Who can resist a heavenly slice of cheesecake with its crumbly, buttery base and creamy filling? Some people like it fruity, others crave something rich and chocolatey – and then there are those who prefer plain vanilla or a classic, New York–style baked cheesecake. Read on to find out which cheesecake wins in your state. Due to COVID-19, be sure to check local travel restrictions, including state travel advisories and individual websites before you visit.
There are around 50 handmade varieties on offer at The Cheesecake Empori-Yum in Montgomery but pecan pie is a perennial favourite. Customers say it’s one of the best cheesecakes they’ve ever tasted and, as a bonus, everything comes nicely boxed too. The place, which offers gluten-free and vegan cheesecakes upon request, is owned by local baker Monique Williams and her winning personality adds to the experience.
Mediterranean-influenced restaurant South Restaurant + Coffeehouse is best known for its breakfasts, but the salted caramel cheesecake on the dessert menu comes highly recommended. Salty, creamy and sweet, it features a pretzel crumble base, caramel sauce and sea salt. Be sure to save room for it, or take a slice home with you.
Visitors to this little Italian café within a grocery store wax lyrical about the New York–style cheesecake. It's described as out of this world by satisfied customers, who love its creamy texture. You can order it with a strawberry sauce topping or in its pure, delicious, unadulterated form. In fact, the whole place has been dubbed "Italian heaven" and one of the best delis you'll find anywhere.
Romantic restaurant The Pantry West has a crème brûlée cheesecake that's truly spectacular. It’s lighter than regular cheesecake and has a hardened, caramelised sugar crust. Some people say they’d visit just to eat it, describing it as life-changing. You can also get a slice from sister restaurant The Pantry Crest, also in Little Rock.
Veteran cake shop Harriet’s Cheesecakes Unlimited, which dates back to 1983, serves dozens of cheesecake flavours but praline is the one that really stands out. It’s wonderfully rich and sweet with a crunchy crust, sticky sauce and crumbles on top, adding satisfying texture. All of the cheesecakes here are incredible, though, with some customers describing them as the best anywhere – ever.
At Boonzaaijer's Dutch Bakery in Colorado Springs, the chocolate cheesecake dome is a hit. It's an individual portion of New York–style cheesecake with a chocolate cookie base and the usual creamy vanilla filling, all encased by a chocolate shell. Once you've tried it you'll be hankering to come back for more.
Sylvia’s opened in 2021 and quickly gained a reputation for its excellent cheesecakes, available in a range of rotating flavours and in different sizes, from mini bites you can just pop in your mouth to full size (though the latter usually needs to be pre-ordered). They even serve them as lollipops, which have won over people who don’t typically love cheesecake. Flavours include raspberry, tiramisu and lemon meringue.
The baked cheesecake at Italian restaurant Taverna in Newark is something to behold. It’s made with decadent mascarpone, vanilla bean and amarena cherries, which are particularly dark in colour and have a sourness that perfectly balances the sweetness of the dessert. The cheesecake is described as ultra creamy and rich, with the tangy cherries preventing it from being cloying.
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Fancy dessert spot dbakers Sweet Studio in Miami serves an impressive Nutella cheesecake. It has a baked Graham cracker crust and a creamy Nutella filling, topped with Nutella fudge, whipped cream, Nutella macarons and Ferrero Rocher – and is described as one of the best ever cheesecakes. We reckon it would make a great birthday cake alternative for chocolate lovers.
Customers love the signature New York–style cheesecake from Sammy Cheezecake, a popular takeaway dessert shop in East Point, just outside Atlanta. It's topped off with strawberries and whipped cream and fans recommend asking for a drizzle of strawberry sauce on top too. Delicious.
Known as the best place to get cheesecake on the archipelago, cash-only bakery Otto Cake has close to 300 flavours up its chef's jacket sleeve including orange chocolate chip, lemon and liliko'i (passion fruit), offering a choice of nine to customers each day. Always on the menu, though, is the original and arguably the best: the amazing plain. The cheesecake has a light, crumbly crust, a soft, creamy centre and has a slight sourness and lemony zing that prevents it from being too sweet.
