The Cheesecake Factory — Restaurant in Columbus

There is something so concerning when you have to make a reservation and then proceed to have the worst food/service that you’ve ever experienced while paying over a hundred dollars even when you returned your whole meal because the first bite made you gag. While going to Easton for some Christmas shopping and a date night, we decided to finally try The Cheesecake Factory. I was soooo excited. It’s been on my list of places to try but never could get into the resturant without a reservation. My husband and I waited to be called to our table, reservation for 2, at 8:15. This place was slammed. Like, standing room only, nowhere to sit on their measly 2 benches in the enteryway. This built up the anticipation for what I expected to be the best meal I’ve had in a long time. Surly if so many people were waiting, this food was other -worldly. One of the hostesses called my name, and I stood to let her know we were waiting behind her, when she yelled my name again. This time In a manor that literally sounded like an annoyed mom who has asked her child to get out of the pool one too many times. My husband was like “right here” and she saw us, didn’t say a word to us, no “follow me this way,” Just lead us in a stoic silence that quickly became uncomfortable in the middle of the loud, obnoxious resturant. She lead us to a table that was packed in next to another table, but I was relieved to finallly be able to sit. She Still didn’t utter a word, placed menus half hazordously on the table, seemingly annoyed, and walked off. This took me aback some, but I was still excited to have a glass of wine and what I hoped would be the best meal ever because I had waited all day for this. Our waitress came over, asked if we wanted an appetizer and collected our drink order. She grabbed our drinks, and asked us again if we wanted an appetizer which we did, but we were also ready to order. The main thing I wanted? They didn’t have. How you don’t have turkey club is beyond me, but cool. I ordered a chicken Parmesan sandwhich and we did order an appetizer too I became nervous when I didn’t see her writing, instead taking our order mentally. When she asked Andy again what he wanted, I knew we were in for nothing short of a shit show. We never got our appetizer. My meal? I took a bite and gagged. Literally. The bread was rock hard like it was sitting under a heat lamp for a hour, the chicken was seemingly nothing short of microwave chicken strips and the sauce was flavorless, but barely enough to cover the slimy chicken pieces. Andy’s meal was tiny tacos with white rice and a few cilantro leaves thrown on top. I could have ordered a better meal at any fast food resturant for a FRACTION of what they were asking! This was hands down the worst experience I’ve had in a long time at any resturant. This was disheartening, disappointing and infuriating. I can’t say how bad this food was, but I was smart enough to grab a picture. It got even worse by having to go into the restroom to find it looking like a New York subway bathroom. Toilet tissue clumped all over the floor, horrible grime, not to mention, 3 of the 5 (I think it was 5?) stalls not having any toilet tissue. I was lucky enough to be in one of the 3 😭🤦🏼‍♀️ Jokes on them though, because I had a package of tissues in my purse. This place is a money grab. This resturant and their staff that we encountered was such a disappointment. We don’t go out often. We don’t have date nights nearly enough. This was something that we truly and genuinely had put money aside to do. And I feel like I just took a lighter to $100. Because I promise you, I wouldn’t pay $3 for the sandwhich I got. Picture below. I never, ever would take to social media before speaking with (I know, I know) a manager. For feeling any sort of “hey! My gosh, sorry this experience was not what it should have been. Let me just give you an apology and I really hope you will let us try again in the future” I understand places may have off nights, but what we got was a sandwhich taken...

🗣️ Let Jess Tell It ⭐ 4/5 Stars – The Cheesecake Factory | Easton Town Center, Columbus, OH 📅 Last visit: Recent weekday dinner

🔹 Price per person: $25–$40 (depending on meal, drinks, and dessert) 🔹 Wait time: Usually 15–30 minutes during dinner hours — reservations recommended but not always necessary 🔹 Noise level: Loud during peak times (family-friendly, high-energy vibe) 🔹 Seating: Indoor and patio seating available; booths and tables 🔹 Vegetarian options: Yes — clearly labeled 🔹 Dietary restrictions: Menu includes gluten-free options and customizations 🔹 Parking: Free garage and surface lot nearby (Easton Town Center) 🔹 Kid-friendly: Yes — high chairs available, kids’ menu offered 🔹 Wheelchair accessible: Yes

