Founded in 1978 in Beverly Hills, the Cheesecake Factory has become known as an institution of indulgence over the last 45-plus years. If you have one nearby, it’s likely where you go for generously portioned pastas, salads, burgers, and, of course, uber-fancy cheesecake for dessert. (When my husband proposed to me over a Cheesecake Factory cheesecake, I said yes—enough said.)
As the archetype of restaurant excess, however, the Cheesecake Factory doesn’t exactly make it easy to eat healthily. While a few smaller-bite meals may be decent choices, many menu options are jaw-droppingly high in concerning nutrients like saturated fat, sodium, and total calories.
Want to avoid the worst offenders? Here are 14 of the unhealthiest Cheesecake Factory meals, ranked from not great to the absolute unhealthiest.
Sheila’s Chicken and Avocado Salad
Per serving: 1,820 calories, 124 g fat (16 g saturated fat), 2,150 mg sodium, 134 g carbs (22 g fiber, 57 g sugar), 56 g protein
Aren’t chicken and avocados healthy for you? You bet! But in this salad their health effects are overshadowed by a steep calorie count of 1,820, nearly a day’s worth of sodium, and more fat and sugar than any one meal should provide. Divvy this one up by splitting with a friend—or three.
Bacon-Bacon Cheeseburger
Per serving: 1,610 calories, 110 g fat (56 g saturated fat), 3,550 mg sodium, 77 g carbs (3 g fiber, 29 g sugar), 75 g protein
Both processed meat and red meat have been associated with health issues like hypertension and various cancers—so it’s no surprise that the bacon-bacon cheeseburger isn’t the healthiest option at the Cheesecake Factory.
“This burger contains almost three times the recommended dietary allowance for saturated fat and far exceeds the limit for daily intake of sodium,” says Julie Pace, RDN, owner of Core Nutrition Health + Wellness, specializing in functional nutrition for women. “The bacon-bacon cheeseburger is what I call a triple threat to your health if eaten on a regular basis.”
French Dip Cheeseburger
Per serving: 1,620 calories, 117 g fat (47 g saturated fat), 3,480 mg sodium, 78 g carbs (5 g fiber, 22 g sugar), 60 g protein
What happens when you combine a French dip with a cheeseburger? An epic showdown of calories, saturated fat, and sodium. This meaty extravaganza of a sandwich clocks in with 117 grams of fat, 47 of which are saturated. For your waistline and your heart health, better skip this one.
Chicken Bellagio
Per serving: 2,020 calories, 116 g fat (32 g saturated fat), 4,660 mg sodium, 144 g carbs (7 g fiber, 6 g sugar), 98 g protein
Much like the Las Vegas casino that shares its name, the Chicken Bellagio is a paragon of extravagance. It features a bed of pasta topped with breaded chicken cutlets, prosciutto, and a creamy sauce. Tasty? For sure. But also extraordinarily high in calories and sodium? Yep, that, too.
Famous Factory Meatloaf
Per serving: 1,930 calories, 115 g fat (55 g saturated fat), 5,100 mg sodium, 144 g carbs (9 g fiber, 59 g sugar), 75 g protein
Perhaps a better name for this dish would be the infamous factory meatloaf. Tremendous amounts of sodium and shockingly high sugar (more than a 12-ounce can of Coke) make this meatloaf a poor choice. For a healthier beef option, consider the old-fashioned burger, which contains far fewer calories and around half the sodium.
Fish and Chips
Per serving: 1,860 calories, 121 g fat (24 g saturated fat), 2,940 mg sodium, 134 g carbs (9 g fiber, 31 g sugar), 53 g protein
Multiple healthy eating patterns like the Mediterranean and pescatarian diets focus on including more seafood. But if you’re looking to boost your fish intake, don’t choose the Cheesecake Factory’s fish and chips. Besides containing off-the-charts levels of fat, saturated fat, sodium, and even sugar, this battered fish is extremely high in carbs. “[At] 134 grams of carbs, this will send your blood sugar into a huge spike, which is definitely not good for metabolic health,” says Celine Thompson, MS, RDN, of Fueling Fertility. She recommends splitting this one with a friend if you choose to order it.
