Is There A Decent (non-fast-food) Burger In Pattaya?

[syd barrett]

There is supposed to be a MOS burger place opening in the new Central Festival on beach road, apparently the use only the finest Tasmanian beef in their burgers but don't expect it to be cheap.

Small portions, good fries, but the beef was nothing special.

The portions are very small, I once was served just 5 French Fries. No more than a snack, probably better to double order for satisfaction.

[Ulysses G.]

Bobs BBQ and Burgers is not much better - small portions and overpriced.

Edited September 11, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[syd barrett]

We were in Pattaya a week ago for a few days, and I had the Pattaya Beer Garden Bacon Cheeseburger Burger ( 1/3rd pound) at the Pattaya Beer Garden, with good size french fries and salad for 155 Baht.

Good value for the money.

Barry

Agreed! I was more than satisfied with my burger & chips there.

It is worth checking out for a decent fill if you are that end of Beach Road.

[Jingthing]

We were in Pattaya a week ago for a few days, and I had the Pattaya Beer Garden Bacon Cheeseburger Burger ( 1/3rd pound) at the Pattaya Beer Garden, with good size french fries and salad for 155 Baht.

Good value for the money.

Barry

Agreed! I was more than satisfied with my burger & chips there.

It is worth checking out for a decent fill if you are that end of Beach Road.

OK!

I checked it out.

I will give it the Jingthing (barely) Acceptable Seal of Approval.

My objective comments:

Beef patty, decent size, cooked OK, no gristle, nothing offensive about it, not real beefy tasting either, no taste of the grill

Toppings: you get two choices, I chose cheddar cheese and sauteed mushrooms, the cheddar tasted like cheddar and was a decent portion, the mushrooms were a large portion of sliced Thai button mushrooms, they didn't taste sauteed, they tasted boiled, but they were a nice clean addition, more about texture than taste as they didn't taste of much

The burger also included some lettuce and lots of sliced onion (I like onion!). I don't recall a tomato but there is always ketchup.

The bun: the bun was not buttered (as I prefer), and not toasted (sadly for me). The bread was too sweet. I didn't like the texture. The bun size was medium, not tiny, not huge.

The fries: they didn't taste freshly cooked, they were more like warmed up large potato sticks. However they were not too greasy and crispy potato sticks are good to eat occasionally. The portion was quite large. The color of the fries was strangely dark brown. Something weird about these fries, but they were still pleasant in a mildly disturbing way

The "salad": not good. A small portion of shredded cabbage only mixed up with some kind of salad cream/Russian dressing goo. I would have preferred a clean salad not shredded and not sloshed in goo.

The eating experience. After ONE bite the thing fell apart. There was no way I could eat this with my hands like a normal burger. Something to do with the substandard bun. So I ate it with a fork ...

The best part of the burger: the toppings!

The worst part of the burger: the bun and the side salad!

Overall experience, worth 150 baht. I don't know of a place where you could get this burger value for 150 baht in Pattaya. However, that says more about Pattaya than their burgers!

Edited September 14, 2009 by Jingthing

[gerry53]

That was a hel_l of a review over a $5 (150 baht) hamburger and fries. I would hate to see your critique of a $150 (5200+ baht) hamburger at New York cities Wall Street Burger Shoppe! No, I am not making it up.

Thai versus USA or Ozzie beef - I have shot many old rutted out moose for consumption and the hamburger after the grinding process alway tasted great (not so with finer cuts of meat). Maybe I am just a low class not to fussy Canuck but the Brits seem to spend far too much time analysing their food and obsessing about it.

[RabC]

That was a hel_l of a review over a $5 (150 baht) hamburger and fries. I would hate to see your critique of a $150 (5200+ baht) hamburger at New York cities Wall Street Burger Shoppe! No, I am not making it up.

Thai versus USA or Ozzie beef - I have shot many old rutted out moose for consumption and the hamburger after the grinding process alway tasted great (not so with finer cuts of meat). Maybe I am just a low class not to fussy Canuck but the Brits seem to spend far too much time analysing their food and obsessing about it.

Gerry I think you'll find its the Septics who are anal about their burgers not us Brits. One more comment if you buy what is called hybrid thai beef here it is as good as any US or Aussie import.

[syd barrett]

We were in Pattaya a week ago for a few days, and I had the Pattaya Beer Garden Bacon Cheeseburger Burger ( 1/3rd pound) at the Pattaya Beer Garden, with good size french fries and salad for 155 Baht.

Good value for the money.

Barry

Agreed! I was more than satisfied with my burger & chips there.

It is worth checking out for a decent fill if you are that end of Beach Road.

