Barrio Fiesta Restaurant
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: None
33 reviews
Mountain View, CA
"I don't usually eat Filipino food... but I loved this place! I came here with a couple of my cousins and ALMOST ordered the cheeseburger…" read more »
58 Reviews for Barrio Fiesta Restaurant
I've been to this restaurant 3 times. I love the shrimp sinigang and the crab omelet. I think they have the best mango shake. I sometimes just come here to order mango shake to go!
The decor is ok, hubby thinks it's a little too much. Gets pretty crowded at dinner time.
I'm sorry to say but this is a harsh critique about Barrio Fiesta. Sure the decor captivates the customers, but it doesn't do well with their establishment and food. The decor doesn't come close to Homeland of the Philippines. In case you're a true filipino, you've got to be kidding me. If you've been to the Barrio Fiesta Restaurants in the Philippines, sure it'll hit home to your stomach...after the "freshness" of the food compared to this place...Puh-lease! This place is a joke. The one good thing that you can practically order off the menu is their crispy pata and halo-halo which they're known for and I'll give you 2 stars for that. I refuse to give you anything more. The prices for their entrees...unbelievable. You're better off eating here for their buffet special on Thursdays? So you can at least get a slight idea of filipino dishes. The first management of this restaurant ran it pretty well when they had a lot of filipino celebrities who would frequently stop by here by request and the chefs were really great cooks. Now that it's running under a new management and new chefs, barely anyone comes here except for those who are newbies to the true traditional filipino dishes. The waiters/waitresses could use much needed help. Watching the TFC channel to entertain your customers...I don't even want to get into it. I'd rather go back home and eat my parents and grandma's cooking.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
Just look at Tetsu N's review for the specific food items consumed.
It was 3 hungry guys going into this place, and for all of us, we're not very well-versed in Filipino cuisine.
So this all started when I introduced Tetsu N. to my friend's blog site, The Traveling Hungryboy, and Tetsu N. started salivating after seeing this blog entry: http://eatbma.blogspot...
So we searched yelp for different filipino restaurants nearby, and came across Barrio Fiesta because the person who got me started in yelping, Jeannette S. has the FTR and gave it 4 stars, and because out of 50+ reviews, it had a solid 4 star rating.
So Tetsu N., in his classic Tetsu N. way, asked the waitress to suggest something for us, but without telling us what it is. Moreover, Tetsu N. was pretty funny in looking at the plates of our neighbor table, and seeing that they look like they are of Filipino descent, and therefore, probably know what they are doing, he asked them what they were eating. I'm not sure if they were joking, or making a play on words, but they told us it was called "Sitting Chicken" because the chicken was sitting on the plate. They were kind enough to give us a small sample, and definitely the next time we go there, we'll have to get this.
So of our food selection, I chose the lumpia and the chicken adobo. For my one visit ever to the PI, I remember loving just about anything adobo, and lumpia was always good too...
So overall, Barrio's is a pretty cozy little place, and it looks like they put a lot of work into the decor, which kinda made me think that if Chili's or Friday's started in the PI, this is what it would look like, with all the kitschy decorations, Filipino-style.
The waitresses were especially nice to us, but then again, it might have also been because we were 3 customers who ordered enough for 6 people, but they got a kick out of watching us put food in our mouths, and watching our eyes light up in delight from trying new food.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
I've only had Filipino food at friends' homes and parties so this was my first time at an actual Filipino restaurant. A couple friends (who've also never been to a Filipino restaurant either) and I wanted some Filipino food and resorted to here.
Upon entering the first thing I noticed was how the place was decorated. It gave a really cultural tropical feel.I liked it!
It took a little while for us to get seated though since there was a big party in there waiting in the front and so the people who worked here didn't know we were separate from them. I guess signing your name on the list doesn't really make a difference? But soon enough we were seated.
Figuring out what to order was a little difficult for us haha but we managed! It would have been nice though if we had a Filipino friend with us. Anyway, we ordered the chicken adobo, kare-kare, rice and pancit. However, there seemed to be a mixup in communication and instead of the pancit we got this crispy shrimp thing, but it was tasty so all was well. We also shared a halo halo for dessert. All of the food was really good and not too heavy.
The service was good too. They were friendly and we got our waters filled often.
