Taste of Chicago super sample short review: I am grading on what I had, the sample provided...and what the vendor thought would be the catch/draw for their restaurant. This cheesecake was delicious! They really have trapped a ton of flavor and sweetness (not too sweet) with the perfect textures. You get the silky smooth cream on top, with the incredible crunch of the crust. Absolutely would come to the actual location next time I'm in Chicago.

I was in the area in January this year and heard about this cheesecake outlet. Of course I couldn't resist. They have more than just cheesecakes; they also have other desserts like bars and pies. In January, I got some great cheesecakes at nice prices: * 7" tiramisu cheesecake sampler for $7.75 * 7" best of Eli's cheesecake sampler for $11.75 * 7" candy cheesecake sampler for $8 * Mini chocolate lava cake for $2 * Cuties (cheesecake bites) were 2 for $3 Honestly, it was hard to tell what was seconds because everything looked pretty good to me. There were some frosting/topping bits that might've not been up to par, but flavor certainly wasn't affected. There were also big, catering-size trays of goodies which, if I had refrigerator (and car) space, I would've happily snatched up. I froze the cheesecakes when I got home and thought they tasted great frozen as well (maybe even my preferred method for Eli's).

Went here during national cheesecake week and the deals were amazing! I got cheesecake slices for 50¢ each and a whole cheesecake for about $8! Eli's cheesecake is creamy and sweet! The store is very open and has a friendly atmosphere to it. The employees are very welcoming and sometimes give away free samples too.

Can someone stop me? I love Eli's. It's like a go to cake place for me. I rather give or bring to a party Eli's rather than buy a cake from a store. It's worth it. When I buy it go full on panicked buying as if the store is closing. I buy 4 to 5 boxes at a time . I go over there at least 1x a month. Love love Eli's.

Outstanding! Love their store, great variety and selection. Always a Chicago tradition.

You have to love the store here. I remember coming with a group for a tour of the plant and stopping in before they had the cafe part up and running. Now it's like a cute little destination for a treat and then some shopping for things to take home!

One word: Yummmmm! I love Eli's cheesecake. I often try out their mini slices at food festivals and lollapalooza. I love their dippers. These are cheesecake slices dipped in chocolate. Their turtle cheesecake is my favorite. They also have bite sized options. They now have introduced gluten free and vegan options too that are equally tasty. The ambience is a little old school, not a fan. The service is fast though and the staff if friendly. Great cheesecakes overall and a must try!

I really like Eli's cheesecake. I tried the cherry. Nice store with a lot of options. A solid stop in the area.

I have been a fan of Eli's for several years, but have never personally visited their store. I decided to go for their anniversary celebration that included slender slices of cheesecake for a budget-friendly 43 cents. The limit was 10 per customer, so it's a great deal. I highly recommend making a mental note for their celebration next summer toward the end of July. Obviously, with a deal like that, they were busy, but everything worked well with efficient employees restocking, hosting games and ringing up orders.

It's a Chicago institution but I would say it's also a national icon by now. Eli's cheesecake is available everywhere here in the Chicagoland area and I'm sure you can also order items online. Family owned, that's really impressive and they're still going strong since it's inception in the 80s. They have strong ties to Lou Malnati's, politics and the rat pack of decades long ago. Everyone has their favorites and I would say the plain cheesecake is really good, with coffee. The lemon bars were decent. The cheesecake slices dipped in chocolate are exceptional, but you have to earn that with a 6 mile run, prior to consumption. They have an unlimited line-up of different types of cheesecake. My suggestion is to try them all and stick to your favorite. FYI, I got a sheet of blueberry crumble bars and maybe those came out of the freezer from 1997? I couldn't eat the sheet so I ended up throwing that out. This was really hard to do because I really value my sweet snacks. Nonetheless, the advantage of coming to this factory/store is that they have awesome sales on items and several items are discounted beyond 50 percent off. The gentleman helping people that particular morning was very attentive and knowledgeable.