Is the Cheesecake Factory calling your name? But are you unsure if it’s safe for people with celiac disease? Fear not, because we’re here to help.
Today we’re going to dive deep into whether the Cheesecake Factory is gluten-free. We’ll then list every item on the Cheesecake Factory gluten-free menu. With this information and the handy tools provided, you can make an informed decision on if the Cheesecake Factory is for you.
Is the Cheesecake Factory Gluten-Free?
Cheesecake Factory restaurants “are not allergen or gluten-free environments.” The company is transparent and says items may be prepared using shared equipment like fryers. So there’s a risk of cross-contamination.
Guests should always warn their server about their gluten allergy. However, the company cannot guarantee that any item will be 100% gluten-free. Staff must go through an allergen protocol to limit the risk of close contact with gluten, though. This includes changing gloves, using new equipment, and cleaning surfaces.
So is the Cheesecake Factory gluten-free? No, it isn't a dedicated gluten-free facility. But there are several gluten-free options at Cheesecake Factory. It also has a gluten-free menu. You’ll need to be specific when ordering from it though, as many of the items are also available on the ordinary menu.
Cheesecake Factory Gluten-Free Menu 2023 – The Handy Tools You Need
Now, we’re going to list everything gluten-free at Cheesecake Factory below. But these tools are also handy to have in your back pocket:
- Cheesecake Factory Gluten-Free Menu PDF. This document lists the nutritional information for every Cheesecake Factory menu item. If you keep scrolling, you’ll see the extensive range of gluten-free items.
- Cheesecake Factory Online Allergen Guide. This is fantastic for all allergen information. Select the allergy and it gives you a list of every menu item that doesn’t contain it.
- Cheesecake Factory Menu. For a basic understanding of the main ingredients in each dish.
Related: Looking for more handy tools to help you navigate a gluten-free life? Check out our favorite gluten-free apps.
Gluten-Free Food at Cheesecake Factory
Here’s an expansive list of gluten-free Cheesecake Factory options. We’ve split them into categories to make your life easier.
Gluten-Free Breakfast
Looking for a gluten-free breakfast at Cheesecake Factory? We recommend:
- Farm Fresh Eggs
- California Omelette
- Spinach, Mushroom, Bacon, and Cheese Omelette
- Factory Create an Omelette
By choosing the latter, you can mix and match your preferred gluten-free ingredients. You can also get your eggs with a side of sliced tomatoes, bacon, or grilled ham.
Now, Breakfast Potatoes are also on the gluten-free menu. We assume these are cooked in a shared fryer though. Heading to the Cheesecake Factory for weekend brunch instead? The Jambalaya Hash and Eggs is also a gluten-free item.
Gluten-Free Appetizers
This is a short list. The Cheesecake Factory's only gluten-free appetizer is the Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes. The cakes come with sour cream, salsa, cilantro, avocado, and salsa verde.
We’ll also add the Bowl of Mexican Chicken and Vegetable Soup here. You can order it as an appetizer, main, or in a cup with one of the lunch specials below.
Gluten-Free Salads
These salads (including Appetizer Salads) are on the gluten-free menu:
- Beet and Avocado Salad. This is a part of the Cheesecake Factory’s Small Plates and Snacks menu.
- Tossed Green Salad.
- Caesar Salad and Caesar Salad With Chicken.
- Factory Chopped Salad. This is a combination of lettuce, chicken, tomato, avocado, corn, bacon, blue cheese, and apple with vinaigrette.
- Cobb Salad. This is like the Factory Chopped Salad. It includes chicken, avocado, blue cheese, bacon, tomato, egg, and greens with vinaigrette. Don’t confuse this with the Vegan Cobb Salad, though. That includes farro, which isn’t gluten-free.
Now, these salads are listed as gluten-free. Yet several of them include croutons. We recommend double-checking at your local restaurant on their gluten-free status. We can only assume they’re gluten-free if they’re on the Cheesecake Factory gluten-free menu.
You can also add several gluten-free toppings to your salads. Your options are avocado, chargrilled steak, grilled chicken, grilled salmon, or grilled shrimp.
