Reader comments
Dining out: The Cheesecake Factory

I would wait anywhere for a Cheesecake Factory meal, with the exception of Utah. I waited once for three hours here. The first and last time I am going because it is so small and cramped. They missed it when they thought it wouldn't make a go here. Sometimes the food is worth the wait, if not it is a poor use of time and effort. I would rather buy a steak and cook it at home.

Wait for 3 hours??? Are you kidding? Eat for FREE at Sam's Club and Costco. . . On a Saturday (1 p.m. or so) first visit Sams in Murray, eat the wide variety of samples, then, go to Costco (up the street), eat MORE samples (even cheesecake on occasion), and get ALL your major food groups. Always approach the server (of the samples) from the front AND the back (to get TWO helpings). Try reversing your jacket or other disguise to get even more helpings. MAJOR savings on your food budget (assuming you eat several times per week). . take the whole family! Makes your membership "pay for itself."

Wait times wouldn't be so long if people would arrive all at once and not hold tables.

I had a dinner after 3 hrs waiting. I don't go back there anymore. It is not worth it.

I went there once and waited for 3 hrs to get seated.
I don't want to go there again. It is not worth it

we have several hundred restaurants here in just slc and you review a chain?? what's next, going to mcdonalds? it's time for you to stop moonlighting your "i dont want to cook so let's take the family out to dinner" into a we(a)kly column and either become a real food critic or go away. at least you proved john mariani's guideline correct " (avoid a restaurant when) the host says there's a half hour wait for a table"

There's a reason there's a 3-hour wait for it. It's GREAT! People wouldn't be willing to wait in line that long if they didn't love the food. I've been to probably 30 Cheesecake Factory's across the nation, and I rarely go home disappointed (or hungry for that matter...) The selection is outstanding, the portions ample, and the food quality superb.

Yes... a 3-hour wait is excessive - but don't blame the restaurant for that. There's obviously a pent-up demand for a Cheesecake Factory in Utah. Hopefully Corporate HQ listens and they open up a couple more soon...

You folks don't know how to work the system. Have one person go ahead and get your name on a list, shop in the ATTACHED mall with a million stores, and then meet your party for the most delicious food of your life.

People are soured by the wait, I can understand that...but work it...and then love it.

Utahns love novelties. The Cheesecake Factory is one that doesn't disappoint!

Skip the meal, just go to the counter, order the cheesecake and take it home. The food is good, but nowhere near a 3 hour wait. The cheesecake is delicious, but still not worth the wait.

Remember the hours that people lined up for Krispy Kreme donuts once it came to Utah...now you can go and get one anytime without the wait. After awhile the hype will calm down and the time wait will drop. One thing that most restaurants cannot compare to the Cheesecake Factory is its consistency, no matter what I have ordered it has arrived fresh, hot and delicious. Dollar for dollar I think that the Cheesecake Factory is a great deal.

The reasons a mediocre restaurant like the Cheesecake Factory has a 3 hour wait for a table:
1. The X-generation doesn't know how to cook. They all grew up on fast-food and wouldn't recognize a quality meal if it hit them in the face. Quantity is all that matters....oversized portions, oversized people.

2. The bar. Obviously, not everyone in UT belongs to the "dominant" religion. This is the same reason "sports bars" are such a hit. Gather, drink, flirt, pair off...duh.

3. It's new and novel, at least in UT. Face it, the Cheesecake Factory is pretty mundane. If you think otherwise, you have a serious food disability.

Response to Anonymous: I think it's great that Ms. Kratz goes to a variety of restaurants, occasionally including chains. Her reviews reflect the diversity of restaurants and experiences within the Salt Lake area. First, not everyone loves or can afford the hoity-toity restaurants. Further, given that Cheesecake Factory is a current phenomenon in SLC, commenting on it seems a natural part of a critic's job. At the same time, Ms. Kratz seeks out unique restaurants and family-owned establishments that are off the beaten path and shares them with us. Only someone who is snooty would say that occasionally reviewing a new and popular chain restaurant precludes someone from being a good food critic.

I CALLED THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY TO MAKE RESERVATION FOR 16 FOR A B-DAY PARTY.THEY DON'T DO RESERVATION WE ARRIVE AT 6:30 WAITED IN LINE BY TIME WE CHECKIN IT WAS 7:40 WAITING TIME 4-6 HOURS PICK UP PAGER AT 10:00PM. THEN THEY COULDN'T GURANTEED SEATING FOR MY PARTY.MY SON WAS DISAPPOINTED WE NEVER ATE. I CALLED THE RESTURANT THE FOLLOWING MORNING THEY NEVER SAID THERE WERE SORRY ALL THEY SAID WAS WOULD WE RETURN I TOLD THEM NO ALL HE COULD SAY IS I PROMISE YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO WAIT THAT LONG AGAIN. I WILL NEVER GO TO THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY AGAIN WE WENT TO OUTBACK AND ENJOY OURSELVES NEVER GO TO THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY AGAIN.