The Cheesecake Factory, in Edison, New Jersey has stood by Menlo Park Mall for years, serving their extravagant foods and cheesecakes to hungry patrons in Woodbridge Township.
The Cheesecake Factory was founded in Los Angeles, California in 1972. The idea was originally created by Evelyn and Oscar Overton in Detroit, Michigan in the 1940s. However the couple had to stop their business to raise their children, David and Renee, but once the children were grown, the couple moved in hopes of reviving their business. It immediately boomed, and there are now over 200 restaurants world-wide.
Upon arrival of The Cheesecake Factory in Menlo Park Mall, one must undergo the tedious activity of finding a parking spot in the gigantic lot shared with the mall. Even on a Thursday night at 8:00 PM, the parking lot is full. Eventually it would be best that if you are unable to find a close parking spot you should park at the end of the lot and walk.
The next trial to test if you are in dire need to eat is the wait for a table. During my experience with a party of six, we expected to wait. After fifteen minutes of awkwardly standing around we were brought to a table only to be told that the table wasn’t ready, so we were forced to wait another five minutes for a table, which was quite aggravating.
The waitress came to our table about a minute after we were seated and asked what drinks we wanted. I ordered a strawberry lemonade, which got back to the table with five other drinks in about three minutes. If you don’t mind a couple strawberry seeds in your drink, it was outstanding and in a large glass so I could drink some before, during, and after my meal.
Then, after about ten minutes of ordering came my entree, the cajun chicken littles, it came with many pieces of chicken and two dipping sauces, mashed potatoes, and corn mixed with other vegetables. I couldn’t contain myself, I ate over half of the chicken, all of the vegetables, and a little bit of the mashed potatoes, and I was full with a little room saved for cheesecake, the vegetables and chicken were amazing, but the potatoes could have been better.
For dessert I ordered the Toasted Marshmallow S’mores Galore, which is a s’mores styled cheesecake. I enjoy s’mores, but this cheesecake was over the top. It is no surprise that this restaurant is named after its signature dessert, the cheesecake I ordered was decorated with edible toppings such as graham crackers, and roasted marshmallows. It was filling, and easily one of the best desserts I’ve ever had.
