1 week Ago
The Cheesecake Factory will always remind me of my mall-rat days as a teen. My parents are huge fans of the chain, so we’ve spent a solid amount of time at the California-based eatery. There, I celebrated my middle school graduation and had plenty of post-shopping-spree dinners, so I know this menu very well.
I even spent my Christmas Eve there with my Brooklyn crew of friends, when we trekked out to the Long Island location for a holiday feast. The Cheesecake Factory recently announced that it was , but it has also over 20 new ones — and I had a chance to preview all of them. Many of the standouts were seafood-based dishes and/or vegetable-forward.
Here’s my ranking of the new menu additions at my favorite mall hangout: I liked that a lot of the new offerings were vegetable-based dishes. This may have been my least favorite dish (I’m just not a huge snap pea fan!), but I’m always happy to get more green on the table. I’d probably just go with the cucumber salad (No.
8) or grilled asparagus (No. 12) next time. As a native New Yorker, I’m a little picky when it comes to sandwiches — especially those with deli meats.
Out of all the sandwich options, it was the most bland. The garlic aioli couldn’t save it, unfortunately. This reminded me of a standard beef and rice dish you’d find at your local American Chinese spot.
It was solid but not a standout. This is another vegetable-based side dish that would be great to share with friends, but it didn’t do much for me. See No.
11. See No. 10.
This may be controversial: I am not the biggest fan of turkey burgers or the brown bread at The Cheesecake Factory (gasp!). I know the latter is a fan-favorite, but it took me a while to come around to it. Regardless, I could see others enjoying this dish as a leaner burger option.
This whisky sour was very smooth and really complemented the heavier dishes such as the smash burger and the steak frites. I can also see this being a nice cocktail to end the night with as a little treat. The addition of lemon ricotta to these greens reminds me of spring.
This as a side to the meatloaf and mashed potatoes would heal me. It’s like a lemon drop but not as sweet, which is my preferred type of drink. The drink includes vodka and elderflower liqueurs shaken with yuzu juice and makrut lime.
There’s even a nonalcoholic version called the Yuzu Crush (ranked at No. 16). This is a fresh and simple white fish with a nice lemon sauce that reminds me of summer.
The side of mashed potatoes really balances it out. I put the “SkinnyLicious” (lower-calorie) version Branzino at No. 15.
When I think of The Cheesecake Factory, tataki isn’t what comes to mind. But I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the brightness of this dish. I would definitely consider ordering it the next time I go.
This dish is a bit salty but it’s the perfect crunchy, refreshing bite before your main dish — paired with the Margarita Verde (No. 6). I’m a steak girl, so it’s no surprise this one ranks high.
It takes me back to Paris — well, mall Paris. The way some people love martinis, I love margaritas. A spicy one? Even better.
This could be spicier, but it was very refreshing, with a little sourness from the pineapple and lime. We were poking fun at “ ” a few weeks ago, but dish nails the smash burger trend (even with the metal tin of fries). You can’t go wrong with this one.
This was a great little appetizer. The filling reminded me of chicken salad — but with a little kick. We will be 100% ordering these at the next group dinner with my Brooklyn crew.
This is a perfect pita sandwich I would 100% order at brunch with my girlfriends. Again, raw fish is not something I would normally associate with The Cheesecake Factory, but this was a pleasant surprise. The ceviche was surprisingly fresh.
It’s like a little vacation at the mall. This dish, essentially pad thai, was by far my favorite dish. I’m a big fan of fried noodles, and this version has the perfect balance of spicy and sweet.
I love that you can add shrimp to the dish for some extra protein. This was truly a standout — something I would order while catching up with my parents. Bianca Clendenin is a the Senior Social Media Editor here at TODAY.
Prior to her time here at TODAY she was curating and producing social media storytelling for , , and , with a main focus on millennial and gen-z stories. The New York native has also written for Medium’s , , , and ..
