Fatty's Bar & Diner — Restaurant in Din Daeng Subdistrict

This is a great spot to get a fix for your midwest/rustbelt longings in Bangkok. I had the cream cheese burger with slaw and it was genuine. There are a lot of places in Thailand that try to do burgers, but don't really know how. Fatty's gets it right. They have a diverse and interesting selection of local and import drinks, solid specials. The vibe is what I'll call "Michelin-dive" it's got the charm of a classic mid-west dive bar with the foodie sentiments of the Michelin aspirational. The walls are plastered with stickers and strewn with sharpie sentiments scrawled in intoxicated glee; but the bathroom is clean and the kitchen runs like clockwork.

I was there on an inaugural Karaoke night and it's worth sharing what makes that special. Apparently the staff and owner often stay late to share social space and sing karaoke with each other and on this quiet Monday night they thought, "hey, why don't we invite the patrons to join?" What followed was a haphazard, multi-lingual, genre-expansive celebration in joyful absurdity. It showed me Fatty's is a special place strung together by a genuine quality of welcoming togetherness. Everyone there seemed to really belong; I felt it and I'm awkward like a flamingo on a treadmill. I mean... it's a bar/restaurant, no one's out here writing love songs ABOUT this place, but I wouldn't be surprised if a few don't already exist where this place played a ROLE in a love story.

Thanks for being in the world...

I used to be a loyal customer of this place for nearly 5 years and thoroughly enjoyed it. However, I have recently noticed a change that has made me re-consider my visits. There seems to be a new individual, whose role is unclear to me, frequently present around the tables, both inside and outside. While I am uncertain of his identity, the owner (a friendly person from Wisconsin) has apologized on multiple occasions for his behavior, implying that he is now associated with the diner. The reason for my decision to stop going there is that I found this person's intrusive nature unsettling. He tends to approach every table, posing personal questions and making inappropriate comments about customers, which disrupts the atmosphere of the diner. Moreover, he has even offered joints without any prior request, which I believe is crossing a line. I used to love this place for its charming ambiance, where friends could gather for a relaxed evening with good beer and burgers. However, due to the presence of this intrusive individual, who appears to lack awareness of the cultural norms and social boundaries in this country, I have made the choice to discontinue my patronage. These are simply my personal observations and...

From the outside, it looks a bit rundown, but don't let external impressions deceive you. The inside is typical of an American diner with lots of memorabilia plastered all over the walls. Music is also a big theme in the restaurant. Matthew Fischer, the owner, is a very nice, extremely laid-back native of Wisconsin, and his band is called Matthew Fischer and the Fishes. Now on to the food.

It's always a good sign when there are so many good choices on the menu that I can't decide what to order. I narrowed it down to the Reuben sandwich or the Philly cheese. The Thai waitress recommended the latter, and it was very good. My son had the buffalo burger. We also had some mozzarella cheese sticks, which were delicious. Considering how much prices have risen in Bangkok in recent years, the prices here are very reasonable and a lot lower than I expected. There are special offers, and some meals include a free soft drink. Overall, an excellent place. Great food, great atmosphere, and very reasonable prices. Matthew, the owner, was very courteous and knows how to treat customers. Highly...