Every TGI Fridays Appetizer, Taste Tested And Ranked

Having been founded in March 1965, TGI Fridays has been around for six decades now. Despite its long-time standing in almost 60 countries, it hasn't been without its fair share of difficulty and hardship. To get back on its feet, the restaurant chain has made big shifts in hopes of building itself back up as a favorite among casual diners. That includes adding new menu items. The appetizer section in particular has seen some brand-new options.

That brings us to our current lineup of starters available at TGIF. There are some familiar favorites that have been around for years now plus additions that have joined the menu as recently as spring of 2025. From the eatery's Loaded Potato Skins to its Spinach Artichoke Dip, we tried and ranked each of these appetizers to see just what customers are working with as TGIF continues to undergo significant changes. And it seems pretty clear to us which apps will keep us coming back and which ones won't.

As someone who appreciates potatoes in pretty much any form, be it fries, hashbrowns, or even just cubed up with some corned beef, tater tots have proved superior each and every time. That was unfortunately until I tried the ones that joined the TGIF menu in May 2025. The Loaded Tots rolled out as part of the chain's menu overhaul that also includes a Big Queso Energy Burger, more flavors for mozzarella sticks, and drinks like the Strawberry Henny and The Late Checkout, likely in an effort to bounce back from the bankruptcy that accompanied the sudden closure of countless TGIF stores toward the end of 2024.

While the saucy mozzarella sticks and boozy beverages will certainly be repeat orders for us in the future, we can't say the same for the Loaded Tots. TGIF advertises these as "not your average tots," and that's accurate in more ways than one. For starters, rather than coming in the usual small, cylindrical shapes, they're sized and shaped like large meatballs. This distinction is actually a plus, considering it makes them all the more shareable as an appetizer. They're also beautifully presented, as the entire dish is drizzled with the restaurant's new TGI sauce, bacon, and green onions.

The tots' unique form, plating, and dressing all very much work in its favor, which is exactly why it's a shame that the potato itself throws everything out the window. Each bite felt more akin to biting into dough than potato. And that's not quite the carb customers are hoping for when buying tater tots, making this appetizer okay to pass up.

From here on out in the ranking, any of TGI Fridays' remaining appetizers are solid choices. Nothing misses the mark the way the oddly textured Loaded Tots did, and I could see myself wanting to retry any of the following starters upon future visits, solely depending on what I'm craving that day. Still, the Pretzel Bites are booted toward the bottom of the list simply because there are far more exciting items available on the menu.

There are plenty of pretzel nuggets to go around for everyone. Admittedly, there's a bit of a tough resistance when you bite into one, but they are called "bites" for a reason — meaning you're likely meant to pop the whole piece in your mouth in one go (which they're the perfect size for) rather than eating it in multiple pieces. And if you do so, you probably wouldn't notice any of the nitty-gritty concerning the texture.

This is especially the case when you dunk the Pretzel Bites into the scene-stealing poblano queso it comes with. I'm overall not a pretzel gal, but I sure am a cheese gal, and the one provided alongside these nuggets absolutely hits the spot. It's thick and rich and has the perfect level of heat coming through from the pepper.

From sushi to meatballs, many items have come and gone from the TGI Fridays menu, but the Loaded Potato Skins have been one of the original offerings to stick around for the long haul. Its introduction to the menu dates all the way back to 1974, leading TGIF to be among a handful of restaurants that takes credit for the origin of potato skins. Regardless of who the rightful inventor of this starchy, savory snack is, though, the chain has done a stellar job of bringing it to people's plates through the decades.

An order comes with six filling potato halves, some differing greatly in size from one another. Surprisingly, the smaller ones were the best, as they most consistently provided a bit of every ingredient in each bite you took. You'd get a taste of the potato's crispy, perfectly golden outside, along with its fluffy inside, topped with bacon and melted cheese. And then you could scoop up as much sour cream and green onions as you want from the provided sauce cup, which added a lot to the meal by brightening it up and providing a cool, refreshing feel to the otherwise hot and salty dish. The larger potato halves are not as generously covered in toppings, meaning some bites will be pure potato and nothing else, but it's worth chewing your way through to get to the loaded bits.

