The Cheesecake Company

OMG!!! Best Sunday brunch buffet EVER. Made reservations online… easy as could be. Huge food selection, couldn’t even try everything and of course their cheesecake is the best. I had the sugar free/​gluten free one… yum! All the food was awesome tasting. Will definitely go back… maybe next weekend!

The boys were really hungry one Sunday afternoon, so we stopped here for brunch. Our server was friendly and attentive, so our water and orange juice (from concentrate) glasses were never empty. Alas, the food at the buffet was hit and miss.
Hits: –the fried chicken tenders with sweet chilli sauce was a delicious combination of salty and sweet with a mild kick of chilli heat.
–I love perfectly fried, crispy bacon (I dislike the microwave kind) and the waffles (with syrup) were a good match.
–the chef at the beef and ham carving station was very pleasant to me; I managed to persuade him to serve me a medium piece of roast beef (there were no more medium rare pieces left). The beef was still quite tender, though.
Misses: –all three bowls of salad greens weren’t replenished for the entire time that we were there; and a quarter of the greens weren’t very fresh (limp with dark spots).
–the eggs on the Eggs Benedict were a bit too hard poached for my boys’ taste.
–the barbecue ribs were tough, chewy (not falling off the bone, that’s for sure) and bland.
–the same chef at the carving station treated my son in a gruff manner (unfortunately, I wasn’t there when this happened) and served him (at the pasta station) cold pasta and cold tomato sauce (the sauce had a vinegary, unfinished taste). Gee, all you had to do was warm it up in a pan.
–dessert was a huge disappointment. There were some kind of squares/​pudding served in a rectangular pyrex dish that turned out to be a sloppy mess after the diners had been digging in and out of it with a spoon (it reminded me of something my grandmother would make). The «classic cheesecake» looked and tasted like it had been bought from Superstore. I thought they would serve a miniature version of their famous cheesecakes…

We have been here 3 times now for their Sunday brunch. It stacks up with most about the city. All the food is fresh and it is good for family groups. Although a great deal, nothing really stands out as special. They have an Omelet station… etc. all the regular stuff you would expect. The price is more than fair and do not think they have ever charged for or 3 year old.

My boyfriend has been raving about this place for months so we finally decided to go and try out the brunch buffet on the Sunday of the long weekend. I think we were both disappointed. I don’t really know if it was an isolated incident or not but he claims the quality and service has drastically decreased since he was there last.
They did have a decent selection of food but everything was pretty much empty and they took ages to re-​fill. The food didn’t taste great and it is undoubtedly over-​priced. We will not be returning.

Haven’t been here in at least 10 years. Crazy I know.
When a friend who was coming into town suggested to meet up here, I was abit giddy. Yes, I love dessert that much.
We were seated promptly. Since it was mid afternoon, it wasn’t very busy, just steady with customers.
Our waitress was very bubbly and sweet. We Ordered some wine and dessert, since it was that awkward time of day, after lunch and way too early for dinner. Mid afternoon snack is what we will call it.
Order wine, 1 turtle cheesecake and my friend ordered a raspberry delight? I think that is what it was called? Do note, we ordered a piece each, not a whole cake. Lol. The turtle dessert was amazing. So creamy and rich. The portions are big. I could have ate the whole cake if they put it in front of me… tempting! My friend raved about her dessert, but didnt offer me any so can’t state how it was. It looked really good. Wine was good, your typical house wine.
A small group of 5 were seated next to us and they were telling us how great their weekend brunch was. That we needed to check it out since it was fabulous. Everything from your typical brunch food to things like butter chicken? Since I love Indian food and breakfast, I know I will need to check this out. It’s now on my radar for brunch very soon.
Service was excellent. Dessert was fabulous. Reasonably priced.
Will be back to try the brunch that I received rave reviews about.

