LATEST TEST:
Best CHEESECAKES IN UTAH
The Block Restaurant – strawberry honey cheesecake (Labnah fermented yogurt, more sour) (July) A
PF Chang – Lawler, own recipe for them; Lawler also makes special recipe ones for Outback and Carrabbas and others (10/10/21) (graham cracker crust alone, tested in 2017: B+) Total: A
Red Lobster, Steven Charles – A Dessert Company, Aururo, CO (formerly Steven Roberts Original Desserts), but Red Lobster sells this whole cheesecake at their outlets if their inventory is good, for a decent price (10/12-13/21: vanilla bean cheesecake with cream topping and shaved nuts: A-/A
Whole Foods Market, by J.M. Rosen Cheesecake, San Francisco (lemon and orange rind flavored) (10/12-13): A-
Cheesecake Factory – frozen, Walmart (10/11/21) B+
Junior – frozen from Brooklyn, Smiths (10/10-12/21) cold B+, 2nd day thawed deteriorates in flavor: B
Carrabbas, Lawler – different recipe than PF Chang B
Feldman's New York deli shipped in (10/10/21) B-/B
Simple Truth, Skyr yogurt, Smith's (10/11/21) B-
Jon Donaire, Macey's (10/11/21) C+/B-
Gandolphos with cherry topping (cheap C/C+ grade cheesecake with canned cherries), pak B+ (1st: 6/14 alone, 2nd: ~July with Steve)
TESTED SEPARATELY FROM ABOVE:
Peru 51 - cheesecake de maracuya (passion fruit glazed cheesecake): B/B+ (texture quality of cake C+, flavor B++)
Momo – (7/30 alone) too much air
caramel topping version A-
fresh strawberries and choc syrup B+
original (regular) B+
Cheesecakes lower than B+
Momo – (7/30 alone), flavors different than above:
peaches and cream B/B+
German chocolate B-/B
Lucy's Pizza – cheesecake B/B+ (6/14 with Jacob and Chase)
LaJolla – B/B+, slightly too tart (7/31 with Steve and Brian)
Kabob Stop – Pakistani cheesecake (tastes like ¼ goat milk) C+/B- (June and July alone)
Cheesecake Factory version made for /Sysco (via Black Bear Diner) C+ (8/28 alone)
EARLIER TESTS: 2016-2017
(Note, the revised, latest test results are above.)
A -
1. PF Chang (graham crust alone B+), made for them by a company in Texas? that has many clients, including Outback, but they use different recipes for various clients
2. Red Lobster (made by Chudley's, a national dessert baker/distributor)
3. Whole Foods Market, sold by the slice as "Best Cheesecake in the World"
A - -
4. La Jolla Groves, SLC, Provo
B++
4A. NOT TESTED WITH OTHERS, BUT FITS ABOUT HERE: Last Course, B++, with fresh strawberries added: A
5. Romano (graham crust B-)
6. Wingnuts (with much sour cream)
7. Carrabbas. brule ricotta cheesecake with strawberries and port wine reduction
B+
8. Olive Garden. Sicilian cheesecake with black square box Andes mind topping
B/B+
9. Oregano, Provo. Carmelized Mango cheesecake
10. Outback
11. Lawler's Member Only (GROCERY STORES)
B
12. Ruby River
13. Cheesecake Factory, plain (SEE THE FOLLOWING LIST FOR MORE of theirs).
B-
14. Vanilla Bean, Orem (July 2017) B-
15. Tucano's
16. Rusted Sun (not tested with others on this list)
17. Lucky H at Little America Hotel
18. Cheesecake Factory banana cheesecake
C+
19. Denny's
C/C+
20. Sam's Choice
21. Old Spaghetti Factory. Creme brule cheesecake
C
22. Gourmandise, SLC, with berries, grade C
C-
23. Mighty Baker, Provo
24. Cheesecake Factory mango key lime
25. Cheesecake Factory pineapple upside down
C - -
26. At Whole Foods Market: Pie in the Sky brand
D+/C-
27. Cheesecake Factory's Key lime cheesecake
D+
28. Mighty Baker's lime cheesecake
Note: Black Sheep, Provo A- (2018 Note: with the former chef leaving in mid 2013, it may not be as good anymore, if it's even served).
Note: Best frozen cheesecake in a store: Jon Donaire at Emigration Market at 1700 E. 1300 S., SLC
Historical note: Spark in Provo was the best, but went out of business in June 2013.
ONLY AT CHEESECAKE FACTORY 2016 TEST
a. Godiva Cheesecake B+
b. plain B
c. Chocolate mousse cheesecake (upper 1/3 is darker; shavngs on top) B+
d. pineapple upside down cheesecake C-, with cream B-/B
e. Hershey's with almonds (top half regular choc cake, lower half Hershey's choc cheesecake) B
f. mango key lime cheesecake C-
g. banana cheesecake B-, added with real banana slices B/B+
h. key lime cheesecake D+/C-
Best chocolate cheesecake
Note: We tested most of their 30+ cheesecakes and all their chocolate ones. This is the best of theirs by far. Their Second best is #3 below.
2. Olive Garden chocolate cheesecake with mousse (mousse alone B+, cheesecake alone B+) total B+/A-
3. Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake, Cheesecake Factory
4. Whole foods market, SLC, choc cheesecake alone C-, with their whipped cream B+
