LB Food Review

Hooters Long Beach

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=hooters+long+beach+ca&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=41.496446,70.400391&ie=UTF8&hq=hooters&hnear=Long+Beach,+CA&ll=33.76445,-118.194416&spn=0.010667,0.017188&z=16&iwloc=A

(562) 983-1010

It finally happened! The Hooters of Long Beach made its half-mile move to 71 Aquarium Way a few weeks ago. It’s not a giant jump, but the location is definitely larger, and I don’t think the word “small” has ever been tossed around in the Hooters’ public relations department.

The restaurant opened its doors just in time for the Long Beach Grand Prix, and as everyone knows, car racing goes best with girls in orange shorts with huge wings! If you have never been to a Hooter’s restaurant you are in for a good time. It is just what every American restaurant should be: clever, delightfully tacky, with huge televisions everywhere and service with a smile. And Boobs. They’re everywhere! At least that’s what I could make out through my peripheral vision as I checked out the construction of the new building. But I digress.

When you go to Hooters it’s an unwritten rule that you must order a plate of their famous chicken wings. They are delicious, ranging in spice from mild to 911 with some teriyaki and lime-pepper flavor thrown in the mix. I usually get mine hot or nuclear, battered, with some blue cheese dressing. Throw in a pitcher of beer with some ice-cold mugs and you’ve got yourself a great meal, done just the way you want it.

If you want to try something different aside from the obligatory wings, they do have great appetizers on the menu that could hold you over like a meal. They take something as simple as tater tots and serve them with melted cheese, sour cream, and chives, tossing a little culture onto the normally pedestrian potatoes. The burgers are fairly standard, but they offer up some mean sandwiches, including the chicken breast in their famous wing sauce, and a steak sandwich that is surprisingly tender and tasty.

But truth be told, the magic of Hooters lies in the deep fryer, and that’s good enough for me. They even deep-fry their pickles, so there is no need to wait for next year’s county fair for that delicacy. So if you find yourself stalking Pine Avenue in search of wings and breasts, turn toward the water and find Hooters at its new location. You’re sure to find something you were looking for.

Matt Palafox