I’ve always liked the buffet on the weekends and holidays. Butter chicken on scrambled eggs

I would have given it 3 starts if it wasn’t for the excellent service. The food is pretty good. not amazing, but certainly fresh and good salads and dessert. The butter chicken sauce was good, chicken itself was a little dry. The roast beef looked good and one of my guests said it tasted delicious. For the price these days in Calgary, I felt it was good value overall.

This place used to be so good. The portions used to be very large and good prices. Lately the name keeps on changing, the portions get really small and the prices go a lot higher. The food is also not as good as it used to be. Such a shame.

We ordered the chesecake in person for my son’s birthday. To my surprise after we got home, I saw the spelling of his name was wrong — from Joshua to Joshna. I called them & was given a choice of returning it or getting a new one. There was no point to return it but it was a bit disappointing.
However, I’d rate it 5 stars for the taste & smoothness of their cheesecake. Best cheesecake we’ver ever had, hands down. No wonder it was $ 40. Sure is worth it!

I was back in Calgary last week for business. One evening I decided to go to Northland Village. The Cheesecake Company was the only full service-​looking restaurant in the area, so I decided to go there for dinner.
It was around 7:30pm, so a crowd was not an issue. I was seated promptly, and my server appeared in about a minute. I really wanted to try the beef curry vindaloo, but because I was planning on having a dessert, I went with the sirloin steak salad, with the dressing on the side
My salad arrived. It was ok. The veggie components were good. I have ordered my steak «a little pink in the middle». The steak that arrived wasn’t, but it was serviceable, and I didn’t want to send it back.
I told my overly polite waitress that I was ready for dessert, and I had it narrowed down to the sugar-​free sensation cheesecake and the carrot cake. The carrot cake ended up winning out. I was quite please with what arrived. It was nice to see a place take a risk and NOT make the same carrot cake that everyone else was doing. This was a little lighter in colour than most carrot cakes, and the icing was good, but not super sweet (which is a good thing for me). Plus there was a lack of walnuts and almond slivers — which was a fresh change.
Overall, it was a positive experience. My salad was average, but my carrot cake won the battle. If half points were allowed, I’d grant 3.5 stars.
Happy Unilocaling!

We were in Calgary last week and wanted to grab a hearty brunch. We stumbled upon the Cheesecake Company and loved the idea of a breakfast buffet.
We didn’t so much love the idea the price though — for $ 23.99 we had high expectations. And we were disappointed.
The juice (at least the orange and cranberry) was included in the cost but definitely was from concentrate. When you got to the end of the small glass, there was a lot of thick goop sliding towards your awaiting mouth (orange and the cranberry was way sweet).
There was a good selection for the buffet including your favourite breakfast items and an omelette bar, and a selection of other foods including a pasta bar, ribs, butter chicken, salads and desserts.
We found the food to be fairly blah though — not very flavourful, a little dry (butter chicken) and uninspiring.
And, if anyone is a fan of a great washroom like I am, I would avoid this one. The washroom had the tiny toilets — the ones that are best suited for daycares and make you reflect on how Hagrid from Harry Potter must have felt in any muggle’s washroom.
On the plus side:
Coffee flowed freely and the service was great. It was also clean and had lots of parking.

I’m disappointed with my first experience at this location. Having a limited gluten-​free menu, and no entrees labelled as such, it took me a fair bit of time to decide on a dish. After I finally ordered, I decided to use the washroom, being away from my table no more than 5min. As I was returning to my table, I was ‘greeted’ by the waiter who told me, management ‘thought’ I had left, so they cancelled my order and reassigned the table to someone else. I might add, I had left my mitts at the table and had prepared the cutlery and napkin in such a manner to indicate I had NOT left the establishment. To top it off, the restaurant was mostly empty, so it was unclear to me why they would choose to clear my table, when so many were available. In embarrassment, the waiter offered me another table but at that point I was offended and didn’t feel welcome; I told him so, gathered my belongings and left. If you dine alone and need to use the facilities, make sure you inform the staff where you are headed or your table will be cleared when you return.

