Bangers doesn’t hide its junk-food roots—pop-colors, cartoon character murals and paper plates—and solidly fills its niche as one of the rare places in Bangkok specializing in quality hot dogs.

 

The bulk of the menu is divided into two parts: traditional hot dogs, which all use beef instead of pork, and “sausage dogs,” which substitutewieners for coarse pork sausages. The New York classic hot dog (B180) is among the less-inventive dishes but a good indication of where Bangers is at: a beef frankfurter in a bun with sauerkraut and mustard. Between the sharpness of the sauerkraut and mustard, the meat comes across as little more than a slightly smoky, salty, rubbery texture. But then it’s a hot dog, so what do you expect?

 

More interesting are the all-pork sausage dogs. The Roman (B170) promises “Italian sausage / grilled onion and peppers / tomato,” but given its Italian theme, we anticipated more from the word “tomato” than a layer of ketchup and scattering of flavorless diced tomatoes. The sausage is lovely, though, actually tasting like meat and strongly characterized by a (not-very-Roman) clove-like sweetness—just a shame it’s drowned by the acidic ketchup. The buns on both dishes are great: soft not crispy, as you want for a hot dog, with a pillow-y texture inside.

 

The same can’t be said of the chili-cheese fries (B180). Topped with cheese that’s a nuclear shade of orange, the chili con carne tastes of nothing but salt and a faint hint of Mexican spices—and we use both “Mexican” and “spices” loosely. But the portion is generous and could happily be shared without keeping one eye on your dining partner’s fork.

 

Predictably, it’s craft beers all-round on Bangers’ drinks menu—the Belgian Palm Speciale (B240), for one, is delicious. There’s also a selection of alcoholic shakes (all B280) that more than make up for the lack of a dessert menu. The Bail Me Out shake (Bailey’s, rum, coffee) is so thick you can scoop it onto the end of a straw and lick it like ice cream. The taste is indulgent and heavy with Bailey’s, though we don’t fancy your chances of getting drunk off it.

 

For the most part, Bangers delivers exactly what you want from single-specialty junk food: moreish, fatty dishes in a restaurant you’re not embarrassed to be seen in. Your meal is essentially a Joe Sloane sausage in a Maison Jean Philippe bun, but if you steer clear of the interesting bits of the drinks menu, you’ll walk away having spent little more than you would at Burger King.