Picking where to take someone for a first date can set the tone for your entire relationship. Something too casual, like a fast food chain, can be a let down, while going too formal can feel stuffy and uncomfortable. But one recently crowdsourced list of unacceptable first date spots is now going viral—and it seems like some seemingly solid options are off limits.
Some locations on this list are no-brainers. Netflix and chill nights are passé. Taking a first date to a family function is premature. And the gym? Whoever actually wants to work out on a first date is delusional.
But several of the bad first dates mentioned are stirring up controversy. And the most polarizing pick is at the very top of the list: the Cheesecake Factory.
Sure, the beloved restaurant chain isn’t exactly the most intimate, romantic spot you could go. But how can you hate the sweeping, Tuscan-style decor? The brown bread? The sheer amount of menu options? The Cheesecake Factory truly has something for everyone; so you don’t need to know exactly what your date likes to eat for both of you to have a good time.
The overwhelming online response to this list is an emphatic defense of the Cheesecake Factory. One X user wrote, “Please take me to the Cheesecake Factory — I’m saying yes every time.”
Another user commented, “When did y’all become too good for Cheesecake Factory?? Please pass me an order of the avocado egg rolls, bang bang chicken and shrimp and an Oreo cheesecake.”
For what it’s worth, we at Delish are staunch supporters of the Cheesecake Factory. So the next time you’re taking someone on a date, check out our favorite menu items. Or, if your date refuses to go, why not bring the Factory to them with these copycat recipes?
Here's the full list of supposedly bad first date spots that's going viral:
- Cheesecake Factory
- Applebee’s
- Chili’s
- Chipotle
- Olive Garden
- The Movies
- Your House
- Any Fast Food Chain
- Buffalo Wild Wings
- Wingstop
- Red Lobster
- A Buffet
- IHOP
- Denny’s
- The gym
- Church
- Starbucks
- Coffee dates
- Ice cream dates
- Family functions
- Movie night (Netflix, Hulu, and etc.)
- Somewhere that requires a long drive
- Bowling
- Nightclubs
- Hookah Bar
- A bar for just drinks
- Waffle House
- Sports events
