My friends and I came all the way from Brooklyn to try authentic Filipino food. We arrived at around 6pm and there were already a lot of people. We ordered the BBQ Chicken, Fried Fish and pork. The fish came with vinegar sauce which was very tasty. The pork came with chicken liver blood sauce which was surprisingly sweet. Overall, the food was good but wished they offered more diverse options. read more

Ihawan - Fried fish with vinegar sauce. - Filipino Near Me - Woodside, New York

This place is a hit or miss I find. One visit everything will be cooked perfectly, the next its overcooked or too dry or something. We came in and they didn't have any ripe avocados to make our favorite drink ( we honestly go here mainly for that drink!) Disappointing this time. An establishment should really have consistency with the quality of food. This one does not. read more

I started eating here in the 90's and the food is just as delicious 20 years later. The flavors here appeal not only to Filipinos, but to Americans too, it's Filipino food for anyone with an appetite. My personal favorites are the Kare Kare, oxtail and eggplant in a peanut sauce. Laing, Gabi leaves in a coconut sauce with a giant shrimp thrown on top which I prefer to remove. They are known for their BBQ which I only recently tasted (pork) and it was delicious. Oh, and they server breakfast which I tasted last week. I was eating breakfast at Crystals but after too many runny eggs I stopped making the drive from Brooklyn. Ihawan breakfast is worth the drive and always a treat, just perfect! read more

Number of visits: Loads. Prior to my most recent visit, I wanted to give Ihawan a negative million-star rating because they turned a hungry man away when he arrived barely before the kitchen closed. But a wise man once said, "don't act on impulse". Who said that? I don't even know. Is that even a quote? I just got that from the top of my head. Kare-kare is one of my favorite dishes. After many dark ages eating at Filipino restaurants that didn't serve kare-kare / Filipino restaurants that served below average kare-kare, I finally returned. Damn, was I craving. I still am. Every day. The restaurant I usually go to a block away made two unimpressive renditions of the dish, so I thought to give Ihawan another try. Of all the Filipino restaurants I've been to, the kare-kare at Ihawan is the best (4.5 / 5). The sauce is creamy and I could slurp it. The oxtail was cooked to perfection. The same goes for the crunchy lumpiang Shanghai (5 / 5), which were also impressive. Their sisig (3.5 / 5) was spicier than what I'm used to with all the peppers, but still good. And their avocado shake (5 / 5) was deliciously sweet. The whole meal was just amazing. Quality dinner. I forgive them for turning me away before, and you know what? Sometimes, I need to be rejected and for my self-esteem to take a hit. Keeps me in check. The atmosphere is great. The dining area is clean, spacious, bright, and unique, being situated on the second floor. For someone, like myself, with social anxiety issues (making eye contact with a dog) the crowd, busyness, and loudness could be intimidating. But the food is definitely worth the panic attack or three. Or you may like that. I'll give Ihawan four stars. Will I return? Yes... and please... don't turn away a hungry man again. read more

Take my daughter to this place she love the food and great customer service ,,we have Pancit bbq chicken, lumpia,sinigang na baboy l

Love the bbq! So good and yummy. Food is always on point. Love everything. Sinigang is a must! The avocado drink is amazing.

Filipino SOUL FOOD! Hop off of the International Express (7 train) at Little Manila (69th st / Woodside = 15% population is Filipino) and enjoy some asclosetograndmotherscooking as you can get without breaking the bank. Start with the delectable Lumpiang Shanghai ($5.00) Order some mouthwatering BBQ Chicken over Rice ($4.50) with a delicious sugary drink like Sago ($2.50) or Avocado con Hielo ($4.50). Their desserts are so-so. I suggest walking over to Red Ribbon on 65th street and getting their amazing halo-halo, which is best in the neighborhood. Other favorites include adobong manok, sizzling sisig (great with beer), and chicharron bulaklak (DON'T google it, just eat it!) for the more adventurous. 4 stars for taste and value (minus 1 star for the lack of ambiance and okay service) read more

It'll never be as good as the food I grew up with, but I'm across the continent from my mom and grandma, across an ocean from my yaya... so this will have to do it for me while I'm in New York. And it definitely does it good! Chicharon bulaklak and crispy pata are amazing. The tocino wasn't my favorite. Love that they serve calamansi juice with crushed ice. And their leche flan (always have to order it when I'm out) is pretty darn good too. Prepare for the food coma that's going to come after you've left. Now if only they could set up a BBQ stand somewhere in the vicinity of the Upper West Side... read more