Joining me in the taste-testing were my parents and my boyfriend, the latter of whom is very much a wing connoisseur. And by association, I've inadvertently sort of become one, too. As such, every time I try wings at an establishment, I subconsciously tend to base my opinion on two criteria he has taught me to pay close attention to: the crispiness of the outside and the tenderness of the inside.

So, how did TGI Fridays' bone-in chicken hold up against those markers? Based on the two flavors that I tried, which were Al Pastor and Garlic Parmesan, it was overall subpar. Similar to the Loaded Tots, these wings were beautiful in presentation. The Garlic Parmesan wings, for example, came with a whole lot of shredded cheese that I don't usually see in variations at other chains. However, when it came down to the aforementioned crisp of the skin and texture of the meat itself, the wings didn't hold up quite as well as their aesthetic did. The flesh was a bit tougher and drier than I would've guessed from looking at the juicy, saucy-looking outside. Still, it'll do the job for those craving wings.

Even more nostalgic than the chain's Loaded Potato Skins is its Crispy Green Bean Fries. These deep-fried green beans were first added to TGIF's lineup all the way back in 2006, and we're so happy that they found their way back into the rotation in 2024 after an unwelcome hiatus that left customers missing this app's presence.

For anyone who struggles to get their veggies in for the day, this would be the way to go. The deep-fried aspect of these greens obviously doesn't do much to boost the dish's nutritional value — it clocks in with a whopping 1,720 milligrams of sodium – but the brown, crispy breading, the savory taste, and the TGI sauce it comes with really does provide a satisfying feeling that's similar to what you'd get when eating actual french fries. Of course, it's not exactly the same, but it's close enough and still delicious in its own right that it's worth swapping out your regular french fries to get some extra vegetables in before your main course.

TGI Fridays is known for its American fare, but it has dabbled in Asian cuisine a couple of times, including with its Pan-Seared Pot Stickers. You get 10 pieces per order, with each dumpling filled with pork and sprinkled with green onions. There's also Szechuan sauce on the side to up the umami flavor of this dish even more.

These Pan-Seared Pot Stickers don't stray far from how typical store-bought frozen dumplings taste. I don't mind this at all, though, especially as someone who gets lazy to throw things on the stove or into the air fryer (yes, sadly, even then). And even when I do get myself to do so, I don't usually have consistent results in getting pot stickers to turn out good every time. You can imagine then, as someone who doesn't have the best streak at preparing food herself at home, why I appreciate that TGIF is able to get its version to customers at the absolute best texture a dumpling could have. The crimped edges of each piece are crispy and slightly browned, while the pork filling remains soft, tender, and juicy. Paired with the sharp taste of the Szechuan sauce, these Pot Stickers are a solid middle-of-the-line app.

Everybody wants to feel like they got their money's worth after dining out at a restaurant, and if that's a concern that's front and center for you, too, look no further than the Fridays Signature Whiskey-Glaze Sampler. An order consists of the chain's Big Ribs and a large heap of Sesame Chicken Bites, both slathered in the Whiskey-Glaze sauce, as well as battered Crispy Shrimp, with a condiment cup alongside it for you to dunk into as you go. This all comes out to a little under $24, which is a great value when you take into consideration that an à la carte order of a half-rack of ribs is priced at around $22 already.

The price and sheer amount provided in this order is reason enough to try this option, whether as an appetizer for the table or your own entrée, but its flavor really cements its spot among the top five apps. Each component on the plate stands well on its own; there's really no weak link anywhere to be found, seeing as TGIF's signature sauce transforms anything it touches. But even without the sweet and savory condiment, the Crispy Shrimp in particular can be fully enjoyed in a plain, undressed state, right down to the tail.

