One of the challenging aspects of going on a plant-based diet that I came across was the social part of it. Now this may not be the case for everyone but when I first started, whenever I would go out with friends or go out to eat I would feel a little weird if everyone else was ordering their normal options, and I ordered something without meat in it. After a while I got over that, but I would still be hesitant to make plans going out to a restaurant when I didn’t know what kind of options were there. I thought hey, I’ll just document my journey as I’m trying out different places to eat and what they have on the menu that allows me to follow this plant-based lifestyle.
One of the challenging aspects of going on a plant-based diet that I came across was the social part of it. Now this may not be the case for everyone but when I first started, whenever I would go out with friends or go out to eat I would feel a little weird if everyone else was ordering their normal options, and I ordered something without meat in it. After a while I got over that, but I would still be hesitant to make plans going out to a restaurant when I didn’t know what kind of options were there. I thought hey, I’ll just document my journey as I’m trying out different places to eat and what they have on the menu that allows me to follow this plant-based lifestyle.
So me and Moms were hungry and we were thinking about what to eat. The short conversation went as follows;
Mom – “ Cheesecake Factory?”
Me – “oof say less”
It had been decided, we would take our hungriness to the beloved restaurant, mind you we were also trying to stay on the plant-based theme. Then came the question of what kind of options do I have at Cheesecake Factory whilst trying to make a few healthier choices.
Disclaimer: we did split a alice 30th Anniversary Cheesecake, so not the most healthiest of choices, but you know, baby steps. #progress
So Began the journey of trying all that Cheesecake Factory has to offer in regards two plant-based diets. We figured it wouldn’t be too difficult because most restaurants nowadays have vegetarian or vegan options.
What plant-based options does cheesecake have?
Now here’s the report, Cheesecake Factory’s menu has a good selection of healthier options that are meatless. After perusing the menu, we decided to try out a few different things and see how they were. We tried the avocado egg rolls, corn succotash, and the impossible Burger.
I was not prepared for how great the Impossible Burger tasted and for how well it resembled the texture of an actual hamburger patty. I honestly couldn’t even tell that it was a plant-based burger. Now as a self-proclaimed food critic, my resume would show 28 years of eating meat. I trust my palate to be able to discern between real meat and a substitute. For the most part I can, but with the impossible Burger at Cheesecake Factory I was pleasantly surprised at how well it was prepared. It was flavorful, it was juicy, they put it on a very fresh bun with some lettuce, a slice of tomato, and a side of fries.
Very high praise for the Impossible Burger, I give it a hard 8 out of 10.
For the appetizer, we split the avocado egg rolls and the corn succotash. The avocado egg rolls was a pretty good option whether you’re on a plant based diet or not. What’s great about them is that they prepare those bad boys in a fryer, so if you want that fried food crunch and taste, it’s there. Because there aren’t a lot of fried options on a plant-based diet, you do miss it a little bit.
The avocado egg rolls get a hard 6.
The corn succotash was fresh, and it had a nice heat flavoring in the seasoning, but it wasn’t my fave, I give it a soft 5
The avocado egg rolls get a hard 6.
Cheesecake Factory has several other options if you’re following a plant based diet. There are choices for salad, hummus, flatbread pizzas, and the sides can be ordered a la carte, as as well as a few other options in the menu. So if you’re looking for meatless food choices, you are In good hands.