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Let’s be real: If you’ve ever needed a training montage just to get through a menu, this is the place. The Cheesecake Factory’s menu is a literal book — but here’s your cheat sheet to avoid decision fatigue:

🍽️ Cajun Salmon ➡️ How I order it: Medium, double seasoned, with extra sauce. Juicy inside, blackened just right, and served with mashed potatoes and buttery corn. Well-balanced and filling. 💰 $19.95 lunch / $28.95 dinner

🍝 Louisiana Chicken Pasta Creamy, bold, and better with added seasoning. It’s advertised as spicy but leans more peppery than hot. 💰 ~$18.50–$25.50 depending on time ✨ Tip: You can add grilled shrimp, steak, or salmon for an extra $8–$9 — worth it if you want to upgrade.

🥤 Cucumber Lemonade Refreshing and lightly sweet, with mint floating in the glass. It’s the standout among their flavored lemonades (they also offer peach, strawberry, and regular). Bonus: Free refills.

🍰 Caramel Cheesecake Still my default. Creamy, rich, and smooth — even better with extra whipped cream. It’s hard to go wrong here, but this one’s my go-to.

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💡 Helpful Tips for First-Timers: ✅ Lunch portions = same food for less money ✅ Customize your plate — extra sauce, spice, or protein can take a decent dish to great ✅ Don’t overcomplicate it — simple menu items often land better than the super-stacked ones ✅ Ask for Lily (aka Ms. Flowers) if you want standout service — warm, attentive, and genuinely kind

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👥 Who This Is Best For: • Groups with different tastes • Diners who like big portions and shareable apps • People who don’t mind a lively, sometimes loud atmosphere

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📌 Bottom Line: Come hungry, be ready to read, and know that once you find your go-to items, this place delivers consistency and comfort food with flair.

📝 Got your own Cheesecake Factory must-haves? Drop them — I’m always curious what other people keep in rotation.

#LetJessTellIt #CheesecakeFactoryEaston #ColumbusEats #ForkAround #614Foodies #EastonTownCenterEats...

It’s been about 10 years since our last trip to a Cheesecake Factory. Tried this one tonight and and it did nothing to redeem our opinion. First, you can’t make a reservation online without joining their “club”, so I tried calling, I need to be on another email list like I need another home in my head. The hostess had an attitude when she advised they don’t take reservations over the phone and they don’t tell people how long the wait is because it could change. When I asked if the were crowded, she said she couldn’t tell me. I finally got out of her they were on a wait. Knowing that we had many other options in the area, I ran in to see how long the wait was. A different hostess made eye contact when I came in, and continued messing with the menus for a few minutes before even saying anything. It was only a 20 minute wait on a Friday night so we stayed. We got seated in the 20 minute time frame. Our frazzled server came to our table with bread and water and said he’d be back. I guess there are usually 2 kinds of bread, but they were out of one. It took almost 15 minutes for him to come back for our orders. He said he was spread out over 3 different sections in the dining room. He was very nice, but could not be very attentive. We ordered food and it was at least 30 minutes before it came out of the kitchen. The bowls were very hot to touch so they were probably under the heat lamp for a while. Everyone liked what they ordered, but the prices were pretty high for what they offer compared to similar meals at other restaurants. Our bill for 3 entrees, 1 salad , 1 cocktail and 4 slices of cheesecake was $200. The decor was fine, but the noise level was comparable to a middle school cafeteria. Not relaxing to say the least. It took a bit for our server to come back to see if wanted dessert. He encouraged us to get the cheesecake to go, saying we could eat it there, but would be ready to take it with us if we didn’t eat it all. I think he was ready to finish up his night. Needless to say we won’t be going back unless we have to. This place is way overrated. It is truly run like a factory with terrible customer service decent chain restaurant food that is way overpriced. We arrived at 8:07 and were seated at 8:30. We didn’t end up leaving until 10:30. Now we are on our 2 hour drive home much later that we should be due to the extremely slow service. The cheesecake wasn’t worth the calories if you like real cheesecake. It was so sweet and lacked the creaminess a good cheesecake should have. The whip...