tex mex patriate

i've yet to meet a mexican in bangkok, unfortunately. te extraño. so the only mexican food this former-LA resident will get will have to be of the tex-mex kind.

i've got three bangkok mexican restaurants for you all in one stuffed-burrito-post.
disclaimer: i've yet to go to patty's fiesta in silom (though, the logo of the thai "patty" in a sombrero isn't exactly something that screams authentic mexican) or senor pico in the rembrandt hotel. i'll add it to the ratings once i do.

coyote
this one's my preferred mexican joint so far. chic, vivacious, southwestern flair with a satisfyingly familiar menu with enough hip, creative twists on tex-mex. solid guacamole, tortilla soup, nachos, fajitas and the like. with a dynamic weekly menu, i deliberated between the mesquite pepper-grilled prime rib with jalapeno cornbread and the pan-fried snapper. it's hard to pass up beef in thailand and i devoured the tender, fatty, sizzling indulgence. no chance of leftovers. if you're a hot-sauce connosieur, over 50 sauces are on hand, including a couple coyote-made sauces. here are their artfully presented tacos.
spiritually, coyote has 75+ inventive margaritas made any way you like it. two tipsy thumbs up for the amaretto and the georgia margaritas.
aftersweets-wise, skip the peach & pecan chimichanga with raspberry coulis and vanilla ice cream. its tantalizing description overshoots its follow-through.bonus: changing lunch specials at a fixed price. hey, same food for less - me gusta. normally, entrees average around 300-400B.
extra bonus: happy hour weekdays 3-7pm; sat 11-7. buy 1 get 1 free margaritas (any kind).
extra extra bonus: ladies' nights. ladies drink margaritas free on wed and sat @ silom and thurs free @ sukhumvit location. i thank god for making me a lady.

coyote
2 locations @ soi convent in silom and sukhumvit
webby: www.coyoteonconvent.com


charley brown's
this mexican place is for the good ol' boys. no-frills, no-pretense tex-mex food in a no-hassle ambience. you want tacos? you get tacos. you want fajitas? you get fajitas. you want old license plates tacked to the wall like americans like to tack up? you get license plates. it's exactly the same as in any tex-mex restaurant in the US with no surprises. fresh, hearty, confident tex-mex entrees and punchy drinks. and sometimes that's all i want. thoughtful, health-conscious options available, too. how considerate.
save room for dessert, though, their liquour-flavored ice creams beckon with their come-hither flavors.

bonus: ladies' night tuesday night with half-off margaritas and sangria.
beware, this place is often disappointingly closed on mondays. why do you discriminate against mondays, charley?

charley brown's
1/23 sukhumvit 11
webby: www.charleybrowns.asia/home.html


sunrise tacos
sometimes you think, "today, i want mexican fast food." sunrise tacos is the closest (read: only) fast-ish mexican food you'll find in bangkok. imagine a brighter lit, thai-ish, milder version of chipotle. decent mexican tacos and burritos that don't aspire to be anything other than somebody trying to make mexican food out of thai ingredients. you could make it yourself, but hey, isn't that the purpose of fast food - getting someone else to make cheap food for you more conveniently?
also the cheapest of the three establishments, an entree is around 200B.

sunrise tacos
3 locations at sukhumvit, btw soi 12 and 14; emporium; and siam paragon.
webby: www.sunrisetacos.com

big beefy american

the garage bar and grill

ah, the elusive american beef burger in bangkok. can't all restaurants just make a decent, all-beef, easy-on-the-mayo, grilled burger?
from its burger aptitude, we definitely knew the garage was a restaurant owned by someone american, or at least someone very proficient in american culture. i mean, we were asked how well we wanted it cooked. the garage has a wide smattering of good-sized beef, veggie, and other meat burgers that come with steak fries and coleslaw (~180+B). my "down under aussie burger" came with a fried egg and beets - i'm such a sucker for eggs and beets. in addition, they've got other american fare (pastas, pizzas, corndogs, etc.) and lunch specials for 99B.

the decor of the garage must be mentioned. old car seats line the wall, hand-painted denim jackets with celebrity profiles, english mags and books piled on coffee tables, and a shady balcony patio.
poo boonthanakit, the brains behind the restaurant, moved to ny as a kid, struggled as an artist there (he paints the denim jackets himself - he'll gladly show you his portfolio, too), moved back to bangkok after 21 years, and started the garage.

other fyi:
happy hour 3-7p. buy any 2 drinks and get 1 free. free popcorn and chips&salsa (no refills)
live music playing american covers. the garage bar and grill. 7th floor of central world plaza (original location at All Seasons Place Retail Center, 2nd fl. - near US embassy)
open daily 11a-10p; sat 12p-10p

webby: www.thegaragebkk.com