OK!

I checked it out.

I will give it the Jingthing (barely) Acceptable Seal of Approval.

Fair review, but for 150 Baht you cannot expect the world. I just wanted to say, it's an OK place if you have a bit of a hunger on after a few luchtime beers!

Thanks!

[Jingthing]

I agree Sid. And it just goes to show you that the cost of the thing (in the local market COMPARED to the local market, who cares about NYC in Pattaya?) is meaningful in a food review. At 150 baht, a fair deal with enough pleasant stuff to make it enjoyable. At 300 baht, the same thing, total ripoff.

Another thing worth mentioning, the ambiance and atmosphere of the Pattaya Beer Garden is very nice indeed. Great water view right in the heart of tourist Pattaya. It makes the food prices even more of a value as most places jack up the prices for a nice view. Even though the place is a hangout for freelance ladies, it is surprisingly non-sleazy and relaxed.

Edited September 15, 2009 by Jingthing

[barryofthailand]

Agree 100% jing, and we will be in Pattaya probably the middle of Nov for a few days, and I plan to get the Pattaya beer Garden burger to go along with a few beers in the late evening.

Barry

[Ulysses G.]

Gerry I think you'll find its the Septics who are anal about their burgers not us Brits. One more comment if you buy what is called hybrid thai beef here it is as good as any US or Aussie import.

You may not be "anal", but it is because your taste buds do not function correctly. Hybrid Thai beef is better than the average local stuff, but not anywhere up to good imported beef.

Edited September 15, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[gerry53]

I too agree with Jing on the Pattaya Beer Garden, good reasonable priced food, great setup and location and nice staff.

Ulysses G my taste buds work fine I'm just not anal about it. Mind you I do eat a late breakfast buffet at the Lek Hotel on occassion (and enjoy it) and other boards say it's not fit for pigs!!!! Go figure.

[Ulysses G.]

Ulysses G my taste buds work fine I'm just not anal about it. Mind you I do eat a late breakfast buffet at the Lek Hotel on occassion (and enjoy it) and other boards say it's not fit for pigs!!!! Go figure.

I hate to break this to you, but a cheapskate buddy tricked me into a Lek breakfast one time and has never heard the last of it. Swine would be embarrased to eat there!

[gerry53]

Oh yes Ulysses G you are one of those Brits who is obsessed with your food. You claim to throw away thai beef because you can't chew it, Bobs burgers aren't up to your high standard and the Lek isn't fit for a swine. I hope someone puts a pea under your mattress I know you won't be able to sleep all night!

The Lek incidently seems to do a good business and is convenient and fast when in a hurry but I'm sure it could not meet your royal standards.

[Jingthing]

Ulysses G a Brit? That's a shocker. Agreed. The Lek should be named The Drek.

[gerry53]

I apoligize for calling Ulysses G a Brit with that name I should have known better. I erred reading a quote he used and attributed it to him. Americans are usually more flexible and not so obsessive, obviously not a Rambo type.

[Ulysses G.]

A Marine, not Green Beret, buy even the food in the Military was better than the Lek.

Edited September 16, 2009 by Ulysses G.

[hansum]

I agree with the comments about Tony Roma's. Easily the tastiest burger I've had in Thailand.

Here in Pattaya I recently had a cheeseburger at Shenanigans in the Avenue Mall. Very good indeed.

Shenanigans was the worst burger ive ever eaten in my life let alone Thailand .... it was like theyd mixed flakey cardbboard in with the meat.avoid at all costs.

Has anyone any new recommendations as im craving for a burger right now?

Edited July 17, 2010 by hansum

[Neole]

I agree with the comments about Tony Roma's. Easily the tastiest burger I've had in Thailand.

Here in Pattaya I recently had a cheeseburger at Shenanigans in the Avenue Mall. Very good indeed.

Shenanigans was the worst burger ive ever eaten in my life let alone Thailand .... it was like theyd mixed flakey cardbboard in with the meat.avoid at all costs.

Has anyone any new recommendations as im craving for a burger right now?

Try the premade burger at carrefour supermarket - its cold and tough but I enjoy it sometimes for the unique nature!

[leemo]

I agree with the comments about Tony Roma's. Easily the tastiest burger I've had in Thailand.

Here in Pattaya I recently had a cheeseburger at Shenanigans in the Avenue Mall. Very good indeed.

Shenanigans was the worst burger ive ever eaten in my life let alone Thailand .... it was like theyd mixed flakey cardbboard in with the meat.avoid at all costs.

Has anyone any new recommendations as im craving for a burger right now?

