Bandito's has been an expat staple for... well, a long time. I went for the first time five years ago. In 2005 I was 22 and trying to find myself in Europe after finishing college. I had extended a semester abroad in Paris and decided to skip Christmas back home in Virginia, an impulsive decision that was supposed to prove to everyone how grown up I was.
Christmas Eve day I found myself standing in the middle of the Tesco at Narodni Trida, seriously questioning what the hell I was thinking and trying to steady myself after a wave of homesickness had come on sudden and strong. I drank a lot that night, in a Santa hat that had blinking lights. I ended up at Duplex on Wenceslas Square and did unspeakably dumb things and had my wallet stolen out of my purse because I was too drunk to take care of myself.
The next morning, Christmas Day, I woke up and cried because I knew baby jesus was disappointed and my parents would weep if they knew even half of what had happened the night before. But some sort of divine force intervened and my traveling companions, Australians I'd met at a hostel in Budapest, took me out for a Christmas dinner at Bandito's. It was a taste of home with roasted meats, mashed root vegetables, gravy and biscuits heaped onto a plate. It was restorative, physically and emotionally, and Bandito's rebuilt me enough so I could leave Prague with a kind enough memory to move back three years later.
These days, I eat happy hour nachos at Bandito's for 50 Kc. They are always good. If I'm feeling flush, I order shark tacos and smile because, hey, I'm eating shark and it sounds funny to say. They have about six different kinds of hamburgers, all delicious, and my boyfriend treats himself to one whenever he needs a pick me up or some good red meat. There's a waiter there by the name of Chilli Willi, and he is gruff and funny and I think secretly a sweetheart. There's also a velvet painting of Elvis, a single tear running down his cheek.
Bandito's has also started a new special, that is free Sangria for ladies from 7-9 p.m. on Saturdays. Thanks Bandito's.
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