I have eaten my share of Filipino food but as far as restaurants go this is one of the best I have eaten at. I was a guest of a birthday celebration here in mid-September. While I was not able to see the menu I was pleased with the quality and taste of food. It was a family-style dinner. We got soup, veggies, chicken and other meats. Postively the best barbeque chicken I have ever tasted. This was the thing that made my experience. Sat by the lechon pig as well but did not sample the pork this time. Perhaps on my next visit. The only drawback here is parking which can be hard to find at the busier meal times of day and the dining area can get cramped at these times as well. The staff was helpful and courteous but I could sense that at the extremely busy times they might be a little overwhelmed. However the food and the environment more than made up for this. It seemed to be a happening place and I look forward to my next visit here and trying different items on the menu. read more

If you want Filipino food, go to Lucky Chances. Very dissapointing. The service was horrible. No way am I going back here... read more

You should be ashamed of yourselves calling your lechon "Cebu style". I was so excited to be eating and was so dissapointed. Go to cebu and try Zubuchon. Anthony Bourdain praised it. It's what cebu lechon should taste like. NOBODY in the bay area makes authentic Cebu style lechon that is why Filipinos in the bay don't know cebu style lechon. read more

Food = good. Arroz caldo = one of my favorite items. But I had to save room to try everything else. Otherwise, I'd probably have eaten 5 bowls of this. (Don't forget the scallions and fried garlic, which I chose to not have because 8:30 a.m. was too early for serious halitosis.) Sinigan na lechon = pork noodle soup. It was so good and would've loved to have more of it but I seriously had to make room for everything else! (It seemed to be missing vinegar, but I'm guessing, I could've added that on my own?) Steamed rice, garlic rice, and adobo rice = we all preferred the garlic rice as it had the best flavor. The adobo rice was not what we were expecting. Lechon sisig = not a favorite. It was on the dry side for me. Scrambled eggs = delicious, fluffy savory eggs. Pancit bihon = good, light and not greasy. Chop suey = mixed vegetables with some pork (not unlike what I grew up on, but Chinese seasoning.) Pinakbet = okra, green beans, bittermelon, eggplant and shrimp paste delight. I could've eaten a lot more okra.. Lechon paksiw = another one of my favorites. It was like eating pulled pork/stewed pork. Lechon dinakdakan = on the dry side for me. Pork tocino = okay. My friend didn't like it. Said it was too tough. Tofu sisig = interesting mix of fish, tofu and vegetables. Adobong spareribs = another one of my favorites here. Flavorful, moist and addicting.. Watch out for the bones. Bopis = interesting. I could definitely taste the liver. I told him to not try it (because he's not a fan of organ meat.) Daing na bangus = fried milkfish. Nothing wrong with this dish. Crispy skin, and moist, flaky flesh. Tuyo = salted fish. It was delicious but definitely salty. (I probably should have had this with the arroz caldo.) Champorado = chocolate rice pudding. It was very sweet for me, and had a malty flavor. (I had this at the end.) Ginataang bili-bilo = sticky rice balls, sweet potatoes, plantains and tapioca pearls with coconut milk. Sticky and sweet. Perfect for the end of the meal. Lemon tea = strong, sweet and delicious. Advice: dilute with water if it's too strong/sweet. Brunch buffet = $14.99/person. Prices = $81.51 for brunch for 5. Didn't get a chance to look at their regular menu. But I did see a whole roasted pig in all its glory, shanghai lumpia and beef stew. Service = friendly. They cleared off the empty plates. They brought us our check. Parking = a small private lot but there's some street parking, too. Overall, would probably come back here again but they're out of the way. Bay Area traffic dictates everything these days...SMH. read more

I liked it..and then I didn't...and then I did...so its just alright. Everything taste so salty to me. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing. I dunno. Ill try it once more. read more

I love coming to Tastebuds for their breakfast buffet. I remember when we used to pay $7.99 for their breakfast buffet, now it's double that. read more

