When Tracey Carter asked one of the hosts at West Hartford's new Cheesecake Factory restaurant how long the waits were on a Friday night, she couldn't believe her ears. Two hours. Three hours. Sometimes longer.

"I was shocked. Three hours? I never dreamed someone would wait three hours," said Carter, a Hartford resident who recently dined at the crammed-to-the-rafters restaurant. "I could drive to New York and get a fish sandwich in that time."

True, but anyone who'd decline to cool their heels would miss out on one of Greater Hartford's most popular new activities: the waiting game at Cheesecake Factory.

ARE YOU FOR REAL? Most nights I can get a walk-in for two at BLT Fish—upstairs!—with no wait! Fuck America, I'm staying in New York City!

Where The Elite Meet To Wait [Hartford Courant]