The Cheesecake Factory — Restaurant in Corte Madera

This was, unfortunately, one of the worst restaurant experiences I have had during the COVID-19 pandemic, and quite frankly ever!  I want to preface my comments by noting that my husband works in Food & Beverage, at two different high end restaurants, so I understand the challenges that F&B teams face in this time of uncertainty.  That does not excuse, however, the experience I had tonight.  I dine out at least 2-3 times a week right now, and have done so just about since this pandemic started.  Tonight, or rather this afternoon, I placed an online order for curbside pickup, at 4:12pm.  This is reflected both on the check attached to my bag, as well as the email confirmation I got (which, incidentally, also said that my order would be ready around 4:42pm).  Half hour, before the dinner rush, totally fine and understandable.  I arrived early, around 4:28pm, and called the restaurant, simply to let them know that I knew I was early, but wanted them to know I was outside whenever the order was ready (spoke with a very nice girl, I believe her name was Catherine, not sure if that is the correct spelling).  She advised she would check on the order and if it wasn't ready, it shouldn't be more than 10 minutes or so.  I waited.  And waited.  And waited. I called a second time 4:55pm and spoke with Catherine again.  She apologized, telling me the order had not been ready when I called previously and said she would go check on it again and have it brought right out.  So I waited.  And waited.  And waited...AGAIN!  At 5:10pm, almost 1 HOUR after ordering, and almost a half hour after the order was supposed to be complete, I called a THIRD TIME.  This time, a gentleman answered, and I immediately asked to speak to a manager.  And then I waited, and waited and waited on hold.  I had HAD IT!  My four year old and I got our masks on, trekked past many people gathered waiting on the sidewalk (which, in itself, made me VERY uncomfortable, as not all were wearing masks - this is the reason I did curbside ordering in the first place!) and went inside,  A gentlemen went to check on my order and I saw what appeared to be a manager.  I called him over and told him what was happening.  His name was John, and he offered a somewhat lackluster apology, assuring me that our food was not cold and that it had just come out.  I did not find this to be true when I got to the car.

Again, I get the challenging times we are faced with, but I will tell you, if this happened at either of my husband's restaurants, there would be some serious follow up with the team.  It is important in regular times to focus on customer service, but it is imperative during this time where there are a lot fewer customers these days going out, and a lot more options for those of us that do.  I have always loved going to this location, but I think this will be my last visit.  We travel over a half hour each way and it was most definitely NOT...

I come here, probably several times a week. I know what to expect and it’s been my ‘go to place’ in S. Marin. But, something’s changed. OK, the basics...national chain, you know what to expect. Good and extensive menu, food is good to me and fairly priced. Greeters and bar folks, pleasant and attentive. And, even when they’re busy, I often get my seating of choice fairly quickly. That’s where the ‘good times’ end.

The servers and their service has been going downhill. I don’t expect or ask for much, it’s the Cheesecake Factory, believe me, I’m a pushover. But, I can’t tolerate inattentive, slow service delivered with an attitude. The name of the game is, we are seated with menus (because I’m a regular, we’ll know what we want), but come by in 5 minutes, take the drink order...and ask ‘...if we’re ready to order.’ They at least take the drink order, come back in five...take the order if they haven’t. Either way, that buys them time. Now...the food arrives, check and see if everything is OK. Sometimes they drop and leave. That ‘check’ five minutes in, to take care of things...but this is all how things SHOULD be. All too often, long wait just for the drink order. Or, when the drinks come, so does the meal (haven’t you heard of a cocktail BEFORE dinner ?). Drop the meal and leave. The classic is being served an after dinner expresso with no spoon and no sugar cube/dish.

Just the other day, everything was going ok, until our meal was delivered, by the help, and left before we could request something. Server passed our table several times to attend to others. Tried to flag her now, at the table next to us...ignored me. My partner finally got her and she snapped, ‘I’m busy right now.’ This was NOT a busy time, you could go bowling in that dining room and it was quiet, with plenty of black pants, white shirt folks hanging out.

I know what the problem is, not enough servers and they are being overworked and taking it out on us. Hello management...this is YOUR job to see this doesn’t happen. Hire MORE people. You know people are going to call in sick, not show or leave. Don’t penny pinch on staff and if you can’t afford it...tell corporate to pack up Cheesecake from Marin.

Midrange dinning is hard in Marin. Either white tablecloth or In and Out Burger. Further, after 9 PM, your choices are limited and Cheesecake has a monopoly on ‘later evening dinning’ in Marin. Hellooooo...Marin restaurant managers...there’s a market for business after 9 PM.

Well...guess it’s off to Marin...

Edit:

I'm genuinely disappointed with the current state of The Cheesecake Factory in Corte Madera. I've been a loyal customer for years, but recent visits have left me disheartened.

First and foremost, the quality of the food has taken a noticeable hit. Dishes that once delighted my taste buds now seem lackluster and uninspired. It's as if they've lost the secret ingredient that made their meals so enjoyable.

To make matters worse, the sizes and portions have diminished significantly. What used to be generously-sized portions now feel more like appetizers. It's disheartening to pay premium prices for what feels like half the meal we used to receive.

Speaking of prices, they've skyrocketed to absurd levels. It's disconcerting to see such a steep increase while the overall dining experience has declined. The value for money that was once a selling point has all but disappeared.

Lastly, the service has become lackluster. Staff members used to be attentive and friendly, but now they appear disengaged and disinterested. The warmth and hospitality that used to set this place apart have faded away.

Given these concerning changes, I'm genuinely worried that this chain might fall by the wayside within the next year or so. It's a sad prospect, as I've cherished many memorable meals here in the past. Unless there are significant improvements, I can't recommend The Cheesecake Factory in Corte Madera as I once did.

Hey do you like consistent experiences that you've been having since the late 90's? Do you also want to hear people sing Happy birthday 3-7 times while you eat your meal? Welcome to the Cheesecake "Factory"

It's not your typical factory where machines and people are making things. Instead you'll find a encyclopedia worth of food. You'll have pleanty of time to make up your mind because the servers are always slammed.

The food is good, it will come out hot and be delivered by not your server. Anything you get will be enough. They do seem to have three different sizes of salad which is a trip. I never seem to know what the difference between a small plate, appatizer, or entree salad is. Weird.

The price is good for the area, two people can get out of there for less than $50 without alcohol or cheesecake.

You can get the cheesecake to go and add extra whip cream to really...