Cheesecake Cafe- Edmonton, AB

Fridays are the best days. It signifies a start to the weekend and an end to a usually LONG working week. Not only that, but usually Fridays mean I will try a new restaurant and blog about it. I was all excited to give a new place its very own review on "All Eric Can Eat" when I found out the friend that I was going with had already eaten. Sorely disappointed, we decided to head to the mall for some quick shopping. After walking around West Edmonton Mall, we decided to satisfy our cravings. A friend suggested the Cheesecake Cafe as she had passed by it many times going to one of her favorite Indian restaurants. I've gone to the Cheesecake Cafe before but it was quite some time ago. I do not remember it to be anything special but I thought I would keep an open mind as things might have changed.

Stepping into the Cheescake Cafe, the first thing that catches your eye is the display of cheesecakes, regular cakes and tarts you have the option of choosing from. The atmosphere was actually surprising as it had a very lively vibe. There was also a modern feel to the decor with nice leather couches and dark wooden tables. It did not give off the feel of a "family restaurant." Being greeted by the hostesses, we were told that it might be a little while before being seated. My friend and I were quite perplexed by this as we could see MULTIPLE empty tables. After about 10-15 minutes we were seated at a booth.

Since it was quite late for any more food (ie. dinner meals), we decided on getting desserts to be shared. I never like to go to a dessert place and only try one cake. Apparently all of their cheesecakes are made in house. The Cheesecake Cafe also uses Kraft Philidelphia cream cheese (I guess they are proud of that to put it on their menu?).

Dessert Menu 

After seeing all the options laid out in the glass cases and having a bit of time to mull over our choices, we decided on the French Apple and Rolo cheesecakes. After all, you HAVE to get the cheesecake because that's their namesake dessert.

French Apple Cheesecake

The French Apple cheesecake slice came out topped with cinnamon and a side of whipped cream. What impressed me though was that the French Apple cheesecake had large chunks of apple slices within the cheesecake itself. This was a nice surprise and really cut the richness of the creamy cake. The top had a nice brown sugar crust and a very sweet icing sugar drizzle.

Rolo Cheesecake

The Rolo cheesecake had a strong and rich chocolate flavor. There were multiple layers of chocolate infused creamy cheesecake and a rich dark chocolate topping. For those of you who love chocolate, this would be a good choice.

Overall, the cheesecake was nothing special. I've definitely had better desserts, and really have made better cheesecake than what the Cheesecake Cafe is offering. If I go out for dessert, I want to have something that is beyond my baking abilities, but this felt as if I could make it pretty easily. The Cheesecake Cafe has a nice and trendy atmosphere but my visit reinforced the fact that I should never doubt myself in the first place. The Cheesecake Cafe was what I thought it was - nothing special. For dessert, I don't think I'll be returning anytime soon.

Top Pick of the Night: French Apple Cheesecake

http://www.cheesecakecafe.ca/edmonton/

Rating:

2.5/5 Erics