The Best Frozen Mozzarella Sticks Come From A Bankrupt Restaurant Chain

It's an age-old debate: Which is the best part of the mozzarella stick? Is it the perfectly crisp, slightly salted outer shell that cracks on the first bite? Or is it the melty, oozy mozzarella cheese that stretches out like a rubber band across the table? Tasting Table took on the oh-so-difficult task of testing 7 frozen mozzarella stick brands to find the best kind. The results? None other than TGI Fridays.

The TGI Fridays mozzarella sticks checked all the boxes, everything from a well-seasoned breading to fantastic cheese pulls. The flat, rectangular shape gave the sticks more room for that melty, gooey mozzarella cheese, which helped make it the top contender. We were also impressed that the TGI Fridays mozzarella sticks came with a small container of marinara sauce (otherwise known as a mozzarella stick's best friend), something none of the other frozen sticks provided. But as delicious as the frozen mozzarella sticks are, the TGI Fridays brand is far from thriving.

Maybe you remember heading to the neighborhood TGI Fridays for endless appetizers or cheap drinks, but as of late 2024, the once-infamous chain had less than 200 locations in operation. At its peak, TGI Fridays operated over 600 restaurants globally, but after the pandemic and relentless competition caused the brand's sales to plummet, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November of last year. Even before that, Columbus, Ohio and Buffalo, New York said goodbye for good to TGI Fridays as 50 locations officially shut down. Where once there was striped wallpaper and quirky waitress outfits, there are now only memories and a hope that former CEO Ray Blanchette can revive the TGI Fridays name.

In the land of never-ending appetizers, TGI Fridays has a knack for whipping up some of the best, at least our taste-tester thought so. The frozen products are distributed through the Kraft Heinz brand, which entered its original licensing deal with TGI Fridays back in 2001. Besides mozzarella sticks, customers missing the TGI Fridays menu can find frozen honey barbeque chicken wings, loaded cheddar and bacon potato skins, cream cheese stuffed jalapeño poppers, and much more in supermarkets and online. Our writer also ranked the TGI Fridays spicy Cajun-style chicken fettuccine Alfredo and the TGI Fridays pulled pork with mac and cheese among the best 14 restaurant chain frozen meals. Bankruptcy isn't stopping this brand from keeping cravings satisfied.