Are their burgers still good or has the quality gone down?  Would Carl's still be the best (quick) place at central for a decent burger?  Thanks.

I ate at Carl's Jr about a week ago and quality was fine as usual.  If you want a burger that's a bit better (and more expensive...) try Hippopotamus restaurant on the 6th floor, same corner as Carl's Jr.

Did have a burger at Carl's last week.

The burger and the fries were great.

Only little issue: They played christmas carols as back ground music. 

I notified the manager who rushed to his laptop and suddenly it was silent.......

Still great however getting into Central is a bit of a chore for me now and so Burger King is the norm once a month now.

New 24 hr BK on Beach Rd near Soi 7/8 if you feel the need in the middle of the night ( and who doesn't from time to time?).

Carl's headquarters was 10 minutes from my house in Cali.  They do taste pretty much the same here.

But Central, I went in there a while ago and 2 days running no burgers.  They said they ran out of meat. 

4 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Carl's headquarters was 10 minutes from my house in Cali.  They do taste pretty much the same here.

But Central, I went in there a while ago and 2 days running no burgers.  They said they ran out of meat. 

As you said, that was a while ago... like last year.

On 5/8/2017 at 3:19 PM, wpcoe said:

try Hippopotamus restaurant on the 6th floor, same corner as Carl's Jr.

Yes, if you want the best burger in town , in my opinion Hippopotamus is top of the range .  Try the blue cheese burger . And prices are about the same as Carl's.  

When the waiter asks if you want the burger medium or well done you know they are serious about burgers, no fast food chain quality up there. .

 

 

 

10 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Carl's headquarters was 10 minutes from my house in Cali.  They do taste pretty much the same here.

 

Would that be Carpinteria? I lived there for a while and seem to remember that was the HQ. I think they are moving it to the East coast for some reason though. I loved the breakfast biscuits and they serve them all day. 

1 hour ago, Ulysses G. said:

Would that be Carpinteria? I lived there for a while and seem to remember that was the HQ. I think they are moving it to the East coast for some reason though. I loved the breakfast biscuits and they serve them all day. 

yes.  They are or have moved to Nashville.  Those biscuits are good.

The best burgers now are Jim's Burgers & Beer up the road from Central Marina or OMG Burgers at Central Marina and at Mike Shopping Mall on Beach Road. Of course there's Smokin Joes, Hooter's and Rich Man Poor Man in Jomtien. RMPM probably has the best patty and bun. Even Simple Simon or BBQ Prime Time on 9 in Jomtien makes a decent burger now. All this is imho and again imho head and shoulders above Carl's or Hippopotamus.

 

 

Photo from BBQ Prime Time on 9

 

 

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Since we're doing the burger thread again, Havana deserves another mention.

 

http://www.holidayinn-pattaya.com/havana/

 

Some will surely find exciting this new burger with beetroot:

 

https://www.facebook.com/HavanaBar.Pattaya/photos/a.187456737947623.52777.185146951511935/1716121071747841/?type=3&theater

 

Burgers can be a very personal thing and where you're from probably has a lot to do with it.  My friends and I often go to Bangkok to get good gourmet burgers.  I personally like Jim's burgers (photo) but a few of my friends don't. They like a traditional American burger with traditional toppings tomatoes, lettuce, etc, something you don't get at Jim's. They(Jim's) ,  like the Hippopotamus use 100% imported beef, unlike some other places (Smokin Joe's, RMPM, and the closed Pastrami on Rye) that use the pre-cooked Angus patties (yuck). If a restaurant tells you they can't cook the burger rare or medium rare then that is a good indicator they are using pre-cooked patties. 

38 minutes ago, ThaiBob said:

I personally like Jim's burgers (photo) but a few of my friends don't. They like a traditional American burger with traditional toppings tomatoes, lettuce, etc, something you don't get at Jim's.

 

What happened to Hamburger Denmark? That was pretty close to your standard diner grilled 'Mercun burger before they got all bloated. Fries weren't bad either. Used to order a takeout at the one just up from Blues Factory then eat it in Champion Go Go.

5 hours ago, Roger Lee said:

The best burgers now are Jim's Burgers & Beer up the road from Central Marina or OMG Burgers at Central Marina and at Mike Shopping Mall on Beach Road. Of course there's Smokin Joes, Hooter's and Rich Man Poor Man in Jomtien. RMPM probably has the best patty and bun. Even Simple Simon or BBQ Prime Time on 9 in Jomtien makes a decent burger now. All this is imho and again imho head and shoulders above Carl's or Hippopotamus.

 

 

Photo from BBQ Prime Time on 9

 

 

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haha.  That is definitely a Man vs. Food burger.  Jim's is good but that location with the basketball hoop/cage out front I think hurts his businees.  Unless you are looking for Jim's, you can drive by and have no idea it is a burger joint.  

