A Lubbock Gem Serving Comfort Food With Heart

There are plenty of great restaurants in Lubbock, but for me, none hit quite like Bangkok Thai Restaurant. Maybe it’s the incredible food, maybe it’s the owners who treat you like family, or maybe it’s just the comfort I get walking into a place that has never disappointed me in all these years. No surprises. No frills. Just terrific Thai food made by fantastic people.

The second you open the door, you’re greeted with that familiar smell that could probably be bottled and sold as “Eau de Thai Comfort Food.” The staff doesn’t just recognize you — they remember your order, ask how your mom is doing, and throw extra “crunchy things” in your take-out bag when you’re on the go. Somehow, even if they are slammed with a million drive-thru orders AND a full restaurant, they still have your food out exceptionally fast and cooked to perfection.

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What I love most about Bangok Thai Restaurant isn’t just the badass food (though, let’s be real, it’s worth writing a friggin novel about. The Pad Thai? Holy moly. Best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth). It’s the people-watching, the random reunions, the way time slows down for a bit when you’re in your favorite booth sitting across from a pal. It’s my mom’s favorite restaurant too, and that means we always go there for lunch dates. Lucky me! We’ve made dozens of memories there over the years. We don’t always agree with one another, but we always agree on what’s for lunch.

Lubbock changes, but Bangkok doesn’t have to. The unassuming little restaurant looks exactly the same as it did when I was a teenager, and it’s perfect. They don’t need a bigger builder. They don’t need flashy new updates. They are just fine the way they are. And really, if you’ve never been, the only thing missing from the place is you.

Try something new this week, and check out my favorite spot in town, Bangkok Thai Restaurant off 34th Street near Coronado High School. You’ll thank me later.

Keep scrolling for more Lubbock-based fun in the galleries below…

What Your Go-To Golden Corral Food Says About YouThe news was slow this week. Enjoy… Gallery Credit: Chrissy Photo by Eiliv Aceron on UnsplashChocolate FountainIf you head straight for the chocolate fountain, you’re a YOLO kinda person. You’ve also accepted that you will be leaving sticky. GoldenCorral.comFried ChickenYou’re a traditionalist. But, I’m sorry, you’re also likely a double-dipper at tailgate parties. Not cool. GoldenCorral.comSalad BarYou’re lying to yourself, buddy. But optimism is important. That iceberg lettuce just tricks you into thinking you’re being healthy before the real meal starts. We’ll see you over there at the mac and cheese directly afterward. You’re not fooling anyone… Goldencorral.comSteakYou think you’re sophisticated, but…well…this is Golden Corral. I’m not saying theirs anything wrong with getting steak at a buffet…but…yeah…chill out, fancy pants. You didn’t need to wear a bowtie. Goldencorral.comBaked PotatoSteady. Practical. You call it a “tater” with no shame. You also secretly judge people for the chaos on their plate while you behold your simple and glorious potato, dressed in only cheese, butter, and sour cream. GoldenCorral.comBanana PuddingYou miss your grandparents. They always let you eat dessert first. You also consider banana pudding to be healthy because it’s got FRUIT in it… GoldenCorral.comMeatloafYou either just lost a bet, or you’re somebody’s adorable paw paw. GoldenCorral.comPizzaMoney is no option for you. You’re at a buffet where you could fill up on all kinds of meat and seafood, and yet, you’re choosing the cheapest thing on the menu: frozen pizza. (It friggin’ slaps though. I’m not going to lie.) GoldenCorral.comFishYou’re a trusting person if you go for fish at a buffet this far from the ocean. What a sweet darlin’! 10 Lubbock Items Most Likely To End Up in The Smithsonian in 2125Some may think I’m joking, and that’s because I am… Gallery Credit: Chrissy Photo by Thomas Chizzali on UnsplashA Single Flip Flop Left in The Mud Near Buffalo LakeWe shall display it as a holy relic of sorts. RIP. Photo by Lucian Alexe on UnsplashThat One Traffic Cone You Swear Has Been on Loop 289 For 50 Years AlreadyFuture historians will argue whether or not it was from an actual construction site or if it’s an abstract art installation. Why not both?Photo by Anton Mislawsky on UnsplashA Slice of The Funky Old Carpet From Jake’s BackroomRemember when Jake’s had carpet? Oh, you don’t? Well, I DO. We used to SWEEP IT at bar close. I think sweeping the carpet might actually be a job in hell. It’s since been replaced with much better flooring for easy cleanups of spills and cigarette butts. Thanks, Scott! (These young bartenders will never understand how lucky they are.) Photo by Gabriel Jimenez on UnsplashA Bag of Dirt Collected After A HaboobSmithsonian interns will ponder how our city functioned buried under that much sand. They’ll never figure it out. We can’t even figure it out. Photo by Alexander Startsev on UnsplashA Tattered Old Menu From Spanky’s, Covered in Mystery StainsVisitors may or may not be tempted to lick the grease right off the menu. Them cheese sticks be bangin’. Photo by Luismi Sánchez on UnsplashA Gas Pump From The Little Gas Station Near Tech”Where generations of Red Raiders drunkenly counted pennies in the parking lot for a gallon of gas after blowing all their money till payday on beer.”Photo by Eiliv Aceron on UnsplashThe World’s Toughest TumbleweedThis award goes to “The Big One,” which spent 6 years stuck in the same chain-link fence off 34th. RIP. The Golden Corral Chocolate FountainNobody cares if it ever gets cleaned properly. We all but sip from it like the fountain of youth. (Might need a biohazard sticker in 100 years, but we’ll cross that path when we get to it.) Photo by Sara Kurfeß on UnsplashAn Untouched Slice of Sheet Cake From Market StreetScientists will marvel at how it looks just as delicious as it did the day it was made. Sorcery! Photo by Gabriel Jimenez on UnsplashOne of Those Inflatable Tube Men From an Ave Q Car LotThe caption should read, “West Texas joy in its purest form.”