Dining at The Avenue (Updated Jan. 10, 2019

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

 

 

 

 

The Avenue shopping plaza on 2nd Road has recently expanded its possibilities for dining. It's added some food stalls and an open-air serving area in the "courtyard" of the ground level. There are also stalls, tables and chairs in a covered area on the second level. Earlier I posted pics in this thread, so I won't repeat them here. It's hardly worth a trip to The Avenue as there are similar setups all over town offering the same food. But if you live or stay nearby or visit The Avenue for the movie theater, gym or shopping at Villa Market, it could be an option. I don't know if the whole ground level food area has a collective name. I saw a sign in one section that said, "The Avenue Garden Cafe," but I don't know if that applies to all the sections.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other night I tried the creamy version of tom yum goong, a hot and sour shrimp and seafood soup that typifies Thai flavor for many farang because of the lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and tamarind paste used in the soup. I also had a fried rice with squid for 60 baht. The soup cost 150 baht for a large bowl. Both were quite good. A small can of iced tea cost 30 baht and bottled beer was available at 60 or 70 baht, depending on the brand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most of the Thai standards are available from one stall or another. You can order in two ways: 1) pick out what you want at a stall and they'll carry it to a table; or 2) sit down, order a drink and ask to see a menu. The lady who takes your drink order will then send someone from the stalls with a food menu. You pay the food and drink bills separately as soon as the order arrives at the table.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was there about 8.00 p.m. and the roast pig had gotten really thin by then.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's also live music, which for once wasn't too loud.

 

 

 

 

 

I wouldn't want to sit there during the heat of the day. At 8.00 p.m., it was still warm and humid outdoors. I'll try some of the other dishes on offer, but I'll take them home with me to eat in air-conditioned comfort. I believe the food stalls begin to shut down around 9.00 p.m., although that can vary according to the day and crowd. The serving of beer and other beverages, as the live music, continue until about midnight. The second-level food stalls start closing up at 7.00 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

There are a number of other options for dining and drinking at The Avenue. Pizza Pizza is no more and has been replaced by Sergio's Pizza Factory after a couple of brief closures for remodeling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's a bit tricky because I recall seeing the Sergio's logo above the pizza ovens when it was still Pizza Pizza by Yanee. This is their current offer:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basically, you are paying 269 baht for a Margherita pizza, salad and beverage. The Margherita pizzas weren't bad at all in the restaurant's previous incarnation and cost only 79 baht.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope they revive that special offer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Avenue has several other dining options as well, ranging from a 24/7 McDonalds through the Robin Hood Tavern, Beer Fest, Firepork, Oishi, Diner's Express, a Chinese restaurant and a couple more. There's also a Starbucks with a strong and fast free wifi. Most of these restaurants have already been reviewed elsewhere in this section. Depending on your taste in food, a couple of them could be worth a special visit. Parking is readily available at The Avenue.

 

 

 

 

 

The rear covered section of the shopping plaza remains empty after the stalls were recently booted. Maybe this sign tells what is underway?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very little of the enclosed retail space is occupied, especially on the second and third levels.

 

 

 

 

 

Evil

 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2019 by Evil Penevil

[yorta2 693]

Thanks (once again). I felt sure you would've said something about the couple in the matching tartan shorts near the roast pig remains....

[jacko 8,814]

Excellent, informative and I will take a look soon.

[helloitsme 251]

Thanks for posting this EP.

 

I seem to remember the sign from my last visit a few months ago... I assumed it was advertising spaces in the part of the Avenue that has now been cleared and stalls moved upstairs. I wonder how those moved stalls are getting on, and how they feel about being moved to a quieter space, and different food stalls being opened downstairs...

[Alphonse 109]

Thanks for posting this EP.

 

I seem to remember the sign from my last visit a few months ago... I assumed it was advertising spaces in the part of the Avenue that has now been cleared and stalls moved upstairs. I wonder how those moved stalls are getting on, and how they feel about being moved to a quieter space, and different food stalls being opened downstairs...

I pass through there several times a week and was wondering the same; upstairs is more cramped and hardly visible if you're on the ground floor so I would imagine that some of the customers just passing through would not even know the stalls were now on the second floor. Seems that would seriously cut into their casual business. But I do see people coming down the escalator food in hand---possibly people who work in the complex.

