Review: The Cheesecake Factory’s New Bites Menu Has 8 Hearty Starters, All Less Than $10 Each

• What It Is: house-made meatballs in vodka sauce, served with melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses on toasted ciabatta
• Price: $9

The meat was super tender and simple, rather than excessively herby or garlicky. The bite-size sliders were messy compared to the other options, but I really enjoyed the crisp, forgiving bread and the simplicity of the tomato sauce. (It was just acidic enough without being overpowering or competing with the meat; however, it didn’t strike me as vodka sauce as it says on the menu). Some morsels also had a bell pepper-like vegetal quality to them.

• What It Is: shrimp in Creole sauce, served with toasted bread
• Price: $8

Let me start by saying the sauce-soaked, buttery toast pieces under all the shrimp were exquisite. What a clever way to make sure no sauce goes to waste! The presentation was nice, and the shrimp were large, resulting in more chew than some folks might like. (That said, they weren’t overcooked or rubbery.) The sauce was creamy, smoky and tomatoey, dappled with bits of minced fresh garlic that were still pretty crisp and sharp. Lemon brightened and intensified every element.

• What It Is: house-made buttermilk biscuits with Southern fried chicken, served with sausage gravy and hot honey butter
• Price: $10

This was arguably the most indulgent of the small plates. The hot honey glaze had an unexpectedly smoky finish. The biscuit was buttery and slightly sweet, but the real highlight was its texture; think a superbly crusty, golden exterior with a pillowy, airy inner crumb. The sausage gravy brought savory, herbaceous decadence to the plate without making it too sloppy or OTT. It was balanced, but heavier than the rest.

• What It Is: warm bread with Brie cheese, drizzled with truffle-honey butter and house-made orange marmalade
• Price: $9

This is some Cheesecake Factory sorcery right here. The cheese was baked into the chain’s beloved bread, so there was no oozy, gooey mess to combat when it hit the table. The pastoral, rich Brie was essentially wrapped in crust before it was garnished, which I preferred to the more common rip-and-dip presentation. The truffle oil’s aroma was the first element to hit my senses, bringing savory umami to counter the sweet citrus marmalade. Pro tip: The orange can get lost or pooled in specific areas, so spread it over the entire piece before eating for maximum balance.

• What It Is: avocado toast with tomato, arugula and red onion, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and lemon
• Price: $9

This is not your typical avo toast. In fact, it was quite spectacular and impeccably balanced. The lemon brought acidity to the buttery, vegetal combination of both avocado spread and sliced avocado. The textural and visual contrast made it more appealing, but I’d venture to say it also helped maintain each toast’s structure. The base was spruced up just right, IMO, with pickled onion, crunchy, thin-sliced radish and grassy arugula for a refreshing yet intriguing bite.

• What It Is: Parmesan truffle fries, served with truffle aioli
• Price: $10

Damn, these fries were basically perfect. The texture was a flawless cross of crispy and soggy, the golden-brown, herb-kissed exterior giving way to a fluffy interior with every bite. The aioli was punchy, fragrant and very rich with significant tang. Its garlicky notes were very subtle and round without being too sharp or overwhelming. Pair them with literally anything—you won’t be disappointed.

• What It Is: warm, crispy sushi rice, topped with crab and sesame seeds
• Price: $10

I’ve had plenty of similar appetizers in my time as a food editor, but I was notably impressed by the crab itself this time around. The meat was super clean-tasting, sweet and mild, delivering more flavor than your average crab dip. (I’m guessing that’s on quality.) The lumps were also substantial, bringing textural contrast to the rice in a way that, say, sashimi wouldn’t. The rice had an unexpected sweetness to it that I didn’t see coming but also wasn’t opposed to. The tangy mayo on the bottom brought a decadent burst of acidity to the dish.

• What It Is: ricotta cheese on toast with orange honey and toasted sesame seeds
• Price: $6

Yeah, it’s the simplest (and cheapest) option on The Cheesecake Factory’s bites menu…but it was also literally perfect. Both in terms of texture and flavor, it was seamlessly balanced. Think toasty, warm bread that’s still flexible enough to bite without getting a mountain of crumbs in your lap, along with rich-yet-airy ricotta cheese and supremely nutty toasted sesame. The citrus came through beautifully on the nose and added both sweetness and a touch of rind-like bitterness to the plate.