Mexican Restaurants In Thailand: Reviews And Pics

[bonobo]

 Went to Tacos y Salsa last night for their all-you-can-eat.  We were there at 5:30 and the only ones there.  I ordered guacamole to start off and was surprised to get only a little tiny bit.  I asked for more, but was told they were done for the evening (at 5:30, once again.)

We were the only two people in the restaurant, but the waitress had a tremendously difficult time remembering our order.  I ordered 6 dished, received three.  I ordered the missing ones again along with two more, received one.  She wasn't even aware of what was on the menu.  We finally had to leave without two of our orders as we had a movie to catch.

On the plus side, everything we did receive was excellent.  

[bkkjames]

Those have to be incredibly soggy.

Like the ones at my house better.

agreed. I do up the topping (beef , pork, onion, garlic, seasonings etc) first at my house and let it cool down. A must if you don't want soggy chips. A couple of layers of chips+topping+cheese then into a really hot oven. Serve with your favorite salsa etc.

Had it last night. Sorry no photo.

[powderpuff]

Agree. To me the guacamole & the sour cream are best left off of nachos. Grated cheddar, lettuce, olive, fresh diced tomatoe & some diced onion work well.

[BackinBKK]

Still have yet to try T&S, but will have to do so in the next week or so. La Monita was good when I went there, the burrito wasn't huge, but had a nice taste. I really like their torta and the the carne asada fries (even though that is probably just partly mexican). I hvane't been back for a few weeks as its off my map, but if it is being closed for private parties, I'd suggest they somehow notify people so they don't go all the way there only to find its not open.

Went to Los Cabos today again and was VERY HAPPY to see that they now have 195 Baht set lunch speicals. I suppose they will post it on their site soon. Seems a good option for lunch. Had a Taco Salad today....first time I had it, and for 195 Baht.... a pretty good lunch!

[Tejas]

Still have yet to try T&S, but will have to do so in the next week or so. La Monita was good when I went there, the burrito wasn't huge, but had a nice taste. I really like their torta and the the carne asada fries (even though that is probably just partly mexican). I hvane't been back for a few weeks as its off my map, but if it is being closed for private parties, I'd suggest they somehow notify people so they don't go all the way there only to find its not open.

Went to Los Cabos today again and was VERY HAPPY to see that they now have 195 Baht set lunch speicals. I suppose they will post it on their site soon. Seems a good option for lunch. Had a Taco Salad today....first time I had it, and for 195 Baht.... a pretty good lunch!

About T&S.........clearly way above the others.........and the place just gets better.

I can recommend the beef taco, quacamole, frijoles, and cheese enchilada.

Outstanding Mexican food for Thailand.

[khunopie]

Still have yet to try T&S, but will have to do so in the next week or so. La Monita was good when I went there, the burrito wasn't huge, but had a nice taste. I really like their torta and the the carne asada fries (even though that is probably just partly mexican). I hvane't been back for a few weeks as its off my map, but if it is being closed for private parties, I'd suggest they somehow notify people so they don't go all the way there only to find its not open.

Went to Los Cabos today again and was VERY HAPPY to see that they now have 195 Baht set lunch speicals. I suppose they will post it on their site soon. Seems a good option for lunch. Had a Taco Salad today....first time I had it, and for 195 Baht.... a pretty good lunch!

About T&S.........clearly way above the others.........and the place just gets better.

I can recommend the beef taco, quacamole, frijoles, and cheese enchilada.

Outstanding Mexican food for Thailand.

Tacos and Salsa is garbage IMO. Sunrise and Coyote are much better. the hard wooden stools at T and S are seriously uncomfortable. 1 star for a nice paint job.

[bkkjames]

Still have yet to try T&S, but will have to do so in the next week or so. La Monita was good when I went there, the burrito wasn't huge, but had a nice taste. I really like their torta and the the carne asada fries (even though that is probably just partly mexican). I hvane't been back for a few weeks as its off my map, but if it is being closed for private parties, I'd suggest they somehow notify people so they don't go all the way there only to find its not open.

Went to Los Cabos today again and was VERY HAPPY to see that they now have 195 Baht set lunch speicals. I suppose they will post it on their site soon. Seems a good option for lunch. Had a Taco Salad today....first time I had it, and for 195 Baht.... a pretty good lunch!

About T&S.........clearly way above the others.........and the place just gets better.

