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Jollibee - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants Fast Food Restaurants Filipino Restaurants Chicken Wings Fast Food, Filipino, Chicken Wings [Edit]
200 4th St(between Clementina St & Howard St)
San Francisco, CA 94103
Neighborhood: SOMA
(415) 904-8615
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
150 reviews for Jollibee
Review Highlights
"Don't forget to try a Peach Mango Pie."
(in 10 reviews)
"This place is connected to the Red Ribbon bakery too."
(in 8 reviews)
"I got a happy joy chicken, rice and gravy meal."
(in 9 reviews)
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150 reviews in English
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Review from Chelsea A.
San Francisco, CA
1/5/2011
It was sometime within the last few months that I realized Jollibee had closed; I was shocked. No more rice with gravy and a chicken drum. Further more, no more Red Ribbon! Dammit, where am I going to get my pan de sal and ensaymadas?
Honestly, I won't miss this place that much. -
Review from Luis C.
12/7/2010
I swear I saw this place open last week while driving along Howard street. This Filipino fried chicken fast food shop has CLOSED. Now the only branch open is the 24 hr location in Daly City.
No more cheap fried chicken for the downtown crowd. In my opinion both KFC & Popeye's are better than Jollibee. Although this location didn't offer all the menu choices u can get in Daly City. If u never tried this chain, the difference is that u get separate containers with white rice and gravy with your fried chicken order. Most people made fun of the ketchup w/sliced hot dogs spaghetti. I imagine that kids would love that. Service was okay.
They didn't have enough business, but the location is fantastic right on the corner next to the Moscone Center buildings. Whoever takes over this spot could do very well if they can attract convention attendees.Listed in: CLOSED, out of business,…, Quest for Fried Chicken
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Review from Joshua L.
Updated - 9/23/2010
~*~The Halo-Halo Food Pyramid~*~
*
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ FRUIT \
/ \
/ ICE | BEANS \
/ \
/ SIN | LOVE \
/ \
/ FAT | REGRET \
/ \
/ SUGAR | KARAOKE \1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/30/2008
It never fails. I always leave Jollibee feeling sick and bloated.
No matter how full I am or how much… Read more »
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Review from Richard K.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
9/28/2010
Is it possible to be too polite? I think FOB Filipino's push that envelope. They made me stand there for ten minutes asking me a million questions on what I wanted when I was crystal clear. Give me the Filipino spaghetti!
The food is subpar and always kills my stomach, yet I am loyal to my Filipino fast food joint.
Skip everything and just get the mango-peach pie. It is great. I wanted one so badly that when I got it fresh I spat it out it was so hot. -
Review from Ken G.
8/20/2010
While I'm usually not a fan of fast food restaurants, I do like this spot since it offers something different!
I've enjoyed Jollibee for a long time - ever since I lived in the Philippines. While they do have staples like burgers and fried chicken, they also offer some great Philippine specialties like Palabok (a seafood & noodle dish), Lumpia and Halo-Halo (dessert of shaved ice, evaporated milk, candied fruit and ice cream). One of the best items is the Spaghetti, which is done "Filipino" style, which means the sauce is made with banana ketchup (sweet and slightly spicy), they add hot dogs along with the ground beef and it's topped with cheese - really good. My other favorite thing to get there is their Ube Cooler. Their "Coolerz" are iced drinks with tropical flavors, like buko (young coconut) and ube (purple yam), with tapioca pearls. ..these are perfect for get a cold sweet drink.
If you're in the area, this is a good option for quick and good fast food...a lot of people seem to have given this place bad reviews, but when I stick to the Filipino Spaghetti and Tropical Coolerz, I wasn't disappointed. -
Review from Michael E.
San Francisco, CA
9/29/2010
Like the menu, don't like the prices.
Spagetti with fried chicken not bad as expected. -
Review from The Only Opinion That Matter s.
Los Angeles, CA
3/2/2011
There are many things about Filipino culture that I love: kali, lechon, lumpia, adobo, but Jollibee is not one of them. It's ok and if there was nothing else nearby to eat, I wouldn't complain. But will all the pressures to not eat fast food, you want to make sure the few times you do stuff yourself with junk counts. For that reason, Jollibee is near the bottom of my list.
