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T.G.I. Friday's
I received a "free" appetiser coupon from T.G.I.Fridays. I went to the one in the gaslamp on 5th street on one of our typical sunny san diego afternoons. I was met at the door by a provokitively clad maiden inviting me to come inside. Whether this was her own come on line or T.G.I.Fridays I thought it was pretty darn good, and I must admit it made this old married man smile. (My wife had a hairdressing appointment, so I was dining alone.) She asked me if I wanted to sit at the bar, at a table, or a booth. I said "a booth" (my first BIG mistake now I'll be out of sight and ignored by the waiting staff), and followed her to a back dimly lit booth large enough to sit several more people. I sat at the closest end, and she handed me a menu, and said my waiter would be with me momentarily (mistake number two...by what monumentally gross unit of time is "momentarily?") I waited what seemed like a half hour (did they forget I was there?) and a young boyish looking man (half shaven) asked me if I would like a drink from the bar. Mistake number 3 "when you finally do get served do not get uppidty or snipitty" as I replied that "I told the hostess that sat me a half hour ago that I did not want to sit at the bar, and if I wanted a drink I would have told her to sit me at the bar!" He smiled and said can I get you an appetizer, and I handed him the coupon and said "yes, the chicken strips, please." He lost his half smile and went into a gruff stern mode, and said sure taking the coupon with him as he turned and walked presumably off to the kitchen to place my pre-order. Again what seemed like a half hour later he came back with what looked like wendy's chicken nuggets fried ten times - down to nothing but bread ash (now I knew why the place was so dimly lit as there was no taste of chicken inside whatsoever, as any chicken content was undoubtably lost forever on the forth or fifth time through the fryer. Mistake number four, as he asked me what I would like to order. I asked him "is this order of chicken strips from last night, or last week...I mean are you out of chicken strips, so you went into your trash heap outside to retrieve these just for me?" He took them away apparently to ask the cook to try again. When he came back just a few minutes later to take my order (mistake number dive, and my final error for I forgot to ask for the coupon back, so I could try a different T.G.I.Fridays and see if there is any difference) I told him as composed as I could muster that "being here an hour without receiving any edible food and such atrocious service I'll not be a bother to you any longer, and I got up and left! So, how would I grade the cuisine at T.G.I.Fridays after my hour of being denied there you ask... "Don't know as I never did get any thing remotely looking or tasting like cuisine." Do I recommend that you go there? No, this is really one place to definitely avoid, for sure.— August 23, 2008 12:26 p.m.