GET TO HAPPY HOUR AT THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY!

Start with a margarita...

by Andrew Chalk

The Cheesecake Factory is justly famous for its desserts, but what may be less well appreciated is that it has a full menu, making it a great choice for the whole meal. Now they have made the eating experience even better with... HAPPY HOUR!

Every Monday thru Thursday from 4pm-6pm head in for a menu where everything costs less than $10! Specifically, everything is priced at $9.95 or less. And that’s not all: Specialty cocktails are $7.50. Likewise, selected well drinks. And beer is just $4.50 (draft) and $3.50 (bottled).

I was fortunate to be invited to a recent media event and was blown away by the quality of the 25+ dishes on the menu that fit the happy hour bill. With deference to the saying that a picture is worth a 1000 words, here is an epic of all the beautiful things, presented pictorially.

Avocado Eggrolls. Irresistable, especially with that chimichurri-style sauce.

Mac and Cheese Balls. Want to know how tasty these were? Go down one picture...

Mac and Cheese Balls after cutting them open. Awesomely creamy!

Salads are first-class dishes too. Beet and Avocado salad features arugula, fresh orange, crispy radish spheres and honey-yogurt sauce.

My favorite dish. Korean Fried Cauliflower. Crispy cauliflower tossed with sweet and sour sauce, toasted sesame seeds, and green onion,

Tex Mex Eggrolls. Spicy chicken, corn, black beans, peppers, onions, and melted cheese.

Crispy Fried Cheese. Mozzarella and Fontina cheeses with marinara sauce.

Dynamite Shrimp. Crispy tempura shrimp with spicy Dynamite sauce. Alfred Nobel would have extolled the sauce.

Interesting fact: My waiter had worked at The Cheesecake Factory for over a decade. The Manager had been with them over three years. She referred to other employees who had years of experince at the company under their belts. In as volatile an industry as the restaurant business, especially after the worst pandemic in people's lives, that is a remarkable statement about the company as an employer.

Note: Within Texas, Happy Hour is available at the following locations: Katy, San Antonio, Houston, Austin, Fort Worth, Dallas and Irvine