If you live in Bangkok or have spent some time here in the Big Mango, then you probably know or have at least heard of Charley Browns Mexicana!! It’s been a staple of Bangkok’s Mexican food scene for some twenty eight years. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Chef Primo and trying out their new lunch set.
This was my first time to visit their newest location just across the street from Terminal 21. The first side street off Soi 19 from Sukhumvit. It couldn’t take more than a few minutes to walk over from Terminal 21. It’s hidden all the way back on the left and doesn’t look like much from the outside, but once you walk through the doors, Boom!! It’s nice. It’s got big high ceilings, front ends of old cars sticking out of the walls, piñatas, Corona signs, mariachi dolls, and in all the Mexicana colors bright and lively. I had only been to the old one off soi 11 a few years ago. This place in much bigger and nicer than the old one, for sure. It gives off a really nice vibe and atmosphere and gets bumpin on weekends and during happy hour, 5-7pm daily with half price margaritas and buy 3 pay for 2 on their street food tacos and quesadillas after 7pm. Yes, you read that right, Half Price pitcher of Margaritas, that’s only 600 baht a pitcher!!!!
Chef Primo hails from Mexico DF and joined the team about 2 years ago when they moved to this new location, so this is his baby and it shows in the food!! This kid has been around: Paris, London, New York and the list goes on. He’s a thoroughly trained chef who’s making a difference here. He mentioned that some of his more popular specialties were the octopus tacos on the menu as Taco De Pulpa “A LA Diabla”, Blackened Red Snapper Huachinango a la Talla, and his Ceviche Tropical. I haven’t tried it yet but it sounds delicious, check this: fresh seabass marinated in fresh lime, coconut milk and mint served with mango pieces, what, WHAAT!!! That sounds great!! He’s a really nice guy who is enjoying his Thai experience and cooking up a storm. He changes his specials on the menu about every 6 months with the newest edition arriving second week of March.
On to the food. First off, the chips and salsa. I’m from Texas so I’d say I have a pretty thorough background in chips and salsa and let me just say, Charley Browns got some good chips and salsa!! The chips must be made in house. There’s no way they’re getting chips this good from a package and the salsa is dead on!!!! I could have sat drinking beer and eating chips and salsa for an entire football game, at least????. The lunch special, 350 baht. You get your choice of one or three starters: tortilla soup, taquitos, or potato skins. One of four mains: tacos, nachos, quesadilla, or chilli con Carne. Plus a drink: coke or water.
The taquitos were really good, fried up light and crisp with shredded chicken or beef.
The Tortilla soup was very good. It’s thicker than any I’ve ever had with a nice slow burn and big chunks of avocado in it. This was something I’ll go back for, definitely.
The tacos were good. They use shredded beef and chicken as opposed to ground. I liked it.
Last, The Nachos!! This is a proper stack of nachos!! Piled high with cheese, beans, meat, sour cream. It exactly what nachos should be. You can’t go wrong with these bad boys!!
Overall, it was a great experience and I’m really glad I got out to try it. I had forgotten about Ol Charley Browns after they moved, my bad. But I’ll tell ya one thing, it ain’t gonna be long before I get back over there!! Margaritas on the patio be callin’ me!!
19/9-10 Soi Sukhumvit 19, Khlong Toei Nuea, Khet Watthana, Bangkok 10110