TGI Friday's and Mothering Sunday . . . Restaurant Review

I was recently sent some vouchers to try out the Menu at TGI Fridays.  We have one very close to us in Ellesmere Port so I was really excited to go and check it out.   We don't eat out a lot in this house because I am usually disappointed.

First off I have to say that it was really difficult for us to find.  That could be because we are old and not that great at finding places.   We had such a hard time finding it that we almost gave up and came home.  It was when we were in the process of turning around and coming home that we stumbled onto it.  So we were really happy because we were starving by then!  It was advertised as being in the Cheshire Oaks Super Mall Area, but in reality it was across the road, and tucked in next to a KFC.  I think it could benefit from a much larger sign!



Once we found the place and got inside, we were both impressed with the decor and spaciousness of it.  Because we had gone in the early afternoon, and on a week day, it was busy enough, but it wasn't overly busy, which was good.  I have heard that it gets really busy at the weekends.



The music was not too loud and quite fun to listen to.  I liked that it was not so loud that we couldn't hear each other speak. With a choice of either booths or tables, I can see where it would be quite family friendly also, which is a great thing to bear in mind with Mothering Sunday coming up here in the UK very soon now!

The staff were friendly and very welcoming.  Bonus.

They do have a special offer menu - available from Monday to Friday - you can eat two courses for £10.99 or £15.99 (two menus to choose from, selected restaurants only, check availability at your local restaurant on line) which can offer significant savings compared to the main menu.

The main menu was filled with ample choices and it took Todd and I quite a while to make up our minds.  We opted to eat from the main menu because there was only two of us, but I can see where the special offer menu would be very family friendly.



For starters Todd chose to have Jack Daniels Cajun Battered Shrimp which was £4.99.  For that price  he got six jumbo battered shrimps on a bed of lettuce, served with a lemon wedge and their signature  Jack Daniel's Smoky Glaze for dipping.



Here he is enjoying it.  He thought it was quite delicious.  He loved the glaze.  We hardly ever have starters when we eat out so this was a real treat for him. The shrimp was crisp, well cooked and a nice size and the glaze went very well.

 

I had the boneless Chicken Wings, priced also at £4.99.  Crispy coated chicken breast chunks tossed in Franks Hot sauce and served with blue cheese for dipping.   These were delicious, but they were hot!  Oh baby, was I ever grateful for their bottomless soft drink service!  Yep, free refills on soft drinks and I needed a refill after these.   They were fabulous, but very very hot.



I tried really hard to talk Todd around to ordering something different for his main meal, but he was really set on having a steak.  He chose the 12 ounce rib eye, choosing to have a wild mushroom sauce with his, mixed vegetables and cheesy mash. (£17.49).  Over all he was quite pleased with his steak. It was done exactly how he wanted it.  It was HUGE.  He couldn't eat it all.

 

I ordered the 7 ounce Fillet Steak, served with wild mushroom sauce, crispy fries and a house salad with blue cheese dressing (£19.49)



I thought the presentation was a bit lacking.  When you spend almost £20 on a steak dinner, a bit of garnish would be a nice addition, but overall the steak was done exactly as I wanted it (rare) and the salad was huge.  I was stuffed when I was only halfway through the steak.

Needless to say neither one of us had any room for any pudding, but apparently they do  great puddings or so I hear.

We took our leftover steak home for Mitzie to enjoy.  She is one pampered pooch for sure.  She really enjoyed it.

This would be a great place to take your mum on Mother's Day, although I would book in advance if possible as I am sure that with food and service this good, it will be a hopping place on the day!

What I liked:
A wide menu with something to pretty much suit every taste, as well as a wide selection
on their special offer menu.
A children's menu for kiddies under ten.
Free refills on soft drinks.
Our steaks were cooked to perfection.  (This is a real bonus with me as it only ever
rarely happens.  Most times my steak ends up overdone.)
Pleasant serving staff.
Clean and well laid out.
Music at the right tempo and volume for an enjoyable dining experience.

Negatives:
It was difficult to find.
The entrees could have benefited looks-wise with some garnish.   (I am being really picky here.)

Really.  I could not fault it.  This was our first time eating at TGI Friday's. We both really enjoyed our experience and we would go again.  I would love, LOVE to try the ribs.  They looked fabulous.

Disclaimer:  I was given £50 in vouchers to use towards our meal.  Irregardless of this any and all opinions are my own.