11 Dishes to Skip at The Cheesecake Factory, According to Reviews

The Cheesecake Factory is one of those restaurants that serves down-home, comfort food in various culinary styles. But how do you actually pick out the best and worst dishes at The Cheesecake Factory from their vast array of options? That’s where relying on a handy-dandy list of the restaurant franchise’s most negatively reviewed dishes comes in.

From pastas to hamburgers, The Cheesecake Factory can be found in most major U.S. cities with its signature book-like menu. With over 250 menu items, this establishment supposedly has a dish for every craving and taste preference. According to the official About Us page on The Cheesecake Factory’s website, Evelyn Overton created her “Original” cheesecake recipe in the 1940s after basing it on a local Detroit newspaper. It wasn’t until the early 1970s, though, that Evelyn and her husband opened The Cheesecake Factory and started selling cheesecakes to an eager Los Angeles audience (and baking Cheesecake Factory secrets that only true fans would know).

Fast-forward, and the internet has become a must-have resource for diners searching for recommendations on what to eat and, perhaps more importantly, what not to order. And, unfortunately, not every menu item at The Cheesecake Factory has been universally embraced and endorsed. Based on the honest input of diners from around the country, here’s a go-to guide of the top 11 dishes to avoid ordering at The Cheesecake Factory.

The first complaint plaguing The Cheesecake Factory’s Fettuccine Alfredo pasta offering (which also commonly shows up on the bottom of many every Cheesecake Factory pasta, ranked lists) is that it tastes too watery and bland. One reason for this tasteless dish could be the lack of butter, which thins the sauce and fails to charm out the flavors that set good Fettuccine Alfredo dishes apart. The lack of any sort of flavoring emphasizes starchy consistencies and dulls tastes, both major downsides for hungry diners.

The Fettuccine Alfredo poses another problem: that of notably bad nutritional value. According to the Cheesecake Factory Nutritional Guide, the lunch portion of Fettuccine Alfredo offers about 1,450 calories just by itself, 850 of those from fat. It’s a commonly known fact that most adults should have about 2,000 calories a day, and Global News reports that adults should consume roughly 500 to 700 calories for lunch or dinner meals. The fat content of this dish alone outranks this number by a good 150 calories! Add the fact that it costs over $20.00 per plate in most locations, many diners might not see this highly unhealthy, bland-tasting meal worth it for digging into their pocketbook.

As part of The Cheesecake Factory’s weekday afternoon Happy Hour menu, the Roadside Sliders at The Cheesecake Factory might seem like an affordable and filling meal. A limited menu of appetizers, like pretzel bites, and light entrées (the sliders being one of these) allow guests to order in the restaurant or for to-go pickup while paying about $8.00 to $10.00 for their meal.

The problem, as described by customers, though, is the bad quality and small proportions of the Roadside Sliders. Visitors found the burgers themselves to be bland and lacking a diverse palette without the inclusion of fries. For a restaurant known for its massive servings, the small burgers were a measly offering, even for the discounted price. Most notably, the sliders were viewed as having nothing particularly noteworthy about them. Even as a special, the Roadside Sliders appear to vastly underperform as a tasteless, miniscule offering that ranks near the bottom of the Happy Hour menu selections.

Easily one of the most denigrated items on the menu, the Fish and Chips are the closest thing to a definite “no” when it comes to ordering at The Cheesecake Factory. Guests cited the complete lack of flavor, including salt, which made the fried meal basically unpalatable. The accompanying side of tartar sauce also lacked any sort of zing that would heighten the taste of the already bland fish.

Along with being more or less tasteless, the Fish and Chips were described as tough, tepid, and saturated with oil. Not only is this combination inherently unhealthy, it also results in a greasy dish that lacks all the qualities of a traditional, crispy order elsewhere. Multiple guests reported inconsistency in how the dish was prepared. Many claimed that the fish was burned, while others complained about it being undercooked. Combined with the long wait times and policies like the strict birthday freebie policy that The Cheesecake Factory is known for, the dining experience with Fish and Chips was simply not considered worth the investment in time or cost.

