Cheesecake Factory?

kjoy_
kjoy_ Posts: 316 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all,

I'm going to The Cheesecake Factory with my out-of-state father tonight. He really likes the place. For me, the menu REALLY stresses me out. So much going on and advertisements in the menu. I am trying to stay on track tonight, obviously no cheesecake. I know they have some sort of "skinny" menu. Just wondering if any of you have tried anything off of it, if so, what do you recommend?

Replies

  • mama2shi
    mama2shi Posts: 300 Member
    I just went there last week and ate off the Skinnylicious menu. I had the Turkey Avocado sandwich with salad and it was delicious! Came in at 580 calories. There were about nine of us (went from work) and at least half ate off that menu. Everyone enjoyed their meal. I did leave before the cheesecake menus came out though lol
  • kjoy_
    kjoy_ Posts: 316 Member
    Wow the turkey avocado sounds good. Did you have just a garden salad, greek salad, etc?
  • frando
    frando Posts: 583 Member
    I didn't think that the Cheesecake Factory existed! I've only ever seen it on the Big Bang Theory O:

    Sorry for not really helping ^^'
  • kjoy_
    kjoy_ Posts: 316 Member
    I didn't think that the Cheesecake Factory existed! I've only ever seen it on the Big Bang Theory O:

    Sorry for not really helping ^^'

    Haha, Yes it is a real place. A place full of weird egyptian/italian fusion decor and a 400 item menu. Pretty bizarre but people seem to adore it.
  • Erisad
    Erisad Posts: 1,580
    I've never went there, it's always super crowded and there's a huuuge wait to get seated. I'd be tempted to eat the cheesecake sooo I'm glad this deters me from eating there. >.<
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
    I love cheesecake factory so much that I've been known not to eat anything all day (or eat very low cal), and then pig out when I get there at night. Otherwise you can't enjoy the place. My love for their 1000 - 1300 calorie slices of cheesecake gives me the motivation for the fasting.
  • tinabell153
    tinabell153 Posts: 292 Member
    Their salad is gross, just a warning. I usually get chicken breast with green beans if I'm trying to be good.
  • ltlemermaid
    ltlemermaid Posts: 637 Member
    I've had their tuscan chicken off the slim menu and it was delicious. I also avoid the cheesecake or take a small bite from someone else...
  • TequillaLover89
    TequillaLover89 Posts: 260 Member
    skip the real food & get the cookie dough cheesecake :)
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    You've got the right idea. Order away on the Skinnylicious menu. Do NOT be tempted to order a salad off the regular menu. Everyone of their regular salads is over 1200 calories if my memory serves. I would always go there and order the regular hamburger (it's really good) and people would mock me for going off diet. What they didn't know was my burger was sub 800 calories, and their salad was above 1400 calories.

    If you do order off the regular menu, take half home. Portions at CF are insane.
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,903 Member
    I had the chicken chili off of the skinnylicious menu and enjoyed it. And if you're in the mood for an appetizer they have some thai chicken lettuce wraps are a little messy, but fairly low cal (for a restaurant app) and filling.
  • sydnisd183
    sydnisd183 Posts: 247 Member
    I've never went there, it's always super crowded and there's a huuuge wait to get seated. I'd be tempted to eat the cheesecake sooo I'm glad this deters me from eating there. >.<

    No offense to the CF lovers, but I had a meal and a piece of their cheesecake a while ago and could not see what all the hoopla was. The cheesecake had an almost whipped consistency. (But then again i'm from NYC and am used to a richer, denser cheesecake). I went to the one in Houston TX.
  • Erisad
    Erisad Posts: 1,580
    I've never went there, it's always super crowded and there's a huuuge wait to get seated. I'd be tempted to eat the cheesecake sooo I'm glad this deters me from eating there. >.<

    No offense to the CF lovers, but I had a meal and a piece of their cheesecake a while ago and could not see what all the hoopla was. The cheesecake had an almost whipped consistency. (But then again i'm from NYC and am used to a richer, denser cheesecake). I went to the one in Houston TX.

