Review: The Cheesecake Factory's New Triple Berry Bliss Will Wake Up Your Sweet Tooth

The Cheesecake Factory is a household name, a franchise known for its presence in many indoor and outdoor malls across the country and its menu of more than 20 pages in length, which is sure to have a meal everyone in your dining party would love. The appeal of the restaurant lies not only in its extensive menu but, of course, in its namesake dessert item: cheesecake. There are already more than 30 flavors of cheesecake in the restaurant's lineup, and one more is on the way.

Triple Berry Bliss is being added to the expansive list of cheesecakes offered by the restaurant. This addition comes just ahead of National Cheesecake Day on July 30. The release of this new slice — which is debuting on July 29 — is one of a few initiatives The Cheesecake Factory is instituting to celebrate its favorite holiday. But does this new cheesecake add more oomph to the chain's lineup, or is it overkill for an already long menu? I taste-tested it to find out.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

The Triple Berry Bliss cheesecake is primarily a combination of the traditional Cheesecake Factory cheesecake and a regular vanilla cake. On the bottom is a classic graham cracker crust, followed on top by the chain's cheesecake filling. The next layer is vanilla cake, and the whole thing is topped with vanilla frosting. In the midst of all the layers are three different kinds of berries — strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries — hence the name "Triple Berry Bliss." The cake's ingredients are all tied together with a hint of lemon for an added citrus flavor.

In one slice of the Triple Berry Bliss cheesecake, there are 1,300 calories, 94 grams of sugar, and 11 grams of protein. It's heftier fare than The Cheesecake Factory's classic original slice, which, for comparison, comes in at 830 calories, 51 grams of sugar, and 12 grams of protein.  

Adding a new flavor to its lineup is hardly unheard-of for The Cheesecake Factory. Last year, for example, the chain released Cookie Dough Lover's Cheesecake with Pecans for National Cheesecake Day. The brand seemingly likes to celebrate the holiday by bolstering its lineup, and this year is no different. In addition to introducing Triple Berry Bliss, the brand has more plans to celebrate National Cheesecake Day.

Building on an existing relationship with Feeding America, The Cheesecake Factory will donate 25 cents from every slice of Triple Berry Bliss sold to the organization, which is made up of food banks, pantries, and community groups working to prevent hunger in the United States. The Cheesecake Factory partnered with Feeding America last year for the Cookie Dough Lover's Cheesecake as well, and this newest fundraising campaign is said to run until July 29, 2025 — right before National Cheesecake Day next year. This partnership has led to over $6 million in donations since 2008.

The restaurant chain is also releasing cheesecake-themed merchandise in the form of its Cake Merch California Summer Collection. Fans of The Cheesecake Factory can show their love for the restaurant through hats, T-shirts, and other summery clothing items. Additionally, on July 29 and 30, there is a dine-in discount of 50% off each slice for Cheesecake Rewards members.

The newest addition to The Cheesecake Factory's lineup will be making its debut on Monday, July 29, at all restaurant locations nationwide. While the price will vary depending on location, most Cheesecake Factory restaurants sell single slices of cheesecake for around $10.50, although many specialty slices tend to be priced higher.

This price for a slice of cheesecake is higher than that of the brand many would call The Cheesecake Factory's biggest competitor: Junior's Cheesecake. Slices of Junior's cheesecake sit at $9.50. While there is a mix of consumers who prefer Junior's over The Cheesecake Factory and vice versa, it seems that in terms of price, Junior's edges The Cheesecake Factory out. Two other competing chains, Olive Garden and Ruby Tuesday, both offer cheesecake at $8.99 a slice, so The Cheesecake Factory's offerings come at a bit of a premium, which begs the question: Does Triple Berry Bliss earn its price point?

Knowing that this cheesecake has a layer of vanilla cake in it, I expected a less creamy texture than a classic slice of cheesecake. The Triple Berry Bliss pleasantly surprised me by incorporating the vanilla cake layer in a way that caused little disruption to the creaminess of the cheesecake layer. The textures in this cake are balanced nicely, which is an impressive feat for a cheesecake that has so much going on. There's a slight crumble from the graham cracker crust and a smoothness in the rest of the layers that makes this a cheesecake with an uncomplicated texture.

Triple Berry Bliss has a lot of sugar, and you can taste it. The fruity flavors come off as slightly artificial, but because the fruits appear in large layers and chunks throughout the slice, it's impressive that the fruitiness doesn't overwhelm the palate. What is overwhelming is the vanilla frosting spread over top and around the sides of the cheesecake — while the flavor is nice, I'm not sure I actually need the frosting to elevate this cheesecake. The vanilla cake layer does that enough for me, and the frosting ends up being an overshot attempt at decoration.

One flavor that doesn't come through strongly is the lemon the restaurant says is in the recipe. A bit more lemon might do well to cut the sweetness and maybe make the frosting more manageable — but unfortunately, that aspect falls a little flat.

Being that Junior's and The Cheesecake Factory are competitors, I expected a little bit more of a battle of the cheesecakes in this showdown. Alongside the Triple Berry Bliss, I tasted-tested two of Junior's berry-forward cheesecakes — the raspberry- and strawberry-swirled Little Fellas cheesecakes. The Little Fellas are the line of mini, almost bite-sized cheesecakes that Junior's sells in various supermarkets. As compared to The Cheesecake Factory's Triple Berry Bliss, Junior's Little Fellas fall flat in both flavor and texture.

Where the Triple Berry Bliss balances creamy and crumbly textures, Junior's Little Fellas fail to provide a graham cracker crust at all, leaving only an overly creamy cheesecake filling with berry swirled throughout and only the subtlest of flavors coming through. The Junior's cheesecake filling is really tangy, and because the berry flavors aren't strong, there isn't a balance of flavors in the Little Fellas like there is in The Cheesecake Factory's dessert. The monotonous texture of Junior's Little Fellas makes for a cake that is not enjoyable to eat, with a texture and flavor profile that get old quick because there's not enough variation. The Triple Berry Bliss certainly takes the cake (pun intended).

The Triple Berry Bliss is definitely the kind of slice you'd expect to be served at the end of a meal at The Cheesecake Factory. The cheesecake layer is tangy and pairs well with the three fruits to keep the slice refreshing but not overly heavy; at the same time, the vanilla cake balances all the flavors in a comforting way, the way only a classic bite of cake can. The slice would be even better without the frosting, but overall, it is a suitable way to celebrate National Cheesecake Day.

Because Triple Berry Bliss is more complicated with its many flavor components and ingredients, I would suggest getting a slice to split on your next dinner date at The Cheesecake Factory. On its own, the complexity might become overwhelming on your palate — that is, you may not be able to finish the entire slice by yourself. While the flavors are balanced, the slice is still quite sugary, and even for someone with a sweet tooth, this may be hard to get through in one sitting. But Triple Berry Bliss is certainly worth trying at least one time, if only to get the chance to celebrate National Cheesecake Day.