Disclaimer: Lazy Lightning received an invitation for two guests to attend a new menu tasting at T.G.I. Friday’s in Bloomington. Everything except alcoholic beverages were included and thus please do take whatever you read below with as much salt as you feel is required from this government mandated disclaimer.
On March 6th, I had the privilege of representing Lazy Lightning at a food-tasting event at T.G.I. Friday’s. Held at the Normandale Avenue location in Bloomington, the evening was billed as a free taste of fresh new menu items.
I arrived a few minutes before the starting time of 6pm, anxious to see what the night would hold. I was led to a grouping of tables in the back corner that was ultimately filled with 10 women, 2 husbands, and one small child. Their intended demographic was clear, and I found myself wondering how Bill garnered an invite.
The manager, who was incredibly gracious, and two servers were on hand to explain the various items as they came out. In addition, one marketing type guy hung around, presumably to monitor our reactions and politely ask us to refrain from photography. This was met with a mix of shock and disdain among the group, and while some snuck a photo or two, I’m too interested in future free food opportunities to risk getting blacklisted for a few pictures.
Over the next three hours, we were served small portions of 15 new items. The items arrived as they typically would, with small plates passed around for sharing. We generally received 2 full sized portions, with the burgers and sandwiches cut into quarters. The beverage of the evening was their new Peach Sweet Tea, which I found to be fairly refreshing. Alcohol was served for an additional charge, with two new martinis on special. I refrained, wanting to keep my wits about me as I carefully tried most, though not all, of the food items.
I hadn’t been to a TGI Friday’s in some time. I don’t recall disliking their food then, it just never made it onto my list of frequented restaurants. Here’s what I learned on this visit: 1) The atmosphere was updated, as promised in the email invite, and a brief tour after dinner revealed a more grown-up restaurant than I remembered. I was impressed. 2) The food, with more misses and almosts than hits, seemed to revolve around one ingredient: jalapenos. Good thing I’m a fan, as they showed up in two appetizers, both burgers, and two sandwiches.
Hits:
- Warm Pretzels with Beer Cheese Dipping Sauce ($6.89): Though somewhat doughy on the inside, these were wonderfully salted and crispy on the outside. I found myself missing them as the evening went on and would definitely order again. The cheese was a bit sour, but it was my first experience with beer cheese, so perhaps that was to be expected.
Spicy Beer Cheese Burger ($9.79): I didn’t taste the beer cheese on this one, but it was a great burger nonetheless. The spice came from fresh jalapenos on bottom and fried jalapenos on top, and it did not disappoint.
Knife-and-Fork Caesar Salad ($9.89): I’m a fan of Caesar salads, and I found this one to be a unique take on the classic dish. I’m not sure I need my lettuce to be in pieces that large, but I survived. The dressing was key for me, a creamy and tangy delight.
Almost There:
- Sizzling Chimichurri & Fries ($13.89): Confession – I have no idea what a chimichurri is. Still don’t. This was a slab of beef (always appreciated) with a green, pesto looking sauce on top. The sauce was a little strong, but it was a decent entrée. The fries seemed an odd paring.
Ahi Tuna with Avocado Crisps ($10.19): I wanted to love this. It was gorgeous on the plate. In fact, almost everything served on this night was beautifully presented. The crisps were crispy, the tuna was tasty, but the bland avocado topping took an unfortunate center stage. Used in excess, it overpowered the appetizer.
Ultimate Grilled Cheese & Ham Sandwich with Tomato Soup Dunk ($8.69): I was excited by the description, but was instantly worried when the sandwich was delivered. Described by the waiter as “hippie bread,” the overly grainy / nut filled bread was overwhelming. Too bad, since the ham and cheese were pretty good.
Cinnamon-Apple Spiced Crumble ($6.49): We were all delighted to get dessert, since it was not on the tasting menu we were provided. This one was served in a still warm, small skillet. The apples were just tender enough, and the overall flavor was really good. Unfortunately, the crumbles should have been called crunchies. I feared for my teeth at times.
Misses:
- Heavenly Hummus Dip ($7.89): Least aptly named dish of the evening. Others raved, but I found the odd combination of plain hummus, yogurt, and vegetable topping to be odd.
Thai Steak Salad ($11.99): Very pretty to look at, but the ginger was overpowering. That could just be a personal distaste, as most people at the table seemed to love this one.
Victory Garden Pasta ($8.99): The delicious goat cheese sprinkled on top was not enough to save this otherwise very boring pasta dish.
