Bangkok’s Mexican dining scene is always a topic of raging debate. Some say La Monita. Others say Missing Burro. No one says Slanted Taco. A recent feast on their run-of-the-mill quesadillas (from B200), burritos (from B210), fajitas (from B480) and, of course, tacos (from B70) explains why.

Part of the same thriving Suk 23 commune as Whisgars cigar lounge and Craft beer terrace, this Mexican restaurant does at least have a happening cantina vibe thanks to a corrugated iron-clad dining room complete with vibrant murals and a thumping Latino club soundtrack (and we mean thumping). Service, too, is as bright and bubbly as you’d hope for.

Yet the food, while not terrible, is terribly uninspiring. Take the tacos, here served as teensy bite-sized morsels that’d still be fine if not for drab fillings like under-seasoned roast chicken or dry, stringy beef. It’s enough to undo all the goodness of the evidently house-made, soft corn-flour tortillas. With a squeeze of lime and a generous chunk of avocado, the relatively juicy seabass option (served in a flour tortilla, B90) gets a pass mark. However, padded out with iceberg lettuce, this is one of several dishes that hints at cut corners. Similar is the beef burrito (B230), which on our last visit tasted mostly of mushy rice and refried beans, and came plated atop a decorative bouquet of iceberg. Things aren’t helped by the mildest of enchilada sauces (ordered medium-spicy) or a one-dimensional guacamole (from B90).

Not everything misses the mark: the choriqueso (B250), an almost fondue-like steaming plate of flavorful chorizo and melted cheese, served with a piquant salsa and warm flour tortillas, makes a worthy guilty pleasure. For dessert, the flan napolitano (B90) is rich, creamy and rewarding. Yet Slanted Taco seems to have lost its way since its late-2016 opening when chef Jorge Bernal (formerly behind Sabroso and the original incarnation of Tacos & Salsa) promised a more chef-driven approach to Mexican food.

While we wouldn’t head here specifically for a meal, there are enough deals on offer (two-for-one tacos on “Taco Tuesday”) to at least make for some inoffensive drinking snacks to go with your margarita (B280/glass or B1,400/jug) or your pick of the 170+ beers at Craft.

This review took place in Febuary 2018 and is based on a visit to the restaurant without the restaurant's knowledge. For more on BK's review policy, click here.