TGI Friday's, am I crazy

TGI Friday’s is one of my daughter’s favorite restaurants, despite my attempts to introduce her to other choices. As a result I have been forced to eat there many many times. I have always found their food to be not very good to awful.

Over the years I have developed coping skills. I usually select salads. I don’t know if I have become desensitized or not. But I found a few of their salads acceptable. In fact their classic wedge is usually very good. This weekend my daughter talked me into trying one of their new dishes: Parmesan Crusted Crab Flounder.

It is supposed to be pan seared with craft beer (I think Honker’s Ale). Wow, I thought it was terrific. Maybe I caught them on a good day. I don’t know. But this was a nice size of fish, moist, light flavorful crust, and a lot of crabmeat. It was not swimming in sauce like some of their dishes. I just couldn’t believe it came out of their kitchen.

I usually think of their kitchen as a giant warming place, where food is assembled, not prepared. Maybe I was off my game, but I thought the flounder was terrific.

I had their new potato salad and broccoli. The potato salad was very good with a touch of nice heat. The broccoli was slightly overcooked, but still decent. I now have found something I can enjoy at my daughter’s favorite restaurant.

D.

We were recently at the Houlihan's in Park Ridge (friends invited us there) and, while I wouldn't necessarily consider it again, it was a far cry from the Houlihan's of my youth. I can't recall a single dish that I ate (we ordered off their "small plates" menu) but it was all pretty good. Like I said, I don't crave a return, but it performed better than some places that try much harder.

My goal was not to convert anybody. Although I have never found a foreign item in my food, I am not recommending TGIFridays. As I said I too had to indulge my kids.

My purpose was to inform others in my situation that if your kids (or coworkers) insist on Friday’s, well, I think the flounder would not disappoint you.

D.

I have been forced to go there 3 or 4 times. It has been a most awful experience each time. It's been about 10 years now so don't remember specifics, but it's either been getting the wrong food or it being inedible. I don't mean not good, I mean inedible.

I have not been at a TGIF for years and probably only once. But don't beat yourself up about liking something there. Remember "food doesn't know where it is". I've had some good meals at chain restaurants that abound in my area. I agree with a poster that Houlihans has some good stuff. I've also had good meals at Macaroni Grill, and other similar places. On the other hand I've ordered dishes from Katy's Dumplings and Fabulous Noodles that were flops. Not all independent restaurants hit the mark all the time.

spinynorman99 wrote:We were recently at the Houlihan's in Park Ridge (friends invited us there) and, while I wouldn't necessarily consider it again, it was a far cry from the Houlihan's of my youth. I can't recall a single dish that I ate (we ordered off their "small plates" menu) but it was all pretty good. Like I said, I don't crave a return, but it performed better than some places that try much harder.

There is really no comparison these days between TGI Fridays and Houlihan's. TGI Fridays is just not very good as the cooks can not consistently produce the dishes very well - and the menu is a small portion of their menu just a decade ago. And the service is just plain mediocre.

I have had nearly every item on the "Small Plates" menu in the past year and nearly every dish on the menu has been well executed and made from the freshest ingredients. The location in Algonquin is probably my favorite restaurant in McHenry Co..

Sounds like somebody has a case of the Mondays

jlawrence01 wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:We were recently at the Houlihan's in Park Ridge (friends invited us there) and, while I wouldn't necessarily consider it again, it was a far cry from the Houlihan's of my youth. I can't recall a single dish that I ate (we ordered off their "small plates" menu) but it was all pretty good. Like I said, I don't crave a return, but it performed better than some places that try much harder.

There is really no comparison these days between TGI Fridays and Houlihan's. TGI Fridays is just not very good as the cooks can not consistently produce the dishes very well - and the menu is a small portion of their menu just a decade ago. And the service is just plain mediocre.

I have had nearly every item on the "Small Plates" menu in the past year and nearly every dish on the menu has been well executed and made from the freshest ingredients. The location in Algonquin is probably my favorite restaurant in McHenry Co..

I tend to lump them all in together (Chili's, TGIF, Houlihan's, etc.) based on past experience and just figured all are equally mediocre (I've been stuck at Newark airport on a couple of occasions in the past where Chili's was the primary option - and never a good one), so I was pleasantly surprised by Houlihan's. Somebody seems to be making some effort.