Personally, I like the Russian style baked cheesecake (vetrushka) better than the creamy type. However, In the Eli's vs JR's poll, I would definitely vote for JR's. IMHO, it is denser and richer. Regardless, they both blow away the cheesecake factory.
I wonder if Gulliver's serves JR's, since it is just down the street? The decor in that place is amazing. They have a huge menu and OK (not great) pizza, along with fruity novelty cocktails.
Anyhow, the suggestion of visting Eli's factory ( AKA Eli's Cheesecake World) is an excellent one. Why not go to a REAL cheesecake factory? Just tell them you misunderstood what they were asking for. You can tour the factory, then eat decent sandwiches (and cheesecake, of course) in their cafe. In the summmer, they have outdoor picnic tables on a green lawn, which is surprisingly pleasant for being outside a factory.