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Brea restaurant review: The Cheesecake Factory provides colorfully exotic dining experience
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Strikingly exotic entry to The Cheesecake Factory at the Brea Mall in Southern California
Despite the Name, this Restaurant Offers a Full Menu and then Some
Initially, The Cheesecake Factory’s name caused me to avoid them. After all, I expected them to be solely about desserts, primarily cheesecake. As I have a food sensitivity to most milk products, especially things like cheesecake, I saw no reason to go. Then my son, daughter-in-law, and daughter convinced me to try it in north Dallas a few years ago. I was astonished to find an incredibly varied menu with the most fascinating dishes, everything from appetizers to main course and sides, to, naturally, desserts, especially cheesecakes. While they also have a full bar, the only beverages I cared about was the fresh brewed iced tea and water.
For a Celebration, We Wanted the Full Package: Great Food, Excellent Service and Atmosphere
So for my birthday in June, Dorothy and I wanted a special place for lunch. It wasn’t enough to have just a good meal. We wanted to have a dining experience. This means we want a restaurant that offers more than great food and excellent service, though both are a given when it comes to going out. We also want ambiance. The Cheesecake Factory in our experience provides that, as you can see in the pictures in my slide show. With a full schedule for our day, we stopped for lunch.
Just Looking at the Building You Know You've Arrived Somewhere Delightfully Exotic
From the moment we approached the restaurant, on the periphery of the Brea Mall, you knew to expect something special, something different. Once you enter, you experience another world with ornate details on columns, ceilings, and walls. My first impression was that it was Egyptian. However, after looking more closely, the patterns are swirls of blue, red, yellow, gold, and green pastels. The images tend to be plants, arcs and curlicues, birds and waves. I find the décor peaceful and happy. It really fit the mood I wanted to enjoy of an upbeat yet calm birthday celebration.
So Many Fascinating Selections that Picking Was a Challenge
The dining itself reinforced the positive mood I was already in. With over 200 menu items to select from, even deducting the 50 cheesecake options The Cheesecake Factory’ main website cites having, I had a to choose from. I also pared down the pizza, pasta, and sandwiches because of a sensitivity to wheat flour. That left seafood, steaks, salads, and burgers.
Dishes to Awake the Senses
I loved the Ahi Tartare, Chicken Vegetable Soup and Vietnamese Shrimp Summer Rolls. In fact, I believe I had a second order of the Ahi Tartare, which is raw tuna as used for sashimi and poke. It must be really fresh when served so that there is no “fish” smell. It reminds me of raw or rare steak. In fact, all of our food looked and tasted fresh. And the presentation of each dish was like a work of art. Dorothy had the soup too plus Avocado Egg Rolls. Then, to minimize her calories and carbs yet still have dessert, she ordered the Low Carb Cheesecake with a graham-walnut crust. She tells me it was memorably delicious.
Warm, Friendly Service Rates with the Best
I mentioned above that the third component for a great dining event is great service. Dorothy and I have dined out enough over the years that we have high expectations of our wait staff. For instance, I want lots of fresh brewed iced tea with my meal. We tip according to the amount and quality of the service we get. Exceptional service gets 20%, usually rounded up a touch. We were thrilled with the service Christine gave us at the Brea Cheesecake Factory. As you can see from the picture of her in my slideshow, she is a lovely young woman with a magnetic personality. She made sure too that I had my Birthday Sundae and “Happy Birthday” song. Occasionally, like with this small hot fudge sundae when I will endure the congestion to enjoy the special treat.
The Cheesecake Factory in Anaheim
While the Brea restaurant is roughly 8 miles from Anaheim, we also have one in Anaheim at The Shops at the Anaheim Gardenwalk on Katella, convenient to Disneyland, the Convention Center, and the Angel’s Stadium.
If you are extremely concerned about nutrition, calories, and carbs, you might want to read Patricia Yuen’s review on a Cheesecake Factory in Los Angeles, “Nutrition info revealed at The Cheesecake Factory.”
http://www.examiner.com/x-1868-LA-Restaurant-Examiner~y2009m10d29-Nutrition-info-revealed-at-The-Cheesecake-Factory On the other hand, if like me, you want a restaurant that will delight your visual senses as well as thrill your tastebuds, I highly recommend The Cheesecake Factory. We enjoyed the fresh food artisically presented, spacious and colorful environment, and great service. I hope to hear from you that you did too.
For More Information
- Brea – The Cheesecake Factory
120 Brea Mall Way, Brea, CA 92821
(714) 255-0115
Directions:
Yahoo! Local has a Yahoo! map for this location
Hours:
Mo to Th from 11:00am to 11:30pm,Fr to Sa from 11:00am to 12:30am,Su from 10:00am to 11:00pm
- Anaheim – The Cheesecake Factory
321 W Katella Ave, #100, Anaheim, CA 92802
(714) 533-7500
Directions:
Yahoo! map for Anaheim location
- Common to all locations:
Hours:
Mo to Th from 11:00am to 11:30pm,Fr to Sa from 11:00am to 12:30am,Su from 10:00am to 11:00pm
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