12 Underrated Cheesecake Factory Menu Items To Try On Your Next Visit

The Cheesecake Factory is known far and wide for its extensive menu and big portions, with a long list of classics that keep customers coming back on the regular. With over 200 dishes to choose from and more than 30 cheesecakes on the dessert selection, this restaurant has something for everyone. To keep things even more interesting, the chain often changes the menu, and among the choices on this long list of items are a fair few underrated dishes that are definitely worth a little more spotlight.

Whether for first-timers or regular customers, there are a few rules at The Cheesecake Factory to consider for a streamlined dining experience. Nevertheless, the menu's variety also offers a lot of freedom to mix and match. Here is a list of 12 hidden gems on The Cheesecake Factory menu, both light and hearty, savory and sweet, that are underrated menu items and worth a try.

While there is no end to decadent entrées, and the Cheesecake Factory's menu has evolved over the years, the restaurant also offers some strategically lighter fare. The Thai chicken lettuce wraps are one of these underrated options. Served with chicken, carrots, bean sprouts, and seasoned noodles, these build-your-own confections are full of flavor and satisfying, crunchy texture. There is even a vegetarian version of the dish that comes with avocado instead of chicken. 

Paired with a triad of succulent Thai-inspired sauces, these lettuce wraps may technically be an appetizer, but some diners consider them an underrated option to order as an entrée. These wraps could be a convenient choice for diners who want something light but tasty so they can save room to enjoy a slice of cheesecake afterward. The Thai chicken lettuce wraps are one ticket to having the best of the savory and sweet sides of the menu in one meal. 

The Cheesecake Factory has made a name for itself by serving appetizers and entrées from a variety of cuisines. This is part of what makes the menu so extensive, as it continues expanding into different culinary cultures. Among some of the heartier options, the restaurant makes a mean Shepherd's pie. With the base consisting of a stew of meat and vegetables – beef, carrots, onions, peas, and zucchini — the flavor comes from a savory mushroom gravy. 

As with any traditional Shepherd's pie, The Cheesecake Factory's variation gets topped with mashed potatoes. But the restaurant's Italian-American twist on this classic comes with Parmesan cheese mixed into the potatoes for added topping and texture, and diners have been pleasantly surprised by this savory mix of flavors. Fans of Shepherd's pie and curious tasters alike have found this Cheesecake Factory entrée to be a hearty, filling, and all-around satisfying choice. Its warm savoriness is the perfect contrast to anything sweet that might come with the next course.

True to its name, The Cheesecake Factory has an endless menu of cheesecake varieties, some of them chocolatey, while others skew more toward fruit-flavored. There is a lineup of surefire favorites, and the restaurant's classic style is still a house star. But there's a few underrated options on the dessert list that are no less pleasing for their slightly more unconventional flavors.

One of these is the pineapple upside-down cheesecake, a whimsical combination of two desserts in one. It's as unconventional as it is underrated among the cheesecakes on the menu, consisting of just a thin layer of creamy cheesecake between two layers of pineapple upside-down cake. This cheesecake order goes especially well with a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry on top, and diners have confessed this dessert is irresistible. As one Redditor summed it up best: "I got the pineapple upside down last time I went. I took it to go with the intention of eating part of it when I got home and the rest another day. I ate it all at once."

While it might not sound like the most upscale item on the menu, The Cheesecake Factory's meatloaf is more than your typical comfort food. A hearty portion of meatloaf made from a blend of ground beef and pork, it's cut into tender slices. Topped with mushroom gravy and grilled onions, this meatloaf defies the simplicity of its name. Among the restaurant chain's least ordered menu items, The Cheesecake Factory's meatloaf attracted some attention for the sheer fact that no one knew if it was any good — and it has pleasantly surprised diners again and again.