I can recommend the beef taco, quacamole, frijoles, and cheese enchilada.

Outstanding Mexican food for Thailand.

Tacos and Salsa is garbage IMO. Sunrise and Coyote are much better. the hard wooden stools at T and S are seriously uncomfortable. 1 star for a nice paint job.

Remind not to order the hard wooden stools next time. TS kicks both the other restaurants rear ends.

[Gluestick]

I went to La Monita today for a late lunch. The owner/manager (not sure) was very friendly. We ordered a carne asada burrito, chicken quesadilla, and a small carne asada nachos. The burrito was pretty good. I think next time I would not have the rice and beans in it. The carne asada burritos I normally get in California don't have rice and beans in them. The chicken quesadilla was a mess. Too much sauce/sour cream/whatever in it. The thing turned into a soggy pile and was difficult to eat. My suggestion would be to just put the cheese and meat in the quesadilla and grill it so it's nice. Bring the sour cream/guacamole/salsa/whatever on the side so people can put it on themselves. A little more work but it keeps the quesadilla nice and crisp. The nachos were a miss for me. The guac and sour cream were good. The problem was the cheese. It seemed like there was barely any cheese. The gf actually asked where the cheese was. It seemed as if the nachos were made in a microwave rather than with melted cheese. I have had the Burboun Street buffet and the melted nacho cheese they have in a slow cooker was way better. The nachos lacked carne asada. There were few pieces of meat to be found. I also specifically asked for no onions and yet onions were present. That might have been a miscommunication between the manager who took the order and whoever actually made the food. Three bottles of sauce were provided for the meal. The mild sauce had too much water and was too difficult to get out of the bottle. The medium sauce lacked heat but tasted the best. The hot sauce was spicy but too salty.

I was born and raised in Southern California. We have tons of Mexican food ranging from fast food joints to real down and dirty Mexican hole in the walls. My babysitters from my youth were Mexicans. I have eaten Mexican food all my life. I know Cali/Mex and this place was close. It wasn't as close as I expected it to me but it wasn't too bad. Next, I will try out Los Cabos. I have had Tacos and Salsa before but that was a long time ago when they were in that little side of some Indian place. I'll have to try out their new place. I would go back to La Monita for an all carne asada burrito and maybe to try out their carne asada fries.

BTW, any southern Californians know Alerto's or Alberto's? Those places had the best Mexican in town. You could find those or other stores like them from SD to the OC.

[powderpuff]

La Monita head & shoulders the best in BKK.

[onethailand]

I actually had the quesadilla a month ago and it was perfect - crispy on the outside and not too leaky. I guess it probably varies a bit on occasion. I also never have rice or beans in my burrito, just not my type. The all-carne asada burrito is excellent.

And agree on the mild salsa, though I like the taste. Just too sloppy to squeeze out, perhaps it belongs in a small bowl and used for dipping instead. And I preferred the hot salsa over the medium though really they were all pretty good.

[sabaijai]

La Monita head & shoulders the best in BKK.

In your opinion

[on-on]

Why is it in these threads that one place has to be the best and everything else has to be crap? There are some seriously crap Mexican places in Bangkok, but none of them are La Monita, Tacos & Salsa or Los Cabos. These places may have varying quality levels and some are better than others in my opinion, but they're head and shoulders above what was on offer just 3-4 years ago when people talked about Charley Brown's and Patty's Fiesta and what not, heh. God, those were desperate days when you had to fly to Chiang Mai for anything approaching decent Mexican food.

[SpoliaOpima]

Why is it in these threads that one place has to be the best and everything else has to be crap? There are some seriously crap Mexican places in Bangkok, but none of them are La Monita, Tacos & Salsa or Los Cabos. These places may have varying quality levels and some are better than others in my opinion, but they're head and shoulders above what was on offer just 3-4 years ago when people talked about Charley Brown's and Patty's Fiesta and what not, heh. God, those were desperate days when you had to fly to Chiang Mai for anything approaching decent Mexican food.

I heartily agree.

