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Vegan Options at TGI Fridays
TGI Fridays have made its name one of the most hospitable and family-friendly restaurants in the US. They have done this by paying great attention to detail. They have a vast menu with things you can’t find anywhere else.
If you’re vegan, this may or may not be the menu you may like to look at because TGI Fridays is a restaurant with plenty of meat-related options.
But if you’ve decided to visit the restaurant and wonder about the vegan options, you’ve landed at the right spot. Luckily for us, TGI Fridays care about its customers. And on popular demand, TGI Fridays teamed up with Beyond Meat to bring the fantastic and mouth-watering burger to more than 465 TGI Friday’s restaurants nationwide.
Besides Beyond Burger, are other options to choose from at TGI Fridays? After going through their menu, I created a go-to guide below. After reading this, the next time you visit TGI Fridays, you can order vegan–friendly food without any hassle or worry!
Beyond Burger
The people at TGI Fridays surprised the whole vegan community when they announced that they are bringing the beyond burger to their menu at more than 470 locations across the nation. If you’re like me, you would’ve hurried to the nearest TGI Friday’ to check out what all the hype was about. And it’s fair to say that you wouldn’t have been disappointed.
The burger not only flaunts a realistic and believable “meaty” profile, but it also has that juicy quality to it. On top of that, it also has a satisfying texture. The burger gives you a whopping 20 grams of protein for each patty, which is plant-based (pea protein).
And most importantly, it’s 100 percent vegan and gluten, soy, and GMO-free. The burger comes with lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, pickle, and different sauces like the Signature Fridays sauce.
You can swap the regular patty in any burger on the menu with the Beyond Burger patty. How awesome is that! And to remind you, they may add cheese to your burger by default, so make sure you ask for no cheese.
When ordering this burger, remember to ask for a challah bun instead of the gluten-free bun because the gluten-free bun isn’t wholly vegan (pretty sneaky, huh?)
Black Bean Avocado Burger
This one had been the favorite of vegans before Beyond Burgers entered the scene. But this black-bean avocado burger is for you if you’re not into eating mock meat or want to do things the old-school way.
The black bean avocado burger comes with a patty made with black beans, avocado, chipotle tabasco sauce, and some cola onions. The people at TGI Fridays thought about making this one because all these ingredients make sense together!
This option is very nutritious, besides being incredibly tasty. The black beans provide protein and fiber that keeps you fuller for longer, and you won’t feel like you just had nothing. The avocado provides essential fatty acids.
Vegan Steak
Yes, you read that right, VEGAN steak! TGI Fridays launched this amazing vegan steak in January 2020. And if you’re up for trying something new and stepping out of your comfort zone, this is the one for you. At first, it may sound a bit odd. Once you try it, it might become something you can add to the list of your favorites.
This vegan steak is made from scratch with watermelon, chargrilled and sriracha spiced. This is served with the TGI Friday classic sweet glaze and avocado sauce. Crispy fries with roasted vegetables are added as sides, making them taste even better.
The TGI Fridays Development head chef Terry McDowell gave a statement. “We had to come up with the steak so we could give our guests the same great taste directly from our grills, but differently; seasoning with the sriracha-and-garlic gives the whole dish a sweet and savory note along with a very juicy center it has which you can cut and eat just like a sirloin steak.”
“Most people think of watermelon as a sweet dish, but we have flipped that on its head,” he continues. “It is full of flavor and perfect for vegans and those who want to try something different.”
Nachos
The Nachos at TGI Fridays are not vegan. When you order the chicken-loaded nachos, ask them to omit the chicken, sour cream, and cheese, and you have a stack of tortilla chips you can enjoy with pico de gallo, beans, cilantro, and jalapeno, according to your taste. You can also ask them to add guacamole for a more intense flavor.
If this is something that you like, then you can also try out:
- Avocado hummus – served with garlic ciabatta bread along with tortilla chips
- Tostado Nachos – with NO meat, cheese, and sour cream
Salads
Salads are the go-to option in case you can’t decide anything else. TGI Fridays use fresh and finely chopped vegetables in their salads. They also provide a vegan salad dressing (sesame citrus, tastes good with the crunchy vegetables).
You can order the Chinese salad, which comes with citrus marinade, all mixed greens, roasted sesame seeds, tangy mandarin oranges, cabbage, onions, roasted peanuts, crispy noodles, and the classic vegan sesame citrus dressing.
Make sure you ask to remove the chicken or substitute it with Beyond Meat. This may cost you a little extra, but it would take your experience to the next level!
Pasta With Marinara
Things at TGI Fridays just keep getting better. You can get completely vegan pasta at TGI Friday. They use penne pasta (a little larger than other pasta types commonly used) and absorb more flavor). This is typically served with marinara sauce, which is quite basic, but this is the only choice for vegan pasta lovers in the absence of a better option. You can increase the level of this dish. Add basil, spinach (steamed), and a little garlic.
Garlic and Chili Vegetable Fajitas
This is served directly on a hot skillet and comes with various vegan dips with warm tortillas. This option is entirely vegan as it is. Just make sure that you don’t burn your hand with the skillet.
Appetizers
The list of appetizers at TGI Fridays’ is not that extensive. But if you just want a quick bite before your main order arrives, you can order these vegan items.
Warm Pretzels
They usually come with bacon, and butter, and are topped with cheese. But you can simply ask them to skip these and use mustard instead, which goes well with the pretzels.
House Salad
House salad can be ordered as an appetizer. (Just ask them to omit cheese or croutons and use the vegan sesame citrus dressing).
Loaded Skins (BBQ beans)
This is a perfect option for potato lovers. The skin is crispy, and the BBQ beans are soft. Together these two make a great combo!
Sides
According to the TGI Fridays website, their crispy fries are entirely vegan. But they may be subject to cross-contamination because of shared fryers. Otherwise, the crispy fries are great on the side!
You can also get spicy rice and seasonal veggies as sides.
Dessert
Like providing quality vegan substitutes on their entire menu, TGI Fridays has a dessert option for their vegan customers. Their fresh fruits and sorbet orange sundae are a true delight! It has the perfect tangy flavor, which balances the sweetness as well. You can also order the mango-peach lemonade slushie. Order this if you’re craving something sweet.
Conclusion
TGI Fridays is one of the top restaurants that keep up with the current times and adapt according to them. Introducing Beyond Burger has set a perfect example for others to follow. Sooner or later, all restaurants may start providing vegan options if the major restaurant chains promote veganism by increasing the vegan options on their menu.
TGI Fridays has listened to their customers and provided its vegan customers with an expansive variety of vegan-friendly foods. As a vegan, if you plan to take your family to your local TGI Fridays, you will return happy and satisfied.
The restaurant is considered overpriced by many. The quality, taste (especially for vegan food), and atmosphere make it all worth it!
With the recognition, this restaurant has received and the quality it provides, it is definitely on my recommendation list. You can check the complete menu with their prices yourself by clicking here.