The Cheesecake Factory — Restaurant in Walnut Creek

It was my significant other's 69th birthday so I treated him to a late lunch at the Cheesecake Factory in downtown Walnut Creek the afternoon of December 3, 2020. We arrived at about 2:30 p.m. and the restaurant was busy, but not crowded. No reservations were needed. This was the first time I'd ever been to this particular restaurant franchise and, I must say, I was pleasantly surprised, not only by the quality and size of the food portions, but by the extensive menu and the building's magnificent architecture and decor. The building had an opulent Art Deco feel to it with massive seating capacity inside, and very tall ceilings. The bar looked absolutely phenomenal. Outside there was a very cozy and warm seating arrangement. The outdoor fire pits added a nice warm glow to the dining experience. Of course, due to the current Covid health restrictions, we were forced to dine outside but it was still very elegant. Our waitress was very attentive to our needs and, after taking our orders, immediately brought out a basket of very fresh, hot and delicious brown bread and butter. On the side I ordered a house salad with vinaigrette dressing which we shared. My s. o. and I both ordered the Shrimp Scampi/Steak Diane combo which came with a huge mound of exceptionally delicious garlic mashed potatoes. The steak medallions were cooked to perfection in a mushroom wine sauce which really complimented the mashed potatoes. The $25 per plate for this entree was well worth the money. For dessert he ordered the Tuxedo cheesecake which had alternate layers of fudgy cake and cheesecake. It was too chocolatey for my tastes but he enjoyed it. I had the standard Strawberry cheesecake which was "okay". My only complaint was the artificial tasting glaze the strawberries were coated with. I also ordered a Bailey's and coffee which was very delicious and warmed me up nicely on the inside but, at $10.95 a pop, I won't order another one, thank you very much.

The total tab for myself, significant other and my daughter came to $153. I left a $27 tip.

My daughter also accompanied us. She had the lunch special of fish and chips. The portions were VERY generous and came with coleslaw. She raved about the quality of the fish. I tried a piece but it was just too greasy for my palate and I didn't like the batter. (I'm hooked - pardon the pun - on the fish and chips at the Riverview Lodge in Antioch). For dessert she had the Mango/Key Lime cheesecake which was decidedly better than either of the other two cheesecakes we ordered.

In summary, if you're looking for a top of the line restaurant offering great food, great service and terrific, quiet ambiance, THIS is the place to escape to. And I DO mean ESCAPE. Trust me. You won't be...

The staff are extremely professional & very respectful. Our Waiter Peter gave us 5 star quality service & was very knowledgeable & polite. The young girl opened the door for my Mother & I as we entered and as we departed. Which was extremely classy. Food I rate 3 star's because my steak was almost tasteless & had very light seasoning but was manageable with the mushroom sauce mixed with wine. But didn't come close to the tastyness of steaks I've had at places like Ruth Chris or Texas Roadhouse. I've had much better salmon at other Restaurants. Now the thing that I must let management know that it is absolutely unacceptable to have your customers sit down in your establishment, and have filthy utensils rolled up neatly inside the table napkins. I don't know what's going on inside the back kitchen area but that is absolutely something that you can never let happen. It looked like some kind of white mucus like someone blew their nose on my utensils or dipped it in white oatmeal and let it dry up and place it back out ready to go for patrons to use. I was so shocked I wanted to walk out but my mother wanted to give it a chance since we already ordered and our Waiter was bringing us drinks. I work in a up scale Restaurant in SF's Northbeach District & we make sure we look over every inch of every utensil we put out on the dining floor & everything has to be 100% up to par. We have never gave any customer's filthy dishes. Our Waiter Peter quickly brought us clean utensils. It was not his fault, he did a great job fulfilling his duties. After our Lunch we went to wipe our mouths with our table napkins & noticed they had holes all over the corners of the cloths. It is very unprofessional & tacky to give your customers such tattered down eating appliances. I know The Cheesecake Factory makes more than enough money to be able to purchase brand new table napkins & clean eating utensils for at least this location. I will attach picture's so you can see how unprofessional & disgusting it can make someone feel that is hungry & chooses your establishment to pay for a supposed good meal & great comfortable expierence. I hope management takes the time to correct these faults, re-train whoever is in charge of cleaning & setting out Tupperware. Replacing old tattered table napkins full of holes in the corners & making sure no other customer ever has this type of expierence. As for the staff they all did a great job. The food was ok but definitely needs more seasoning in their dishes & larger...

We visited the Walnut Creek, CA location to celebrate a friend’s birthday. There were 9 of us, and we didn’t have reservations. The restaurant, which was almost empty with only 3 or 4 tables occupied, seemed to be having a very slow day. Heidi, the staff member at the front desk, informed us that they would need to put tables together to accommodate us. We waited in the reception area, but even after 30 minutes, the table was still not ready. Each time we approached Heidi for an update, we were met with a rude and scolding tone. Finally, after 40 minutes, she suggested we could sit outside, and we agreed. However, it took another 15 minutes for them to put the tables together. By the time we were seated, the weather had become too cold, and we requested to move back inside. Heidi informed us that the indoor tables would again need to be rearranged and insisted that we leave our table and wait in the reception area. When we asked to remain seated while they prepared the tables, she refused, stating that it wasn’t possible unless we vacated the table. It’s worth noting that there was no one else waiting for a table. At this point, our group was very frustrated. Instead of trying to resolve the issue, Heidi became argumentative and even accused us of making discriminatory remarks against her. This accusation was entirely unfounded, as no such remarks were made. She claimed that we were treating her poorly because of her race and stated, “I am not your hired help.” When we asked to speak with a manager, she claimed to be the manager and refused to let us speak with anyone else. I find it difficult to believe that someone exhibiting such unprofessional behavior would be in charge. Regardless, she blocked any attempt for us to escalate the matter. Ultimately, the situation became so unpleasant that we decided to leave. What should have been a joyful celebration was completely ruined by the rude and inefficient behavior of the staff. It was disappointing to see a lack of hospitality and care at a restaurant I’ve visited for over 40 years. Sadly, I’ve noticed a decline in both food quality and service at Cheesecake Factory locations over the past several years. This experience has been the worst by far. If I could, I would give zero stars, but the platform requires at least one to...