Cheesecake Etc — Restaurant in Vancouver

The cheesecake itself is below satisfactory, the selection was slim and the piano playing was non existent.

For $15 a cheesecake, you’re better off buying from the supermarket. They offered 3 flavours of cheesecake but none were worth it. It honestly resembled the type of cheesecake you get frozen from the grocery store and thaw out yourself. The toppings came out of a can and the strawberry is the same type you’d get at the amusement park funnel cake stand. The whip cream they serve with the cheesecake is artificial and not even real whipped cream. Once again, it’s the same quality of whip cream you get from a can.

You are also forced to order your cheesecake at the door so you don’t even get to think or look at what they are offering. Like a cafeteria, you pay and then you seat yourself. The only upgrade is that the server brings the cheesecake. But that is the extent of the service you’ll receive for the rest of your visit.

We visited Cheesecake Etc. On Saturday night around 10pm and was shocked that there was no band or piano playing. Given Saturday night is probably their busiest night of the weekend, we were quite disappointed. Any piano or live music would have make our visit less disappointing.

For the expensive below par cheesecake and the lack of live music. This establishment is a no for me.

Did I mention that their dining room furniture is very mismatched, as if they got a few chairs from this thrift store, and others from another thrift store. Literally none of the dining room furniture matches, and not in a high end haute couture...

Original cheesecake with strawberries topping was a so-so overrated experience. First of all, the cheesecake didn’t have a crust underneath for the people who love something crusty. Hence, the name of the original cheesecake should not be the “original” because historically the first three cheesecake recipes included the base. Back around 160 BC, the cheesecake’s crust was cooked separately. So, I would make a correction on the naming of this cheesecake. Second, Cheesecake Etc is not a restaurant. Again, the cheesecake shouldn’t cost $8 if you are lining up at the front of the restaurant to purchase your dessert so that after the purchase you could wonder around the restaurant looking for a table to seat at. That’s is a frustrating moment that downgrades this place to a simple nighttime self-serve cafe. Finally, when a waiter brings you your cheesecake you’ll be really surprised with the size. It’s a small piece. Smaller than expected. The strawberries are NOT FRESH, which makes it a #3 reason why this cheesecake shouldn’t cost $8. Maybe give it a $6? Or, perhaps make a menu correction cross the “fruit topping” and write a “simple jam on top”? The strawberry jam was simple but very delicious. No complaints there. The last point is the atmosphere. Before Covid, the restaurant used to be much cozier. They had sofa like seating plan along the walls and it added some privacy and coziness to the place. Right now, the tables are set up differently and it’s just not a comfy...

I had heard so much about this place and I finally picked up 6 slices to go. There were empty seats on a Thursday night (close to midnight).

I tried the original cheesecake first (no whipped cream or other toppings), and it was so good. I wasn’t completely blown away, but Cheesecake Etc definite has a place among the best cheesecakes I’ve had. It tasted very similar to a New York cheesecake (i.e. cream cheese dominant), but had a texture that couldn’t be more different. It was very light and airy, almost yogurt like. I immediately devoured a second slice.

I also took a bite of my friend’s original cheesecake with strawberry sauce, and thought the sauce ruined it.

I ordered for myself a third slice - chocolate cheesecake with chocolate sauce on top. Just as I expected, it was more of a chocolate cake than a cheesecake. I was taken aback a little by the “chocolate sauce”, which tasted and felt like chocolate buttercream, as opposed to the chocolate sauce you’d see on a sundae.

I’d rate the original cheesecake without toppings a 9/10, the one with a 7/10, and the chocolate one with chocolate sauce a 5/10.

The matcha one in the photo was my friend’s, and given how much I dislike matcha, I didn’t feel the slightest temptation to try it.

Being from NYC, I’m spoiled by the amazing and varied cheesecake options it offers, and still I believe Cheesecake Etc would easily hold...