Restaurant Review: Cheesecake Factory, San Francisco

The Cheesecake Factory chain of restaurants is one of my favorite places to go dine at. It seems it doesn't matter which one you go to (and I've been to various ones around the United States) but there's always a lot people waiting to eat there and San Francisco is certainly no exception. Expect to wait 45 minutes on a weeknight and up to 2 hour on the weekends. If there are less than 3 people in your group, then it's better to eat at the bar - you'll surely get seats quickly, if you don't mind being elbow to elbow with strangers.

The Cheesecake Factory in San Francisco is on the top floor of Macy's Union Square, right n the heart of the entertainment district. You have to enter the Macy's department store and ride the elevator all the way to the top. If there are simply too many people, just take the escalators - it'll lead up to the same place. When you get there, you have to go to the reception area and have them take your name down. Then you'll get a pager that will beep when it's your turn.

The dining room is actually very elegant - it's stylish and modern, much like the fine-dining restaurants in San Francisco. There's also an outside dining area, which has a great view of the city, but I have to admit it gets way too cold in San Francisco that I'd rather be indoors.

They have a wide selection of American food and some Asian selections and, of course, dozens of desserts and cheesecakes. The appetizer I would is the Sweet Corn Cake Tamales. This dish is three cakes made of ground corn and made into small cakes with guacamole sauce. It's slightly sweet with some savory components to it. The Buffalo Blasts are actually delicious as well - very spicy and the blue cheese dressing adds to the sour flavor. If you like dips, then the Hot Spinach and Cheese Dip is fabulous! The smooth texture just melts in your mouth.

For the main course, there's a range of choices, from pastas and sandwiches to steaks and seafood entrees. You might actually find yourself changing your mind a couple of times before deciding. Personally, I like the Four-Cheese pasta - very simple, especially if you've already had a good selection of appetizers. If you're feeling indulgent, then the Filet Mignon can be quite good - very tender, but I've always thought this to be hit-or-miss, depending on who's in the kitchen, I guess. Since this is a chain restaurant, I wouldn't trust that their seafood is fresh, even if it is in San Francisco, but their fish tacos (which doesn't really need any special skill to make, I suppose) are quite good.

And of course, you're here for some dessert! Their cakes are delicious and the Chocolate Tower Truffle, which is least half-a-foot tall, is definitely made for sharing. Of course, this is the Cheesecake Factory. I prefer the plain cheesecake, which is good and is a classic, but their chocolate-based ones are good too. I recommend the White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle - it's not so sweet and the raspberry does add a bit of tartness.

Whether you dine here regularly or you've never been to a Cheesecake Factory, the San Francisco location is a definite must-see, if only for its unique location.