If you do end up there, I suggest ordering their fried chicken. It's not as tasty as cajun styled Popeyes or the southern styled KFC but it does have some redeeming qualities. The chicken wasn't dry and the seasoning had a subtle asian-esque flavor. But given the choice between this and the Angry Whopper, I'd go Burger King all the way. And maybe it tastes better in the Philipines than in San Francisco, but in my opinion if you never get to try it, you're not really missing out.
Full review and pictures at: http://www.theonlyopin... -
Review from erica a.
San Francisco, CA
10/24/2010
This Jollibee is expensive. That makes me sad.
Their fries smell weird.
M e h. -
Review from David D.
3/24/2010
I am walking across town because I have time and I am discovering that walking is as fast as taking the bus. No, Muni is not Grey Rabbit Lines.
Here at the convention center is Jollibee. I ride past it on the bus frequently, but now I am on foot. So the posters in the window have me reading about all the strange foods. They have Tasty Bites, little dinner-roll sandwiches with mayonnaise. Spam. Eggs. Corned beef.
Corned beef? Let's try it.
I walk inside, and I'm in Manila suddenly. The conventioneers look confused, but I understand. I ask, "Will you make me a corned beef tasty bite?"
"Sure," says the clerk, and she turns around and picks one off the hot line. There must be 10 of them!
And then I have a mouth full of hot corned beef, bread, and mayonnaise instantly. For $1.08.
Try it, bik. Mabuhay! -
Review from Harsha R.
11/5/2010
If you are in a rush to grab a quick bite in a city that you are visiting, there can be a great potential to screw up if you haven't done your homework.
Unfortunately, I fell victim to Jollibee. Three pieces of barely edible fried chicken, weird fries and even weirder sauce, I was just happy to get out of there.
And later I got to know it is the McD or KFC (does it even matter) of Philippines. I deserved what I got (for not doing my homework) and writing a 1-star review is not making me feel any better. -
Review from Cat C.
3/23/2010
Bf & I were in downtown months ago and didn't know what to get & were starving. The spicy Chickenjoy I got at the Great Mall one was just spicy enough and tasty. And that Jollibee was squeaky clean. So I thought why not stop in here? Ugh, what was I thinking?
The chicken was way too spicy & looked like it was sitting out for awhile! And to top things off we had to enjoy a lovely B.O. stench while we were eating (no hobos were in the restaurant and no one was sitting around us), while the Milpitas location just smelled like food! The sides were not tasty either but we finished our shared two piece meal since we were starving. The sides were not very appealing either. Next time in downtown, we'll spend more money & take more time to get better food! I guess the real fried chicken winner in the city is Popeye's or fried chicken from a Chinese deli. No Jollibee, nope nope! -
Review from Steph L.
San Francisco, CA
10/25/2010 3 photos
I finally made it to the McDonald's of the Philippines last week. (I love McDonald's and Filipino food so this was way overdue.)
To be honest, it was the big picture of halo halo in their window that drew me in. Then I saw that they also sell lumpias, so I got them both. The lumpias were actually pretty good--crispy and flavourful (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). For $3 you get 6 small lumpias (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) and instead of ketchup they give you packets of Chinese sweet & sour sauce.
As for the halo halo, it was only ok. I liked the two small scoops of ube ice cream and small piece of flan at the top. There was also a small amount of beans and coconut jelly at the bottom that were good. The problem I had though was the ice--there was so much of it! About 75% of the cup was filled with ice (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). It made getting to the goodies at the bottom really difficult and totally diluted the flavours down. Even after scooping out half the ice in the cup it was still bland.
In essence, the ice was the equivalent of rice at all-you-can-eat sushi. -
Review from Berna T.
12/30/2008 ROTD 6/13/2009
I am a disgrace to my people - I don't eat fried chicken skin, I don't love halo-halo like I'm supposed to, and up until now I hadn't been to a Jollibee.
The results:
The Chicken Joy, it was indeed joyful.
Spaghetti with hot dogs is something reminiscent of my childhood. (Much like Spaghetti-O's are to white kids.)
Palabok, not like how my mom makes it, but cheaper and with the same garlicky-shrimpy yumness.
And without fail, the ladies at the counter always make me feel like extended family (they very well could be my distant cousins if you think about it) start speaking to me in Tagalog...and I can only reply in English, just like at home.
*hangs head in shame* -
Review from Huy P.
10/5/2010
Came here for the first time during a recent business trip to the Moscone Center.