I took my sista here a couple weekends ago for Sunday brunch. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here and I didn’t know they had a brunch. We thought we’d give it a try. The selection was pretty good: fresh salads, pasta salad, cheese & crackers, butter chicken, bbq ribs, salmon, spaghetti, sausage, bacon, carving station of prime rib and ham, made to order omelettes and of course desserts that include cheesecake. The bbq ribs were to die for! Butter chicken was tops too. The prime rib was still a bit too pink in the middle but was tastey. Yes my friend and I made several trips to the buffet and we were bursting at the seams when we were done. Had to get my money worth. The price was a steep $ 23.99 which I wasn’t quite expecting. But as a treat for my best pal, she was worth it. It’s not a place I’d go regularly but maybe on a special occasion it’s nice. Service was pretty good too.

My wife and I decided to try out the breakfast brunch buffet at The Cheesecake Company at Northland Village Shops yesterday morning for the first time. We had the made-​to-​order omelette at the omelette bar. It was OK. They had a lot of non-​breakfast foods, like roasts and lasagna, which is OK if you’re interested in
lunch, but we weren’t. That wasn’t a complaint, just an observation. Ordering from the menu was not an option during the brunch buffet.
On to the food. The bacon was cheap quality and not completely cooked. The sausages were OK. The fruit plate was great if you like melon. The croissants tasted day old. The waffles were very soggy and not very warm — same for the french toast. But the killer for me was the cheesecake. Now, if you know The Cheesecake Company, you know what kind of cheesecake they have. Huge. Tall cakes and big slices. The cheesecakes on the buffet were not those. These were the small, grocery store grade cheesecakes. This seemed like a real cheap-​out to me and my wife agreed. Even another couple in the restaurant said the same thing. So as much as I hate to say this, definitely not worth $ 50 for two people. For a sample of a high grade breakfast buffet that is worth the money, go to Thompson’s at the Hyatt downtown. You’ll see what I mean.

I’ve tried their brunch buffet (wide range of selections) and I’ve now tried one of their Alberta beef burger dinners for a late-​night meeting (9PM) with a friend – the meal was generously-​sized and served with a mountain of fries. Good food, reasonably priced. Our server was friendly and upbeat, which earns them an extra star.

Good food! Great cheesecake. Service just a little slow

I’d actually like to give this 3.5 stars — not quite a 4, but that’s because I had to send my beef fajita back. How do you mess up a fajita you ask??? The first round came with barely discernible pieces of beef (??) dried up and tough as boot leather hidden amongst peppers & onions. I sent it back immediately with the comment that it was the worst I’d ever had!
Nibbled on the other’s food while waiting. The Fettucine Alfredo was excellent — a nice light creamy sauce that didn’t drown the pasta, but coated it nicely. My hubby’s fish and chips were crisp and generously battered with moist fish inside. The fries were hot and tasty. And my son’s Butter Chicken was the best I’d had outside of an authentic Indian restaurant. We were amazed. (Although reading other reviews, looks like it may now be owned by East Indians which would explain that. YUM!) The second round of fajitas returned with what looked like half a side of beef — perfectly cooked. That said, the rub they use has a dry texture to it which sits on your tongue. That I wasn’t a fan of. The meat itself melted in the mouth. It’s spicier than most of the traditional fajitas around town. I took half of it home for lunch the next day. Wouldn’t reorder it if I was going again just because of the dry spice texture. But they made up for the first mistake for sure — and deducted one of our beers off the bill too.
We ordered a piece of carrot cake for dessert — very moist, and full of walnuts. Enjoyed it too.
As long as they can keep up this standard of food — and service — we’d go back. But it was hit & miss when it was Cheesecake Café, and worse as ‘Al’s…’ (can’t remember full name.) Just wish they’d shrink the menu a bit — too much choice. Focus on some really quality dishes. Would like to try a bison burger next time.
We were a family of four with two teenagers. Total bill with drinks (virgin margaritas & two beers) was $ 100 before tip.