We left feeling happy and full.
Barrio's Fiesta is a smallish restaurant in a smallish, unobtrusive strip mall. But a hidden gem without a doubt. It's also one of the many restaurants in which it would be great if you could give half stars because it's well into a 3 star, but not quite a 4 star restaurant in my view.
When you go in, it's clear that the restaurant owners did what they could with limited space and added tall plans to give a more authentic feeling. In fact, it feels pretty authentic. How do I know? well....I don't, but it feels right. The restaurant sign above the entrance is the only ill-fitting piece to the whole place.
This was another discovery session with Michael C., and this being the last day of the week and also a dinner, Cory was also able to join.
One thing we're gonna have to figure out is how to NOT ORDER TOO MUCH.... For three of us, we ordered 3 appetizers, 4 main courses, five drinks, and a dessert. For 3 people? Yes, we're stupid like that. But we did get to sample a variety of food.
For appetizers, we had
- Crispy chicken wings (pretty good, pretty crispy and tasty),
- Baked Tahonc, which is mussels topped with cheese, garlic and baked in butter (absolutely delectable! will have to order this one again!)
- Lumpia Shanghai, which are miniature egg rolls with ground pork. I was initially unenthusiastic about this because...well....it says Shanghai (which doesn't sound Filipino to me...), and I've had egg rolls a million times before. but these were great, among the most popular dishes that night.
But don't let the "appetizer" name fool you. You get a lot of each of these and they can be pretty filling.
For our main courses, we picked three on our own, and requested one "please surprise us" dish. Basically a recommendation.
Our main dishes were:
- Adobo Manok (chicken). This is a creamy garlic and vinegar sauce dish using chicken. Almost like a stew but a much lighter colored gravy. It was definitely a favorite that night and one that we devoured with relish.
- Kaldereta w/ Beef. This was most definitely stew like, and except for being a little on the sweet side (a flavor I'm not particularly fond of when it comes to meat dishes), it was well prepared and edible. Not a favorite for that evening, but certainly not bad.
- Lechon Kawali. Wanting to eat this was the main reason we came to a Filipino restaurant. it's very crispy pork chunks boiled and then deep-fried to a crisp golden brown. This particular dish didn't look the same as a photo I had seen on another person's blog, but it was good. Damn good. I-want-to-eat-this-again-and-again good. My mouth is watering just thinking about this dish, and it's only been 24 hours sicne we ate here....
For the surprise dish, we had Kare-Kare. This is a recipe of chunks of beef, ox tail, tripe, and vegetables in a peanut gravy, served in a clay pot. Now, I'm a pretty big fan of peanut sauce in nearby Vietnamese restaurants, and enjoy peanut flavoring on just about anything. But there was something different about this dish that makes me think this is a rather acquired taste. Perhaps it was too complicated, or maybe too sweet, or maybe the meat was too soft, or some other combination. I can't put my finger on it, but I can say that though I can eat it if it's served, it's not something I would particular want to order again.
Finally, for dessert, we had another recommendation. Halayan Ube, which the menu translates as purple yam pudding. And it was purple. Tastes a lot like softened dessert mochi, but the yam taste came through really well. As a dessert, this dish is just great, but it's a little heavy, so after that huge meal, it was a little much.
Oh, I almost forgot. We were so excited about eating that the couple next door even offered us a taste of their dish, called Sitting Chicken. This was REALLY GOOD!!!! I definitely have to order this next time.
And there are tons of other items on the menu that I'd love to try some time in the future, like Arroz Caldong Manok (Porridge with chuncks of chicken), some of the salads, and some other mouth watering dishes.
I don't know whether this place is authentic or not, but it was damn good. I look forward to coming here again and would definitely recommend it to others.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
The service was good but the kare-kare could've been served hotter (temperature-wise). The other Filipino dishes were okay but a bit too salty for my taste.
So good and fattening, your sure to get a heart attack! Yummy, yummy, yummy......this place beats out Goldilocks, Red Ribbon and Jollibee for Filipino food. Some of my favorites are Lechon Kawali, Guinitaang Sitaw with Shrimp, Kare Kare, Pancit Bihon and for dessert Halayang Ube!!!