While many regulars at The Cheesecake Factory might skip past this menu item, or might not even be aware it's been a longstanding dish on the menu, this order has gained a bit of a cult following, and fans of this meatloaf are passionate about all aspects of the restaurant chain's take on this comfort food. Fans have commended the meatloaf's texture, and the harmonious blend of sweet and savory. The mushroom gravy is the piéce de résistance, contributing to something succulent with just a hint of sweet. Served with a side of gravy-topped mashed potatoes and buttered corn, this dish is a well-balanced blend of flavors, something tasters have declared is well worth a try and deserving of a lot more hype.

Though Reddit threads have been created on the debate of whether the Monte Cristo sandwich is the best thing on The Cheesecake Factory's menu, this item remains one of the less ordered options. This is in part due to the fact that The Cheesecake Factory only serves Monte Cristo sandwiches on weekends with the restaurant's brunch menu. As a phenomenon, The Cheesecake Factory's brunch remains something highly underrated. Customers don't often think to come to this restaurant during an earlier part of the day, and late morning to early afternoon are among the times to avoid crowds at The Cheesecake Factory. This time slot on the weekend is a chance to try a whole new side of the chain's menu, full of decadent items that are only available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

The Monte Cristo is the perfect example of this weekend brunch decadence that's mastered the art of sweet and savory melded into one harmonious combination of flavors. Furthermore, this sandwich takes choice paralysis out of the equation by putting a number of breakfast classics together. With French toast as the bread base, the Monte Cristo is piled with ham, bacon, scrambled eggs, and melted cheese. To add a little more sweetness to everything, it's all sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with a side of strawberry preserves. For anyone who can make it to brunch, this sandwich's whimsical combinations are well worth it, making the Monte Cristo another must-try.

Beloved by fans in-the-know, The Cheesecake Factory's mango key lime cheesecake is another unconventional mix of elements from various dessert classics, all blended into one cheesecake flavor that doesn't get as much attention as some of the more classic choices on the menu. Besides the decadent layer of citrusy cheesecake, this dessert is decked with a topping of mango mousse and settled on a crust made from coconut macaroon. With a lot of flavors melding together, this choice might be a bit more adventurous than what traditional cheesecake lovers typically look for, but the mango key lime cheesecake is unique enough that it merits taste testing.  

With the mango mixed with creamy key lime and the vanilla coconut crust, this cheesecake option is a burst of tropical flavors and a vivid mix of sweet and tart. Texturally a bit lighter than the density of typical cheesecake, this dessert is a choice for those with adventurous taste buds, and the macaroon crust adds another bit of flair that diners might not be expecting when ordering a slice of cheesecake.

There are many popular appetizers at The Cheesecake Factory, but one of the less often considered apps is no less promising for being a mere vegetable. Covered in a tempura coating and then a thick layer of sauce, the Korean fried cauliflower is served in bites that pack a crunch and a burst of flavor. A little sweet and sour thanks to the signature Korean chili sauce, this appetizer gets paired with a side of ranch. Though the bites are full of flavor on their own, the added sauce makes for a perfect mix of creamy and spicy in every bite. As one Instagram reviewer stated, "There's nothing Korean about them; it's more of a sweet and sour sauce with a hint of mild spice ... but it does hit all those umami notes to make it compulsively snackable."

For those who haven't tried this menu item yet, it's easy to love. Diners praise the texture and the vivid flavor. But this fried cauliflower is also easy enough to recreate. Diners don't have to venture all the way to the nearest location to enjoy this menu item. Many of The Cheesecake Factory's dishes can be easily replicated, and the The Cheesecake Factory's Korean fried cauliflower recipe is among them. It's a worthy challenge for those who don't mind whipping something up themselves when a craving strikes. 

The seafood portion of The Cheesecake Factory's menu has a lot of elaborate options, but one of the underrated fish dishes is the chain's grilled branzino. With a side of mashed potatoes and green beans, this charbroiled dish has a bright flavor, which comes from a sauce made with lemon and herbs, and might even appeal to diners who wouldn't typically seek out fish on the menu. As one Redditor proclaimed: "The branzino is awesome! Delicate white fish with an almost sweet taste, not very fishy at all! Highly recommend."