Boise Pie Co. switches up its cheesecake (and other) offerings regularly, depending on the season and the chef’s whims. Popular flavours have included Japanese soufflé, huckleberry and these milk and cookies creations, pictured. Most importantly, though, they’re all incredible, with some customers saying this is the best cheesecake they’ve ever had, anywhere.
One of the favourites at Chicago-based cheesecake shop Schweet Cheesecake is the Viola, with a Graham cracker crust, soft and creamy vanilla filling and topping of whipped cream and berries (usually blueberries or strawberries). This classic is delicious, fresh and worth making a journey for. People also praise the customer service and the clear passion that goes into crafting the cheesecakes here.
Shapiro's Delicatessen in Indianapolis serves a number of scrumptious cheesecake options including carrot cake flavour, Oreo and devil’s food cake. However, it's the plain cheesecake, a New York–style slice made with cream cheese, that always hits the spot. People say this is one of the best delis (and cheesecakes) you'll find outside the Big Apple.
Italian restaurant Baroncini serves a cheesecake made with mascarpone that's caramelised on top like an extra-decadent crème brûlée. The torta al mascarpone is served with strawberry sauce and fresh berries for the perfect balance of tart and sweet. It's the ideal dessert to top off a wonderful dining experience.
The miniature cheesecakes at The Pantry KC, a bakery and café that specialises in show-stopping bakes, have earned quite the reputation for themselves – particularly the vanilla one. The crust is so good that people have been known to go back for seconds almost immediately, though others appreciate the small size because otherwise they would be tempted to eat too much.
Raw, vegan and organic dessert shop Rawnaissance Desserts makes 'cheesecakes' that are completely plant-based and look like works of art. The vanilla slice is sugar-free and has real vanilla bean in it, which makes it extra special. It's a little denser than normal cheesecake but still completely delicious.
Want to try making it at home? Check out our best cheesecake recipes
Cajun and Creole restaurant Commander's Palace makes its classic dessert with house-made cream cheese. It's refreshingly sour and has the thinnest honey Graham cracker crust. It's then drizzled in a sticky caramel sauce – so good that people wish they could take a jar home – and elegantly garnished with a chocolate lattice. Customers says it's the best cheesecake ever and a must-order here.
The lemon meringue cheesecake from Timber Kitchen & Bar in Bangor never fails to impress. It has a shortbread cookie crust and a creamy lemon filling and is topped with tiny toasted meringues, lemon curd drizzle and a candied lemon slice. Plus you get two pieces, which makes it perfect for sharing.
This Greek café and takeaway spot serves a mouthwatering baklava cheesecake. It layers a soft cheesecake filling with crispy filo pastry and nuts for a dessert that's creamy, crunchy, chewy and sweet at the same time. The Big Greek Cafe has five locations in Maryland – Silver Spring, Kensington, Rockville and Bethesda – so it's easy to get your fix.
The cheesecakes at 7ate9 Bakery are described as having the perfect combination of creaminess and crunch. The shop offers many flavours and sizes, but you can't go wrong with the classic: a New York–style cheesecake with a Graham cracker crust. Whether you get a full-size cake or a portion for one, it's creamy, full of flavour and can be decorated to order.
There's a long list of options at Kitty's Cheesecakes & More, a down-to-earth dessert shop in the Detroit area. But, despite an almost overwhelming amount of choice, customers consistently rate the strawberry shortcake. It's wonderfully bright with swirls of vanilla and strawberry, and is finished with a crunchy shortcake crumble and white-chocolate drops.
Independent bakery Muddy Paws Cheesecake has a tempting array of cheesecake flavours to choose from, including black forest, cafe au lait, chocolate toffee, lemon drop and honey vanilla. If you only try one, make it the raspberry swirl – it's perfectly balanced with just the right amount of berry for a deliciously tart and sweet treat.
Customers of charming bakery French Kiss Pastries highly recommend the turtle cheesecake, which has a vanilla bean filling, a chocolate cookie crust and caramel, pecans and chocolate on top. It's fresh, handmade and served with a side of Southern hospitality. It's rather beautiful to look at too, so makes a great alternative to a traditional cake for a special occasion.
Every cheesecake at this casual café and dessert spot is worth writing home about, and fans say that one slice often just isn't enough. Perhaps the prettiest flavour offered at Hank’s Cheesecakes is this mouthwatering white chocolate raspberry, which has a chocolate cookie crust, baked white chocolate filling and raspberry glaze. It tastes as wonderful as it looks, and one bite will have you calling this your favourite dessert.
