Small place , packed shelf's that looked well kept not a spec of dust. Extremely clean. Food was…read moregreat. The chicken or pork on a stick is a fantastic quick lunch.

Im not sure how the rating for this place is so high and definitely not the case for me when I…read morevisited the establishment today. I ordered (to go) Lechon (L) , Pork Menudo (M), Pork Adobo (S), Sinigang (L) and Palabok. Half of the lechon was nothing but fat and no meat, pork menudo was decent, Pork adobo sauce was too thick and a bit on the salty side, sinigang was also thick and hardly any meat and the palabok - good Lord! Im not sure when it was made but after heating it up, the orange sauce was still a full chunk, I've tried a lot of variations of this item and this is not palabok. Not recommending this place as I dont want to see disappointments on people faces. Very sad.

The food was okay. I called them first to make sure they're…read moreopen and asked if they do cook to order or it's ready to serve (food) they have. The lady I spoke with on the phone said it's a buffet - eat all you can. And then she said they do combo, so I was a little confused but decided to just go there and find out myself. We drove an hour from Atlantic city and I was visiting from California. We stepped inside and found out that they don't have a buffet style but it's ala carte and combo food to go and you can also dine in coz there's table and seats also. My friend and I were in line next to the people ordering their food. When it was our turn, this older lady (server) was helping my friend with her order first, but the lady already got sinigang with rice and asking what else did my friend want. (Both of us were ordering 2 entrees) We were wondering why would she serve sinigang when we didn't order it. So we told the server we didn't order the sinigang. The lady then started acting weird and mean - telling the young lady (also a server) that she heard sinigang. She didn't get back to us abt what we want and didn't even apologize or anything. She just ignored us leaving us hanging and just helping someone else instead. The young lady ended up getting our order instead and she was nice. I was so upset how this older server (maybe she's the owner) made us feel! You have to treat your customers right when you're in business. I was visiting in NJ and drove far to try this Filipino food and she made us very uncomfortable. She's not friendly and very unprofessional and seems like a typical toxic "tita"! I'm sorry but I don't recommend this place. I can cook better. All the foods were served cold because they're just hanging there (display) for the people to buy them. Right after eating, my tummy was hurting a little. 20min later, I had an upset stomach and badly needed the restroom when we got to Costco!

Everything is fantastic the food the atmosphere the people everything the food is fantastic value…read moregreat food

This was of the best brunches I've ever had in Jersey! I came here with my family because we saw…read morethat this place is run by a famous chef (Maricel) and that they even offer cooking classes. We were quite hungry so we ordered one of the tower sets and some other stuff like lumpia and eggs. I loved the tower- it featured a superb mix of meats, potatoes, eggs, and sweet pastries. I will definitely say either share it or come super hungry because I was stuffed to the brim by the end of the meal. Service is super fast and efficient too. The owner did rounds to talk to everyone as well which felt quite inviting. The vibe inside is also nice and cozy, and the tables are spaced pretty far apart so it doesn't feel crammed in there. Overall, highly recommend as one of the best Filipino spots and brunch spots in the central Jersey area.

Maricels Kitchen Is Bitchen!…read more What a imaginative way to serve several dishes at 1 time. Usually called a boodle or Ramadan, where the layout several dishes on leaves on the table, all dishes were served on a 3 tier tower. Cute for a celebration. The towers immediately brought to mind English tea service, with finger foods displayed on two- or three-tier stands. The customer service truly stood out, from the attentive waitstaff to the three chefs who came out to greet us--including Chef Maricel herself--the hospitality felt warm and genuine. The dining room is cozy and inviting, with a mix of sofas and chairs giving living-room vibe. They offer two preset towers, and we ordered the first: The Classic Filipino Brunch Tower, which included: Siomai, Crispy Shrimp, Ukoy (sweet potato and vegetable fritters), Pork Tocino, Beef Tapa, Bangus (milkfish), Garlic Fried Rice, Fried Eggs, Salted Eggs with Tomatoes and Atchara, Homemade Pandesal, Suman, and the Chef's selection of homemade pastries. It would be great if guests could choose items from a list or make substitutions. There were no substitutions allowed, so we had to pick the tower with the fewest items we wouldn't eat. I especially wanted the Torta Talong from Tower 2, but it wasn't available as a side dish. The siomai was the first item cooked--it arrived cold and had started to harden. Everything else was delicious. Since the towers are meant to be shared, providing tongs would be a thoughtful touch and more hygienic for communal dining. We also ordered a few side dishes. The Lumpia Shanghai were fresh and delicious, though a few were still pink inside. The Baked Siopao was dry and lacked sufficient meat and sauce. The Empanadas, however, were the clear favorite--fresh, flaky, generously filled with savory seasoned beef and vegetables, and baked to perfection. Every bite was a flavor explosion, and we were literally fork-fighting over them. The Sans Rival was the perfect ending to the meal--so good that we ordered an extra slice to take home. **BYO LIQOUR** I would love to take my Mom for a dinner.

