Al’s Eatery & Bakery

I can’t help but compare this place to America’s Cheesecake Factory, in which case, this place gets negative stars as there is no comparison (even though the logos are similar and the prices are the same). If you compare it with Denny’s though, it’s pretty good. Everything they serve is mediocre. Nothing special. Like I said, it’s like a Denny’s with cheesecake. And no, the cheesecake is not that good.

It’s not the same place anymore… Well, I should say that it’s exactly the same place but the quality is certainly not… I was there last Sunday, for brunch, ordered a quiche Lorraine and man, was that bad… It’s at least two days old, the taste was horrible, couldn’t have a second bite… So disappointed… Never to go back…

Once a favorite spot for a nice dessert and coffee to chat, The Cheesecake Café in Northlands is now called Al’s Eatery & Bakery. As a previous reviewer mentioned, the sign says «Nothing’s changed: same great food, same great taste.» Being skeptical, I wanted to leave, but looking inside indeed nothing has changed. It is still the same décor with faded fabric bench seating and distressed-​wood tables. The biggest change was the size of the menu. I think they have almost two dozen pages to their menu, with no specific specialization or way of differentiating themselves from other popular lunch and dinner spots.
They do still offer the same cheesecake selections, which of course were fabulous and the reason for my visit. My guest had a classic style with raspberry topping while I opted for the cheesecake explosion. Both were very moist and flavorful, so that much is consistent.
Ambience was very family oriented, with background music of the 60’s era. Our server was exceptional, very attentive to refills and respectful of our time and also when we were talking she would hold back and wait for another opportunity to approach.
Based on cheesecake and excellent service I would return, but not sure if I would dine there for meals.

Al’s is formerly known as the Cheesecake Café just west of Northland Village Mall. I had to stop by because the sign said that the food hadn’t changed. Upon entering, the restaurant looks exactly the same and the cheesecake display case remains full of the same delicious goods. I asked about the change and the kid working the till told me that they wanted to add more to the menu and baked goods selection so they had to remove themselves from the Cheesecake Café franchise. They have added some new baked goods like a variety of cookies but didn’t notice what else may have changed.
I walked out with a Skor cookie and a slice of pumpkin cheesecake. Somehow, the cookie was flavorless. The cheesecake was as delectable as I’d expected, but I’d hoped the piece would have been slightly larger. The total cost was $ 9.43.
I can’t see myself making a point of going there for a meal, but I’ll continue to go back to treat myself to cheesecake from time to time. Mind you, I may try the pizza. Apparently it’s made with fresh, (some) local ingredients and you get 20% off all pizza take-​out orders.