Under 300 Baht ... And Good! (updated for 2024)

[Evil Penevil]

StarMax is a small restaurant on Soi Buakhao near the intersection of Soi 15. It's next door but one to the Italian restaurant Volare on the corner.  The exterior pics are taken from  the StarMax Facebook page.   It's open daily from 10.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m.

Prices are cheap at StarMax.  The most expensive items on the menu,  the beef and salmon steaks, are 219 baht each. It offers the usual farang items- hamburgers, hot dogs, pasta.salads, sandwiches,  meat dishes, etc.  as well some Thai dishes.

I like the table decorations at StarMax, which perhaps inadvertently are a profound symbol of Pattaya: wizened paper flowers in empty whiskey bottles.

I tried the pork burger with cheese (129 baht) a few days ago and found it surprisingly good.  It included fried mushrooms and onions, but I asked the waitress to hold the onions.

The thick-cut crinkle fries were about average for what you get in Pattaya, OK but not exceptional. They aren't really French fries unless they have been in the fryer twice.

On an earlier visit I had the beef taco (119 baht) and a watermelon smoothie (60 baht).  It included salad, sour cream and sauce. The presentation wasn't very impressive, but the taste was good. As the menu said, it was Tex-Mex and tasted very similar to what you get in the U.S.

 
StarMax also features 99-baht daily specials.  From what I've seen, daily offer is usually Thai food. I had the red curry and it was OK, but not, uh, special.

One detail that caught my eye was the malt vinegar in the condiments' basket.  It was almost empty but the idea was there.

Bottom line:  StarMax is a decent option for inexpensive farang food. I won't hesitate to have the pork burger again or try more of the menu items. The friendly service is a definite plus for me.  I think StarMax appeals mostly to those who live or stay in the vicinity.  It's not the sort of restaurant to which many people will be making a special trip.

Evil

[PBear66]

Thanks for taking the time and effort for these reports. Where i come from chips aren't chips unless there made from fresh potatoes and blanched then refried.

If i could ask for a special request, this place seems to be good. Any chance of a visit and review? Thanks.

 https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g293919-d12817929-Reviews-Simon_s_Pattaya-Pattaya_Chonburi_Province.html

[taylor1975]

With some excellent value meals in pattaya ....that vegan rosti doesn't seem too good.

3 eggs and a potato for 189b + vat. Doesn't look hard to make either. Thanks for review though 

[wogggy]

I love your mini reviews. Keep em coming. 

 

Ill try to do one or two next time I am in town, too if I can remember!

[Ah dinnae ken]

28 minutes ago, taylor1975 said:

With some excellent value meals in pattaya ....that vegan rosti doesn't seem too good.

3 eggs and a potato for 189b + vat. Doesn't look hard to make either. Thanks for review though 

On the surface what you say seems right if you take the ingrediants on their own but when you figure in rent, equipment, staff costs & the multitude of costs running a business it is probably not extravigent.

[taylor1975]

1 hour ago, froddo said:

On the surface what you say seems right if you take the ingrediants on their own but when you figure in rent, equipment, staff costs & the multitude of costs running a business it is probably not extravigent.

I agree, but every restaurant in pattaya has the same. Its not like it has a seaview or its in the Hilton etc. That meal just looks .....minimal. Maybe its so niche that some are happy with it??

[jimboh]

Did the potato & egg meal price include tea or coffee?

[Evil Penevil]

52 minutes ago, jimboh said:

Did the potato & egg meal price include tea or coffee?

No, it didn't.  But it did include water.

Evil

[jpmelville]

Today Iwanted to have a Vietnamese sandwich in Khao Talo road near the Sukhumvit, but WTF it was closed. OK, next choice was the Harry's Pub 99bht burger at Soi Diana. Burger and fries were good and it was enough to end my little maukhang. Beers happy hour 55bht. Not bad.

 

 

Edited August 26, 2018 by jpmelville

[PBear66]

I would be very happy to pay 99 baht for that. On the list for a cheapy lunch next time i am in town.

[jpmelville]

7 minutes ago, PBear66 said:

I would be very happy to pay 99 baht for that. On the list for a cheapy lunch next time i am in town.

There is also minced meat minute steak and fries for 99bht and some Swedish specialities including meat balls and mash for 179bht

[Evil Penevil]

The 99-baht summer specials at Harry's are supposed to run until Aug. 31.  I did reviews of both the hamburger and minute steak earlier in this thread.

On 6/19/2018 at 01:05, Evil Penevil said:

Last night I tried the 99-baht hamburger at Harry's, the second of the restaurant's summer specials.

