavy brass locks... ON THE BATHROOM STALLS. My dining party surmised that this may be due to the abnormally high amount of purging that occurs in cheesecake factory bathrooms. Interior that over and over again makes you wonder if the designers who created this particular dining environment wanted you to feel like you were in fact inside a gigantic cheesecake. Newly installed computerized kitchen which, no shit, led to our food being delivered about 3 minutes after we ordered it even though there were easily 100 people in the restaurant.

Niki C.

I have not been impressed with the food at the Cheesecake Factory any of the 3-5 times I've been there. Not impressed at all. The decor is cool, being that it was designed with the idea of creating hunger & all. Once, the waiter invited my bf & I to "some band playing at the former Blue Iguana." What he didn't know was that it was my band. That was surreal. Other than that, it's been less than memorable. Caveat: I did not even try the cheesecake. PS: Did you know there's a place in Manhattan called "The Cheesesteak Factory"? Brilliant, even if I don't eat cheesesteak.

Kara M.

Def do not go here if you're starving like a hostage because the wait can be terribly long. we had to wait like 1.5 hours for a table, and my friend really really wanted to go because she hadn't been to CF before. we got a table before i chewed off my own hand and our waiter was really nice. the appetizers came quick and our entrees followed shortly after. the food is nothing spectacular except for the chicken sandwich with avocado, but overall it's your typical american food. the Kahlua cheesecake is my fav and there are many to choose from. besides the wait everything was great!

Celeste C.

Always love The Cheesecake Factory not matter what state I am in. It's a good stand by. When my husband and I were checking out grad schools here in Chicago we stayed right by here. The waitress we had was really sweet and when she found out we were celebrating our anniversary ; she brought a happy anniversary slice of cheesecake for us to share!! So romantic. Oh just gives me the goosebumps.

KM I.

decent if you are with a party with totally different palates. Love this location, very whimsical and comfy inside. Food is always great, nothing super fancy, just good. Service is always piss poor...dunno what is is, they are all that way. I am always dressed nice with my Louis Vuitton and everything and I still get treated like a 15 year old looking to ditch her bill, so thats always a drawback of going here. OH and I must mention the year I told them it was my boyfriends birthday and he said they would take care of it. Totally not looking for a free sundae, just something cute to acknowledge it for him. No, dumbass waitress came and asked if we wanted dessert and then brought the bill with nothing.....complained to manager and all he could produce was a dumbfounded look and an "oh uh Im sorry....", no I am sorry because we have since found better and now spend all of our money across the street at Frankie's Scallopine.

Harley W.

I was in Chicago as part of a road trip with my brother and two sisters. Which means we were having a great time having all the time in the world to be together, but we were also on a schedule to see all the things we wanted before us sisters had to go back on the road and my brother had to catch a plane back home, back to work. We had plans to see a show together on our last night in town and made the mistake of stopping at the Cheesecake to eat before the show. First, we were informed that my brother's order was somehow stolen from the kitchen. That's the first time it ever happened to us in all the years of eating out, but we were kinda amused, and decided we can still make it to the show, so we waited some more. My brother got his order and said it wasn't amazing, but it tasted ok, but me and my sisters had to send our Pasta Da Vinci back to the kitchen twice for being undercooked. It was really doughy. We felt bad for doing that. We're usually not the kind of people who complain. It makes us feel uncomfortable. But even the poor waitress (who we felt bad for, I know what it's like to work in the service industry and apologize to clients about problems you yourself did not create. We were happy to leave a tip for her when we left) had to relay an apology from the cooks who agreed the dish was below standards. We decided to get a plate of fries so we can leave and go to our show already. We ended up paying way too much for my brother's dish, the fries and our drinks, and left the place hungry, after a long long wait, with no time to make it to the show. Complete disappointment. More than anything, I was angry that I entrusted this place with my last evening it town with my family, and that I kept waiting, hoping they will get their act together. We ended up not doing anything that evening, and feeling bad and cheated. Never again.

Kim N.

Having grown up with the SoCal locales and now the NorCal locales, I'm always surprised how consistent the food is here. This is evidence that Cheesecake Factory employs mad culinary scientists. How else could you explain travelling 1500+ miles and the food tasting like you had it back home with a menu this huge-mungous? An extra star for the cool locale in the Hancock tower. The SF local is at the top floor of the Macy's building and it's too bad the restaurant here wasn't at the top too :)

Lindsay N.

Lots of variety, but basically a typical family restaurant in a nicer-than-average wrapping. The serving are very large for the most part and most come with sides. The basics like French Fries and onion rings are very good, some of the more interesting menu choices can be bland namely the breakfast choices. They serve some pretty nice espresso drinks but the prices are high and the quality doesn't really justify it. The cheesecake is yummy, but picking a flavor is hard. I can never finish a piece by myself, so unless you're a dessert fiend splitting a piece with a friend may be a good idea.

Jenny L.

The Cheesecake Factory? Really? C'mon. The service is crappy. The food is blah. It's freakin expensive! The wait is unreal. Went for a party, but wouldn't choose to go on my own. $14 for a salad?

Jared H.

good for fatties and blokes. you all know what its about.

Ang R.

The cheesecake is great. Let's just get that out of the way. It's so good that I don't mind the high prices. It's just the rest of the food which is on the mediocre side for such high prices. But I want to stress that it's a perfectly acceptable meal. There's nothing at all objectionable about this place, and that might be the best thing about it. You can probably order almost anything on the menu and be content with it. And the portions, to be fair, are huge. I ordered a smaller lunch portion salad to go along with the table's nacho appetizer, and it was gigantic. I'm glad I didn't order a full portion of something. My boyfriend had the pulled pork, which looked more like pulled pork shreds for a giant. But they tasted good enough, so the weirdness wasn't an issue. Oh. And the inside is...rather overdone. But in a kind of impressive sort of a way.

Linh L.

service was good. Food was okay. Their food doesn't make me crave for it. Steak is nasty. Their desert is rich, but I could eat it. I love their brown bread though. They have one of the best places for bread.

Melanie V.

I'm really not a huge fan of chain restaurants, but this place has absolutely delicious **pesto chicken pizza**! I was kind of skeptical about getting it at first, but the waiter reassured me that it was really good! And it really WAS good! Plus, if you're a fan of gin, try the ***gin rickey***! Gin, lime juice, sugar...complete heaven. ;)

Bart E.

AWESOME service. We had a group of 7 and it only took 15min to get seated. Our server was very nice and helpful. It was what you come to expect from the factory. all the food was great... one person in the group got a burger and fries and fries were a little old so the server brought out some new fries ASAP.

Katie H.

If you're of the mind that huge portions = awesome restaurant (that's it and that's all) then this is your place. And for your second dinner, check out Maggiano's. Hope your gastric bypass goes to plan. This way the next time you go to a restaurant, you won't have to demand tables over booths anymore. What a blessing! I hate this country about 95% of the time.

Misse D.

This is a great place to take out of town guests. The decor is unique, the food is consistently good, and it's right on Michigan Ave. I love to dine here and then go up to the Hancock Observatory. The wait? It's long. Very, very long.

Marcel M.

Do I even need to review this place? It's been consistent no matter what city I've been to. Some highlights: Avocado eggroll appetizers, tons of fun burger, thai noodle salad, navajo sandwich, everything. Here's a tip at this location though. It never fails us. Go in at anytime and bypass the line. Go to the bar area and find an open seat. Sit down and enjoy. If someone does smoke, you can barely smell it since it's pretty airy. If you are in a big group, sorry, you have to wait. But for all you couples standing there and waiting with your buzz lightyear device in your back pocket, sit your butt down and order already.

Sheila W.

I like The Cheesecake Factory generally, but I have to downgrade this place due to a certain waiter. No bread until I finally asked after my meal came. No straw. (Everyone else had them.) He wanted to kick me out after sitting for 15mins for lunch when there were plenty of empty tables. I can't decide if it was ageist, sexism, racism, or just plain rudeness. I understand that the people dining there were touristy and the staff were probably elitist, but I was dressed semi-formally and didn't order the cheapest item on the menu, so I don't know what gives. Even though I'll be staying within a block of this place for the next few weeks, I would only come back if I have a cheesecake craving, and even then, I would order take-out. I'm writing this review to vent partly, but seriously, I enjoy dining out and spend good money on it, so places should not be allowed to treat people this way for no good reason. I hope others will find this helpful and either call these waiters out or demand their bread and straws!

Ray L.

Why eat the food here when you can just try playing the - How much of this huge cheesecake can I eat game. hint: only kewl people eat the raspberry truffle. Don't be a pussy and get a single slice, you know this stuff is gorge-worthy so just practice bulimia if you must... it's that good. The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is because I can definitely live without it. Every time I eat a cheesecake I know that my whole month at the gym was just wasted.

Carrie B.

Although the portions are huge, they have the biggest menu I've ever seen! The chinese chicken salad is my favorite- just order it without the heaping pile of crispy foam wonton thingys. The pastas, sandwiches and other entrees are excellent and perfect for sharing. Even the cheese pizza is pretty tasty. The thai lettuce wraps make a great appetizer to share, also. They also have a great drink selection... and if you still have room in your stomach, you must order a slice of their signature cheesecake. Anything chocolatey gets a 2 thumbs up in my book. (Not to hate, but I just found out that one slice of the Outrageous Chocolate Cake has a whooping 1,380 calories!!!! DUH) While some dishes are better than others, you can't go wrong here. Just be prepared to wait a while for a table on any given night of the week, or score a smaller table in the bar if you can. Also, it's an unavoidable tourist trap on any given weekday or weekend, so be prepared to wait and fight the crowds for a table at the bar.

Nelson S.

I have been to other Cheesecake Factories and normally, I would probably give it 4 stars but my recent visit here at the Hancock was just so great that it really did deserves all 5 stars. I came here with 6 other friends from out of town and we were all well taken cared of. I took them here because everyone will find something that they will like, the prices are reasonable, and the food is pretty tasty. Do get scared away by the long wait times, they told us an hour and we were sat in about 20 minutes. Everything was pretty much the same regardless of what CF you go to but this night, we had the lovely Diane serve us and she was funny, outgoing, and just had fun with us and she rocked! That to me made all the difference. The food was good, the drinks were awesome (try the Mint Julep or Mojito), and of course, the cheesecake, yummy. CF has good consistency in their food quality across their locations and I am sure to be back sometime but this last time was truly an outstanding experience. Thanks Diane!

John P.

My first review, and I pick an obvious one...Cheesecake Factory. Yes, I know the John Hancock location is a tourist trap, yes I should have known better, yes the prices are outrageous. Somehow, I'd never been there or any CF before. What did I think of the food? Couldn't tell ya, we didn't get served. People around us were getting served like crazy, people that were seated after us were being served, but not the wife & me. Sat there 30 minutes before storming off. Can't say anything other than to avoid the shit out of this place.

Pukar R.

As goes with any chain restaurant, the food and service is comparable but what makes this place stand out is the location. If you dine on the patio (hopefully over the summer lol) the ambiance and feeling of being in the center of everything that is beautiful about this wonderful city makes the food and drinks that much better!

Mike K.

It's always too crowded. I hate waiting forever to eat. The general idea of cheese and cake together scares me. The prices can be a bit too much. With all of that said, I really like this place. The menu is huge so you're bound to find something you like. Plus the portions are big so you'll leave full or have something to eat for lunch tomorrow. Its a great place for a group of friends or for enteraining out of towners.

S L.

Eh, it was ok. I agree with everyone when they say that it's a little touristy. Although, I am finally understanding why they call it a factory. It's because they push people into small crammed spaces and try to get you in and out of the circulation as quickly and as expensively as possible. I went and it was super crowded, but the part that I really despised was when the waiter offered me gluten free solutions for food and he assured me that he knew the food was gluten free and then gave me some story about his ex having Celiac, but the food was in no way gluten-free. One more thing, they sat me in a table where a light from the ceiling was shining directly on me and into my eyes. I had to move. The redeeming quality was the quality of food. I will give them that.

Kyla C.

I was completely satisfied with the way this outing went. My 3 friends and I arrived at Cheesecake and thought we were going to have to wait for an hour. While sipping on their delicious Red Sangria we lucked out and got a table within 10 minutes. The calamari is cooked to perfection, but if you want to try something new order the avocado egg rolls. Crispy, fried on the outside and warm avocado filling on the inside. Perfect way to start off our meal. For my entree I ordered the Chicken Madeira, which is their most popular chicken dish, and definitely exceeded my expectations. Unfortunately I could not finish the whole meal, but if you love mushrooms, asparagus, cheese and chicken in an extremely yummy sauce, you should get that dish. The waiter was very friendly and helpful with any questions we had about the meal. The menu is pretty big so be prepared to take awhile to decide. The next day we went back to try their cheesecake and honestly you can't go wrong with anything you order.

Tara M.

Cheesecake Factory is what it is: an overpriced chain restaurant with the most ridiculous menu I've ever seen. But everything on it is pretty solid and the service has always been acceptable. For the purposes of my review, I want to note two recent experiences here, both of which started with crappy service that was ultimately remedied. 1.) My mom and I went to CF for lunch one day a couple of months back. Within 2.5 seconds of her greeting us, I noticed that our waitress' nails were filthy. I mean FILTHY. I couldn't take my eyes off of them and lost my appetite on the spot. I didn't say anything to my mom about it so as not to ruin her meal, but a few minutes later she made a comment to me about it. So we ordered our respective entrees and the fried mac & cheese appetizer, the whole time praying that our waitress didn't touch any of our food. Our appetizer came out cold and apparently that was the last straw for Mom. She asked for the manager and complained mostly about our waitress' nails, and just a little about the cold appetizer. The manager offered to comp our appetizer and apologized profusely for the waitress--I really hope that the poor girl didn't lose her job. But hopefully CF checks their staff now before sending them out on the floor! 2.) My parents came down to the city last week and, as usual, wanted to hit up CF. Everything was going fine--our waiter (Scott) was friendly and attentive. We ordered promptly (Dad had the crispy beef, Mom ordered some sort of pasta and I ordered fish tacos). My dad's and my food came out just fine, and my poor mom sat there and waited and waited...finally the manager came out and explained that her pasta had gone to another table but that she would have it shortly. So about 20 minutes after my dad and I got our food, my mom got hers. Not really a big deal and we all dug in. My fish tacos suuuucked, by the way. Anyway, our waiter came back later to apologize again and my dad joked that my mom should get a free dessert for having to wait. Totally kidding. But a few moments later my mom was told she could choose any dessert she'd like. Thanks, guys! Overall, CF has good food (I will never stray from the Bistro Shrimp Pasta again) and I am sure that due to the sheer size of the restaurant and the menu that mishaps are bound to happen. It's good to know that they are taken care of properly when they do.

Sarah B.

How often can I say, Tourist Trap? Not enough, when it comes to Cheesecake Factory. Service is nothing special and I always feel rushed by the servers. Food is also nothing special; it holds mass appeal and comes in massive quantities and is always massively disappointing. The interior is dark, and the only mood this lighting puts me in is mildly depressed. The redeeming quality: the cheesecake. Under the mounds of whip cream and other toppings, they actually serve a sumptuous cheesecake--I recommend the take out counter.

Chris L.

I must say, the 4 different times I've been have impressed me 4 different times. Huge menu - delicious food - and for a place with an hour long wait Sat afternoon, our food and service has always been at a solid speed. Well run establishment.

Amy J.

The best part about this Cheesecake Factory is the location. It's right outside the Hancock building and kind of underground. It's really really cool. I've only been there in a party of two, so I've never had to deal with waiting too long. But, as everyone's already said, the menu is huge. You can get just about anything you want at Cheesecake Factory. Literally I think their menu is like 20 pages. I've had a bunch of different things there, but the one that really stands out is the Orange Chicken. It's really good. Also have had their pizza, and it's pretty good too (and way too much food for one person). And of course, the cheesecake... So good. They have like 50 flavors. It's almost insane. But, really, what stands out the most for me is the location. It's in a great spot.