OMG! I'm freaking hungry now....for this place! Thats what I get for writing food reviews after the gym!! Ok.....bye : )
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Woot for yummy, artery clogging Filipino food at Barrio Fiesta!!!
I went here for the first time with my sister, and at first, we weren't too impressed. Some food you gotta wait till it cools off to really taste what it's like. Once we could taste the flavors in the kare kare and pancit, we were racing each other for the last bit of rice, hahaha. I'm big on kare kare.. It doesn't beat mine or my mama's, but it was pretty good..
We also had some baked mussels that were really delish! The prices were a little high, but not so much that you feel the sting in your pocket once you see the bill. We got really huge servings of those 3 dishes, and only paid 36.00, tip already included.
I'll definitely come back to try everything else. Oh, and our server was super friendly, and called everyone "Boss"/"Bossing" even when my sister harassed him asking why they didn't serve certain dishes like Igado, LOL..
This is definitely the place to bring your snobby ass Nurse-Auntie or Postal-Service -Uncle who's visiting from out of town. The detail in decorations are crazy.. Bamboo carvings and straw hats everywhere!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
When you walk in, it's so authentic looking. Like your tita gherlie decorated it herself. Food was awesome! My favorite was the Adobe fried rice, from that moment on I would take my leftover rice and throw it the pot and make my not-so-authentic Filipino dish. I wish I could eat here on a regular basis but my wallet won't allow it.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
I used to go here all the time with my friend. We have tried sinigang baboy, adobo rice, laing, pancit, adobo, tocino, etc. The only item we disliked was the adobo since my friend makes it better. The owner is very friendly and remembers me when I come in. I've never had a bad experience dining at Barrio.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
This is my first review, and the only reason why I'm writing it is because I feel like I owe something to Barrio Fiesta. I used to eat here pretty often (like once a week) because I'd stop by on my commute home from San Jose to let the traffic pass and fill my stomach. The place is usually packed with families during dinner time, and the reason is because the food is great. The lechon kawali melts in your mouth! Try everything - everything on the menu will hit the right spot, but I have to give it up to my Ats and Mom - their sinigang is better...but Barrio's comes in a close 3rd. The staff is friendly; the manang always calls me, "sweetheart", but be patient: they're really busy. Even on the busiest nights, my water glass is never empty.
This place is pretty good! The decor in the restaurant is awesome cuz it has that Philippine touch... to the T! Anyway, the food is awesome and the Adobo hella tasted different in a good way. The Sinigang can use some more salt or Tamarind in it... but its missing one star because when we asked our waiter for two bowls of rice (my friend and I CAN EAT rice... i mean REALLY) like she just goes "just one" like we can only order... one rice bowl... but oh well, we ordered a half later after we finished the whole thing. Hahahaha oh well! Neat spot
The Lumpia Shanghai was okay. The crispy pata was good but I like Toppings Too better. The Halo (mixed) Adobo left me with mixed feelings. The Baboy (pork) was good but the Manok (chicken) was dry. The gravy/sauce was great. Next time I'll order Baboy Adobo not Halo. The Pancit Bihon was good better than Toppings Too. Try the Calamansi it's the Filipino version of Lemonade and it's great. Haven't tried Four Season yet, a combination of fresh mango, guyabano, pineapple and orange juice but it sounds good. There is an interesting selection of shakes too. Buco, pineapple, avocado and watermelon. One of my friends is a vegetarian and she enjoyed their Chop Suey Guisado (sauted mixed vegetables). I don't recommend vegetarians eating here though. Most things have meat or seafood in them including their vegetable dishes. Every inch of the place is decorated. Bamboo everywhere, shell chandeliers, carts, ice cream cart and of course there's karaoke. It brings back a lot of "I remember when.." for those who grew up in the Philippines.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (2)
Cool (3)
Went here on two occasions. First, i went with one of my friends to a her nephew's birthday luncheon and the second was with my mom for the brunch buffet. Very good Filipino food with the kare kare, sinigang, beefsteak, etc... Masarap!! Cozy atmosphere with the traditional filipino decor and friendly staff.
Recommend for Terrific Filipino Food.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
After having lived in the bay area for most of my life I have been here for the first time. I wanted a sit down restaurant and she wanted filipino food, so i thought why not barrio fiesta. I have always wante dto go here. On a sunday 5pm it was fairly slow and quiet we and another small party was there. i order Kare Kare and she orders Sinigang.
