Saturday, May 10, 2014

Cheesecake choice

The jury is still out, for this blogger at least, on just how Celiac friendly is the Cheesecake Factory.

I wrote about the impending gluten-free menu last August (http://gfgardenstate.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-more-decadent-cheesecake-factory.html), and it was officially introduced in September. Other people living the gluten-free lifestyle have experienced it, although I have not.

Usually, I'll adventurous enough to try nearly any food, so long as its gluten-free. However, I'm hesitant to give Cheesecake Factory a chance, mostly due to the lack of available information and lack of clear answers coming from the chain's corporate folks.

As of this writing, there is no mention of a gluten-free menu on the Cheesecake Factory's website, which serves 8 New Jersey locations. If not for world-of-mouth, potential customers would have no way of knowing it exists. The chain's lack of promotion doesn't exactly elicit confidence.


I recently communicated with a guest services specialist in an attempt to find out what, exactly, is on the gluten-free menu. (Am I relegated to just salad?!) The response didn't provide an answer, instead indicating I would need to go to a Cheesecake Factory restaurant to find out. According to the specialist, this particular menu is not posted online or shared electronically, due to its tendency to change "from time to time."

Most restaurant menus change "from time to time." Quite frankly, if I can't get a hint of what a restaurant is offering, I'm not interested. I know of many great restaurants that serve gluten-free foods, so I'll go with one of those, rather than go in blindly to one that concerns me.

That the the chain doesn't promote its gluten-free menu is appreciated. At least its not trying to mislead people. In fact, the specialist openly admitted that the chain's kitchens aren't gluten-free,food is susceptible to cross contamination and may contain up to 20 parts per million of gluten, a deal-breaker to many people. She did not indicate there are special areas to handle gluten-free foods.

Based on information I had obtained last summer, I can only surmise that there are still some items that are gluten-free or can be made as such (at a risk). I simply choose not to take the chance.

I'd love to hear your thoughts or comments about the Cheesecake Factory. If you've tried its gluten-free menu, please share your experience in the comments section. 

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