The Cheesecake Factory’s cheesecakes at The Cafe: hit or miss?

🍰 The Cheesecake Factory’s bakery landed in Cairo — but are the famous slices worth your time? Served inside the newly opened The Cafe, the world-famous dessert sits front and center behind a refrigerated display case, showcasing a tempting array of cheesecakes. We put it to the test — and came away with a few thoughts.

What’s on The Cafe’s Cheesecake menu? The bakery brings its signature cheesecake slices in original, Belgian chocolate, and raspberry swirl, alongside a small selection of mini cupcakes. Meanwhile, the full-sized showstopper cakes included the classic cheesecake, Oreo cookies & cream, banana foster, red velvet, mango key lime, dulce de leche, and Godiva double chocolate, among others.

What we ordered: We stood in front of the brimming display case, overwhelmed with the options, while a friendly staff member helped us pick our sweet treats for the evening. The flavors that caught our attention were the staff-recommended white chocolate raspberry and Godiva double chocolate, as well as the social media-hyped red velvet. We then sat down as the slices arrived promptly with cream served on the side for each.

The moment of truth: Our forks dug into the soft, creamy slices — and sweet they certainly were. The standout of the bunch was the white chocolate raspberry, which struck a nice balance between tangy and sweet, with the white chocolate proving far less sugary than we expected. The red velvet was another standout, and the only slice with an actual layer of cake, delivering the familiar flavor profile you’d expect from a good red velvet dessert. As for the Godiva double chocolate, the staff’s recommended pick for chocolate lovers, it felt more akin to chocolate mousse than a traditional cheesecake. While undeniably sweet, it’s not the kind of slice we’d feel ready to devour in one sitting.

Our gripes: While we enjoyed the slices overall, we wouldn’t necessarily call them quintessential cheesecakes. The sweetness often overpowered the more nuanced flavors, textures, and ingredients. We also found the cheesecake to be generally more cream-oriented than whole cake-oriented. As for the cafe itself, the staff was pleasantly warm and welcoming, but being seated in a barely air-conditioned indoor space during a hot June evening slightly took away from the experience.

The verdict: The Cheesecake Factory’s cheesecakes didn’t quite live up to the hype for us. Perhaps our expectations were simply too high, and while the slices were enjoyable, they didn’t quite deliver the wow factor we were expecting. That said, there was enough to make us consider stopping by again if we’re in the area.

WHERE TO FIND- You can find The Cheesecake Factory bakery served inside The Cafe at its branches in 5A and Citystars Mall.

💵 Per person: EGP 300-500

🪑 Outdoor seating: Yes

🍺 Alcohol: No

🦽 Accessibility friendly: Yes