Kathleen C.

I hate tourists. Therefore I must really love Cheesecake Factory considering the fact that I'm willing to wait amongst 350 morons from Wisconsin just to get their nachos. Say what you will about touristy chain restaurants, but Cheesecake Factory never fails to impress. Bests: Nachos, Grilled Chicken and Avocado Club, Santa Fe Salad (lunch size is almost small enough to finish), pumpkin pie cheesecake.

Kristina K.

Yes, there's always a wait. All the better to peruse the massive menu. Yes, there's a huge menu. But not so many vegetarian options. But the cheesecake! Oh! The Cheesecake! If I believed in Heaven, it would have endless supplies of Cheesecake Factory cheesecake!

Steve T.

Very good. I'm kinda addicted to their menu, and their Parmesan crusted chicken and pasta. There is never room for cheesecake, so plan on ordering it to go. The spinach artichoke dip appetizer is delicious. What can I say, this might be a chain, but it's addictive and the quality is the same across locations. The line here is especially long since it's on Mich Ave, so plan ahead. Try sitting at the bar...

Alexandra K.

I dined at the Cheesecake Factory over 4 years ago and was less than pleased but upon my return this June, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed what I ordered. The cobb salad is absolutely delicious and instead of the fattening ranch dressing that a cobb is normally doused in, the Cheesecake Factory cobb was dressed with a light, tangy vinaigrette. I would also recommend the eggplant sandwich. The sandwich was perfectly savory and the vegetables were grilled to perfection. If you are watching your weight, consider substituting the fries for a baked potato, fruit, or vegetables. Last, but certainly not least, the 6-carb cheesecake. While it does not sound appealing to those not watching their weight, it's actually delicious. It's lighter and fluffier than normal cheese cake and has a walnut crust which is actually a better compliment to cheese cake than graham cracker. Overall, I think that this is a crowd-pleasing restaurant -- there's something for everyone.

sean g.

This restaurant is NOT one that I would recommend. We were hoping to go in for lunch and be back across the street in just over an hour and a half. We ordered 2 kids pastas and 2 burgers. An hour and a half later, we still had not received our food. We did let them know we needed to leave in half an hour and were from out of town. The pasta did come out, however we never did get the burgers. The excuse that we were given is that they were trying to cook the burgers to perfection. We ordered them medium. Never before have burgers taken even 45 minutes let alone an hour an a half to 2 hours! Comps were not offered either, only an apology for us missing a meal. The food might be pretty good (although we never did get to eat our meal) but the customer service is really horrid!

Mary A.

their decent, food is ok, service was good!

Linda N.

Love this place! Always gauranteed a good meal. The decor of the restaurant is a bit crazy. It has a very "alice and wonderland" high on mushrooms type of vibe. Ooh and you can't come here and not order cheesecake...mmmmmm.

Seiji C.

there's three things i'd like to do at the cheesecake factory the first is mild hallucinogens to enjoy the cheesecake frosting/mushroom decor the second is absinthe to create some excitement from the masses of bridge and tunnel traffic in a city with few of either the third is eat. they do a good job of compensating with quantity

Paul C.

I went here with some out of state family that was lodging downtown and for some reason wanted to lunch here. I kept hoping to see Oprah or Jerry Springer, but alas, no one famous popped in. You know the drill with this place, great cheesecake, average everything else.

Karen J.

I love this place. Food is always yummy. The portions are huge (even lunch portions). The menu is huge. The staff is always great and friendly. It is a bit on the expensive side but always worth the money. At times you do have to wait but never to long. If I don't have time to stop in for a meal I always pick up a slice of cheesecake to go. BEST CHEESECAKE EVER!

Reid C.

Sitting in the restaurant, waiting for my wife (who was waiting for the bathroom), I couldn't help but notice the people next to me: standard couple, likely in from the burbs or Kansas. They ordered two means and had barely touched their plates. Why? Not good? Probably not. Probably just too much food. So here's the trick: when stopping here with your SO, just order one appetizer (avocado egg rolls), one salad (chopped) and a main. Split everything. There is no way you'll go hungry. And, if you can believe it, we left without even having a piece of their eponymous dessert. Total: under $40. Not bad for a pre Spelling Bee din din.

J. E. N.

love this place~ bit pricey and the wait for a table will blow your mind~ go if you're in a grouping 4 or less~ also, don't order beer here~ way over priced the dishes are great tho~ so i end up returning even tho I know i have to wait ~

Eating Sleeping T.

I was dining solo at the bar on a Tuesday afternoon, and I ordered the lunch size portion of the Chinese chicken salad. In the time it took me to go to the men's room (out the doors near the coffee bar, to the right and then to the left) to wash my hands, the kitchen was able to prep my salad and have it waiting for me when I got back. One would think "amazing service," right? Unfortunately, the lettuce in the salad was completely soggy. The dish should have been called "Cold Lettuce Soup with Chicken and Mandarin Oranges." Isn't the whole point of going to chain restaurants the consistency?

Janet N.

Come for the cheesecake, stay for the food. Really. If you love cheesecake that's probably the reason you're going to go. But you simply can't ignore the food. Set aside a few bucks and skip lunch, because you're gonna want to eat a LOT. Even the meatloaf is spectacular. If you can, end your day there so you can get a doggie bag and your cheesecake to go, because they really do give you that much food. Just be careful not to go for too many additonal sugary elements to the cheesecake--some of them will practically rot your teeth off instantaneously they're so sweet! Here's what I don't like about this location--it's always so terribly packed and when it's not the best weather you can't just wait outside for your buzzer to go off. Not to mention once it does you have to go inside and wait again. Plus, if you have a stroller or wheelchair you have to go around to another entrance and may well get lost trying to get to the place. Having to search for the elevator in the main building and walk through the hallways to the back door made me feel a little second-class, just because my friends had a stroller with them. But there is a reason it's so packed, and there's a reason that I will take my friends there. If it were only about the cheesecake, the line would be longer for the bakery counter than the seating. But it's not just about the cheesecake.

This is an American diner style restaurant which serves over 25 different types of cheesecake (including Oreo and Snickers). The menu also covers,Pizza, Pasta, Seafood, Steaks, Burgers, Omelettes, Salads, Sandwiches etc. It's very popular with tourists as it's located on the lower ground level of the John Hancock Centre Observatory. They also do take away if you fancy a portion of cheesecake for later. As portions are quite large, the staff are always happy to make up a doggy bag to take with you.

M M.

I have to say I really like coming here, the food is always made the way I like it, the cheesecake...well, what can I say...YUMMO!!! the cool drinks and the location makes for a very special lunch or dinner.

james V.

It is like other cheesecake factory restaurants. However, it is always crowded because it is right at the foot of the Water Tower and next to many hotels. You can sit inside or outdoor. Not sure why so many people want to sit outside in "windy" city. Service is quite efficient. We had a Cesar salad and four cheese pasta. Average. For dessert, we had mango and lime cheese cake. It was very good.

Kelsey P.

When I first visited the infamous Cheesecake Factory, I was very young. I fell in love immediately, cheesecake is a rich, decadant weakness of mine. I had not dined in until I was a teenager, and I remember the experience well. It was the middle of winter and it was icy outside. Just outside was a large Christmas tree, which they erect yearly, it was magical. We went inside and there was barely room to walk. It was immensely loud and everyone was overbearing. We received a buzzer and ended up waiting about two hours. It was worth the wait, when we were seated, it was in a large booth to accomidate our large party. The menu is quite diverse and I had a very hard time deciding. Our food was timely and was quite delicious. Dessert was outstanding, they have a slew of different cheesecakes and much more. I definitely recommend it, although off peak hours are decidedly appropriate, for they don't do reservations (as far as I know..).

Mitchell S.

Although the waiting time could be up to 2 hours, it is worth it. Excellent food, friendly staff and reasonable prices.

Chella G.

Go here when you're thinking to yourself, "Wow, I feel like being surrounded by annoying tourists today." The Cheesecake Factory at Old Orchard is nice and airy. However, I can't really stand this particular location because it seems like everyone there is a misguided tourist who thinks that this is high-class dining. If you're visiting Chicago, try one of the non-chain restaurants and enjoy quality food. Seriously, what is with the portion sizes at this place? The food is ok and I do like that many dishes come in a "half order" size. Although, it's still more food than most people need in two meals. The last time I ate here, my salad came drenched in dressing to the point that it didn't even taste good.

Jacksown S.

please, dont eat here. Even if you are a tourist. Following a friend who had planned the trip, our party of eight was treated as cattle from the time we walked in. No room at the bar, dont stand there, wait in the hallway, your plastic thing will buzz when we are ready.After being told 10 minutes, we waited for our table, outside in the cold, for 35 minutes. Even after our plastic thing buzzed we waited, and waited. The server, who refused to write anything down, (eight of us!!) told us it would be better to get our food order in the computer, then he would come back and take our drink order. On a lighter note, the food was, indeed edible. Surprising because their open kitchen showcases a grill station that is basically on fire. I think the grill cook was actually on fire. First came one salad, then two more salads, then a few entrees started showing up. Complete apathy from our server. Now, I love cheesecake, but i went home.

Ralph L.

Stay away unless you like crowded, touristy type of eatery. Sometimes you can find a table within 10 minutes.

Jennifer B.

This place is good, like all Cheesecake Factories. The portions are big and the choices are unique, but not worth the usual 45 minute wait with hundreds of tourists.

mariya k.

what the hell is this place supposed to resemble? a mushroom or a warped candle sandwich of some sort?

Ann Y.

I love the cheesecake factory, but this one always has a huge wait, and honestly I can go to one in the burbs with little to no wait and get the same food. That being said, the food is great, service is hit or miss and the cheesecake is to die for. The menu is huge so there is something for everyone. My favorites are the pasta w/ 4 cheeses and the chicken Madeira. Misses are the pad Thai and the shepherds pie (so gross). Never had a bad cheese cake, but the banana cream stands out as the best.

Dee W.

Cheesecake - why else would you come here? The wait is hella long but the cheesecake is worth it - all different types - the typical strawberry and fruit cheesecake andt here's oreo crusted cheesecake and toffee and coffee and EVERYTHING imaginable.

Jason P.

Your typical cheesecake factory, with good food, oversized portions and the token cheesecake of course. Spend your money at Grand Luxe and you get less wait time, and the same food (same company). The orange chicken is always acceptable here. The drinks are pretty good, and the atmosphere is about the same as any other cheesecake factory.

Matt B.

I work in the building and know that they have small plates from 4-6 Monday - Friday, so I had my boyfriend meet me there after work today so drinks and some food and was pleasantly surprised. I when to college where there was a cheesecake and ate there once every few months and love love love the bistro shrimp pasta. I moved to Chicago last year and this was my first experience at this location - and even though it is super touristy (don't hate it for that - most people do not have this restaurant in their town and the menu is more that big enough to accommodate even the pickiest eater) it was an overall good experience. My drink, a raspberry martini, was $10.50 and not very strong, so I wouldn't suggest it. We ordered three small plates from the bar menu (prices range from $2.95 to $4.95) lettuce wraps, pulled pork sliders and fried calamari. The pork was not pulled, just chucks, but good bun and sauce, but the pork itself really needed some work and some fat trimmed. The lettuce wraps (3) were good, fresh vegetables but the calamari was by far the best. I highly recommend that dish. Our service was great and the food was cheap and good - we thought we found a close place a get some food deals and drinks but the drinks were too weak for the price - probably would go back, but we are not running there.

Jessica M.

I wouldn't ever go here normally but once my ex's parents were in town doing the touristy thing and they took us out to eat here. I don't remember much about the food except that the portions are ridiculously huge! How are you supposed to have any cheesecake if you can't even make it through half your entree? I just don't understand.

Mark A.

I don't go to Cheescake factories all that much, but tonight I was looking for something good but not too heavy. Adam H was my server in the bar area and gave me 2 suggestions on appetizer specials. I told him I was looking for salads. I guess he sensed that I was looking for something lighter because he suggested from the Appetizer section the French Country Salad. It was EXCELLENT, the perfect portion (HUGE) with a great Balsamic dressing. Then I had one of the special appetizers of the evening that was the Crab & Artichoke Dip that was warm with some toasted Sourdough. Again, EXCELLENT! Even the complimentary warm sourdough and Oat Wheat bread was delicious. But the main reason for my review is the level of service. Adam H did just and excellent job and welcoming me and helping me make my selection. His level of service was excellent! I asked to speak to his manager so I could tell him that what a perfect employee he had! Some establishments don't even know what the word "SERVICE" means now days, that was certainly NOT the case at the Cheesecake factory tonight!!

K M.

Just came back from lunch there with my little sister, and am giving it 3 stars because I think its more good than bad, so I'll play nice, but keep in mind I was torn between 2-3 Pros: 1) Cheesecake is awesome. I don't generally love cheesecake and it would never be my first pick for a dessert. But the things they do to it here make it so good! Split the dutch apple with my sister and sort of wished I had just ordered a piece as my lunch. I would say don't bother with the food here and just come for dessert! 2) The food is also good enough and reasonably priced for how much you get. I ordered the lunch size of the thai something or other pasta (which was good but really reminded me of the taste of a lean cuisine I like, which made me think I would have been better off having the lean cuisine for lunch!). It was still ENORMOUS after downsizing- I can't imagine what kind of monstrosity they bring you for a dinner portion! I ate maybe 1/2 at most. 3) Huge menu should mean that there is something for everyone, so its a good place to take picky eaters you can't take somewhere better 4) The outdoor seating. Its nice in the summer as a break from shopping. Granted the line is huge then, but you can sit out on the steps and wait and its not a huge deal. Cons: 1) Seriously- downsize the portions a bit more! There is a reason this country is morbidly overweight and this has to be part of it! 2) the decor. There's something ALMOST cool about it, but it also reminds me of intestines and is overall way over the top and tacky. I don't want to be thinking about the digestive system as I eat. Its just too much. Also the floors are very very slippery. My heels almost couldn't take it, I nearly wiped out (and it wasn't because of the rain) 3) The huge menu. While in some ways a pro, I find it to be a con as well. To me it means they just can't figure out what they do well so I'm not sure what to get- do I get something Asian? Italian? A sandwich? It seems like they do all of these things well, but not great. But I guess there's nothing really wrong with "good." This place is bad for the indecisive, as well as the arteries. Go for lunch rather than dinner I think- we got there before noon so didn't have to wait a long time. I wouldn't wait an hour for this- I agree with those who say its probably best to save this place for a take out dessert!

Liz T.

I must say that I have disliked this restaurant for merely the concept alone. Big serving sizes are equivocal to ugly America in my book. And, I've always said that what this restaurant lacks in quality they make up for in quantity. That said, I realize that I don't always get to pick the restaurant and that sometimes I need to just sit back and relax...here is an account of one such night. Reading the menu is like reading the encyclopedia, and once I'd made my way through the literature, I decided on some kind of tostada salad thing. At first bite, I was impressed that the flavor didn't absolutely repulse me. As a matter of fact, I was beginning to feel a little embarrassed by the amount of trash-talking I do. And then it all changed. About 10 bites in, I bit into something foreign, something inedible. CARDBOARD. I bit into cardboard. Now, I realize there are many terrifying things that one could find in food, and when you consider the options, I lucked out, but still. We flag the waiter over and he confirms that there is, indeed, cardboard in my salad. He takes it away and tells us that he's sending the manager over. 15 minutes later the manager shows up with my plate in hand. Her response, "Yeah, there's cardboard in here. It's from the boxes we keep the lettuce in." And, then, when she realized I wasn't buying what she was selling she said, "...but it shouldn't be in your salad." They comped the salad, I was too freaked out to eat anything else,and left starving. Will I give The Cheesecake Factory another try? Probably not.

Heather L.

