Cheesecake Factory Review

From my home, the closest Cheesecake Factory is in a northern suburb of Indianapolis. So when I was taking a road trip through Schaumburg, Illinois I took advantage of the opportunity to eat at the Cheesecake Factory. Since I was able to beat the Sunday brunch rush to the restaurant, I did not have to wait for a table and the waitress was prompt in placing my order into the kitchen. The waitress served drinks and bread in a timely manner. She was obviously a pro. I noticed that there were a lot of people ordering off of the breakfast menu. Since I did not come for breakfast but for cheesecake I decided it best to skip breakfast foods and go right into the pasta menu. My previous visit to the Cheesecake Factory was in Chicago at the Hancock Building. That day I was quite impressed with the Bang Bang Chicken dish. However on this day I wanted to try something new.

I did not order an appetizer because I wanted to be able to eat cheesecake for dessert. However the firecracker salmon rolls and the crab cakes looked very tasty from their description in the wire bound menu. I consulted with the waitress my situation. I was very interested in getting a big portion meal. She explained that if I ordered two appetizers, I would still be hungry. So I ordered the Louisiana Chicken. My waitress complimented me on making an excellent choice. The Louisiana chicken is a farfalle pasta with a tossed with mushrooms, peppers, onions and a spicy New Orleans sauce with parmesan breaded chicken cutlets. It is more popular than Pasta Da Vinci (which I thought was an excellent pasta dish from previous meal). I did enjoy eating it not because other people liked to order it but because there was a perfect proportion of sauce and chicken to pasta. The pasta was cooked al dente. The price of $14.95 was right in the medium range for prices. I should also mention I was eating Sunday brunch but selected the dinner portion because it was bigger.

There are many delicious cheesecakes to choose from for dessert. Previously I had the Dutch Apple Caramel Streusel and the Chocolate Mousse. Attempting to try something new, but something I knew I would enjoy, I ordered Craig's Crazy Carrot Cake. It was a big slice of carrot cake on top of a slice of cheese cake, topped with cream cheese and roasted almonds. The slice cost $6.95. I recommend to all carrot cake lovers to try this dessert.

The portions are more than filling. I am surprised I was able to eat all of my food and then wash it down with carrot cake. I later discovered that for the rest of the day I was not hungry and had a light meal for dinner. My waitress deserved a good tip for her excellent service. I was overall happy with the dining experience and would go there again the next time I am in Schaumburg.