Try and stay focused

TRUST PATTAYA, that sprawling adult playground, to open the world’s largest Hooters bar and restaurant outside homeland USA.

The American sports-pub chain has opened its fourth Thai branch right on Beach Road, overlooking Pattaya Bay, not that the customers will be looking at the bay much.

It’s the curvy Hooters Girls, all hot pants and tight tank tops, who continue to command the gaze at these establishments. Rather startlingly, though, if you glance at your plate for a moment, you’ll find some pretty good food.

Hooters Pattaya is a spacious 3,300 square metres on two floors, enough room for 500 diners, and a huge pair of outdoor patios that are perfect for people-watching. There are two bars and 40 high-definition screens showing sports, plus live bands and a DJ taking turns and – if you’re somehow still bored – a mechanical bull that’s always in a bad mood. 

The 50 Hooters Girls are contractually barred from giggling if you get thrown.

Belying claims than this is a “guys-only hang-out”, Hooters serves yummy Tex-Mex food that’s pulling in customers of all genders.

The must-try is the wings, 10 for Bt410. There are three varieties – Secret Recipe Original Breaded Wings, Naked Wings and Boneless Wings – with 12 sauce options including Spicy Garlic, 911, Daytona, Thai Sweet Chilli, Cajun and Parmesan Garlic. The Hooters Girls are happy to offer a recommendation. 

Then you’ve got the all-time favourite Nacho Cheese Grande (Bt410), the crisp nacho chips topped with rich cheese sauce, jalapeno peppers, pico de gallo (salsa salad) and sour cream.

Truly addictive is the Buffalo Chicken Dip (Bt470), light tortilla chips with shredded chicken, celery stalks and creamy Buffalo sauce. (Just so you know, the sauce was originally conceived for Buffalo wings, a breed of chicken wings named for Buffalo, New York, and has nothing to do with Uncle Boonmee’s old plough cow.)

“Addictive” is an adjective that seems to apply to most of the appetisers, notably the Fried Pickles and Jalapenos (Bt280), Cheese Sticks (Bt310) and Buffalo Shrimps (Bt540 for 10 pieces), and the salads and other seafood dishes are pretty tantalising too.

For a meal more substantial, get one of the burgers (prices starting at Bt530). They’re prime-quality Angus beef wallowing in cheese and condiments. We particularly like the Western BBQ Burger with its lightly seasoned beef patty served on soft buns with cheddar, Onion Tanglers and, of course, barbecue sauce. 

The dessert menu is thankfully small after all that heavy dining, but it well represents American favourites with items like Pecan Pie, Apple Pie and Chocolate Brownie (each Bt240). We can heartily recommend the genuine American-style Ice Cream Sundae (Bt190) with whipped cream, chocolate fudge and a cherry. 

 

BABES BY THE BEACH

Hooters Pattaya is on Beach Road between Sois 13 and 13/1 and open daily from 10am until 4am (yes, you read that right).

Call (038) 415 318 and check out www.HootersPattaya.com.

Thailand’s other Hooters branches are in Phuket and the two in Bangkok, on Sukhumvit Soi 15 and Soi 4 (Nana).