2025's New Summer Cheesecake Factory Menu Items Tried & Ranked

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If you've ever looked at The Cheesecake Factory's menu and thought, "Gosh, I wish there were more options," then good news: the restaurant has recently added 14 new dishes to its already extensive menu. Eight new appetizers and six new bowls give guests even more options at a restaurant already known for an abundance of menu items. Oh, and don't forget the new cheesecake flavor — Peach Perfect with Raspberry Drizzle Cheesecake — and a number of non-alcoholic drink options that recently joined the fray.

The new Bites menu features Avocado Toast, Baked Brie with Truffle Honey Butter, Chicken and Biscuits, Crispy Rice Cakes with Crab, Meatball Sliders, New Orleans Cajun Shrimp, Parm Truffle Fries, and Ricotta Cheese Toast. Meanwhile, folks craving a bowl can choose from Carnitas, Orange Cauliflower, Peruvian Chicken, Southern Fried Chicken Bowl, or a Teriyaki Salmon Bowl.

If that sounds like a lot to choose from, well, it is. To make your next order experience a little easier, The Cheesecake Factory invited me to try out every new item. Read on to find out which items are a must and which you can skip (or at least save for another visit).

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I didn't taste a single bad item in my time at The Cheesecake Factory. Still, something needs to kick off the list, so I'm going with the Avocado Toast, which was good, but didn't blow me away like some other dishes further down this list. It's simple, but in a charming way.

Three pieces of thin-sliced French bread are topped with a healthy amount of creamy avocado, arugula, quartered cherry tomatoes, pickled red onion, and finished with Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil and lemon. This isn't a full-on meal, but rather a light and refreshing appetizer. The avocado is fresh and creamy, and the tomatoes and red onion especially add a nice hit of acid to the dish.

My slice was gone in three bites, leaving me feeling happy, but not necessarily craving more. If you're an avocado toast aficionado, you'll enjoy this bite for its execution, but if you're looking for a starter with a little more pizazz, there are more exciting options.

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Fries are pretty much always good, but when you add Parmesan and garlic aioli, it's hard to go wrong. Such is the case with The Cheesecake Factory's Parmesan Truffle Fries. Each fry is crispy from top to bottom, and while they're not steak fries by any means, these fries have a good heft to them.

A heaping cup comes topped with a generous amount of Parmesan cheese and a side of ketchup and garlic aioli. The aioli is definitely a winner. It's thick and creamy, with a nice garlic punch. The fries were one of the first items brought to my table, and it took some serious self-control not to continue munching on them even as plate after plate of food arrived. These are some top-notch French fries, but still not the most intriguing new bite The Cheesecake Factory has to offer.

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The first bowl on this list is a vegetarian option that would satisfy even the staunchest of meat-eaters. Tempura-fried cauliflower pieces join snow peas, carrots, and mushrooms in a sweet orange sauce over white rice. 

Let's start with the veggies, where the snow peas and mushrooms fight for dominance. Both are great in different ways. The snow peas bring a lovely crunch and brightness, while the mushrooms are meaty and tender. Matchstick carrots get a bit lost in the shuffle, but do their job, adding a little color to the dish.

Not to be outdone is the cauliflower, which somehow manages to melt in your mouth without ever coming close to being mushy. Some of it might have to do with the light, crispy breading, but this cauliflower didn't leave me missing chicken in the slightest. I would have liked a little more kick in the sauce to balance out the sweetness, but the orange-forward flavor works to bring all of the elements together.

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Yes, there's such a thing as a bad meatball. It's not as simple as slapping together some beef or pork and slathering the final product in red sauce. Thankfully, The Cheesecake Factory is properly versed in the art of this Italian staple.

A juicy, flavorful meatball is the centerpiece of this appetizer, but it's the smaller elements that help pull it together. The toasted ciabatta is a good call, as the airy bread keeps this dish from getting too heavy. A spread of pesto — not listed in the menu description — brings some much-appreciated freshness, while the vodka sauce and melted mozzarella spill out the sides with each joyfully messy bite.

Served in pairs, the Meatball Sliders are a good app to share with another person. If you're looking to turn a few smaller bites into a full meal, this is a strong place to start.

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The Chicken Katsu Bowl was enjoyable, but it left me wanting more in a few places. Like every other bowl, this one has plenty of elements. Crispy fried chicken breast is layered over rice alongside edamame, sliced cucumbers, and mushrooms. There's plenty going on, but one key element falls short.

The chicken is fantastic. Lightly breaded and perfectly crisped, this is the kind of breading every TikTok chef would run their knife across for the ASMR. Inside, the meat is juicy and tender, and the teriyaki glaze adds great flavor. There's also a spicy mayo drizzled over the chicken, which is where my one complaint lies: I want more. This is a rice-heavy bowl with a ton of fresh ingredients, but it feels like more sauce would help tie everything together. It's a very satisfying bowl, but it just could be elevated with that one simple upgrade.