Finally, pair your salad with dressing. These are the gluten-free salad dressings available:
- Barbecue Ranch Dressing
- Blue Cheese Dressing
- Caesar Dressing
- Citrus Honey Dressing
- French Mustard Vinaigrette
- Ketchup
- Ranch Dressing
- Thousand Island Dressing
Gluten-Free Glamburgers®
Gluten-free buns are a part of the gluten-free menu Cheesecake Factory offers. They’re available upon request. So ensure you ask staff before ordering at your local restaurant.
Cheesecake Factory Glamburgers® come with french fries, sweet potato fries, or green salad. The french and sweet potato fries are considered gluten-free. Yet remember, they’re made in a shared fryer. So it’s up to you whether you enjoy them with your gluten-free burger.
Here are the options available:
- Old Fashioned Burger. Certified Angus beef patty paired with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and mayonnaise.
- Mushroom Burger. A beef patty with sauteed mushrooms, Swiss and Fontina cheese, onions, and mayonnaise.
- Americana Cheeseburger. Americana, indeed. You get American and cheddar cheese, potato crisps, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, and Secret Sauce.
- Bacon-Bacon Cheeseburger. A personal favorite. The beef patty comes with melted American and cheddar cheese, crispy thick-cut smoked bacon, and Secret Sauce.
- Impossible® Burger. This is a vegan burger with a plant-based patty. Then it has vegan melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, and Special Sauce on top.
- Factory Turkey Burger. Enjoy your turkey patty with cheese, avocado, tomato, arugula, onion, and aioli.
There’s also a range of gluten-free burgers only available in Hawaii if you’re lucky enough to live or be visiting there. This includes the B.B.Q. Kalua Pork and the Hawaiian Fish Sandwich made with mahi, ahi, salmon, and ono.
Related: Looking for gluten-free breakfast and mains while on vacation? Check out our favorite Las Vegas gluten-free restaurants.
Cheesecake Factory Gluten-Free Pasta
The pasta options on the Cheesecake Factory GF menu come with gluten-free pasta. The company says it uses clean pasta water to limit cross-contamination. Yet from our research, several people report finding gluten pasta in their gluten-free pasta dishes.
We’ll still list the gluten-free pasta available here. But this is one of the riskier gluten-free options on the menu.
- Four Cheese Pasta (alone and with chicken).
- Pasta with Chicken and Roasted Garlic
- Pasta Carbonara (alone and with chicken).
- Evelyn's Favorite Pasta
- Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta
- Shrimp with Rotini
Gluten-Free Mains
This is an assortment of Cheesecake Factory gluten-free options. Let’s start with the one item on their Gluten-Free Specialties menu – shepherd’s pie. Ground beef and vegetables are cooked in a mushroom gravy. This comes with a mashed potato and parmesan cheese crust.
Then you have Miso Salmon or Fresh Grilled Salmon. You can have this served with fresh corn, green beans, or sauteed spinach.
As for the steak, choose between Steak Diane, Grilled Rib-Eye Steak, Petite, and normal Filet Mignon.
There are several gluten-free sides available to go with your steak. They include:
- Green beans
- Roasted sweet potatoes
- Fresh corn
- Mashed potatoes
- Sauteed spinach
- Grilled asparagus
- Broccoli
Once again, French fries are on the gluten-free side dish menu. But we would personally pick one of the vegetable options not fried in a shared fryer.
Gluten-Free SkinnyLicious Specialties®
There are three gluten-free options on the Skinnylicious Specialties® menu. First, choose between SkinnyLicious® Chicken Soft Tacos or Shrimp Soft Tacos. Both include three soft corn tortillas with avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, crema, and your meat choice. They’re served with the Escabeche Vegetable Salad.
The alternative is the SkinnyLicious® Spicy Shrimp Pasta. Gluten-free pasta with sauteed shrimp, fresh tomato, basil, garlic, and spicy tomato sauce.
Related: Like these SkinnyLicious® offerings? You might also like this 7-day gluten-free diet plan.