Super yum! Charming, friendly -down to earth staff, good service, VERY delicious, all around good vibes. Decor is ... simple.. but they more than make up for it on how fresh and consistent the food is. This place makes my soul happy. read more

None of us were Filipino, and the hostess recommended the Family Style. Really good food and loved the bamboo leaves that came with the order. The bbq pork was the best! Can't wait to come back again! read more

First time taking out was awesome. No problems. Food was great. Second time...well. I ordered 70 bucks of take out and I discovered two dishes were cold. I called them and they said they thought that I would take it back home to heat up!?!?!? Who does that?! The chicken adobo was refrigerator-cold! The sauce was coagulated and you could see the grease forming on top. A big disappointment. I was not happy. This turned me way off from this place. I was trying to impress someone too that I knew of a great Filipino restaurant that is local. Gas up the car. We are heading to Max's in Jersey. read more

This place was okay compared to other Filipino restaurants I've been to. I am Filipino so I have also had various homemade Filipino dishes so I know great quality Filipino food. The service was good and the food wasn't bad, but I think it could be better. I did love the melon, pork bbq and the pancit though. Overall this place is good it's just not the best. read more

Ihawan - Melon - Filipino Near Me - Woodside, New York

I've been to Ihawan multiple times. I really like the food but the service is ok. I feel like they need one or two more waiters. I had to flag the waiter a few times just to get water refilled or bagging food to go. The waiters were all super busy so it's definitely a staffing issue that could improve the experience. read more

CAme here through yelp since we didnt know where to eat at the time. The spot we intended on going to was overcrowded so we search somewhere else and typed in best filipino place in the area and led us here. Upstairs small redtaurant but very inviting. Felt like back home from the decor inside. The food was great. We inhaled the food since we were starving. We ordered the famous porl bbq and that did not dissapoint at all. Moist n full of flavor. We also ordered lechon kawali and kare kare which were both really good. Overall ill def be back and try other dishes since i couldnt help look around everytime a waiter passed by with food to see if it looked good lol read more

Food is good. No complaints. But when it gets busy prepare to stand around and it's not comfortable at all. Also it's a guarantee when you leave you will smell like fried food. So don't plan on going somewhere if you want to smell like fried food. read more

very authentic family style flippino restaurant. food is relatively cheap here for big portions we got the family meal for two and got to try a little of everything. but i wish there was pork belly read more

Normally, Ihawan is my favorite place to eat in Woodside. The BBQ really is one of the best in town, just as it says on their menu. However, I learned today that their customer service is terrible. My family ordered a to-go order to bring food for me, including their famous BBQ. When they gave me the bag, everything except the BBQ was there. My family member called the restaurant to complain and the lady on the phone had the audacity to ask, "Are you sure it's not in the bag?" Are you kidding me? Whatever happened to honoring the customer? My family paid for BBQ and all we got was rice with vinegar. Absolutely ludicrous. If you want to eat from here, eat on site at the restaurant. Don't order out, because chances are they may make a mistake with your order, you may end up gypped, and when you notify them, they will question your honesty. If anything, ALWAYS check your to-go order before you leave or you'll end up gypped. read more

Ihawan - The Pinakbet and lechon kawali that was ordered. They did not give me the chicken BBQ that was paid for, only rice and vinegar. - Filipino Near Me - Woodside, New York

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GREAT FOOD! And great service ! One of my favorite Filipino restaurants, my family and I have been coming here for years. Everything is delicious you really can't go wrong but a must for me is their BBQ pork, soo good. Highly recommend. read more

A friend of mine owns the restaurant but I promise this review isn't biased. It is a true Pinoy restaurant and actually my first Pinoy experience. She started off with the SigSig which I insisted I had to have. It's served on a sizzling dish with a raw egg and was exquisite!!! Everything else is served family style on plantain leaves. The noodles, the chicharrón, fried Lapu Lapu, Lechón Kawali, adobong and the shish-kabobs. This place is so homey, the food so fresh and delicious and the service is amazing. I ended with an avocado shake (my first ever) and have been dying to go back for everything ever since!!!! Must go. read more