The grilled branzino also comes in two varieties, one which is a larger, breaded serving, another which is on the chain's calorie-conscious SkinnyLicious menu and served with diced tomatoes in place of the breaded topping. Those who've ordered the dish are fans of both varieties, which boast equally good flavor. Another Facebook reviewer has given this dish some high praise: "If you're craving something fresh and satisfying but don't want to feel weighed down, this one's worth ordering. The Cheesecake Factory does a lot of things right, and their branzino is definitely one of them."

The Cheesecake Factory has a menu full of classics for their weekend brunch, but there are also some underrated items that transform classics into something even more decadent. One of these sumptuous dishes is the restaurant's cinnamon roll pancakes. Made with buttermilk and topped with swirls of brown sugar and a drizzle of sweet glaze, these indulgent pancakes taste, according to diners who've enjoyed them, just like a cinnamon roll. But a cinnamon roll with all the added pleasure of and fluffy texture from buttermilk pancakes. Available only until 2 p.m. during weekend brunch, this item is all the more decadent for the short window during which it can be ordered. 

There's no comparison to normal pancakes on the menu — the cinnamon swirls and the drizzled glaze make for a supremely sweet breakfast. These cinnamon roll pancakes are even something that has wowed first-time diners into coming back to the restaurant more often. With two delicious things merged into one scrumptious order, the cinnamon roll pancakes definitely merit a taste test. 

Sure to be a flavorful choice, The Cheesecake Factory's Jamaican black pepper shrimp is another underrated item that strays from more the typical menu choices. Guests might not expect to find a Jamaican-inspired item on the chain's extensive menu, and while the seasonings aren't necessarily authentic, diners who've tried this dish assert that its flavors make it worth ordering. As one Instagram reviewer summed it up: "I instantly fell in love with the bold black pepper sauce, the sweet heat, and the tropical flavors paired alongside it. It was rich, spicy, slightly sweet, and completely different from anything I had made at home before."

It's the black pepper sauce that slathers this dish in flavor, but the sides accompanying it make for a sumptuous feast. Rice, black beans, marinated pineapple, and plantains round out this Jamaican black pepper shrimp. For any diners hesitant about the seafood bent to this Jamaican-inspired dish, the restaurant also offers the same version with chicken, or a mix of both chicken and shrimp, in case it's too tough to choose between the two.

Among the newer items on The Cheesecake Factory's menu, the seared tuna tataki salad is another tasty option for lighter fare. Many diners might not think to order salad at this chain renowned for hearty entrées, but this underrated option weighs in at a mere 450 calories, featuring on the restaurant's Skinnylicious menu. Tempting some diners to seek it out specifically for the lower calorie count, this dish might nevertheless appeal to anyone looking to try something new from the chain's extensive menu. The tuna tataki is full of flavor, and comes with the handy added benefit of leaving room for dessert afterward.

Served with avocado, tomato, and sesame on a bed of greens, the tuna and salad get drizzled with a shallot vinaigrette, a bright flavor temptation for the taste buds. This dish is all around fresh, crisp, and full of protein, making for a tasty, health-conscious choice that represents how diverse The Cheesecake Factory's menu items have become over the years.

The Cheesecake Factory has so many pastas to choose from, most diners haven't sampled all the varieties on the ever-evolving menu. Among the easy-to-love options served with marinara and cheese sauce, there's another pasta dish on the menu that hasn't gotten as much hype as some better known classics. The Pasta Da Vinci, for those who order it regularly, is reliably mouthwatering, and according to fans even worth a trip to the restaurant just to pick up an order. 

The hype for this dish centers around the Madeira wine sauce over sautéed chicken, mushrooms, and onions, served with penne pasta. The outcome tastes like an upscale pasta dish that branches out from a more conventional flavor profile. Customers say diners really can't go wrong in ordering the pasta Da Vinci, and some even recommend it above all others. This hidden gem on The Cheesecake Factory's menu is certainly the pasta dish to try on the next visit.