Went to the Cheesecake Factory on a friends recommendation (and it was right across the street from our hotel and American Girl). I knew as soon as I opened the 15 page menu that we were probably not going to get a magnificent meal...too many choices. We started with an appetizer of stuffed olives...which really should have been called deep fried sausage balls with a portion of olive somewhere in the middle...ick. I asked our server for some recommendations for dinner my youngest daughter decided on the adult entree fish tacos so I split them with her...had the tortillas been cooked properly (they were soggy chewy) this would actually have been a really good meal (you had your choice of ahi tuna and mahi mahi and we went with the mahi mahi). My husband got the meatloaf dinner and ate half (which means it wasn't good...usually he'll eat his meal and help one of us finish ours). I didn't taste it so I can't comment on it. My older daughter got the soup (mushroom....she is a soup lover and would usually like mushroom but she didn't really care for this one) and onion rings (which we sent back because the batter was not cooked all the way through). Also somewhere in the middle of our meal we all of sudden had another server....no explanation why??? The cheesecake was the one hit of the meal and we did polish it off and discuss ordering another to take back to the hotel for later. Bottom line....go somewhere else for dinner and definitely stop here for dessert!

Sarah-jayne M.

I wish I could say something good about Cheesecake Factory because I want to like it but every experience I have had here has been bad. One time in particular which ended in me running to the bathroom for an emergency bio break! Ewwww! First annoying thing is the wait. Now I understand that this place is in the mag mile so is overloaded with tourists. This would be fine except there are often many open tables and the college kid waiters are just immune to noticing. Zero sense of emergency!! In addition to that the food is just OK. Nothing special. It's definately aimed at the unadventurous bland american palette. There is just something so generic about it. The cheesecake for which it is named isn't that great either. Again it tasted mass produced and artificial. The only saving grace is the martini menu which are actually quite good - although pricey. For what you pay here in addition to the wait, try something else.

Ren H.

i will always love the salads here! i have never looked at any other portion of the menu because i can't resist the salads everytime! On the rare occasions i manage to save room for dessert the cheesecake is awesome!

Melissa M.

Wow, I can't believe I haven't written about the Cheesecake Factory yet. This has been my unofficial favorite restaurant for probably fifteen years now, if not more. I remember when it first opened in the Hancock building, I was in maybe second or third grade and I read about it in the Chicago Tribune Kids section, KidNews. And I begged and begged my parents to take me. And ever since then, I have loved it. This Hancock location is definitely my favorite but I have eaten in Cheesecake Factory's all over the country - seriously, any time I go on vacation, I always end up there because I love it so much. I almost always get the Chinese Chicken Salad - oh so good. Their burgers are also delicious, as is the pizza. The last few times I have gone I have gotten this Meditteranean mahi mahi special that is just delightful. The strawberry martini - heaven. And of course the cheesecake. My usual is white chocolate raspberry but I had key lime last time and it was also wonderful. Everything can REALLY add up though - I try not to go there too often. I always end up splitting an app, plus an entree, plus a cocktail (or 2), plus my cheesecake and coffee.... you can pretty easily spend $60+ just for yourself! I have heard complaints about bad service and stuff but overall I just feel that people have crazy high expectations of servers. I have thought this even before I WAS a server but being a server solidified my feelings. Anyway, I truly don't see how you CAN'T like the Cheesecake Factory unless you don't like chain restaurants or something, which I don't understand that either.

Jenelle G.

The food is average, drinks are a hit or miss but the "Dulce De Leche Caramel Cheesecake" is mindblowingly good. And yes mindblowingly is a word!!

Mariana P.

Why the heck would anyone want to eat here when Chicago has so many great local restaurants? I guess the cheesecake is OK, but the only people that eat here are tourists (and we all know how much Chicagoans love tourists...) Overpriced, mediocre food in gigantic portions.

tobey t.

I like the tropical iced tea, frozen iced mango, chicken piccata, etc. so much...............

Jen K.

Just like Grand Lux Cafe, the drinks are overpriced and the portions are too large. There's tourists everywhere and the wait is forever long. The food is pretty decent though and its a good place for lunch while shopping on Michigan if the wait isn't too long.

Mary R.

I was there on a Friday night during the rush, and I had nothing but excellent service! Our wait was only 20-30 minutes, which seemed pretty amazing to me, and our server was always attentive to our needs. Our food came out quickly and hot and delicious! And dessert was even better. No complaints at all for it being a busy Friday night in the middle of Downtown Chicago! They are very efficient and effective!

Alexis S.

mmmm. good food. Always really busy and full of tourists though.

Megan S.

I love the Cheesecake Factory. I've eaten here about a dozen times, and they never cease to impress me with a wonderful meal. I religiously ordered the Shrimp Scampi with the Mac and Cheese Balls as an appetizer. I just recently tried the fish tacos, which satisfied me as well. Always remember to order a lemonade for your drink because they cover the rim of the cup in pure sugar. A refreshing treat. The staff is very cordial, the food comes out quickly, but make sure to be ready to order as soon as your waiter or waitress comes to your table for the first time. They might never come back.

steve c.

I personally like this factory. Yeah it's touristy and pricey but it's nice and have great over porpotioned food. You have to get the desert and force the cheesecake down or you can simply take one home. i tend to try to force and pay for it after. There may be a wait with one of those vibrating buzzer things as it does get crazy at times.

Allen M.

This location is in the basement level courtyard of the Hancock Tower. I have eaten at several Cheesecakes and this one is pretty darned good. If you have the chance, eat on their upper, street level........... You might see Jerry Springer!!! He lives in the building and he cuts through the upper part of the restaurant when he leaves, at least he did when I was there. Pretty cool, we all chanted JERRY JERRY JERRY!!!!!! He seemed a little embarrassed but he was accommodating and posed for a pic!

Sarah L.

Very busy and loud, wonderful cheesecakes.

Ed J.

"its like a vagina in here!!"-chanaynay suckazzz

molly c.

so, my department got a cheesecake from the cheesecake factory today. it was put out at 3 and was gone by 3:04. i am not lying. it's very very tasty.

Alicia F.

The big problem I have with Cheesecake Factory is that for a touristy, family type restaurant they have NO KIDS MENU. I am forced to order an adult-sized grilled cheese for my toddler which would probably feed her for two weeks. But we keep going back because all the people who visit us want to come here, and all my friends from the suburbs love it. And the cheesecake is still really tasty. If I could just rate the cheesecake separately that would get 5 stars.

Shannon S.

If you are looking for a big menu with A LOT of variety, please check out the Cheesecake factory. This hot spot is located at the Hancock building, what a great eatery while doing some shopping on Michigan Ave. The menu is actually somewhat overwhelming as you can find yourself deciding between salads, pastas, sandwiches, burgers, main entrees, appetizers.....and please don't forget the cheesecake!! The portions are huge. Even the half portion salad I got filled me up before I was halfway done.

Suzanne O.

This place is a dieters and penny pinchers enemy. If portion size is their excuse for expensive entrees, why don't they just cut both the size and cost in half? The menu is extensive and everything is good but it lacks orginality and charm. The chicken tacos have Mexican authenticity and of course the cheesecake is out of this world. Avoid the place over busy tourist times, like summer, the holidays, weekends, etc.

M M.

Really can't tell the difference between here and Grand Luxe. Huge menu, large booths, reasonable prices. It's a fun atmosphere to come here for a birthday or a big group of friends!

Halisa V.

Good food and good service but it is not as good as the one in Old Orchard (Skokie).. I do love the outdoor seating option in the summer!

Oscar the Death Cat B.

Tourist-infested and almost always excessively busy, this place might be worth your while if you are lucky enough to visit during some off-day when the waits are not too long. Be sure to leave room for cheesecake, because that is the only real reason to spend your money here - the other food is served in generous portions but is nothing memorable. The decor of the dining space is a bit freaky, it's as though some tacky futuristic nightclub had planned to use the space but sold their lease at the last minute to the Cheesecake Factory.

Gail T.

the four stars are for the VAST menu. you'll never get tired of the stuff here and plus it's affordable for its location. also.. it's a very beautiful restaurant. off the michigan ave entrance, watch out for the very slippery floors by the booths if your wearing stilettos. you will definitely fall on your behind! the waiters are nice but the last time i was there the waitress i had assumed that when we gave her back the check that the rest of the cash difference was her tip so never came back with our change which kind of made me mad. i was pissed already because when we entered it was crazy crowded and the wait time was 30 minutes but didn't know where to go to ask to be seated because it was THAT crowded. greatest meals? factory burger or shrimp scampi and the virgin socialite drink is the frozen iced mango-- pretty and yummy.

Blah B.

Comfort food!! Seriously it is!! I love the corn cakes, the chicken pot pie, their salads are pretty good and the Spicy Chicken chipotle pasta is delicious!! My boys are def. fans, thought I'm not sure if it's the food or the wondrous list of desserts?!!

B M.

great cheesecakes of course..plus their blackened shrimp is very spicy and very good

a w.

This Cheesecake factory could not be located in a better place. And the decor and service at this restaurant are top notch as well. BUT the wait times are seriously insane. It gets suuuper crowded on the weekends and you can definitely count on getting a long wait. But besides that, this location is top notch and, of course, you cannot leave here without having some dessert!

A C.

food is always good here, but the wait times to get a table are ridiculously long....usually in excess of 1 hour during the summer months.

Joe S.

Average food, some great cheesecakes. Three stars for the cheesecake, topped with fresh whipped cream. Sinfully good. Eat dinner somewhere else, like the Grill on the Alley or the Saloon Steakhouse. Have dessert here. And cut the tourists some slack. They just don't know any better.

Audra S.

This restaurant, similar to Grand Luxe Cafe, has a gigantic menu, offering everything from salads and sandwiches to chicken and steak entrees. The atmosphere is dimly lit, and you may feel as if you are dining in a secret underground cove. The waitstaff is very knowlegable about the menu, and very accomodating for special needs diners. The cous de gras is definitely their selection of cheesecake! Anything from the sugar free, low carb to the super sweet peanut butter chocolate. Save room for dessert!

elizabeth n.

Huge portions, whimsy decor, amazing desserts- what more could you want?! Although the crowds do flock to this restaurant- if you go during the week or at off-times you shouldn't have to wait for very long. The menu is overwhelming but in a good way because there are so many great options to choose from. I have liked everything I've had there but my favorites include the shrimp club sandwich, the asian chicken salad, and the turkey club sandwich. And the desserts- I just can't get enough of them. The chocolate cake is out of this world and the cheesecakes are amazing. Some of my favorite cheesecakes are the vanilla bean, chocolate brownie, strawberry, and oreo cheesecake. YUM I'm getting hungry for it now!

Emma L.

I don't like this chain as much as it's sister restaurant, Grand Lux. However, I still enjoy a good meal at the Cheesecake Factory even though they make you wait for way too long to get seated. I usually stick with their appetizers or salads- can't go wrong with any of those!

kiki h.

I can never get enough of the cheesecake factory. If i have the patience to wait an hour or more for a table I'm always very happy with their food. The menu is ridiculously large so there is a lot to choose from, but i think their salads are the best thing on the menu (well, besides the cheesecake of course).

Julia W.

For what it is (essentially, a McDonald's with fancier looking food, servers and mildly interesting decor), I give The Cheesecake Factory 4 stars. I had a team lunch here last week after a 10 year hiatus and I can't say I really missed the place. If you ever wonder why America leads the world in obesity, visit The Cheesecake Factory. The size of their menu is a hint at the size of the portions. The lunch portions are massive. The appetizers definitely make 2 meals--I know, I had the Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps, which were actually quite tasty with the peanut dipping sauce, for lunch and dinner. My teammates all had enormous helpings of food from meatloaf to salad nicoise to pasta and everyone seemed to enjoy their meals. I can't say much about prices because it was on the company... which is just how I like it for a place I really don't care about much. All in all, though, the service was good, the place was relaxed and my food was worth eating twice. Believe it or not, I skipped the cheesecake. How's that for willpower?

Julia B.

Portions are huge and the menu is also huge. You might spend a good 15 minutes trying to decide what you want! Good luck! The food is tastey and the cheesecake is pretty good as well!

Courtney S.

What's not to like about the Cheesecake Factory? They have so many things on the menu that even the pickiest eater could find something here. My favorite thing is the Thai Chicken Lettuce wrap. It's supposed to be an appetizer but I usually order that for my meal. Or the Asian Chicken Salad- that's good too.

Michelle W.

For some reason I always feel like I am walking into Strawberry Shortcake's house when I walk into the Cheesecake Factory. Perhaps it is its whimsical cloud like design. Their food is excellent, but always order the half pasta or salad unless you haven't had anything to eat in 3 days. All of the chicken entrees are amazing and their crab cakes are very good for being in the Midwest. Of course their cheesecake is mouthwatering. But then again, with the name of the dessert in the name of the restaurant I don't think they would suck. Try to chocolate mousse cheesecake. You won't be disappointed.

Johnny S.

This is probably the fanciest restaurant I have ever been to, the atmosphere is really nice, and dim, and relaxing. When I was there it was very empty, but the food is good and the cheesecake is overwhelming. I am full just thinking about it. For a cool dining oasis in the middle of bustling downtown Chicago, head here to the Hancock Cheesecake Factory.

Mary W.

Oh my goodness their cheesecake is to die for!!!! If you are a cheesecake lover like myself, you will find yourself in Heaven. They literally have over 25 cheesecakes to choose from. Starting with your plain all the way to a banana cream pie to choose from. Not only do they give you a large piece to indulge in, but they cover the sides with whipped cream for decoration. It just makes my mouth water just thinking about it! Their food selection is also very good. You definately get your moneys worth with the potions that they serve to you. The atmosphere is also very fun! You are seated inside what seems to be something out of Alice in Wonderland!

E M.

The Cheesecake Factory is a great place to hang out with friends and the ambiance is nice but the selection of food is horrible. I remember once I went there the waitress was very rude. I went there a couple of times. I remember one time I ordered a roasted chicken and they sent me out a whole chicken that was not cut up or anything. I was like what is this and I had it sent back. I ended up ordering quesidillias instead. I'm like what kind of meal is that. But that was the only thing on the menu I was interested in. The second time I went once again there was nothing good on the menu and I ended up getting a boring pizza. Once again not my ideal meal when I go out. I am not a cheesecake lover and their menu doesn't have anything that interests me. The food is to overpriced and the wait to be seated is too long. The only thing good about this place is that it is renowned but there is not too much offered behind the name. Since the food is so horrible the place comes off cheap to me. Avoid and continue your search downtown for a nicer restaurant that has better food.

Liliana S.

This is a great option for large parties but sometimes the wait is too long. I dont come here to often. It can get really loud and crazy. My favorite dish is the shrimp scampi. They always make it right here.

Kristin A.

I really like the menu selection and food at this place, but it is always so frustrating just to get a table. It's full of tourist out shopping for the day. Plan to wait at least an hour on weekends. Portions are HUGE so plan to take home leftovers. All of the desserts are amazing. Getting cheesecake is a must.

Nicola C.

Great place to go if you are shopping on Michigan Avenue, the tourists can get to you a little especially if you go at prime time lunch and dinner, however go on off times and you'll love it. There is an extensive menu, which sometimes leaves you wandering, is there too much to choose from? Great Cheesecake, and daquiris, definitely worth a visit.

Jonathan S.

The cheesecake factory is great if you want to eat gigantic portions of mediocre food on the cheap.

Jeff A.

This place seems to get mixed reviews and I've only been there four or five times but I find myself having to stop in for lunch everytime I walk the Mile. The thai pasta is actually very good as another reviewer mentioned. The interior is cool-looking as well as the bathrooms. They also dish out a mean cappucino (I'm not sure if they still have the coffee bar but they did when I went there). All in all, I try to stop in here pretty hungry after walking the Mile and maybe a shopping binge at the Virgin Records Store. It's worth a try to decide for yourself.

Ramon R.

Tooooooo crowded. Build an extra wing for Chrissakes! Great food but the crowding really gives this place a sort of Chucky Cheese quality. I'm waiting for them to put up pinball machines here.

Mark P.

It is what it is. Excellent for chain restaurant food. I'm partial to the chicken lettuce wraps and Lousianna chicken pasta.