As of Oct 20, 2012 for weekends and long weekends, the Cheesecake Company puts on a very lovely Brunch Buffet. It starts at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m. It costs $ 23.99/adult and $ 19.99/senior. The buffet includes tea, coffee and juice. The long buffet table has platters of fresh cut fruit, vege and dip, desserts galore, banana loaf, rolls, a green salad, caesar salad, different salad dressings, breakfast items like scrambled eggs, bacon, nice fat juicy sausages, eggs benny with ham, chunky potatoes, brunch potatoes with cheddar, waffles and pancakes, salmon with lemon and dill, butter chicken and basmati rice, roast beef at the carving table and made-​to-​order omellettes.
So much food for a good price. I especially like the butter chicken and basmati rice, the salmon was really good, roast beef, the wonderful cheesecake and those little coloured-​chocolate cups with custard in the middle.
The Managers/​Owners are Nita and Matal (forgive me if I spelt their names wrong). They are very welcoming and kept coming by to ask how we liked the food and buffet. The wait staff was very attentive and provided very good service. I also notice that the chefs would come out and make sure the buffet was always filled with food. They make small batches of food so that it’s always fresh out of the kitchen. I like the ethnic touch as well!
The restaurant was getting to be quite full at about 10:30 a.m. I would think that reservations should be made in order to avoid disappointment if you can’t get in.

Epic Fail!
I am happy to see other reviews of this place that were positive. I am sure you got a different cook than I!
Was meeting a colleague here for lunch, we just needed to decide on something quick close to Northland Mall. This is where we picked!
I had never been, never had heard of this place before, being from out of province originally. We walked inside and were left standing at the front of the restaurant for far too long before being seated. This place looked ok, nothing too special, a teeny bit shabby but I was hoping for a nice meal as I was starving as was my colleague. I swear, this menu gives Denny’s a run for its money in terms of items they serve. The menu must be 10 pages front and back, I am not kidding. They do have some lunch items that won’t break the bank but all of the other menu items appeared to be quite expensive. I ordered just a chicken taco salad for $ 16.99 — cannot screw that up too badly right? And I ordered a cup of coffee that I hoped was VERY good for $ 4 a cup. I might as well have thrown a shot of Baileys in it — how much more could it have been? My friend got a house salad and a French Onion Soup. The food took quite awhile which was funny as the place was not super busy. The salads finally came and then strangely, the soup came a good 15 minutes later when the 2 items were to be served together. But anyways, back to my sloppy mess — it was small cubes of frozen («spicy» = not) chicken drowned in bad canned salsa which was then dumped all over my salad! Which by the way had maybe 3 radish pieces in it and 3 carrot slices. Pathetic. If the ranch dressing, sour cream, guac and extra salsa come on the side, why drown my meal in red goo making it almost inedible.
I did get free coffee refills. And I thought the server was OK until my colleague asked me, «Did you see those huge dangling GUN earrings she is wearing?» I had not, oh boy, time to get the bill and get going! I did get a piece of Cheesecake to take home to the man thinking — well, that is their name, the Cheesecake Company so the cakes should be good? Am I just too trusting or what? The cheesecake was horrible, I just cannot in good conscience recommend the key lime cheesecake. That is so sad! Key Lime is supposed to make people happy-​happy and it was just a disaster. I am not sure how they got the cheesecake itself green, I would have picked a different slice had I known!
Won’t ever go back again. I give 2 stars instead of 1 as I have not felt sick yet. I so thought I was going to be!!!

Recently this franchise location of this Cheesecake has broken away from the franchise and renamed. You will find it’s not called Al’s something or other. Same owner — same décor — same staff. The sign says «everything stayed the same except the name» … and well… the menu. My favourites are gone. The meals we had didn’t impress us. I think the portions are smaller and the prices rose. The cheesecake is still good — but I think this has gone from a «potential dinner stop» to a «stop in for a slice of cheesecake» place.