The fried chicken with the spicy powder was excellent. And the peach mango pie (think McDonald's apple pie) was really good. -
Review from Wanugee N.
Pleasant Hill, CA
10/27/2009
What is the largest fast -food chain in the Philipines?
McDonald's? No!
KFC? No?
Jollibee!
Whaaat?
Jollibee, with the little red Bee icon, is the #1 fast food chain in P.I.
Over 30 years old, with over 600 locations, with 50 of them outside the Philipines.
Like in SF and Daly City. Where you find a large community of Filipinos. This location is in SOMA.
What is Jollibee? It is sort of like KFC meets Micky D's at Goldilock's house.
I came for breakfast. Breakfast combos for $4.99.
Rice, a slice of tomato on top, a little egg omelete, and your favorite Flip meat. I wanted black dog, but they were all sold out!
(Just kidding!)
I liked the Longanisa. You can also have Tapa (tender beef) or Tocino (sweet pork). No SPAM though.
You can order an "Amazing Aloha" burger (burger with pineapple and sweet pork). Or Palabok, which is a meat stew over noodles. They even have everyone's favorite, Lumpia!
Hey, the food isn't great, but getting some rice and Longanisa in the morning, it was a pleasant surprise!
The cute young Filipina was very sweet and nice taking my order.
Tagalog at the counter is not frowned upon, it is welcomed!
Salamat Jollibee!Listed in: Wanugee! San Francisco, Wanugee! Fast Food
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Review from Toro E.
San Francisco, CA
10/9/2007 4 photos
Sometime, I do the stupidest thing and dine at a miserable place like Jollibee. Why would someone like me with 600+ Yelp reviews choose to eat at a such a unclean environment serving what looks like fried chicken but taste like something unknown?
Well, in SOMA area, options for fried chicken for weekend lunch is limited. Places like Town Hall are closed for weekend lunch (I think). I don't want to drive all the way to Hard Knox Cafe or Goood Frikin Chicken. I think fried chicken at Beale Street Bar is over rated. KFC's quality isn't great, although I now know it's better than Jollibee.
Anyhow, just because default side dish at Jollibee is rice, it doesn't make a Japanese person happy. I look forward to this place to follow the demise of Cha-Am Express. This location is terrible for fast food, since it is very hard to park. -
Review from Paolo D.
9/1/2010 1 Check-in Here
I have got to be one of the few Filipinos on Earth who have never been to Jollibee. Well I guess I can no longer say that. My cousin and I were walking through SOMA. He was showing me the Moscone Center and we just happened to walk by.
The problem was that neither of us were really hungry (we had just been to Fuzio's). Undeterred, my cousin ordered a cheeseburger and fries - your classic Jollibee combo. I tried the burger and wow. That has to be one of the worst burgers I've ever had. It just tasted weird. Or maybe I'm spoiled by Fukuburger.
Still, I am now determined to go to one of the Vegas locations and try their Spaghetti, their Fried Chicken, and maybe their Palabok. For those who don't know, Filipino Spaghetti is usually super sweet. I used to hate it, but it's grown on me. -
Review from Kate V.
5/5/2009
I'll come out and say it right now--from an objective standpoint, I'm not the world's greatest Filipino. I've never been to the Philippines and I don't plan on going anytime soon; neither me, my sisters, nor my mom speak or understand Ilocano (my family's dialect) and I was often humiliated in my Tagalog 101 class in college for my lack of recognition, pronunciation, and errr, just about everything; and I grew up thinking the food at Filipino restaurants and my relatives' houses looked gross and for a long time refused to touch more than the pancit.
I know. I'm an awful Filipino.
Luckily for white people, non-Filipinos, and clueless Filipinos like me, there is Jollibee. To slooowly eeeeaaasse us into Filipino food, Westernized fast food style.
I guess the only problem is that I don't like fast food, either.
But in any case, I respect Jollibee and what it sets out to do. I find it both hilarious and awesome that the only one in San Francisco is located on the super-busy, super-accessible corner of Howard and 4th Streets. When there's a convention in town, Jollibee can hardly contain its line at peak lunch hours. I sincerely hope that visitors enjoy their chicken wings, sweet spaghetti, fiesta palabok and halo halo. Way to go Jollibee for spreading the cuisine of my native land--one conference attendee at a time!
