Nicholas Snow—On The Town

I have it on good authority that if it weren’t for the love affair between a certain Thai student living in the U.K. and his boyfriend—a native of “Manchester, England, England” (to quote the musical “Hair”)—people from all walks of life would not be enjoying some of the best Mexican food and margaritas this side of Tijuana! If you don’t know them already, meet Andrew and Anawat, the entrepreneurial couple sharing life, love and a business in the heart of the Silom district of Bangkok, at none other than Coyote on Convent.

On one of my numerous visits to Coyote, Andrew shared with me that his relationship with Anawat had been at a crossroads in the UK, and it was their true love for one another that inspired them to take the big leap and relocate to Thailand. Andrew had always run bars and nightclubs and had helped build the famous UK club, Essential, into a huge success. But living in the middle of party-central was taking its toll on their very special relationship, so a change of scenery was called for, by Anawat actually. He would return to Thailand. Would Andrew follow? Absolutely!

Andrew loved Thailand already because of the couple’s previous trips here. As if on a honeymoon after their permanent move to the Kingdom, Andrew explained, “We spent about eight months living on the paradise island of Koh Samet. It was while relaxing on the beach, drinking margaritas, we decided to invest what little money we had in a restaurant and our little baby, Coyote, was born.”

Their slogan—”Mexican with Attitude;” they describe the place as “a stylish, premier, margarita bar and Mexican restaurant.” Those years back when they were daydreaming on the beach, Andrew and Anawat may have had only a couple of margaritas, but they now offer 75 choices on Coyote’s extensive menu, “from the traditional lime,” explained Andrew, “to the more exotic black forest or mint chocolate.”

I love Coyote; born in Tucson, raised in Arizona, and having spent most of my adult life in Southern California, I know good Mexican food and Coyote’s is terrific! But I have a confession to make…instead of the usual Mexican combination platter, I almost always go for the smoked, baby back ribs—the full slab—marinated in Coyote’s own special sauce. But my frequent dining companion and I usually start out with a quesadilla appetizer—delicious! For you size queens out there, enjoy the Big Burrito, a whopping 12-inch, hand-rolled, flour tortilla wrapped around your choice of fillings.

Coyote also has nachos, fajitas, and enchiladas, of course, plus some extremely inspired desserts including the Peach & Pecan Chimichanga with Raspberry Coulis and Vanilla Ice Cream. And to be as authentically Mexican as possible, Andrew explained, “We make all of our own salsas and guacamole, and even import beans and chilies from Mexico.”

I say this hands down, Coyote on Convent offers some of the best customer service you will find at any restaurant anywhere, a sentiment echoed by well-travelled queens who know the food & beverage business. The secret of his dream staff? Andrew told me “From day one, we always believed that without the best staff, we couldn’t hope to be the best restaurant. I trained all the staff myself—waitresses, chefs, and bartenders, even the cleaners. Ninety-five percent of them have been with me since our opening day over three years ago. It sounds like a cliché, but we really do see them as our extended family, and I treat them like family members.”

Starting with a two-for-one, Margarita Happy Hour grabbing the afternoon crowd, Coyote turns its tables up to three times nightly, doing a fierce business. “For me, seeing the restaurant and bar full to capacity with people from all walks of life, makes the hard work worth it. We have a great mix of clientele. More and more Thais are becoming regular customers, as well as the local expat community, and, of course, the tourists, who are always welcome,” said Andrew.