Brownie Obsession ($5.69): I love chocolate. I love brownies. This should have been a win. Somehow though, it proved that you can have too much of a good thing. Possibly the sweetest thing I’ve ever had in my mouth, and not in a good way. Once I made it through the toppings, the brownie itself seemed to be okay, but by then I just wanted it to be over.
When was the last time you headed over to a T.G.I. Friday’s? Have you tried any of their new menu items? Do you plan to do so now that you’ve heard more? Which sounds most or least appealing to you? Are you surprised at the number of dishes including jalapenos? Do you find menu items that are ‘spiced up’ in this way to be more or less appealing to you? Do you believe that these changes are due to people’s ever increasing knowledge of food through social media and the web? Whatever you have to say about T.G.I. Friday’s new menu offerings go ahead and comment on as I’d love to hear what you have to say.
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March 15th, 2012 at 7:16 am
Great post. Very objective review of the offerings. Nicely done. I’d still avoid Friday’s, but know that should I find myself there unwittingly, attending a social event for example, there are some edible items on the menu.
March 15th, 2012 at 8:22 am
Excellant review, CC! You write very well and succinctly – nice flow and rhythm. I hope you write more here – or start your own blog.
That said, TGIF is not for me. I steer clear of chains, especially national chains. Give me a mediocre mom and pop shop, or local brew pub and I’m in the door. I like supporting locals that are struggling to make a go of their dream.
Oh, and I credit “SpiceHead” Bill, single handedly, for the jalapeños rage within the restaurant industry. His sway has just too much force to ignore.
March 15th, 2012 at 8:52 am
I think what stops a lot of people from going to TGI Friday’s is that they are very comparable to other restaurants (applebees and other local non chain restaurants).
Yet their locations are usually shielded under some sort of Mall’s commercial zone, so I never think about eating there except before or after going to the mall so I don’t stop wanting to kill an hour in the afternoon for some mediocre food.
Also I am getting a little tired of the add a buzz word to some plane food item, then people are supposed to enjoy it because it has beer or spicy yet doesn’t taste different.
March 15th, 2012 at 9:05 am
I think I would like to hear more about why they would not want you posting pictures. Do they think Perkins is going to steal their secrets? That is hilarious. “Alert on table 7. I think that guy works at Chilis”.
This makes two Mall of America reviews in the same week! Didn’t see that coming. Not that I will ever eat at TGI Friday’s ever again, I have to admit I am a sucker for the grilled cheese/tomato soup combo. Adding ham to that standard is not a bad call for regular people. I also don’t see much on your review about the sourcing of the food you ate. I can only assume it wholly came off a distributor’s truck as before. Whatevs.
Nice work CC on the review! It is nice to see a post on this blog without grammatical errors and syntax issues for a change. I hope you do more posts here.
March 15th, 2012 at 9:21 am
To recap: doughy pretzels, sour cheese, tasteless cheese and huge chunks of lettuce. And those were the best dishes.
Nothing here that would make me walk across the street for a meal.
It’s been years since I’ve been to TGI Friday. I recall their menu consisting of high fat, high starch items prepared poorly using ingredients that weren’t fresh. It’s good to hear they are at least trying because it certainly didn’t appear so then.
March 15th, 2012 at 9:21 am
Great work CC. Nice review and great information. When I was a kid it was a great treat to go to the city (Des Moines) and get to eat at TGI Fridays. That was 25 to 30 years ago, but still fond memories, and I loved the beer cheese soup.
All that said, we dont go often (probably less than once per year), but we may venture in to try some of the new items.
March 15th, 2012 at 9:27 am
My wife and I ate at the Burnsville TGIF once and I said then to her that I would never eat there again. I can’t say anything good, so end of comment. The review was well written and easy to read though but just reaffirms my decision to avoid that chain.
March 15th, 2012 at 9:38 am
It took me a few paragraphs before I realized that this was a real review, and not a spoof of that Olive Garden review.
I don’t have any problem with TGIF, although, I was only vaguely aware that they were still in business. I have pretty simple tastes, so I’m rarely one to get down on a place over the quality of the food.
March 15th, 2012 at 9:42 am
Why would you even read a review then? That is such an odd statement. I can’t comprehend.
March 15th, 2012 at 10:16 am
I’ll echo the others: Well done CC.
March 15th, 2012 at 10:20 am
MSPD, finger cramps today?