Yup, I've had Shenanigan burgers at the Avenue and Jomtien Complex, might have been cloned fast food because they were identical, dry and tasteless with not enough beef to hold them together. The chips were fine, but that's little consolation if you're hungry and the burger is crap.

Can't recommend a burger place, but fancy some fish 'n chips?

[BB1950]

BBQ Bob's off LK Metro Soi next door to Lolitas has great hamburgers. I have a fairly big appetite and I had a hard time eating his medium size.

What happened to this place. I use to like it. Did it close or move?

[Jimmyd]

It's still there. I went a few time when it first opened, but the prices and food keep me away. Just not my taste. However, it's been around for a long time, so he must be doing something right?

Just Burgers on Jomtien Beach road used to be pretty good, but I haven't been in a long time.

They've got some german bread buns (dusted with flour) in Friendship and Best supermarkets that make for an amazing burger if you want to do it yourself--10 baht a pop.

Edited July 25, 2010 by Jimmyd

[chaihot]

Is "Fatties" or something like that, still open across from Big C? Was a yank from N'ahlins that had that place a few years back (last time I went) and they had some decent burgers

I haven't been to Fatties in years; I didn't even know he was still in business. I had heard a rumor some time ago that he sold out. I brought him seasoning one trip from the USA because he had run out. His burger was good at the time but it wasn't enough to get me back again.

I was never a big beef eater to begin with and marrying a Thai who doesn't eat beef, pretty much eliminated the remainder from my diet. Based on the constant complaints from expats in Thailand about beef quality, it was probably for the better.

On a lark, I decided to eat a beef-hamburger at Magnolia Restaurant (Mabprachan) the other day. I had forgotten just how BAD Thai beef can be.

Edited July 25, 2010 by chaihot

[whybob]

I scoffed a 'Pattaya Beer Garden Burger' the other week, which was nice.

I like them too

Cheeseburger served with crispy fries and a small coleslaw 120 baht OR

constuct your own with a choice of filling (max. 2) servwed as above 180 baht

[aussiechick]

Sorry - but Fatties is gone. Used to like the food in there. Staff were pleasant too.

[jori]

Fish and chip shop in the Village,which I think is superb now have stiff competition ,with another fish and chip shop opening within a few yards of it on 3rd road,The Happy Frier or something like. Pity when a guy sets up something unique someone else comes along and steals his thunder

[DMC1]

Yeh Fatties used to be fairly good. I quite like the burgers from the Queen Vic when I order from D2D.

[bob4you]

Fish and chip shop in the Village,which I think is superb now have stiff competition ,with another fish and chip shop opening within a few yards of it on 3rd road,The Happy Frier or something like. Pity when a guy sets up something unique someone else comes along and steals his thunder

Comparing Jolly Friar and Village Chippy is like comparing apples and oranges. Village Chippy is a open air restaurant down a Soi traveled only by those who live in the village, required word of mouth to bring in business, when they were the best deal in town the business came in. They had high hope that the same thing would happen with Village Chinky, but poor quality and high price and poor location killed it.

Jolly Friar on the other hand is on a busy street (Soi Lenkee)air conditioned with room for 30+ people, competitive prices to the Village Chippy same items on the menu plus a lot more ie steaks, chops etc. He (Ian) is successful because he knows marketing and how to give good bang for the Baht, he will soon do the same for the new Chinese Garden restaurant (5 doors down from Jolly Friar opening end of next month.

[sam05]

BBQ Bob's off LK Metro Soi next door to Lolitas has great hamburgers. I have a fairly big appetite and I had a hard time eating his medium size.

i i totally agree, bobs is the best

[toenail]

Gullivers Pub on Beach Rd (after Holiday Inn) has good grilled burgers (meat from Australia, I think). Unfortunately, they have the skinny fries (I prefer Belgium fries) which are always over cooked by the chef. (the cooks do not know about frying temperatures)

[bob4you]

BBQ Bob's off LK Metro Soi next door to Lolitas has great hamburgers. I have a fairly big appetite and I had a hard time eating his medium size.

i i totally agree, bobs is the best

Bob's has a new owner Dale, since October. Bob sold out and went back to Texas, his quality and off site management had hurt his reputation but Dale has brought the standard up using top quality everything including freshly ground chuck, no additives, smoked chicken and ribs are in my opinion the best in town. Dale has a background in Mexican foods and has improved the quality and taste of the Mexican dishes. Stop in and give it a try on Soi LK Metro. Lunch special is 1/4 lb burger with lettuce, tomato, onions fresh or grilled on a grilled bun with French Fries regular B130 special noon to 5 only B99. Substitutes allowed for French fries if on diet like me. I prefer the Cole Slaw.