Did I tell you to support local businesses? Here's Chicago represent...introducing (drum rolls please)...Eli's Cheesecake. It's a corporate office, retail store, and cafe in one building. The front entrance is located at the giant private parking lot. Make sure that you turn left upon entering for your cheesecake indulgence. Obviously, I was here for the cheesecakes, but they have some light lunch items, such as salads, sandwiches, and yogurt, and fruit cups in case you want to order them, too. I forgot to check in early because I was so mesmerized by those mouth-watering cheesecakes in the refrigerators. Why do you need to check in before you place your order? You get a free slice of plain cheesecake. Well, I think I will save it for next time. We ordered the slices of red velvet and key lime cheesecakes, respectively. We also tagged on two (2) small orders of latte for the mid-morning kick. The cheesecakes are extremely CREAMY (yes, all capital letters). If you've tasted a slice of Eli's, you will NOT go back to any other cheesecake places in town because they are that delicious! They have other pastry items if cheesecakes are not your cup of tea or you're allergic to dairy products (really though...it sucks to be that way). Nevertheless, that doesn't apply to me at all. I do have the dairy gene. One slice of cheesecake, in average, is $2. It's not a large slice, but it's satisfying enough for my craving. The free guest wifi worked well the entire time that we were sitting in the cafe. If you take he public transportation, take CTA bus 78 (Montrose) and get off at Montrose/Forest Preserve Drive. Or if you're a true Chicagoan, drive your own vehicle since there's a plenty of parking spots. I will see you again Eli's. Attention Cheesecake Factory: please raise your white flag...I know you've lost the battle for cheesecake-making. read more

Eli's Cheesecake - red velvet (left); key lime (right) - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My husband, Sean, surprised me with the Eli's Cheesecake Factory tour on my birthday, Tuesday, July 15th. We would have left our comments while we were there but we really wanted you to know how special the time spent was for us. We had tickets to the 1:00 tour and were able to start with lunch in the Cafe. It was excellent. You addressed our group at the very beginning and spoke of the olympic bid dinner that you and the company were involved in, as well as the Taste of Chicago event that you had participated in for 28 years. It was great to be addressed by the president of the company and thanked for being there. Margie led out tour. She is a secret weapon. Very warm and engaging, Margie had us all participating. Before we even saw the factory, Sean and I had 3 slices of Eli's cheesecake. On the factory tour, we saw the passion fruit cheescakes decorated by hand with the larger triple chocolate cheesecakes in the background. We decorated our own cheesecake too. Our guide announced the last question of the tour. If answered correctly, you would win the newly decorated fabulous cheesecake. "Who can tell me what my name is".. Well, of course, I got the answer right and won the cheesecake. Wow. We also purchased the couture cheesecake; Burnt Caramel Flan. Double Wow. I cannot tell you how many times I have repeated the above story to others. We will be sure to bring all of our out of town guests, neighbors, family and friends on the tour. Thank you and please thank Margie for our excellent experience on Tuesday, 7/15. We are customers for life. 1/30/15 My first experience w Eli's was on my birthday in 2008. It was awesome. We had lunch, took the tour and decorated a cheesecake. So memorable. Today we are back because of Chicago Restaurant Week. Matzo ball soup, roast beef sandwich, Honey Mediterranean cheesecake and a whole cheesecake, ALL for $22. Every time we come to Eli's is special. read more

Eli's Cheesecake - Chicago Restaurant Week at Eli's. - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you love cheesecake, Eli's got it! I love the fact that this company has a Cheesecake Festival every year, where you can take a picture with the slice of cheesecake, get samples, as well as check out local vendors. Their renowned cheesecake can be ordered through fundraising or online. The cherry cheesecake is my favorite as it has the right amount of cherry preserves on top with the creamy cheesecake underneath - I usually give my crust to other family members as it's just too much for me (but to all the crust lovers out there, they'll be extremely satisfied). +Cheesecake Festival +cherry cheesecake :D read more