As many know Kare Kare is an acquired taste and usually after you get over the fact that it is peanut butter you either love it or hate it. But I measure the quality of their cooking skills with how they make Kare Kare. Barrio Fiesta is like a 3.5 of 5 stars in the kare kare. the sinigang was well made just a little more salt and it was good. I expected to pay restaurant prcing and thats what I paid, about $40 after tip for a dinner for two. It's better to take more friends next time as most dishes will serve about 3-4 people.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
First time at Barrio Fiesta and it was memorable, but probably not for the right reasons.
I love Filipino food! I used to live in Daly City so by association, I pretty much have tried everything except balut. So when coworkers wanted to go to Barrio Fiesta, I was all over it. Barrio Fiesta has a lunch buffet on Thursday and Friday for $7.99. The buffet included (and forgive me for not knowing the correct term for the items): rice, sinigang, pancit, a beef stew dish, a vegetable dish with eggplant and some chicken. I served myself everything but the rice. The sinigang has whole shrimp so you have to peel and de-vein them yourself if you want and big fatty pieces of pork with okra and some other veggies. The broth was good but I left everything else. The beef stew was my favorite with big chunks of beef, potatoes, green and red peppers in a thick red sauce. The chicken was a little dry but still had good flavor. The vegetable dish was ok. The worst dish, and not because of the taste, was the pancit.
It tasted good up until I found a piece of brillo pad in the noodles. I stopped eating as I lost my appetite and called one of the servers over to show him. I showed him and he just picked it out of my hand and said, "It was probably from washing."
Then he walked away.
When we got the bill, another lady came by and my coworker told her that I found something in my food. Her response "I know."
Another coworker told her that I lost my appetite and as she came to clear my plate, I asked "Are you going to take it off the bill?"
Her response was a giggle. No joke. She laughed at my question and then walked away.
I couldn't believe it. I was pretty bitter by now since no one apologized and didn't even offer to remove my meal from the bill and she laughed when I asked her about it. I was discussing the issue with my coworkers and I'm sure she heard me talking about it because then she came by and said "I will take hers off the bill." Then as she walked away, with her back to us she said "Sorry."
I probably won't be back for the lunch buffet as it was just ok and they didn't have that many dished to choose from. Plus, the whole brillo pad incident left a bad taste in my mouth, no pun intended.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
I can't count how many times I've passed this place , cutting across Dixon Landing from 880 to get to 680 and told myself I should try it. Finally, last night we gave it a go, my wife, her mom and the kid.
Service was good. We were greeted and seated right away. It was dinner time and the place wasn't terribly full. The first thing I noticed and liked was the decor. They've got a whole cart in there cut in half hanging on the wall, you know the ones made of wood that the water buffalos tow.
They brought out the high chair for the kid, who's latest antic is to throw food around. They were very accomodating and told us not to worry about the mess and they would clean it all up. Nice.
The food arrived. We had Kare Kare, Crispy Pata, Sinigang, and Pusit Adobo. The table got quiet as it does when people are too busy stuffing their faces to talk. Then we came up for air and looked at each other like, "why didn't we come here sooner?" Food was delicious and so was the Halo Halo special for desert.
Too bad, BF loses as star for being located in SmellyPitas Milpitas, right near the dump on Dixon. When we arrived, no smell. As we left however, the wind shifted and was blowing the aroma of the whole South Bay's crap through our noses. My wife was yelling to her mom "Breathe through your mouth! Breathe through your mouth!"
Anyway, good eats, good atmosphere (inside)... I'd like to sit closer to the Plasma next time to get better sound for Wowowee.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cute little Filipino restaurant in Milpitas. The decorations are authentic and we all know, Filipinos make use of every little space - the ceiling, the tables, the chairs, the walls - are all covered with bamboo and decorative items.
The food itself is very satisfying, although they didn't have Palabok when we went. :( The Lechon Kawaili was bangin' and the Beefsteak was off the hook.
The prices are reasonable and decent. Wish the gals I had dinner with were more adventurous though, I would have loved some Kare Kare (their specialty).
