FYI, The Cheesecake Factory Does Brunch—and I Tasted & Ranked the Entire Menu

• What It Is: freshly made giant Belgian waffle topped with crunchy fried chicken
• Price: $18

I’ll start by saying that the waffle was literally flawless. Tender on the inside, crisp on the edges and ridges and shockingly flavorful, it was the perfect base for this sweet-and-savory staple. However, I feel like chicken and waffles demands bone-in, fried chicken, not tenders. The chicken pieces looked a bit small, despite being crisp and juicy. I also loved the maple-butter syrup on both the chicken and waffle, but where’s the hot sauce?! I think a Louisiana-style one and a touch more salt—either on top of the chicken or in the breading—would’ve gone a long way. (P.S.: Try the Fried Chicken & Waffles Benedict if you need eggs in the mix.)

• What It Is: warm tortilla filled with scrambled eggs, bacon, chicken chorizo, cheese, crispy corn tortillas, avocado, peppers and onions, with spicy ranchero sauce, sour cream, salsa and black beans
• Price: $19

This burrito was massive and positively stuffed to the brim. The creamy, savory black beans, fresh pico, greens and sour cream being served on the side kept the toppings cold and crisp, which I greatly appreciated. The ranchero sauce was surprisingly spicy, deeply smoky and pleasantly herbaceous. I also loved how sturdy-yet-doughy the tortilla was. As for the filling, it was very cheesy, as well as balanced with subtle and loud flavors working in tandem.

• What It Is: spicy Cajun andouille sausage sautéed with tomatoes, peppers, onions and potatoes in spicy sauce, served with white rice and topped with fried eggs
• Price: $19

I really enjoyed the sausage here. It was sliced on a bias into long pieces that I could really sink my teeth into. I also loved the umami and richness that the runny yolk provided the rice once I mashed and mixed it in. As for the rest, the overall flavor was equal parts sweet and savory, and very bell pepper-forward.

• What It Is: poached eggs, crisp bacon, avocado, tomato and arugula on a grilled English muffin, topped with Calabrian hollandaise
• Price: $19

Finally, bacon that’s well done without me having to request it. Each strip was crisp from end to end. I also loved how colorful this Cheesecake Factory brunch item was. The arugula was a nice addition, imparting bitter, sharp complexity to counter the tang of the sauce and richness of the other components. However, it also made it a bit messy and tough to cut. The hollandaise was spicy and luscious. I would have preferred the avocado smashed on the bottom of the muffin for an easier eating experience, but I get it—aesthetics!

• What It Is: crunchy French toast stuffed with bacon, grilled ham, scrambled eggs and melted Swiss cheese, dusted with powdered sugar and served with strawberry preserves
• Price: $18

This pick was so fun. Think a ham, egg and cheese on French toast that’s encrusted in crispy cornflake breading before being grilled (or fried?) for extra crunch. As someone who admittedly isn’t wild about ham, especially the sweet kind, I thought this breakfast sandwich was pretty darn tasty. I loved how much brightness the strawberry jam added, making a sweet-tart foil for the savory sammy.

• What It Is: flatbread topped with cheese, bacon, crispy potatoes, caramelized onions, tomatoes and Parmesan, topped with fried eggs
• Price: $16

Man, the crust was so great. Like, brown bread who? Well-salted, crispy on the outside and super tender and malty on the inside, this seamlessly elevated the concept of pizza for breakfast. Sure, it was kind of messy and wet once the yolks started spilling and the tomatoes started tumbling. But IMO, that’s what the edges are for—cleanup. I also appreciated how light and acidic the tomato base was.

• What It Is: poached eggs and Candian bacon on a grilled English muffin, topped with hollandaise
• Price: $18

Again, I don’t love ham, but I need to give this O.G. brunch staple its due. The hollandaise was bright, tangy and slightly zesty, while the ham struck a glorious halfway point between sweet and savory. The egg was perfectly poached and those breakfast potatoes on the side? Wow. My main bone to pick was that the ham was cut a bit too thick for my liking.

