Cheesecake Factory Rules To Know Before You Go

Everything is better (and bigger) at Cheesecake Factory. This restaurant — famous for its serving sizes and enormous menu as it is for its titular cheesecakes — grew from humble beginnings to reach the hulking size it is today. The Cheesecake Factory began way back in 1972 as a single cake store in Los Angeles, and when the owners' son David Overton came on board in 1978, he transformed it into a fully-fledged restaurant. Pretty soon, Cheesecake Factory joints started popping up all over the country, and then the world. A cultural icon was born: A restaurant that makes everything fresh (except its cheesecake), offering its meals at affordable prices and with a selection that'll blow your mind.  

However, there's no denying that eating at Cheesecake Factory is overwhelming. Because everything about it is a super-sized experience, it can feel as though you need to get to grips with how it works before you walk through its doors — so that you can grab the bull by the horns and conquer your meal with gusto. Well, luckily, we're here to help. We've put together everything you need to know about eating at The Cheesecake Factory, and the rules you need to abide by if you're going to get the best out of your dining experience. Don't worry, though: A lot of the rules at this famously laid-back restaurant aren't about what you can't do, but what you can.

Cheesecake Factory restaurants are generally pretty large, but that doesn't mean they can't fill up fast, particularly at peak times. As such, if you want to make sure you're not going to have to wait for ages for a table, it's wise to book ahead. The Cheesecake Factory operates an online reservation system for its restaurants, where you can make bookings for parties of up to six guests. You can book your table up to 30 days ahead of time, and may do so at participating stores only.

Crucially, though, not just anybody can make reservations at The Cheesecake Factory. To do so, you have to be signed up to its Cheesecake Rewards program, which will give you access to reserve your table. It's free, so you don't have to worry about putting any cash down — and it gives you loads of other perks, too. Importantly, there are two days when you won't be able to make reservations at The Cheesecake Factory: On Valentine's Day and Mother's Day, it's walk-ins only. Oh, and don't try and call to book your spot, as you'll need to do it all online.

The Cheesecake Factory is known for many things, but its bread might just be our favorite. Sit down at your table, and you'll soon be greeted with a basket of dark brown bread, which is supplied free of charge. This bread is noticeably sweeter than you might expect a brown bread to be (although the oats on top give it a slight sense of healthiness, even if that's not entirely the case), and it's completely and utterly moreish. It also has the vibe of being baked in-store, and while this might not be totally true, it creates a sense of wholesomeness. However, once it's gone, it's gone ... Right?

Nope. First-time visitors to The Cheesecake Factory will be pleased to hear that its iconic brown bread is unlimited. Once your basket is done, all you have to do is flag down a server and ask for a refill, and they'll happily oblige. You may not even need to do that, as many employees will replace it with a new bread basket the moment they notice it's empty. Bear in mind, though, that the portion sizes at The Cheesecake Factory mean that you'll be pretty full by the time you leave — so try not to ruin your appetite with the bread.

Anyone who's ever picked up a Cheesecake Factory menu will know how long they are. You can find virtually any dish you can think of among its pages, and the extent of the menu is so vast you might think they've included pretty much everything already. However, this massive tome is actually an ever-changing thing, as executives at the restaurant constantly re-evaluate which dishes to include and which to remove. This fact was confirmed by founder and CEO David Overton in an interview with Nation's Restaurant News. "We've changed the menu twice a year, every year, for 40 years," Overton states. "That's what keeps people interested. And it keeps us current. We don't rest on our laurels."

Overton pointed out that The Cheesecake Factory's menu reflects what America wants to eat in any given year, and so changes generally incorporate shifting tastes. This isn't just reflected in the ingredients it uses, either. In 2025, The Cheesecake Factory announced two new categories in its menu, "Bowls" and "Bites," which were both created to give diners more cost-effective options. Items like Peruvian Chicken Bowls and smaller plates of Chicken and Biscuits were added to give cash-strapped customers who still want to enjoy themselves in an inflation-struck country the chance to do so.

You should never underestimate the power of Happy Hour. This canny marketing trick is used to lure customers into restaurants outside of peak business hours with the promise of a reasonably-priced drink — and yet, so many chain eateries forget to employ it. Well, not The Cheesecake Factory. The restaurant's Happy Hour operates between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. at its restaurants, and canny diners can get drinks and appetizers at a discount if they're willing to head in early.

Cocktails, wines, and beers are all offered at a lower price for these two hours, and what's available is pretty impressive. On the cocktail front, you can grab a whiskey smash, a Long Island iced tea, or a margarita, all for under $10. You can also choose from a selection of 14 starters, priced at $10.50. Opt for an order of fried calamari, pretzel bites, or Tex Mex eggrolls. You can even grab a massive double cheeseburger, if you're in the mood for something a little more substantial. Early diners should really take advantage of this one: It's a steal.

