I tried 8 new items at The Cheesecake Factory. Here's how they ranked, from worst to best.

I tried all the new fall menu items at The Cheesecake Factory.

The mini slider burgers and a spin on chicken-and-waffles impressed me the most.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider The Cheesecake Factory is known for its massive menu and even bigger portion sizes.

I tried the chain's newest items and was surprised by my favorites.

The chicken and waffles were addictive, and the new sliders might be the best burger on the menu.

The Cheesecake Factory recently added nine new items to its book-sized menu, and they might be some of the best items the chain has brought out in years.

As many restaurant chains shrink their menus to streamline operations, The Cheesecake Factory continues to serve hundreds of different items every day.

The chain updates its menu twice a year, typically in the spring and fall — a tradition it has maintained for more than 40 years to keep its famously massive menu current.

Nearly everything is prepared in-house, with the notable exception of its cheesecakes.

That strategy appears to be paying off: Sales reached $1.03 billion in the second quarter, a 7.7% year-over-year increase.

With more than 250 options on The Cheesecake Factory menu , though, it can be hard for new additions to stand out against longtime favorites like the chain's mac-and-cheese balls and chicken Madeira.

So, when I was invited to try nearly all the new menu items available this fall, I wanted to see whether any could stand out.

The new Mediterranean Bowl and brunch-only Shakshuka Omelette were not available at my tasting.

While a couple of the new dishes weren't memorable enough to choose over the classics, several seriously impressed me.