Have you ever experienced going to Disneyland on their busiest season? Where you are so excited to go and see some of their shows and rides not knowing that you are going to be deceived by a *drum roll please* A SECRET LINE? That's exactly how I felt when I went to Tastebuds this weekend. A couple of my friends and I were seated after ten minutes of waiting. Not bad, eh? ON a Sunday? Where everyone wants their lechon for breakfast. The problem is we waited almost 30 minutes to get our orders, another 15 minutes for the wait, almost 20 to get our water glasses refilled, and 30 to get our checks. Wait. No. I take that back, 40. Got there at 11:15 AM, left at 1:30 PM. Now I don't know if you like secret lines, if it brings you excitement and joy to just stand there for a couple of hours just to experience Pirates of the Carribean. But Tastebuds? Hmm. Never again. read more

I love this place, if there is one thing you have to order let it be there crispy pata. It is crispy, juicy perfection. I mean if I had no shame I would tear the bone in half and gnaw on it right there in the restaurant, but I do want to look like I am part of polite society. So I do the proper thing and take the leftovers home with me and tear it apart as soon as I get home. The Leche Flan is truly a marvel, it is thick and creamy and it will put all your aunt's leche flans to shame. Also if you love itlog in anyway, you got to come to their weekend brunch, you'll be a very happy person after a few hours at that brunch buffet. It is just complete and total excellence. I mean you might not be able to move, and chances are you'll just go back to sleep after eating all that food, but it will be so, sooo worth it. read more

Went here for dinner and the place was already packed. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Waited about 20-30 minutes to be seated so come early (6pm) if you want to get a good parking spot and if you don't want to sit and watch everyone eat. A bit pricey but worth the wait. Ordered the Pork Sisig, Kare Kare and Sinigang. DELICIOUS!!! Planning to try their weekend breakfast Buffett in the future :-) read more

I first time i tried Tastebuds when it first opened. I remember being underwhelmed, and not really loving the place. Since there are a lot of Filipino restaurants in the area, why would i bother to go here. Fast forward to father's day 2011: My grandpa wanted to go here because he said it was cheap, so the whole family goes. Things were going well until the food came. I had noticed that none of the food was hot...they were probably luke warm. THEN, i decided to try the binagoongan..it was COLD! we told the waiter and he said that it was cold because of the tomatoes and eggplant they mixed into it...iono but it was nasty. My brother an i just had to vent out our complaints in the car right after lunch. We now have s trict no tastebuds rule (Up there with patio filipino. I think at one point they had the same owners...or the i think the people who left patio opened up tastebuds..either way both are horrible representation of Filipino cuisine). Being born and raised in the philippines, I would recommend you bring your wallets and empty stomachs else where. Tribu, Karilagan, and Max's are just a short drive away, and i guarantee that these establishment will serve you great filipino food. read more

Ordered beef kaldereta and pancit Miki bihon for our Noche Buena. Very disappointed. The beef kaldereta was salty and tasted burned and the pancit is sooo salty. Ended up throwing them out and I paid almost $140 for these. Don't know why because we ordered from them in the past and they were delicious. Now I don't know if I should order from them next time. ... read more

If you eat Dinuguan, their Crispy Dinuguan is to die for! Don't skip it! Calamares had chunks of roasted garlic which made it extra tasty.. Bangus sisig and adobong okra + sitaw had to be included in our order to balance out the carnivorous platters on or table--We also had crispy binagoongan- my 2nd best favorite, kare kare, lechon. The latter hardly needed any lechon sauce--very tasty! For dessert we sampled the buko pandan, leche flan, and Turon a la mode. It was a feast and a half!! Will definitely come back and try the buffet breakfast soon! * weight gain in the making* read more

I've eaten at this place several times, but mostly for catered events. I have family members who know the people who own this place, so I've experienced pretty good service here. From a catered view point, Tastebuds provides very good service. This place can get busy, so reservations are suggested. The food was served well & the staff are so friendly! This might be because my cousin knows the people very well, thus getting better service, but the food is really good. I'm Filipino, so eating their food reminded me of my childhood (as corny as it sounds lol). This place is great for parties! But I do suggest making reservations. read more

