TGI Friday’s, Cabot Circus: Review

I’ve not been to TGI Friday’s in Cabot Circus to eat for a while: the last time we visited was for happy hour cocktails before a post-work cinema trip. We were recently invited in, though, to try dishes from the new menu that’s now available at this particular branch of the restaurant chain, and I was intrigued to see how the new dishes would fare…

We visited for a midweek dinner, fairly early in the evening at a time when the restaurant was full of families with children enjoying an early dinner. We were seated at a table between the bar and the kitchen, meaning that we had a fantastic view of the cocktails being made at the former, and of dishes being plated and served at the latter.

A booze-free evening, we stayed off the cocktails and both ordered a bottomless soft drink, which were replaced whenever empty by our super-efficient waiter.

The food menu at TGI Friday’s is very much American, as you’d expect: their Jack Daniels sauce makes several appearances, and diners can choose from a variety of grilled options, burgers, fajitas, pasta dishes, salads, sandwiches and more.

Determined to stick with dishes from the new menu, I ordered the Pulled Pork Sundae to start. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting a great deal…which is just as well. Served in a sundae glass, this starter featured layers of cheese-topped mashed potato (which was ok), layered with pulled pork, which fared well in terms of consistency but was unpleasantly sweet. Above these layers, some seriously good pickled onion slices – they really were fantastic. On the top were scattered small pieces of bacon (again, by no means offensive), and “Texan toothpicks”, which turned out to be overly charred, battered pieces of chilli and onion. To top it all off, the sundae glass was so over-filled that it was impossible to eat without spraying these overcooked shards all over the table.

Chris fared better with his starter, the new Jack Daniels sesame mushrooms strips. Coated in breadcrumbs seasoned with sesame seeds and chilli, they still had a nice bite, with the mushrooms moist and the batter crispy – and he was impressed with the signature sweet Jack Daniels glaze with which they were served.

For my main, I played it safer, so I thought, ordering the shrimp tostada stacks, which were pretty well presented. Three crispy tortillas were each topped with a generous amount of melted cheese, the bottom two piled with Cajun-spiced rice (which, to be honest, tasted like something out of a packet). The final tortilla was adorned with shrimp (tasting, strangely, more of butter than of shrimp), chillies, jalapeños and chopped vegetables, along with a seasoned sour cream, pico de gallo and guacamole. While the rice and shrimps did nothing for me, the rest was pretty enjoyable – it’s a shame two of the major components were such a let down.

Chris went big, ordering the new “The Chief” burger: a 7oz burger topped with cheese and jalapeños, topped with a burger bun half then a chargrilled chicken breast coated in a spicy “scorpion hot sauce” and smothered in more cheese, chillies and bacon. The whole burger was speared with a wooden skewer which featured a whole Scotch bonnet chilli, with the burger served with chips, onion rings and a chilli mayonnaise. Again, the presentation was good, and the dish was as spicy as expected. He preferred the chicken to the beefburger – the former tender and juicy, the latter a little overdone. The jalapeños and chillies were pretty excessive (it seems that this dish is more about showing off to mates than actually something to enjoy), and the onion rings seriously overcooked, but the chips, he said, were perfect.

It’s fair to say that we weren’t exactly overwhelmed with our meal at TGI Friday’s: I ate less than half of both of my courses, and Chris’ main course could have been better. I’m still a fan of their cocktails, though, and the service was fantastic – I just don’t think I’ll be heading back any time soon based on our experience…

Please note: our meal was received free of charge, but this in no way impacted on our opinion. We were not obliged to write a positive review, and the venue did not see this review before it was put up on the site.