American food has long been a favourite of Gold Coast diners. Talk burgers, fries and wings and you’ll get our attention. Sometimes we’ll even join a queue to taste a new brand.
Opened in Manhattan, New York in 1965 by Alan Stillman, TGI Fridays was first marketed as a bar where single women could relax and feel comfortable ordering a drink. Sporting cocktails and the first ‘Happy Hour’ in history, the idea that working people deserved to socialise with cut price drinks on Fridays was welcomed with open arms.
TGI (Thank God It’s) Fridays was born, the chain restaurant that promised ‘In Here, It’s Always Friday®’. It grew to become a global presence with an annual turnover of US$4.7 billion with outlets in 61 countries.
When TGI Fridays Asia Pacific was acquired by James Sinclair in 2017, the brand was adapted to a new concept, their ‘smaller footprint’ stores and menu tailored to appeal to the families in the local market. The new Robina Town Centre store is the 14th store to open in Australia, the first in Queensland.
The extensive menu brings a modern twist to American favourites, made from scratch using local ingredients. Meeting the market with plant-based and gluten-free, such as the Vegan Cheeseburger, many other dishes can be tailored to order.
Begin with starters of Pepper calamari, Crispy chicken strips, Mac ‘n’ cheese loaded potato twisters (how amazing do there look!) or a plate of slow-cooked garlic and chilli buffalo wings to share, before moving on to larger fare, such as the Fresh Mex section whose favourites include pork belly nachos and a sizzling fajita tower.
The seven burger strong menu, including a vegetarian burger, climaxes in the penultimate Signature Glaze Ultimate loaded high with two grass-fed beef patties, melted cheese, bacon, sliced cajun onion rings slathered in their signature Jack Daniels glaze. If you’re game, try to wrap your lips around that! If not, disassemble it and eat it as a 5-course meal!
Wraps and salads offer lighter, healthier fare, the Cobb salad with blue cheese dressing, bacon, egg and avocado proving to be a crowd pleaser.
Succulent melt-in-your-mouth slow-cooked flame-grilled ribs are served with fries and slaw, while signature steaks are complemented by fries and/or onion rings, sauce and your choice of extra sides.
Desserts take in American favourites such as the piping hot Apple crisp, Oreo Cookie sundae and S’mores brownie topped with a marshmallow.
However, TGI has not forgotten its beginnings. With a standard menu of thirty different cocktails and seven mocktails, the daily Happy Hour is still a feature from 4pm – 6pm, not to mention weekday lunch deals and ‘Kids eat free’ from Monday to Thursday. There’s a lot to love, and talk about family friendly…
The Promenade, Robina Town Centre, Robina Ph: 07 3188 3162
Open: Mon – Sun 11am – late
NOTE: Good Food Gold Coast dined as a guest of TGI Fridays.