New Oswego cheesecake store offers a fine, fresh meal

Tucked in the corner of the Oswego Junction shopping center at Orchard and Mill roads is a new eating opportunity, which recently made its way over from Plainfield.

Steve Buresh's Cheesecake Store and Sandwich Shop started in Plainfield in 2015, after Buresh decided to find a storefront to sell his famous mason jar cheesecakes. Buresh's offerings go beyond cheesecakes though, to include fresh-mixed lemonade and iced tea, hot paninis, salads, deli sandwiches and soups.

I visited the Oswego location recently, not long after its grand opening. Happily, the small space, well-lit and decorated with bright signs and pictures, was so full of patrons that I took my meal to-go. To their credit, the workers at Steve Buresh's showed themselves to be very capable in delivering orders to customers, cleaning when necessary, and dealing with what I overheard one worker say was the "most packed" the spot had been since its opening.

While I was getting my meal to go those who stayed in to eat, had a number for their meal, which helped employees know what meal went to what table. To improve the atmosphere, each table also featured a small bowl for guests to deposit their phones in; encouraging them to engage in conversation, instead of playing games or checking social media.

After perusing the menu full of healthy offerings, I settled on a Turkey Bacon Rancher deli sandwich, made of roasted turkey breast, hardwood smoked bacon, lettuce, vine-ripe tomatoes and house-made ranch dressing. For sides, I went with a pickle and a bag of chips. A big fan of fresh sandwiches, I really enjoyed my choice. The crusty grain-filled bread covered a sandwich that was full of crisp lettuce and thick turkey slices. The bacon was delicious and crunchy, the tomato fresh, and the house-made ranch provided just enough additional flavor to not overwhelm the amount of ingredients in the very filling sandwich.

Of course going to a spot most-known for its cheesecakes, I had to sample one. I purchased a Salted Caramel Cheesecake in a small mason jar, as I've become kind of addicted to salted caramel in recent weeks.

I scraped every single crumb of cheesecake out of that tiny little container.

It was delicious. The salted caramel sauce, was just salty enough to counterbalance the sweetness of the cheesecake, and the bottom crust helped to break up the thick layer of cheesecake. I'm excited to try the other 24 varieties of cheesecake sold at Steve Buresh's including: peanut butter cup, espresso, maple bacon, eggnog, pumpkin spice, strawberry and cinnamon apple, but they'll all have to top the salted caramel, which was a pretty stellar choice for my first time.

In addition to their famous cheesecake jars, Steve Buresh's also sells nine-inch cheesecakes, half cheesecakes, cupcake-sized cheesecakes and sugar-free options that are made with Monk fruit sweetener. And for those concerned about ingredients, they're all handily listed on a label on each jar or container. The shop also offers a slight discount when guests bring back their cleaned-out cheesecake jars.

For a good weekend lunch, I was glad I went to Steve Buresh's in Oswego. The sandwich was reasonably priced at $9, and my mini cheesecake jar cost only $4 - a price I was more than happy to pay. I definitely plan on returning soon to Steve Buresh's Cheesecake Store and Sandwich Shop, and I'm pretty sure the crowds of guests I saw on my visit will as well.

If you go

What: Steve Buresh's Cheesecake Store and Sandwich Shop

Where: 1019 Station Drive, Oswego

Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Information: cheesecakestoreonline.com

Phone: (630) 636-7209