We all love the feeling of being wined and dined without having to lift a finger, and The Cheesecake Factory definitely offers that. Take a seat, wait for your server to come on over, order, and sit back. However, given the cavernous proportions of some Cheesecake Factory restaurants, and the amount of people your server may have to tend to, it can be a while until they get around to your table. Depending on how hungry you are, you may not want to wait.

Well, we've got good news: You don't have to wait. The secret to getting served quickly at The Cheesecake Factory is to head straight to the bar and order there. The Cheesecake Factory restaurants serve their full menu at the bar, and heading there instead of sitting at a table puts you right in the thick of the action. Not only will your order be taken quicker, but you'll also get your drinks way faster (because you're literally sitting right in front of the person who makes them).  

The potential pressure of looking nice when dining out is even more intense when we're worried that the restaurant we're going to has a dress code — and that we'll be shown the door if we don't conform to it. Well, you don't have to worry about that at The Cheesecake Factory. The main rule about its dress code is that there aren't any: You can show up in whatever makes you feel comfortable.

This might feel strange, given The Cheesecake Factory's somewhat grand feel in its interiors' truly unique decor, but that's all by design. "Our goal was to give guests a sense they were getting a lot of value for their money," says the former vice president of design at the restaurant, Rick McCormack, to Vox. "We wanted to give the place a feeling of a high-end restaurant and have the guests surprised by the relatively inexpensive pricing." Basically, The Cheesecake Factory wants to make you feel fancy but remain casual, and it also does this by not forcing its guests to dress up unnecessarily. Having said all this, The Cheesecake Factory does call itself an upscale casual dining restaurant. Therefore, while you may not have to wear anything specific, you might want to avoid dining in a bathing suit and flip-flops.

We get it: The Cheesecake Factory menu is daunting. The whole thing can span 20 pages or more and contain hundreds of items, and it can be stressful to know exactly where to begin. The good news is that you don't need to tackle it by yourself. One of the rules The Cheesecake Factory abides by is excellent customer service, reinforced by a phenomenal amount of training for its servers. Each full-time employee receives approximately 120 hours of training on average, to get them up to speed with everything the company sells.

According to founder David Overton, this is not just important, but non-negotiable. "I really have no choice," Overton said of the amount of training given to employees in an interview in Fortune. "When you have 250 menu items you must serve, they have to be able to recommend to the guests. They have to become tour guides, not just servers." Therefore, if you're feeling overwhelmed by everything that's on offer, talking to your server is your first port of call. Ask them what they think would work best for your taste and appetite levels, and what they'd recommend. You'll be amazed by how much they know.

Eating at The Cheesecake Factory for the first time can be an astonishing experience. Most of us know that its portions are big, but being greeted with a plate of its food really brings it home. 

The generosity of these portions is baked into The Cheesecake Factory's ethos, and the history of its founder. "Growing up, my parents used to go down to Miami and gush about the large portions they commonly saw down there," David Overton said to Thrillist. "So right away, I knew it was important for us to have large portions. Again, I didn't have restaurant experience, but it just seemed like the right thing to do for our business." We're glad he made that choice, as it gives a real "bang for your buck" feel.

We recommend bringing a friend when you dine, and splitting a meal. Think about it this way: You can always order another if you're still hungry. If you do decide to go it alone, though, remember you can always have your leftovers boxed up to take home.

Like pretty much every chain restaurant, The Cheesecake Factory has a reward program for its regular diners. However, unlike a lot of them, this one is actually worth signing up to. Cheesecake Rewards gets rid of the points-based system a lot of loyalty programs use, meaning that you don't feel pressured to keep eating there to build credit. Instead, it simply promises personalized perks throughout the year, with those rewards revealing themselves when you least expect it.

One of the main wins of Cheesecake Rewards, though, is the free cake you get on your birthday. Each year, The Cheesecake Factory gives its members a free slice of its cheesecake, and you get to pick which one you want. You can also get free slices of cake by linking your rewards account with other services like DoorDash. Plus, signing up allows you to make reservations at its restaurants. Given that it costs nothing to sign up and there's no pressure to gain points, there's really no reason not to become a member.

The Cheesecake Factory's menu is so comprehensive that we're pretty sure you'll find something you like on there. However, if you don't — or if you want to mix things up — you can ask to alter or change up your order, within reason. While you can't build an entirely new meal from scratch, it's entirely possible to request substitutions or ingredient changes to better reflect your taste.

Plus, doing this can lead to some unexpected flavor combos or meal hacks that you likely weren't expecting. For example, if you're ordering a sandwich, you can ask for it to be made with The Cheesecake Factory's signature brown bread. This will give your meal a boost of sweetness and may make some sandwiches a touch more robust and chewy. Alternatively, make yourself a DIY buffalo mac and cheese by ordering its Cajun Chicken Littles, subbing the potatoes for the pasta dish, and asking for a side of buffalo sauce. Top the mac and cheese with the chicken pieces, pour on the sauce, and you've got yourself a brand new meal.