The Restaurant Chain With The Biggest Menu Is Also Probably Overcharging You

The Cheesecake Factory is beloved for a giant menu of cheesecakes served in massive portions. But, portions aren't the only thing that's huge at Cheesecake Factory. Its massive menu features over 250 menu items made from scratch, not including their cheesecakes. And in 2025, Cheesecake Factory added nearly two dozen new dishes. With something for everyone, what's not to love? According to customers, the prices! We found many disgruntled customers on Reddit that think the Cheesecake Factory is probably overcharging you.

One disgruntled customer said it's easy to hate on Cheesecake Factory because of overpriced menu items, listing, "$19 for 4 mac and cheese balls the size of a meat ball, $12 for a slice of cheese cake, and $30 for 4 cheese pasta with a few bite size pieces of chicken." This is in comparison with other chain restaurants like Applebee's and TGI Fridays, where the average price for appetizers is around $10, and an entrée shouldn't set you back more than $15. While the portions are enormous, the food is often considered sub-par, bringing the value down. And, with a menu so extensive, customers argue that it's impossible for the food to be made to order. Worse still, a massive menu generally indicates that you're getting middling food. As one customer put it, "jack of all trades, master of none...not bad, but definitely mediocre."

Overcharging might be in the eye of the beholder, as one Redditor states, "I've lived in small towns, it's seen as a 'fancy' restaurant...to my husband and I, it's bargain grub...in our expensive big city." Cheesecake Factory is often located in nice malls or middle-upper class neighborhoods, so higher prices align with the average income of the surrounding demographic. To that effect, a Redditor stated, "it's pretty normal pricing for a chain restaurant in upper middle class neighborhoods." Furthermore, a scratch-made menu will always require higher prices for labor and fresh ingredients.

Still, there are many defenders of Cheesecake Factory's prices. One Redditor wrote, "Cheesecake Factory might be 1.5x the cost of say, Applebee's, but you usually get 2x the amount of food." We've come up with a list of menu items that give you the most bang for your buck, stretching the cost of one meal over various meals throughout the subsequent days. Other customers think that the Cheesecake Factory is a great option for drinks and dessert, which will save you the exorbitant price of a full meal. Plus it'd be a mistake to go to the Cheesecake Factory without ordering cheesecake! We've got both cocktail and cheesecake rankings for you to explore. Another important thing to know about Cheesecake Factory is the great happy hour to save you money while still giving you massive portions to take home in a doggy bag.