Burgers can be a very personal thing and where you're from probably has a lot to do with it.  My friends and I often go to Bangkok to get good gourmet burgers.  I personally like Jim's burgers (photo) but a few of my friends don't. They like a traditional American burger with traditional toppings tomatoes, lettuce, etc, something you don't get at Jim's. They(Jim's) ,  like the Hippopotamus use 100% imported beef, unlike some other places (Smokin Joe's, RMPM, and the closed Pastrami on Rye) that use the pre-cooked Angus patties (yuck). If a restaurant tells you they can't cook the burger rare or medium rare then that is a good indicator they are using pre-cooked patties. 

 

 

That's a good looking burger from Jim's.

 

Actually I visited with Ed at RMPM, he's bought a meat grinder and is grinding his own now. He reports he's using a mixture of Wagyu beef with Thai French beef for better juiciness. Apparently 100% Wagyu can be a little dry after grilling. I agree, very tasty, juicy and just right imho. 

 

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Good news about RMPM, I will try them again.  Getting the right fat content is important for a juicy burger.

4 hours ago, ThaiBob said:

If a restaurant tells you they can't cook the burger rare or medium rare then that is a good indicator they are using pre-cooked patties. 

You can add Coffee Club to that list .  They didn't even understand the question. 

 

 

7 hours ago, balo said:

You can add Coffee Club to that list .  They didn't even understand the question. 

 

 

I'd agree with you on that. Beautiful burger. 

2 minutes ago, NormanW said:

I'd agree with you on that. Beautiful burger. 

Nice if you like frozen patties :-)

 

Post Carl's Jr report...Very good burger for a fast food joint.  It appears the quality at this store (Central Pattaya) has been maintained.  The shake was excellent, but pity they do not carry malt!  Carl's have a couple of meal deals for two right now, one for 350baht and one for 420baht that bring the price down somewhat.  

I went to BBQ Primetime on the 9 for a try at their triple cheeseburger, 400 baht for the burger, two sides and a couple of beers.  Great value imho.  I'll definitely be back, the meat was very tasty and juicy.

 

 

I used to enjoy the occasional burger at Carl's Jr until I tried their chicken tenders... fell in love right there on the spot and haven't ordered a burger there since. Real moist, real tender... Seriously good and well worth a try if you fancy something different. Great value too.

The Carl's Jr quality can vary a bit.   I quite like their Portobello Mushroom Burger, but it's not always the same.  Some times the sauce is moist and flavorful and other times, more like a gelatinous glue on the burger.  When the sauce is good it is quite good.  Come to think of it, it's been a while since I've had the glue version, so maybe they've tightened up QC?  I don't eat there all that often, maybe 5x or 6x a year?

Jim's burgers are above the norm. What makes this burger special? The three choices of home-made fresh buns; the crispy bacon and onion ring inside, and the good quality beef.  Unfortunately, the kitchen "over cooks" the fries, African curls, or potato wafers. The cooks need to put more attention toward the frying temperature of the side orders.  The special imported beers are a must--but will cost as much as the burger. lol

 

Jim's burgers are above the norm. What makes this burger special? The three choices of home-made fresh buns; the crispy bacon and onion ring inside, and the good quality beef.  Unfortunately, the kitchen "over cooks" the fries, African curls, or potato wafers. The cooks need to put more attention toward the frying temperature of the side orders.  The special imported beers are a must--but will cost as much as the burger. lol
 

Yep, I quit ordering their fries and onion rings, like you mentioned definitely over cooked imho. Without a side they throw in one or two waffle fries anyway.

Although I prefer completely cooked patties I've discovered that by choosing medium that they come completely cooked anyway and much juicer.


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Hopefully Jim's will have their bacon rolls available soon. Still need to try the nachos also.

This is how my favorite looks like ,  the Hippopotamus blue cheese burger.  I stopped eating at Carls Jr because the prices are about the same  and also because you can choose different side dishes like baked potato and veggies at Hippopotamus , but I still love Carl Jr's milk shakes. 

 

 

 

 

 

On 5/11/2017 at 4:23 AM, Roger Lee said:

The best burgers now are Jim's Burgers & Beer up the road from Central Marina or OMG Burgers at Central Marina and at Mike Shopping Mall on Beach Road.

 

Agreed re: Jim's. Had a little celebration there today. Heavenly.

The last two times that I visited Carl's Jr. they were out of beef and didn't have any burgers. I've never heard of a burger joint being out of hamburgers, there must be more to this story that we don't know.  This is in their Pattaya store in Central Festival. Needless to say they weren't doing any business. <deleted>!