I also think they're awesome for this one time I came in at lunch and there were about a million MacWorlders queued up for Aloha Burgers. All I wanted was a side of rice for the chicken I'd brought from home. There was a Jollibee worker walking through the line taking advance orders (talk about customer service!). I slipped him a couple of bucks and sweetly asked if I could just grab a side of rice to go. He smiled, nodded, left with my money and came back a second later with a plastic container full of my favorite white starch. Salamat, dude!
I'll eventually try more things here, but for now I can advise you to pass on the fried chicken. I may be a useless Filipino in most ways, but even I know that Filipino fried chicken is not supposed to taste like that.Listed in: The L Word
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Review from Leo C.
6/3/2010
Food so bad, even beer goggles can't fix.
This review is long overdue. While I generally like to showcase actual evidence of why an establishment is good or bad based on the specific food or experience, this one's different. I'm giving this place a two thumbs down and recommending all my friends to stay away unless you absolutely have to.
The reasoning is simple - I came here with my buddy Mark for some post-party fast food binge eating, and even in that very forgiving state, the food was bland and crappy. In the middle of the afternoon. I was four-sheets to the wind. I had ordered a burger and a bucket of chicken. Ate it all but kept wondering to myself, how is it food can taste bad when I'm drunk? Sorry, Jollibee. I wasn't so jolly here. -
Review from Quinn S.
9/20/2007
On my trek from W to Mars Bar last night I stopped at Jollibee for a snack to take on my SoMatic journey.
I ordered an Amazing Aloha YUMburger (they don't call them HAMburgers, I guess because it's more of a meatloaf patty) which was great in concept, but not it design or execution. The bacon was decent, the cheese was processed American and the pineapple ring came from a can. The lettuce must have come from a mad scientist's lab because it was florescent and crunchy in a way that lettuce shouldn't be, but that didn't matter for long because it was barely under the bun and I only took two bites before the lettuce fell out onto 4th Street. The meat patty was far from impressive, bringing to mind the word "desiccated" as I took my first bite.
Charo B, my cashier, was very sweet and polite and had my burger in my hand within six seconds of completing the transaction, which is fantastic, since I was in a hurry, but it made me question how long ago my YUMburger was prepared.
I've gotta call it as I taste it: YUCKburger, I will not be back anytime in the foreseeable future. -
Review from Leah E.
San Francisco, CA
7/8/2009
Yes, you heard me. I LIKE JOLLIBEE. Well, actually I like Jollibee's CHICKEN JOY.
Jollibee is the MickeyD of the Philippines.
I haven't had Jollibee in what felt like 20 years, no exaggeration. I don't know what triggered me but I was craving Chicken Joy today. Maybe it was because my parents are visiting from the PI's and my mom's been cooking me Filipino food.
But I got my Chicken Joy today. Yes it's not the best fried chicken in the world but it was HOT, CRISPY and SPICY on the outside and surprisingly TENDER on the inside. It was not greasy at all but quite light. $5.70 for 2 chicken pieces with rice.
And most of all, this is the fried chicken of my childhood in the PI's (Philippine Islands.) Ask any Pinoy kid from the Philippines and they'll tell you that they want Jollibee over McD.
Maybe it was an acquired taste.
If you are Pinoy or dating a Pinoy/Pinay or your BBF is Pinoy/Pinay, you know what I'm talking about. If you don't, never mind.
One thing that you have to really understand, though: Jollibee is a true FILIPINO FAST FOOD. It is NOT A GOOD AND AUTHENTIC FILIPINO food. I've been living here in the US for over 20 years, and in over 20 years, I have not really experienced good Filipino food like the ones I enjoyed in the PI's
So please, don't judge the cuisine of the Philippines based on your taste of Jollibee, Goldilocks or even Max's. And there's more to Pinoy food than adobo, lumpia and pancit.
If you want real and delicious Filipino food, you'll never find it here in the US Go to the Philippines via Japan Air. (No, not Philippine Airlines. They suck! That's coming from me who goes to back to Asia almost every year during the last 6 years!)
Enjoy the sun, the very beautiful beaches, the seafood and the warm Filipino hospitality.http://static.px.yelp....
MABUHAY!Listed in: CHEAP LUNCH FIXES IN THE CITY, Bye! Bye! Birdie!
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Review from Janine K.