[ilovemangos]

Can't quite tell what's in that burrito, but it looks like an LA burrito as opposed to a San Francisco burrito. There is a big difference between the two, and I like both.

san francisco burrito - wikipedia

Burritos from Los Angeles, which date back to the 1920's, tend to be all meat and have their origins in the northern states of Mexico.

i am from san francisco, and the burrito wars. place i like best and has been called a los angeles style burrito is la taqaria and 25th and mission

no rice kinda small but fresh meat and good quality, juicy tasty and also fantastic tacos

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Can't quite tell what's in that burrito, but it looks like an LA burrito as opposed to a San Francisco burrito. There is a big difference between the two, and I like both.

san francisco burrito - wikipedia

Burritos from Los Angeles, which date back to the 1920's, tend to be all meat and have their origins in the northern states of Mexico.

i am from san francisco, and the burrito wars. place i like best and has been called a los angeles style burrito is la taqaria and 25th and mission

no rice kinda small but fresh meat and good quality, juicy tasty and also fantastic tacos

My favorite burritos in the Mission was El Faro (there's still one at 1st and Mission), but, as for taquerias, you can't beat Can Cun, with 2 stores in the Mission. Best al pastor tacos I've ever eaten.

[FarangKenStine]

Ive never had a taco i didnt love

[mugopp]

Still have yet to try T&S, but will have to do so in the next week or so. La Monita was good when I went there, the burrito wasn't huge, but had a nice taste. I really like their torta and the the carne asada fries (even though that is probably just partly mexican). I hvane't been back for a few weeks as its off my map, but if it is being closed for private parties, I'd suggest they somehow notify people so they don't go all the way there only to find its not open.

Went to Los Cabos today again and was VERY HAPPY to see that they now have 195 Baht set lunch speicals. I suppose they will post it on their site soon. Seems a good option for lunch. Had a Taco Salad today....first time I had it, and for 195 Baht.... a pretty good lunch!

About T&S.........clearly way above the others.........and the place just gets better.

I can recommend the beef taco, quacamole, frijoles, and cheese enchilada.

Outstanding Mexican food for Thailand.

Tacos and Salsa is garbage IMO. Sunrise and Coyote are much better. the hard wooden stools at T and S are seriously uncomfortable. 1 star for a nice paint job.

Have to agree with you Khunopie, ordered twice, threw away twice. Sunrise is the best in town, but that's saying much

[Skytrain2hell]

I don't have any pics as when I eat I'm not usually snapping away, lol.

However, the best place for me would be Charlie Browns on Suk't soi 11. Great food at reasonable prices...nice atmosphere inside the place since they renovated it.

Sunrise is great as well, but I usually eat it at 3 in the morning after a night on the town...so anything tastes good at that time. My only issue with Sunrise is that it feels a bit stale inside...almost as if it should be a diner serving coffee and eggs instead of a Mexican food restaurant. I think they are open 24 hours, which bumps them back up a notch.

Regardless, CB's is still my favorite overall.

[powderpuff]

You can call La Monita & book a table.

Closed Sundays.

T&S running a close second.

Coyote Charlie Brown & Sunrise I wouldn't cross the street to eat at them.

La Monia has a super burrito that will fill you up.

I order the rib eye steak with salsa & cheese in the burrito, refried & rice on the side.

I leave off the guac - going for a "dry" burrito. Introduce yourself to the owner - Khun O.

[jfchandler]

I used to like Charlie Browns, and it's convenient to my home, and the remodeled interior certainly is an improvement...

But the last time I was there, the food was mediocre at best and the service was really awful, even though it was a weeknight at dinner time and the place wasn't busy at all. The awful service included getting our order wrong (not thru language misunderstanding) and repeatedly failing to honor such simple requests as refilling a salsa bowl. And from all appearances, the waitresses had an attitude that they really didn't care in the slightest...

IMHO, they've gone seriously downhill from where they once were...

I don't have any pics as when I eat I'm not usually snapping away, lol.

However, the best place for me would be Charlie Browns on Suk't soi 11. Great food at reasonable prices...nice atmosphere inside the place since they renovated it.

Sunrise is great as well, but I usually eat it at 3 in the morning after a night on the town...so anything tastes good at that time. My only issue with Sunrise is that it feels a bit stale inside...almost as if it should be a diner serving coffee and eggs instead of a Mexican food restaurant. I think they are open 24 hours, which bumps them back up a notch.

Regardless, CB's is still my favorite overall.

[SBACM]

Before Albertos there was Roberto's Th Original SD Burrito:

It all started with a tortilla. In 1963, San Diegan Roberto Robledo opened a tortilla factory in San Ysidro just to make ends meet. His sons filled the baskets on their bicycles full of tortillas and sold them door-to-door.

