Restaurant Review: Red Hot & Blues in Prague, Czech Republic

If you're wandering the Center of Prague in search of a restaurant that resembles something like you'd expect to find in America, there is a place for you, Red Hot & Blues, located less than ten minutes from the Old Town Square by foot. (See directions below for specific directions.)

Like many restaurants in Prague, the size of the Red Hot & Blues is deceiving when first entering. In the first section of the restaurant, there is a bar and about a dozen tables. But simply keep walking around the bar, and you'll eventually find the real restaurant. You'll be surprised to see how large it is. The ambiance is very casual, almost thrown together. But it's very friendly and lacks any pretension. There's no need to feel self-conscience if you're not dressed in your best or if you're a little weary from sight-seeing.

The service is better than average for Prague, and the staff speaks English. There are, of course, English language menus available.

The theme of the faire at Red Hot & Blues is Cajun and American Southwest, and it's about as authentic as it can be, given that it is located in Prague. Which means that it's not authentic at all, but that said, it's good enough for a homesick traveler looking for something familiar. My personal favorite is the Cajun Fried Chicken Sandwich for 175,-kc. I can also recommend the Chicken Burritos for 169,-kc.

Under the heading of Appetizers, I would avoid the Nachos at all costs; they're stale. The Quesadillas and Buffalo Wings dishes look good, but they're very expensive. The Chili Cheese Fries are pretty good, if not a tad expensive at 129,-kc.

Under the Sandwiches heading, I like the Mexican BLT. It's just a standard BLT, but its adds guacamole and is served on a spicy roll. The more traditional Club Sandwich is very serviceable, and maybe a bit larger than you'd expect. Both cost 149,-kc.

The Tex-Mex menu looks very good, but the servings are a little small and the prices are more that a little large. The Fajitas for 2, for example, is really only enough for one and a half, but costs a whopping 699,-kc. (That's nearly a day's wages for the average Czech person.) The Carne Asada Burrito is quite good, but it's not a full meal, and at 179,-kc, one expects more.

The beer they serve is a little unique in that it is a 12 degree Staropramen. Most places serve 10 degree Staropramen. The difference is about 1.5% alcohol content. Red Hot & Blues sells its Staropramen 12 degree for 40,-kc, which is a fair price given how rare the 12 degree is.

To get to Red Hot & Blues from Old Town Square, face the Tyn Church (that's the imposing church with two towers). Just to the left, there is a narrow pedestrian passage way. Go all the way through it. You will eventually find yourself in a courtyard. Keep walking straight, all the way through it. Cross the street, keep walking straight. By this time, you should be on Jakubska (street). Red Hot & Blues is one and half blocks down on the right hand side. The address is Jakubska 12, Prague. (Jakubska is a derivative of the name Jacob, if that helps.)