Crocker Park - Cheesecake Factory bashers
Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2006 6:21 pm
I can't comment on the Westlake one, but I can comment on the Beachwood one, from my days as an Eastsider ... the wait took forever. And it APPEARS as though they try to make the wait shorter, because there was this guy in a headset wandering around, alerting the wait staff to any table that opened up. However, we still waited forever. Then we finally got a table, and service was GLACIAL. Evolution happens faster than service at Cheesecake Factory. The menu was enormous, as though the place is trying to simultaneously serve every single cuisine known to man ... but guess what happens when a menu is enormous; the kitchen can't really specialize in anything, so the food is quite bland. Basically, the place is an upscale Applebee's, only with way-higher prices.
And the cheesecake? Nothing special at all. They have a lot of varieties, but all the ones we tried were pretty bland as well. The ones at Max's Deli in Rocky River were better.
It's sad that it's a "destination" because in terms of culinary quality, there isn't much. There are SO many better little local restaurants which have high quality, interesting dishes, and better service. Make those your destination, not some bland uber-chain.