Ian B.

We had a great server which made the experience enjoyable. It was quite loud, but the venue was able to seat is quite quickly. The Mac and cheese balls and the nachos with chicken were great. I didn't mind the house wine. Definitely recommend this place, but know that it can be quite loud. However, the service was fast!

Mike R.

Location: Great Atmosphere: Good Food: Decent Service: Poor Went on a busy memorial day (evening), yesterday, and was met with slow service, food items that they ran out of, and a waiter that kept telling his customers that they were very busy every time he made an error or had a problem with service/food, etc. I noticed other customers were getting the same type of poor service as me. To end the evening on a better note we decided to pay our check and grab a cheesecake on the way out. We paid our bill and went up to the counter to order cheesecake but were rejected by the staff saying we had to order through our server. Our server was barely serving us while we were seated, and I was not about to go find him to help me order cheesecake now. They lost my cheesecake business that night, and all future business at this restaurant chain. Goodbye and good luck Cheesecake Factory!

Claire L.

Fun date place with literally every kind of food option possible from burritos to burgers to pasta to steak, so it's great for when everyone is craving something different and neither of you want to compromise. The service is ok but nothing special, I usually find that the waiters are doing a lot more running around than actually waiting on people and tend to slack on the extra stuff you might request, like more water, extra dressing or more bread. I've also found that if you're having a more "basic" dinner (meaning no appetizers or fancy drinks) that they tend to really leave you alone and often leave you with empty water glasses. On the flip side, if you both order a drink when you first meet the waiter, they're never going to stop hounding you. I do think the food is pretty good and overall love going, just would like to see the service stepped up a little bit. Big tourist place it seems so expect lots of families with younger kids but overall a win.

Basilman S.

I understand that the cheesecake is great, but we didn't have any. The service was painfully slow, I had an omelet, that was quite mediocre. I asked to have salmon mixed with the omelet. It came on the side. Took forever to get the food and the check. Not a good experience. May just have been our waiter who was inexperienced or mediocre or just didn't give a s#€!. Other guests with a different waiter seems to have better service and experience. Have been here once before for my son's birthday after a ball game, 3 years ago. Packed, loud, but the good and service were great.

Jill O.

This is my absolute favorite Cheesecake Factory location- it's the one that I grew up with. The interior is really cool and unique, and it's nostalgic for me. It's always a pleasant treat for me when I get to go there. Like other Cheesecake factories, the menu is huge, and the portions are too. You better come hungry, because the food is ridiculous. It's a little bit pricey, but it's worth it considering you pretty much get two meals out of it. Plus, the honey wheat brown bread is amazing all on its own, and it comes free to the table. The service is always great at this location- they're always working fast and hard, and are always friendly. Most recently, I went with two of my friends. We started with an appetizer, the Parmesan-Garlic Cheese Bread. It was unexpectedly awesome. It was super cheesy and garlicky, and is one of the best garlic breads I've ever had. I'd definitely order it again. One friend ordered the Grilled Pork Chop with applesauce, mashed potatoes, and spinach. He devoured it, and thought it was exceptional. The other friend ordered the Fried Shrimp Platter, which is the only thing she ever orders there, so she thought it was great. I ordered my favorite Chicken Madeira, which was delicious as always. Naturally, we also ordered cheesecake. Both of my friends ordered Fresh Strawberry cheesecake and really enjoyed it. I got the Mango Key Lime Cheesecake. It was pretty good, but I don't think I'd order it again. It was too tart for me.

Ji-Seung K.

The meatball spaghetti was soggy and we have waited 20 minutes longer because the woman on counter took someone else instead lol She never apologized and five teams who came later than us went ahead. Also, the carbonara was served in dirty dish, the sauce was spilled all over the plate. They didn't attempt to wipe it before it's served.

Rawlins R.

Came to this location right under or on the ground level of the Hancock building. It was a late Monday night. If you really want to impress someone I would suggest coming to this location as I stated is located under the Hancock. I came for desert only and got the Reese's Cheesecake. It was extremely good but also extremely rich. I should of gotten a glass of milk to go with it.

Ken L.

Love their outdoor seating option. Their menu is extensive as a small book so finding something for everyone shouldn't be a problem. Definitely call ahead add the wait can be up to 1 hour.

Kimberly T.

The place I celebrate my every birthday with my family. Everything on the menu is fabulous! My honey took me today as a treat for being a good patient at the doctors office lol. Service is a lil slow but worth the wait :)

Julie A.

Terrible wait time. Was told it would be 45 minutes and hour and a half hostess told us 10 more minutes and then sat a table of 5 who just came in. When I questioned it she said they were sitting outside. I would have taken first available. Hostess had no clue!

Chad R.

Thought it'd be funny to try one out while at this Chicago conference (nothing "wrong" with the brand, per se, but not my thing (you know?))-- joke was on me. It was 62 degrees in there. I had to blow in my hands the entire meal, and spent most of my time looking around at others and commiserating with them while they complained to their 'other/s' about how cold it was. A single tear streaks down my cheek, as I've only got Yelp at this meal. In fact, I need to take a break from typing this to sit on my hands because I'm losing feeling in them. Okay, I'm back-- so what else about this joint? Highlight comes via the hostess station: these girls is a bunch of sour pusses, for real. The only time they smile is when they swing through a server station to flirt with a guy or talk trash about the one coworker also seating (possibly manager) who is obviously not like the others. I'll just leave it at that. They clearly lack knowledge about the concept of situational awareness, too. I've seen them give the gasface to at least a dozen families/groups because, I imagine, they're "not sitting down fast enoughjustsitdown,God!" If you work here a few times a week, and stand at a crappy little podium with a map of the joint, you'll likely be more comfy there. Customers, on the other hand, particularly ones that don't frequent the place, want to gauge the light, or whether or not they're sitting under the full blast AC, or are identifying exits, or who knows what but why is your sour little gas face in such a hurry to get back to the podium? You ain't smilin' or greetin'. You just gasfacin'. And you get paid by the hour, not by the guest (or gasface). Look, the food's good, right? But I can't imagine ever coming back to this atmosphere. Above comments are completely exclusive of my server, Lauren, who was rad. Although she kept calling me 'sir' when I'm obviously not that kind of customer, made it known, and she must've known anyhow because it was weird EVERY single time. I think this place breeds that sort of weirdness, though, and I encourage her to at the very least be aware it, best case scenario get outta there.

Ania P.

Beautiful and tasty cheesecakes everywhere! Really hard to make a choice! :) Nice place to go w friends or family!

Alexandria L.

I really do hate writing bad reviews, but this experience irritated me. My family and I are on vacation and this is our first time in Chicago. When we arrived our waiter did get our drinks rapidly, after that it was horrible service. It took about 15-20 minutes to get our order, he brought to the table 8 pieces of bread to a table of 6 people, and our order took more than half an hour. May I add we never received one refill throughout our whole dining experience and this was a early lunch on a Thursday, it was hardly busy. I am a foodie and the food was wonderful, but as far as the service I would be very skeptical to come back.

Kelly B.

Holy sh*t, the hostess working last night had the WORST attitude that I have ever come across in my life. Just a suggestion to her, if you hate your job that much...then quit! So rude, not helpful, and rolled her eyes several times when customers were putting in reservations. On the plus side, our waitress was amazing. She really made up for the witch working at the hostess stand.

Kristine R.

This location is located at the bottom of the John Hancock building. It's such a beautiful location! They are always super busy but the wait time is never too long. You can either eat inside or outside but I prefer eating inside because the fountain outside is kind of loud. Service here is impeccable! I've never had bad service here. They get your food out to you pretty fast too. We got the avocado egg rolls for our appetizer and it was OK. Not as good as other places. It was kinda too thick for me. Their calamari is amazing. I always get the fettuccine Alfredo with broccoli and portobello mushrooms and I'm always satisfied about halfway through the entree because it's such a huge portion. My husband orders something different everytime we go from burgers to steak and he is always satisfied by the end of the meal. Their cheesecake here, just like any other Cheesecake Factory is to die for! I try to get something different every time, and I've never been disappointed. But I think my most favorite thing about this restaurant is the vibe. It's dim in there with the beautiful city outside.

Jherica L A.

I ENJOYED my meal Southern Fried Catfish Meal... it was delicious! We walked in and got a table immediately (1pm on a Thursday) The catfish was meaty and very well compensated. The corn was sweet and buttery. The mashed potatoes chunky and moist. I enjoyed every bite. The margarita was weak but thats ok. Our server Dana was wonderful!! Request her... and shes cute!! Lol...

Padma A.

The review is solely for our native British Server who was outstanding in his service. Our son continued to read his book in the dimly lit dining area and our server got us an inflammable candle to brighten the reading light. Food was ok but dessert never disappoints!!

MT W.

Situated next to all the hotels and shops of Chicago downtown, along the Magnificent Mile, can't be anything more central. Open all day long, till 12:30 am on Saturdays and Sundays, and always very very packed. We went there twice but never to sit and eat inside, but to place and get to go order. Customers are standing and waiting to be seated in line. They get pagers to know when their table is finally ready. And it can take 15 or even 30 minutes. To my mind the place is not the most delicious or prestigious or anything to spend so much time waiting. Time waiting for to go food is enormous too. And I heard the clients were not very happy with the service. Of course if it's called the "Cheesecake Factory" - their cheesecakes are good. But as for the food on the menu, it's absolutely ordinary and there is nothing to droll that much about, it's a chain restaurant and besides in some other their locations the service is much better. And the prices are a bit above the average there to me for the quality of food they offer. There are tons of different and more interesting and delicious places around there to visit. So if you're coming back late from some event, you can drop by and order a bite to go. May be after 10 pm it's quieter there, but before - better choose something else not to waste your precious time.

Jim E.

Disappointed with this location, the lowest I have every rated a Cheesecake Factory was a 4 before. After walking in drenched from the soaking rain and the restaurant not being very busy we were ignored for a few minutes...and were finally seated. The next thing the bread that was brought out was totally hard and stale, and they did not bring any of that brown oat bread, just the white stuff (everyone else got a mixture) Suffice to say after one bite we moved the bread to the side. The meal and Cheesecake were good, but when finished the meal we had to wait 15 minutes to order Cheesecake even though the restaurant was not busy. I am sure it was just one of those things that happen but it was my worst Cheesecake Factory experience.

A H.

Everything was tasty here and the service was great. I had the fish tacos with the fish deep fried along with beans and rice. Everything tasted great, I really liked it. The cheesecake was AMAZING! I had the tuxedo cheesecake it was a definite winner for me. I want to go back and try more. Please open a cheesecake factory in Vancouver B.C Canada please! lol

Executive Chef Ronnie B.

The good the bad and the ugly: The GAUDIEST restaurant I've ever seen personally. My dirty silverware, just so off putting A nice, but no name server as an "order taker" No saucer OR spoon for my dbl espresso, not happy. This pizza is pretty "picture perfect" Avocado club screams yummy value Tiramisu was stellar, yet the beauty of a classic dessert from Italy was taken away with a half a pound of whipped cream they put on the desert- there's literally more whipped cream and than there was desert, very sad.

Sarah R.

I came in with my friend and only ordered drinks. My friend and I sat in the bar area at a booth. It was during that awkward transition between lunch and dinner, so they were slow. Our server's name was Ren, I believe. I only remember because he was really awesome! My friend and I are servers, so we tend to connect with servers. Ren was really cool and made our experience a great one! We shared the Georgia Peach. That drink tasted like straight up sorbet. No hint of alcohol. Those drinks are DANGEROUS - in other words, you better order that next time!!! I also got a SkinnyLicious Long Island Iced Tea - it's SkinnyLicious because the splash is of coke zero instead of coke. Pretty straight forward. Tasted good. I would order both again. My friend got the BBQ salad, which was HUGE, like all of the food portions at Cheesecake Factory. The chicken looked freshly grilled and vegetables looked fresh. I took a bite and would order it if I went again. We also shared a slice of cheesecake - Adam's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple. Cheesecake with caramel, PB, butterfingers, Reese's, and an Oreo crust? Get. It. Actually, get everything that we got. Did I forget to mention the bread that they bring out first? Cause, yeah. That's REALLY good, too. Sourdough and a slightly sweet honey oat wheat something bread. Always a great way to kick off the meal!

Guanyu Z.

Nice place. Bacon~bacon cheeseburger. I've been there couple times with my girlfriend. It gives me surprise every time

Malleana R.

I had to drop the stars down this one time. Our waiter, Nathan, last night was not friendly and it was not received well since we were a large crowd who waited 2 hours and change to be seated and had 3 birthdays. It took forever to get seated which is understandable since we had a large crowd. However when we got called we had to wait another 20-30 minutes for them to get our table ready. Followed by three meals that were incorrect / under cooked. The waiter dropped bread on our table and expected us to still eat it . I ordered the kale salad and the Diane steak which was delicious ( Thank God ). But I just feel like the service could have been much better than it was.

William T.

Love the cheesecake factory but was terribly disappointed with this one. Stopped in for lunch. Wasn't busy when we arrived. Our server, Alberto, had the energy of a small gerbil but I quickly realized that, because we were not in business suits, nor were we a couple of skinny blonde coeds, he wouldn't pay much attention to us. Getting his attention was akin to pulling teeth. Orders received were wrong and it took 45 min to get food. Manager attempted to placate us with a free slice of cheesecake and a less than heartfelt apology from, Alberto. We balked at that, paid our bill and walked out. Not coming back to this location.

Kristen S.

I came here craving something dessert -- absolutely the worst cheesecake I've ever had. It was completely covered with whipped cream and sickeningly sweet.

Sera S.

Definitely one of the most convenient and amazing places to eat in Chicago. Food is great as always. The service is neither fast nor slow which makes you enjoy your break between the meals. I suggest the pasta choices that include shrimp. The sizes of the meals are big so if you also want to eat a cheesecake you might want to share the main course. I think you should definitely go there if you've never been to one of the Cheesecakes Factories.

Jennifer Y.

Next time, I better not find a piece of someone's hair in my Strawberry Shortcake OH wait.. There is NEVER going to be a next time - I'm never coming back to you. You guys are pretty darn lucky that TCF is a natural chain restaurant. Otherwise, business would plummet. Save yourselves a bad review and have your employees wear bouffant caps, hair nets, or a chef's cap while preparing meals. PLEASE?

Brooke O.

The Cheesecake Factory in the Hancock tends to be a destination for many suburban families when they come to the city. The huge portions, large menu, and of course cheesecake draws them in. The quirky décor keeps them interested while they're there. Cheesecake recently came up with a healthier menu which is nice. The regular menu tends to be really heavy - partly because of the huge portions. They do have a large selection of dishes that they will prepare as lunch portions which are still big but much more manageable.

Nicholas L.

Bad service. I asked for milk for my coffee, the guy said: use your relative's coffee. I said they need it. It took him 5 minutes to get me the milk. After returning home I had the stomach runs if you know what I mean. ....I'm disappointed

Kelly D.

After visiting this location a few times I finally picked my birthday to express my sheer disappointment with this location. In short, a friend and I just wanted cheesecake. We specified this to the host and she gave us a pager w/ my name and told us it would be 20 minutes. 30 minutes go by, and after lingering around the bar and stepping outside for a cigarette I decided to go check on the time at the host stand. Apparently my name and pager wasn't on the list. They had done a shift change so the hostess was not the one I was dealing with before. She explained to me that our name wasn't on the list anymore. I requested a manager. I knew it wasn't her fault. So Julie, the manager, comes and speaks with me and I explain the situation. She checks the host stand with the hostess and the previous hostess had noted that "we walked away". What? Like, you think I want to take this pager to-go with me? No, I was walking around the bar and hanging by the front of the restaurant. I am aware and I made it clear that I knew it wasn't the current hostess's fault. I work in the industry so these things happen and it just sucks. Fortunately Julie was able to seat us immediately. Unfortunately, the waitress we had must have caught wind of the situation and wasn't very pleasant. We were very nice to her so it was a shame she didn't greet us and introduce herself like she did to the other tables around us. My friend even told the hostess and manager that it was my birthday, but I didn't get a candle or any kind of "happy birthday" from anyone. I've had issues with this place before in getting seated and not stellar service. But I guess that's what you get with corporate chain restaurants. I'm finally closing my chapter with the cheesecake factory. The two stars I'm leaving is for Julie and the newest hostess because they were the only help to this situation.

