Cheesecake Factory Behind the Scenes Tour and Lunch

With over 250 made from scratch items on their menu, Cheesecake Factory has top quality dishes that are incredibly fresh and delicious!

Last week I had the opportunity to visit my local Cheesecake Factory and see how everything is made behind the scenes, as well as experience the top notch service in the dining room. I learned so many things about their business, and how the restaurant runs, that I cannot wait to share them with you! Cheesecake factory sets itself apart with it's made from scratch approach, and consistently amazing food! This post today is sponsored by Cheesecake Factory, however as always, all opinions are my own. 

Touring Cheesecake Factory's Kitchen:

Although I had dined at Cheesecake Factory before, I really knew nothing of their approach to cooking, or what goes on behind the doors of the kitchen. Since they invited me to come take a look, I was so excited to meet everyone and see exactly what happens back there! With over 250 menu items, there is A LOT to learn!

• Everything is homemade!

  • All sauces, marinades and dressings are made from scratch in the restaurant.
    • Witnessing these sauces being made was incredible! There was even a walk in fridge that had tons of sauces made fresh. It was shocking seeing just how many there are!
    • They have more than 160 sauces & dressings all made from scratch!

• All vegetables are brought in fresh and cut and chopped by hand in the restaurant.
• Egg rolls, dumplings and pot stickers are made and hand- rolled/formed at the restaurant.
  • It was SO cool being able to see them roll their famous Avocado Egg Rolls! They even let ME make one!
  • The Tamarind Cashew Dipping Sauce that’s served with the Avocado Egg Rolls is made with 18 ingredients and nearly 20 steps! Amazing!

 

• Every burger is hand-formed and then used for the specific ordered burger. They introduced me to their new Stuffed Cheddar Burger! The Charbroiled Burger Stuffed with Cheddar and American Cheese with Grilled Onions and Special Sauce- it was AMAZING!

  

• The staff at Cheesecake Factory is humble and hardworking!
  • Meeting several employees was so interesting! There are a few who actually know how to cook ALL 250+ recipes on the menu - how incredible is that?!?! I met one woman who has been working at Cheesecake Factory for years, started at the bottom and worked her way up.  She knew every menu item, how to make it, and now is someone who trains new employees. She won Cheesecake Factory's employee of the year last year, and it was no shock to see why! She was amazing!
  • The General Manager was on top of everything, and really great to meet and work with! 
  • Hearing about all the different menu items from the chef was so interesting, and it was also interesting hearing how different his experience working at Cheesecake Factory compared to other restaurants is. Sounds like all restaurants need to switch over to Cheesecake Factory's made from scratch model!

I was also VERY HAPPY to find out that Cheesecake Factory goes out of their way to calculate exactly how much food they will likely use each day. This majorly reduces waste on their end, however, they work with local food pantries and donate extra food that would otherwise be wasted. This is definitely something I LOVE to hear!

Okay, now for more of the fun! Cheesecake Factory offered the VIP experience to me and six of my friends for lunch! We were able to sample all their new menu items (to die for), and our normal favorites! A few of my friends had never been to Cheesecake Factory, and a few love it and frequent it as much as I do! Everyone definitely came hungry and left stuffed!

Lunch at Cheesecake Factory:

Cheesecake Factory has a handful of new menu items that you are going to want to try ASAP! My absolute favorite? The Lasagna Verde! 

This lasagna verde was on a level of deliciousness that I rarely witness at restaurants. I ALWAYS order the same thing when I visit Cheesecake Factory, The Skinny Oriental Chicken Salad (sans chicken), and I am always tempted to try something new, but I always worry about it not being as tasty as my favorite salad...right?!?! Well, I am totally obsessed with this lasagna! It was the most delicious lasagna I have EVER had....seriously!

Cheesecake Factory's Lasagna Verde:

• A vegetarian lasagna that even meat eaters will devour!
• Made with layers of fresh spinach pasta, mozzarella, parmesan, and fontina cheeses (all hand grated in restaurant), then covered in house-made tomato and mushroom marinara sauces. 
• Flavor pops like you can't imagine - you HAVE to try this dish.

Favorites off Cheesecake Factory's New Menu Items:

• The Egg Roll Sampler - which includes their famous Avocado Egg Rolls, (new) Cheeseburger Spring Rolls, Tex Mex Rolls, and Firecracker Salmon Rolls.
• Spicy Shanghai Noodles - Spaghetti with chicken, mushrooms, snow peas, bean sprouts, onions and garlic in a sweet-hot sesame ginger sauce. These noodle were SO tasty, not too spicy, and really the perfect blend of ingredients!
• The Pork Belly Sliders were a HUGE hit! Slices of slow roasted smoked pork belly with barbecue sauce, coleslaw and fried pickles on top! Loved the addition of the fried pickle on top! So yummy!

  

Of course you can't leave Cheesecake Factory without having a slice of one of their famous cheesecakes! But with over THIRTY cheesecakes available, it's extremely hard to decide! I spent about 10 minutes eying the cheesecake case and deciding on what I wanted! I ended up with the Snicker's Cheesecake which was so tasty!

 

We also tried the Strawberry Shortcake at our table, and the fresh strawberries with sugar biscuits, ice cream, and whipped cream was definitely delicious! I can't wait until summer so I can go sit on Cheesecake Factory's patio and enjoy this with a delicious cocktail! YUM!

I feel very grateful for the opportunity to learn more about Cheesecake Factory's made from scratch approach, and also grateful that I am able to share that with you! If you haven't been to Cheesecake Factory, you need to find the closest location near you and try it out! As you can see, I am obsessed with their flavorful food!

Want to hear more about my amazing time at Cheesecake Factory? Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for more about it!

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Thanks for visiting!

- Allyson