We went there Sat. I asked my wife to pick up ginataang langka...when we got home and opened the bag there's a small container of ginataang langka and its half way full and they charged us 10 dollars for it...what a rip off for a very salty ginataang langka. read more

Will never go back! Service is AWFUL specially that bitc_ who is much more unfriendly & unprofessional than the worst waitresses in Hongkong. It is so disappointing that our worst dining experience in New York is in a Filipino restaurant. read more

Best spot in town!!!! Took my boyfriend to this spot bcus he likes hawain and Philippine dishes. N he loved it. Loved the hawain BBQ chicken. The price is affordable too deff going back there soon. Trust me you wouldn't be disappointed with the menu. read more

Ihawan - Halo halo drink. So good and adobo pork - Filipino Near Me - Woodside, New York

Favorite Filipino restaurant in NYC (I've been to all of them) ... the decor makes you feel like you're at home at lunch time, the cooking feel like a home cooked Filipino meal. My faves on the menu: Sizzling Steak, Crispy Pata, Kare Kare, Grilled Eggplants, Sinigang, Fried Tilapia, Shanghai Lumpia, Avocado Shakes, Sago Gulaman, Halo Halo. Service is great too, sometimes a little slow because it's busy but understandable cuz it's busy! read more

I've been going here since I was a young filipino boy. The Food is always good, every. single. time.If you move out of your filipino parent's house, this is the closest, if not the best spot in Woodside to get back to your roots. Crispy Pata, Sinigang to your Tocilog, if you wanna have a filipino induced coma with a side of Halo-Halo. You gotta come here! read more

I would say that it takes a lot for me to get upset. I'm just happy when there is good food in my belly. In reality, the food here is mediocre-- the real "star" is their sheer lack of customer service. The waiter had messed up our order of the Bicol express. Instead of an apology, the owner tells us that we made a mistake and that we should have asked before the order was placed. Needless to say, we ended up paying for an order we didn't want and didn't order-- and we were mortified because the owner was accusing us of being idiots. I'd rather starve than eat here again. If I could give them zero stars, I would. read more

I was with someone that never had Filipino food before. I was so excited to eat here since the Filipino food is almost as great as my Lola's cooking (Even though I'm Filipina, yet I'm not a big fan of Filipino food.) I've been here a few times when I was a little girl and my experience was always been ok. I don't know what happened to this place, but serviced sucked. Like it really sucked balls!!!! I never had terrible service like this before. It's weird since you would think that we're all Filipinos, we would give Filipino patrons the best service we could. But whatever...it really did sucks. First off, when my companion and I were seated, we literally sat for 15 minutes waiting for our server. I swear, we were like labeled at the cast off table that no body didn't want to take or something. When our server finally came to our table, he said hello and asked us if we were ready to order. In my mind, I was like, "I was ready like 10 minutes ago." He wanted to just take our drink order, but I basically ordered everything to save time. Every time we needed something, we had to literally wave someone down. It was annoying. Our server totally disappeared on us!!!! Then when we were finished, I made it look like we were finished. I stacked all the dirty and put all the food together in which i wanted wrap. I started to look around for someone again. That's seriously one of my pet peeves. I saw one of the workers there just standing and he saw me...but nope, he looked the other way. WTF?!?!?!? The hostess actually came to our table and we told her what we wanted. But seriously though, there was of 9 next to us and they were literally getting catered too. Not cool.... Even though my party was only for 2, I usually tip really well. Playing favorites does not amuse me at all. But anyways, on the other hand, food was good. I'll admit, the kare kare was really delicious. It was creamy and the oxtail was really tender. I also got the pancit canton which really impressed me since it was seasoned nicely. I also got the pancit with the egg noodles... it was alright. Nothing special. The lumpia shanghai was everything I expected... CRISPY! YUM. Not greasy at all which was a plus. We also had vegetable lumpia. I wasn't too happy with it. It was burnt at the bottom and it had ripped open. It didn't look appetizing. They were ok. We also had bistek. It was one of my favorite dishes...unfortunately, the restaurant fell short when it came to making it delicious. Don't get me wrong, it tasted good, but it was just too runny. The beef was too overcooked and there was too much lemon flavor. My Lola definitely makes it better. The BBQ as always. The best i've head around.They also served this drink with tapioca balls in it. It was good! However, I wished they had the large straws because the spoon they give you to scoop out the tapioca was not helping. I know, I ordered a lot of food because I wanted my companion to try a little bit of everything. I think the person serving us food was astounded with how much I ordered. It doesn't matter, food was cheap. The ambiance seemed like diner meets Hawaiian theme. They had a tiki bar inside the restaurant, yet i wasn't sure if they served alcohol. I assumed they didn't though. They were tables everywhere that looked tacky. There isn't a lot of decorations, they had plain white walls with mirrors at the back. It could definitely get noisy that's for sure! Parking could be a pain. You have to park on the street which has signs and regulations. Read them!!!! You do not want to get your car towed. Parking is a competition so definitely be on the look out for spaces. In the end, this place could use some work....especially when it comes to service. I'm in the food industry too so I try to understand where they are coming from. Unfortunately, the lack of hospitality was inexcusable. I was so embarrassed and upset, I literally took money out of their tip. I do not give 20% on shit service. I was trying to impressed someone and this is what happened. I guess take out for now on..... read more

