T.G.I. Friday's at Arundel Mills, 7655 Arundel Mills Blvd., Hanover

We've only been to T.G.I. Friday's a couple of times, so we decided to try them again after seeing their ads for the 3 for $12.99 promotion. If you've seen Friday's lively, high-energy commercials, you have a pretty accurate picture of their atmosphere -- fast-paced and invigorating. The decor is best described as retro-eclectic, with wall hangings varying from Beatles' posters to antique toys, motorcycle parts to neon lights.

We were greeted by a very friendly hostess who seated us right away. Our server, Brittany, wasted no time in getting our orders for iced tea and soda. Alas, like Glory Days Grill, Friday's hasn't yet figured out that they could easily offer iced tea flavored with fruit syrup from the bar but, instead, the only option for fruit tea is that dreaded raspberry faux tea from the soda fountain. I settled for unsweetened fresh iced tea.
The 3 for $12.99 special includes an appetizer, entree and dessert, chosen from the promotional list. (We opted do 3 for $16.99 to have a greater range of choices in entrees.)


For starters, I picked the new Italian Wedge Salad. I'm fond of simple lettuce-based salads, but the toppings on this were lacking in flavor and just not very impressive. I suggested that Hunny try the Crispy Green Bean Fries. Although he's not a big fan of green beans, I thought he might enjoy something different, since everything else on the list of choices were versions of appetizers he has tried before.

I should have followed my own advice -- I tried a few of his and they were deliciously crispy and crunchy, and less greasy than I expected. I especially liked the Cucumber-Wasabi Ranch Dip that accompanied them. After Hunny gently pushed my hand away, I grudgingly went back to my wedge salad.


For our entrees, I fared much better. I selected the Jack Daniel's Flat Iron Steak with Sweet Potato Fries and Cole Slaw. First, the minor details: The cole slaw was very good and crispy, with a light dressing -- probably vinegar-based, but not strong at all, and with no hint of mayonnaise. The sweet potatoes were good. Ah, now for the star of the show....



This steak was far better than I anticipated. For the price, it was one of the tastiest steaks I've had in a while. The Jack Daniel's glaze gave it just the right seasoning and created a fine caramelized crustiness that showcased the perfectly prepared medium-well tenderness of the steak. Well-trimmed, too, without a trace of fat or gristle. Remarkably good!




 It was Hunny's turn to get the short end of the stick. His Honey-Pecan Salmon was a real disappointment. It was generally overcooked and dry and the way it was cut contributed to the problem -- one side was extremely thin and ended up excessively dry and charred along the edge. Aside from being overcooked, I found the flavor disagreeable -- it had that taste that indicates it was either not fresh or was farmed instead of wild. The Honey Pecan topping was overly sweet and the rice was bland. Oh, well, at least the sizable portion of broccoli was prepared well.

The third part of our "three-fer" deal was, of course, the dessert. We purposely chose different selections so we could share and enjoy double-the-tastes. Hunny ordered the Brownie Obsession and I picked the Vanilla Bean Cheesecake. The score at this point in the game became Hunny 2, Me 1. I may have won in the entree category, but he seriously outscored me on the appetizer and dessert. The cheesecake was rather pretentiously presented on a plate about a foot long with a squiggle of chocolate sauce. It would have been better without the top layer which wasn't cheesecake, but some soft and melty stuff that seemed like a cross between whipped cream and ice cream, and topped with flavorless dried coconut. The actual cheesecake layer was tasty, but overwhelmed by the other stuff. On the other hand, the Brownie Obsession is a big, delightfully moist brownie topped with Ghirardelli brand chocolate-fudge sauce, vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and pecans. It is decadently rich and gooey and it is so appropriately named.


Our T.G.I. Friday's experience certainly was not the best we've ever had. Of course, we've had worse, too, but when you consider that 3 out of the 6 courses we ordered weren't very good, that's a score of 50%, which in any standard grading system equals "F." The quality of service was just about average -- a "C' -- which isn't nearly high enough to balance the failing grade of the food. After all, it's not that hard to find a good steak and a gooey brownie sundae.