Hooters of Anaheim

• Cuisine(s): American, Bar Food, Burgers
  Price: $$
• Features: Takeout, Delivery
  Alcohol: Pitchers
• Reservations: Not Necessary
  Parking: Lot Available

Description

You'll encounter just as many female customers as men and more families with babies in tow than you'd expect. The National Organization of Women is probably right regarding its protests about the place, but Hooters does seem to have it both ways: It's an adult-entertainment venue when litigants try to sue for its hiring practices, but it'll say it's a family restaurant when it's called out for being an adult-entertainment venue. But in truth, if you're looking to find a place that objectifies women, there are worse offenders. At its most risqué, what you see here is no more offensive than PG-rated posters a typical teenager would consider standard bedroom-wall décor--the kind his mom can let slide. "Tacky" is the word it uses to describe itself, but a better word is "American." It could be argued that Hooters is a better representation of American culture in a themed restaurant than Hard Rock or Planet Hollywood, and its Buffalo wings are the most American food. To those who actually come to Hooters to eat rather than to be titillated, the place is more about these wings than breasts. Order them "naked" and coated in Cajun spice, a caustic, sweet and salty dry rub popularized as "bammage." The skin, thoroughly rendered and expertly cooked, takes on a thin-sheened crispness and the presence of a barbecue potato chip. Or ogle the other bar-food options, including a surprisingly great fried Buffalo shrimp lubed in sauce, crab legs with drawn butter and a decent chowder.