Cheesecake Factory (Vegetarian Info)

SoCalSwimmerDude

Hello All - I'm kinda new here, but I'm sure The Cheesecake Factory has been discussed in the past. I, personally, don't have an axe to grind w/ them, but was extremely ticked based on our experience last week that I think Vegetarians would be interested in hearing. I hope it helps a few of you who didn't know. You'll get all of the info regarding what I'm talking about in the copy and pasted email I sent them below:

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To whom it may concern:
For the past 7+ years, my wife and I have been going to Cheesecake Factory for dinner. My wife is a vegetarian for ethical reasons and has been since she was 7 years old (she's currently 29). Whenever we go to a new restaurant we ask a few basic questions, but in this case, we asked a long time ago if the black beans were cooked in chicken stock at Cheesecake Factory... both at the Caesars Palace location and the Henderson location in Las Vegas. We typically ask this on multiple visits just in case we get bad info the first time. Therefore, she has been getting meatless entrees with black beans as a substitute or more black beans because the servers always told us that the black beans were "vegetarian". In fact, we've had servers, upon learning that my wife was a vegetarian, recommend additional black beans as they do for all of their vegetarian customers. You can imagine how extremely ticked-off we were this past weekend when the server informed us (without us asking) that the black beans were in fact cooked in chicken stock. For a person who has been a vegetarian their entire lives, this is simply disgusting to think of. Considering we've been good customers of your restaurant for a very long time, we feel extremely deserving of something. I'd ask for free meals if we really wanted to even go back, but maybe thats a starting point. Additionally, cook the beans in veggie stock or throw some water and salt in a pot and cook them like that. I could go on, but I won't. I would appreciate a response, better training for your servers, better information for your customers regarding the health information in your food, etc, etc.

Thank You,

ams1012

Thanks for sharing. I am a vegetarian for religious reasons and I know exactly how your wife must've felt upon hearing that the dish wasn't infact vegetarian. I have never tried the black beans at Cheesecake factory but now I know not to anyways.

liveinbliss

Just curious if you have gottn a response. Maybe the last server was wrong if you had so many others tell you it was vegetarian?!

milaxx

I've given up eating at Cheesecake factory. the portions are simply too large and laden with enough fat/sugar and sodium to feed an army If you have one in your area, I would recommend Seasons 52.

ssernst

For anyone who is not a veggie, it may not seem a big deal. But as someone who is also vegetarian for ethical reasons; it's just plain gross to find out you've eaten an animal product without knowing it. I can see a server making a mistake; but to be told over and over incorrect information is inexcusable. I hope you get an appropriate response from them!!

SoCalSwimmerDude

Just curious if you have gottn a response. Maybe the last server was wrong if you had so many others tell you it was vegetarian?!

I just sent it off to them, but I'll let everyone know if/when we get a response. To be honest, it would be a bit of a relief to learn that the most recent server made a mistake. But when she said she was a veggie (something she always makes clear just in case... even if shes ordering a veggie meal) and we ordered a salad to share that had black beans, his response was "oh, if you're a veggie, then you don't want the black beans, they're cooked in chicken stock."

We'll see I suppose...

SoCalSwimmerDude

For all that were curious about an outcome... I recieved a phone call today from the Manager (from the location I had complained to) at Cheesecake Factory today. She repeatedly apologized for what had gone wrong, said that the correct training of her servers was something she was 'passionate' about, and asked me the names of the servers I've had in the past. Of course, I don't have a clue what their names were. Anyways, I appreciated the call and she said she would be sending some gift cards. Ha, anyone want some free cheesecake?

I guess I'm pretty satisfied w/ the outcome outside of what had actually happened.