TGI Fridays

Fridays has been around for a long time.  And I feel they don't get any respect as a restaurant.  Probably because they've been around for so long.  I remember hanging out there as an undergrad *cough* years ago.

I'm going to guess they also don't respect for this reason:

Gif source.

Luckily for the restaurant themselves they've changed over the years.  The waitstaff are no longer required to wear so many piece of flare.  And while bits and pieces of the decor remain, the branding has been revamped and the menu has changed.



We went on a night when we were both hungry for carbs so we started with the pretzel sticks in the appetizer menu. Doughy pretzels served with a beer cheese dipping sauce. Bacon is involved so you know it tastes good. [My picts are dark due to the amber-toned lighting in the table seating area.]

Beer's available in 2 sizes. I like that they have Shiner on draft.

I typically order off the "Right Portion Right Price" menu.  Here's a 6 oz sirloin served with steamed broccoli and sweet potato fries.  According to the menu this would be 700 calories with double broccoli. I just really wanted those fries, though. :-)  The sirloin was much futher cooked than I wanted but the taste was there. And it was one of the less expensive items on the entree menu.

The Lovely Spouse got the rum ribs with slaw and sweet potato fries. He said the ribs were sweet, as he was expecting.

Obviously he enjoyed them because there was a caveman pile left over.

We didn't get dessert because we didn't feel the need for it. I'm told the desserts at Fridays are quite good.  We just never bother with them.

Other items on their current menu (it changes seasonally) we've had on other trips that we'd recommend include the Strawberry Fields Salad (with the optional grilled chicken) and their burgers.  During marathon season they have special menu designations for items recommended for training, carb loading and recovery. They're also running a Pick 2 for $10 special. 

The bar area after re-branding. It's a lot more bright than the dark Friday's of years ago. They have nightly drink specials.

The wall decor remains, but there's just less of it than before.

The service is always good.  And the food is generally not perfect but what I've come to expect with a chain restaurant that wants to compete with the many, many others on the market.  The prices are competitive.

So, yea, Friday's is very much the mid-range chain restaurant they've always been. But they've updated with the times and have been smart about keeping up with a changing menu.  I never expect fine dining with them and I don't expect the same kind of experience I find with a mom-and-pop establishment.  But for a casual mid-week night out, there are far worse places you could choose.