(thecheesecakefactory.com) – Downtown
How I heard of this place: The first time I learned of the Cheesecake Factory was from my sister, Mojgan, years ago. It became my go-to spot in Seattle when the Cheesecake Factory first opened downtown, because of the plethora of options and variety of foods available for large parties with differing tastes.
Type of cuisine: A typical chain establishment, with a variety of options including pizzas, salads, burgers, and pastas in flavors inspired by Mexico, Italy, North America, etc.
Ambiance: Usually a large establishment, with high ceilings, this downtown Seattle restaurant is no different. Booths and chair-table seating (in the bar as well) can be found in dark wood with glass ornamentation throughout the venue. Music plays in the background, sometimes loudly, as the hustle and bustle of restaurant spaces can be heard and felt. Patrons are not shy to speak to their dining companions aloud, but rarely do conversation topics make it to the neighboring tables.
What I ordered: On this trip, four of us dined at the restaurant and shared three dishes, in addition to the free bread and butter served to us upon seating. The two, large appetizers we selected were the hot spinach and cheese dip, made with spinach, artichoke hearts, shallots, garlic and a mixture of cheeses, served bubbly hot with tortilla chips and salsa. The Factory nachos, crisp tortilla chips covered with melted cheeses, guacamole, sour cream and salsa with spicy chicken. For something a little healthier, yet large enough to serve four, we enjoyed the barbeque ranch chicken salad served with avocado, tomato, grilled corn, black beans, cucumber and romaine all tossed with barbeque ranch dressing and topped with crispy fried onion strings for crunch.
What I loved: I loved the sourdough bread, the hot, very cheesy spinach dip and the flavorful salad. The crispy onion strings added texture and taste, as they were prepared with thin red onion slices.
Why I loved it: The portions are huge and the food consistently good. You know what you are going to get at the Cheesecake Factory, where everything tastes the same from Seattle, to Las Vegas, from Orange County to Bellevue.
Cost: Average to high ($9-$20 per entree)