Bangkok’s American Pub

There are a good many British pubs on the Bangkok scene but not so many American ones. Woodstock is the type of restaurant and bar that has regulars stopping in for a beer whilst waiting for take out food, or sharing an after-work plate of tapas. It is easy, relaxed, no-fuss.

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With its soft lighting, red leather banquette style alcoves, its bar down one side and exposed brick wall, it has a classic American bar vibe of accepting who you are and what you are about and offering a cozy and mellow place to eat and chow down. The food is North American in the main although there is a small British menu and quite a large Thai menu. This also means that the ultimate stateside food is popular - burgers, pizza and of course, Mexican.

The burgers are all homemade and even the burger bun is. At 275 thb the house burger comes with double cheese and a moreish homemade tangy sauce, on a wooden board with a few chips to the side, meaning that this meal is all about the burger and not some attempt to fill you up on cheap chips as is so often the case. The meat is tasty and good quality but if you weigh up the endless kneading involved in making the bun against the taste it does seem a lot of effort.

The cobb salad is a firm American favourite and is where the humble salad transforms into a meal. At 285 thb you would expect more than a few limp lettuce leaves and boy, do you get it. Bacon, avocado and chicken breast, along with blue cheese, tomato and hard boiled egg are mixed in at the table with a homemade vinaigrette dressing and a bed of Cos and iceberg lettuce. The result is tastier than the sum of its parts and perfect for sharing.

The Mexican Combo at 355 thb is certainly big enough to share too. The chimichanga is a deep fried flour tortilla with shredded chicken and there is a good bite to the salsa ingredients. The vegetable enchilada is a corn flour tortilla and comes with a good cheese melted over the top and bell peppers and green beans inside. The beef soft taco is a deliciously soft flour tortilla that is also homemade, filled with minced beef and strands of cheese. Salsa, guacamole and sour cream come with refried beans and rice.

Not to be outdone in the gut-busting business is possibly the biggest burger in Bangkok. A 1 lb of meat, this 599 thb super-burger comes with double chips and a challenge – if you can finish it within 20 minutes you get a free burger to take home with you too which is just about as American style eating as you can get. Making its own bread and even its own nacho chips, not to mention curing its own ham and making its own sausages is an appetizing add-on to this perfectly placed, palatable pub.

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