Cheesecake has been defined as a delicacy since ancient Greece, over 4,000 years ago. Cheesecake has obviously changed throughout the years, even with the addition of different and new flavors. Cheesecake is on a spectrum; usually, people love it, like Keppler Ireland, who said, “I think cheesecake is awesome. It just has a different flavor than all other desserts, and if you put some jelly on top of it, it just becomes untouchable,” or people hate it, like Violet Ritenour who said, “I do not like cheesecake. I think it has too much of a wet texture and a sour taste.” People may have considered this dessert as ‘sour’ from the cream cheese, others may say it’s ‘rich in flavor’. Over the years, I have tasted many different cheesecakes from different restaurants, businesses, or stores. The taste of cheesecake depends on the restaurant you go to. Because cheesecake is my favorite dessert, I have rated my favorites.
Honorable Mention: Cheesecake Factory’s ‘Tiramisu Cheesecake’
I didn’t include this in my ranking because I feel as though the rankings should be from the same flavor. Cheesecake Factory gets a bad reputation because it sounds bad and is expensive. I do think the Factory is worth it, though, since I think about this cheesecake a lot. The dessert doesn’t have as much coffee flavor as people may want, but I did enjoy it.
3.) Giant Eagle
This cheesecake was surprisingly good, and I get a small slice of it whenever I go to Giant Eagle. They sell a decent-sized piece of New York-style cheesecake with a thick crust and whipped cream. I would recommend this cheesecake if someone needs a cheesecake within a day that actually tastes good.
2.) Tara’s Cheesecakes
This cheesecake looked a little like a normal, uncooked cake. It was more lumpy and way more dense. I had a bite, and it was actually delicious. I do think it was a little more on the expensive side, but it was more like real cheesecake because it was denser. Cheesecake is commonly not made like this one because it takes way more product, like sour cream and cream cheese, to make. Many do not like this kind because it tastes a little more sour due to the amount of cream cheese in it. Since the cheesecake was very dense, it’s very hard to finish one piece, even if it is a pretty small slice.
1.) Northwest Wildfoods
I had very high expectations when first receiving this. This brand was pretty expensive, and we had ordered it from Washington, DC. When taking the first bite, it was very much worth the wait. This cheesecake was barely dense and was the perfect size. I think if you’re looking for a cheesecake that is worth the price and good, this should be an option. It did take a few weeks to arrive and was on the expensive side, but it was very worth it.
Cheesecake is well-loved in my family, and I think it should be appreciated more than just being named as something gross since it has cheese in it. Good-tasting cheesecake is harder to find, so considering that 2 of my 3 favorites are from small businesses, I think you should order one ahead of time to get an actual good-quality cheesecake.
