The Cheesecake Factory

I went on a business trip to Chicago, IL, several years ago and visited the John Hancock observatory while I was there. As I meandered alone through the lobby I had to endure the smell of the tasty food from the Cheesecake Factory who resided on the ground floor. Being that it was around 11:30 at night and I was alone (my business partner tucked in bed really early that night) I decided to pass on the Cheesecake Factory's tasty dishes and desserts. I was tempted though.

After several years of trying to get in and not being very successful since it is always so crowded, I am talking a two-to-three hour wait, I finally went and got in at the Cheesecake Factory's fairly new location in Cherry Hill, NJ. I went to the doctor's with my husband on Thursday afternoon and since the Cheesecake Factory is just around the corner, we decided to go. We slid in just by the skin of our teeth - not long after we sat down a large wait began to form.

I was really impressed with the place. The Cheesecake Factory in Cherry Hill, NJ, consists of a massive building that is well lit and has numerous windows to make natural light flow in. The interior decorating is really nice and modern too, with murals on the walls and ceiling. Whoever did them did a great job.

The most important part, the food, was really good too. I thought that since the Cheesecake Factory was mainly known for their cheesecake, the food wasn't going to be that good. Far from true. I had a hard time deciding on what to get since their menu is as big as a book. There were so many good choices. I can't wait to go back and try something different. From pastas and pizzas, to fish and seafood, meat, chicken, lunch specials, eggs and omelets, and even Weight Management (TM) portions. I ended up with a nice sized lunch special of salmon with a light lemon sauce over it, accompanied by fresh and tender asparagus and creamy red skinned mashed potatoes. I didn't even feel guilty about eating it since fish is fairly good for you and low in calorie. My husband had a hearty hamburger with an enormous plate of fries. It really kept him busy for a while.

I was extremely happy with the service as well. The hostesses greeted us immediately with a friendly welcome and took us to a near by booth. Not too long afterward, our waitress approached to take our drink order. She was on top of our needs from the moment we got there. We didn't have to ask for anything - she knew before we did when we needed something. She wasn't obnoxious or in your face either. She was just extremely on top of things.

The best part? The cheesecake of course. I order a slice to go because I was too full from lunch. I certainly didn't need that cheesecake but I felt like I couldn't waste a trip to the Cheesecake Factory without trying one of their sky high, infamous cheesecakes. Chocolate raspberry cheesecake was my selection since they are two of my favorite things. The chocolate cheesecake sat in between a layer of dark chocolate crust, almost like an Oreo cookie crust, and a heaping portion of dark chocolate mouse and thick and creamy whipped cream. Sprinkled throughout were pieces of fresh raspberries. It was absolutely delicious and I made it last for two evenings worth of desserts since it was sky high and really, really large!

The selection is as enormous as the cheesecake. There are a page-and-a-half of cheesecake options and this doesn't even include all the other scrumptious desserts! See if these cheesecake options don't make your stomach growl and your mouth drool:

White chocolate raspberry truffle (R)
Godiva (R) chocolate cheesecake
Fresh banana cream cheesecake
Adam's peanut butter fudge cup cheesecake (has Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (R) and Butterfingers (R)
Key Lime cheesecake
Oreo(R) cheesecake

And this is just to name a few! There are dozens more!

Get to the Cheesecake Factory soon - it's well worth it. Just make sure you go at an off time, not during dinner time on a Saturday evening. You may never get in!