If long lines & even longer waits are any indication of a restaurant's popularity, then Cheesecake Factory is right up there with Outback Steakhouse and Carraba's. Seems like no matter what time you go, you will wait. You are given a pager which has a pretty good range (you can browse through the nearby shops). Stranger still, is when the thing vibrates, after you give the thing to the hostess, there is another wait for a seater to seat you.
The place is busy and noisy! (I think it could definitely do without the muzak.) Drink orders are taken quickly, but then there is sometimes a long delay before your order is taken. Once taken, the food isn't long in arriving.
The menu is 20 pages and choices are hard to make - from Asian and Pacific flavored dishes to comfort foods like meatloaf, burgers, pasta, and sandwiches. Beware of size huge portion! (I see a lot of wasted food every time I eat here.) Even salads are entree size. (When will a restaurant wake up and make the portion size & price smaller so diners can sample more of the menu?! Gee, what a concept!) So order wisely and sparingly. Share appetizers if you must have one.
On previous visits I had the open-faced hot turkey sandwich. It was a pleasant memory of my childhood - real roasted turkey, not the cheap deli kind, heaped on white bread and smothered in gravy, with a side of mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. There was enough on my plate for a take-home portion to have for lunch the next day. I got my leftover Thanksgiving turkey fix from this meal. Hubby had Straw and Hay, a Thai-based pasta entree, which he pronounced good. (He's a big eater and cleaned his plate!) Next time I had a chicken breast sandwich - so thick with tomato slices and real lettuce, that it was almost impossible to get a bite in a lady-like manner.
After all this main course indulgence, you're supposed to save room for the cheesecake! I have yet to consume a piece on the premises. Suggestion is that if you are not shopping, take a slice or two of your fav flavor home with you. Speaking of flavors - there is something for every taste.
If you don't have one of these in your town, it may be worth the wait to experience it. However, if you're already hungry, try to eat somewhere else.