The Cheesecake Factory

Westfield Santa Anita
400 S. Baldwin Avenue
Arcadia, CA 91007
(626) 447-2800
www.thecheesecakefactory.com
twitter.com/cheesecake

Parking: Free Mall Parking
Days: Monday-Friday
Times: 4-6pm
Drink Deals: Five $5 Specialty Cocktails, $5 Select Well Drinks & Wines by the glass,$4 select Draft Beers (16oz)
Food Deals: $5 Appetizers and “Snacks & Small Plates” from $3.95-$6.95

You have got to love that American institution, the Cheesecake Factory. From its decadent meals and cheesecakes that I believe largely helped to mandate calorie counts on the menu (which is also half-full of advertisements, mind you) to its strange fall & rise of The Roman Empire* décor to its waitstaff dressed in all-white butcher-wear – it really is a weird slice of noveau Americana.

That’s not to say I don’t love their Happy Hour because it’s always great fun. I’ve covered the Pasadena Colorado Blvd. location for this site as well, and I’m happy to report that both locations – though visited a year apart, offered the same HH deals. I appreciate the consistency! They’ve got a standard set of tasty cocktails and appetizers at $5 each and additional “Small Plates & Snacks” from $3.95 - $6.95.

Now the good news for calorie counters is that Cheesecake Factory does have a “SkinnyLicious™” menu which is kind of funny – instead of revamping their entire menu, they just added a separate menu with lighter fare. That doesn’t go for the Happy Hour appetizers, BUT I was pleased to see that they offered “SkinnyLicious” versions of their cocktails, with 150 calories or less, during their Happy Hour.

Long Island Iced Tea & J.W.'s Pink Lemonade ($5 each)

Let me clarify, I was happy to see this “SkinnyLicious” special after going back through my pictures because I don’t remember seeing it on the menu when I was actually there :). Blame it on the 2 beers at Wood Ranch! So, for cocktails, I stuck with my favorite non-SkinnyLicious drink from their $5 menu, the Long Island Iced Tea, and Booze had J.W.’s Pink Lemonade (vodka w/ raspberry liqueur and lemonade). Next time I check out a Cheesecake Factory Happy Hour, I will be sure to try the lighter version!

For vittles, I stuck with my tried and true Avocado Eggrolls (with Avocado, Sun-Dried Tomato, Red Onion and Cilantro Fried in a Crisp Wrapper and Served with a Tamarind-Cashew Dipping Sauce) – so good and even at $5, enough food that you can save some for later! Booze enjoyed the Vietnamese Tacos (puffier than you’d expect – Steamed Asian Buns with Roasted Pork, Marinated Cucumbers, Carrots and Onion with Chiles, Cilantro and Sesame Seeds) for $5.95. Cheesecake worked with us both and my eggrolls were vegan (I didn’t say healthy!) and Booze’s Vietnamese Tacos were made without onion.

Vietnamese Tacos ($5.95)

Avocado Eggrolls ($5)

I actually liked this location better than the Pasadena one because the Happy Hour bar-area seemed much bigger – the bar sat at least 12, and the 7 or so high-top tables and maybe 10 lower tables with shared bench seating on one side – gosh the place sat a lot of people. It wasn’t crowded when we arrived, but the scene did pick up over the hour that we were there, so it was nice to have a little space.

*As far as the décor, I know the Roman Empire didn’t rise after the Fall, but it is kind of kooky if you really look at it – various sizes of columns with busts at the top, several ornate domes, tiled floors, decorative lamps. Reading the restaurant’s website, it makes sense – they say they created the “upscale casual dining segment” back when they originally opened in 1978 in Beverly Hills (they now have over 150 restaurants!).

All in all, I’m still not crazy about the hours of Happy Hour at The Cheesecake Factory (4-6pm Monday-Friday), but I’m glad to see that they’re offering lighter fares since it’s always a fun Happy Hour stop where you know you can count on tasty food and swell drinks.

--JB

Rating: 3.5 Martinis (again, the time kinda suckeolis!)