# What is your beef with Hooters (the restaurant) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 30, 2006, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798 "2006-06-30T20:48:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lynne\_kilii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lynne\_kilii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynne_kilii)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/41 "2006-07-01T20:38:49Z")
The wings still had feathers. I told the waitress - she said “They’re supposed to be like that.” ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/42 "2006-07-01T22:26:52Z")
I’ll jump on with the “food is overpriced for what you get”. I AM a wing man, but I don’t care for breaded wings; and their unbreaded wings are scrawny! IMHO the best wings in Atlanta are at Clay’s Sports Cafe on Roswell Rd. If you go there look for the plaque with my name on it at “The Umpires’ Table”. E3 ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2006, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/43 "2006-07-01T22:28:31Z")
[QUOTE=kanicbird] First it seems most who don’t like Hooters have not been to one and have no intention of going. [/quote] I don’t like Hooters because the food, even their famous wings, isn’t all that good. I certainly wouldn’t suggest Hooters as a place to go with my wife or the rest of the family. I’m not really offended by Hooters but I don’t consider it a good place to take people. Marc ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/44 "2006-07-02T00:31:35Z")
I’ve been to Hooter’s exactly twice in my life. I wasn’t impressed; the food was lousy, the service unmemorable, and since I’m a straight female, I’m not comfortable with the overly sexualized femininity that the waitresses are supposed to display. That said, there is a restaurant with similar food which is better and less expensive not far from me. Oh, and they have satellite, so I can watch the Cowboys while I eat. 😃 Robin ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/45 "2006-07-02T01:06:11Z")
I don’t really have a beef with Hooters. But I wasn’t impressed on my one and only visit. There are IMHO, places to go with a better beer selection and better food. Yes, the wait staff look good. But just one out of three (that is, out of wait staff, beer, and food) ain’t gonna win my business. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/46 "2006-07-02T01:45:02Z")
[QUOTE=Snooooopy] The things that you cast are aspersions. [/QUOTE] Right you are. That’ll teach me to post after a having a few drinks. Thanks for the correction. > [@MsRobyn](#): > > That said, there is a restaurant with similar food which is better and less expensive not far from me. Oh, and they have satellite, so I can watch the Cowboys while I eat. Mind sharing? IIRC from your posts, you and **Airman** don’t live terribly far away from me (the Hooters I went to is on the Carlisle Pike), and I could use a good recommendation for the next time I go out to eat. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/47 "2006-07-02T01:58:14Z")
[QUOTE=Indygrrl] Well, if you’re going to be showing your body for pervos a lot of girls figure it’s better to do so in a strip club where you don’t have to shuttle greasy food around for a measly tip. Strippers get to choose who they deal with and they get to do it on their own terms, plus most do not have to work a set schedule. It’s not too hard to see why a lot of women would rather strip than peddle hot wings. [/QUOTE] Heh, having worked in a hot wing resteraunt (mostly as a delivery driver, sometimes as a cook), I have to say that _I_ would rather strip for tips than peddle hot wings. That said, any tips I’d get in a strip club would likely be for effort rather than because any girls particularly wanted to see me get nekkid on stage. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/48 "2006-07-02T03:17:36Z")
I have been to a Hooters exactly once. A few years back, Jim Rome was doing a tour stop in Austin, and his local radio affiliate was doing a ticket giveaway at a nearby Hooters. So, I stopped by to get tickets. The DJs postponed handing out the tickets, though, so I had to wait half an hour. I figured I’d get something to eat while I was there. For what it’s worth, the gumbo was very good, and so was my burger. Not the best I’ve ever had, but much better than a lot of ordinary famiuly-style restaurantss (Chili’s, Fridays, Bennigans, et al.) But I’ll never go back, because I felt so… weird being there. I was 43 years old, surrounded by girls half my age, trying half-heartedly to flirt with me, and it just made me feel ridiculous. Even in my fantasies, I’m way too realistic. Not for a second could I pretend that my servers genuinely liked me, which made my skin crawl when they got friendly or showed cleavage. So, once I got my tickets, I couldn’t wait to leave. My bill was something like $8.00, and I gave the waitress a $20 bill. She acted SHOCKED that I expected change! I did give her a decent tip by ordinary restaurant standards, but she obviously felt entitled to a $12 tip for showing off her body to an old geezer like me! ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/49 "2006-07-02T05:08:47Z")
[QUOTE=stanger] The last time I was in a Hooters, a guy in a tux brought in his date for dinner before going to the prom. It wasn’t like they had any friends who worked there, he just was tacky enough to consider Hooters a good place for prom night dinner. Sad. [/QUOTE] Maybe his date was bisexual. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/50 "2006-07-02T05:25:35Z")