Delicious authentic Filipino food! We ordered Dinuguan, Pork Sisig, Kare Kare with a side of shrimp…read morepaste and Papaitan with garlic rice. Everything was so good! The staff is nice and the food is a great price. The store beside the restaurant is a plus too! They've got good authentic Filipino snacks and groceries!

Great Filipino cafe attached to the grocery. Authentic home cooked taste with all the food. The…read morepork belly was good and had a little spice to it. Highly recommend!

Filipino restaurant and filipino items grocery store. Tight spacing but gets the need done. Accepts…read morecredit/debit cards. No high chairs. Street parking. See images for further reference.

Went late in an afternoon on a weekend. Hard to find parking. Side streets are your best bet…read more By the time we got there, there wasnt much food left or available. Ordered a couple of items and a fried fish. All cold. Had to ask to get them heated with the rice.Service is not spectacular. A lot of better places in NJ.

This place was OK. Funny thing is when you go to order your food, they have a set price for a…read morecombo special. Two entrees and rice/noodles for a set price, but when you select your two entrees, if it contains beef or pork, which is the WHOLE menu, they charge you extra. Now what starts out as a combination plate with rice/noodles and two entrees for $11, becomes + $2 for beef and + $3 for pork, and you end up paying $16 with tax. Inflation is a B!tch and everybody is taking advantage of it in their own way. I cook better than these restaurants anyway. We were just trying to patronize to show support. I'll be cooking from home until this lunacy ceases to persist.

First time visiting this restaurant. Very friendly people and very clean place. We usually go to…read moreJersey city, but one of our friends suggested this place. We came on a Friday at lunch 11/8/24. My husband and myself ordered food and ate it at the restaurant. I can only speak for the food I ate. Our food was places in a black to go container. I ordered sour soup, rice and Lechon kawali. The food is good. My husband ate all his food. We also had take orders Pork bbq on a stick Beef and chicken empanadas Dried fish Suman sa lihiya and I also requested additional brown sweet sauce. I was so happy ! We went home- unpacked the food I was excited to eat by suman- I opened both brown sweet sauce to find MOLD GROWING ON BOTH CONTAINERS. This is unacceptable. It just killed my vibe. You as restaurant workers who represent the food you make and sell, should know better. This is not good business! I am not to sure if I will return. It may be closer to home , MOLD ON THE FOOD YOU SELL IS NOT ACCEPTABLE! At least in Jersey city , I can look at the food that I am buying. Advise to owner and employees: please look before selling food to customers.

Stopped on the way home and I'm glad we did. I've been to other Tropical Huts so I knew they were…read moregonna be in point. We got the pork barbecue 6pk. and the Tamarind Fried Chicken. I DEVOURED that Fried Chicken in the car while I was driving!! It didn't even stand a chance! It was DELICIOUS!! Crunchy, flavorful, and the portion was generous!! Next time, I'm gonna have to have it there with some rice! It was soooo good! The service was super nice! It took a long while for the food to come out but it was worth the wait! The place is cute with minimal fun, festive Filipino decor. Super clean and doesn't smell like patis as soon as you walk in. Can't wait to come again!

If you love good Filipino Food, I would definitely suggest a visit here! My husband is from Cavite…read moreCity in the Philippines and he was very happy to see their extensive menu, featuring some classic dishes. They have the roasted garlic peanuts, the crunchy ukoy that is perfectly crispy, halo-halo, flan etc. all at the register so you can add them onto your order for a snack or a dessert. Now for the food! The BBQ pork kababs 100% flavor and tender; not dry or tasting re heated yeilding tough meat. The curry was excellent in the amount of curry and coconut we got in each bite. My absolute favorite is the Tapsilog (beef, egg, garlic rice) because their beef tasted well marinated. The service is good, you can speak Tagalog or English when placing an order. The interior features a framed origin story, bold colors and tables to sit at.