UPDATE---5 stars (from 4 stars):
I came back here for lunch with my sister to try out their buffet...It was sOooo good! They served sinigang, rice, pancit, pinakbet, bistek, and fried chicken! Not sure though if they serve the same thing every time, but I don't care if they do since these are my favorite dishes anyway! hahaha Their buffet is only on Thursday and Fridays. Price per person is approx $8! I will definitely be back again (...again and again)!
-------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------
My first time here at this restaurant was years ago. The food was expensive and wasn't that appetizing. I also remember the place being empty so I was a little hesitant to come back.
But, I was hungry and grumpy and it was already 1:30pm. My sisters, niece and I were craving filipino food so we decided to just dine at Barrio Fiesta. It was surprisingly packed! That was a good sign! I wanted to order everything on the menu, but we settled for the Lechon Kawali, Beef Steak (Manila Style), Garlic Chicken, Pinakbet, Pancit Canton and Rice (of course). Everything was sOoo good! It was probably the best filipino lunch I've had in a restaurant here in the U.S. They were generous on their servings and what we ordered was more than plenty for the four of us. We were so stuffed and we couldn't put our forks (and spoons) down until we had the waitress pack the rest up for "baon". We swore we were totally full until my niece ordered the Halo-Halo special for dessert! We decided to share 1 order since we were so stuffed, but after inhaling the dessert we wished we ordered 2 Halo-Halo Specials to share.
Our bill for our feast only came out to be ~$80 including tip! Not bad at all for some good authentic Filipino food! The service was excellent despite how busy they were so that was a major plus!
We will definitely be back again!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
This place gets five stars for TASTE/FLAVOR
if the quantities were more generous, and the prices were same....OR
if they lowered the prices for their offerings. So they get four stars for the rest....Decor is nice, ambiance is nice, so all in all a recommended spot.
My Bf and I went here for the first time last weekend and it was fantastic! I only gave it 4 stars since I have yet to try other filipino restaurants so I really don't have anything to compare to... It was my first time actually eating at a filipino restaurant and the food and service was great. We ordered the (not sure on the sp sorry!) Lumpia, Crispy Pata, Pancit, Crab rice, and Garlic Chicken! We thought all of the food was great! We raved about it so much my bf's mom had to go try it herself ! We are definitely going back there again!
***Update*** Chicken Adobo ...YUM!!!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (2)
One of my best friends is Filipino. Back in the day, he used to always have parties and I'd go over his house and grub like crazy. He doesn't have many parties anymore so every now and then I have a craving for Filipino food so we went to Barrio Fiesta to fulfill my yearning. It's located off Dixon Landing in Milpitas, the heart of F-Town...Filipino Town. The decor was really nice and the service was great. We had the Kare Kare, Tocino, Pancit, Lechon Kawali, and the Fried Bangus. The pancit was pretty big in portion, we already had a lot of food and couldn't finish it. The tocino and lechon were very good...but very bad (health-wise for you), decent sized portions. Wasn't a big fan of the kare kare and I don't like fish so I didn't try the bangus. For 4 of us, it was about $60 without tip. For sure I'd go back! Plus there's a lot of cute Filipino girls with their families haha.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
don't expect to bring anyone here if you are going to have a heart to heart conversation because your mouths will get distracted by the food. this is how filipino food should be eaten and served.
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
The food is good, I had the Laing, which surprisingly was yummy. Its kinda crowded with tables and sometimes it's hard to get the attention of of the waiters when you want something. But oh well, i love the food!!!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
It's a small place (or maybe there's just a lot of tables in there), but the food is good if I do say so myself (being pinoy and all). The only thing that seems off is that it's in a secluded location. Perhaps that adds to its allure.
The service is friendly and prompt; and the decor is inviting. I like to eat so for five of us with a child it came to about $100. May seem like a lot, but the taste was definitely worth it.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
authentic and delicious crispy pata
I love crispy pata, but since frying a pork leg is too complicated to do in my small kitchen, I eat here instead. According to my grandmother who is an excellent cook, the correct way to make crispy pata is to boil it first, so that the meat is cooked well and then when you deep-fry it the skin is very crispy like chicharron. My family has ordered crispy pata at almost every filipino restaurant in the bay area, and we all agree that this place has the best tasting authentic crispy pata in the whole bay area. The skin is crispy and the meat is still tender. You can order medium-sized or large crispy pata, large is meaty enough for three people. Order some garlic rice to eat with the pata, and you'll feel happy and full for hours. The other food here tastes great, but the crispy pata is the dish I come here for.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
We live near Barrio Fiesta, and have been going for years now. Tucked away in the corners of Milpitas, this is a great place for a casual lunch or dinner.