With the success of the tortillas, came the creation of the Roberto's burrito. A carne asada burrito sold for 10 cents at Roberto's first restaurant, opened in 1964.

Today, the Roberto's tradition carries on with several San Diego locations, including the beachgoer's paradise off Carmel Valley Road, owned by Roberto's son, Rolando, and his wife Cecilia. People start feasting on those filling breakfast burritos at 9 a.m. The restaurant stays jam-packed all day long with diners eating out on the porch and views of the beach in the near distance.

Most everyone has sand still stuck between their toes."You can't really beat the spot; it's just right off the beach," said Roberto's customer Jon Douglas of the Carmel Valley restaurant that has been a fixture there for 27 years.

I went to La Monita today for a late lunch. The owner/manager (not sure) was very friendly. We ordered a carne asada burrito, chicken quesadilla, and a small carne asada nachos. The burrito was pretty good. I think next time I would not have the rice and beans in it. The carne asada burritos I normally get in California don't have rice and beans in them. The chicken quesadilla was a mess. Too much sauce/sour cream/whatever in it. The thing turned into a soggy pile and was difficult to eat. My suggestion would be to just put the cheese and meat in the quesadilla and grill it so it's nice. Bring the sour cream/guacamole/salsa/whatever on the side so people can put it on themselves. A little more work but it keeps the quesadilla nice and crisp. The nachos were a miss for me. The guac and sour cream were good. The problem was the cheese. It seemed like there was barely any cheese. The gf actually asked where the cheese was. It seemed as if the nachos were made in a microwave rather than with melted cheese. I have had the Burboun Street buffet and the melted nacho cheese they have in a slow cooker was way better. The nachos lacked carne asada. There were few pieces of meat to be found. I also specifically asked for no onions and yet onions were present. That might have been a miscommunication between the manager who took the order and whoever actually made the food. Three bottles of sauce were provided for the meal. The mild sauce had too much water and was too difficult to get out of the bottle. The medium sauce lacked heat but tasted the best. The hot sauce was spicy but too salty.

I was born and raised in Southern California. We have tons of Mexican food ranging from fast food joints to real down and dirty Mexican hole in the walls. My babysitters from my youth were Mexicans. I have eaten Mexican food all my life. I know Cali/Mex and this place was close. It wasn't as close as I expected it to me but it wasn't too bad. Next, I will try out Los Cabos. I have had Tacos and Salsa before but that was a long time ago when they were in that little side of some Indian place. I'll have to try out their new place. I would go back to La Monita for an all carne asada burrito and maybe to try out their carne asada fries.

BTW, any southern Californians know Alerto's or Alberto's? Those places had the best Mexican in town. You could find those or other stores like them from SD to the OC.

[Chunky1]

i ate at sunrise tacos at emporium branch. it was 200 baht for 3 tacos with ground beef. very good.

[powderpuff]

I order the rib eye steak with salsa & cheese in the burrito, refried & rice on the side.

I leave off the guac - going for a "dry" burrito. Introduce yourself to the owner - Khun O.

Correction. I leave off the guac & the sour cream - going for a dry burrito - not a sodden mess. They heat my plate in the over before serving.

[relentless]

Sunrise Tacos are the best. They are located near soi 12. Please EnJoy a sunrise tacos taco today with a steaming mug of corona beer brand beer

Have not had all in Bangkok, but had a few and I agree 100%. Owner works hard to get fresh stuff and see that it is prepared properly. Sure bet for good Mexican.

[SpoliaOpima]

I dined on Mexican in Bangkok four times in the past 9 or 10 days, above my normal average. First was Los Cabos, which has a few new items on the menu that will appeal to vegetarians, made with roasted fresh corn, smoked tomatoes and a huge local mushroom that slices up and cooks almost like a portobello. Puerto Nuevo-style rock lobster was, as always, superb. I don't think anywhere else in Bangkok, includng Thai seafood restaurants, do it this well. Cheese enchiladas were excellent, too - LC uses the best quality Mexican-style (whatever it is) cheese of any of the six viable choices in Bkk. For dessert I ordered flan, even though I went off flan years ago after seeing it on practically every menu in Mexico. I'm glad I tried it at LC. Excellent updated recipe blending in white chocolate and adding a topping of roast pumpkin-seed brittle. This place is taking Mexican food to new levels in Bangkok. It's more Baja and California than Mexico (but less yanqui-adapted than La Monita) but you can't argue with the enjoyable fresh flavors.