San Francisco, CA
8/30/2009
Oh Jollibee, my Jollibee. How can you get such a bad rap on Yelp and yet be so dear to my heart? In Manila I took you for granted for well over a decade - easy to do when you were next to every single McDonald's in town. That, and Philippine KFC kicked your red-and-yellow striped ass with its crisp chicken and all-you-can-pour gravy kettles.
But America's KFC was oily and soulless, and I rejoiced upon meeting you again in Los Angeles, where I relished your midnight drive-through window after nerve-wracking shifts covering cops for the local news wire. In Orange County I mourned the loss of you and envied the fast foodies in neighboring Cerritos. And in San Francisco I practically ran down the Moscone Center sidewalk to greet your cheerful facade, gleefully downing my spicy two-piece "Chickenjoy" and rice plate whilst watching the carousel across the street spin round and round.
Maybe I'm a philistine, but I've yet to try fried chicken out here that sways my allegiance to Jollibee. The skin on those thick pieces of Chickenjoy is more often than not light and crispy, the meat within hot, juicy and not quite as oily as some would have you believe. And hey, the price is right. -
Review from Huey K.
1/16/2009
After not getting fed enough at a Yelp event, we wandered over to the nearby Jollibee. I'd eaten at this fine establishment several times while I was in Manila, so I was excited to try it out in the States for the first time.
I had the rice meal with the double burger steak. Nothing beats mushroom gravy on rice. However, the cashier did screw up my friend's order for Palabok + Chicken, instead giving him just the Palabok. She didn't want to seem to give it away for free or compensate for the mistake, either.
After we sat down, I lamented to my friend that workers would always call us "sir," but not here in the States. Lo and behold, some white dudes walked in, and they got plenty of "sirs." WTF!
(Edit: My stomach felt bad this morning, and I think it's because of the quality of this Jollibee's food and the stress of racial discrimination. Downgrading one star) -
Review from Roy M.
San Francisco, CA
2/18/2009
Jolllibee is a monster. Are you brave enough to tame it?
Of all things wild, wooly, and winged, man has yet to domesticate such a beast. Jollibee, you wailed on my innards.
I actually went here out of sheer curiosity. I've been to the Philippines twice now and Jollibee never. Never even close.
But the workers were nice.
It's not really that bad. And by not that bad, I mean, it's like a step and a half beyond TV dinners and twice as salty. I was shocked that there were like 4 things on the menu. Indeed, variety is the spice of life. Life is salty. -
Review from Aspasia s.
San Francisco, CA
7/12/2008
Yelp's a bad thing in some ways; only because I tend to try the reco's. Ah! I should be better than that, but I'm not.
I read these Jollibee reviews and one day I had a craving for our own Filipino fried chicken rendition that my parents' home and staff have failed to deliver. Yeah even our staff have gone "Americanized, whatevah!"
Moreover, Jollibee had been a "no-no" growing up, my upscale Mom has always protected us from the world whether it be the wrong men, bad schools, bad influence friends, and Jollibee! In Manila, Jollibee was not quite an upscale choice of venue. I think in current times, it's even worse than "Andok's".
Nevertheless, if Mama used to say no? I would say, "why not?" Jollibee was the last of the "why not's" ( or my attempts to rebel; thereafter, I do get her point, in fact I agree, at least in other aspects).
So last month I found my usual rock star parking and explored.
The waitstaff is sooooooooo Manila! I was brought back to decades ago, my high school days of having young naive servers addressing us as, " Miss, what is your order?"
I had to indulge in the 2 chicken leg fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy.
Wow, their chicken legs must have been Max's step-child! (Max's Fried Chicken being a Philippine OG rendition of Southern American fried chicken prepared in a very post-Spanish colonial way).
I was happy: crisp in the outside, perfectly tender and cooked in the inside with no signs of blood - meaning chicken must have been pre-baked or broiled or whatever.
It was fast and swift! The best part was a brief soujourn back in my past, I felt like being in my collegiate Catholic Uniform after a hard day's school work.
The downside: parking truly sucks. I'm just always lucky with parking, but I would continuously challenge the gods of the streets. -
Review from Rocco B.
San Francisco, CA
2/23/2008
I've never really had Filipino food before this.
Note to self:
When sampling a new ethnic cuisine, do NOT go to a cheap fast-food version, and DEFINITELY do not order the most exotic thing on the menu.
