TGI Friday’s, 6 Bedford Street, WC2E 9HZ, London

American food. When you want huge portions and lots and lots of BBQ sauce, there’s always American food. Call me a stereotypicalist, but you know it’s true.

Nothing wrong with that though, big portions and BBQ sauce always make a nice combination. Which is why one weekend, when we were feeling on top eating form, we decided to try out TGI Friday’s in Covent Garden.

Perhaps try out is not the correct words to be used, as we’ve tried this place out before. Usually we only go here when we’re really hungry, as the prices aren’t cheap, but for the price you pay, they most certainly don’t short change you.

The stroll from Soho to Covent Garden takes a good 15 minutes, so we had to stop for some nourishment along the way. Introducing the blackforest gateau from Patisserie Valerie (Covent Garden branch).

This shop sells the best cakes in London, and while we were in these, people were queuing up for these delectable little morsels despite prices being higher than average. Look at them, how can you say ‘only one slice, please’.

You’ll notice that when we had the cake, it was still bright. One slice of cake and a short stroll later, it was beginning to get dark. This is the front of TGI’s in Covent Garden, a place usually filled with lots of American food (and this time, 2 hungry people also).

As you enter the restaurant, you’re instantly transported into the make-believe neon-light-filled world of the American diner reception area. With bated breath, you wait to be led to your table by a chirpy waiting staff.

‘Here’s your table’, they chirp, as we position ourselves underneath the huge spot light hovering above the table. Nothing like some spot light to make you wanna order some food.

Or a spot of shopping (note the Primark shopping bag in the background).

TGI’s have their special Jack Daniel’s sauce, which, to be honest, does not taste of Jack Daniel’s at all, though it does taste pretty good. It’s slightly sweet, slightly smoky, slightly bitter, with a tinge of treacle-like taste to it. The texture is similar to that of treacle also.

A few other restaurants try to do something similar, ie Jim Beam sauce, but it just doesn’t match up to the original one here. Used as a sauce for alot of the meat dishes, it’s one of those sauces that make you want more of it even while you’re eating it.

Mmm, more sauce.

We seem to be developing the ‘Order More Than You Can Physically Eat’ practice to a T. Is it because we’re usually very hungry when faced with a menu? Is it because the smell entices us? Is it because we’re just very greedy people with not much logic when we’re hungry? All the above, probably, which means that we end up with too much food than ever sensible for 2 people.

Baby back ribs with JD sauce, oh yummy. Each piece of rib had fall-off-the-bone meat, tender and flavourful. The slightly tangy, slightly BBQ-ey and sweet sauce was perfectly absorbed by the tender pieces of meat, altogether very enjoyable.

Surf ‘n’ turf is the default choice when we want to share a huge dish, but can’t decide if we want meat, or fish. So we say, why not have both, and that’s why we ordered this here. Though the prawns could have been slightly overcooked (chewy), they were fresh and crunchy, and the piece of grilled meat that came with it was flavoured just right so as not to overpower the delicate taste of the prawns. Probably not the best way to cook either meat nor seafood, but hey, you’re here to have a nice, relaxing time, with lots of music, lots of chat, and lots of food.

Would I recommend it? Well, you know what you’re getting with TGI’s, so why not.

Google Maps to here!

View Larger Map