Even though it's a tad bit pricier than your traditional turo-turo restaurants (where food is pre-cooked and laid out before you, in a cafeteria-style fashion), it makes up for it with more authentic Filipino decor, a comprehensive menu, and reasonable service.
If I had written this review a couple of years ago, I would've given this restaurant a definite 5--as far as Filipino food goes, because it's hard to find a sit-down restaurant, with any kind of ambiance, within 10 miles of the South Bay. However, they recently installed a large, wide-screen TV that plays The Filipino Channel throughout your meal. Watching half-naked people dance and sing doesn't exactly make for a quiet meal. If I wanted good Filipino food and TFC, I'd go to my mother's house for dinner.
Best bets are the Kare Kare, Crispy Pata, Pancit, and Crispy-Fried Spareribs.
Took Mother in law and Brother in law (they are not Filipinos) to this place...ordered pork sinigang, shanghai fried rice, garlic chicken, pancit canton.....for dessert they had mango ice cream, flan, and ube...
They like the food and they were surprised on how the place looks so ordinary from the outside and were impressed when they got inside the restaurant. and under $70 dollars for 6 people...not bad at all!
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (2)
Cool (4)
Pretty good traditional filipino restaurant. Their food is pretty good, especially their Crispy Pata (it was my favorite until I tried Bistro Luneta's...but this place is much cheaper) and Kare Kare (according to my husband). Their soups (nilaga and sinigang) aren't bad either.
I like the traditional/ethnic decor of this place. With the shell chandeliers and the bamboo trellises, it looks like it could be a house in the province from the inside. Unlike Bistro Luneta, this place isn't fancy or cutting edge, but it's no hole in the wall ghetto place either. I wouldn't be ashamed to bring friends/coworkers here (in fact I have brought a bunch of non-filipinos here). Their food isn't as good as Max's, but their decor is much better.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Crispy Pata (Deep Fried pork leg) and Kare-kare (hmm.. Peanut Butter Oxtail Stew?!)... Mmmmmm. It never fails!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
We have eaten at Barrio Fiesta a number of time mainly because our daughter likes the food here. I'm not actually thrilled with their kare-kare (peanut soup stew with beef and veggies) as it is low on the quantity of meat and veggies plus there is more bone than meat. A much better place for kare-kare that I discovered is Hermes Gourmet in Milpitas on Landess Avenue (do check this place out folks-thumbs up!). Otherwise, our family and friends like the crispy pata and garlic chicken and numerous other items on the menu here. The service has always been attentive when we've dined here. The owner has come over to our table and inquired as to how we enjoy the meal.
I gave the rating of 3 stars due to the kare-kare, which is the dish this restaurant is supposed to be known for. Also, the adobo was not quite up to par...kind of a weird gravy like consistancy like it was missing the vinegar altogether?!
Its kind of touristy looking so I suppose you can take your foreign friends here. However for my money and taste buds, I would rather eat at Hermes Gourmet where the food is excellent and the value is great. Good for taking your non-Pinoy friends too.
Best filipino food I've had here in the bay area!!! I wish they have better lighting though, hence the 4 stars.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
My first review and it's not great...:( Anyway, I found Barrio Fiesta through Yelp and read through all the yelper reviews. I've been missing food from the homeland so I took the hubby to Barrio Fiesta so we could try it out.
We ordered Lumpiang Shanghai (pork egg rolls), Chicken Adobo, Sinigang na Hipon (shrimp in a sour soup base...I think...did I describe that right?) and steamed rice. The food is nothing to write home about, though. The hubby didn't like the Chicken Adobo, he wants it more vinegar-y and Barrio Fiesta's was more gravy-ish in taste. But all in all, it was good and a nice change to Goldilocks, where we usually go and eat Filipino food.
