TGIF!. Review on TGI Fridays, Andheri, Mumbai

I've been to TGIF at Infinity Mall, Andheri, several times. I usually go for the food (and gigantic drinks)  and ambiance. But the service has been disappointingly slow several times, which doesn't work for me since I'm usually there before a movie at Cinemax (also in the same mall). Now I've learned that the best thing to do is to say that you're in a hurry, when you place the order. Thankfully, they do take your request seriously (specially if you're running late for a movie) and you're served quite fast.

But other than being slightly slow, I can't fault the service. They seat you with a smile, serve you with a flourish, and won't bat an eyelid if some bratty child breaks something. My most recent visit, I found an insect in my drink (thankfully before I drank it). When I pointed that out to them, they were horrified and very apologetic (the restaurant manager apologized several times and assured us that their kitchen met the highest hygeine standards). I was pretty disgusted and angry, but this was the first lapse in all the times I've been there, so I calmed down pretty quickly. And after the meal, he refused to let us pay to make up for the bad experience. He really didn't need to do that since the food (and service) was excellent, but he insisted and I thought it was a lovely gesture.

More about the ambiance: the walls are mounted with all sorts of American memorabilia, which is fun to look at. There's a wall of Star Wars masks and light sabers, funny bumper stickers and posters, and other stuff that make for fun reading and viewing. The restaurant has comfortable booths on the sides and tables in the center. They also have separate smoking and non-smoking sections (sit far away from the smoking section in the evening, if the smell bothers you too).

The food is mostly TexMex, with a sprinking of Italian and then there are the usual burgers and sandwiches, soups and salads. I'm not a fan of their pizzas and pastas mostly because more authentic Italian places like Don Giovanni and Cafe Mangii ensure that you're too spoiled to enjoy the average pastas elsewherre. If you go, you should stick with the TexMex (Americanized Mexican food), and almost all of their desserts are amazing, so always leave room for dessert :)

My favorite appetizer there has to be the loaded potato skins - cheesy baked potatoes, halved with the skins still on. It's pretty perfect. I've tried the fried mozarella sticks, but the deep frying cheese is only something they can understand/enjoy in America, I guess. I do like their potato wedges and they used to have something like fried mac and cheese balls - that was pretty delicious too, except again, it was a bit much, frying a cheesy treat. I much prefer my mac and cheese baked.

When it comes to the main course, I'm generally not too experimental. Being a vegetarian, that's a good thing because I usually have limited options. At TGIF, I love the sizzling cottage cheese fajitas. These are basically soft tortillas and you stuff them with grilled onions, peppers, and cottage cheese, and an assortment of dressings like sour cream, guacamole and what I can only guess is a rather chunky salsa. One order of fajitas comes with four tortillas and is good for two people.

I've tried a few of their pastas and burgers, but found the pasta too generic - a lot like the stuff you'd get in a pack (like Del Monte) and would make at home with a jar of pasta sauce like Prego or Ragu. There's just no oomph. And the burgers are what Americans like to call 'super size'! They're so large that one would be good for two people. But even sharing isn't fun because the buns are just huge! It all feels like the excess of bun totally takes away from the flavor of the delicious veggie patty.

And the drinks are all gigantic. If you're going for something non-alcoholic, you should try their strawberry lemonade - it's tangy from the lemon and sweet from the strawberries. Their plain lemonade is nice too, but a bit too fizzy for my liking. I like their ice tea and this delicious drink called pineapple sunshine that can really light you up, if you like orange and pineapple and passion fruit. They also have a lot of other mocktails you can choose from, and the usual aerated drinks.

And then there are the cocktails! One drink can knock you out... and they have happy hours from 5 pm to 8 pm :) For all the girly girls, they have this really cute pinky pink cosmopolitan, that's served over cotton candy! I recently read about it and can't wait to try it out. And of course they have the usual alcohol, beers, and cocktails (amazing bellinis and screwdrivers), and if you really want to knock yourself out, they have a drink that stands at 22 inches and "makes you really happy when empty" :D

Now for the course that I have extremely pleasant dreams about: dessert! As with everything on the menu, the desserts are supersized too! Only this time I won't say one portion is good for two people -I DON'T share dessert :) Almost everything on the dessert menu is excellent. You definitely should try to the mocha mud pie and the chocolate malted turtle - both come a la mode. If you're not hungry after the giant meal, they have mini desserts too - the Oreo Mint Crunch is pretty fabulous :)

If you haven't been to TGIF, you're really missing out, so reserve a table soon (or just walk in, unless it's a weekend evening). And if you've been there, then keep going back until you've tried all their delectable desserts :)  They aren't cheap or too expensive, a meal for two will cost about 1,200 (with non-alcoholic beverages). And they keep having different offers other than their usual happy hours, like a specially priced lunch menu, different food fests and limited-period menus. So you won't be disappointed. And with the smiling service and giant drinks, you're sure to have a relaxed time :)