Eli's Cheesecake - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This was a delicious Cheesecake ordered during the Holidays. A very smooth and creamy texture that coats your tongue and satisfies your Belly. My Cheesecake was delivered on time, and the best part was, there was no damage to the Cake. Cheesecakes from Eli's range from $31.00 to $ 62.95 plus tax. Must-Try! A.W read more

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Came by during the weekend celebration of the 40 yr anniversary. No issues with product as all flavors were delicious. My issues lie with service. There was poor management of the order and pickup service. In this current situation, I found it concerning that patrons waited more than 40 min to place an order when the line was 5 or 6 parties long. Once I got up to order, one of the 4 cheesecakes that were part of the anniversary celebration was already marked as 'sold out. This added to my frustration as this was around noon on the 1st day of the 3 day celebration. Although 'while supplies last' was indicated, most folks in line would not have anticipated that supplies would have been exhausted that quickly. After ordering, there was a mismanaged waiting area to stand until your name was called and I waited at least another 30 minutes. All in all- the savings was not worth the amount of time wasted waiting in line. If you think that pre-ordering would be handled better, you would be wrong as people were waiting 30 minutes past their scheduled pick up time. Future reference skip the event and purchase at another time. read more

We had a larger group and came in 20 mins before the cafe was closing on a Saturday... thank you for having patient and knowledgeable counter staff - we were indecisive and sorta rowdy as we swooned over the cheesecakes! I didn't catch any names but I didn't want their attitude to go unnoticed. We all loved the cheesecake with our out of town guests that experienced a slice of a true iconic Chicago treat! read more

Eli's Cheesecake - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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If you like cheesecake and bakery items, but don't want to spend an arm-and-a-let, go no further than Eli's Cheesecake Factory! Fresh and delicious baked goods abound and the "sweet imperfections" are typically no more than 1/2 of retail price. Hey, it still tastes terrific, even if there's a slight flaw or crack in the top. Who cares?! We are going to chew it anyhow. Ha! read more

I love this festival! This is a really nice time for family to get together and not spend a ton of money. We do not have any children, so we really go to look at the cars and the awesome deals on cheesecake. If this is why you're going- GO EARLY. Like, as early as you possibly can. Parking is absolute madness. If you get there later, you're going to be getting your steps in for the day. Poor parking guys never seem to be prepared enough for the volume this festival pulls in. I'm a huge fan of the outlet store- only time I come and buy $40 worth of cheesecake. This year, I'm not sure what happened but there were not any discount signs on the door (previous years the fest offered an additional % off your purchase). However when I went to pay, there was an additional discount. Confusing- but hey whatever, I was buying my cheesecake anyway. I'd love to see more activities for people in their 20s-30s. We would definitely spend more time if this were the case. read more

Located in the northwest suburb of Norridge near Chicago, is a retail shop, bakery cafe, and factory. The outdoor patio and grassy area is the spot for events throughout the year--weather permitting. Eli's cheesecake slice is the mascot and have even have a catchy song! We've attended quite a few festivals sponsored by them; my daughter loves the free games and free activities, whereas I love the ree cheesecake bingo and free samples. These reasons explained and music entertainment which encorauges children to participate are my pros. Must try cheesecake chocolate dippers! 1.) Retail shop: Sells t-shirts and cookbooks in addition to desserts. Since this is an outlet store, the desserts are cheaper than paying full price. 2.) Bakery cafe: Besides cheesecakes, Artesian sandwiches, cookies, holiday treats, and salads are in the menu in the cafe. A water station to dilute the sugary sweetness is beside the coffee condiment area. No soft drinks, just coffee or tea and dairy beverages served. 3.) Factory: during festivals for the DIY cheesecake deocrating, not slices but mini cheesecakes for kids to decorate. Kitchen factory employees have hats, gloves, and aprons in baking; seems up to par for health inspectors. Plenty of parking in the lot. Will come back again for a free slice on our birthdays coming up soon (register to be on mailing list). read more