Louise G.

Have been to other locations of the Cheesecake Factory and have always been impressed with the wide selection on the menu and of course you need to leave room for dessert-the Godiva cheesecake is divine!!

Will P.

Waited 15 minutes for party of 2 while 20 tables outside sat open. Inside was full but had to wait for them to seat 20 parties inside before us outside. Brutal customer service.

Rob V.

Second time, after the SF location we were at CF. The place is huge and the menu is even bigger. We had an lunch meal which was really great portionwise nothing too much so we had room for an cheesecake. For me it was white chocolate raspberry truffle and although I only had a small meal it still was way too much. So great but so heavy.... It was Just delicious. We Will Be back here and then only the cheesecake. On the downside was the caramel machiatto, that was barely warm enough and I have had much better.

Daniel G.

Cool space. Had soft chicken tacos which was a nice light lunch. Ate at the bar. Bartender was nice and attentive to me. I haven't eaten at one of these spots in quite a while. Extensive menu.

Katie J.

We were downtown for a day and had lunch with the fam. Great food, but really long wait and the hostess could have been better. Overall good but the old orchard location is my favorite.

Herschel S.

Meh. This makes me realize why I don't really like going to chain restaurants. I ordered the Bistro Shrimp Pasta. So I like the sauce but the shrimp tasted from a frozen bag and not fresh. I did not like how the shrimp is also small and to make it appear bigger they just coated it with batter. Service is fine. The location of this place is great though in attracting customers.

Sondra M.

The wait was about 40 minutes, which is fine I understand it was a busy night. But then the heat was blasting way too high and I was sweating in the restaurant. Also the waiter gave me the wrong dish, even though I pointed out the one I wanted on the menu to him which was disappointing. Also my key lime cheesecake was frozen when it got to my table as if they pulled it out of the back of the freezer :-( I came to the cheesecake factory for the cheesecake and it wasn't good at all. Not Okay.

Lara J.

You better come hungry! I'm only slightly ashamed to say I eat at Cheesecake Factory a few times a year. I love the service, the food and of course, the cheesecake!!!! I've gotten smarter over the years and finally just ordered an appetizer. This was much better on the wallet and I was still stuffed to the gills. I was so full, I left again without getting my beloved cheesecake :-( Sometimes I just have to get dessert. One thing I occasionally do is take the leftovers and give them to someone on the street who is hungry- they seem appreciative. This time I ordered the Tex Mex Egg Rolls and they were fabulous!

Lar P.

Great place, food was very good and service excellent. Menu can be a little overwhelming but definitely has something for everyone. Everyone in our group of six was very happy with their food. When you go, ask for Katie,a redhead, her service was excellent; well trained. I think she's from Hawaii.

Susan H.

It is a chain that's all I can say. The cheesecake is always delicious and hard to resist so we didn't. We tried the red velvet, Chris's outrageous, & carrot cake cheesecake and they were all mouth watering good! We ordered skinny salmon with asparagus which was actually very good. Also had the skinny chicken pasta and it was okay. We felt like choosing skinny rationalized eating cheesecake.....its r that what everyone would do?!?!? Lol we love their cheesecake!

Richard H.

My fiancé and I went in to celebrate my 21st birthday. I only had my temporary drivers license with my license that expired on my birthday clipped to it. The waitress said I needed a non expired license even though my temporary license showed my DOB. She also brought out a manager which said that it was a state law. Every other place in Chicago took my license without hesitation. When I informed her that I had no other problem this week, she said "cheesecake factory is a much bigger company than anything else in Chicago." We got up and left and I enjoyed an adult beverage somewhere else that night and some great Chicago Pizza. Very disappointed and won't ever be returning.

Vydia G.

Went there Saturday afternoon around 12:30 or so with my cousin as we got massages to relax and hang out for the day - absolutely horrible waitress/service! unfortunately i didnt get her name as i was so mad after waiting about 20 minutes for our drinks and we could barely hear her as it was so loud in there, she wouldn't even try to hear us or speak louder. Since we wanted to try a little bit of everything we ordered 4 apps and she literally scoffed at us and said, "woah!"...as if to food shame us for ordering 2 too many apps for just us two ppl! SO MAD! she never once asked if we needed anything in the meantime, she then took the order of the table next to us and the faces/looks she was giving this mother/daughter was horrible! she took her time in talking and getting food for the other tables in her section but not us. our food came in 2 cycles which was fine however, she never once came to check on us and then when she noticed we weren't eating anymore, she just took our dishes away and we had to flag her down to give us the bill. Worst $55 spent ever; will never come back to this location or any other - food/service has really gone down over the years!

Jackie G.

I love the Thai chicken lettuce meal . ! but I don't really like coming here because the food (pasta) makes me feel terrible after... Like I need a nap right away! And because the food is so heavy I don't ever get any cheese cake

Brad S.

In town for a conference. Ate at the Seattle Cheese and Factory many times and enjoyed it. This location not so much. Place was packed with a 60 min wait for dinner at 8:30 pm. Called for reservations, no reservations taken after 4pm. Not sure why during dinner you wouldn't take reservations!?! Place was packed. Our table was still covered in plates when we arrived. Had to wait next to people eating while they cleared the table. 5 of us got crammed into a small corner booth. Not the best seating. Now with that being said, I had the Mushroom Swiss burger which was very yummy. Friend had the Mac and Cheese burger which she also found very delicious. Decorations were entertaining. Would visit again at an off time if there is one of those.

Ebony C.

This was my go to place for Strawberry Cheesecake every Saturday afternoon whenever I was in the downtown Chicago area. I've only dined here once with my parents one Saturday afternoon and we had a good experience. The only disappointment was they didn't have my mom's sugar free cheesecake! :( I would definitely return the next time I'm in the area.

Akiko I.

Very tasty and one thing I like is there is small plate menu with calories stated. All of their portion is gigantic, if you order salad, you'll see the heap of leaves!! It's very good but I have to say it's to share, not to eat all alone. I couldn't finish it up and not managed to get to cheesecake in this cheesecake factory. Besides, the looks of the restaurant is pretty, resembles to the feeling of being in Disneyland!

Norm J.

Positives 5 Stars for the variety of cheesecakes (favorites include: Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake, Oreo Dream Extreme Cheesecake and Vanilla Bean Cheesecake) 4 Stars for the employees working there. On each visit to this location I have had excellent service from the greeter telling me how ridiculous long I'll have to wait to eat at a chain restaurant, to the host/hostess who have seated me and didn't mind finding me another table when I saw that they were trying to place me next to a family with a bunch of kids, to the friendly wait staff. 3 Stars for the take out menu. The fact that you place your order and pick it up so you don't have to wait 2 hours just to sit and eat food that is OK, but not AMAZING. 3 Stars for the SkinnyLicious Menu were all the items are under 590 calories; thus allowing you to not feel so guilty when you order two slices of cheesecake for yourself (one to eat there and one to go). Negatives 1 Star for the boat load of tourist who visit this place as if it has 3 Michelin Stars. If there isn't a Cheesecake Factory in your country I can SORTA understand why you would come here, but if there's one in your city you have no excuse for visiting this place when you're on vacation. 2 Stars for the food which is nothing special. It's OK, but you'll never hear me calling home to tell the family about the awesome 1500 calorie pasta dish I just had.

Sean C.

Have you ever gone into "Cheesecake Factory" and ordered a small plate just to make sure you have room for cheesecake at the end? I had PRETZEL-COVERED CHICKEN STICKS (yay!) so I could save room for the CHRIS' OUTRAGEOUS CHEESECAKE (it's the German Chocolate Cake of cheesecakes). If there's anything truly outrageous it's the super-large space and super-packed patronage, I don't know how the staff handles it. I was served the small plate before I got bread. The waiter came over and apologized. As I sat there past 2:30 on a leisure afternoon when I needed to kill time, the "Factory" died down with less and less customers. I talked to the waiter for like 8-minutes, gabbing on this and that. We traded dessert secrets. #goodtimes

Britany S.

I'm going to keep this review short as most people have visited cheesecake factory before. I usually do not have complaints with the cheesecake factory but this occasion was the exception. We ordered to corn tamales as usually because they are so good it has to be a sin. I regret not ordering the red velvet cheesecake because I I did nto like my past at all. The sauce was water and thin and did not coat the past so I felt like I was eating dry season pasta. I would never order that meal again. We asked for extra sauce but that dish is just not a winner. We sat in these booths in the back and my friends seat was wobbly if that makes any sense. So anytime the person in the booth behind her would move or get up she would feel it. Our waiter was ridiculously slow and we had to remind him about everything (even utensils). All I can say is the corn tamales never disappoint.

Len M.

The menu is huge. Lots of items to choose from. Standard fare not superb..from what I tasted. Cheesecake is FAB. Waiter wasn't pleasant..almost like he didn't like his job. Hmmm.

Colin M.

Came here with a group of co-workers on Saturday night. My first ever Cheesecake Factory Experience, and only because someone else picked it. Honestly, after reading the "Eat This Not Thant" horror stories, I wanted to run screaming from this place. They have arguably the "Worst Dish In America" with their Bistro Shrimp pasta, clocking in at over 2200 calories per serving. That's more than a days worth of calories in one gloppy plate of pasta! Que horreur! But, it was either beg off dinner or join the group. So I joined the group. Kudo's on the Skinnylicious Menu. They have a number of selections advertised as less than 590 calories, so I guess that is acceptable. Mostly these selections are salads or fish (or a combination of both). I had the chopped salad, which contained chicken, apple, corn and avocado and it was pretty good. I didn't trust the calorie count so I didn't finish it. My seatmate to the right had the grilled ahi tuna salad, which he was very pleased with. He literally ate every last morsel of salad on the plate. I personally don't like raw tuna, but he really found the meal excellent. His wife ordered the spaghetti and meatballs, and again, she said she really enjoyed it. I was told that she never likes anything she gets at a restaurant, so this was really a victory for The Cheesecake Factory. One of my table mates had the appetizer chicken Caesar salad, and it was enormous. We all said, "This is the appetizer size???" Honestly, it was entree sized. But good, reportedly. There were other, acceptable dishes on the table, none so good that they warrant inclusion in this review. The only other thing to note was the size of the desserts. Again, one slice of cheesecake was as big as the entree. Ginormous. And the very slender woman who ordered it dispatched it down her alimentary canal with alacrity. I don't know how a very slender woman can eat 3000 calories worth of food and stay slender. So all in all, I would have to say that the Cheesecake Factory wasn't bad. Service was decent. I don';t think I would drive downtown for a chain restaurant, but if in a similar situation, I would have a lot less trepidation about the menu.

Shelli D.

My table was dirty and it smelled, so I was moved to the table next to mine, which also smelled. I had a great waiter and the food was good. However, I watched the busboy wipe the table next to mine after the patrons left, and then understood why the tables stink. The busboy uses the same towel to wipe the tables, and then puts the towel in his apron pocket. He then puts down napkins and silverware on the table. That was gross, and for sure, unsanitary. Watching this caused me to stop eating and I would not order dessert. I did not like the setting in the first place, and having to smell an unclean table while I ate, did not go over well with me. I do not plan to go back.

Nelson M.

Restaurant review If you like cheesecake, american food, and a busy restaurant then this is the place to visit. Located in the John Hancock building, this place is always super busy with a long wait. The food itself is good, but it is after all a chain restaurant. I can honestly say that I always leave filling full and happy. The prices are slightly above average, but cheaper then a fine dining restaurant. The cheesecake selection is always amazing, but you definitely over pay compared to buying a eli cheesecake from elsewhere. If you come be prepared to wait! Pro: large cheesecake selection, classic american entrees Cons: very long wait time Hidden gem: None

Lincoln S.

I went here on a Saturday night for a dinner date with my girlfriend, and it was just okay. They sat us upstairs, and I wanted the fish tacos, but couldn't find them on the menu. We asked if they still had them, and we were moved downstairs, where they have a much bigger menu. Strange that the menu was so much bigger downstairs. The bread was a bit stale, which was surprising, since the restaurant was packed. The fish tacos were okay, but not that flavorful. The girlfriend had spaghetti and meatballs, which were very good. The meatballs were among the best I've ever had. We shared a piece of white chocolate raspberry truffle cheesecake, which was delicious. I had a black coffee, which tasted like canned pre-ground coffee, but whatever. Overall including tip, I spent about $55, which was a little steep for a couple parts being less than great. However, I would probably go back. I just feel like there is better food for a better price at a lot of other restaurants.

Annie H.

Wow. This place is terrible on so many levels. I've been to other Cheesecake Factories and have always had a positive experiences but this place is just so poorly run... if they were in any other location than Michigan Ave. they would surely be out of business. I checked in with the hostess and was told it would be 15 minutes for outside seating. So we waited for 15... 20... 30 minutes. Finally I went up to the hostess stand and asked (nicely) how much longer it would be. The hostess said "Oh you're next on the list. Should be 10 minutes." So we waited for 10... 15... 20 minutes. So I went up to the hostess stand and said "Look, we were told 15 minutes and it's been 45 minutes." And the hostess said, "Yeah I know." And walked away. Here's a little tip for you sweetheart... if you're going to be a little C U Next Tuesday then you should probably work in a different industry than the HOSPITALITY industry. Anyway. We finally get seated and I ask to speak to a manager. He comes over 10 minutes later and says, "I'm sorry that happened! I'll get you started off right!" Meanwhile, our waiter is nowhere to be found, we have no waters, and no bread. Waiter finally shows up with a plate of some weird, fried greasy avocado egg rolls (which we didn't ask for and didn't want). Not exactly a great way to get us "started off right." Food finally comes (we never got bread and had to ask 3 times for water) and it was also greasy and gross. We ended up being comped for the nasty avocado rolls, which we never asked for and didn't want. So gross food, bad service, incredibly rude host staff, and clueless manager. Stay away.

Dian W.

lol so many people waiting for seats. I just bought a cheesecake. Looks so good. And the service is fast. Dulce Caremel flavour.

Janae T.

I love Cheesecake Factory, not necessarily for their food though. Don't get me wrong, the food is acceptably good but often lacks flavor in my opinion and honestly tastes a little too greasy at times. On the other hand, the drinks at this location(white sangria) was awesome! The service was ok, the waitress seemed a little spaced out, the host who sat is grumbled a few words and the time to get our food was a little long. Overall, it was a decent happy hour experience that I would do again.

Kevin E.

I came here for brunch with a friend. Service was rather slow. Despite having a plethora of tables, we had to wait for the waitress to clock in before we could be seated. Sure... okay. We were seated in a booth, and I instantly noticed that our lamp was amazingly dusty. Like, I was scared if someone ran past our table, dust would fall into our food. I ordered a red sangria, because I love sangria and I want to try it everywhere. Their sangria was OVERLY sweet. I know it's the cheesecake factory, but there's no reason my sangria should taste like a cherry jolly rancher. My friend got the chicken caesar salad. It was a generous portion, and we ended up sharing. I got the skinny chicken pasta, which was pretty good.

Martin R.

Poor service, overrated food, very cold - too much aircondition. But the cheesecake was alright.

Marc W.

Horrible service on a Saturday night. Was told hour wait waited for 1 hour 20 and they gave our table away. So we waited 15 more on top. Server took 10 minutes to come. Here I sit 3.5 hours into this experience still wAiting on dessert!!!

Alyssa E.

Loved the entire atmosphere and experience. Had to wait for 5-10 min. Was seated in a not-too-loud area, which we enjoyed. Very busy, but still got excellent attention from our waiter. I ordered a burger first, but was told that they were out of that particular kind. Totally fine with me and got an excellent portion of orange chicken. I'm intrigued to see what the big sized portion is since I ordered off the lunch menu. Ordered cheesecake at the end and we got silverwear in the bag also, which was nice cause were staying in a hotel. I'd definitely return our next time in Chicago!