I've been going here since I was a little girl and I use to love it but as I grew up, the food and flavors started to change and I kinda felt like it strayed away from the authentic filipino taste that it use to be. The flavors in the sauce taste watered down and I feel as though they just save/freeze food from previous days and put it on a plate and microwave/re-heat it. It doesnt have that fresh, just made taste. I feel like the quality of the restaurant went down. It use to be the best to me but now its at the bottom of my list. read more

Just got home from Ihawan and I'm very disappointed. There was a FLY in my soup!!!!!!!!!!! That's it for me. I won't be returning forever!

We originally wanted to go to Renee's but they were closed on Tuesday so we came here to try it out. We ordered the BBQ pork sticks, deep fried pork, Ginisang sitaw, their famous avocado with ice and lime lemonade. The dishes were beautifully presented but the quality and quantity were a big disappointment. In here, you need to order whole deep fried milkfish for 15 bucks when you can order half of fish at other Filipino restaurants on the same block. The deep fried pork was good but the sauce was too sweet. Don't even bother to order their vegetable dishes...it was too bland and there was only one shrimp in the whole plate. Finally, when the bill came...it was almost $10 more than if I would had ordered the same dishes in Renee's. On the last note, the service was horrible. Not to mention that they never came to check on us or refill the water. That night we ordered the vegetable dish, they were running a special...with just added spicy chili in the normal dish. We kindly rejected the offer but when we had our veggie dish. It tasted nothing but spicy. Later we asked the waitress should this dish be spicy (since there were no printed words-"spicy" on menu and we had ordered the same dish so many times in the other Filipino restaurants, we should know right?). Our waitress was not even sure if this dish should come with spicy or not and had to confirmed with other waiters while she introduced herself to us that she is the owner of restaurant when she took our order but later when we complained about the dish and only then she told us it was her first day working there...what is the real story here??? read more

Ihawan - Deep fried pork - Filipino Near Me - Woodside, New York

I was a happy girl craving something new. So we decided to go try Filipino in Woodside. We were seated fast, and ignored fast as well. I had to call the waiter so he can take our orders. The melon shake was refreshing and good. Our food arrived and there it was...Hair on the food... Hair on the food. I called the the waiter, he stater at the plate and took it back. A few minutes later the waiter brought another dish of the same order that had the hair on it. Still didn't eat it. The only good thing was they BBQ pork , but not too crazy about it. Will not go again. Hair on the food, is a deal breaker. read more

I ordered take out for my husbands bday. I called a few hours ahead. Then I called back to tell them I'm picking up my food an hour early. It was ready when I got there. I ordered the sweet & sour fish, vegetable rolls, chicken on skewer and pancit. They were all good & tasty. read more