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I'm not a fan of cheesecake. But, I stopped by Eli's Cheese Cake on yesterday morning. It was my Aunt's Birthday and I wanted to surprise her with a Eli's CheeseCake. She loves Cheesecake. There is a nice retail and cafe combined inside for you to walk around and explore the tasty treats. I was Super excited to see that this cafe serves more than Cheesecake. Behind the glass staring at you are coffee cakes, muffins, cookies, fruit, handmade sandwiches. The list goes on. If you check in on the app you will get a free small cup of coffee. The coffee was freshly brewed and yummy. They even have a nice cafe where you can sit and enjoy your lunch. Very warm and welcoming. Kristina and Steven were so very patient and helpful. I had a hard time trying to figure out what I wanted to purchase. But with their assistance it allowed me to make some good decisions. Great Team Work & Amazing Customer Service. The prices are very reasonable and worth every penny. Great Quality and Taste. I will be coming back soon. I'm disappointed that I missed out on Eli's CheeseCake Fest that is held every year in July. FYI... They even have a mini Cheese Cake Selfie Display. It's so adorable and cute. Go Online and Check Out events that are happening each month. Great for Family Time read more

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Will be an Eli's Cheesecake customer forever. Rosa is the absolute sweetest! The cheesecakes are amazing, but everyone already knows that :)

I was blown away by how delicious the Brown Cow and Hot chocolate cheesecake were. I wasn't a fan of the Belgium hazelnut cheesecake though. My family and I bought some single serve cheesecake slices to take back with us to CA. It was really nice of them to individually pack each of the slices for us so it was easier for us to freeze them in the hotel for the time being. I'd definitely be coming back when I'm in Chicago. read more

Eli's Cheesecake - Starting from the top left to the top right and to the bottom: Belgium Hazelnut, Hot Chocolate Cheesecake, and Brown Cow Cheesecake - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Again, I've visited this location on a Sunday just before the polar vortex creep dead and paralyze the city. We arrived and there was nobody in the bakery/outlet store. I came to get some chocolate chip cheesecake to take back to the West Coast. I've never had lunch here, but it does look delicious. I generally come for dessert items including cheesecake and pie. The chocolate cheesecake I feel is the king of all the cheesecakes. I've been eating it for years and I love it. The service is very friendly and helpful, And it seem like a new employee was at the cash register and she was delightful. I think you do save a little money by coming here on the majority of their dessert listings. Although I do find that they're individually packaged slices of cheesecake are much smaller than if you were to buy an 8 inch or larger cheesecake in general. Easy parking out front. They also take credit cards read more

Eli's Cheesecake - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Everyone was so nice and inviting. I've never felt so welcome into an establishment! Happy and informative team. I would definitely recommend this place. read more

Eli's Cheesecake - Grand ReOpening - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Question: What's better than a slice of Eli's cheesecake? Answer: A festival dedicated to cheesecake! I've been to Eli's Cheesecake Festival a few times, and it's one of those festivals you gotta go to at least once. They have live entertainment from Chicago staples like the Jesse White Tumblers and the Horner Park Jazz Band (plus more). They also have culinary demos, kiddie rides, carnival games, and a classic car show. The entertainment is great for families, but I go for the CHEESECAKE. Bring a non-perishable food donation for the Greater Chicago Food Depository and get a free slice of cheesecake. Purchase a whole cheesecake (or two) at the dock sale on Saturday, September 20. I like going indoors to the cafe where they sell discounted cheesecakes, too. Proceeds from the festival go the New Horizon Center for Developmentally Disabled (http://www.yelp.com/biz/new-horizon-center-chicago-2#hrid:y3geC9TjvX9G44RfUJzJ4w) and the Greater Chicago Food Depository. September 20, 9am-5pm September 21, 11am-5pm read more

BAD- PIECES Of PLASTIC IN THEM: We had a very bad and unsafe experience with the Vegan Cuties. We purchased two packages for the Easter Weekend. When eating the first package we had several that had pieces of plastic in them. When we opened the second package it was the same- approximately 20 pieces in total. We could not get through via phone to request a refund and sent them two emails. NO REPLY. Buy a competitor product. We don't trust their manufacturing to be safe. Enclosing a pic of one cutie's plastic. It was the size of a pinkie nail. read more