Cristi S.

Had such amazing service at this location I couldn't believe it. It was a last minute decision on a busy Saturday night to come here for a drink and appetizer. We had 5 people and the host was just about to write our name down for a 1.5 hour wait when the most wonderful little waitress came over and said "hi I have immediate seating for 5 in the cafe". We'll take it! She was fantastic! Then our waitress for the evening was also just wonderful. She gave us recommendations, never rushed us, and when a bigger table opened up after 10 minutes she moved us quickly over to it. What service! The cafe part has a more limited menu than the restaurant. We had the lettuce wraps and I had the sangria. Yum yum! Everything was delicious. Bravo to the staff at the Cheesecake Factory in Chicago!

Nora L.

While the cheesecake is wonderful, the quality of their food otherwise leaves a lot to be desired - lots of additives, sugar and the like

Jerry V.

The Cheesecake Factory is great place for lunch or dinner. There entrées are very good which is in cheeseburgers are very good as well. Let's not get into the selection of cheesecakes! It's a bit more pricey compared to American style restaurant.

Brenda H.

Went to cheesecake factory downtown last night. Food was horrible, waitress was great, manager was worse than the food!

Amy A.

Never been to a Cheesecake Factory before. Can't say I'll be in line to go back. We just wanted a nice dinner with our kids on our last night in Chicago. We checked in at 4:45 and it was an hour wait. We waited outside where a ton of other people were also waiting. It was pretty much an hour and it was our turn. We were seated in a corner booth. At least 10 minutes later our hurried waiter finally appeared. We ordered our drinks and meals at that time. At least 10 minutes after that our bread came. At least 15 - 20 minutes after that our food came. I got the chicken bellagio which was actually wonderful. My husband had the chicken and biscuit which was just "eh" and the kids had mini corn dogs, chicken strips and pasta Parmesan. My daughters fries were not brought out with her meal and she was pretty much done eating by the time they arrived. The waiter never really asked how we were doing. He was running around like a maniac which made us feel hurried and on edge. NOT a relaxing meal. He did keep our glasses full. We ordered our cheesecakes to go. Paid and left. Within 20 minutes of leaving all four of my kids were sick with upset stomachs and diarrhea. Not a good experience when you have one bathroom in the hotel and they are fighting over who has to go worse. Something they used in the food destroyed their bowels. After an hour they were good again. We brought back two slices of cheesecake. A cherry and a dulce de leche. Must say "super disappointed". Very little flavor, whipped cream was blah- had absolutely no sweetener in it and might as well been butter on top. Couldn't finish either slice. For $77 with a tip on top of that- I will go eat elsewhere.

Naveen N.

Large quantity of extremely delicious and obviously unhealthy food. Top off the meal with an even better tasting, and likely unhealthier, piece of cheesecake

Tan L.

Great location in the city. Went shopping at Water Tower and this always is the best place for dinner when I'm w my daughter. The staff is educated about food allergies so I never worry. People are always courteous and food is great and reasonably priced. The only problem is, they need to expand this place. It s always so packed even on a weeknight

Danielle M.

I have been to this particular location many times and have never experienced what happened today. The hosts at the main desk said our wait for a table for 2 two would be 20 minutes at around 7:30 PM today (Thursday). We waited and waited and killed some time in the Best Buy right above it. An HOUR later we finally go into the restaurant and ask what is happening, they reply with oh sorry it'll be less than 10 minutes. So we stand nearby the host desk for maybe 5 minutes or so and our buzzer goes off. We handed in our buzzer and half a dozen others were trying to do so too by waving them in the air like a damn concert or something. They then printed out a ton of slips with party names on them and the corresponding number of menus into piles on the desk in no particular order and random hosts start calling out parties in no particular order. We stood there staring at our ticket for probably 10 minutes...so over an hour and 15 minutes went by JUST TO GET SEATED.

Couri T.

I'm a fan of CCF, but today was not the best experience. Got to the bar after navigating my way through the lobby of tourists. Sat at the bar and was greeted immediately by the bartender. Order a Titos Vodka with cranberry and a fresh lime. The lime never made it on the glass. No big deal I would survive. Decided on the grilled fish tacos. By this time my glass was empty! Gave the bartender my food order with the hopes that he would notice the empty glass. No such luck today. I give it a few minute more and finally I ask for a refill on the Titos. Again no lime! Fast forward 20 minutes and still no food. I notice a few people who came in after me getting food, so I ask are the tacos coming soon? "yes I sent someone to check on them." the bartender replied as he turn to a passing server and says "hey can you check on grilled fish tacos?". About four minutes later a runner appears with the tacos. I dig into the black beans n rice, and they are luke warm at best. Okay you got me. They were cool at best. I attempted to eat the tacos, which were flavorful and well presented. I picked one up and the tortilla fell apart and the fish was cold. Warning! These tacos had been setting under a heatlamp for sometime getting cold and saturated with moisture. If I had more time I would've waited for them to fix the dish. Unfortunately I was meeting a friend at another location so my quick dinner turned into a "I wish it was a better experience". The bartender sends for the manager and this took forever. Finally he (manager) arrives, but the bartender had left to find him. The who's on second scenario. Long story short I recieved no apology from tha manager and he seemed annoyed that his system that clearly failed me created more work for him. Ad I mentionef I'm a fan of CCF, but I will stick to the suburban locations. They seem to care more.

Cynthia P.

We been here before when we visited chicago , we got great customer service and the food was great. Today we came back with our new born son, after I told the hostes that we did not want to sit in front of the window near the entry door guess where she put us, exactly there, had to get the manager to move us, horrible!!!! I thought this was a family friendly restaurant .

Audra W.

Worst customer service in terms of management ever! I love Cheesecake Factory anywhere but downtown Chicago. I took my aunt and cousins there, my aunt ordered the pasta and it had a piece of glass in it! She cut up her tongue and management handled it terribly. They only comped her pasta, they didn't even care she injured herself nor did they care to throw out their contaminated supply of pasta. I'm disgusted the lack of caring my family experienced at this restaurant and will never visit this location again. They didn't bother to take care of us or the situation at all!

Craig E.

Dined here during a recent weekend trip with my best friend. She had visited other TCF locations before, but it was my first time. The wait was long to be seated, but it was worth it. The food was delicious and the cheesecake we ordered to go was even better. The staff was friendly and attentive. Seemed like a popular place for birthdays as at least 3 groups were sang to during our visit. I am still thinking about that slice of Adam's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple Cheesecake...

Ellen S.

I went to The Cheesecake Factory just to try their cheesecake, I had heard so much about it so I had to try. We don't have so many places back in Sweden that serve cheesecake so I was happy when I heard about The Cheesecake Factory. I am a huge cheesecake lover and I was so excited when I saw all the flavors they have. When I went in to The Cheesecake Factory I directly saw all the different cheesecakes they have, and it was so hard to choose which one I wanted. I choose between the original and tiramisu cheesecake, and I took the tiramisu one because I had been craving tiramisu for so long. It´s good that they have many options, but it can be hard at the same time to, because all of them seem good. I liked the tiramisu cheesecake but it was a little bit too much, it was pretty heavy. I would like to have more coffee taste and now I know that I want these desserts separately. But I want to go back someday and try the original or the low carb, I don't think they are so heavy and are more "fresh" The location of The Cheesecake Factory here in Chicago is also good. It´s located on Michigan Avenue so it´s very central and it´s easy to get there. One thing I was thinking on was that it was hard to see The Cheesecake Factory, it was one floor down so if it´s your first visit it can be hard to see it. They had some signs so that was good. The service was also really good. They were so polite, nice and helpful. I ask them what they recommend and she gave me several options and helped me pock one. You noticed that they had knowledge about the cheesecakes which is good. She asked me if I like sweet or not so sweet, and asked me several questions to see what´s suited me depending on my answers. I would recommend the Cheesecake Factory here in Chicago, the cheesecake is good, the location and service. The atmosphere was also really nice and cozy, the lights were dimmed and they played good music in the background that was not to loud. We sat in a booth further in at the restaurant, which was nice. The Cheesecake Factory here in Chicago is perfect for a date or a dinner with your friends.

Taffy T.

Waited 30 minutes, the restaurant is full of people, waiter can be cery busy. But The cheesecakes are great. Love godiva!

Zachary H.

Never been too impressed with Cheesecake Factory this is no exception. It was the closest place and we didn't want to go too far after traveling all day, probably a bad choice. The menu has always seemed way too big for anything to be done particularly well. factory is a good way of describing this place. Mass produced, assembly line quality. Bar was decent though and service was alright. No good reason to go here.

Ronald L.

The Cheesecake Factory has what I consider to be an insult to customers.I was informed by the manager of the Michigan Avenue restaurant they accept reservations for all days of the week except for Sunday. However, Sunday, happened to be the day of my problem. I stated that we reside in the Hancock Building and wanted to come to have lunch. It was 11:40 in the morning and would like to come down @12:30. We were told that the restaurant had room then but we could not have a reservation. I informed them if my money was only good six days a week, they would never see us again. Thank you,

B. Ann M.

I am so sad that I am JUST now getting around to reviewing this location. I would not A) typically review a Cheesecake Factory, or B) rate one 5 stars! However, this location definitely deserves it! I had an OUTSTANDING experience here in July 2012! The wait was estimated over an hour, but they said if we could find a spot at the bar, we could seat immediately. Instead we found two seats at the Barista instead. The server was the cutest, most honest, and just awesome server ever! I really wish I could remember her name (although its been three months short of a year!) She was so attentive and just overall friendly. She was patient and used tact when customers would come up and complain about the wait (as if it was her fault the restaurant was slow.... she works the coffee!) She kept my water full too! Expect a long wait, OR sneak into the Barista's bar!

Christopher C.

I have always enjoyed the food at the Cheesecake Factory - most recently the Greek salad has become a favorite with the Teriyaki Chicken and the Pepperoni Pizza. Of course I love the desserts! This Cheesecake is fun to eat at because it is located below street level in the Hancock building. It can be very crowded and is a smaller location. Unfortunately, one of their wait staff spilled food all over by suit and shoes when I was there on business and when I attempted to send the manager the cleaning bill, they never responded. Besides this, the reason this establishment gets 1 star is the absurd corporate policy of sending out kids menu food on plates to hot to the touch. Why they cannot simply plate on regular plates is beyond me. Every time we are there with our kids, we have to send their orders back to be re-plated. As long as this continues to be corporate policy at the Cheesecake Factory, I will give everyone I eat at 1 star reviews despite the level of the service.

Andii W.

My brother and I went here a couple weekends ago for the first time in a couple years. It is always so cute and their bathrooms are sooo clean thank god. My food was amazing and on time. I loved our waitress. I forgot her name but she wore the cutest square framed glasses. We really got to enjoy our dinner and talk comfortably. And the music was like it came from my own hitlist. Double thumbs up for that. We are going back tonight :-)

G R.

I came to hopefully enjoy a delicious sandwich instead I was greeted with rudeness and indifference I simply asked where's the bathroom? Seems like some of the employees here too busy to be nice It will be a while before I come back.

Bobby L.

It was my first time there and the ambiance was classy and dark.It was a long wait and pretty crowded. I ordered gumbo,and it wasn't to great it lacked flavor.It was also a tad pricey.I guess they only specialize in cheesecake so if you like cheesecake go for it. Overall its nothing to go write to mom about.

John L.

Very enjoyable. Food was great, desert amazing. Great service and excellent decor.

Jennifer W.

Cashiers for cheesecake takeaway are completely inept. Took about five minutes for them to take my order and another ten to actually package the cheesecake. If I wanted to waste fifteen minutes of time I would get table service.

Dawn S.

To start off it was busy, but only had to wait 15 minutes with just my brother and I. We definitely got called before that time limit so the wait for a table wasn't bad. Very impressed and happily stuffed from all the food. I really liked how there was a small menu for little meals, salads, drinks, etc. that said under a certain caloric number. I got the spinach artichoke dip to start and wasn't the best I've ever had, but was very delicious. I then got the americana cheeseburger which was very meaty and hit the spot for my craving. And..to Top it all off I got their notoriously delicious red velvet cake cheesecake. Was planning on taking a picture, but was too busy admiring and devouring the taste of the rich and sweet bites!

Kevin G.

Just had lunch here. Appetizer kale and quinoa salad was huge. Lunch pizza and salad combination was also too much. Both were worth the price. Johnard was our server and was such a delight. Very friendly and outgoing. Another fantastic face for a company. As far as a go to place in my book, this is a destination spot when in Chicago.

Erica D.

With so many other choices to go to in this area, I do not understand why people decide to come here. There are Cheesecake Factories all over the country, and if you're going to be downtown Chicago, why not eat a restaurant unique to the area? The last time I went here was with some family from out of town, and they really wanted to eat here for some reason .... Anyways, went here around lunch time and the tables smelled really weird, the smell of old dishrag water. It was pretty gross. The prices of the food are pretty pricy for the quality. Maybe I'm just biased, but the Cheesecake Factory is nothing special. But if anything, I do enjoy their cheesecakes. That's about it.

Suzanne A.

I go to this place for one thing...CHEESECAKE. it's what qualifies them for 2 stars! They should get 4 stars of that's all they did. Their menu for food is super big and the quality is hit or miss. Drinks are consistently weak. I don't enjoy the hefty prices and sub par food. I do however love the cheesecake! Godiva chocolate Adam's Peanut butter cheesecake

Martin P.

One of my favorite restaurants in the city. It's worth the wait even though it feels forever at times. The time to get food to table is not bad at all. The service is good and for the most part the waitresses are attentive. I usually go to Schaumburg location because it's not as busy. But the chicago location has a better feel to it. I gave 3 out of 5 stars for over all taste on food.

Anthony M.

Tourist Trap located in the basement of the 4th tallest building in Chicago. Sounds like fun doesn't it...NOT!!! I feel like I have grown up beyond the Cheesecake factory. I am so tired of the menu. It is so big that it takes about 20 minutes to look through it before you can finally decide what to order and then the waiter comes over, after 20 minutes to tell you the specials. Honestly! Just print them up and insert them in the front of this massive book they call a menu. I believe less is more and the menu here wants to make everyone happy and in the end it makes no one happy! And the evidence is in the lossy food they push out of the kitchen. On my most recent visit I asked the hostess to have a booth because this was going to be a working lunch and we needed some room to layout our documents and make notes. She took me to a table that had benches...I asked her if she considered it a booth and she said yes. I then informed her that my colleague was not going to be happy but she insisted it was a booth. So we sat down and literally our chest were at the table height. There was no way we could even write or take notes. I hate to say I told you so but I am going to say, "I TOLD YOU SO!" So we got up and asked her again if we could have a booth. It was already after 1pm and we had missed the lunch crowd, so there were plenty of booths in the back. She then took us to a booth that had been half cleaned but not on my side. I grabbed a clean napkin from another table and picked up the dirty tray and moved it to the next table. I then used the napkin to wipe up the mess. It was awkward with me just standing in the aisle and I was not about to sit on top of a mess. The bus boy arrived and started to clean our whole table again. He then grabbed his dirty gross full of wet food tray. Next he took silverware from the table that the dirty gross full of wet food tray was sitting on top of and placed it all in front of me. Honestly I was so grossed out. Someone call the health department! How oblivious could this guy be? This is just bad management and a corporation that does not care about keeping things clean for their customers. I got up again and went to a different table to get myself some fresh silverware, a new plate and a clean napkin. We ordered our food and made a few simple requests. For example, I ordered my turkey sandwich to have mayo on the side. Guess what? I got mayo on the side and also got mayo on the sandwich. Really? Again the kitchen did not care enough to read the notes of the waiter. I did not send it back because we were having a business meeting and I just needed to keep working and eating at the same time. I also got my salad dressing on the side too and it never came to the table. I had to remind the food runner about it and eventually the waiter brought it. My buddy got the fish tacos and when I asked him how they were he made a face that told me they were not really good. I am so glad we did not share them because I would have been mad. He then said, "I do not even like this place it is just so close to the office!" Not to self...find a new restaurant to have our lunch meetings in! So yes this place is a tourist trap. It is one of those chains that all of the hungry shoppers on Michigan Avenue from out of town end up in because it is familiar to them. Now do not get me wrong there cheesecake is good and maybe cheesecake on this visit would have made me feel better or even 4 star-ish but cheesecake and business lunches do not go together. The food here is not that great. In all of the years I have still not found anything on this menu that just jumps out and says, "Order me all of the time!" In fact, I just give up! This place is a cheesecake place that happens to serve bad food too. And when I say bad food...I mean food that is not even special or good. I was also not happy with the service. A hostess who could not actually give us a booth even though there were a bunch available. A busboy who really did not care if his dirty disgusting tray was touching clean silverware and plates. Someone could get sick because of this. Food that had special requests made but none of the special requests were even carried out correctly. This place just keeps packing people in and does not care to make it the best experience ever! And that is sad with all of the amazing restaurants in downtown Chicago. I wish you would clean up your act cheesecake factory and have a little respect for the product you are serving the public.

