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Harriet’s Cheesecakes Unlimited
1515 Centinela Avenue
Inglewood, CA 90302
(310) 419-2259

Ordered:
Banana Pudding Cheesecake

Review:
I read about Harriet’s Cheesecakes in several sources, from magazines to web forums, before I decided try. Iamme’s thing is cheesecake, so his birthday seemed like a fitting occasion to pick one up. I called Harriet, and placed my order.

On the day before Iamme’s birthday, we drove out to Inglewood to pick up the cake. Without GPS, I’m sure we would have missed the store a couple times at least. It is located in this old, unassuming strip mall. It may be tricky to find, but once you turn onto Centinela and start smelling barbecue, STOP! Harriet’s is right next door to Phil’s BBQ #2 (drool). Even on our way home, we were still sniffing the delicious barbecue smoke that had somehow seeped into our skin.

Storefront:

Harriet’s is not much to look at on the outside or inside.  It is cash only, and they don’t even have a register.

Once you enter, there are two benches, a small counter, and an even smaller whiteboard listing the day’s flavors. Sweet Potato. Mango Lime. Even Chocolate Creme de Menthe. They have at least 60 flavors to choose from at Harriet’s, but if you want something other than the top sellers, you’d better place an order ahead of time. Regular flavors are usually: Sweet Potato, Plain Vanilla, Pralines, Banana Pudding, Chocolate Chip, and a couple others. I ordered the Banana Pudding because it was a popular flavor here, and because Iamme and I usually love the same flavor at Cheesecake Factory.

Banana Pudding Cheesecake:

The standard 8-inch pie cost $23.50. No tax here. It wasn’t attractive to look at, and someone had scraped it in the center.  Still, I remained optimistic. (Not sure if you can tell, but the top is a layer of sour cream… eh.)

We took the cake along to Iamme’s birthday dinner, and everyone seemed to like it OK. I was a bit disappointed that it was so thick that it cracked big time when I tried to stick a candle in.

Inside:

For us, the cheesecake was way too dense and sweet… so thick that it tasted like it was one of those quick fix no-bakes.  The Banana Pudding consisted of cheesecake filling, layered with banana slices and (what appeared to be) graham cracker crumbs. Everyone thought the bananas tasted odd; They were very thinly sliced, purplish-gray, and hard. That, coupled with their slight tartness, made me wonder if Harriet used plantains instead of bananas.

Hate to say it, but Cheesecake Factory churns out a way better cheesecake… at least from what we’ve tasted.  No one really touched the leftover pie in my fridge (almost unheard of).  After a couple days, I gave some to my sister because I didn’t want it to go to waste.  My sister – a self-proclaimed cheesecake enthusiast – shrugged and said it was “OK.”  I don’t even think she finished her slice.

I might give Harriet’s another shot. She and her son (who work together running the store) seem like good seeds. Unfortunately, since I can easily bake a better cheesecake at home, I probably won’t return for awhile. I hope other people will keep buying into the hype though; It is important to support small business.

Rating:
5 out of 10 spoonfuls

Value:
$$