There are few things better than the amazing Thai food in Thailand, but whether you’re visiting for a few weeks or living here, sometimes you need a good Western meal and something that reminds you of home. One of the many reasons we love Bangkok so much is because of their great restaurant scene. You can find pretty much anything you want to satisfy any craving you have. We’ve visited a lot of great (and very trendy) restaurants all around Bangkok and after three years of searching, we’ve found some spots that are just as good as what we’d get at home.

BBQ – The Smokin’ Pug – Not only is The Smokin’ Pug the best BBQ we’ve had in Bangkok (by far), it can go head to head with any BBQ joint in the States as well. They have huge smokers on their roof and their ribs are some of the best we’ve had. Make sure you call ahead to reserve your slab of ribs to ensure they don’t run out.  In addition to the great ribs, they also have great pulled pork, brisket, corn bread and other classic BBQ sides.

Wings – Sway – We’ve been to Sway a couple of times and with their selection of 30 flavors of wings, we’ve hardly tried any repeats and we’ve never been disappointed. From buffalo to BBQ to green curry to Thai peanut, they have everything from the very classic flavors to some very creative and imaginative choices… and they’re all great. Their wings are all drumsticks, so the portions are big too. They have some awesome specials (Sundays are 300 baht for all you can eat wings and Mondays are half off wings) making these some of the most affordable and definitely the best tasting wings we’ve tried in Bangkok.

Pizza – Bella Napoli or Peppina – Both of these authentic Italian pizza places serve awesome pies. Bella Napoli is located on Ital Thai (Bangkok’s version of Little Italy) and is a very cute/charming restaurant with red/white checkered table cloths and a real authentic feel. Peppina is a trendier (and a little pricier option) but they’re doing pizza right in their wood-fire oven. They have several locations throughout the city, all of which are very popular and always packed.

Deep Dish Pizza – Bangkok Betty’s – We never dreamed we’d find deep dish pizza in Bangkok, and you cannot imagine how excited Dave was when we heard about Bangkok Betty’s… and then we went there and realized that it was actually really good. While it’s no Lou Malnati’s, it definitely satisfies your deep dish craving and they have a 10% off special on Sundays. The deep dish topped with pulled pork is (surprisingly) the best.

Burger – AMP Saloon or NY Style Steak and Burger – If you want a great burger at a great price, AMP is definitely the spot. Their burgers are big, really delicious, and very affordable. This was one of our first burgers in Bangkok and it remains one of our favorites.  It’s a little out of the way (in Hua Mak on Ramkamhaeng Soi 112) but the cheap price makes up for it. On the other end of the spectrum and right in the heart of Sukumvit, NY Style Steak and Burger has probably the most expensive burgers we’ve tried in Bangkok (around 450 baht), but man are they good. These are also really big and come with a huge serving of fries. We thought they were worth every baht!

Mexican – La Monita – La Monita is one of the most popular Mexican restaurants in Bangkok and for very good reason. Their menu is huge and filled with all our Mexican favorites (taco salads, fajitas, burritos, quesadillas, etc.). They have a salsa bar, good margaritas, a fun atmosphere and very reasonable prices. If you want a good, reliable, Mexican meal, La Monita should be your spot every time.  Honorable mention—Sunrise Tacos or Coyote.  The former has a great salsa bar and the latter great margarita specials.

Bagels – Feedpoint  – As great as most of the food is in Bangkok, this is where it somewhat disappoints. Of course, there’s nothing quite like a NY Bagel, but the best contender we’ve found in Bangkok is Feedpoint near Asoke. We thought that these bagels, though a little small, tasted good and were a very reasonably priced. We tried a bagel sandwich and a bagel with a schmear and actually liked the schmear best. BKK Bagel is the only other real bagel shop we’ve found in Bangkok, but we were more impressed with Feedpoint. The bagels themselves at BKK Bagel were ok, but the sandwiches are very overpriced and if you just want a simple bagel with cream cheese do yourself a favor and order a few servings of CC because they don’t give you anywhere near enough. Feedpoint is much more reasonably priced though we wished they would have sold chips or fruit at the restaurant to go with our bagels.