[QUOTE=astorian] \ My bill was something like $8.00, and I gave the waitress a $20 bill. She acted SHOCKED that I expected change! I did give her a decent tip by ordinary restaurant standards, but she obviously felt entitled to a $12 tip for showing off her body to an old geezer like me! [/QUOTE] **astorian** I really, really, HATE that. I’ve only been to Hooters a couple of times spread over ten years or so but someone trying to lay a guilt-trip on me unless I give them a 150% tip just drives me nuts. WTF Sweetheart. I’m 50. Do you think I haven’t seen more and better over the last half-century? Just because you’re 20 and show me a little cleavage does not mean I’m going to roll over like some puppy and start howling and drooling while begging you to clean-out my wallet. I may BE an idiot occasionally but I seriously dislike people EXPECTING me to be one. Anyway, to get back on topic, I don’t care for Hooters because of this kind of crap. Testy. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/51 "2006-07-02T06:06:19Z")
a lot of people responding here are people who have been to Hooters, so I will offer my own perspective. I have never been to Hooters. Never had the desire to. Any place that is trying to get me to buy their food by marketing their waitresses mams at me must be serving absolute swill. And the lame pseudo-come-on the name and their marketing imply is something I find insulting to my intelligence. as for Hooters being emblematic of the world of REAL MEN, here’s what I have to say about THAT: If you want to go out somewhere and overpay for crap in order to see women wobble their tits before you, why not just go to a strip club? And beyond the restaurant aspect, if you want to look at a magazine of women baring themselves, why not just get Playboy, Penthouse or Hustler? WTF is all this half-assed Maxim, Stuff and FHM crap out there? Same with that idiotic Man Show that was on a couple of years back. Women on trampolines? Oooh, that’s really sticking it to the TV censors, who these days allow plenty of late night cursing and nudity on network TV, nevermind what you can do on cable. It took me a while to realize what the whole damn mess was about, but it finally became clear to me: these are men who really want the world to believe that they are interested in women, but who don’t want to actually deal with naked women. Hmm. Maybe it’s because the stereotypical gay man is a Type A, and these guys want to eat with the paper towel roll close at hand and therefor fear change and honesty, that they don’t come out. In any case, when I hear the term “real man”, I now frequently think, “lazy, sloppy, closeted homosexual in deep self-denial”. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/52 "2006-07-02T06:26:30Z")
[QUOTE=scotandrsn] It took me a while to realize what the whole damn mess was about, but it finally became clear to me: these are men who really want the world to believe that they are interested in women, but who don’t want to actually deal with naked women. Hmm. Maybe it’s because the stereotypical gay man is a Type A, and these guys want to eat with the paper towel roll close at hand and therefor fear change and honesty, that they don’t come out. In any case, when I hear the term “real man”, I now frequently think, “lazy, sloppy, closeted homosexual in deep self-denial”. [/QUOTE] WTF? I think some closeted gay men would take offense to the notion that they frequent such a place. Did somebody accuse you of not being a “real man”, and now you’re lashing out at “real men” by saying they’re closet gays? [QUOTE=scotandrsn] Maybe it’s because the stereotypical gay man is a Type A, and these guys want to eat with the paper towel roll close at hand and therefor fear change and honesty, that they don’t come out. [/quote] Uh, dude? Paper towels, honesty and homosexuality? I think you’re reaching to say the least. ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/53 "2006-07-02T07:58:37Z")
[QUOTE=dnooman] WTF? I think some closeted gay men would take offense to the notion that they frequent such a place. Did somebody accuse you of not being a “real man”, and now you’re lashing out at “real men” by saying they’re closet gays?..Uh, dude? Paper towels, honesty and homosexuality? I think you’re reaching to say the least. [/QUOTE] From th OP… > [@](#): > > After reading a thread in the pit I have to think why people who don’t like Hooters don’t like Hooters. > > First it seems most who don’t like Hooters have not been to one and have no intention of going. > > \ > > They provide a roll of papertowels at each table - the same as a man would have at home if left to his own desires. > > It is this symbol of societal acceptance of the real male that bothers most IMHO. > > For me, I would much rather go to Hooters then a strip club… As someone the OP is addressing, I thought I’d give my reasons for rejecting Hooters: namely, that their entire public image of coy libidinousness is insulting to my intelligence, and leads me to suspect they are trying to draw attention away from mediocre food. Having forwarded my own opinion, I must bolster it by rejecting the notion that the OP’s hypothesis holds validity. The OP claims that people reject Hooters because they can not cope with society’s