When I first entered TGI Friday's about one year after moving to Prague from the USA, I cautiously looked over my shoulder to see if the freak who usually monitors my every move via satellite would mark this down in his book of evidence that I miss my home country.

While I do long for American restaurant service and particular favorites, TGI Friday's was never even close to the top 100 from the land of the free [to buy whatever they want]. After a year of goulash and vepro, knedo, zelo, I decide to eat my pride and enter.

The first weird thing after TGI Friday's is that it is identical to those in the USA, in almost every discernible way. The waitresses in Prague are undoubtably cuter and often Russian (I've heard the chain here is Russian-owned), which is the only caveat.

I've since been back to the place four or five times over the last several years, and witnessed an unfortunate trend. The food that I once guiltily welcomed has become more expensive and worse in quality. The service is excellent, however, very close to that in the USA, and a smiling waitress is nearly always to be found.

This is part of the allure, plus other horrendously unhealthy-yet-tasty dishes like fried Mac-n-Cheese, creamy Caesar salad with chicken, thick chocolate milkshakes and molten chocolate lava desserts, etc. You know, the very same crap that made American's so disgustingly obese in the first place.

Sadly for TGIF, better deals and higher quality in terms of burgers can be found at Bohemia Bagel in Letna, where a better burger is served for half the price. Beer prices at TGIF are still reasonable though, and new menu items regularly come out with as much pomp as you would expect back in the states.

Overall, a place to go before a movie or if you want to test your date's movie knowledge by identifying the celebrity photos screwed into the walls.