Gluten-Free Kids’ Menu
If you have a gluten-free kid on your hands, here are the best options for them:
- Kids’ Pasta with Butter and Parmesan
- Kids' Pasta with Marinara Sauce
- Kids' Pasta with Alfredo Sauce
- Kids' Grilled Chicken
- Kids' Grilled Salmon
- Kids' Scoop of Ice Cream
- Kids' Mini Hot Fudge Sundae
- Kids' Strawberries
- "Happy Hour" Burger
Gluten-Free Lunch Specials
We’ll quickly list these lunch specials as most of them fit into other categories as well:
- Cobb Salad
- Four Cheese Pasta (alone and with chicken).
- Pasta with Chicken and Roasted Garlic
- Pasta Carbonara (alone and with chicken).
- Evelyn's Favorite Pasta
- Spicy Chicken Chipotle Pasta
- Shrimp with Rotini
- Shepherd's Pie
- Fresh Grilled Salmon with Corn Succotash, Green Beans, or Sauteed Spinach.
- Miso Salmon
Cheesecake Factory Gluten-Free Dessert
Yes, there’s a cheesecake gluten-free menu at the Cheesecake Factory! Your limited options include the Godiva® Chocolate Cheesecake. If you haven’t tried this, you’re in for a treat. The Flourless Godiva Chocolate Cake comes with Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake and chocolate mousse. It’s the definition of decadent.
Then you have the Low-Licious Cheesecake (both on its own and with strawberries). It’s important to note the cakes are in a display case alongside the gluten-containing cakes. While staff use different utensils, there’s still a risk of cross-contamination.
Other dessert options you can indulge in? Bowl of Fresh Strawberries, Hot Fudge Sundae, and Bowl of Vanilla Ice Cream.
Gluten-Free Drinks
You’ll find that most of the drinks on the Cheesecake Factory menu are gluten-free. This includes their To-Go Beverages, Frozen Drinks, Hot Drinks, and Specialty Beverages. The only drinks to avoid are the Factory Hot Chocolate and the Oreo Milkshake.
Non-Gluten-Free Food to Avoid at Cheesecake Factory
If you’re a frequent visitor to the Cheesecake Factory, you know the menu is exhaustive. In fact, there are over 250 dishes on the 12-page menu. So we won’t list every non-gluten-free item, but let’s look at the top things to avoid
First, anything fried. If the name includes the word crispy, coated, or fried, step aside! The coating contains wheat and they’re fried in a shared fryer. This includes:
- Korean Fried Cauliflower
- Cheeseburger Spring Rolls
- Fish and Chips
- Fried Macaroni and Cheese, and so much more.
Next, the Flatbread Pizza is a no-go zone. The pizza base contains wheat and there’s no gluten-free alternative available. Same with the Sandwiches, which come with wheat bread.
Finally, except for the three cheesecake options listed above, every other cake is off the table. The Godiva® Chocolate Brownie Sundae is another off-limits dessert. It’s made with gluten-containing brownies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cheesecake Factory Have a Gluten-Free Cheesecake?
Yes, there are three gluten-free cheesecake options on the Cheesecake Factory gluten-free menu. They are the decadent Godiva® Chocolate Cheesecake and the Low-Licious Cheesecake. The latter is available both on its own and with strawberries.
Does Cheesecake Factory Have Gluten-Free Buns?
Yes, the Cheesecake Factory has gluten-free buns available upon request.
Related: Do you know where else you can get gluten-free buns? At Chick-fil-A!
Does Cheesecake Factory Have Gluten-Free Bread?
Yes, gluten-free bread is available at the Cheesecake Factory upon request.
Are Fries at Cheesecake Factory Gluten-Free?
The fries at Cheesecake Factory are on the gluten-free menu. But as mentioned, they’re not fried in a separate fryer. So we wouldn’t classify them as gluten-free for this reason.
Does Cheesecake Factory Have Gluten-Free Pizza?
No, the pizza at Cheesecake Factory is not gluten-free. Instead, you’ll have to opt for a gluten-free burger, pasta, salad, or main.
Is It Safe to Eat Gluten-Free at Cheesecake Factory?
Should people with celiac disease eat at Cheesecake Factory? This is up to the individual consumer.
Ultimately, it isn’t a gluten-free environment, so there’s a risk of cross-contamination.
If you don’t want to take the gamble and try the Cheesecake Factory's gluten-free menu, we understand. Here are our recommendations for the best gluten-free fast food options.
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