Tampa, Florida USA
Cuisine Style: American, Chain
Average Price: $$
Overall Rating: 1/5
Overall Rating: 1/5
Dined in December 2016
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
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According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the restaurant with the largest menu in the world was achieved by the restaurant Mófarguru (Hun) in Budapest, Hungary with 1810 different items available. Before looking up this fact, I would have sworn it was the Cheesecake Factory. I think I have read Tom Clancy novels that were smaller, and with all that they have, I can only imagine the size of the kitchen. This is a review of my first visit to this American chain franchise and the experience my wife and I had.
I saw my first factory restaurant when I lived in Atlanta driving through Buckhead sometime around 2002 but never ate there. Over the years people I've known or worked with have mentioned going, and most of them told me that they had a good experience with their visit.
The Cheesecake Factory story begins in Detroit, Michigan in the 1940s. Evelyn Overton found a recipe in the local newspaper that would inspire her “Original” Cheesecake. In 1972, with their children grown, Evelyn and her husband Oscar decided to pack up and move to Los Angeles to make one last attempt at owning their own business. They opened The Cheesecake Factory Bakery and began selling Evelyn’s cheesecakes to restaurants throughout Los Angeles.
Their son David decided to open a restaurant to showcase his mother’s selection of cheesecakes and in 1978, he opened the first Cheesecake Factory restaurant in Beverly Hills. The restaurant was an immediate success and today there are nearly 200 Cheesecake Factory restaurants around the world.
My wife was dropping me off at the airport, about to go on a business trip, when we stopped at the Tampa location International Plaza shopping mall which was very close to Tampa International. We only wanted a few small bites, but like I mentioned earlier, could not believe the size of their menu. If I began just to list the categories it would run half a page not to mention the individual items alone. Just the small bites and appetizer selections alone numbered over 50 items. Small and regular salads there were 15. The next three sections were superfoods, lunch specials, and pizza, with over 20 of them combined. Sandwiches and pasta sections number 35 or more items and the remaining lunch sections had over 70 more items to choose from. Incredible. But you come here for what? The namesake, with 35 separate cheesecakes to choose, have fun. All total, over 250 separate menu items from start to finish running from Italian, Latin, and other classics from the melting pot of American cuisine.
We started with a few drinks, my wife having a Sauvignon Blanc from Matua Winery in New Zealand, where according to the winemakers tasting notes it is very vibrant and acidic, fantastic length with gooseberry and tropical fruit hints. I enjoyed my go-to beer when I’m not in the mood to drink wine, and that being a Yeungling from the oldest brewery in America. we shared to starter dishes and a salad, yes very small amounts considering the 250 items available, and if we continue to average three in future visits, then we can go at least sixty or more times to try everything. The fried macaroni and cheese was the first selection that was a must-have. My wife and I both love macaroni and cheese, but not as much as her. She would have married mac and cheese if she didn’t marry me!! They were lightly coated in a marinara sauce with some shaved cheese and tasted fantastic.
The second selection was the chicken sliders starter, three to the order with a homemade sauce or mayonnaise to choose from, and the normal accompaniments to mini burgers. They were okay, but the chicken was a little bit dry.
The third selection we both loved, and that was the roasted beet salad with goat cheese, but come on now beets and goat cheese, how can anyone go wrong with that. If you don’t like either of those items, then you have no idea what you are missing in life. The dish was dressing in a light lemon vinaigrette with some pecans and arugula rocket lettuce, a very filling palate cleanser.
Dessert:
We were both completely fool and could not get dessert, however, if cheesecake is your thing, they have 35 to choose from like I mentioned above, plus two more sections for other desserts and ice creams numbering 20 more additional sweet desserts.
Other Noteworthy Chain Restaurant Articles and Restaurants:
BiCE Restaurant, Dubai Marina Acclaimed upmarket classic and innovative Italian in Dubai, UAE
Charleston’s Restaurant Casual American eatery; reviewed in Indianapolis, Indiana
Fleming’s Steakhouse High-end steakhouse chain (69+) with aged prime cuts, reviewed in Akron, Ohio
FLIP Burger Boutique Hip burger chain with the space-age decor, reviewed in Midtown, Atlanta, Georgia
Fogo de Chão Upscale Brazilian fair with 49 locations. Review based in Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia
Gino’s East Pizzeria Chain serving Chicago-style deep dish pizza & other Italian eats in Chicago, Illinois
Jack Allen’s Kitchen Farm-to-fork upscale local chain for Southwestern cuisine in Austin, Texas
Laurent Tourondel / BLT Swanky French-American steakhouse fair with 14 restaurants
Morimoto Asia Japanese and upscale Pan-Asian fare with sushi at Disney Springs Orlando, Florida
The Varsity Iconic drive-in restaurant fair serving hot dogs & other American classics in Atlanta, Georgia
Waffle House A Southern 24/7 breakfast chain known for their hash browns, based in Atlanta, Georgia
Wolfgang Puck Celebrity Chef’s California cuisine & fine dining chain; reviewed in Orlando, Florida
Final notes and observations:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Review basics:
Overall Star Rating:
|
1 of 5 Stars:
An Average Dining Experience
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Corkage fee’s:
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The Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge $25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Casual
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Reservations:
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Not Required, But Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a child’s menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended for children not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
Hire a Babysitter!
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Dress code:
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Casual attire
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Cuisine style:
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Contemporary, Modern, Lounge, American, Italian, and Vegetarian
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Experiences:
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Trendy, Lounge, Business parties, Hotspot, Great outdoor dining, Rustic, Tourist grabber, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Valet, and Public Lot
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Loud
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant, and nonsmoking patio
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Patio:
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Yes
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****
Food Prices
(excluding, alcohol, taxes & gratuity)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00
**Currencies chosen reflect the world’s major travelers and restaurant connoisseur’s**
My food bill:
|
Currency:
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Price chart:
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$19.00
|
United States Dollar (USD)
|
$
|
$25.00
|
Australian Dollar (AUS)
|
$
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£16.00
|
Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
|
£
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$25.00
|
Canadian Dollar (CAN)
|
$
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¥131.00
|
Chinese Yuan (CNY)
|
¥¥¥
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€18.00
|
European Union (EUR)
|
€
|
Alcohol Prices:
$22.00
The Cheesecake Factory:
International Plaza and Bay Street
2223 North Westshore Blvd
Tampa, Florida 33607
Contact Information:
Maître d or host:
|
+1 813-353-4200 |
| Restaurant website: | The Cheesecake Factory |
| Serving hours: Eastern Standard Time (GMT - 5:00) |
Sun-Thur 11:00 am - 11:00 pm Fri-Sat 11:00 am - 12:30 am |
| Website contact: | Contact the Factory |
Social Media
&
Accolades:
|
Facebook link |
| Twitter @Cheesecake | |
****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