Chelsea W.

I've never written any sort of customer review or feedback, but today I had my worst dining experience. I entered the Chicago store at 6:27pm. The front desk person took down my name and gave me a buzzer, said the wait would be about 15 min. After 25 min, I went to the front desk again and asked about my status in line. She said I would be called soon in 5-10 min. I waited another 20 min and checked again with the front desk, she told me I'm the next in line. I felt there should be something wrong, either with the buzzer or the system. I went to the back register/desk, and said I waited for almost an hour now, what's going on. The manager said, I was called 45 min ago. The buzzer never buzzed, I said. He the said yes the buzzers sometimes do not work, that's why he had someone call our names. I never heard anyone call my name, neither did my friend. We were waiting right at the cheesecake to-go place, which is less then 10 feet from where the manager is. There is no way we both missed the call! Plus, I asked the front desk two times and the girl told me to wait! She never told me I was called!! The manager's attitude is the worst I've ever seen in my entire life!! He said " we've been doing the same business for year". (Meaning that they couldn't possibly be wrong??!!) I told him that I've checked with the front desk, he didn't listen and insisted that its the same system and its not possible!!!! So again, it couldn't be their problem then??! It's my problem??? Never going to Cheesecake Factory any more!

David S.

This review is mostly because of the service. The food at Cheesecake Factory isn't outstanding in my mind although it is good. Our server Keith, gave us some of the best service I have ever had. Continuously engaging us throughout our meal. Keith is an example that all servers should learn from. Never had to ask him for anything, extremely polite, and had a good sense of humor which is a huge plus.

Chris T.

Mmm cheesecake. You really can't go wrong with the cheesecakes here, they're pretty awesome. The White Chocolate Rasberry Truffle cheesecake, for example, is as good as it sounds! The problem is when you venture for anything beyond cheesecake that you should prepare for disappointment. The food is average. I think any place with a gigantic menu will always end up being just ok - jack of all trades and master of none as they say. I do like the avocado eggrolls though. Also this location is always super busy, it's tourist central, so be prepared to wait.

Ash H.

Cheesecake Factory has always been my favorite restaurant but this particular location has disappointed me. I came here for lunch on Mother's Day and we waited an hour for a table ,which it wasn't a big deal ,I understand we're in Chicago and it's Mother's Day. What let me down was my main course, I had the salmon with angel hair and the salmon was cold and the pasta was cold and hard, I totally lost my appetite and I didn't bother to ask them for another one because I know they're busy. I really hope this was just an one time only incident.

Don N.

After walking for hours through Michigan avenue, we decided to reward ourselves with some cheese cake. They actually have a lot of different dinner entrees but we just wanted the dessert. We tried both the tiramisu and caramel fudge turtle cheese cake. Both were very good but I liked the turtle more Pic: yelp.com/user_local_phot… Pic: yelp.com/user_local_phot…

BD P.

Review by Becky: Decided to try the Cheesecake Factory out with my boyfriend because I had a $25 gift card. This is not a place we would usually get lunch or dinner at. What a horrible mistake! The worst burger experience of my life. Also the decor is hideous! We came in around 1:45pm and had to wait almost 45 minutes to be seated. After being seated we placed our order. We had a lot of time to look over the menu when we were waiting 10 years for a table. We both ordered the Factory burger - I requested my burger well done with double tomato and no onions. My boyfriend requested his burger medium rare and with only cheese. About 30 minutes later our server comes back with our food and plops it down and runs off. Just by looking at my burger I could tell it was the wrong order. Instead of the Factory burger I received the Smokehouse BBQ Burger (WTF I HATE BBQ SAUCE! HATE IT! The smell makes me sick) My boyfriend's burger was fine and started to eat. I tried to flag down a waiter or a staff member and there were none to be seen. Finally 15 minutes later I was able to grab a bus boy and get him to grab our server. After waiting another 10 minutes our server finally shows back up and I explain to him that I have the wrong burger and he admits he wrote the wrong thing down on our ticket. Wtf? How do you mix up a factory burger and a BBQ burger? He offered to bring me another burger and I refused because I wasn't going to wait another 30 minutes to get a burger when my boyfriend had been done eating for 20 minutes! The server barely apologized. I asked for the burger to be taken off our bill as I couldn't eat it. He said he couldn't do that but could give me a piece of cheesecake for free. Ummm wtf? Are you serious? You messed up my order, delivered a burger I couldn't eat but you are still going to charge me full price for it? Hello! I'm starving!!!!!!!! The server brought us a tiny piece of cheesecake after we paid. Thank god we didn't have to pay anything out of pocket for the crap the Cheesecake Factory serves. Service was horrible and non existent. I didn't get to eat anything for lunch. Also I tried the cheesecake when we got home and spit it right out. It was the most disgusting cheesecake I have ever had in my entire life.

Rebecca P.

I received the gift card for $25 (about half what I spent) and a letter from management encouraging me to speak with them when I came in to redeem it. Instead, we used it on lunch at a location in the suburbs where we were happy enough, given that our standards were low. We wouldn't eat here if we didn't have the gift card, but we may attempt the cheesecake again in the future.

Lilian P.

Good bar service with friendly bartenders who are very attentive and pleasant. For all Dave Matthews fans, they stock Dreaming Tree Wine.

Rachel L.

The Cajun chipotle chicken was delicious. The asparagus was so fresh! The lunch portion was huge and filling! #thanksCF

Mark C.

Yes, the decor is fabulous, but the food was nowhere near as good as the interior design. I ordered some fettuccine and it felt hard and not cooked well. We all ordered some cheesecake though and for the most part, it was really good. My red velvet cheesecake wasn't as good as the normal cheesecake that one of my peers had.

Giselle V.

This is a chain restaurant so the food tastes the same as it does at every other Cheesecake Factory. However, the service leaves A LOT to be desired. When we sat down our waiter said that he would be back to take our drink order and when he came back he brought waters for all four of us with him. (The waters aren't significant now but they will be). After he took our drink order (two iced teas, one diet coke, one strawberry lemonade) and appetizer order, he came back with the two teas and said that he had completely forgotten the diet coke and needed to pick up the lemonade from the bar and that he had put in our order for the appetizer. We didn't see him for another 10 minutes, that is, he didn't come to our table to check on us. He served the table across from us the lemonade we had ordered, that they had ordered after us and he stood at the computer most of the time shaking his head and punching buttons. Our appetizer came out before the other half of our drink order came. When we were done with our appetizer he brought the other two drinks that had been ordered. We waited another 50 minutes for our food to come. During this time our waiter visited the aforementioned computer several times and continued to punch more buttons, shake his head in frustration and talk to himself. The one time he did come to see how we were, he brought a water pitcher to refill the waters that we had to drink because our regular drink orders were empty, but he didn't refill any of the drinks we actually wanted. It took another 20 minutes after we finished our food, and had requested boxes, for us to receive said boxes and the check. The only way this restaurant would be worth visiting is if someone came at a time that was not the busy dinner rush. We sat next to the kitchen and saw how small it was and that the kitchen staff was trying their hardest to pump out orders while the wait staff stood around joking with each other, dropping plates and cups (6 dropped plates/cups occurred while we were seated, God knows how many there are every other day) and scavenging off of plates of food that had been returned. As a patron I honestly do not appreciate seeing my waiter, and the rest of the wait staff, eat off of the same plate, using their bare hands and proceeding with their duties without washing their hands at any time during the whole process. Also, the kitchen was rather small and I am not sure if it was responsible for serving both stories of the restaurant, which would not be wise on behalf of the restaurant chain itself, which could have accounted for it taking so long with our food to arrive. Either way, if I am in the Chicago area again I will not return to this location.

Susanna C.

I always wanted to try out The Cheesecake Factory here in Chicago so I went there last weekend. It was really crowded and we had to wait for about 30 minutes to be placed. I have always been a fan of The Cheesecake Factory and wanted to try the shrimp with angel hair because I was nevery disappointed by seafood at The Cheesecake Factory. I'm so sad that I have to say that my food was little cold but besides this, I liked it. The tasted was good and they added enough shrimp to the spaghetti. But next time I will choose something else because I really don't like cold food. Since it was saturday night and the restaurant was literally exploding I understand that the kitchen must have been really busy that night.

Lorelei C.

I love going to the Cheesecake Factory and last night my friend MichElle took me there for dinner.. I know how popular this location of the Cheesecake Factory is.. and on most nights there will be a wait for a table.. But.. last night.. Wednesday Night we walked in and waited less than 5 minutes for our table. I think going mid week has it's definite advantages as oposed to going on the weekend. I love the interior design and vibe of the Cheesecake Factory.. low lighting and comfy booths. And.. ever since I was introduced to the Chicken Madeira I just dont want anything else off the menu! Except for the cheesecake, of course! Last night I strayed away from my favorite banana cream cheesecake to try the Oreo Supreme Cheesecake.. Definitely one of the better choices I've made! We had a great server named Thomas and we liked him and then someone else took over his station/tables.. And the new guy was okay.. But we wanted Thomas back..like badly! And then there were about 5 different birthday parties going on last night and they kept singing Happy Birthday over and over again.. Boy.. was that irritating me! Too much joy for 1 night1 And.. wow.. Have the Cheesecake Factorys menu prices gone up because it was $65.00 for the 2 of us before tip.. So.. thanks to my great friend Michelle for taking me to dinner.. Cause I had a rough day and needed to feel the joy! But.. the Happy Birthday Singing was way too much joy... Even for me...... The Cheescake Factory..Name says it all! Go for the Cheesecake.. it's what they do best..:)

Sylvana S.

I went here on a Monday evening. I always opt for the chopped salad. It always come to me the same way...delicious! I had a glass of Reisling and end the evening with the Oreo Dream Extreme cheesecake. You are doing your body an injustice if you have not had this cheesecake. One slice is too big, but you better believe it will be finished on day two!

Farida Y.

It's a huge place!!! You need to wait before you'll sit, but it's very quick procedure . I came to try the famous cheesecake , I don't remember the name , as usual , lol, I prefer to ask the staff about their specials and bests. The cheesecake was just amazing !!!!! The best in my life and a big slice, good to share for two people .

Diva G.

Our server, Bianca, was GREAT and the food was GREAT as well!!! Thai Lettuce Wraps...ALWAYS excellent, even though chicken pieces were much smaller here than Skokie location. Buffalo Blasts...better here than Skokie location. Jamaican jerk chicken and shrimp with plantains, rice & black beans was SCRUMPTIOUS even though it wasn't really hot. Chile Relleno Cheeesburger with fries was outstanding! After a few glasses of Prosecco...can you say itis??!!!

Samantha M.

It was in Chicago we were introduced to the Cheesecake Factory. Oh my goodness! I can't rave enough. In many desert places, the main meals are somewhat average. Not so at the Cheesecake Factory. The burgers, the fries, the salads.... all delicious. And then the Cheesecake....! The first time we went, we had a cheesecake each. Whoops. No one told us we weren't supposed to! We walked out feeling satisfied but stuffed full of richness. We went to the Cheesecake factory 3 more times while we were in America. Never again did we get an individual cheesecake but each time we shared one, it was still just as delicious as the first time.

John P.

I often go in there to get cheesecake after work "to go". It's annoying that no matter what it always is a 10 minute wait... For some reason they never give you your slice of cheesecake after you pay... I've been there numerous amounts of time that there has been no one there, the cashier takes the cash and then someone else has to get it... It doesn't make sense. So I decided to call and place an order this way I didn't have to wait ... An associate by the name of Sam kept me on hold for 20 minutes!!! Good is good ... Service sucks

Soyoung S.

I've been here maybe a dozen times now, and It's steadily become one of my favorite places to go for a casual lunch/dinner! :3 The first couple times were huge misses for me, the pastas have always been really under-cooked and I hate complaining about food to the waiter, but my noodles were so hard I couldn't swallow them! :( And a couple of their other dishes have been really disappointing to me But I'd still find myself going back, either because my friends wanted to go, or it was the closest restaurant nearby. And I feel like since i've been giving it chances upon chances, and ordering different things every time, i've finally found the dishes that I like! :D I highly recommend the Steak Diane, and the Chicken Madiera, they are really really tasty and delicious :3 The smoothies are also to die for, and they are really cute with their tea and offer you many different choices! Although the strawberry shortcake is highly disappointing, the shortcake was really hard for some reason, but they do give you a very large portion! Now that I've found my go-to dishes, my new goal is to tackle the cheesecake list..hehe

Ron L.

I love love love Cheesecake Factory... My favorite item is the buffalo blasters... Yummy!!!

Nikki S.

Was here last week Wednesday evening total party of 3. The restaurant was not that packed when we arrived and our service was slow. The food came out exactly as ordered but again slow service was starting to wear thin on us. I have to say I like the location at Woodfield Mall better they get you in and out

William D.

Had a decent time with some issues. Called ahead for a table for 6, got there and they did not key in my name. Was told it would be a 20-30 min wait and was seated in 15 min. Service was a tad bit slow, but our waitress was very pleasant. Another waiter took over due to a shift change & he was just as pleasant. We ordered, 4 meals came out, the last 2 came 5 min later. One of the last meals was returned twice. Manager was informed & he took care of the last meal & added a desert. All in All, I would return.

Ashwin A.

This place serves the best cheese cake I've had so far and also it is very good for pastas and burgers

Claudia C.

I had never been to a Cheesecake Factory before. It actually was the only restaurant open past 11pm that would still cook for us. Coming from NY where you can find restaurants and kitchens open until the wee hours, we kind of had no choice, but we were pleasantly surprised and ending up having a good meal. I felt bad for our waiter because his shift should have been ending but then we walked in. He was the nicest happiest waiter I ever met !

Loretta P.

Ok. I've been here (and the Oak Brook location) at LEAST 35 times, as it is the go-to restaurant for my large family's occasion dinners. The food is pretty consistently fresh and of good quality, and there is enough variety for everyone to find something that they like. When I've gone alone, with a date, or friends, it has been 90% satisfactory, as well. (I miss you, Avery!) With all of that being said, I went again tonight. I told myself that it was for the Pre-National Cheesecake Day deal (1/2 off dessert slices), but I digress. I am taking the time to be the bazillionth reviewer of The Cheesecake Factory because of water! Yes, you read me correctly. Water is the the reason for this review. I just couldn't take it anymore! The food, the ambience, and the service are all laudable, but the water SUCKS DIRT! I don't understand how a fine dining establishment such as TCF can serve its guests such AWFUL water! I had to squeeze almost an entire lime into my glass in order to make it palatable! About 3 visits prior, I went with a very outspoken friend, who, upon being asked by our server if he needed anything else, said,"Yes. Get rid of this nasty a** water, and bring me some GOOD water! I was a mortified, but the server returned shortly with a glass of perfectly delicious, and, apparently, purified water! He mentioned that he'd gotten it from another part of the restaurant. Hunh?!? You KNOW what I asked for on my next visit, right? Unfortunately, this server must not have known about the secret source, because he brought me a bottle of Fiji and a glass, and tacked on a hefty $5 for the pleasure. It's needless to say that I didn't try that one again, as I don't particularly care to pay so dearly for a glass of water worth drinking. My dearest Cheesecake Factory, can you PLEASE remedy this one major flaw? I would greatly appreciate it, but I won't bother to make empty threats, because I'll be back tomorrow to celebrate National Cheesecake Day properly!

