There’s a new reason to venture into Onnut South, that quieter, residential stretch on the other side of Sukhumvit down Soi 50 where the streets get greener, the houses get bigger and Bangkok starts feeling suspiciously suburban.
This past July saw the grand opening of Hickory and Craft which has taken over a beautiful freestanding home surrounded by a generous garden and turned it into a smoked-meat restaurant and craft beer hangout. It’s an intimate place that feels like you’ve wandered into someone’s very cool house party but someone has a smoker out back and they are serving you ribs.
The house itself is a big part of the appeal. Inside, the space is divided into cozy little seating areas, with tables spilling outside into the garden. The decor has a slightly mid-century, 1960s swinger-pad thing going on, complete with a large gramophone taking pride of place. On our visit, the parking lot was packed with fancy cars, so it seems Bangkok’s hi-so crowd has already figured out what’s going on.
The beer prices are another pleasant surprise. While good craft beers around Bangkok can easily creep into the B300–400 range, most of Hickory and Craft’s selection sits around B100–200. There are several beers on tap, and the owners are happy to pour you a little tasting before you commit to a full glass.
The food menu is relatively compact, but this is not a place for dainty portions. The obvious move is the meat platter, with the classic version going for B1,450. It’s listed as serving three to four, but two hungry people can absolutely make a serious dent in it. Ours came loaded with half a rack of pork ribs, sliced beef brisket, smoked chicken wings and a plump smoked duck breast, plus mac and cheese and pickled coleslaw.
The ribs were the standout, with tender meat and a deep smoky flavor that worked particularly well with the house barbecue sauce. We’d happily see a bigger selection of house-made sauces, especially something with a bit more heat. The brisket could have been juicier, but the chicken wings had a great, bone-deep smokiness, while the duck was a welcome curveball.
Duck tends to turn up in Bangkok dressed for fine dining, so seeing this much smoked duck on a barbecue platter was refreshing. If gamey meats are your thing, definitely give it a shot. The mac and cheese is creamy, rich and exactly what you want alongside a tray of smoked meat along with pickles and mustard.
We can't wait to go back to try their burgers and sandwiches, especially the Smoked Pulled Pork "handheld", as they call it (B230), and the Smoked Brisket Tacos (B280). We also have at least another 6 or 7 beers to test out.
With friendly staff, very reasonable prices and a lovely homey setting, Hickory and Craft is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Bangkok already has some excellent American barbecue contenders, including Smokin’ Pug and Billy’s Smokehouse, so the competition is real. But for those of us living around Onnut, having a solid smokehouse practically in the backyard is a pretty good development.
238, 1 Sawatdi Soi 4 Alley, Phra Khanong Tai, Phra Khanong. 091 041 6882.
