T.G.I. Friday’s in Eastwood City

Most of us look forward to Friday. It’s the end of a busy week and, at the same time, the start of a well-deserved weekend for all those who hustle and bustle at school or at work. It’s the ultimate day for relaxation and enjoyment. But, guess what, we don’t really need to wait for Friday just to have fun. With T.G.I. Friday’s infectious energy and with their excellent food and customer service, everyone would feel like it’s Friday every single day of the week!

After more than 15 years since setting up their first in 1994, T.G.I. Friday’s opens a new branch in Eastwood City, Libis. This is their 13th and now considered as their new flagship branch since it’s the location where the brand has decided to implement major changes in architectural and interior design. It is the first free-standing Friday’s branch. All of the other branches, as we all have known, are located in major shopping malls around the Metro.

From outside, the facade looks bright and very inviting. They have replaced the old canopies and awnings with movie theater-like sheds, giving the place a more modern feel. Almost everyone who comes to Friday’s has their own camera, and surely they wouldn’t be able to resist having their pictures taken with these life-size models of Superman; the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley; and the iconic, Marilyn Monroe.

Friday’s is known for having an “artistic clutter” of memorabilia from decades as early as the ‘30s. Now they have decided to move forward in time by including pieces from later decades like the ‘80s, ‘90s, and even from the new millennium.

Everyone who enters the Eastwood branch of Friday’s would definitely take notice that the lights here are brighter compared to the dimmer lighting of their other branches. I’m totally loving the brighter atmosphere that they have here because I always eat with my eyes first, so it’s a must that I get to see and appreciate how my food is presented. And also on a personal note, the dimly lit stores always made me feel that Friday’s looked more like a sports bar than a restaurant. So, I guess, for me, this a better set up compared to what they had before.

Now this is what I call a restaurant – bright lights, good food, and excellent customer service.

Friday’s Eastwood is the only multi-level store with a seating capacity of more than 300. Both the first and second floors each have their own bar and this is where all the bartending and flaring magic happens. On the second level of the restaurant, they have a veranda that is very suitable for those who would like to smoke. This is where the upstairs bar is located. It’s smaller compared to the one they have on the first floor, but who needs a big bar when you have a perfect view of Eastwood City Walk outside?

Second floor veranda for smokers, or non-smokers who wants to have a view of Eastwood City Walk.

Now on to their menu. Like most of restaurants handled by Bistro Group of Restaurant Concepts, T.G.I. Friday’s have an excellent menu. It’s well-organized and easy to understand. The photos of the dishes are mouth-watering, and what you see in print is what you’ll see on your plate.

T.G.I. Friday’s Menu

Below are T.G.I. Friday’s bestsellers. They are the food we have grown to love. Some dishes made quite an impression to me that I felt compelled to make them at home myself. Let’s begin.

Caesar Salad Regular – Php 285 | To Share – Php 405

An excellent way to start a meal is with a plate of Friday’s Caesar Salad – crisp Romaine lettuce smothered with creamy Caesar dressing and topped with grated parmesan cheese and crunchy croutons. It’s a very classic salad preparation that never fails to satisfy anyone’s appetite.

Friday’s Ball Park Nachos Regular – Php 375 | To Share – Php 545

My personal favorite, the Friday’s Ball Park Nachos, is quite popular among the diners. It’s a generous serving of tortilla chips covered in cheese sauce, topped with picadillo meat, pico de gallo, and with salsa on the side. I was quite surprised that it was still as good as it was when I first had it a few years ago.

Chicken Fingers Regular – Php 295

Another best-seller is Friday’s Chicken Fingers, which are hand-battered chicken tenders, golden fries and served with Friday’s fries, and your choice of barbecue sauce or honey mustard dressing for dipping. The chicken fingers were nicely cooked. The meat was moist and quite flavorful. And I had a hard time deciding which of the two dips was better since both complemented the chicken fingers quite well.