Eli's Cheesecake - BAD- UNSAFE MFG. PLASTIC in them. - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Sweet cheesecake world. Free wireless with cheesecake and a cup of coffee? Picnic tables? Quietly sitting on forest preserve drive? Feels like heaven. read more

Store Review: Cheesecake paradise! This is one of the hidden gems located outside of Chicago that is a perfect experience for couples and families alike. They offer a tour of the bakery on the weekday for $3 dollars which includes a slide show, Q/A, a walk into the main decorating area. In addition your 3 dollars will get you a ticket for the raffle that occurs during the tour where one lucky individual will win a free 9 inch cheesecake that will be decorated with 4 toppings for free, a chance to win a free slice of individual cheesecake by answering questions during the slide show, and a free slice of cheesecake based on what they bring out after the tour. The whole experience last about 1 hour. The tour itself is limited to the main decorating area. Call ahead to ensure they are doing the tour. On the day we went, the workers were given a day off after preparing the giant cheesecake at taste of chicago so no production was being done. The actual baking area is off limits though. No cameras in the production area. For the cheesecakes, the sweet imperfections are a bargain price. We bought a 9 inch first quality cheese cake and 2 smaller cheesecakes for 20 dollars (sweet imperfection ones). You can't get better than these prices. Also on there is a cafe where you can eat if you are hungry with okay prices and dessert items. On the weekends, they do not have the tour, but a free sampling event. I have not been to this, but I believe that it probably a good experience nevertheless Pros- wide selection of cheesecake, cheap tour, friendly staff Cons- none Hidden deals- 10% off on all items after the tour. Also frequent savings which add up. Check the calender for the warehouse sale which is heavily discounted cheesecakes even compared to normal. Make sure you go on the tour! read more

Eli's Cheesecake - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I honestly can't say that I've dined at this location, but I have had cheesecake from Eli's. Though nothing spectacularly memorable in taste, I am a definite fan of their holiday promotion in gaining donations (monetary and food) for the Chicago Food bank. Being there during the Chicago Lights Festival, Eli's did a promotion of either getting a free slice of cheesecake in exchange for a food donation or get a whole 7in cheesecake for a $10 donation to the Food Bank. Of course I gave up my $10. And though I definitely had tastier cheesecake treats, what I also liked about Eli's was that their 7inch cheesecake came pre-cut. Great bonus for us as it made it easier to open that bad boy up and take a bite. We really didn't need any utensils...just napkins! read more

Eli's Cheesecake - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

OH I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!!!! Everything here is absolutely delicious. The creme brulee is aweome!!!! It's clean and they have a wide selection of stuff you can buy and take home with you at cheap prices. The cafe has wifi!!!! read more

Eli's Cheesecake - Yummmmm - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Really great local business. Eli's has a small, dine in cafe, free parking, hosts a small farmers market and is one of the best outlet stores in Chicagoland. And everyone who works there is nice. read more

Eli's Cheesecake - Special cheesecake made for O'Hare Runway 10C opening! - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great place to get cheese cake and other treats. This is a great treat for birthdays and parties.

I found these guys as one of the vendors at the Taste of Chicago food festival. I helped my sister move to Chicago since she accepted a job there and me along with my folks decided to check out the food festival to see and sample all the different kinds of food they had there. I had the turtle cheesecake smoosh for dessert. It looked really simple - a slice of cheesecake and some vanilla ice cream. I have a sweet tooth and I had been walking around downtown Chicago for about 3 hours so I felt I could consume some unhealthy food for a little bit since I probably burned some calories on that 3 hour walk. =) =) =) I have a sweet tooth and it's hard to control especially when you're trying to eat healthy. I saw the turtle cheesecake smoosh and said "It looks like a slice of turtle cheesecake and vanilla ice cream. Real simple. Let's hope it's good." Upon that first bite, was TOTAL YUMMYNESS! My sweet tooth was satisfied! The cheesecake was nice and soft and not too rich in chocolate. Add a bite of vanilla ice cream flavor with it and boy you have total deliciousness and sweetness in your mouth! If I ever return to Chicago, which I plan to do when time allows I hope to dine in at the actual store front for Eli's Cheesecake and explore other items on their menu. read more

