CLT Eats – A Charlotte Restaurant Review

Main Seating Area

When I think of the words “Grand” and “Mediocre” I think of the Cheesecake Factory. The term “Mediocre” may sound harsh and I suppose it is somewhat, but the reality is this is a restaurant that attempts to do it all and that’s a tall order. The fifteen pages of options (not including the advertisements) are a testament to that. Due to this fact it’s miraculous they’re able to muster up to a mediocre level. I really should say in all fairness that they’re actually above mediocre. That word isn’t entirely appropriate but is close enough. There are several dishes they do quite well and of course the cheesecake is decent too. They just don’t have any home-run dishes that I’ve come across.

As for the “Grand” part, when I walk in I’m awe-struck by the interior. It’s horrifically tacky in a very over-the-top way. Imagine crossing Alice in Wonderland with the Sistine Chapel, add a dash of LSD and that’s exactly what it’s like in there. The best thing I can say about it is there’s plenty of seating.

Service is also in the mediocre category. Slightly above to be fair but not as good as you would expect based on the lengths they’ve gone to with the decorations. The staff does a commendable job but I can say the same about a recent visit to Ruby Tuesday’s. I shouldn’t knock them though. They performed their tasks well but compared to the interior and the price point the service doesn’t rank up there with the same level of professionalism.

The menu is out of control. It’s really overwhelming. The good news is you’ll find something you like and when you get it you’ll likely enjoy it. It may not knock your socks off but it’s usually solidly good stuff. It’s not in line with the price but it is good. For fifteen to twenty bucks there are several restaurants around town that will blow them away. If you’re with a large group though you can’t beat the breadth of the menu to satisfy everyone.

Shortly after being seated you are served a basket of bread which is actually fairly good. I ordered the Shepherd’s Pie which is my default when I come here. It’s very heavy for lunch but I like how they do it here. I’ve had better but there’s one of the better options available on the menu to me. After we were done everyone decided to order cheesecake and it didn’t take much arm-twisting to convince me to go along. In hind-sight it wasn’t the best idea to follow the Shepherd’s Pie with that but it was pretty good. Again, I’ve had better cheesecake but there’s is pretty good.

While I’m obviously not giving this place a strong endorsement you really can’t go wrong. You’ll find something good here and you’ll be reasonably satisfied. I’ll be back eventually I’m sure but it’s much further down the list of options that I lean on.

Pros

• Good Food
• Decent Service
• Massive Menu

Cons

• Hideous Interior
• Over-Priced

Rating: Recommended