Lakeisha S.
Yelp
This was my first Cheesecake Factory experience (yes, SHOCKER, haha). This may likely be my last time going, or at least at the DC location. Despite it going viral recently, I came to help celebrate a friend's birthday.
The ambiance seemed romantic but not romantic (just low lighting). The crowd was a mix between very casual and dressy. It was pretty action-packed that day due to a massive protest.
As many may know, the menu at the Cheesecake Factory is massive. It's like reading a mini novel. I decided to go with safer options I'm more familiar with to avoid feeling like I'm reading a literal book. The prices for appetizers were almost similar to that of the entrées. The food portions resemble that of serving two people (massive portions). Even that was meh.
The service & food: Although our server was pretty okay, it was the manager that wasn't pleasant and was being unreasonable. Apparently, for this location, you can not book a large group beyond 6 people on a reservation. Considering how massive the restaurant is, they could reform that policy or be a little more accommodating. I saw another group with a bigger table celebrating someone's 40th birthday. My friend had to scramble to find/get additional seats for her party (though she could have asked one of us to book a separate table & be close to hers).
For my Tuna Ahi Nachos, the avocado and tuna on it were very skimp. I had way more chips than toppings (as you will see in the video, literally 9 pieces of tuna & a few pieces of avocado with 60 pieces of chips, essentially paying $18 for 95% of my dish being dry chips with thick mayo drizzled on them); even the green onions were a little skimp. Too much mayo, not enough toppings. I asked if I could have a little more tuna & avocado pieces added on the side to even out the ratio... the waiter came back and told us the manager said it would be an extra $18 (the dish itself was $18); essentially telling me I would have to pay double the price for a mere appetizer to $36 becauce THEY were being skimp on the toppings. I was so appalled by the outlandish statement that I sent my dish back. I don't understand how a manager thinks that it's okay to tell a customer something so absurd and ridiculous, refusing basic customer service. I ended up getting a house salad. I would have left at this point, but I chose not to because we were celebrating a friend's birthday. It is pretty clear that customer service at this location isn't something the manager is well versed in.
A few of us ordered the lemon drop & they were okay. It was very strong to the point where I had to squeeze lemon juice from the actual lemon wedge to balance it out.
I ordered the battered fish tacos. They were mediocre with too much mayo on them. I was starting to feel woozy in the stomach. Another young lady at the table with us who ordered the steak version of the tacos also started to feel sick to her stomach. I decided not to finish my food & wait until later in case the sick feeling went away. She had to send hers back. The only thing I enjoyed was the house salad.
I also thought it was weird of them not to bring a birthday cheesecake slice out (free or not) knowing we were there to celebrate a birthday. According to the restaurant, you have to join their rewards program. Why do she (or we) have to go through a process to help someone feel special for their birthday?
Overall, my experience was subpar, and I'd rather not come to the Cheesecake Factory again, especially not on my own accord. I also do not recommend it. Being absurd and rude to customers over reasonable asks is never the way to go, no matter how large or small the establishment is. Horrible first impression. I actually feel worse for the birthday girl because the restaurant didn't seem to care enough to at least be a little more accommodating to her nor the group. They couldn't even deliver on bare minimum customer service. I am aware that it isn't a fancy upscale restaurant or Michelin starred restaurant, but that isn't a legitimate excuse/justification to at least help the birthday girl feel special. They did not help make her birthday dinner experience become somewhat memorable, in which, again, is the bare minimum. We still made the best of the subpar experience at the Cheesecake Factory & helped her to feel special with tons of laughs and great stories. I hope the morale and customer service improve soon.
PS to the social media peeps, no, I do not recommend going on a date here. Don't bring me on a date here, please.