11 Dishes You Should Avoid Ordering From The Cheesecake Factory

When the first Cheesecake Factory restaurant opened its doors in Beverly Hills, California in 1978, its selection was a far cry from the massive, book-like menu that we know and love today. The original Cheesecake Factory menu had only about 60 items — but since then, the offerings have expanded to present an impressive array of not only cheesecakes, but everything from pastas to burgers to salads to seafood, and much more. 

With the Cheesecake Factory's massive number of options for any type of cuisine that you happen to be in the mood for, the wealth of choice can be overwhelming for a newcomer to the now-iconic restaurant chain. And while there are some definite standouts among the 250 or so items offered — not to mention the original Cheesecake Factory items that are no longer on the menu — certain selections are best avoided. Here are some dishes to steer clear of, based on my many visits to various Cheesecake Factory locations, along with insights from social media and online restaurant reviews.

Renee's Fresh Turkey Sandwich is exactly what it sounds like, with no added frills or even cheese. Apart from turkey, it's a simple sandwich with lettuce and tomato, served on a bread loaf. 

Frankly, the bread is the best part of this dish, although even that could stand to be a bit more toasted to make the sandwich feel at least somewhat elevated. Squirting on some mustard (or even honey mustard, if the Cheesecake Factory actually wanted to try making this a bit more interesting) and adding another topping or two would take this sandwich to the next level, but alas, this remains a dish to skip for now.

Perhaps its most redeeming quality is that you don't have to eat an entire sandwich — as a lunch special, it comes in a half serving, with a green salad and a cup of soup. Although this sounds like a solid option for those looking for a simple and somewhat healthy lunch, the turkey is dry, which really stands out in a dish that's surprisingly plain, especially considering The Cheesecake Factory's affinity for piling on an excessive amount of ingredients. There's really nothing special about this — you're better off ordering the club sandwich, which at least comes with some bacon, or just preparing a more exciting homemade turkey sandwich. 

Sliders are available at many restaurants and fast-food establishments alike, and although the Cheesecake Factory's sliders aren't terrible tasting, they just don't measure up to the competition. Roadside Sliders are served topped with grilled onions, pickles, and ketchup, with no standout ingredient or anything at all memorable about them.

As often is the case with sliders, these also come out a bit dry, and would be much more appetizing with the addition of cheese or Thousand Island dressing instead of ketchup, to add more depth of flavor. If you're in the mood for a burger, you're much better off going with one of the chain's Glamburgers, which are served in a regular-sized entrée portion, and much more flavorful and satisfying. If it's a shareable appetizer you're looking for, the Cheesecake Factory has a whole host of more delectable options, from the Hot Spinach and Cheese Dip to the Ahi Poke Nachos. 

With this chain's overwhelming menu and giant portions, learning to pace oneself is an important lesson for every Cheesecake Factory customer at some point, and the Buffalo Blasts appetizer is what did it for me. While I initially fell for the allure of a supposedly cheesy, spicy, and crunchy appetizer, this popular dish — comprised of chicken, cheese, and Buffalo sauce, all stuffed into a wrapper and deep-fried — is far too filling to be considered an appetizer. It leaves you feeling greasy and slightly unwell, and definitely not ready for an entrée, let alone cheesecake.

I wish I could at least say it tasted good, but it sadly just falls flat, and is too oily and salty to be enjoyable. And despite the crunchy exterior, this appetizer just ends up mushy because of the filling, which defeats the entire purpose of the fried wrapper. If you're looking for a spicy chicken starter, stick with the Buffalo Chicken Strips instead. 

There are a number of issues going on with the Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes on the Cheesecake Factory's appetizer menu. For one, the textures and the flavors ultimately don't work well together, and it's better off being removed from the menu altogether.

The abundant amount of sauces — this item is slathered with sour cream and two kinds of salsa (which are bland, I'll add) — just makes for an overall mushy dish, which is not particularly appetizing. The base of sweet corn tamale cakes isn't sturdy enough to hold all the sauces, while also being a tad too sweet to pair well with the rest of the appetizer's savory elements.

I rarely say this, but this really is an item that would be enhanced by the addition of meat, particularly shredded beef or something similar, to add needed texture and pull the dish together. And I'm not alone in this either — the Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes frequently top the rankings of Cheesecake Factory menu items with the worst reviews.

Egg rolls and spring rolls are nearly perfect appetizers. Shareable, crispy, and fried without being too heavy and ruining your appetite for the main course, it can be hard to go wrong with this starter. The Cheeseburger Spring Rolls, however, are an exception. While the Cheesecake Factory's Avocado Eggrolls and Tex Mex Eggrolls have become iconic fixtures of the menu, the Cheeseburger Spring Rolls are best forgotten.

First of all, the amount of filling simply doesn't compare to the egg roll options, and this leaves you feeling a bit unsatisfied. The seasoning is also sorely lacking, which is even worse. Technically, these spring rolls are different from egg rolls — a distinction rooted in the type of shell used — but even the wrapper is a bit too thin, quickly becoming mushy thanks to the melted cheese. Order the Avocado Eggrolls or Tex Mex Eggrolls instead, or try making a crispy Philly cheesesteak egg rolls recipe at home for a more flavor-packed version of the Cheeseburger Spring Rolls.