Caramel Cookie Waffles actually specialises in (as the name suggests) stroopwafels, the round waffle sandwiches that encase a layer of caramel. The bakery also makes a mean cheesecake along with other sweet and savoury snacks and pastries, and gets great reviews for everything on the menu. Different flavours are offered by the slice each day and sometimes stuffed in French toast, while people can also pre-order whole cheesecakes. Pictured is cappuccino flavour.
At High Society Cheesecake – a shop in Lincoln known for its handcrafted treats – nearly everything is praised for its freshness. The decadent cookies n' cream, which is just as delicious as it sounds, deserves a special mention for being so incredibly moreish. This and others come in a different sizes from miniature to a full cake, and it's a popular choice for weddings.
Chic Japanese-style pastry shop Suzuya Patisserie has an impressive (and very pretty) dessert on its menu called the Tokyo cheesecake. It's a seriously light and fluffy baked cheesecake adorned with Earl Grey–flavoured macarons, raspberries, strawberries and cream. It's so popular it often sells out. Customers also love that all the treats here are served in cute boxes.
Greek restaurant Amphora is known for its Hellenic-inspired cuisine that puts a twist on the traditional and its cheesecake is no exception. This is baklava cheesecake, with the classic Greek dessert – made with layers of filo pastry, nuts and honey – incorporated into each pie. It’s drizzled with more honey on top, and customers reckon it’s a real must-order. You can order a slice as a dessert or take a whole pie home.
Popular cheesecake shop Marc’s Cheesecake sells the most gorgeous looking – and tasting – cheesecakes in a variety of flavours. Be sure to order the chocolate chip – it's made with the best chocolate, imported from Belgium. The filling is creamy, velvety and less dense than a regular New York–style cheesecake.
If it’s a rich and decadent dessert you’re after, head to A Heavenly Taste Cakery, where the cheesecakes are loaded with huge volumes of sweet toppings. There's a range of flavours and options tend to change regularly, but one of the favourites is this caramel churro cheesecake. It's piled high with miniature churros, whipped cream and caramel sauce.
Good things really do come in small packages at cute and colourful bakeshop Eileen’s Special Cheesecake, where the most popular cheesecake is the strawberry mini, topped with a single fresh strawberry and strawberry sauce. Customers adore its crumbly Graham cracker crust, love that it isn't too sweet and say it just melts in the mouth.
At swanky restaurant Dressler’s, which has one location in Huntersville and another in Charlotte, you can find a cheesecake on the dessert menu that some customers say is the best they've ever tasted. Mom’s cheesecake features a Graham cracker crust and silky smooth baked filling with notes of cinnamon.
If you find yourself at American-Canadian fusion pub High Third in Minot, you’re going to want to save room for something sweet. Specifically, you'll want to save room for the saskatoon, a shareable dessert of two cheesecake bars, Graham cracker crumbles, whipped cream and a sauce made with saskatoon berries, which are similar to blueberries and found across North America.
Everyone raves about the cheesecake cupcakes from The Cheesecakery in Cincinnati. The small treats are just the right size and customers love trying a few flavours (you can even get a cheesecake flight). Only have room for one? Get the Oreo cheesecake cupcake – the most popular flavour. It features a buttery Oreo crust, creamy Oreo cheesecake filling, whipped cream and crushed Oreos.
This cheesecake bakery claims you won’t find cakes this good “anywhere else but heaven” – and those who’ve discovered them tend to agree. The flavours offered change daily, from plain (but not ordinary) to Oreo. The strawberry, which comes with or without a shortcake crumble, is a favourite that’s available most days. They’re all fabulous, with even the individual cheesecakes big enough to share (or just squirrel away for later).
JinJu Patisserie makes the prettiest petite gateaux (little cakes) and the cheesecakes are no exception. Inspired by classic New York cheesecakes, they’re individually portioned, extra creamy and elegant, with a quenelle on top. Customers describe it as the best they’ve ever tried. The patisserie often offers seasonal flavours too, with the yuzu matcha and pumpkin also going down well when offered.