Second, last weekend I stopped at Tacos & Salsa, which continues to hold the standard for others to match in terms of authenticity, and is the place I choose most often, not least because I like the atmosphere and the well-chosen selection of Latin music they play on the sound system. Went with four companions and together the five of us ordered practically everything on the menu. Enchiladas were perfect (I think I prefer LC's now though), tacos de alambre ditto (all the tacos beat anyone else's in town, for my tastes). Guacamole (strictly speaking, it's guacamole dip, not guacamole, but that's a whole thread in itself) was excellent. The refried beans recipe seems to have changed a bit, adding chile and containing less bacon fat, I think. I preferred the older recipe. Wonder what's up with the change.

Next came Sunrise at Emporium yesterday. I ordered two carne asada tacos with guacamole dip on the side. I always order guac on the side because half the time the avocadoes the Mexican restaurants use here are either not fresh or over-ripe. T&S is the only place I've been where the guac is acceptable every time I've visited. At T&S it's always served on the side anyway. In this visit to Sunrise Emporium the guac was acceptable. The corn tortillas let the tacos down though. Fresh corn tortillas need to be griddled quickly before serving as part of a taco to keep the grains from breaking up and the taco falling apart in your hand, which these did. In fac they weren't heated at all and felt refrigerator cold to the touch. They didn't taste very fresh either, had that supermarket flavor. Impossible to eat except with a fork. Meat was tough but tasty, cut into cubes rather than the traditional strips. Cheese was of the Taco Bell variety, sprinkiled on top and not melted into the taco.

Sunrise has horchata on the menu now so I ordered one. This one was made from rick milk with vanilla and cinnamon. Really rich, never had one this rich and sweet in Mexico. It was like drinking a thinned milkshake. Very tasty in fact, but not what most people would be used to for horchata. No complaints though, a lot went into that glass of horchata. Still the horchata was the highlight, along with the friendly and efficient service.

The fourth Mexican meal I had was at a friend's apartment. He and his wife cooked up an excellent batch of pork loin and beef ribs in mole, using ingredients they brought back from Puebla, Mexico, along with plantain enchiladas, a stellar guacamole (dip, again) and mango salsa. A memorable evening and tied for the second best Mexican meal of the week.

Los Cabos still number one, with T&S a close second. I'd eat at La Monita before I'd go to Sunrise again, although if and when I do visit Sunrise again, I'll stick with the 'chili' relleno, which is more like tamale pie but delicious.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Los Cabos still number one, with T&S a close second. I'd eat at La Monita before I'd go to Sunrise again, although if and when I do visit Sunrise again, I'll stick with the 'chili' relleno, which is more like tamale pie but delicious.

Thanks for your in-depth reviews. I agree with your rankings.

1. Los Cabos

2. T&S

3, La Monita

4. Sunrise

[bkkjames]

Los Cabos still number one, with T&S a close second. I'd eat at La Monita before I'd go to Sunrise again, although if and when I do visit Sunrise again, I'll stick with the 'chili' relleno, which is more like tamale pie but delicious.

Thanks for your in-depth reviews.  I agree with your rankings.

1.  Los Cabos

2. T&S

3,  La Monita

4.  Sunrise

Great review spoiler, i would change 2 and 1 on your list but either are fine!

[FarangKenStine]

I've been jonesing for some texymexy. any ideas?

[gotlost]

I've been jonesing for some texymexy. any ideas?

http://www.miguels-cafe.com/ The best Tex Mex in Thailand.

[SpoliaOpima]

I came across a surprisingly good Mexican place on Koh Chang recently. It's called Barrio Bonito ('Beautiful Neighborhood' for those who don't know Spanish), on Lonely Beach. and the menu is prepared by a friendly Mexican woman named Mariana. I went for the weekend with Mexican friends who had already found the place, and we all agreed, pretty authentic for the most part, and always tasty. I was especially glad to see alambres and queso fundido on the menu. Excellent enchiladas, better than most I've eaten in Bangkok and topped with real queso requeson. Black beans were another knockout dish, reminded me of the way Jorge used to make them at first at Tacos & Salsas (and hopefully will make them that way again at the new T&S, now that he's in charge again).

Barrio Bonito also has nice rooms for under a a thousand baht a night. We stayed a couple of nights and enjoyed several delicious home-style Mexican meals.