After a long day of walking down on Magnificent Mile in Chicago, my family and I decided to stop at a restaurant before embarking on the long drive back home. While we were walking around looking for a nice place to eat, we happened to stumble upon a gold-colored building right under the John Hancock Center. This building, better known as The Cheesecake Factory, is home to some of the best food in all of the Chicago.
When you first come to The Cheesecake Factory, you stand there in amazement at what is in front of you. The appearance could be described as caramel waves overflowing a chocolate river with speckles of gold shining through. Amazing abstract details on the ceiling could be seen all throughout the restaurant. The architecture of this building is unlike anything I have ever seen, making it one of the most beautiful and unique places I have yet to dine at. I stood outside of the restaurant for a good 10 minutes, just admiring everything about it.

The Cheesecake Factory has amazing food, but it will come with a cost of waiting, and loud, noisy people. If you’re willing to wait for a table or for your food and willing to be in a loud, noisy area, I would definitely recommend going there. It is not a restaurant for everyone, it may be to loud for a family with a little child or too chaotic for someone who just wants a relaxing night out into the city.

As soon as I walked in, I was greeted by a host who did not seem too enthusiastic about her current position. I soon came to understand why: the moment I looked left, I was met by irritated eyes that grew with a ravenous appetite by the second. It did not take long for me to become a part of that image. The wait for a table was an hour at the very least. The host was in charge of calling out table numbers and taking you to your table when it was clear.

This is a horrible system because 1., it is probably going to be busy (it is Chicago, after all), and the people waiting for their table often can’t hear the hosts yelling out the numbers; 2., the people who were at their table were constantly interrupted by the commotion being aroused; and 3., there were constant recurrences where there would be mix ups with the table numbers and it was just a big, huge mess. If you are going to have a restaurant in Chicago, you should have a better system going on because chances are, it will be extremely busy, especially on weekends. Another big pointer: have an actual waiting area, not just a corner!

The waitress handed me the menu and I was shocked to see that she was being very polite and was answering all the questions I had about the menu. She would from time to time come and check up on us and make sure that our drinks were filled and that we were doing fine. I was pleased with the broad choice of food on the menu after that gruesome wait for our table. The menu had a very large choice of food ranging from a fancy Jamaican Black Pepper Shrimp to a deep fried mini Corn Dog.

After looking at the menu for a while, I decided to get the Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich with a side of french fries. When the waitress came back with my drink I placed my order, and I was once again blessed with an unbearable wait. The wait this time, however, was not as bad as the wait for the table for it was hella worth it. I was able to have a better look around the interior of the place, which somehow topped the exterior. It was simply beautiful; it looked like caramel was oozing out from the walls.

When my food finally arrived, I was overjoyed that I had decided to wait. The sandwich dripped with juices; the french fries crunched with every bite I took. It was one of the best sandwiches I have ever had, which is definitely saying something. As always, though, such a delicious meal came with a price. When I received the bill, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but it was up there. That was to be expected, though; I was not dining at a fast food restaurant. Before I picked out my meal, I noticed the prices on some of the other choices. They are not unacceptable; they are decent. Take caution, though, if you want to save your money.

The Cheesecake Factory should definitely be one of your stops if you are in the Chicago area. The restaurant itself is incredible, and the food is just as great. It has become a tradition now to make a stop by on our last day whenever in Chicago savoring over the food.