    I love all kinds of cheesecake, dense or no so I wouldn't have minded.
  • veggiekatie
    veggiekatie Posts: 10 Member
    a vegan option would be the eggplant burger :)
  • nheilweil
    nheilweil Posts: 82 Member
    They've got a really good turkey burger that has mushrooms in it and is really tasty. I get that without the bun and a side salad, no cheese, no croutons and no dressing. Just some balsamic vinegar on the side (not the balsamic dressing, just the vinegar). It's really filling and a great source of protein. The side salad seems sparse writing about it here, but it's nice to have a "green leaf" to balance out that big ol' hunk of meat!

    Remember, you can always customize your order to suit you and your dietary needs. I like to plan things out and have a few ideas of what might work, so if I'm just surfing the web anyways, I'll check out restaurant's online nutritional menus.
  • funkyspunky872
    funkyspunky872 Posts: 866 Member
    Oh yes, the skinnylicious menu! I've only been to the Cheesecake Factory once. I had a margarita flatbread pizza from the skinnylicious appetizer menu and it was delicious. :) It was meal sized, not appetizer sized, and I had a fairly good feeling that it was pretty close to the calorie content you see on the website.

    The only thing I had to complain about... there was this HUGE ad stuck right in the middle of the menu for liposuction with some pretty little lady in a bikini. Sigh...
  • Pimpmonkey
    Pimpmonkey Posts: 566
    watch out for the salads though. They sound healthy and even though most are low-cal some of them have over a 1000 mg of sodium per serving.

    Some of the healthiest stuff:
    Sweet potato fries
    beet with goat cheese salad
    the fish tacos
    the chicken soft tacos
    chinese chicken salad
    tossed green salad
    Thai lettuce wraps
    The tuscan chicken (delish!)

    Check the database here and give yourself an idea ahead of times as to what fits in with your macros, and then enjoy!!!
  • SamanthaD23
    SamanthaD23 Posts: 53 Member
    I visited Cheesecake Factory on one of my visits to US (they are not in UK, thankfully!) - and I nearly passed out when I saw portion sizes. I feel for you, turkey avocado sounds great though!
  • mama2shi
    mama2shi Posts: 300 Member
    Wow the turkey avocado sounds good. Did you have just a garden salad, greek salad, etc?

    It is a garden salad that comes with it. And it is a decent size too.
  • mama2shi
    mama2shi Posts: 300 Member
    You've got the right idea. Order away on the Skinnylicious menu. Do NOT be tempted to order a salad off the regular menu. Everyone of their regular salads is over 1200 calories if my memory serves. I would always go there and order the regular hamburger (it's really good) and people would mock me for going off diet. What they didn't know was my burger was sub 800 calories, and their salad was above 1400 calories.

    If you do order off the regular menu, take half home. Portions at CF are insane.

    Totally agree with all of this. Their menu salads are HUGE, even the lunch portions. And they are high calories. I get a lunch portion and eat half of it. Don't be fooled by the word "salad" on the reg menu ;)
  • mama2shi
    mama2shi Posts: 300 Member
    I've never went there, it's always super crowded and there's a huuuge wait to get seated. I'd be tempted to eat the cheesecake sooo I'm glad this deters me from eating there. >.<

    No offense to the CF lovers, but I had a meal and a piece of their cheesecake a while ago and could not see what all the hoopla was. The cheesecake had an almost whipped consistency. (But then again i'm from NYC and am used to a richer, denser cheesecake). I went to the one in Houston TX.

    It depends on which kind of cheesecake you get. I have had some from there that are jut like that, whipped-like. Then there are others that are so thick I am lucky I can get a fork in it.
  • kcoftx
    kcoftx Posts: 765 Member
    The last time I went, a few months ago, I was there for a going away party. I decided to have cheesecake for dinner along with a beer.

    My vote is skimp on the rest of the day and order a lite dinner and cheesecake. But be careful which one you choose. Look ahead.

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