Meagan L.

One of my favorite places to eat. The food is amazing and the portions are huge! Every time I eat here I have leftovers to eat the next day. The servers are awesome too! Always willing to make recommendations and help you with the menu and very attentive. And of course the best cheesecake ever!!

Felicia H.

the service is so bad. The waiter brought me the wrong dish, I was about to begin, the waiter took it back without saying a word. So angry. Won't come back and dine in again.

Patrick J.

Cody the waiter is the man. He's a real server that's on point and detailed. Great comfort food.

Rocelle H.

Went here for an anniversary dinner. Our server, Lauren D. never failed to check up on us every chance she got. She was always smiling and that is always a plus! :) My boyfriend had the lemon-herb chicken and I had the grilled porkchop - all delicious!!! We also had the Godiva Cheesecake which was also really good. Overall, amazing food and top notch service by Lauren! Thank you! :)

Jorge M.

The Worst service , the waitress comes and the first thing she ask was are you ready to order , what in hell is wrong with servers now , no how are you, no welcome, no specials, no smile, the worst experience in donwntown, chicago.

Raphael R.

For years, we have celebrated most birthdays or milestones at a Cheescake Factory and this time was no exception. Celebrating my 50th birthday and wondering where to celebrate, I was lucky I spotted this location, which also happened to be close to the hotel we were staying at. The first thing that really struck me was that we were able to get a table right away and this being a Friday night! The waitress seemed to either be new or totally overwhelmed because she kept forgetting things and had to keep calling her back over and over. Food was typical Chessecake Factory fare, so no real surprises here. While having dinner, an employee carrying a container with ice dropped it close to our table making a whole mess... When it came time for dessert, my wife asked for a slice of cheesecake and she expected to have it with a birthday candle like the so many other times in other locations but to her surprise, they were out of candles. Very weird and disappointing. We paid too much for a bad experience. And it was so disappointing it was on such a big occasion.

Jason H.

Food was great; had the chicken parm sandwich and Chris' Outrageous cheesecake. Everything else, not so much. Fork was dirty. Salt shaker had a sauce or cream of some kind from whomever handled it last. Noticed food all over the floor in the dining area. Bathroom was a mess, towels all over the floor, in the sink, trash can was over flowing. Server kept saying he'd get us some bread which never came. Dining with a co-worker so we split the check. Check was split incorrectly. We both paid with credit card, somehow between our table and the register the cards were switched so we were charged for each other's meals.

Jennifer G.

Absolutely fantastic. I have been to a few cheese cake factories before and this one really does the name justice. The food was fantastic, service was top, and everything was made fast and fresh. We had Ro as our server and he made the night something truly special.

Thongsy S.

This is strictly based on my takeout order. I ordered the garlic noodles with shrimp. It was good but nothing to write home about and for $18, not really worth it to me. It had exactly 3 pieces of shrimp! And don't get me started on the calories. A full order is about 1800 calorie - yikes! However, the takeout process was easy and they even provided complimentary bread as well.

Pearl T.

Attentive service, clean restaurant, yummy food and good-sized portions. I've never had more than a couple minute wait since I typically come either right before or right after the lunch rush. I've come here a couple of times and always ordered the miso salmon lunch special, which I really enjoy. My four year old typically orders the chicken strips kids meal and those are pretty tasty... real breast meat pieces (not the overly processed strips). They have a hugely extensive menu so there's sure to be something for everyone. It's a chain and it's right smack in tourist-central but the quality of the food has been solid. And the cheesecakes we've had have all been supreme!!

Lee O.

Located in Mag Mile right beside Hancock Center. Good environment, delicious food and friendly stuff. Nice experience with friends!

Weichen H.

The best cheesecake I ever had and I've tasted half of their cheesecake. Strongly recommend the red velvet, Godiva and the original ones. Besides, the salmon, beef and shrimp noodle is also good.

Adela V.

HORRIBLE. I've been to various locations across the country and always loved the food, service, and overall atmosphere. I always go to a CF for my birthday since cheesecake is THE best dessert and their selection is amazing. Yesterday was my birthday and I was craving some orange chicken (which is what I always tend to order) and birthday cheesecake. So, my husband and I headed over for some birthday fun (or so I thought). The location is great which is also why I wanted to go, the view and the breeze while sitting outside are amazing! It was a Monday night and was surprisingly busy (tourists maybe?), so we waited about 30 minutes for a table outside, which was fine, I don't mind waiting so long as the experience is a good one. Once we sat down, a waiter did not come by to take our order for about 15min. We already knew what we wanted to order since we had decided during our 30min wait. When the waiter came by, FINALLY, we ordered our food (spinach and cheese dip as an appetizer, orange chicken for me and pasta carbonara for my husband). Our waiter asked if we wanted some bread, we of course said YES! The bread took about another 15min to arrive, and by then our appetizer arrived too. Ok, so far so good. Then, about 20min later, our food arrived. We were about ready to eat a whale at that point, we were super hungry! That's when the disappointment comes. The food was bland. The white rice that came with my orange chicken was cold, the orange chicken itself was also cold and hard, not nice and chewy and flavorful like I remember. My husband's pasta was watery and was cold as well, no salt, no flavor. We tried to make the best of it and tried to eat it as is, but stopped about 1/4 of the way through and just could not take another bite. We were waiting for the server to come by to tell him, but he didn't come by for another 30min. By then, we just wanted to go home. I told him that the food was horrible and we just wanted the check. He said that we should've told him earlier so that he could've told his manager and the cooks and given us other options. (Um, maybe if you didn't take 30min to check on us?) But, apparently we had eaten some of it and we no longer would be credible. WHAT? We ate 1/4 of the plate because we attempted to deal with it. If it were good, trust me, the plates would have been CLEAN, no food left on them. My husband and I are huge foodies. I heard the waiter talk to his manager behind us, trying to get us a discount I guess (nice of him), but his manager just shrugged his shoulders and we were given our $70 bill for the appetizer we ate and 1/4 portion we could stomach down. NEVER AGAIN WILL I GO BACK TO CF. I don't know if it's just this location because it's downtown, but it really put a dent in my loyalty to CF. Utterly disappointed. Worst part, it ruined my birthday. Thanks.

Bri A.

This is the place to go if you're from the burbs or a tourist and don't know any better. Oops that's the food snob in me coming out! Ok, Cheesecake Factory isn't bad....but there are so many great places to eat in this city! That being said, my boyfriend's cheesecake craving was out of control so we had to stop in for a slice to go. There were so many delicious looking cakes at the counter and we had hard time choosing! We went with mango key lime. The place was busy so I expected to wait a few minutes...but not over 15! The cakes were pre-sliced and ready to go....it wasn't as though ours had to be made! During that time, I noticed two employees standing around, waiting for orders. Yet for some reason, it took them over 15 minutes to get someone to grab a slice and put it in a box. The people in front of us got theirs way before ours. The cheesecake was awesome, but I wouldn't wait that long or pay almost $8 for a slice again.

G W.

I have been to this Cheesecake Factory at least 30 times. It is delicious (as are all the the locations)! They are always extremely busy so at times, service does get very slow. However, food is always delicious. I always get the Santa Fe Salad which has dressing to die for. The prices are going up a little too much, though, and the serving sizes are going down, especially in the cheesecake slices. It used to be a much better value, but the food is delicious. I gave it 5 stars to counter all the unfair 1, 2, and 3 stars that it was given. However, taking into account value, I would only give it 4 stars.

Brian B.

Don't normally make a point to find these but we arrived late into Chicago on a Thursday night and this was open late. It was surprisingly packed with people but we were seated within a few minutes. Although loud and crowded, we received very good service. We ordered a handful of small plates to share including these meat kebabs that came with little pitas and veggies to build your own little pita thing. Super good, fast and reasonable priced.

Julia S.

Here's the thing about the Cheesecake Factory- the best possible thing to eat there is going to be the cheesecake. My husband and I had breakfast/brunch a few days ago at the Cheesecake Factory. The place wasn't too crowded, which was a plus. We got a seat right away and our server was at our table within minutes. We were really craving eggs, so we were thrilled to see that these guys serve breakfast ALL day. First, we requested some well needed coffee. It was delicious! My husband ordered a cheese and sausage omelette. I ordered something called the "energy breakfast," egg whites with spinach, tomatoes and toast. Both meals were decent. We took some slices of cheesecake to go (I took the low carb cheesecake while my husband ordered the peanut butter cake cheesecake). They were very tasty (even the low carb one)! My conclusion is that this place isn't known for its food, rather, its all about the cheesecake here. Don't be disappointed if the food isn't phenomenal. But be prepared for some great cheesecake!

Kassie D.

Great service, very attentive. But it does get pretty busy in there! Food was good - standard Cheesecake Factoryness

Bob H.

Food was good, but host stand was hectic. I checked on our table and was told we were next, then after watching more tables go ahead of us I checked again. They had skipped our name again. Except for the cheesecake I don't see why the hype.

Liz P.

It may be touristy, and yes, the last time I was here was about 3 years ago, but it's still Cheesecake Factory and thus DELISH!! I always get the Pasta da Vinci and then choose a cheesecake slice from their ginormous cheesecake menu. Last time I was here we only had a short wait, I believe, and we had a big party, about 6-8 people. We were in Chicago for a few days for fun (I live in the Detroit area) after graduating college. The Cheesecake Factory has a HUGE menu and they have something for everyone, I'm sure! My favorite is that pasta dish but they have interesting appetizers too - I've had their SW egg rolls before as well as their samosas, at a different CF location.

Randy R.

You can't go wrong with the Cheesecake Factory anywhere. This one is Located at the base of the John Hancock building in downtown Chicago. Wife and I took the kids on the south shore train to downtown and walked around. We stopped in and enjoyed our ourselves. The only reason I'm giving this four stars is the bill and tip totaled about $125.00 for two adults and one teenager and two kids. Chicago are freaks when you see all the taxes on the bill.

Andrea S.

I was here last night Feb 15, and I was very pleased! Nick started with us, very informative, great smile, pleasant attitude, and was very composed in the middle of a huge dinner rush. He definitely possesses a very valuable professional work ethic where I can see him in management. He also informed us later that Tinos would take over, where as before he had his hands full. That shows great communication amongst the co workers and I applaud that! Tinos also was wonderful, very warm welcoming attitude, great smile. Even the bussers wished us to enjoy our meals which was refreshing. The food was fantastic, two thumbs up. I had the Sun-dried tomato pasta with a red and white sauce mix (with chicken). Perfect combination of sweet and savory. My husband had the jambalaya pasta which he loved. He said "This is the first time I am eating from someone else's opinion and it was very good! He was on point with this!" I don't have to say much about the cheesecake, we all know it's good! Only thing negative is I do not recommend sitting by the window, there was a strong cold draft I had to wear my winter coat and scarf the entire time with my husbands jacket on my legs. Since everything was so great, it still made a pleasant evening for my husband and I which is why I think this review makes an honorable 5-star rating.

Angela H.

Amazing, to-die-for cheesecakes. Very pricy but worth it. Better than I can ever make at home.

Charlene H.

Service was average to poor. We waited to be seated. No one ever came so we as to inquire. The manager came but her response was less than good. She said she would follow up. The food was ample in quantity and good. The server was okay. We had a gift card otherwise I wouldn't dine here.

Ndidi B.

Last night was my first time ever dining at The Cheesecake Factory. I had read a few Yelp reviews prior to and the mixed feedback had me skeptical. But my boyfriend had received a CF giftcard from his job, so we decided to have a date night here. I knew the restaurant would be packed because several Yelpers coined this place as a "tourist trap", so I decided to call ahead to get an estimate of the wait time. The lady said it was a half hour wait and kindly informed me that I could not put my name on the list over the phone when I tried to. My boyfriend ended up arriving before me, so our table was ready by the time I got there. I asked him how long he had been there and he said it had only been a 15 minute wait. We were escorted to our table and given menus. I have seen some pretty large 'multi-paged' menus in my lifetime, but never had I seen a menu with ads! I chuckled to myself as it became clear why this place was labeled a tourist trap. As we were perusing, a female server named Liz came over and introduced herself. She asked if she could start us off with drinks and I asked her for two ice waters and two cups of hot water. [The hot water was for the silverware, which several Yelpers had pointed out would be filthy and to my suprise, were correct.] A few minutes after she left, a male server named Ryan came over and introduced himself. He then proceeded to ask if he could get us any drinks. Suprised, I told him we had been greeted already. He then explained that the previous server had been confused about whether or not we were her table, and apologized for the confusion. After recieving our drinks, being served warm bread and Ryan patiently answering all of my boyfriend's redundant questions about salads, we ordered our entrees. I ordered the Chicken Bellagio while my boyfriend ended up going with the Ceasar. Our food arrived in a timely manner, long enough for me to discover that each bathroom stall has its own personal sink and us to eat all of our bread, and looked absolutely delicious. Once we began to dig in, we both were pleasantly suprised. His Ceasar was generously portioned and well-dressed, while my pasta had my tastebuds rejoicing. I begged him to taste my dish and he, being born in Italy and a Italian food connoisseur, was also impressed. The overall evening was better than I expected, and my complaints were few and far apart. Sadly, it was my night to pick up the bill and last night's budget did not allow for me to try an cheesecake. Lol. In conclusion, I realize that The Cheesecake Factory is not a five-star restaurant, as should anyone else considering eating here. The food was tasty and that is all that matters. P.S. I took off a star because of the silverware. I'm a slight germaphobe, and icky silverware makes me feel uncomfortable. The managers of this restaurant really need to pay more attention to this issue, because I'm sure that is some sort of health code violation! :c

Kristine N.

This place is huge and beautiful but it's very popular on the weekends. Just a tip: the Cheesecake cafe upstairs serves the same food but from a limited menu. Since the main restaurants menu is a little ridiculous anyway, this "top 75" menu is perfect. Service is great and portions are HUGE. I ordered the chicken Madeira which is so so so good. Chicken breasts topped with asparagus, mozzerella, and some mushroom sauce. It comes with mashed potatoes and it is so yum. My boyfriend ordered the spicy chicken chipotle pasta and it was ok. Good flavors, very spicy. A little dry for pasta though, definitely needed more sauce. Overall a great experience for a chain.

Kelley S.

The Crispy Chicken Costoletta was SOOOO great!! Along with this, the grilled fish tacos were also amazing! great size of dish and cooked to perfection.

Jeremy R.

Sunday brunch at the Cheese cake bottom of the menu there it is Breakfast Burrito and it was amazing

Dawn K.

Wouldn't be a trip to Chicago March 7th , without a stop here for dinner. We arrived on a Friday and had the fish specials for lent. Great food ! So filling we passed on the cheesecake! Mahi-Mahi crusted with Macadamia Nuts dish-FAB! Fish was done to the correct done-ness. Not to fishy. Rice and veggies was a nice touch. We arrived at 5:10pm and only had a 5 minute wait. Bread was so filling and our waiter was so attentive to our needs. I ordered a mojito..the mint was so fresh. Wonderful time, pleasant experience. Great!

Rudy A.

The food was good there, it's a very nice looking place just took a long while for me to get my change back took longer honestly then my food to come

Siva R.

V had a red velvet cheesecake as it is one of their signature cake.. The cake has more of cheese and less of velvet cake and the cake is so hard to break and too sweet. Simply put, the worst cake of our times. Enjoy the true factory kind of environment.