It was a tasty burger.  Considering the price and that it came with plenty of crispy skinny fries, it was excellent value for money.

 

It had a bit too much dressing for my taste, but that's a matter of personal preference.

If you have a big appetite, the portion may not be large enough.  I saw one guy scarf the burger and fries quickly, then order the other 99-baht summer special (the minute steak in post #526),  which he ate at a more leisurely pace.  That's a fair amount of food for 198 baht.

Bottom line: Harry's two summer specials (hamburger or minute steak)  at 99 baht each are good options if you want something cheap and quick in the LK Metro area.

Evil

 

On 5/19/2018 at 05:20, Evil Penevil said:

I'm going to try this one:

Harry's is located on Soi Diana between Soi Bukhao and LK Metro.

EDIT IN:  I did try the"99er" minute steak at Harry's and it was excellent, especially considering the price.

The word "minced" in the Facebook blurb is a bit of a mistranslation.  It's a Swedish-style minute steak, pure and simple.  There is nothing "minced" about it.  In Swedish, it's called lövbiff.  

Minute steak is a thin slice of top round (sometimes sirloin) that is then pounded to tenderize it.  Swedish lövbiff  tends to be thinner than a U.S. minute steak.  The one I got at Harry's last night was about as thick as a 10-baht coin.

The crucial factor with minute steak is not to cook it too long.  When it is as thin as at Harry's, it only needs a few seconds each side on a very hot griddle.  More than that and it will be frazzled, tough and basically inedible. The minute steak at Harry's was done properly, even a bit pink on the inside.  It was tender and had plenty of beef flavor. The skinny fries were also good and even the slices of tomato were tastier than a lot you get on your plate in Pattaya.

I was well-pleased with my meal and have no problem in recommending it.  I'm sure I'll have it again several times before the summer is over.  Was the portion big enough to satisfy a lumberjack who's just come back from eight hours of chopping trees?  No, it wasn't.  But for those of us who have sedentary lifestyles, it's sufficient.  And if it isn't. the price is cheap enough to order a salad or other dish to fill up, maybe even the 99-baht hamburger.

A couple more photos with the knife and fork on the plate so you get a better idea of the portion size.

Bottom line:  Go for it!

Evil

 

 

 

[PBear66]

The kicker her is the words 'summer special'.

Any ideas how much these items are when they return to normal pricing?

They both look good. 

[badrodald]

Maybe they can carry it over for a fall special, seems to be a good seller.

[b0b]

On ‎22‎/‎08‎/‎2018 at 21:54, worldpunter said:

That is not nam tok my friend 

 

On ‎23‎/‎08‎/‎2018 at 04:57, Scuba+ said:

On ‎22‎/‎08‎/‎2018 at 21:54, worldpunter said:

That is not nam tok my friend 

That's what the Thais call it

And when it’s raining they say “fon tok” (“rain falling”).

[Evil Penevil]

The Golf Club on LK Metro is a long-time solid performer for good food at reasonable prices with plenty of main dishes under 300 baht.  The emphasis is on U.S.-style comfort food, but there are also numerous Thai and U.K. standards on the menu.

In a fit of nostalgia last night, I had the Chicken a la King at 150 baht.  It's an American classic, invented at least 130 years ago.  Stories of its origin vary.  One version says it was named for a hotel owner in New York City; another claims it carries the name of the Philadelphia chef who invented it.

It consists of cubed chicken, mushrooms, sweet peppers and sometimes other vegetables  served over rice, toast or noodles.  It's always been seen as a great way to use up leftover chicken or turkey, but at the height of its popularity in the 1950's, it was often made using fresh chicken breasts.  I remember it fondly from both elementary school lunches over noodles and post-Thanksgiving and Christmas meals at home on toast.

The Golf Club's Chicken a la King adds broccoli to the basic ingredients and is served over rice. It was very good!

Last week I had another iconic American specialty, a Reuben sandwich, at 195 baht.  It's a signature dish at the Golf Club.  It consists of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing grilled between pieces of rye bread. It was real New York deli rye, not the faux variety you sometimes get in Thailand.

The Reuben was good, but didn't contain as much corned beef or sauerkraut as I remembered from past visits.

 This what a Reuben sandwich at Katz Delin in NYC looks like: 

The above pic is from the Web.  By Ernesto Andrade - Flickr, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3022275 

However, it's not likely you'll be getting anything like that in Thailand and if you did, it would cost far more than 195 baht.  You have to be realistic in your expectations for foreign specialties here.

An American classic the Golf Club does very well is the chili burger.  It's a thick patty of beef topped with U.S.-style Springfield chili con carne.  The chili is spicy but not firehouse hot.

