Sometimes, you just have a craving for an English pub-style restaurant named after a U.S. 1970s golf comedy located in a city in Thailand, ya know what I mean? We’ve all been there.
Actually, we haven’t, and that’s what makes Caddy Shack in the Thai coastal city of Pattaya so fun and unique. It’s also tucked away as a secret little treasure because if it sat along the crowded beach road or in other popular touristy spots, it would be overrun quickly.
I only know about it because it’s one of Big Scotty the Body’s favorite places, and there really may be no better place in Thailand to get a huge English breakfast.
For those of you who don’t know, let me break down the three common kinds of Western breakfasts you’ll find at just about every international restaurant around the world.
1. American Breakfast:
Two eggs, sausage or bacon, bread and butter, and hashbrowns.
2. English Breakfast:
Two eggs, sausage, bacon, ham, baked beans, grilled tomato, potatoes , bread and butter, and possibly blood pudding. (And yet they’re all way skinnier than the Americans!)
3. European Breakfast:
Bread, more bread, and possibly some birdseed with yogurt and fruit.
Of course, you know what Scotty the Body was there for – the English breakfast, even if he is as American as Bruce Willis and baseball. But Caddy Shack never disappoints no matter what you order for breakfast, although it just makes sense to go huge because the biggest morning meal on the menu is only like $4 for an insane amount of food, coffee included.
We also dig the setup in Caddy Shack, which is a proper English pub – ensconced in wood, with wood railings and bannisters, framed photos of football (soccer), rugby, Austrailian Rules, golf, cricket, car racing greats along with the Queen, and soccer or rugby playing on every television set. They also have quite a few sports memorabilia on the walls and in frames, like signed shorts from untold boxing matches and rugby jerseys. One of the other things I love about Caddy Shack is that it’s dark as a foggy winter day in London, no matter what time you go in there.
The staff are also fantastic, as they know enough English to navigate a conversation, and have dealt with enough drunk and disorderly perverted old men to take – bust mostly give – a good-natured ribbing, all with a smile.
Even better than the heaping hangover breakfast is the Sunday roast, which is an all-you-can-eat feast in the traditional English style. Of course, they show all of the big matches, games, and sporting events at Caddy Shack, and they do special events and private meals around the holidays, like Christmas, to make the Western expats and travelers feel comfortable.
Caddy Shack actually has a phenomenal 4.7 out of 5 stars on Facebook and Google, which is damn hard to do in a competitive restaurant scene in Pattaya. While they do serve Thai food, I would recommend sticking to the American and English cuisine because the Thai food is actually way overpriced for what you’re getting.
The Caddy Shack also has hotel rooms they rent out in the same English cottage style, and a small pool you can swim or hang out at for day use or hotel guests.
It’s a great place to come kick it and have a huge meal in quiet – and even Scotty the Body was full!