In defense of Cheesecake Factory, four reasons I absolutely love it - USA Today

If, by some miracle, you missed it, former President Barack Obama compared the White House to the Cheesecake Factory.

It made national headlines. During a Democratic campaign rally ahead of the midterm elections in Cleveland, Ohio, he said the gold decor of the Oval Office, made it look "like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory."

Obama doubled down on his joke after criticism from President Donald Trump and his administration. Others callled Obama elitist. At a rally outside Atlanta, Obama said, especially while raising two daughters, The Cheesecake Factory "was my jam for about a decade."

I absolutely love the Cheesecake Factory.

Nostalgia is a big reason. The cheesecakes lined up on display beneath the refrigerated glass by the door, the high-rise ceiling supported by pillars, the epic menu: When I went there for childhood birthday dinners almost 20 years ago — wearing curly blonde braids and a sense of awe and wonder — I was astonished by all my options in one single menu.

There was something for everyone — still is. But It didn't matter: I always got the Four Cheese Pasta.

Hard to know whether the SkinnyLicious Avocado Tacos and Sweet Soy-glazed Ribs are the favorites dishes of comedian Jon Stewart, but in a bit about the Cheesecake Factory on "The Daily Show" this week he said: “I know those because I also eat there."

A lot of people do. Sales have increased annually since 2020, according to Business Insider. In the first quarter of 2026, average weekly sales reached an all-time high, it reported.Mark Russell, the vice president and south region editor for USA TODAY Co., eats there with his wife and loves the brown wheat loaf bread that comes hot out of the oven. (He messaged me after I mentioned in a group chat I would be writing this story.) They even buy a few loaves to take home. His other favorites? Tex Mex Egg Rolls and, of course, cheesecake.

There are more than 250 options on the menu, so you really can't go wrong when suggesting it to a group (even if you get a side eye from friends who thinks they've outgrown it).

People can order a big burger and or a healthier meal with Stewart's aforementioned "SkinnyLicious" menu. And everyone loves the warm whole wheat and white bread that comes with every meal.

There's a Fried Mac and Cheese appetizer with a crunch on the outside and oozes with cheese when you cut it with your fork. And an Eggroll Sampler, where you can try all the options of spring rolls with a taste of avocado, Tex-Mex and cheeseburger.

The chicken section alone remind me of when Bubba recites his endless list of shrimp dishes in "Forrest Gump": Chicken Shawarma, Jamaican Black Pepper Chicken, Orange Chicken, Truffle-Honey Chicken, Parmesan-Herb Crusted Chicken, Chicken Piccata, Chicken Bellagio, Bang Bang Chicken (and Shrimp).

As I mentioned, though, I don't have to look at the menu. I still order the Four Cheese Pasta that mixes mozzarella, ricotta, romano and parmesan, even though I'm lactose intolerant. I will suffer for this dish. Every. Single. Time.

The cheesecakes started it all. According to the Cheesecake Factory website, Evelyn Overton was inspired in the 1940s by a recipe in her local Detroit newspaper to make her "Original" cheesecake. She opened and closed a bakery, then sold cakes out of her basement to restaurants in the city.

She and her husband moved to Los Angeles in 1972 and opened The Cheesecake Factory Bakery, again selling to restaurants. In 1978, their son David opened a restaurant to showcase the cheesecakes. They have been a draw ever since.

There are more than 30 to choose among. And if you're torn between ordering the Oreo Dream Extreme or the Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate (I'm more of an Ultimate Red Velvet Cake girl), you don't have to decide. The cheesecakes can be cut into smaller slivers, which you can still wolf down after a high-carb meal.

It would be easy to take the easy way out when you have a menu more than 20 pages long. But Cheesecake Factory prides itself on cooking its fresh ingredients from scratch.

Business Insider got a look behind the scenes, and said that "the operation relies on tightly coordinated prep stations, digital timing systems, and cooks working against the clock."

Sauces, vegetables, meats — everything is stirred, sliced and seared in-house.

USA TODAY Food reached out to The Cheesecake Factory and hasn't heard back.