Yep, I tried something called the Palabok Fiesta, which looked a little like Jambalaya. In reality it was rice noodles with a slimy brown gravy, pork rinds, tiny canned shrimpies, and a few slices of hardboiled egg.
I found it super gross, but I had to get to a lecture at the nearby Moscone convention center, so I wolfed it down with a sour face.
The fried chicken looked decent. Maybe that's what I should try if I'm forced to go again. -
Review from Jim C.
Redwood City, CA
11/19/2009
Was excited to check out the "McDonalds of the Philippines" but hugely disappointed.
Yes, I could've had a more standard burger, fried chicken, spaghetti, etc. but I decided to try the most authentic looking item on the menu - "Palabok Fiesta" - "premium bihon noodles with mouth-watering palabok sauce". It was this completely nasty mound of goupy microwaved noodles with this sauce that was not "mouth-watering" whatsoever. I had 2 bites and threw away my $5+ meal. Yuck.
Bottom line: Sure, I'm no Filipino food expert, but their palabok is no way to introduce yourself to Filipino food. Stick with the fried chicken and burgers. The baked goods at Blue Ribbon next store did look interesting. -
Review from Ana B.
San Francisco, CA
11/4/2007
NERD ALERT! NERD ALERT!
I'm the biggest food nerd of the day! I should get the first ever FNOTD award. Jollibee (and fast food in general) is soooo not my style, and I'm embarrassed to even admit that I ate here. I don't know what possessed me to actually make the effort to cross the bridge to eat HERE. I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment!
I've been to Jollibee once in the Philippines, and all I could remember about the meal was their super sweet spaghetti sauce. JEEBUS JOLLIBEE! Lay off the ketchup! For some REALLY bizarre reason that is still unknown to me, my inner child was actually excited about eating here. Go figure. (I already admitted I was a food nerd, okay?!)
So after I put on my glasses and fake nose disguise and mustered up enough courage to make my way through the front door, I was greeted by a cheerful "WELCOME TO JOLLIBEE! GOOD MORNING!" Wow! Friendly, unjaded customer service, I thought to myself.
I couldn't seem to keep a straight face reading the items on their menu like "chickenjoy," "yumburger," and "jolly 'zerts." WTF! When did the circus come to town?
I ended up ordering the "palabok fiesta" and a peach mango pie. As I was waiting for my order, I noticed that they sold Red Ribbon baked goods, and ended up getting a mocha mamon also. The palabok was no fiesta, but surprisingly it did fill me up. It must have been all that goopy shrimpy chicharon sauce which had a bit of an overwhelming toasted garlic flavor. The peach mango pie was awful. The filling was a little too sweet for me, and the deep fried crust tasted like the paper thingy that it was served in. The mocha mamon (spongecake) was just how I remembered it from the last time I had it a million years ago -- mochalicious, soft and spongy. I made a mistake of reading the ingredients which had more preservatives than actual natural ingredients. Oh well.
Overall, I've honestly had worst meals, so Jollibee gets a neutral rating. My inner child left satisfied.
"Chicken, chicken, joy, joy. Chicken, chicken, joy, joy!"Listed in: I left my heart in San…
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Review from Mitsi M.
San Francisco, CA
4/10/2008
Chickenjoy!
Spicy, of course. Get the fries, not the rice. Dip the fries in the gravy. Yum!
About a month ago I almost got mugged by Jollibee at the ATM. There were so many signs not to go but I did anyway. I did the following stupid things.
1. When riding my bike home, I stopped to indulge in my Chickenjoy habit. This alone is a no-no for me.
2. After ordering and realizing I didn't have any money, so
3. I used the weird ATM on 4th by the dark liquor store.
4. When the crazy homeless person (white guy, blond hair, dirty, tall and skinny) came toward me saying I had his backpack, I tried to reason with him "Sir, this is not your backpack, this is my backpack" I said reasonably.
5. While I was frantically pushing CANCEL on the ATM, the crazy guy tried to grab my backpack.
6. I yelled NO! Grabbed my ATM card and ran into the liquor store.
7. The liquor store guy stood outside with me (because I still needed money to buy Chickenjoy) while I completed my ATM transaction.
8. Bought Chickenjoy and rode my bike home eating it with one hand.
This is why I now stay away from Jollibee. Not because I was almost mugged outside of their store, because I lose all sense of judgment and awareness due to my obsession with Chickenjoy.