The Cheesecake Factory’s Cajun Jambalaya Pasta has been criticized for failing to deliver on its promised Cajun flavor. Despite being labeled as a “very spicy” dish on the menu, customers consistently reported that it lacked the characteristic heat and depth of flavor expected from authentic (or even semi-authentic) Cajun cuisine. Customers characterized the sauce as containing a lot of pepper, but not the rich spice expected from the menu description and initial expectations about the dish.

Even former employees decried the meal on popular review sites for The Cheesecake Factory. Citing the Cajun Jambalaya Pasta as one of the most frequently messed up in kitchens, these “insiders” cited problems like the dish being undercooked, spices being too unbalanced, and consistencies being off. Returning to the issue of authenticity, diners claimed the menu item’s name was misleading for really containing nothing that even remotely resembled the beloved cuisine. Instead of a rice base, The Cheesecake Factory regularly substituted thin noodles, which doesn’t provide the same flavor layering that makes authentic jambalaya so distinctive. Even though The Cheesecake Factory offers a digital recipe for the meal, reviews suggest its real-life execution frequently falls short of even its own listed standards.

Typically presented as a rather “upscale” offering at The Cheesecake Factory, the Miso Salmon dish regularly leaves customers unfulfilled and frustrated. Much of this disappointment centers on the lack of vegetables to complement the fish itself. Although the meal is advertised with rice and veggies on the side, the reality tended to be a few small peas that looked good visually, but underwhelmed in quantity immensely.

Like other meals on this list, the Miso Salmon also suffers from inconsistent prep, which creates a situation where customers are never sure what state their food will be in upon delivery. In some cases, the rice was described as too hard and old-tasting, while others suffered from undercooked fish and cold servings.

To compound things, the nutritional content of the dinner dish contains about 1,340 calories per serving. Approximately 45% of these calories come from fat, which means this single dish — even as disappointing as it is — represents half to three-quarters of the recommended daily caloric intake for an average adult. For most restaurant goers, that finding is a considerable turn-off for a low-quality meal.

Unfortunately, the steaks at The Cheesecake Factory underwhelm in many aspects. For one, diners report inconsistent seasoning and the use of too much salt in its preparation. Past reviews mention salt being packed on to such an extent that the meat itself seemed clogged with it. Some customers argued that the steak’s taste reminded them of microwaved meals instead of a freshly grilled, high-quality slab of beef. These prep issues seem especially problematic since The Cheesecake Factory menu describes the Steak Diane as being covered with “Black Peppercorns and a Rich Mushroom Wine Sauce.” Obviously, these potentially rich, dusky flavors are extremely overwhelmed by the infusion of salt in the restaurant’s dish.

To compound the salt issue, reviewers commonly expressed disappointment with the Steak Diane’s portion size. With only a few bites of actual meat, the steak is, like other entries on this list, a shockingly small plate compared to The Cheesecake Factory’s reputation for massive meals. Particularly since the steak dish is one of the more expensive menu items, its miniscule size seems a particular offense for hungry restaurant goers willing to brave the crowds and the cost.

A bit of a mouthful (pun intended) when it comes to the name, the Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta is a rather befuddling dish that diners don’t tend to recommend. The official menu cites this item as consisting of “Penne Pasta, Honey Glazed Chicken, Asparagus, Red and Yellow Peppers, Peas, Garlic, and Onion in a Spicy Chipotle Parmesan Cream Sauce.” In reality, though, this combo provides a jarring juxtaposition of spice and sweetness that simply doesn’t work for many diners.

Reviewers who liked the dish in the past claimed that more recent versions lacked spice. Since chipotle sauce is primarily made with smoky, spicy chipotle peppers (hence the name), it’s not illogical to assume most diners expect that characteristic bite to be a component of any recipe bearing the title. The cloying sweetness of the honey glaze is compounded with the unexpected addition of tortilla chips as a topping, which, although not necessarily a negative, takes many buyers by surprise. After all, it should not be too much to ask that menus — even massive ones — detail all the ingredients a buyer expects to see on their plate upfront.

From a caloric intake perspective, the Macaroni and Cheese Burger at The Cheesecake Factory is a nutritionist’s nightmare. At 1,340 calories — with 85 g of fat and 2,430 mg of sodium – the burger is an undoubtedly heavy meal. Customers express concern about the levels of sodium present in the dish. They’re right to be worried. The American Heart Association links excess levels of salt in food to “high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.” For this reason, burgers like the Macaroni and Cheese option should be approached with caution.

