One Discontinued Original Cheesecake Factory Side Is A Beloved Southern Dish

At over 20 pages, Cheesecake Factory's menu is a deliciously diverse masterpiece. From fettuccine Alfredo to Thai lettuce wraps, the ever-evolving menu is studded with classic favorites and surprising offerings. To make space for new additions, though, Cheesecake Factory often culls the less popular items from its menu, and this explains the disappearance of the chain's now-extinct carrot-raisin salad.

Carrot-raisin salad was once a popular potluck dish, and although it may have been forgotten by most diners, it was one of the original Cheesecake Factory menu items — when the Cheesecake Factory first opened in Beverly Hills, in 1978, a carrot-raisin salad cost only 65 cents! However, the salad has since been replaced by modern options like the vegan cobb salad and the seared tuna tataki salad.

The Cheesecake Factory isn't the only chain that used to serve carrot-raisin salad. Chick-fil-A also had carrot-raisin salad on its menu for 40 years. However, it remains a popular side dish in the South, where you're likely to see it at potlucks and holiday gatherings.

Carrot-raisin salad is a fresh, tangy side dish made with grated carrots, raisins, and a light, creamy dressing. It's a nutritious crowd-pleaser with a fresh, neutral flavor that will get even picky kids to eat their veggies. Best of all, it's ridiculously easy to prepare, especially if you buy pre-grated carrots at the store instead of grating whole carrots by hand.

To make the dressing, just use a combination of lemon juice, mayonnaise, and salt. For added sweetness, you can also add honey, which makes it irresistible for kids and veggie-wary adults. You can use golden raisins or purple raisins, or even a combo of both. 

To give your dish some variation, some recipes call for crushed pineapple, which is how Chick-fil-A used to prepare its carrot-raisin salad before it was discontinued. You can also add in crushed walnuts or pecans for some extra crunch. Luckily, carrot-raisin salad takes only 10 minutes at most to prepare, which is good, because it's best served immediately.