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The new Bites menu features three different toast-centric dishes, including the Baked Brie Truffle Honey Butter. Unlike the Avocado Toast, which employs a thin piece of toasted French bread, this app utilizes a thicker, chewier cut of bread and is all the better for it.

Brie is melted into the middle of the toast, then topped with honey-truffle butter and homemade orange marmalade. The result is a chewy, cheesy bite that derives sweetness from both the honey butter and the marmalade. The orange flavor is key here, offering a bright citrus note that pairs expertly with the slight sourness of brie.

This is an appetizer you could get lost in, so it's probably a good thing it's a small bite. No matter your group size, this is a great option for sharing because the slices can easily be cut in half, allowing everyone to get a taste (but trust me, you'll want a piece all to yourself).

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The teriyaki sauce is back. This time, it's used to glaze a piece of charbroiled salmon topped with sesame seeds, accompanied by edamame, mushrooms, pickled red onions, sautéed peppers, and a pineapple salsa atop a massive portion of white rice.

The salmon is, unsurprisingly, cooked to perfection, and the teriyaki adds a nice sweetness to the meat. The other elements are as good here as they are in other dishes, with those sliced mushrooms standing out as a tender, umami-rich addition. The showstealer is the pineapple salsa. Fresh, bright, and striking the ideal balance between sweet and acidic, this mix deserves a spot in every bite you take.

Again, more sauce would turn a really good dish into a great one. Maybe it's the quantity of rice, but without a binding agent, it feels like you're eating a collection of individually excellent ingredients that share the same bowl, but aren't quite connected. That's not really a complaint; it's merely a request for more of what makes this dish so tasty.

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Consider this the halftime show before we move on to the second half of the list. In addition to its new dishes, The Cheesecake Factory recently beefed up its beverage menu with three zero-proof cocktails. All three are made with Seedlip Grove 42, an alcohol-free liquor that blends Mediterranean orange, lemon peel, lemongrass, and ginger flavors.

First, I tried the mojito, which lived up to its name thanks to a generous amount of fresh mint. Each sip was smooth and refreshing, pairing well with the veggie-heavy bowls. I wasn't quite as impressed with the margarita, which was a little too sweet. There is something to be said about the unique bite tequila brings to the classic drink, so while the non-alcoholic version isn't bad, it's quite sugary. The pineapple mule might be the best of the bunch. The sweetness of the fruit combined with ginger creates a surprisingly complex flavor profile.

The Cheesecake Factory also offers six non-alcoholic specialty sodas. I tried the Coconut Limeade, and wow, this is a drink with layers. The lemon and lime flavors hit first, followed by the creaminess of the coconut milk, turning a classic lemonade into something smoother and undeniably refreshing.

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I try to avoid preconceived notions heading into reviews, but alas, I'm only human. The Crispy Rice Cakes with Crab certainly looked good, but I figured they'd end up lower on my list based purely on my love of bread over crispy rice as a base for a toast-esque appetizer. I was wrong.

The rice cakes are just so perfect. They're crispy on the outside without being overcooked or dry, but fluffy and tender inside. Plus, they're structurally sound. Even after a few bites, they held their shape and supported the mountain of shredded crab on top. Sesame seeds add a little nuttiness to the dish, which is simple, but all the better for it. If you like crab, this one is a must, and that's coming from someone who can take it or leave it.

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I spun this bowl around a few times before diving in, not only because it's beautiful to look at, thanks to the variety of colors in the dish, but because I needed to figure out where to start. Charbroiled chicken breast is drizzled with aji verde — a green sauce commonly featuring cilantro, peppers, and garlic with a mayo or yogurt base — and set atop a bed of white rice. From there, black beans, a veggie mix, and salsa join slices of fried plantain and grilled lime to round things out.

Once again, all of the ingredients work really well. The plantain adds a fun little side mission to the dish, while the green sauce has just the hint of a kick, even if — stop me if you've heard this before — I feel like it could do with more. Thankfully, the beans bring a little sauce of their own, so it's easy to pull this entire light, fresh dish together.

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The Cheesecake Factory has never been stingy with portions, so when I settled in to try its new items, I expected leftovers. As I write this entry, I'm actually consuming what was left of the Southern Fried Chicken Bowl and remembering why I enjoyed it so much. This is comfort food at its finest. Mashed potatoes — creamy with just the right amount of chunks — are topped with buttered corn, green beans, and Southern-fried chicken bites. A buttermilk biscuit accompanied by melted butter and hot sauce completes the dish.

This is the equivalent of a blanket straight from the dryer on a winter day. The chicken is juicy and tender, the corn is decadently buttered, and the green beans are al dente. I'm not sure the butter is necessary, but the hot sauce is a great addition to customize the meal. And don't get me started on the buttermilk biscuit. You know the brown bread served before a meal? The buttery sweetness of this biscuit puts up a strong case as the restaurant's best baked good — cheesecake notwithstanding, of course.

