For lunch, my husband had three thick slices of moist, firm meatloaf served with chunky mashed potatoes and a succotash-like melange of vegetables. He practically always finishes his meal, but he took home half of this particular lunch — portion sizes are enormous.

I had the "Factory combination" of steak Diane, juicy medallions of medium-rare beef doused in a rich mushroom wine sauce, and herb-crusted salmon, a tender pink fillet with asparagus and a light, creamy lemon sauce.

For dessert, I had a dilemma: I don't much care for cheesecake. So, my husband and I ordered different desserts for ourselves and took a slice of white chocolate caramel macadamia nut cheesecake (31 types are listed on the menu, plus 14 other desserts) home to our cheesecake-loving daughter.

It was very good cheesecake: creamy, firm and not oversweetened, the fillings a nice balance of sweet and nutty flavors. My husband's dessert, the black-out cake, was super-dark and decadent-looking, but tasted surprisingly mellow.

My dessert, the lemoncello cream torte, was an upscale strawberry shortcake (that's on the menu, too) with its layers of spongy cake, lemon mascarpone and streusel, served with strawberries and clouds of whipped cream.

Appetizers $4.50-$28.95, salads $6.95-$15.95, lunch specials (served until 5 p.m.) $8.95-$12.95, entrees $6.95-$31.95, Sunday brunch $5.95-$15.95, desserts $6.50-$7.95.

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How long would you wait for a table at The Cheesecake Factory? For that matter, how long would you wait at any restaurant? We want your input for an upcoming story on restaurant wait times. How do you feel about the standard 20- to 40-minute wait at many restaurants? Which restaurants manage wait time better than others? What are your "horror" stories of long wait times, and what do you do to manage this problem? Send your input to skratz@desnews.com, making sure to include your name, hometown and contact information.

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Stacey Kratz is a freelance writer who reviews restaurants for the Deseret Morning News.

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E-mail: skratz@desnews.com