Cheesecake Factory — Review by Daym Drops
Not specified, United States — American
Daym Drops tries Cheesecake Factory's new specialty bites menu and finds the items to be well-executed and flavorful overall. While most dishes impressed him, he felt the sweet soy glazed ribs were disappointingly small and wanted more pieces. The standout was the chicken and waffle skewer which he rated a perfect 10.
What was great: Sweet soy glazed ribs with nice chew and sesame flavor, Asian nachos with Thai peanut sauce and tender chicken, chicken and waffle skewer with crispy exterior and maple syrup, fried pickles that are crispy and made with high quality pickle, strawberry lemonade with pulp
What could improve: Sweet soy glazed ribs were too small and only four pieces provided, chicken in the chicken and waffle skewer was slightly dry despite the sweet maple flavor
The Dishes
Daym sampled five new items from Cheesecake Factory's specialty bites menu. The sweet soy glazed ribs arrived in tiny portions with just four pieces, featuring a nice light chew and a beautiful balance of sweet and tangy Asian soy sauce with sesame seeds. While the rib meat itself was respectable, the portion size frustrated him as he felt the price was too high for something so small.
The Asian nachos proved to be a pleasant surprise despite Daym's general indifference to nachos. Loaded with crispy chips, melted cheese, tender chicken, green onions, and a wasabi cream drizzle, these were elevated by a Thai peanut sauce that tied all the flavors together beautifully. He rated these four and a half out of five.
The chicken and waffle skewer was the clear winner of the tasting, earning a perfect 10. The crispy chicken had syrup baked into it and while the meat was slightly dry, the sweet maple flavor compensated entirely. The waffle paired perfectly with the chicken, and when additional syrup was drizzled on top, it created something truly special that had Daym genuinely excited.
Fried pickles rounded out the tasting as a solid four out of five offering. These were crispy, made from quality pickle, not overly tart, and came with a creamy sauce that enhanced the pickle flavor while reducing some of the zest.
The strawberry lemonade served as a refreshing palate cleanser with natural pulp and a good balance of tartness and strawberry sweetness.
The Experience
Daym encountered some frustration when the brownie crunch chocolate cheesecake he wanted to try sold out. The restaurant kept him entertained with entertainment value throughout the tasting, though specific atmosphere details were not discussed in depth.
Value and Pricing
Daym repeatedly mentioned that Cheesecake Factory is expensive but felt the execution on the new menu items justified the cost to some extent. However, he took issue with the sweet soy glazed ribs being undersized and overpriced for the portion, requesting that the restaurant add two more ribs to the dish.
Notable Moments
Me so happy. Me love you long time.
That right there is a 10, my friend. That's banging. This is how chicken is supposed to be.
Cheesecake Factory, you come out the gate swinging. You expensive as all get out, but you came out the gate swinging with this one.
The Verdict
Daym highly recommends trying Cheesecake Factory's new specialty bites menu, rating the overall execution as excellent. The chicken and waffle skewer is an absolute must-try. While he requested that the ribs be made larger or more plentiful, his only real complaint, the new menu items are worth experiencing on your next visit to Cheesecake Factory.