Hooters Bar & Grill
I have always respected; at times even humbly conceded, to the knowledge and prowess of the Connoisseurs. I am very happy that the dream has finally become a reality, and wish you all a very hearty congrats on your hard work. The site is great and well laid out. Kudos!!! I have had a lot of fun catching up on past articles, and hope to pass many more hours, that I should be working, reading your reviews.
I've known 3 of the 4 Connoisseurs for the latter half of my life. Each has been a dear friend to me over the years, even when I may not have deserved it. While I am removed from the picture these days worrying far too much about life, family, and all things money...I wanted to take a moment out of my overly busy life to reflect and submit my own "guest submission" which anyone who knows me would smile and say, figures.
So here it is; my guest submission to hopefully save some other like-minded fool from making the same mistake I recently made.
It was the perfect day for a drive, my wife beside me and two close friends in the back. Our destination was the bustling metropolis that is the Foxwoods Resort Casino. We had an important decision though, where should we do lunch? The options were pretty limitless as our ride would skirt Boston, take us through Worcester and with a slight detour could have even included Hartford.
The look of both joy and surprise would have been enough to make anyone laugh as my adorable wife Beth suggested a detour to the world renowned... Hooters Restaurant. So our detour for lunch brought us to the main strip in Salem, New Hampshire.
Hooters combines two of my favorite things..."Owls" and good steakhouse quality burgers. Now, while I may not know international cuisine or ethnic combos that would make the mouth water, I am proud to say I know burgers.
Burgers are not simple like people think. Sure anyone can cook a burger, but try making a burger that stands out above the rest. To show my point, ask yourself how many burgers you've eaten in your life? Now ask yourself how many you remember eating because they were something special. For sake of argument I am going to focus on Beef burgers as they seem the staple and foundation from which all others arose, and the focus of today's review.
Finding that perfect mix of juicy beef, crisp fresh vegetables and moist, but not soggy, roll can be very tedious. Any one piece can ruin even the finest burger. The weakest link in any of those three aspects is what the customer will usually remember. Until eating at hooters, I have never been to a restaurant that so openly failed at everything. Apparently, the Hooters franchise does not need to worry about service, quality of food, or ridiculous prices. I guess this is proof that sex sells, but if quality of food is what you want I suggest a different detour for lunch.
My burger came to me on a paper plate that, by the end of the meal, would not have supported the weight of the food because of the amount of grease and oil from the fries and burger. The meat was very overcooked, and the ensuing puck-like burger was tough and very unsatisfying. The vegetables were warm and soggy, like they had been sitting out for a couple hours before being applied to my burger. To top it all off, the bread was extremely stale. I have never been more disgusted by a burger, except maybe when McDonald's tried to make their Arch Deluxe appear edible.
The "dark day for burgers" meal ran about 12 dollars per plate, which for a burger usually means I am in for a very nice treat. I was disappointed to find out that people only go to hooters for one thing, and it certainly is not the food that keeps people coming back. They do provide a lovely little tourist booth where you can purchase your own hooters tank tops...for close to 50 dollars a shirt. All in all, I would give Hooters a 2 out of 10 and have hopefully saved some other potential victim the same fate that my palate had to endure.