March 15th, 2012 at 10:32 am
More Closet Carnivore, less Bill!
March 15th, 2012 at 10:34 am
What Joey said!
Bill, how quickly can you transfer ownership of the domain to CC?
March 15th, 2012 at 10:34 am
I’m going to venture that he’s one of many people who read Lazy Lightning and aren’t interested in every single topic that’s discussed, but read each post anyway to try to inform themselves, whether it’s a foodie who couldn’t care less about south metro politics or someone who just knows Bill personally and likes to keep up with what’s going on in his world.
March 15th, 2012 at 10:37 am
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March 15th, 2012 at 10:46 am
^^^^
If I could like this comment, I would. Instead I have to type a comment saying I like the comment. It’s so much extra work! Just let me be lazy Bill!
March 15th, 2012 at 11:13 am
Perfection! = @reubenisanenabler ROFLAO!!!
March 15th, 2012 at 11:47 am
Thank you, fellow LL readers. You have made my day.
Lefty,
The official reason was that we may not be served the items as they would appear to other guests. This was then contradicted several times by the servers as we asked questions about presentation, serving size, etc.
I think they were probably just worried we’d take poor quality photos. Had Bill been there to whip out the humongo camera, I think they would have backed off in deference to his mad skills.
March 15th, 2012 at 12:07 pm
I probably would have walked out the door and written a post entirely about how annoyed I was that I couldn’t take photos.
March 15th, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Well done CC. I remember going to that location a bit back in the late 80′s and early 90′s, for some reason I felt it was ok, but maybe that was more to do with my intake of alcohol back then (higher than today), or my less sophisticated palate then. My last few outings at TGIF in Bville and other locations over the past 10 years not so good. havent been in a while.
CC did well in the review here, but I prefer Bill’s “edge”.
March 15th, 2012 at 1:21 pm
Very nice review CC. I spent a bit of time at TGIFridays in the past, mostly at the bar. I seem to recall several burgers on the menu named after days of the week.
March 15th, 2012 at 1:42 pm
I started typing a longer comment, then nature called. I figured I’d hit the most important point.
Plus what can I say…the comments on this post are 1,000,000x more exciting than their new menu items. Sounds like the same stuff being peddled at Ruby Tuesday and a billion other places. Honestly, if I didn’t know better from this post, I would have never known those items were any different from the stuff they were serving before. I guess I’m not compelled to rush over there.
March 15th, 2012 at 6:32 pm
My wife and I happened to go to TGIFridays this last Friday. i was surprised we had to wait to be seated as it’s not on my list for eating out. The only reason we went is because I had some gift cards.
The young waiter we had was great. He was attentive without being overbearing. My wife’s steak was not cooked to her request and they rectified the situation quickly.
I ordered the petite sirloin and half rack of ribs, cole slaw and Parmesan fries. The steak was over seasoned and smoothered in garlic butter. I prefer to taste the meat. I’ve never seen ribs with less meat on them and they were over cooked. it was hard to tell what was bone and what was meat. The fries were tasty and so was the cole slaw.
I’m a fan of cole slaw but not many places make it very good. Which restaurants have the best cole slaw?
March 15th, 2012 at 6:52 pm
Gary,
You should go to the Rack Shack for ribs but not for the cole slaw.
I am not sure where one would go for “good” cole slaw. Famous Dave’s is actually not all that bad I don’t think.
I prefer to buy Byerly’s Cole Slaw dressing and mixing it with shredded cabbage and carrot, a ton of fresh ground black pepper and a diced jalepeno pepper. Sure, it is a short cut with the dressing, but it tastes better than anything I can get out to eat.
Good luck in your cole slaw quest!
March 15th, 2012 at 8:50 pm
Don’t know about coleslaw, but I had ribs at Bakers Ribs in Ededn Prairie the other day and thought they were great. Rackshack makes some good ribs as well.
March 17th, 2012 at 5:55 pm
After my experience at a TGIF in Vegas last week…never again. I had to send my burger back twice and then they sent the same one back out sans lettuce, tomato and pickle. The fries were good though. We were just all buffet’d out and only back in Vegas to spend the night before our flight home in the morning. Stupidly we figured we’d get something familiar and edible and it was right there in the hotel…
Anyone looking for a good price on a rib dinner, Cherokee Tavern on the St. Paul/W. St. Paul border has a half rack of ribs with potato and salad for $9 on Sundays. No coleslaw though…
March 18th, 2012 at 7:02 am
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