The Cheesecake Factory, like other similar restaurants and many liquor companies, has jumped on the “skinny” bandwagon, touting healthier menus and dining options. We’ve seen it, you’ve seen it – low-cal, low-fat, skinny-licious – taking over menus and cocktails everywhere. And before you read on to what we thought of The Cheesecake Factory’s new Skinnylicious menu, understand this: There’s no skinnylicious cheesecake. Not a sliver. Not even one bite of the Original, Strawberry or Oreo Cheesecake from the cheesecake-licious bakery you are forced to ignore while walking to your table. But what you will find are skinny cocktails, appetizers, salads and entrees, nearly 50 items under 590 calories and six signature cocktails with 150 calories or less. Calorie-conscious, they may be. But taste-conscious, is a stretch.

Like I said, there’s been so many “skinny” menus popping up, I was willing to give one a try and TCF was willing to offer up their menu. As was my friend Adam Maielua, lead trainer at The Body Lab in Scottsdale which recently opened their second Valley location, who was willing to offer his time and tastebuds with me. Though there wasn’t anything on the menu that we absolutely loved, we agreed that overall, if a Weight Watchers diet or NutriSystem diet works for you, TCF is a viable option for eating out and keeping on track with your weighloss plan occasionally. Mostly, portions were cut to what we feel were more “normal” from their infamous platter-sized meals, so that helps save calories and fat right off the bat. Also, the Skinnylicious menu options are scaled and measured to the precise caloric content listed so you know the exact calories consumed, if you’re still into counting them. But overall, what was skinny, wasn’t necessarily “licious.” Here’s the skinny on what we tried:

Skinnylicious Salmon Rolls, under 400 calories: Lightly fried, smaller versions of the original rolls. The Sweet Hot Chili Sauce was salty and overpowers the rolls themselves. And where was the heat? However, our favorite of the appetizers we tried.
Our rating: Skinny, but could be more licious.

Mushroom Flatbread and Charred Peppers

Charred Shishito Peppers, under 400 calories: Lightly charred peppers with Soy Ginger Sauce. Major disappointment here. Smelled amazing, yet completely flavorless, teetering on pointless. Adam and I were excited for a peppery-hot metabolism boost plus the spicy flavor to erase all concerns of a “diet food” taste, but neither showed up in this dish.
Our rating: A diet dud.

The Skinnylicious Wild Mushroom Flatbread, under 500 calories: A small flatbread for sharing with garlic, wild mushrooms and herbs. A light and viable option when dining out with friends. A flatbread to share and a Skinnylicious Cosmo sounds like a diet-friendly date with the girls.
Our rating: Skinnylicious.

Original Chopped Salad, under 600 calories: A right-sized portion of TCF’s original chopped salad with avocado, bacon and blue cheese. The balsamic vinaigrette was light and for a low-cal dressing, fairly good. Good for a low-cal salad.
Our rating: Skinnylicious.

Skinnylicious Turkey Burger, under 600 calories: A first glance, who could tell it was turkey! Looked promising, but the turkey burger topped with sauteed onions was a bit bland for our taste buds. Even with the onion topper, the burger was missing something. A dash of ketchup and mustard perked it up, but we were hoping the onions were enough. Maybe a bit of garlic and herbs would help. A couple of passerby’s did mention that it was their favorite on the menu (wait, how did they know we were tasting?!).
Our rating: Skinny, but could be more licious.

Mexican Tortilla Salad, under 600 calories: It looked like a fiesta on the plate, but didn’t bring the fiesta to our mouths. The dressing, the balsamic “skinny” vinaigrette confused the flavors of the light crema and the salsa. We would have preferred no vinaigrette dressing and just salsa. However, with the chicken and bean tostada hiding amidst the mound of salad, it was a meal in itself. We suggest trying a new dressing before dousing the salad.
Our rating: Skinny, but could be more licious.

The Skinnylicious Herbed Salmon

Finally, though we were full and ready to go, the manager brought us an appetizing plate of the Skinnylicious Herb Crusted Salmon entree with fresh vegetables, under 600 calories: The Salmon, a lighter version of their original, was delicious. Perfectly cooked, lightly smothered in herb sauce. It was great. However, the steamed vegetables on the side were…strange. The aftertaste from the veggies left both Adam and I with an uncomfortable plastic feeling/taste in our mouths. Our guess, there’s something cooking in that kitchen that’s a substitute for butter on the veggies. But is it legal? Our rating: Salmon is Skinnylicious. The veggies were a diet dud. Request plain steamed veggies.

Of course, we couldn’t taste all 50 menu items and may have missed something truly skinnylicious. You’re welcome to comment here on what you liked best from the new menu and why. Finally, though menu items are under 600 calories each, an appetizer, a cocktail and an entree can add up to over 1,000 calories quick. Choose carefully, opt for our menu recommendations or order like me from now on, skip it all and go with one slice of 500 calorie Original Cheesecake.

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