Eli's Cheesecake - Enjoying my turtle cheesecake smoosh at the Taste of Chicago food festival. - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

this place is a factory. you can go on a tour. but we missed it, you have to come at the right time, or book ahead. as for their cheesecake, its better than Cheesecake Factory in Cali. try their cheesecake one a stick. one of my favorite is their tiramisu would have given it 5 stars, but the service was pretty bad. you dont have to come here, there are grocery stores that carry their products, like Dominick's & Jewel-Osco, that way, you don't have to deal with the crappy workers. read more

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Eli's is awesome first time here staff was so friendly and informative. We even bought cakes to go. read more

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This place is amazing.. If you want to satisfy your sweet tooth this is the place . They have a cafe with all sorts of goodies. You can but a slice or a whole pie. A must check in! read more

Eli's Cheesecake - Eli Cheesecake - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Excellent cheese cakes with a wide assortment of flavors. Nice sample table where you could try little bites of cakes. They apparently have a factory tour you can take during the week. There were assortment packages with several flavors. I believe they also had some factory seconds read more

I look forward to the future factory tour. Staff is uber helpful. Disorganized. CAFE -- excellent portions for price. Tasty. Plentiful of crumbs as there is no clean-up after patron. Counter Service and food is taken to your table in a tray. TUNA SANDWICH -- serves 2. Comes with chips. CHILI -- it's alright, decent. CALENDAR OF EVENTS -- Today's freebie is a tasting of cheesecake that is coated in chocolate with various sprinkles. TOUR -- a slide presentation of history. Tasting of 3 cheesecakes. FREE. 1 pm at the Cafe. read more

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Today we are enjoying a beautiful day at the farmers market. We purchased over $5 at the farmers market and redeemed a coupon they gave us for a free breakfast inside! On the farmers market days there is grilling starting at 11. Its a nice environment with lots of families and younger children. Also if you are one of those Pokemon Go crazed people, you can get a free slice of cheesecake if you catch a Pokemon in here. It's not your "rare Pokemon here" truck. It's safe and real. Go crazy. read more

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My visit would have ended badly (due to a Google gaffe), but the terrific staff at Eli's turned it around. Eli's Google listing only gives the corporate number, which is not answered on Saturday. Since the listing also said the retail shop was open, I took a chance and walked there -- a 2+ mile hike -- to get a Green River Cheesecake for my husband's 75th birthday (which he shares with St. Patrick's Day). When I got there, I found a pick up area designed for customers who 1) drive and 2) order in advance -- neither of which I did. (Eli's, if you are reading this, please update your Google listing to include the retail store's number so at least I can do #2 next time). Thankfully, a very nice team member who just finished a curbside order asked if she could help me. When I explained the situation, she offered to take my credit card and handle the order for me. Another equally kind young man brought my order a short time later, and, I later learned, tucked a complimentary hot cocoa kit in the bag. As someone who lives in a community that is not pedestrian friendly I run into this situation often. There is no safe way to make the 100-foot walk from Harlem Avenue to the front door of Jo Ann Fabrics, for example. When this occurs, having kind staff makes all the difference. The Eli's staff who helped me were top notch. They turned a challenging experience into a very positive one. I'll be back. On foot. read more

This is a great place for a quick snack. The menu has salads, sandwiches and lots and lots of pastries to choose from. I was surprised to find that they serve blueberry scones for only $2.00 and Might Leaf Tea for $1.50. The best part is buying Eli's Cheesecake baked goods at a discount. I have found a few items here that most retail stores do not carry. Todor Krecu http://hotfortea.yelp.com/ read more

Cheesecake was delicious. Nicoise salad had amazing vegetables in it. Tuna, fresh green beans, fresh rosemary or was it thyme, slices of potatoes, boiled egg, calamata olives and romaine and spring greens. Dressing was a green herb dressing which tasted fresh and not heavy...no cream or mayo in it. The combination of vegetables was excellent. Sandwiches looked great as did the other salads. I was surprised to find a very freshly-made salad and it seemed whoever put it together took the time to make it look good and taste good. I will be back. Was very happy with everything. read more

