I Tried Everything on Cheesecake Factory’s New Menu. This Is What You Should Order ASAP

• What It Is: cheddar and green chile-infused waffle pieces with fried chicken bites on skewers, served with hot honey and maple butter syrup
• Price: $9.50

I’ll be honest: This was the menu item I was most looking forward to, but the waffles were a bit dry for my taste. The cheddar and green chile play up the savory and spicy notes that you get from the chicken and hot honey—it hits right on the swicy trend without getting so hot you’re begging for a glass of milk. Overall, the chicken is delicious, but with so many standout appetizers on the menu, I’m inclined to skip this one.

• What It Is: all-beef hot dog pieces wrapped in puff pastry, served with honey mustard
• Price: $11.50

Me: “I make pigs in a blanket all the time! I don’t need to order them from a restaur—oh, wait, these are good.” I went through a range of emotions sampling these jumbo-sized franks, which retain their snap and have a meaty, smoky flavor. The puff pastry is lightly crispy on the outside, pillowy on the inside, and the honey mustard has more of a honey-forward viscosity than the typical condiment you’d buy at the store, elevating the dish overall. I can see why Cheesecake Factory also offers this as a new kid’s meal option (served with fries); it’s a total crowd-pleaser, no matter how picky an eater you have.

• What It Is: two beef patties, cheese, grilled onions and special sauce on a brioche bun
• Price: $11.50

Again, my food snobbery knows no bounds. Initially, I was hesitant about ordering a drive-thru staple at a place renowned for its pastas and fancier fare, but Cheesecake Factory didn’t phone it in. It elevated the typical smashburger, getting solid caramelization and crispy edges on the patties, with a squishy brioche bun that’s remarkably soft. I immediately yanked the pickles off the toothpick garnish and added them to my burger, letting the briny notes play up the tanginess of the special sauce (which reminded me a lot of Thousand Island).

• What It Is: ribs glazed with soy-garlic chili sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds
• Price: $11.50

Holy moly, these ribs have no right being this tender. When I tell you they fell off the bone, I mean they slipped off cleanly, without a bit leftover. The meat was tender and succulent, and the soy-garlic chili glaze was just the right level of sticky-sweet. It’s indulgent, yes, though the pickled onions and cucumbers on the side proved to be an excellent palate cleanser. While disappointed, I wasn’t a bit surprised that on a subsequent visit, the ribs had totally sold out for the day (and it was only 4:28 p.m.!).

• What It Is: blackened Pacific swordfish with coleslaw, tartar sauce and cheese on a toasted sesame seed bun
• Price: $20.50

Despite growing up in Florida, where just about every restaurant has a blackened fish on the menu, I’ve never cared for it. Or fish sandwiches in general. But I was very pleasantly surprised by Cheesecake Factory’s take. The swordfish wasn’t at all fishy (crucial for me) and had a firm texture. The meat has a subtle sweetness that pairs nicely with the heat of the blackened seasoning—further aided by the creamy-crunchy slaw and aioli-like tartar sauce. My husband, who’s more of a seafood fan, really enjoyed how light and flavorful it was.

• What It Is: grilled steak with melted cheese, grilled onions and peppers on a toasted sesame seed roll
• Price: $27

Have you ever bitten into a cheesesteak and tore up the roof of your mouth because the bread was toasted to razor-edged crispness? You will find none of that here. Cheesecake Factory doesn’t use its signature brown bread here (though maybe that’s a secret menu hack to try?!), but it’s every bit as pillowy soft and delicious. The steak is tender, not chewy, with plenty of molten cheese in every bite. But the real surprise-and-delight component were the peppers, which practically melted in my mouth while retaining their herbaceousness.

• What It Is: Fried Pacific swordfish topped with cheese, coleslaw and tartar sauce on a toasted sesame seed bun
• Price: $20.50

This fish sandwich surprised me; so much so that I actually took the leftovers home (something I never do with seafood) and air-fried it the next afternoon for lunch. The crisp, crumbly breading offered a nice crunch and contrast to the tender, flaky swordfish—which, again, wasn’t the least bit fishy.

• What It Is: charbroiled chicken kabobs served alongside pita bread, yellow rice, tomato-cucumber salad, feta and topped with garlic sauce, onion and cilantro
• Price: $18

Light, refreshing and large enough to take half home for lunch the next day, this Mediterranean Bowl may be the best deal on the menu. It encompasses such a range of flavors, from the garlicky, tangy yogurt sauce and pickled veggies to the mellow rice and briny feta. The chicken was juicy, with a nice char and decent heat from the seasoning. Often, pita can be an afterthought in these meals, often hard and a bit stale tasting, but that was not the case here. It was cloud-like and became the perfect vessel for scooping up the tomato-cucumber salad.

• What It Is: egg omelette stuffed with spinach, roasted peppers and onions and feta, smothered in a spicy tomato sauce and served with homefries
• Price: $19

I never think of going to brunch at Cheesecake Factory, but I will now, thanks to this ridiculously fluffy omelette. It was cooked to perfection (no rubbery bites, even along the edges) and oozing with cheese. The spinach, feta, onions and peppers added just the right touch of saltiness and crunch.

But truly, the tomato sauce was the star of the show. It’s billed as spicy, but it has more of a mild-to-medium heat. I’m not mad about that—it had such excellent flavor that I was soon  dipping every bite, from the homefries to the pita, in it.

Days later, I found myself wanting to recreate this dish at home, earning it the top spot among new dishes in my book.

• What It Is: milk and white chocolate marbled cheesecake atop a crunchy toffee brownie, crowned with whipped cream and chopped nuts and drizzled with chocolate sauce and caramel
• Price: $13.50

This cheesecake redefines decadent, and if you love chocolate, you will need every ounce of willpower you have not to eat the whole thing in seconds. The tanginess of the cheesecake almost seems palate-cleansing compared to the richness of the densely fudgy brownie base that is nothing short of divine. This may be my favorite CF cheesecake of all time. Just be sure to ask for coffee, no sweetener, when you order it—you’ll need it.