• What It Is: buttermilk pancakes with ricotta and lemon zest, topped with lemon glaze, strawberries and blueberries
• Price: $16

OK, it’s official: The Cheesecake Factory knows its way around a pancake griddle. This iteration of the morning must-have was impeccably fluffy and moist (the latter likely thanks to the ricotta). The lemon zest’s signature bitterness was more prominent than expected but the sweet glaze evened things out with ease. Also, that presentation? A round of applause, please.  

• What It Is: buttermilk pancakes
• Price: $11

As much as I love citrus, the plain-Jane iteration was flawless. I could taste the tang of the buttermilk and the pancakes’ comforting vanilla edge in every crumb. Like the rest of the pancakes on the menu, these were huge and very shareable with crisp, browned sides and a pillowy texture. The maple-butter syrup was super sweet albeit tasty, but these would be just as tasty with no toppings, TBH.

• What It Is: fried eggs and glazed pork belly with bean sprouts, sesame, cilantro, sriracha aioli and fried rice
• Price: $18

The way I could have eaten a week’s worth of that pork belly in one sitting. It was gorgeously charred, fall-apart tender and fatty without being chewy. The marinade reminded me of bulgogi. The only downside was that I felt there wasn’t enough of it on the plate for the amount of rice. Speaking of the rice, it needed a dash more salt, but I loved its intensely gingery flavor profile. The bean sprout salad offered crisp, fresh contrast, as did the kimchi, which was delightfully sour but slightly lacking in crunch.

• What It Is: buttermilk pancakes swirled with cinnamon-brown sugar and topped with glaze
• Price: $16

Full disclosure: I’m not one of those cinnamon-sugar people. But damn! These were undeniably delectable. Instead of a mushy, sticky ring of syrupy cinnamon roll filling, the sugar swirl was lacy and fully caramelized with drool-worthy edges that would make any canela fan lose it at first bite. The glaze made them borderline cloying, but I’m giving credit where credit is due: These absolutely tasted like their namesake.

• What It Is: tender, slow-cooked pork or chicken with roasted poblano peppers, cheese, onions, cilantro and crisp corn tortilla chips, topped with tomatillo-chile sauce, tomatoes and sour cream
• Price: $18

True life: I’m deeply in love with chilaquiles verdes. The tomatillo salsa was exactly what I was hoping for—vibrant, medium-spicy, tangy and generously applied. As a carnitas fan, I had pork with mine. They were delectably rich, succulent and some pieces were adorned with melt-in-your-mouth fat. I also adored all the fixings, and these were some of the tastiest restaurant tortilla chips I’ve had in recent memory. However, more chips would have been nice. The presentation was pretty but a bit peculiar; I feel like it urges the eater to dip or scoop with the chips, instead of the chef dousing them in sauce from the start. It may not be to-the-book authentic, but every element was very much on point.

• What It Is: giant Belgian waffle topped with strawberries, candied pecans and Chantilly cream
• Price: $14

The moment these hit the table, the summery aroma of the strawberries beckoned me to take a bite. The waffle was just as tender and fluffy as the one topped with chicken, still beautifully browned at the edges. I was also thrilled to find that the pecans were extra crunchy due to being candied in some sweet-and-salty, caramel-y coating. Even the Chantilly was stellar with notes of melted vanilla ice cream. (There’s also a plain Giant Belgian Waffle, if you’re a butter-and-syrup kind of person.)

• What It Is: extra-thick slices of rustic French bread, baked and grilled golden brown, topped with powdered sugar and served with maple-butter syrup
• Price: $16

Sometimes, less is more—and this Cheesecake Factory brunch item proved it. It was a total power move to use French baguette instead of, say, challah or brioche. It made for a crisper texture on the edges, which was enhanced even more by the crunchy caramelized sugar on the flat sides. How they kept the inside so custardy and tender despite all that burnt-sugar magic is beyond me. The maple-butter syrup shone brightest here, teleporting my top pick to even more delicious heights.