TGI Fridays — Restaurant in Effingham

We so wanted to love this place. We were excited to go. We were seated quickly, waitress was friendly, but we waited while to order. She took our drink order quickly, but brought unsweetened tea instead of sweetened. We waited at least 10 minutes for her to return to place our order and tell her about the tea. She brought the correct tea. The appetizer was OK, but very little toppings on the tater skins. Potstickers were not very good. When the food arrived, 3 of us had ordered pasta and we asked for extra breadsticks. The food was very bland with very little flavor. I ordered the chicken and broccoli Alfredo tortellini. There was next to no sauce. No flavor. The broccoli tasted the best. The breadsticks were just a small stick of bread. Again, no flavor. My husband's burger came out with a hair on it. Sent it back and they did make it fresh and comped it on the bill. Overall, we were severely under impressed. Due to the lack of flavor, no one took the remaining food home. We always take anything left home for the next day. This was not worth saving. This picture was what I had left over after finishing my meal. Very pretty in...

It's my first time ever coming to TGI Fridays. The waitress is the only reason I am adding a star. She got a decent tip for it. I got the sizzling chicken and shrimp plate with loaded mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes came on the sizzling plate. I understand my complaints might be the way Fridays require their cooks to do it, but it basically turns the mashed potatoes into a microwave dinner version of mashed potatoes sticking to the bottom and burning it. The chicken was placed on the melted cheese that's also stuck to the plate, making me wonder why they add the cheese at all. The shrimp still had the shell on the tail. I know cooks normally do this for presentation, but for sizzling food? The shell is taken off with your fingers usually. It's just odd, in my opinion. I will be back to a TGI Fridays sometime in the future, but I will be avoiding this plate that reminds me more of microwave dinner rather than bar and grill food. At least the microwave dinner...

The food is always cooked to perfection, the menu has shrunk a little bit since Covid but the selections are still very good and there is something for everyone. The cocktails are very good too, the perfect place to either grab a quick lunch, dinner, or have a meeting because they do have a back table that's a little quieter and more private. They usually always have music going that you can jam to while munching away. The staff is always friendly although we never see the same person often, we always tip well because our service is always good, they even will open the doors for you which is a service no one does anymore, makes you feel like a true dining experience. The desserts are delicious and rich in flavor and texture although the appetizers and your main course are enough to keep you full for a long time. Make sure to tip your...