A couple of other points:  The Golf Club has "steak nights" when steak is grilled in front of the restaurant, but the price puts it outside the under-300-baht category.  It's also one of a very few restaurants in Pattaya with grits on the menu.

Bottom line:  The Golf Club remains one of the better options in Pattaya for U.S. comfort food. 

Evil

Edited August 29, 2018 by Evil Penevil

[Evil Penevil]

Speaking of Reuben sandwiches, I had a good one from Pattaya Meals.com (pattayameals.com) the other day.  Pattaya Meals is a food preparation and delivery service without dine-in facilities.  You order by phone or through Facebook and your food arrives at your door within 45 minutes, depending on where you live, traffic and what you order.  I usually have my order in 30 minutes.  There's no delivery charge and you don't have to tip the driver, but I always do.   The Reuben in the pics cost 265 baht and came with a dill pickle and a choice of macaroni salad, potato wedges or onion rings. A good Reuben for Pattaya but still light years from what you get at a U.S. deli.

Pattaya Meals offers about 100 different meals in various categories: Western, Thai, healthy and pizzas, plus side orders and a few desserts and beverages. The most expensive dishes on the menu are a couple of pizzas at 325 baht.  All the rest come in at under 300 baht, with many under 200 baht.  Check out the Web site  (pattayameals.com) for a complete list with prices and pictures. Every 10th meal is free. Operating hours are 11.30 a.m. to 11.30 p.m.

I have ordered from Pattaya Meals dozens of times and never been disappointed.  It's a very convenient option on the days I don't feel like going out to eat or cooking.

Evil

[CuppaTea]

My problem with The Golf Club is the loud mouth cigar smokers who Ive often seen but heard 1st halfway up the Soi.

And the waitress, well one of them anways, is one miserable bitch.

Foods good though but, sorry to say, some of the other customers really put me off the place.

You can order the food from one of the bars and they bring it over and its okay.

[max333]

No pictures, sorry. But I always stay in or near Soi Lengkee and enjoy food at the Malee House & Restaurant. Nice choice, good food, cheap prices.

[overseas516]

6 hours ago, CuppaTea said:

My problem with The golf Club is the loud mouth cigar smokers who Ive often seen but heard 1st halfway up the Soi.

And the waitress, well one of them anways, is one miserable bitch.

Foods good though but, sorry to say, some of the other customers really put me off the place.

You can order the food from one of the bars and they bring it over and its okay.

The cigar smokers are no longer in attendance as one of them who was an owner has now left the golf club. 

Joy the waitress you are refering to left over two years ago and is retired and living in issan.  

[SirL]

17 hours ago, Evil Penevil said:

The golf Club has "steak nights" when steak is grilled in front of the restaurant, but the price puts it outside the under-300-baht category.

Have you (or anyone else) been recently to the steak nights at the Golf Club on LKM? (probably outside the price limits of this thread)  I'm interested in how their steak compares to other steaks around town.  For more moderate steaks my go-to places are My Way and The Kitchen mid-afternoon 50% off on Eatigo, and more expensive I'm not sure if Patricks can be beaten in Pattaya.  At the bottom of the steak market, much loved by Kev-in-Thailand and his followers, is Steak Kao Rai on Third Rd soi 14 (see menu below) - would be interesting to hear how their steak compares to Harry's B99 special covered above.

Edited August 29, 2018 by SirL

[Gnorman]

SirL, my go to places in Pattaya for steaks are also Patricks and MyWay, plus on occasion Steak & Co and The Golf Club.

I haven't been to The Golf Club for maybe 12 months, not for any reason, but the steaks were always pretty good there. They do/did cook them in a kettle bbq, quite tasty and well cooked to order.

I'll get back there for another go on my next trip.

 

Edited August 29, 2018 by Gnorman

[CuppaTea]

8 hours ago, overseas516 said:

The cigar smokers are no longer in attendance as one of them who was an owner has now left the golf club. 

Joy the waitress you are refering to left over two years ago and is retired and living in issan.  

Big thanks for the info overseas516.

Joy, never was a woman so misnamed and as the cigar ringleader has gone I will go back because the food is good 

[jpmelville]

Got back to Harry's today for the lunch. This time I tried the minute steak. Good value for the money at 99bht, but if I had to choose, I would get the hamburger.

EDIT: Evil stated that the specials should end at 31st of August, but still running on 2nd of September.

 

Edited September 2, 2018 by jpmelville

[wogggy]

Looks like someone walked on a packet of beef mince before they chucked it in The Grill. 

But for 99 BAHT it's not too bad