I ate here a few years back and recently with my father in law and mother in law and wife who are all filipinos. I'm not filipino, but I will say I love filipino food and I'm fairly adventurous foodwise, so please don't take this as a foreigner bashing food I don't understand. I eat it all the time, but the best I've had is really in Edison NJ at Fil-Am Mart and we get food at Tropical Hut in Old Bridge just because it's pretty solid and they're very close to relatives houses. The reason I'm giving this one star isn't so much because the food isn't good. I had a fair meal here the first time I went, bit didn't blow me away but it was good. The reason for the one star is this: 1. I watched a cockroach walk right up the wall behind my wife in the middle of the meal. It wasn't a huge one like we had in our Brooklyn apartment but it was big enough. My feeling is if I see one, there are many more. I couldn't say anything because I didn't want to insult the family we were with or make them feel bad for bringing us to a place where we had a bad experience, so I kept my mouth shut. Then... 2. My food came... Caveat: I LOVE filipino style fried fish, especially milk fish. I love the chili and garlic infused vinegar and the crispy vineger-iness of the marinated fish, I eat it maybe every weekend). I looked down at the fried fish on my plate and there was a deep fried maggot right in the middle of it. It was as if the people cooking it didn't even check to see if the fish looked OK before it went on the plate. It was so disgusting, but I couldn't say anything! So for the rest of the meal I pretended like I wasn't hungry/feeling well and skipped out on all the food. All I could picture was this bin of fish that this came from, with flies laying eggs in it, and out of a refrigerator long enough for worms to grow on it. It takes a while for fly eggs to gestate into full blown worms, and I can't imagine that they didn't shake a few off before plopping this in the fryer. Sorry, this was the worst food experience I've had in NYC, and I have been a hardcore foody here for years. I would steer clear, and head somewhere that gets more favorable reviews. I haven't checked their front window yet but I'm interested to hear if their NYC food cleanliness rating will be telling... read more

i learned my lesson...never never ever to come here. i found tito rad's. go to tito rad's instead. WARNING: some food are not fresh.

Ihawan is known for their barbecue. The few times I've been here I was not impressed with their food or their service. Their restaurant violations are pretty scary! That alone made me not want to eat there anymore. read more

the bbq is big, but not exactly "super" in my book. what is DEFINITELY SUPER in this place is the pork sinigang (pork cooked in tamarind broth) and the fact that they make inihaw na talong. (which is, at 2 bucks a grilled eggplant is highway robbery) sadly, the soups in this place is like the soup of the day type of deal. i think they only serve sinigang on mondays - i forget which day. they are a bit stingy with their sauces when you order takeout. read more

Now that I've discovered Renee's, I hardly come to Ihawan. Not to say that Ihawan's food is bad, but Renee's is better. I also prefer the homey atmosphere of Renee's to Ihawan's incandescent mess hall. The service is also much better in Renee's, whereas in Ihawan you will almost always have to flag down someone in order to get anything. The one thing where Ihawan is better, is that they serve egg with their sisig. But that's a minor point (I'll bring my own raw egg if I get the urge). read more

I don't like the food here. They suck at making filipino food. I like krystals better for filipino food go there its around the block but anyway the only reason why I am reviewing this place is because I LOVE THERE AVOCADO SHAKE ! i love renee's avocado shake better though because its already made and I think it's cheaper its also around the block search for it because renee's avocado shake is worth searching for. I love avocado shake. if you can't find renee's just settle for ihawans then if your in the mood for a delicious avocado shake. its really good!! read more

Again, being part Filipino (Kapampangan and proud) and from a large San Francisco Bay Area Filipino community, I have found NYC to disappoint in regards to Filipino food. I've tried many Filipino restaurants here in Manhattan and Queens and find them all to be altrociously greasy and the presentation sloppy and embarrassing for first-time Filipino food eaters. I always put a disclaimer on the food before bringing my first-timers to dine. The service here is not good. The woman up front at the podium is sweet and friendly but the waitstaff is aggressive and inattentive. I appreciate cleanliness and this place is not very clean. This place lacks as many in NYC do, consistency. The food does the trick but does not impress or wow. It's too greasy and sloppy. Halo-halo should have Filipino icecream in it. Bangus and adobo should me "maasim" or sour not overly salty. Arrozcaldo should taste fresh not old and re-heated. Lumpia prito should be fried and drained, not served greasy and wet (gross). This place serves mediocre food and I consider it the better of the bunch of NYC Pinoy restaurants but not fantastic. read more

If you're craving Filipino Food, apparently, this is the place to go. Obvioiusly, not much a selection anywhere in the 5 boroughs. And a trip out to Woodside and Astoria is always fun. Grab yourself a bag of Longanisa and Lumpia across the street at the Fil-Am Market. read more

The food is amazing. Everything tastes fresh and it has very good flavor! Authentic filipino. However they lose a star because the service is horrible. As long as you can live with really bad service, the food is worth it. read more