TGI Fridays: is it still worth a visit?

Restaurant review: TGI Fridays, Larnaca By Andreas Nichola With summer in full swing, and the temperature at the point where most days are spent hopping from one air-conditioned room to another you begin to feel a little trapped indoors. We decided the best cure was an evening stroll along Larnaca’s Finikoudes, hoping that the sea breeze would make the heat a little more bearable. For a while it did exactly that. There was a pleasant breeze coming off the sea and plenty of people out enjoying the promenade. Then, almost as if somebody had flicked a switch, the breeze disappeared. As luck would have it, it was also dinner time. Rather than wander too far looking for somewhere to eat, we spotted TGI Fridays. It looked cool, comfortable and inviting, so in we went. The menu was pretty much as I remembered it, extensive enough that there really is something for everyone. Their famous Jack Daniel’s glaze appears throughout the menu on everything from burgers to ribs, but there are plenty of other choices too. Fajitas, steaks, salads, pasta dishes and the popular Fridays Sampler all make choosing surprisingly difficult. I found myself going backwards and forwards between a couple of dishes. The pork ribs looked fantastic, but then so did the burgers. Just as I thought I’d have to make a difficult decision, I spotted the perfect compromise. One of the burgers came topped with a full pork rib. Decision made. I could have both. My dining partner wasn’t in the mood for something quite so substantial and instead ordered the Cajun-coated shrimp. To drink, I decided to make the most of the bottomless soft drinks. The staff were consistently attentive throughout the evening, topping up my glass before I even had chance to ask. When the food arrived, my burger looked every bit as impressive as it had sounded on the menu. A large, juicy pork rib sat proudly on top, held in place by a knife, with a generous serving of chips alongside and a dipping sauce on the side. It certainly made an entrance. The Cajun shrimp wasn’t quite as visually exciting. The presentation was fairly simple, with the prawns scattered over a generous portion of chips. Fortunately, the prawns themselves were much better than the presentation suggested. They were a good size with a nice bite to them, while the Cajun seasoning offered just enough warmth without becoming overly spicy. My dining partner’s verdict was that it was enjoyable enough, but not memorable, and something they would probably not order it again. My burger, on the other hand, was exactly what I’d hoped for. The beef was juicy, the red onion added a welcome crunch and slight sweetness, and the pork rib was beautifully tender, falling away from the bone with hardly any effort. I’m usually one of those people who believes a burger should be picked up and eaten as it comes, but this one was so generously filled that cutting it in half was really the only practical option. Although I was comfortably full, my dining partner wasn’t ready to finish the evening without dessert, so naturally I joined in. They chose the brownie with ice cream while I went for the ice cream sandwich with Biscoff biscuits, topped with hot fudge sauce. The brownie apparently wasn’t the best ever, but it certainly satisfied a chocolate craving. My dessert was exactly what I wanted. The crunch of the biscuit, the smooth ice cream and the warm, rich fudge sauce all worked brilliantly together, making every spoonful a mixture of hot, cold, soft and crunchy. In the end, dessert probably rescued the evening for my dining partner, while for me the burger had already done that job. TGI Fridays may not be somewhere I’d rush to every week, especially with so many independent restaurants still waiting to be discovered, but it reminded me why it has remained popular for so long. Sometimes, when you’re looking for generous portions, reliable food and friendly service, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with returning to an old favourite. VITAL STATISTICS SPECIALTY International WHERE TGI Fridays, 38 Athenon Avenue, Larnaca WHEN 12pm-11:30pm daily HOW MUCH Burger €17.90. shrimp €17.50. Brownie €5.80. Ice-cream sandwich €6