What Kind Of Vegan Options Can You Find At The Cheesecake Factory?
At first glance, it may seem unlikely that The Cheesecake Factory would cater to those following a vegan diet. After all, the company has a bit of a reputation when it comes to its famously long menu, which boasts over 250 items available to order; the document features entire sections dedicated to meats, seafood, and steaks, and the chain is also named after a dairy-heavy dessert. Fortunately, there are actually quite a few vegan-friendly options available. However, you may have to make some special requests.
To start off your meal, you can grab an order of Korean Fried Cauliflower. The appetizer of crisped cauliflower coated in a sweet-and-spicy sauce is topped off with toasted sesame seeds and green onion. (The dipping sauce offered with the cauliflower is not vegan, so be sure to decline it.)
If you want something slightly more filling, the avocado version of the Thai Lettuce Wraps is also vegan. The dish is a build-your-own plate with lettuce leaves, bean sprouts, coconut curry noodles, carrots, and grilled avocadoes. The three sauces — peanut sauce, sweet red chili, and tamarind-cashew — are also vegan. Of course, you can always enjoy an appetizer as your main course — but there are a few options available on the menu that can make for a more substantial meal.
Salads are usually a safe choice
As far as main courses are concerned, vegans can usually find a safe option among The Cheesecake Factory's salads — there's even a Vegan Cobb Salad listed on the menu. This hefty bowl of greens is layered with vegetables like green beans and tomatoes, plus avocado, roasted beets, and grilled asparagus. There are ancient grains, too, in the form of quinoa and farro.
Smaller options like the barebones, crouton-topped Tossed Green Salad and the Little House Salad are also vegan and can be made more substantial with the addition of grilled avocado or enjoyed with some bread on the side (including the unlimited brown bread, which is vegan).
There are a few meal-sized salads that can also be made vegan with some simple adjustments. Without the cheese and chicken, the Santa Fe Salad combines corn, black beans, tortilla strips, and tomatoes mixed with romaine lettuce and tossed in a spicy peanut-cilantro vinaigrette. The Barbeque Ranch Chicken Salad can be made vegan if it's ordered without chicken, cheese, and the onion strings. Additionally, you'll need to swap the ranch for a different dressing. Fortunately, the restaurant chain offers four unique vegan salad dressings for those looking to switch things up a little. The balsamic and shallot vinaigrettes are both completely free of any dairy or animal products. If you're a mustard fan, the French mustard vinaigrette and the SkinnyLicious mustard vinaigrette are vegan, too.
Other entrees can be modified
If you want a meal that's a little heartier than just a salad, there are some burger options available. The brand's Impossible Burger is made with an Impossible Meat patty topped with lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, vegan cheese, and "Special Sauce" on a brioche bun. It's entirely vegan, with no modifications required. There's also a veggie burger on offer, which uses a house-made mixed veggie patty. However, you'll need to ask your server to omit the fontina cheese and garlic aioli on this option.
The Cheesecake Factory can make plenty of vegan pasta options, so long as you avoid those with dairy-based sauces — and make a few modifications. Evelyn's Favorite Pasta combines plenty of veggies with some penne pasta, but you'll need to order it sans parmesan and butter sauce. Once the seafood is removed from the shrimp with angel hair pasta, you'll be left with a vegan-friendly dish of tomatoes, lemon, garlic, herbs, and basil in marinara sauce and angel hair pasta.
Quite a few sides are vegan-friendly, too. There's grilled asparagus, steamed broccoli, french fries and sweet potato fries, green beans, and sautéed spinach available as side dishes to accompany the main course.
Unfortunately, the chain doesn't serve up any slices of vegan cheesecake just yet — the only vegan dessert is a bowl of strawberries without whipped cream. So if you're looking for a decadent vegan treat to finish your meal, it seems you'll need to find it elsewhere.