Italian Sausage and Fresh Mushroom Rigatoni
Per serving: 2,100 calories, 151 g fat (78 g saturated fat), 3,970 mg sodium, 132 g carbs (13 g fiber, 14 g sugar), 56 g protein
Though it may have fresh mushrooms and broccoli, that’s about all the good we can say about this epic Italian dish. Pancetta, sausage, a Parmesan cream sauce, and ricotta cheese make it excessively rich, while refined white pasta leaves fiber behind.
Fettuccini Alfredo with Chicken
Per serving: 2,060 calories, 132 g fat (78 g saturated fat), 2,880 mg sodium, 143 g carbs (6 g fiber, 8 g sugar), 75 g protein
We’ll grant that fettuccini Alfredo typically isn’t a health-conscious dish—but the Cheesecake Factory’s version takes calories and carbs into the stratosphere. We’re not talking good-for-you complex carbs, either. Of the 143 grams of carbohydrates in this meal, only 6 grams come from fiber.
Louisiana Chicken Pasta
Per serving: 2,270 calories, 132 g fat (67 g saturated fat), 4340 mg sodium, 176 g carbs (10 g fiber, 17 g sugar), 98 g protein
Cajun food has a reputation for fried meats and slathered sauces. The Cheesecake Factory’s Louisiana chicken pasta is no exception. “This dinner pasta entrée includes a parmesan chicken breast served over pasta in a spicy New Orleans sauce and provides 2,270 calories, 67 grams of saturated fat, and 4,340 milligrams of sodium,” points out Mandy Tyler, M.Ed., RD, CSSD, LD. “Individuals would be better off selecting a lower calorie entrée or sharing the entrée with others at the table so they only eat a small portion of the meal.”
Fried Chicken and Waffles Benedict
Per serving: 1,670 calories, 128 g fat (71 g saturated fat), 1,440 mg sodium, 96 g carbs (3 g fiber, 48 g sugar), 33 g protein
With a name like Fried Chicken and Waffles Benedict, you know this one’s gonna be a calorie bomb. Here, an inch-thick waffle gets topped with fried chicken breast, a poached egg, and Hollandaise sauce—not a great recipe for health.
“The high saturated fat content of this dish can lead to weight gain and high cholesterol levels, which can increase the risk of heart disease,” says Wan Na Chun, RD, CPT, of One Pot Wellness. “This meal is also high in sodium, which can also have negative effects on heart health. The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, and ideally no more than 1,500 milligrams per day for most adults.”
Pasta Carbonara with Chicken
Per serving: 2,160 calories, 143 g fat (68 g saturated fat), 4,170 mg sodium, 141 g carbs (10 g fiber, 11 g sugar), 75 g protein
Another pasta rounds out the list of the Cheesecake Factory’s top offenders for poor nutrition. The pasta carbonara with chicken supplies 2,160 calories (more than the average person needs in a day), not to mention extremely high sodium and saturated fat. Cut these numbers down by ordering the lunch portion of this dish instead.
Bruléed French Toast with Grilled Ham
Per serving: 2,270 calories, 186 g fat (97 g saturated fat), 2,160 mg sodium, 91 g carbs (2 g fiber, 63 g sugar), 56 g protein
Another brunch culprit is the Bruléed French Toast with Grilled Ham. On a 2,000 calorie-per-day diet, the American Heart Association recommends consuming about 13 grams of saturated fat. This heart attack on a plate has seven and a half times that at 97 grams. We just felt our cardiovascular system tremble in fear.
Barbecue Ranch Chicken Salad
Per serving: 1,980 calories, 124 g fat (23 g saturated fat), 2,710 mg sodium, 150 g carbs (22 g fiber, 64 g sugar), 62 g protein
“Surprisingly, one of the least healthy options at the Cheesecake Factory is a salad,” says Haley Bishoff, RDN, owner of Rūtsu Nutrition in Las Vegas, NV. “The barbeque ranch chicken salad has 1,980 calories, 124 grams of fat, and 64 grams of sugar.” Don’t be fooled—just because it contains vegetables doesn’t make it healthy.
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
Per serving: 2,360 calories, 123 g fat (53 g saturated fat), 3,910 mg sodium, 285 g carbs (3 g fiber, 148 g sugar), 31 g protein
In addition to its extensive menu of lunch and dinner items, the Cheesecake Factory also offers a Saturday and Sunday brunch. But we wouldn’t recommend starting a weekend morning with the Cinnamon Roll Pancakes. Two hundred and eight-five grams of carbs and 148 grams of sugar are packed within these cinnamon-swirled treats—truly putting the “cake” in pancake.
