Some of Fun Townâ€™s best hamburgers

September 29, 2011

If you’re an American or Brit, you definitely do want fries (chips) with your burger. It’s not hard to find burgers here in Fun Town. After all, we’ve got several McDonald’s, Burger Kings and other fast food emporiums. If you go to one of the fast food chains, you can pretty much depend on consistency. You know what to expect and you probably won’t be disappointed. A McDonald’s hamburger will taste the same from one visit to the next; and for that matter, one branch to the next. On the other hand, if you’re looking for taste and flavor, you may want to venture a bit farther afield. Actually, I happen to like the burgers offered at Dairy Queen on the fifth floor of Central Festival Pattaya Beach, between Beach Road and Second Road. The patties are cooked just right. Accompanied by an order of fries and a soda (free refills) and you’re all set.

For those who crave a really delicious, high-quality burger, I can strongly recommend Just Burgers, located on Jomtien Beach Road, near Soi 8. Paradoxically, Just Burgers serves more than burgers. It has a full breakfast menu, chicken dishes, salads and Thai food; but, I digress. Just Burgers, owned by an American, is just a small, strictly outdoor affair, with picnic table seating. Their 1/3 pound ‘basic burger’ is garnished with onion, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and ketchup and is priced at a reasonable 79 baht. I tried the 95-baht cheddar cheese burger. (You can also order it with Swiss, American or pepper jack cheese.) I must say that it was very flavorful, tender and grilled to perfection, with a generous dollop of cheddar dripping over the patty. A big basket of fresh-cut fries at 59 baht and a Heineken (85 baht) completed a very satisfying meal. This place isn’t fancy, but when you’re in the mood for a really good hamburger, it is several cuts above the fast-food variety. You can even phone in your order at 087-745-4161 (250 baht minimum order).

If you want to enjoy your burger in more upscale surroundings, try Shenanigans, located on the second floor of The Avenue Mall on Second Road. They also have a branch in Jomtien Complex. At 250 baht and accompanied by a nice portion of thick cut French Fries (or, they’ll substitute a baked potato if you wish), their burger is well worth the price. It’s a big, thick, juicy, succulent burger and you won’t leave hungry. You can substitute chicken or fish for beef; but why would you do that? If you’re coming for dinner, don’t eat a late lunch beforehand. Shenanigans is open from 8:30 am until late night.

As we go to press, American Independence Day (July 4^th) is almost upon us. Lots of places are offering July 4th specials and celebrations. This would be a good time to sample an authentic American classic, the hamburger. (By the way, since hamburgers are traditionally made from beef, there’s no ham in a hamburger.)