“The View”’s Sunny Hostin Stands Up for The Cheesecake Factory amid Viral Date Debate: 'I Go There Every Day!'

"They make the best dirty martini," Hostin boasted on the ABC talk show

The Cheesecake Factory has a fan in Sunny Hostin and many of her co-hosts on The View!

On Wednesday's episode of the ABC talk show, the American lawyer and journalist, 55, declared her love for the restaurant after a TikTok video shaming the restaurant as a first date location went viral.

"I want to stand up for The Cheesecake Factory ‘cause I go there every week," she said, noting that her 17-year-old daughter Paloma has "ACT Prep and there’s a Cheesecake Factory five minutes away."

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Co-host Sara Haines shared Hostin's love. "Sara and I agree that they make the best dirty martini," Hostin said, as Haines, 46, boasted about her love for alcoholic drink and its blue cheese stuffed olives. "It's really good," she said.

Apart from sharing that Haines has a "very nice time" at the popular eatery and that "everybody’s lovely," she also revealed her favorite food items — Tex Mex egg rolls and chicken dumplings.

"Don’t leave out the corn tamale cakes," Haines said.

"By the way, they don’t carry them anymore," Hostin said, Haines responding, "I know, can you believe that?"

The internet went ablaze earlier this month when video went viral of a woman named Alicia, who was filming herself as she sat in a car, refusing to leave because her date Jay had taken her to The Cheesecake Factory.

"Who takes someone who looks like this to a chain restaurant?" she said. "I can not go in Cheesecake Factory. I will die."

"Maybe we're not right for each other, so respectfully, I'm just going to drop you off at home," Jay told her, explaining that he had his own "expectations."

“I went into the date with expectations for myself — to keep you safe, to respect you, to pay for your food, to pick you up — and just treat you like a gentleman. Which I believe I have done," he said. "I, on the other hand, have certain expectations for a girl I go out with on a first date. I expect her to be respectful too, I expect her to be cooperative.”

Turns out, Alicia had been late, causing Jay to miss their initial reservation at another restaurant. "This is a nice guy, he was trying his best," Joy Behar said on The View. "Also, she made him wait an hour. He had a reservation at a better place but he had to cancel it because she made him wait. So that’s why she went to The Cheesecake Factory — which by the way, is a very fun restaurant with good food!"

After the video accumulated over 8 million views on TikTok, a list of "places that women refuse to go on a first date" began to go viral on X, formerly known as Twitter. Several popular restaurant chains like Buffalo Wild Wings, Chili’s, Applebees, IHOP, Denny's, Olive Garden, Wingstop and Red Lobster were named.

Other places mentioned included the gym, the movies, bowling alleys, sporting events and the guy's house as well as a bar for drinks, clubs, hookah lounges, buffets, family functions, and coffee or ice cream dates.

The list baffled the ladies of The View. "I must be a very cheap date because I like Chili's, I like Chipotle, I love Olive Garden," Hostin said. "Buffalo Wild Wings makes very good lemon pepper wings!"

Alyssa Farah Griffin shouted out Olive Garden, too, and the biscuits at Red Lobster. She even gave love to McDonald's, which did not make the list. "You can take me to a parking lot, and I'd be like, 'This is fine,' " she said. "You can take me to the nicest restaurant…and if you're not into them, it's not going to make a difference."

At least two of The View co-hosts proved Farah Griffin's point. Hostin shared that her first date with her husband of 24 years Emmanuel was at Popeye's, which Griffin said was a "good move." Joy Behar revealed that her first date with her longtime beau Steve Janowitz was at the Empire Chinese.

The View co-hosts weren't the only stars standing behind The Cheesecake Factory.

LL Cool J shared to X on Tuesday saying he was “going to Cheesecake Factory tonight," while ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith went on a rant about it on his show.

“First of all, what the hell is wrong with Cheesecake Factory? Ain’t nothing wrong with Cheesecake Factory” he said. “Not only is there nothing wrong with The Cheesecake Factory! The Cheesecake Factory ain’t that damn cheap!”

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Buffalo Wild Wings also responded to their mention on the list by writing on X, "🚩if she doesn’t like wings, beer, and sports."

As for Julia and Jay, the two — who met in New York City — sat down with The Truth Factory's Kevin Wesley on YouTube Oct. 18 to reflect on the aftermath of their viral clip.

While Alicia admitted she saw her role in the conflict and could have behaved better, she doubled down on her decisions not to go to a chain restaurant, saying that "a queen does not do that — I have an imagine to protect."

"To be fair, I was always raised that the man is supposed to cater to you. You're courting me, so court me. that means wherever I want to go, take me. Whatever I want, you bring me. That's courting," she said. "I'm looking for a provider. ... I'm a beautiful woman. I expect to be treated like royalty."

"But after the conversation, I could see how there was a lot of 'I' in that exchange," Alicia added. "I was definitely very-self centered. And I can appreciate if I do want someone to provide for me, I at least got to be nice."

Jay, meanwhile, has been flooded with women praising him for how he handled the conversation, many asking him to take them to The Cheesecake Factory, which he said was a sentimental spot for him. But as he told Wesley, he's found it difficult to find someone who is genuinely interested in him.

"Women kind of have this image of me based on the video, which hasn't helped," he said. "It's like they might think everything about me is reflected in that video, and I don't think it is."

Alicia also revealed why she filmed the moment amid Jay's hesitations. "I felt like [he] didn't see my value," Alicia said. "In that moment, I felt like I needed the support of my viewers in that moment. I discuss relationships and things like that, so I thought that that was a good opportunity for me to have that conversation and see like what does everybody else think."

Unsurprisingly, the two haven't gone on a second date.

The View airs weekdays (at 11 a.m. ET) on ABC

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