I gave it two stars because of the behavior of some people working there. The hubby and I came in dinner time on a weekday, so there wasn't that much people dining in. There was no one at the door to greet us but there was a clipboard where you write your name in and wait to be seated. Figuring that this is how the restaurant does things, we wrote our names and waited. It was a bit of a wait, I could see the waiters going to and fro, setting up tables etc., but not one approached us to tell us that they will be with us in a moment.
Then a Caucasian couple arrived and lo and behold a waiter approached them right away and asked them how they are doing and where do they want to be seated. The hubby immediately called the waiter's attention and told them we've been waiting for quite some time. He was quick to acknowledge us but his behavior tells a lot.
To make things even more annoying, the cashier lady kept addressing only my husband, "Sir how was the food?" "Sir are you done?" "Sir do you need a to-go box?" etc. as if I wasn't even there. The hubby, by the way, is Caucasian.
I'm not generalizing that everyone there has the same attitude as these two. But our first time dining experience at Barrio Fiesta had been tainted by their behavior. And I don't think we would go back there anymore. We'd rather eat at the expensive, fast-food style Goldilocks than suffer through the same thing again.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
When it's time to go to a sit down Pilipino restaurant instead of a turo-turo, this is the place to go in the East Bay. We've eaten there so much the owner recognizes us! The food is awesome and the price is more than reasonable. We have not yet once left without some take home. We'll even order extra also. Definately good for groups and have never had a long wait. My favorites: Garlic Fried Chicken, Inihaw na Baboy at Krispy Pata.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Okay, I don't know Filipino foods, other than lumpia, adobo, and pancit. So when I hear from people that are Filipino and know good Filipino food, I'm going to take their word for it.
If this was the Phillippines, you could easily find much better tasting food. But, we're here and it's supposed to be pretty darn good. Since I have nothing to compare it with, I will go purely on what my taste buds agreed upon.
We had the milk fish, mini lumpias, menudo, and vegetables with shrimp/pork in a shrimp paste sauce. I'm so embarrassed, I tried hard to memorize the names of the dishes and now I've completely forgotten. (I did remember menudo - yeah, like the group menudo?)
The milk fish was crispy and salty. The menudo was like a stew of pork, hot dogs, and potatoes in a tomato based sauce. On the menu, the liver was listed as part of the ingredients and that was why I chose that dish, but when we asked about it, they said they took it off the menu since the taste wasn't all that popular. We ordered the shrimp/pork with vegetables, only to find out that it was given to another table and we got the one without the shrimp. I was really trying to be adventurous, but I guess with no such luck tonight. (I'm talking mostly about the liver.)
The staff was pretty attentive with us, party because my friend was speaking Filipino, while I was looking pretty helpless. The menu is described in English, but when you're going with someone who knows the menu, you feel obligated to get second opinions on every decision.
I did like everything we tried and while I was forewarned about how the prices can add up, you don't have to order much to be content.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (3)
i like their kare-kare and garlic chicken a lot. the only other place that can match their kare-kare is Lucky Chances (yes i know *roll eyes* but what can i say, their kare-kare is good) but Barrio Fiesta is A LOT more accessible than Lucky Chances (and not to mention a nicer environment in general anyways) and it has better bagoong.
their adobo chicken does not taste like the ones that i'm used to having but then you know every household makes it slightly different. i wouldn't order it myself but when my friends do, i'll just pretend i'm eating something other than adobo chicken (so i won't compare). it doesn't taste bad; it's just... different. (on the other hand, my mom was so disappointed about it)
not a big fan of their pusit. and my mom makes better garlic rice. :D
they run out of ube ice-cream ALL THE TIME. for halo-halo maniacs like me, that is UNACCEPTABLE!
a bit too pricey.
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
This is what I'm talking about!!!!
This place made me feel like I was right in Makati or somewhere. The atmosphere is very realsitic down to the music and the food was great. Beside having the requisite pancit palabok and adobo, I ventured outside the box this time and tried the squid. It was great. Being Italian it was cool to try a new take on an old favorite.
Growing up, I was brought up around traditional Filipino food made by my Mom. And no other restaurant has provided me with the same feeling more than this place. The food is very authentic, but at the same time can appeal to anyone outside of the Filipino community.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