Stopped in for dinner and ended up with an unexpectedly delicious meal. Ignoring the seedy neighborhood and the more then questionable name choice, this restaurant offers up quality Filipino food that has, in my opinion, spot on authentic flavors. The restaurant is fairly big and was packed during my visit. The place has lots of light, was very clean and the service was exceptionally friendly (although a little slow given the full house). Food? Tinola soup - Very good chicken soup. Broth definitely packed in that flavor. Adobong Sitaw - Must say I was a.) very happy that they were accommodating and allowed me to substitute okra with sitaw (sting beans). Their adobo sauce was awesome and the chunks of pork with the veggies were definitely an added bonus. Chicken Afritada - A tomato based stew with chicken, potatoes, carrots and hotdog pieces. Yes, hotdogs (you gotta love Pinoy cuisine). Came out a little cold so we sent it back to get warmed up. Once hot, it was delicious. Only criticism is that some of the chicken pieces weren't the greatest of cuts. Lechon - Supposedly their specialty. Skins was nice and crisp. Meat was excessively dry and luke warm. Good but still nothing like home. Overall, the food is very good and moderately priced. Besides the food coming out a little luke warm (they need to work on that), I couldn't complain at all. Walked away stuffed and completely happy. read more

Pro:The food is 5 stars, hands-down. I have never come across a Filipino restaurant with so many different kinds of lechon that they have to state on their menu the certain ordering times. Also, everything else I've had from their menu: sisig, the tastebuds appetizer sampler, buko pandan - legit and good Filipino. Con: Horrible/unorganized service! Maybe it's because today was Easter/a popular holiday, but there were mainly three different waiters/waitresses handling all the tables. During my party's lovely 30 minute wait time, there were such inefficiencies and it was no wonder why things took a while. Get a system together, guys. Also, uber small parking lot. Dislike. read more

I was born and raised in the Philippines, around family and friends who are amazing cooks, so I'm kind of a Filipino food snob. I've found a very small number of Filipino restaurants in the States that I would go to regularly. That said, I would go to Tastebuds multiple times a week. Fortunately, it's a two-hour plane ride away. Otherwise, I'd suffer from food coma way too often. My favorite dishes are the crispy binagoongan and the crispy dinuguan. Pair either one or both with some dilis fried rice, and you have a party in your mouth. Prices are reasonable, and portions are generous! The service I've experienced here has been stellar so far. One time, I called my dine-in order in ahead of time, as I was in a hurry to get to the airport and catch my flight back home (of course I had to squeeze some Tastebuds time in). They happily accommodated my request, and when I got there 15 minutes later, my table was ready for my quick -- but huge -- dinner! It was awesome. Next time I visit SF, I'm popping my Tastebuds breakfast buffet cherry! read more

Meh. I was disappointed by the lechon. It had clearly been under a heat lamp all day. The sauce did nothing for me, and while at first I did enjoy the crispy skin, eventually it kind of tasted like dog food. Maybe it's my unrefined White plate? I dunno. On the other hand, we liked the bangus. And they did have a great selection of Filipino desserts! read more

I love Filipino food but Tastebuds was somewhat of a miss for me. I went with my family. Right when we walked in we were greeted and seated quickly which is always a good sign. We were looking at the menu and figured out what we wanted to order. We tried to get our waitress' attention but she was too busy talking to other employees. We waited for at least 10 minutes. When we finally got her attention, we placed our order. We ordered pork sisig, miki bihon, kare kare and rice. The pork sisig came to our table and of course it was perfect. You can never mess up sisig. The kare kare came to our table and it was spot on. Unfortunately, our "miki bihon" came to the table but we noticed something was wrong with it. It wasn't actually our miki bihon and they brought us the wrong dish. We had to wait 15 minutes for it to come out and it was pretty good. Our overall experience was okay. We felt like some of the waiters and waitress' that came to our table to serve us had a bad attitude. read more

