Rosie R.
Yelp
I will never return to this specific Cheesecake Factory location due to how an incident which involved my face being burned was handled.
I came in the evening of 1/4/26 a little after 4 PM to enjoy a meal with my son. The hostesses were pleasant, and our server was excellent and attentive. Unfortunately, the experience took a turn for the worse once our food arrived.
My son ordered a Margherita pizza and offered me a bite. The pizza was extremely hot--so hot that I had to immediately spit it out. When I did so, some of the cheese landed on my lip and flipped onto my chin, causing a burn that blistered and peeled. At first, I thought it was food on my face, but when I went to the restroom, I saw visible redness and damaged skin.
I informed our server, who handled the situation professionally and immediately got a manager. The first manager (didn't even give us his name but he's short, bald, with a beard) showed no empathy, did not apologize, and dismissed the situation by repeatedly stating that "pizza is hot" --which didn't address the fact that I had sustained a facial burn. He even condescendingly asked whether I needed medical attention rather than expressing concern.
I asked to speak to another manager. The second manager, Damien R., responded in a similarly dismissive manner, repeating the same comments about pizza temperature and explaining how their ovens works. I requested to complete an incident report, which he provided, but his demeanor remained indifferent. At no point did either manager appear concerned about my injury and were more focused on the temperature of the pizza when it is served.
My son, who works in the restaurant industry, was appalled by the lack of professionalism and attempted to advocate on my behalf. Only after that did we receive a small discount.
Later, when we were attempting to pay, Damien returned with burn cream and a belated apology that felt more like an insincere reaction to being called out for his inability to handle the situation appropriately. When I expressed frustration, he told me I could not speak to him that way, walked off laughing, and left us standing there without processing our bill.
Eventually, an assistant general manager named Howard came over. He was the only one who showed genuine concern, apologized appropriately, and handled the situation with professionalism. He ultimately comped our meal, which was appreciated--but it should never have taken this long or escalated this far.
This was a minor incident that became a major issue solely due to poor management response. A facial burn should be taken seriously, and empathy should not be this hard to find especially as a PAYING CUSTOMER. These managers' behavior is unacceptable and risks losing customers--or worse.
Do better.