Great American Rib Company Restaurant Review

Excellent through and through.

Tonight, Stan and I, Mem and Pui went out to the Great American Rib Company, located on Tepprasit Road... about a mile out from Jomtien on the south side of the road.

The space for "GARC" is lovely, with an outside deck seeming to be most popular with the diners, and an indoor area that was empty. Jazz music played, and water features bubbled, and palm fronds swayed. Aside from the noise of traffic from Tepprasit Road just outside the garden-like dining area, it was as nice a tropical dining experience as you could hope for. (Complaints are that the outside deck is a little bit dark, making reading the menu difficult, and the picnic tables instead of proper chairs detract from the comfort and ambiance slightly.)

Stan declared the wine menu the best in Pattaya, with many bottles being sold for less than 800 baht (something he has never seen before). We settled on a Californian Kendall-Jackson red wine for 1,075 baht. I also had a margarita for 120 baht which was very good.

The food is simply outstanding. There was Caesar salad, which was the best Caesar salad I've had in Thailand. The chili was outstanding, with shredded steak and beans. We also had fried calamari, with a lovely sauce.

For entrees, Stan had the 10-ounce fillet mignon for 550 baht, which he declared to be excellent. Pui had an 18-ounce T-bone steak for 695 baht, which she absolutely loved... although at the size of a frisbee, she couldn't even eat half of it. Mem had pork chops for 295 baht. I of course had ribs.

The reason I wanted to come to GARC was to compare their ribs to Bob's (my best friend's) ribs. I had a half rack for 295 baht. I honestly do like Bob's ribs better: The meat comes off the bone more easily, and is more tender and better cooked. I also like Bob's bar-be-que sauce better.

However, at GARC, for the same price, you get ribs that are 50% larger than Bob's, with substantially more meat and fat on the bones. You may not be able to simply peel the meat off the bones with your fingers, but the meat isn't so tough as to be difficult (such as last week at Henry J. Bean's). The ribs were chewy but not gummy, and were overall very well-cooked.

So my conclusion regarding the ribs: I think that taste-wise, it comes down to personal preference; texture and tenderness go to Bob; the amount of meat you get goes to GARC.

Anyway, for dessert, I had a rare treat: A slice of pecan pie for 150 baht that was simply breath-taking. If you go to GARC, don't miss that.

The total was 4400 baht ($132), with tax and 10% tip already calculated into the bill.

So my impression? Excellent food... perfect. The staff was extremely capable, with English understood quite well. The ambiance was fabulous... although the picnic tables really should go and perhaps a higher wall should be built between the road and the restaurant, since the outdoor dining area seems to be the primary place to eat. The prices were reasonable for the amount of food you get. All in all: Highly recommended.