Best cheesecake I've ever had in my life. My sister bought a box of the bite sized squares covered in chocolate for my birthday and I still dream of it. I shared of course and everyone else raved about it. Hope to visit one day and try more. read more

This place always brings warm holiday memories for me. My mom and her sisters would come here to select a variety of cheesecakes for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday. We would finish by grabbing a sandwich and dessert from the cafe area. Now that my mom has passed, I tag along with my aunts continuing out cheesecake tradition. Eli's is the best! I've never had a bad cheesecake from here. It gets my Golden Girls five star approval. read more

Eli's Cheesecake - Candy Cheesecake sampler, Lava Cakes, Chocolate Mousse Layer Cake, Pumpkin Cheesecake Blondie Bars, Cherry Oat Bars, Tres Leche Cheesecake. - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a cute cafe attached to a BIG factory. So you know the cakes are freshly made ;) I got the pumpkin cheesecake for thanksgiving and it was perfect. Not too pumpkiny not too cheesy, just right. The cafe itself is cute. Has a bunch of tables and chairs. But the ... the display. Make you wanna work there. I wanted to buy one of everything but I pretended to be in a hurry so i don't actually buy too many sweets. I really recommend this place if you want to buy a cheesecake for home. Very affordable and not too sweet. ;) read more

The eli's Tiramasu sampler is a complete disaster!!! The paper covers most of the top and sides so you do not see how bad it is until you open it. Eli's cheesecake is over-rated. You would be smart to buy from a locxal bakery instead read more

Fantastic waffles!!! The absolute best!!! I went there years ago and those waffles can never be forgotten.

Reasonable priced inside of a cute flagship bakery. I believe this is where the cakes are also made, packaged and distributed! We came here on a whim because a lot of other places were closed because of the holiday. There were SO MANY options but I got the oatmeal raisin cookie, lemon mixed berry cheesecake. My boyfriend got 2 slices of the lemon blueberry coffee cake. The coffee cake was so good he got 2 more slices! I loved my slice of cheesecake, it had a nice balance of zesty and sweet. Can wait to try other flavors on my next visit to Chicago! read more

Will I look at cheesecake the same? No. The lemon blueberry one helped me reach nirvana. It was such a perfect ending to a delicious meal at the Taste of Chicago, and I looked up the actual location to try and get there, even though I had a limited time in the city. It's a must try for sure! read more

Eli's Cheesecake - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Despite all of the rave reviews I'm gonna have to go with a solid 2 stars for this place. I went today with my family for a St. Patrick's celebration we found being advertised on metromix Chicago. My family and I arrived shortly after 2pm. The event was from 9am-5pm. We walked in to empty boxes of sample cheesecakes. Not a single person greeted us. We kinda just picked up a few coloring papers for a coloring competition I guess they were having. We took a walk around and looked at the different cheesecakes for purchase and then found ourselves a seat. The kids colored and an employee brought out some sample cheesecakes. Key lime pie cheesecake and chocolate chip. The chocolate chip cheesecake was mediocre. The key lime pie cheesecake was no bueno, no good. Did not taste like key lime at all (and that is my ALL time favorite dessert so I consider myself all things key lime connoisseur). As advertised , if you wore green then u receive a free slice of cheesecake. So we went up to the cashier and asked about it and she asked how many and have the employee next to her serve up a few slices of frozen solid cheesecake. She said " anything else?!" And I told her not at the moment and then she says loudly "Next!"...... My kids went to the cookie decorating station and decorated a cookie and then we were pretty much done. Not much to do here and I'm pretty disappointed we chose this as our St. Pattys day activity. I was expecting much more, from the advertisement it seemed like a whole festival they had going on here. On another note, the employees here seem miserable. Not one seemed happy to be there. They all seemed unenthusiastic, counting the time on the clock. 2 stars because my kids had fun coloring. Free cheesecake (it's hard to complain about free), Free event and they liked cookie decorating. Next year we will definitely find another spot though..... read more

Eli's Cheesecake - Advertisement made it seem like there was so much more. I didn't see a hint of food either..... - Desserts Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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