Friday’s Shrimp 6 pieces – Php 375 | 12 pieces – Php 555

I’m a huge fan of shrimps, so I really enjoyed munching on Friday’s interpretation of my favorite crustacean. The shrimps were fried until very crispy and placed on top of seasoned fries with your choice of cocktail or tartar sauce for dips. I would love to have this together with a tall glass of ice-cold beer. ^_^

Buffalo Wings 6 Pieces – Php 295 | 12 pieces – Php 485

This is the very dish that inspired me to make my homemade buffalo wings recipe, so I was very excited to see how differently Friday’s Buffalo Wingstasted compared to my own version. They were different, of course, since Friday’s wings were done traditionally, while mine was adjusted to fit my personal taste.

Friday’s Three-For-All Regular – Php 725

This dish is a match made in heaven. It’s a trio of Friday’s most famous appetizers: loaded potato skins, fried mozzarella, and spicy Buffalo wings, together with sour cream and green onions, marinara sauce, and celery sticks with my favorite Bleu cheese dressing.

Cajun Shrimp and Chicken Pasta Regular – Php 415 | To Share – Php 625

Friday’s Cajun Shrimp and Chicken Pastawas divine. It’s a Tex-Mex interpretation of pasta. Fettuccine pasta ribbons are coated with creamy spicy Alfredo sauce, topped with chicken and shrimp, sautéed with red bell peppers in their special Cajun butter, and finished with parmesan cheese.

Bacon Cheeseburger Php 415

Friday’s is all about American food, and when you say American food, burgers always come to mind. Friday’s Bacon Cheeseburgeris grilled all-beef patty covered with melted American cheese, crispy bacon, lettuce and tomatoes, together with some fries.

Can’t finish a whole serving of Bacon Cheeseburger alone? Well this one perfect for you. Friday’s Burger Slider  is char-grilled all beef patty served on a bed of fresh chilled lettuce, slice of tomato and topped with caramelized onions.

Sizzlin’ Combo Fajitas Php 625

If you’ll be coming to Friday’s, be sure to order their Sizzlin’ Combo Fajitas. It’s delicious and it’s presented with quite a flair. A server would come with a sizzling plate of beef and chicken sautéed in onions. He’ll pour some alcohol into the dish and get it fired up with a lighter. It’s entertaining, really, and delicious, too.

Mocha Mud Pie Php 285

Let’s move on to my favorite part of our dinner – the dessert. Their Mocha Mud Pieis made of rich chocolate-almond mousse and coffee ice cream frozen in a chocolate crumb crust, topped with hot fudge and toasted almond slices. What I really like about this dessert is that it’s not overly sweet. It’s a cold treat and it combines the best flavors on Earth – chocolate and coffee. Yum!

Brownie Obsession Php 295

A dessert of contrasting warm and cold, the Brown Obsessionconsists of warm brownie covered in dark and rich chocolate-fudge sauce, vanilla ice cream, dark chocolate crumbled, topped with caramel sauce and pecans. There’s no questioning why this dessert has become a bestseller. It’s taste and feel in your mouth is unforgettable and addicting!

T.G.I. Friday’s crew entertaining us with their cute dance number.

What’s one reason to come to Friday’s during peak hours? There’s a big chance you might get to witness their crew perform a dance routine to entertain you guys! They were really fun to watch and their energy is so contagious that I almost got up from my seat and did the dougie dance with them. Haha 😀 T.G.I. Friday’s would always remain as one of my top favorite restaurants in the Metro. They offer a complete dining experience that you could never find anywhere else. And with all the small yet significant changes they are now implementing in all their branches, it’s not crazy to expect that more and more customers will come to have a great Friday even on a boring weekday like today. For more information, you may visit T.G.I. Friday’s website at www.fridays.com.ph or “like” their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/welovefridays. T.G.I. Fridays Eastwood Eastwood City Walk 1 (+63 2) 584-3479 (+63 2) 696-7031