For me, Chickenjoy is horribly addictive. I think about it all the time.
I may get some later.
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Update: I ate here on 4/13/08. I stood in line for 30 minutes. The chicken was terrible. Even for fast food, they have really gone down hill. I am sad.
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Update:Update: Ate here again 4/28/08. Delicious! Note: don't go on weekends. -
Review from Neil A.
Corona, CA
9/9/2010
It's located right next to the Moscone Center. Great place for some real good filipino fast food during Oracle World. Skip out on the lunch served at Oracle World and grab some "joy". Exposed some coworkers to some breakfast... which enticed them to try the lunch meals. And they were hooked.
Don't forget to try a Peach Mango Pie... -
Review from Frank S.
Mountain View, CA
10/27/2010
This place is like the Filipino KFC except the Jollibee's chicken is better than KFC's chicken!
There isn't much of a selection with the sides: rice, mashed potatoes, corn, french fries, roll.
If you're looking for a quick bite for an okay price then go here. You won't find much of an authentic taste here so if you're looking for home-cooking then I suggest other places!
http://www.ephsori.com -
Review from Jason S.
San Francisco, CA
9/2/2009
Maybe it was my fault for picking the 1st weird thing I saw on the menu but the burger steak was nasty. Its covered in a brown gravy and scary mushrooms. The corn and mased potatoes are right from a frozen dinner.
Maybe I'm just a masochist but I will come back to try a couple of their other weird dishes plus the standard chicken and burgers. Hopefully something is decent. -
Review from Lee H.
12/23/2009
I found myself hungry after an evening at a holiday party. You know the kind of party where there's a bounty of food when you arrive, but after a couple of drinks when you feel like something substantial, the entire buffet has been dismantled by ravenous party goers.
As we walked by Jollibee on the way to BART, I convinced my companion that we should stop in and see what this Filipino chain with the smiling plastic yellow bee mascot has to offer.
Two pieces of fried chicken and a sack full of lumpia later, we were noshing our way to oblivion. I'm not sure if it was because I had been starved out at the party or the drinks I had consumed, but that chicken was fabulous, as were the lumpia.
Jollibee is a fast food joint, not some place you want to hang out for hours, so once we were finished with our fried delights, we licked our fingers and were on our way. -
Review from Rhoda G.
1/19/2010
My first exposure to Jolibee was when I went to the Philippines ten years ago. I thought it was okay.
Aaron and I came here for a quick bite before we headed to the Caltrain after the elite event back to San Jose. He has eaten Filipino food before, but I wanted him to try the Filipino equivalent of McDonald's.
I just wanted a cheeseburger and those mango papaya pies. He got the 3 piece chicken with french fries, corn, and I forgot what else. If you love greasy food, this is your place. Each chicken was drenched in oil. The corn was buttery. The cheeseburger hit the spot for me, but I didn't love or hate it. But I do love those pies.
McDonald's is definitely better. If you have never tried Filipino food and come here, this is not a true representation. -
Review from David A.
Kansas City, MO
3/3/2010
There are absolutely no Filipino restaurants in the corner of the midwest which I inhabit (our local wrap shop had Tocino once) so I was really looking forward to trying Jollibee. I was aware of it's reputation as the "McDonald's of the Philippines," so I expected it to be dumbed down, but at least tasty. I was very wrong.
I like weird food. I get very excited about any organ meats, animal appendages, of foods containing lots of fermented fish, so It wasn't a case of alien food freaking out a midwesterner. I had the Palabok Fiesta and it was just plain bad. Thin rice noodles swimming in bland gravy with chunks of chicken and minuscule, canned cocktail shrimp. Fortunately I also got some spicy fried chicken, which was easily the best part of the meal. Crispy with a little heat, not quite as good as Popeye's but I would totally get it again. The gravy that came with the chicken was just a flavorless and gelatinous as the Palabok Fiesta sauce.
So I waited 25 minutes in line for a plate of disgusting garbage and some pretty good fried chicken. Why the hell is this place so popular? -
Review from Stuart M.
San Francisco, CA
9/18/2007
I'll have to say that I wasn't expecting much to begin with. But Jollibee managed to go below my expectations anyway.
