Valentine’s Day: 25 restaurants where love will be in the air

WILTON MANORS, FLORIDA - JANUARY 29: Sweetheart candy hearts are seen on the shelf at the To The Moon Marketplace on January 29, 2019 in Wilton Manors, Florida. William Newcomb who works at the store said, 'they stocked up early on the heart shape candy after learning that the Necco company had filed for bankruptcy protection and went out of business.' The Sweetheart candy was being made by Necco since 1886 and is in short supply after the company went out of business as Valentine’s Day approaches. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
WILTON MANORS, FLORIDA - JANUARY 29: Sweetheart candy hearts are seen on the shelf at the To The Moon Marketplace on January 29, 2019 in Wilton Manors, Florida. William Newcomb who works at the store said, 'they stocked up early on the heart shape candy after learning that the Necco company had filed for bankruptcy protection and went out of business.' The Sweetheart candy was being made by Necco since 1886 and is in short supply after the company went out of business as Valentine’s Day approaches. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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Valentine's Day
CHICAGO – AUGUST 28: Peanut Butter Cheesecake at The Cheesecake Factory presents American Idol Lee DeWyze to kick off Feeding America’s Hunger Action Month at James Hotel on August 28, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Feeding America)

6. The Cheesecake Factory

This list would not be valid if The Cheesecake Factory wasn’t included.

Though the chain has lost a bit of its high-end luster thanks to expansion, The Cheesecake Factory is still one of the best restaurants to spend Valentine’s Day with your love.

For the few people who don’t know what the Cheesecake Factory is about, this is a place that specializes in — what else? — cheesecake. Over the years, however, the chain has expanded their menu to include more pricier food options, making it more than just a desert place, and more of an upscale casual restaurant.

It seems like today there’s a Cheesecake Factory in almost every big city and small ones; and cities and suburbs that are unlucky enough to not have a Cheesecake Factory, have made Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages to try to lure the chain to their towns.

It’s all surreal, in some respects, as this chain has gained an incredible following, which was nothing of the sort when it was founded in 1972 as simply a bakery for cheesecakes in L.A. It’s safe to say that The Cheesecake Factory has come a long way from those humble beginnings, and even though they are not a restaurant spot, you can still grab a good slice of cheesecake here.

But cheesecake isn’t the only thing that The Cheesecake Factory does well, these days. It has cultivated an atmosphere of greatness that few restaurants can rival, and in that short amount of time between its growth spurt and today, that’s pretty darn impressive.