acceptance of the “real male” (presumably some archetype of masculinity), as exemplified by the presence of paper towels on Hooters’ table. I maintain that this so-called “real male” behavior is not the stereo typically masuline archetype the OP would liike to portray it as. One of the hallmarks (as far as I am concerned, from what I’ve seen, and I list examples of such) of the modern so-called “real man” is the image of a man who wants to be seen as desiring the female body… as long as there are at least some clothes covering it (cf. Hooters, Maxim, etc.). This, again, to me, is such a strong REJECTION of the female as a sexual being, that I hypothesize that these so-called “real men” are actually struggling with their own sexuality. This is an opinion that I have held long before this Hooters thread. With the OP’s addition of eating with a roll of paper towels handy being an important component of “real male” behavior, I am simply trying to reconcile this new information with my existing hypothesis. ---
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/54 "2006-07-02T10:18:49Z")
This thread has taken an interesting turn. Just for my fture reference, what is this “real male” that everyone talks about. I’ve never actually seen a definition of this guy. Please keep in mind that I almost never visit the US but on my last trip (for my daughter’s HS graduation) I saw several references to the “Real Male”, mostly in advertising. OTOH, some people refer to “real men” like there was actually such a critter so maybe I’ve just missed something. Wouldn’t be the first time. As far as the OP and his greasy food and paper towels, I might actually eat that way if I were home alone for an extended period. OTOH, maybe I give-up my “real male” status by cooking exotic food or listening to classical music while eating my greasy food and wiping my hands on my paper towel roll. As far as the “closeted gay” thing, I don’t see that at all and it just seems weird to me. I’d think gays, closeted or otherwise, would avoid Hooters. Regards Testy ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2006, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/55 "2006-07-02T12:56:25Z")
My husband does the obligatory “Go get me some wings.” trips. I find places such as Hooters pretty uncomfortable on the whole. I justify sending out my husband because I wouldn’t send him out to a shop where penii were on display as overtly as boobs are at Hooters et al. I had a friend that married a Hooters waitress. According to his wife, there are two types of women in this world, those that work at hooters and those that wish they did. Now, she seemed like a pretty typical Hooters waitress in all other aspects of her life and I understand she is a sample of one. However, if that is what they believe, I really have no desire to go there. We did order wings from them once. They forgot the sauce so we paid a fortune for wings that were worse that the wings I can get at my grocers deli. ---
**Author:** ![Neptunian\_Slug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Neptunian\_Slug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptunian_Slug)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/56 "2006-07-03T01:56:28Z")
I like their wings. I don’t have very good sports bars around me either. But I don’t take the wife there and I don’t go there when I am on a business trip. I don’t want the hassle of turning that receipt in for reimbursement. While I know that much worse has been turned in, I don’t need someone in A/P to take offense. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/57 "2006-07-03T03:11:35Z")
[QUOTE=neutron star] Right you are. That’ll teach me to post after a having a few drinks. Thanks for the correction. Mind sharing? IIRC from your posts, you and **Airman** don’t live terribly far away from me (the Hooters I went to is on the Carlisle Pike), and I could use a good recommendation for the next time I go out to eat. Thanks. [/QUOTE] We usually go to Kokomo’s in downtown Harrisburg. There used to be one on the Carlisle Pike, but it burned down a couple years ago. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/58 "2006-07-03T13:55:29Z")
I haven’t been to a Hooters is 13 or 14 years, so I honestly don’t remember how it was. It was nothing special that stands out either for the good or the bad. I got flirted with, the waitress gave me what she said was her telephone number. I called it later and was surprised that it actually was her telephone number. My girlfriend convinced me to call the number to see who answered… the waitress did. Since I called the number with my girlfriend with me, I just stuttered and thanked her for the good service. I always wondered what would have happened if I was totally single at the time… ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/59 "2006-07-03T14:51:54Z")
What I do seem to have missed out on. :rolleyes: I personally would never consider shelling out my hard-earned just so some cute chick who would blank me under any other circumstances can feign interest in me for the sake of the money, while not-so-secretly despising the “pervo” who pays her bills. _waves at **Indygrrl** _ ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798/60 "2006-07-03T15:19:43Z")
In the interest of research I have decided to go to Hooters for lunch today. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-beef-with-hooters-the-restaurant/362798.md?page=4)