At 11:30am there was a pretty long line. It took me about 5 minutes to get to the counter. During this time I was watching their video loop that was right in the middle of the menu. It was really strange to say the least...they featured several of the menu items. For the spaghetti, they showed hot dog slices being dropped on the spaghetti. For the chicken, they showed two drumsticks being banged together. And then for some other pasta dish, it was really strange. They showed pasta...that was then topped with some pale gravy that kind of oozed onto the pasta, and then some nameless meat, and then some shrimp, and then some sort of crispy stuff. I think I actually laughed out loud a little bit as I was waiting.
Anyway so I ordered and my food came right up which was nice. I got the spaghetti (for some reason) and the Yumburger with cheese.
I dove into the Yumburger first. It tasted like those frozen patties that you buy to grill before a concert or a football game. All salty. The sauce on the burger was pretty good.
And then the spaghetti was definitely kind of strange. The sauce tasted really weird and it WAS strange having hot dog in my spaghetti. Overall both things were edible (I finished) but left me feeling really unsatisfied when I was done.
I...don't think I will be coming back here. -
Review from Eric T.
San Francisco, CA
1/20/2009
A popular theme in most of my reviews for food places is the fact that I am filipino. I love filipino food, with all of my heart and stomach. Now don't get me wrong here, I know Jollibee isn't traditional filipino cuisine, instead it's a fast food restaurant with a filipino flair.
When I was younger I used to get the spaghetti or the burgers. But once I had a taste of the fried chicken, oh man one bite puts all my worries at ease (until I look in the mirror and I am apparently fat now from all the chicken i just ate). The Chickenjoy meals are the best thing's money can buy within a 5-10 minute timeframe, no joke. I get a chickenjoy, get some rice, add some gravy, make some halo-halo and boom i'm full for the month.
Tips and pointers:
-Everything on the menu is great
-But the Chickenjoy meals, oh man...straight up delicious
-The Jollibee mascot freaks me out
-Buko-pandan is amazing as well
-Slow register people, fast service (ordering is slow, but at least you get your food fast)
-Prices are dirt cheap
[APPROVED, INDEFINITELY] -
Review from Kiyo E.
San Francisco, CA
1/27/2008
I've been wanting to try this place so badly that every time my boyfriend and I passed it, I would squeal, "Jollliiibbeeeesss"! It was my way of saying I wanted to try it. So one night we tried it. I got a happy joy chicken, rice and gravy meal. I had asked for water to the cashier woman, and she being exasperated and annoyed with my answer said, "it comes with soda!" Then she said, "Bottled water, okay." She never gave me a bottled water but this teeny-tiny plastic cup that would probably satisfy a two-year-old. I was annoyed, she had no idea how much water I drank.
The chicken was good, the rice was fantastic, though! It reminded me of how my grandma made her rice, it was comfort food at once. I was kinda hoping for other Filipino dishes, too, I didn't really know what to expect. I'll come back only for the rice.
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UPDATE! 1/27/08 at 10:16pm: I went to Jollibee's tonight. After writing the review of the place, my mouth started salivating because of the rice. My boyfriend was the one who actually insisted we go back, and we did. I was happy. I got the two chicken joy, rice and gravy. The chicken is actually pretty good, nice and crispy. Nothing like your ordinary Popeye's or KFC chicken, it has a different texture. The rice? OMG! I swear that is the best rice ever, I feel like I'm tasting heaven! Also, when I was eating in the dining area, everyone is speaking dialects of Filipino. I must've been the only (half) Filipino there who didn't know what everyone was saying, but it's cool. I felt like I was either back home in Hawai`i or in the Philippines, which I have yet to visit. I give this place a four-star experience... and the cashier woman this time was really nice. -
Review from Susy C.
San Francisco, CA
12/8/2009
eeeeeeeeewwwww i really don't understand the ketchup spaghetti w/ hot dogs craze.. SERIOUSLY!?!?!?
I grew up next to Daly City too, mmmkaaaay. -
Review from Miriam W.
10/10/2007
A weird ensemble of foods that provides a taste of the Philippines though certainly not a definitive one. Expect to taste the Chinese and Spanish influence with a hearty dose of colonialism for good measure (and the addition of processed meat products that came along with it).
The best part of the Jollibee experience will remind you of your elementary school cafeteria. Somehow though, I'm guessing you weren't served fried peach mango pies when you were an ankle biter.
