Restaurant Review: TGIF - Eating at the Chain - Page 3

Everything at TGIF seems to be flavored with this whiskey and I must wonder why. Although I personally have no problem with the liquor and if my pulled pork sandwich was any clue, the booze does add a nice mellow taste.

My entrée is described as follows:

JACK DANIEL'S PULLED PORK SANDWICH
Smoked pulled pork tossed with our signature barbecue sauce and basted with sweet-smoky Jack Daniel's sauce. Topped with grilled red onion and served Friday's Fries and an extra side of sauce for dipping.

Image hosted by Photobucket.comI ate half of this sandwich and since I knew I would be getting dessert, I asked to have the other half of the sandwich wrapped to take home. I ate the other half the following day. If I were to grade this sandwich, at least in relation to other pulled pork sandwiches I've enjoyed, I'd give it a B+. A good grade to be sure. The sandwich would have received an A if only it had a bigger kick in terms of spiciness. As it was, the sandwich was packed with tender pork lightly covered with that Jack Daniel's sauce.

Husband is, I'm not making this up, the pickiest eater in the universe. He considers pizza one of the four food groups and frankly, over the years, the poor man has gotten so used to my own cooking that he seldom enjoys eating out. Which is not to say that I cook so well that no restaurant can match me. It's more that I've learned how he likes his food cooked and between yon reader and me, no self-respecting restaurant would cook anything like I do for husband to be consumed by the general public.

Which is why husband proclaimed the cheeseburger and chicken wings of his order to be "not so good". I simply do not know why the man bothers. I regularly make both of these items at home and as for the chicken wings I'll lay the truth right here, I've yet to taste any better than mine own handsomely prepared wings. The chicken wings at TGIF were spicy with a sauce that looked to consist mostly of liquefied cayenne pepper. If the wings were fried, as they should be, there was no crispiness of the skin. I suspect TGIF bakes the wings then covers them with a cayenne-spiked sauce.

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Article Author: Patfish

Pat Fish is a pop culture and political pundit. When she’s not working on her own blog she contributes regularly right here on Blogcritics.
Pat lives in Delaware with her husband. They are owned by four cats, two dogs and one adorable granddaughter. …

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Article comments

  • 1 - chantal stone

    Feb 26, 2006 at 10:00 pm

    nice review, Patfish...i work at Friday's and you summed it up fairly well. just because i work there doesn't mean i think the food is incredible, but like you surmised, you get what you pay for, all within a fun atmosphere.

    the wings, by the way, are fried, then coated in a pretty good buffalo wing sauce. yours should have been crisp...i would have sent them back.

  • 2 - A Nelson

    Feb 27, 2006 at 11:57 am

    Please do not write if you cannot spell.

  • 3 - Nancy

    Feb 27, 2006 at 12:06 pm

    In that case, BC would have a lot fewer contributors - possibly including you.

    Good review. I've always liked TGIF when I went there. As chains go, it's pretty good. I'd have to agree you either have to have gotten some very badly prepared stuff or be a complete tastebud moron not to like the majority of their food. (I've found that few places, including Cracker Barrel, can do up a really knockout dessert, simply because they keep trying to make it too over-the-top, which ruins most desserts). And I've never had an unpleasant server, either. Nice people, nice food for the price. What more?

  • 4 - Mark Saleski

    Feb 27, 2006 at 12:12 pm

    fun review.

    that said, i avoid corporate food if i can help it.

  • 5 - Ruvy in Jerusalem

    Feb 28, 2006 at 12:27 am

    Nice review.

    It wouldn't get me in the door, but that is not the fault of the review. You couldn't get me to pay 61 shekels ($12.95) for a pork sandwich of any kind and pot stickers. That amount of money would get me a huge lasagna (with no meat - otherise, it wouldn't be kosher) a huge salad.

    Hell, I'll have to review a regular restaurant here for you guys - and maybe one of your chains here.

  • 6 - Marla Slit

    Dec 28, 2006 at 7:08 pm

    TGIF discriminates. I will never eat there again.

    We went there for a late lunch today (around 2 pm to the one on Cronw Valley, Laguna Niguel, California) and were seated after a few minutes wait. Then began the nightmare. We waited for 30 minutes without being approached even by a waiter/waitress, while people arriving after us were served immediately. A couple of other guests seeing us ignored told their waitress but she couldn't be bothered. As we continued to wait. We left without being served. We told the hostess our story but it was clear that like the waitress she couldn't be bothered either. If this is how they're front staff is I shudder to think about their quality of service in the kitchen and what they really are putting in that food!

    P.S. We're not white folks.

  • 7 - Read this

    Dec 28, 2006 at 7:13 pm

    Previous poster - good point. Did you know
    they found a finger in TGIF food
    served to the guests?

  • 8 - RUTH

    Feb 02, 2007 at 8:25 pm

    WE ATE AT OUR FIRST TGIF TODAY AND WE DEFINATELY GIVE THEM A 10. THE FOOD WAS DELICIOUS AND SERVICE WAS GREAT. WE WILL SURELY GO BACK. BY THE WAY THE CHICKEN/SHRIMP DINNERS WE HAD WERE BETTER THAN ANY DINNER WE HAVE HAD AT OUTBACK AND IS CHEAPER.

  • 9 - Kaonashi

    Feb 04, 2007 at 5:51 pm

    Wow. You've never heard of pico de gallo?

  • 10 - karla

    Jun 30, 2008 at 4:23 pm


    Was dissapointed in the waitresses service. I asked for a 2nd glass of water and it took him 5
    minutes to bring that, without a lemon. I asked for the lemon and it was never brought. I asked for a box to put the remaining amount. I would have liked to have taken some of it home. I
    never received a box to put it in so I had to sit and eat all of it while the rest of the people that was with me had to wait. If I would have been paying for it there would not have been any tip.

  • 11 - Anna

    Mar 11, 2012 at 10:17 pm

    Well I just tonight for a birthday celebration. Our party had 12 family members and the service sucked. The table next to us that arrived 20min later, was served before us. After I asked for the manager, they showed up with our food -cold and old like the entire restaurant. I personally would not ever go back.

  • 12 - Billchecker

    Jun 21, 2012 at 7:52 pm

    Notice the receipt.It is confusing.Who knows soda is classified as food at TGIF.I don't know how accounting works at this restaurant

  • 13 - Jane

    Dec 04, 2012 at 3:36 pm

    Hate your new classic wedge salad, yuck...Go back to the old one please...

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