[Irish boy 67]

Love the Oishi buffet, lots of choice, decent price.

[helloitsme 251]

I took a group of receptionists from the old per to oishi many years ago. When they told me where imwas taking them i was convinced they were taking me to a place called "oh shit"...

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

Part of the back section of The Avenue that was previously filled with vendors' stalls has been boarded off for about six weeks. I heard that it would be converted into a food court, but that didn't make much sense to me as there is already an open-air "food court" in the front section close to 2nd Road. The food stalls that were formerly in the back area have been moved to the second level of The Avenue.

Last night I caught a glimpse inside the boarded area. Whatever the plans, it doesn't seem like much progress has been made.

The rainy weather has worked against the open-air front section, but it seems to be increasingly popular on clear nights.

Evil

Edited October 28, 2018 by Evil Penevil

[texasfarang 202]

It would appear they have too many Kitchens in Pattaya but with the cheap labor if you can get an average $10 USD per customer there is strong profit and with the popularity of Pattaya I see more profit in a Kitchen than selling tourist crap or a beer bar.

 

With a beer bar you need just one big night to pay the bills for the month but a kitchen it is a slow grind.

 

In the USA the labor cost, regulations, and taxes make any type of Kitchen a fools dream.

 

Evil you eat out allot what's your opinion on the profitability of most places you visit?

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

 

Evil you eat out allot what's your opinion on the profitability of most places you visit?

 

I have no way to judge the profitability of Pattaya restaurants other than what owners have told me. The biggest factor is rent and key money, which has strangled many start-ups and even long-running businesses in Pattaya. If the owner got a reasonable deal, he has at least a chance of making money. Otherwise, queue up the theme song from Mission: Impossible.

 

Pattaya suffers from massive over-establishment of bars and restaurants. There are just too many places in relation to the number of potential customers. The cut-throat competition keeps prices low, which is good for customers but extremely tough for business owners. Profit margins are razor-thin in Pattaya.

 

From my own restaurant visits and what I've seen while walking past, there are very few restaurants that have a lot of customers. Kiss and the Beer Garden are busy on occasion, as are the Thai mega restaurants like Mum Aroi. The food court at Central Festival often has a lot of people. Otherwise, I have seldom seen Pattaya restaurants more than one-third full.

 

Evil

Edited October 28, 2018 by Evil Penevil

[Bazle 1,485]

 

From my own restaurant visits and what I've seen while walking past, there are very few restaurants that have a lot of customers. Kiss and the Beer Garden are busy on occasion, as are the Thai mega restaurants like Mum Aroi. The food court at Central Festival often has a lot of people. Otherwise, I have seldom seen Pattaya restaurants more than one-third full.

 

 

I would add Beefeater to the busy list.

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

Work continues on what will be a food court in the back section of The Avenue. I took the pics below two nights ago; this morning the ventilation units were gone, presumably installed. A half-dozen pickup trucks with construction tools or supplies were parked outside and work was going on full blast inside.

Last week it had looked like this:

Evil

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

Food World has been open about three weeks now, but it doesn't appear to be off to a rousing start. The total space is huge, probably bigger than the food court at Central Festival, but I never seen more than a handful of customers when I passed by, whether morning, afternoon or evening.  It's open between 10 a.m. and 10.00 p.m.

The food on offer is what you'd expect at a Thai food court, mostly inexpensive Thai dishes, but at least one vendor has Western-style spaghetti.

I've eaten there twice and wasn't impressed with the food, not at all.  I had the boat noodles with beef at 55 baht ...

and the fried rice with pork, also 55 baht.

Both I would rank at mediocre as best.  Boat noodles are supposed to have a strong, rich flavor due to the pig's blood and various herbs and spices used in the soup, but the bowl I had was very bland.  It tasted like instant noodles out of a package.  The fried rice was almost flavorless and quite oily with very little pork.  I make better at home myself. The small food stalls that had previously occupied the rear section of The Avenue were much better, as are the stall in the open-air mid-section.

Bottom line:  Unless things improve dramatically,  I won't be back.

Evil

[jacko 8,814]

So this large place is in the Avenue? It is enclosed and has AC? 

[nkped 1,208]

2 hours ago, jacko said:

So this large place is in the Avenue? It is enclosed and has AC? 

Yes on all three.