Regulars at The Cheesecake Lady are fanatical about the bakery's creations, with popular flavours ranging from s'mores to strawberry shortcake. Fudge brownie is one of its big hitters – customers say the gloriously chocolatey creation is the best cheesecake they’ve ever had and it's the perfect size too. There's now a second location, in Norfolk, Virginia.
The classic vanilla bean cheesecake at cosy patisserie Pastiche never fails to impress customers. Made in the French style and served either plain or with a raspberry glaze and fresh berries, it's often sold in individual portions in the shop or can be pre-ordered as a whole cheesecake.
If you find yourself in Charleston, do yourself a favour and stop by Annie O Love’s to try the vegan peanut butter apocalypse cheesecake. It features a brownie batter base, vanilla bean filling, cookie dough balls, peanut butter chocolate mousse, chocolate and sea salt. It’s definitely not traditional, but customers love it.
The Italian cheesecake slice from Sweet Secrets Bakery is the stuff that dreams are made of. It has a chocolate biscuit base, soft, creamy centre, chocolate top layer, berries and whipped cream. It’s light, moist and big enough to share – though it's so heavenly, you may not want to. Loyal customers reckon this is the best bakery around.
Sweet Dreams Bakery & Bubble Tea is the place to find something a little different to your usual slice of rich and creamy cheesecake. Here, one of the specialities is Japanese-style cheesecake. It comes in an oval shape (easily enough for two) or as a larger round cake, and people love that it's light, fluffy and not overly sweet. Customers also rate the egg custard tarts and, of course, the bubble or boba tea.
Cheesecake shop All The Crave Cheesecakes has a mouthwatering array of flavours to choose from, including gluten-free options. For many customers, though, it doesn't come much better than the banana pudding. It features a vanilla wafer crust, fresh banana pieces and banana buttercream. Other flavours include red velvet, wedding cake and Texas chocolate, all available in cute single portions, cupcake style.
The passion key lime cheesecake from dessert shop Fillings & Emulsions has many admirers. Topped with passionfruit curd, chocolate discs and cream, it's sweet, tart and creamy, and the presentation is beautiful whether you order an individual portion (pictured) or whole cake. Find it, along with equally gorgeous cheesecakes like the vivid green key lime and glossy chocolate raspberry, at three locations in Salt Lake City, Provo and West Valley City.
What other flavour of cheesecake would you eat in Vermont? The maple cheesecake is a speciality at café and bakery Chef’s Corner and is a must-try for anyone stopping by. Each miniature cake has a sweet and crunchy Graham cracker crust, a smooth and creamy filling, and just the right amount of maple flavour.
Customers at retro deli Route 58 Delicatessen in Virginia Beach insist that, no matter how full you are, you must make room for a slice of the fresh strawberry N.Y. cheesecake – or just order some to go. The portions are huge but it's so delicious that you'll never regret ordering it.
Head to Bakery Nouveau, which has two shops in Seattle and one in Burien, for its unmissable classic cheesecake. It’s fluffy and creamy, has a crumbly crust and is beautifully glazed with fruit jelly. People also love that it isn't overly sweet. The base is either classic Graham cracker or chocolate crumb, while the fruit glaze changes with the seasons. Really, though, everything is so impeccably prepared that you really can't go wrong.
Gourmet cheesecake shop Everything Cheesecake has a rotating menu of more than 60 cheesecakes, with half a dozen sold by the slice each day. Any flavour is like a slice of heaven, from hot fudge sundae to a cheesecake topped with Cinnamon Toast Crunch (pictured). There are also seasonal specials for occasions like Valentine's Day, and colourful creations like a Cookie Monster cheesecake.
Long-running family bakery Simma’s Bakery serves a classic cheesecake that's a little unconventional but, according to those who've tasted it, really is the best. It has a chocolate cake bottom and a layer of raspberry jam running through the creamy, fluffy cheesecake interior, and the whole thing is cloaked with a glossy chocolate ganache. It's described as out of this world.
This classy restaurant in downtown Cheyenne serves a cheesecake that stands out from the rest. The NY style cheesecake has a chocolate Oreo biscuit base and comes topped with a sticky-sweet raspberry sauce and fresh berries. Satisfied customers say it's just so good and perfectly rounds off a meal.