Like some of its menu peers, the meal also failed to deliver in other areas that would make the high sodium and fat levels worth ingesting. One problem is a relatively simple one: the burger was just plain difficult to eat. Reviewers described ingredients falling out of the buns, which likely included seeping globs of mac and cheese. Other customers recommended that the restaurant use firmer bread to better hold the burger together.

From a broader perspective, the Macaroni and Cheese Burger exemplifies a popular trend in the food industry, namely, the mash-up of various comfort and snack foods into one dish. However, simply because two items sound like they’ll go well together, doesn’t necessarily mean they will. This issue just might be the real downfall for The Cheesecake Factory’s unique amalgamation.

Although the Buffalo Blasts sound like a nice appetizer to order for a big game, the online verdict on The Cheesecake Factory’s version is a resounding “no.” For one, the wrapped pieces of chicken, Buffalo sauce, and cheese suffers from the same plight as many other meals from this restaurant: they’re over salted. The appetizer is also characterized as excessively greasy, an added designation that sets the stage for a stomach-busting meal.

Fat-rich foods are prime suspects for making diners feel full and, in some unlucky cases, even inducing nausea. Unfortunately, past customers have experienced gastrointestinal issues from The Cheesecake Factory’s Buffalo Blasts. Moreover, some reports criticized the balance of seasoning on the chicken and claimed that the kitchen’s liberal use of garlic heightened the sting of the spice. Overall, the Buffalo Blasts are probably not the best dish to sample while at a social or work event. Your stomach will thank you.

If you flinch when you read the title of this dish, your instincts are probably not wrong. The Chicken Parmesan “Pizza Style” listing at The Cheesecake Factory is a problematic nightmare of weak conception, high-sodium ingredients, and poor execution. On paper, The Cheesecake Factory menu describes its Chicken Parmesan as breaded chicken covered in marinara sauce, cheese, angel hair pasta, and Alfredo cream sauce. Some reviewers claimed that their chicken was unusually dry. In the same token, the meal has been criticized for overdoing chicken portions and underwhelming customers with the amount of pasta.

Like its hefty name, the Chicken Parmesan “Pizza Style” weighs in at a stunning 1,940 calories, with 1,100 coming from fat. Coupled with CDC warnings about food categories that contribute to sodium consumption, the meal’s inclusion of cheese ensures that a healthy (or, rather, unhealthy) dose of sodium is baked into this particular pie as well; A whopping total of 3,730 mg of sodium!

For a place called The Cheesecake Factory, it stands to reason that the cheesecakes themselves must be a prime offering (trust us, we tried every single cheesecake on The Cheesecake Factory’s menu). Perhaps this sentiment remains true for most of the dessert menu, but for the White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake, the restaurant significantly fails to live up to its legacy. Made of white chocolate and raspberry filling, this cheesecake dish sounds good on paper, but clearly underwhelms in person.

Not only does the dish carry 1,220 calories with 89 grams of fat, but a Chowhound reviewer previously rated this The Cheesecake Factory cheesecake flavor as one they won’t order again for several concerning reasons. One was the rather “medicinal” taste of the dessert, while another was the low-quality, artificial-tasting flavors used for the chocolate and raspberry ingredients. Perhaps the worst description of the franchise’s desserts was the impression that they are made in a factory rather than by human hands. For a brand that prides itself on making all meals “from scratch,” this accusation might be the most disappointing of all.

To identify dishes from The Cheesecake Factory that deserved a (dis)honorable mention, I started by reading negative online reviews of different menu items. It was key that these reviews went beyond “bad service” since I needed to identify meals that consistently got bad reps regardless of where diners physically were while eating them. This rabbit hole detailing subpar The Cheesecake Factory meals was surprisingly easy to follow and much deeper than even I expected.

After identifying several disreputable choices, I searched through additional review platforms for the frequency in which these dishes were mentioned and the level of vitriol (stemming from “meh, could have been better” to “the meal gave me food poisoning by just looking at it”) present in its language. The final compilation included reviews from TripAdvisor, Yelp, Reddit, and various other platforms that became the basis for the 11 unappealing meals that were unfortunately showcased in this article.