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Garlic! That's what the first bite of the New Orleans Cajun Shrimp screams. Once you get past the initial punch, this is a very rich and creamy appetizer that I loved. Three tail-on shrimp covered in Cajun seasoning resting atop toast are doused with a thick Creole sauce and cooked inside the cutest little cast-iron pan you've ever seen.

While my wife took the messier approach and ate it in two bites, I went for it all at once, after pulling the tail off my shrimp and squeezing on a bit of fresh lemon. The shrimp is expertly cooked, and the sauce soaks into the toast to create a gooey mess in the best possible way. Yes, this is a rich dish, but that works well for an appetizer. It's not something you can eat a ton of (though I'd be happy to try), but if you're a shrimp-lover, it's a must.

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No dish in this tasting surprised me more than the Ricotta Cheese Toast. The concept is deceptively simple. Whipped ricotta is poured onto toasted French bread, topped with toasted sesame seeds and orange honey. With only four ingredients, I expected an app that would fade into the background, but simplicity is where this dish excels.

The toast is perfect. That may sound like hyperbole, but despite the impressive quantity of ricotta, the bread never ventures into soggy territory. The ricotta itself is surprisingly light, falling somewhere between a heavy whipped cream and a thick yogurt. The sesame seeds bring a rich nuttiness to the proceedings, while honey balances things out with sweetness. The orange notes in the honey are stronger than anticipated, but that's a good thing. The citrus flavor brings everything together for a charming, light bite that won't ruin the meal ahead, but definitely gives your taste buds a warm-up.

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The final bowl on the list shifts back to rice, but adds a fun additional twist: tortillas. First, let's talk about those toppings. Marinated pork is slathered in a thick, green chili sauce and joined by black beans, roasted corn salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, and a fresh lime wedge. There's so much going on here that it's easy to forget the seasoned rice in the center of it all.

I used one of the two fresh flour tortillas that accompanied this bowl to build my own taco, and it was fantastic. The pork is fall-apart tender, and all of the fresh ingredients offer various flavors, ranging from smoky-sweet, thanks to the corn, to bright and acidic, courtesy of the pico. The sour cream and guac work alongside the meat itself to bring the sauciness I'd been craving, making this the most complete bowl of the new additions.

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Remember that biscuit from the Southern Fried Chicken Bowl? It's back, and somehow, it got even better. Biscuits are sliced and filled with a Southern-fried chicken tender, sausage gravy, and hot honey butter. It's the lovechild of biscuits and gravy and hot honey chicken that this world needed.

The biscuit is simultaneously crispy on the outside and super fluffy on the inside, while also being nice and buttery. The chicken tenders are similar with a light breading that provides a bit of crunch, while the meat itself is tender and juicy. Not to be outdone is the thick sausage gravy, loaded with chunks of savory sausage. If there's one thing in the food world that makes me angry, it's sausage gravy without meat, but thankfully, The Cheesecake Factory doesn't disappoint. Finally, a generous drizzle of hot honey butter adds sweet heat to this multifaceted bite.

Honestly, I'm not sure I'll ever look at these dishes the same way again. All hot honey chicken should come with sausage gravy, and all biscuits and gravy should include hot honey chicken. If you want to make a meal of appetizers, this absolutely has to be one of your choices, because it's the best new item on the menu.

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Don't worry, I didn't forget dessert. To round out the new offerings, The Cheesecake Factory presents the Peach Perfect with Raspberry Drizzle Cheesecake, a peach cheesecake swirled with peaches, topped with more peaches, and finished with a raspberry syrup drizzle and mounds of thick whipped cream.

Obviously, only order this one if you like peaches. There's fruit in every bite, and as one would expect, the cheesecake itself is thick and creamy. The real star of the dish, though, is the raspberry syrup. While I didn't think of peaches and raspberries as a natural pairing, I've since seen the light. The tartness of the berry drizzle brings new life to the sweetness of the peaches. Like almost every other dish, I brought some of this back home and got to enjoy dipping each forkful in a small cup of the raspberry syrup. Fruity dessert fans, this is a must.

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I'm not one to hesitate when criticizing food. Writing this piece, I almost wanted to have more bad things to say, but The Cheesecake Factory made it impossible. Every bowl, bite, drink, and dessert was top-notch. Sure, some could benefit from a tweak here or there, but this menu update is a winner from top to bottom. Order paralysis is a very real thing at The Cheesecake Factory, so save yourself some time and order a bowl and a few bites. That takes your options from over 250 to a somewhat manageable 14, and I'll vouch for every single one of them.

The Cheesecake Factory reached out to Mashed regarding its new menu and set up a tasting for my wife and me at our nearest location. We visited at lunchtime, and the kitchen brought out a few dishes at a time, allowing me to photograph each dish and take notes as I tasted. Evaluations were based on taste, appearance, and overall quality.