While there are many pasta dishes that the Cheesecake Factory does well — and this one, named after the woman who inspired the chain with her famous cheesecakes, is a relatively popular choice — this entrée doesn't feel well-executed, and is unfortunately just bland. Recently the recipe has apparently changed; the previous version of Evelyn's Favorite Pasta leaned into Mediterranean influences, with ingredients like artichokes, olives, eggplant, and pine nuts taking center stage. Although the current version is certainly packed full of veggies (including broccoli, zucchini, asparagus, peppers, tomato, onion, garlic, and fresh herbs) and is tossed with Parmesan, there seems to be no cohesive flavor that the dish is aiming for.

With the sheer quantity of ingredients, one might expect a delicious meld of flavors, at least from the onion and garlic, but sometimes less really is more. Maybe with slightly fewer vegetables, other flavors (like the herby notes buried in the pasta) could shine more brightly. 

It's hard to go wrong with a classic combination of mozzarella and tomato, but this Cheesecake Factory pasta dish is better off recreated at home or ordered elsewhere. Although it sounds like an ideal choice for anyone craving pasta but wanting something a bit lighter, the Tomato Basil Pasta misses the mark in multiple areas. 

The textures of the grilled chicken and the mozzarella cheese don't really work here, with the chicken somehow too dry and the cheese weirdly too chewy. You would hope that the sauce could be the redeeming quality, but it just isn't as flavorful as you'd expect.

While this isn't the worst thing you can get here, it's definitely one of the pastas you shouldn't order from Cheesecake Factory — the Spicy Rigatoni Vodka pasta would be a much better option if you're craving a combination of tomato sauce and basil. If you're just in the mood for pasta, I'd pick any other option, to be totally honest. My personal favorite is the Cajun Jambalaya Pasta. 

It's partly admirable — and partly worthy of criticism — how The Cheesecake Factory's menu attempts to offer so many different types of cuisines. On one hand, the idea that there's something for everyone is part of The Cheesecake Factory's essence, but on the other hand, is it really worth offering so many cuisines from around the world if they can't all possibly be done well?

The Shrimp and Chicken Gumbo (a dish that originally hails from Louisiana, incorporating African, Native American, and French influences) is one instance when an attempt to provide regional cuisine just doesn't work. While gumbo recipes can certainly vary, the dish is meant to have warm spices, lots of depth of flavor, and heartiness. With this Cheesecake Factory rendition, however, the flavor is lacking, namely the spice, and it doesn't come with enough chicken or shrimp, which should certainly be key ingredients in this dish. 

When eaten separately, either a savory, juicy cheeseburger or a rich and creamy plate of macaroni and cheese will always hit the spot. But together? This combination almost feels sacrilegious. Maybe I'm too much of a traditionalist to appreciate the merger of a charbroiled beef patty with not just regular mac and cheese, but fried mac and cheese, plus a generous portion of cheddar cheese sauce.

The texture and decadence of the Macaroni and Cheese Burger is overwhelming, to say the least. And while The Cheesecake Factory has earned a reputation for generous portions that aren't particularly nutritious, this menu item really takes this approach to the extreme, leaving you feeling a bit ill after dining. It's truly baffling how this one has managed to stay on the menu. The chain's Fried Macaroni and Cheese appetizer served with marinara sauce is satisfying enough; no need to add a burger. 

With over 30 cheesecakes available by the slice at The Cheesecake Factory, there are some really delicious options to choose from. But, they can't all be winners, which is sadly the case with Adam's Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Ripple.

As the name suggests, this cheesecake just has too much going on for diners to appreciate any of the flavors or individual ingredients packed in. There's caramel, peanut butter, Butterfinger candy-bar pieces (which do add a nice bit of crunch, I'll admit), and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and the flavors of all this just feel repetitive. The different elements end up competing with each other, rather than offering any contrast or interesting taste. 

Although you can typically expect a Cheesecake Factory cheesecake to be on the extra-sweet side, this one just takes things way too far. You're better off sticking with a more classic type of cheesecake, or at least one with less additions.

As a chocolate lover, it hurts to say this, but the Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake is another miss. When it comes to chocolate, too much really can be a bad thing, and the chocolate flavor in this cheesecake just becomes excessively rich without anything to balance it out. Even the addition of some raspberries would add a bit of needed brightness to lighten this up and provide a contrasting flavor. Not to mention, the combination of flourless chocolate cake with cheesecake — plus a layer of mousse on top — doesn't work well texture-wise.

Chocolate fans should steer clear of this one, and instead opt for something like the Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake — which is delectably creamy and decadent without being too sweet — or the Hershey's Chocolate Bar Cheesecake. Although the latter suggestion also includes layers of cake, it's not flourless like the Godiva option, meaning that it's less dense, offering more of a much-needed contrast to the cheesecake component.

As someone who grew up amid New Jersey suburbs, visiting chain restaurants like The Cheesecake Factory was a frequent pastime of mine. I drew primarily on my experiences with this chain to develop this list, while also utilizing social media and online restaurant reviews to support my choices. 

I relied solely on taste to judge The Cheesecake Factory's menu options and did not consider nutrition or price. For more details on those matters, check out interesting facts about The Cheesecake Factory.