Spinach Artichoke Dip is a dish that can be found on a number of chain restaurant menus, including those of The Cheesecake Factory and Olive Garden, but it's probably best known for being a part of the many Applebee's appetizers that gets its price slashed in half come nighttime. Well, let me tell you, TGI Fridays knocks Applebee's version out of the water. And that statement means a lot coming from someone who has a soft spot for Applebee's just because I spend so many late nights there with my family. Even more telling is the fact that I don't like Spinach Artichoke Dip to begin with.

While I can't say this order converted me into a Spinach Artichoke Dip fan (I'm simply just not keen on the flavor combination in any situation), it just can't be denied that TGI Fridays makes a version that stands out among the rest. Atop the usual pool of gooey melted cheese and greens (the spinach and artichoke pieces, of course) is an extremely generous layer of Parmesan breadcrumbs. To call it a "sprinkle" would be an understatement. It's a heavy-handed topping of crunchy, flavorful bits that makes a wonderful contrast to the creamy veggie and cheese concoction it sits on top of. As my boyfriend described it, it took on an almost nutty texture and taste. This is an addition I'm not used to seeing at other restaurants, or at least not done this generously, and it makes all the difference in helping TGIF's Spinach Artichoke Dip to shine.

From Buffalo to barbecue, it's not hard to come by classic wing flavors while eating out. And while TGI Fridays surely has the basics down, it also has some more unique varieties you won't often find at other chain restaurants. So to switch things up from the usual, I opted to sample its Dragon Glaze and Apple Butter BBQ sauces on boneless chicken wings.

There's honestly little to say about the chicken itself. It doesn't "wow" in any way, nor does it really garner any criticism. The same goes for the Dragon Glaze sauce, aside from the fact that it didn't deliver on the heat that its attention-grabbing name and the server warned it would have, leaving the Apple Butter BBQ to be the star of the two.

I was excited to hear that TGIF had something of the sort on its menu at all, and I was even more excited to discover that it tasted as delightful as it sounded. The flavor of the apple dominates the barbecue, though not at all in a bad way. Given the strong fruitiness of the sauce mixed with the inherent savoriness of the chicken, I can see this being a fun and interesting combination that can complement your order both in the dog days of summer and in the brisk temperatures of fall. All in all, TGI Fridays stepped out of the usual chain-restaurant box with this one (along with some of its other wing flavors), and it paid off really well.

We can thank France for the invention of the mozzarella stick, and we can thank TGI Fridays for offering one of the best chain restaurant variations of it there is. The eatery makes the cheesy appetizer in four different flavors: Original, Whiskey-Glaze, Garlic Parmesan, and Frank's RedHot Buffalo, meaning there's something that works for everyone. And for me personally, the one that went above and beyond is none other than TGI Fridays' signature Whiskey-Glaze sauce. This sauce works well on just about anything it's slapped on, as evident in the sampler discussed earlier. But sticks of fried cheese dipped in this? It's the best way to enjoy mozzarella sticks, with the sweet, subtly smoky flavor being the icing on the cake to a textural dream.

Surprisingly, of the rest of the options, the plain variety comes in second best. That just goes to show that TGI Fridays' mozzarella sticks don't need a sauce or condiment to do all the work. These uniformly rectangular blocks are extremely thick and hefty and deliver fully on the coveted, seemingly never-ending cheese pull all foodies seek. The breading around it is light and comes in a surprisingly thin layer, but again, it just highlights cheese as the main event — as mozzarella sticks should. Best of all, TGI Fridays' cheese sticks even came out on top in our ranking of frozen mozzarella stick brands, too, meaning you can stay stocked up on these at all times with a quick run to your grocery store.

The order of TGI Fridays appetizers in this ranking was based on a taste-test of each item on the menu. Flavor was the most important consideration, with texture having a large impact as well. The shareability of each order and how many pieces it came with also affected an item's placement on the list, and in some cases, so did its nutritional value.