Wow! My coworker brought over a whole suckling pig lechon for a meeting we had and like Usher says Oh My God! It was a crazy experience! We had it all to ourselves and all you can eat! The skin was crunchy, no heavy fat between the meat and skin, and it was very tender. Words cannot describe the joy I had trying to devour all the baby pig I could eat. I forgot to mention that is was precut for easy access. You must make a visit to this place and taste for yourself. My mouth is watering from writing this damn review. read more

Tastebuds - Filipino Near Me - San Bruno, California

Came here for lunch last week with two Filipino coworkers. One of them suggested this place. I wouldn't have thought of a restaurant being at this location since it's off the main El Camino Real corridor. On the other hand, I haven't ventured around the main downtown San Bruno either, the part along San Mateo Ave. The three of us ordered two items to shares: the crispy pata (which resembles Chinese roast pork with the crispy skin) and the adobo squid (I think that's one of the ways they call it, I don't know the true name). Both were very good. Especially the squid when compared to the two other places I had been going to when craving for it: Manila Bay at Serramonte and Mekeni on Mission Street at top of the hill Daly City. They have a parking lot on the side. It was our bad luck that someone with a minivan parked at what was not marked as a space near the entrance, blocking the driveway exit (because there's also a fire hydrant on the other side). We had to reverse and go out via the entrance driveway as a result. Total idiot that driver! read more

This review is only for their Lechon. We went there on a Sunday hoping to taste the Lechon Cebu but it was not available when we get there. We then ended ordering the Traditional Lechon and we were not disappointed. It tasted just like the Philippines. We even ordered another pound to go so we can make Lechon Paksiw at home (we sauteed it with garlic and onions and added the sauce and vinegar). It was very good. We are having a big party (Birthday and Baptismal) at the end of the month and we ordered a large Traditional Lechon. I am hoping that our guests will loved it as much as we do. read more

My family and I go out of our way to taste new filipino restaurants because our filipino food options are limited where we live.....heard about Tastebuds and was soooooo disappointed!! First bad experience is the parking! Small lot that can fit about 8 cars? or stupid street parking where you can't even find parking!! SOOOOO Inconvenient! Although we were seated right away, we had to wait 30 minutes for our food. We ordered Palabok, pork Sinigang, 1 pound of lechon, Mechado and Binagoongang rice and three sodas, paid $73.00 (that includes 15% tip) 1. Palabok was ok 2. sinigang was bleh 3. lechon was tasteless but the skin was nice and crispy 4. Mechado was tasteless, meat was dry as hell and the whole dish just looked old 5. binagoongang rice was probably the best of our order, my 2 1/2 year old son loved the rice! Definitely not worth the money or the 30 minute drive to San Bruno.....I'm going back to Cabalen! read more

Got the chance to try this out at the Kulinarya event. They served lechon wraps and sisig tacos, but I asked for lechon wraps and lechon tacos. Man it was DELISH! The skin was perfectly crisp. It could have been good without the sauce but I added a few drizzles of lechon sauce and scarfed those down with filipino pride in every bite. The gentlemen behind the table were great as well - polite, efficient and friendly. Now I feel like throwing a party just to order and serve these. I haven't been to their restaurant yet so this review is only for their lechon. I wanted to write about it before I forget about that place with good lechon! read more

Friendly staff and the food is delish! Lechon is the bomb! Would definitely come back! read more

Tastebuds - Filipino Near Me - San Bruno, California

See all

This place was not great. The sauces and other flavoring were really, really bland--the sauce that came with our lechon (which is supposedly their specialty) was practically tasteless and the garlic sauce that was covering the lumpia didn't add anything (aside from making a really soggy feeling lumpia). We also got some barbecued chicken that didn't taste like anything; I could see that there was barbecue sauce on the chicken, but if I had closed my eyes I wouldn't have known that there was any kind of sauce. The service was pretty bad, as well. Despite the fact that the restaurant was nearly empty by the time we were finishing up our meal, we had to hunt our waitress down to get the check. We asked for some takeout containers and it took her a really long time to bring them to us. And even when she did, she didn't bring enough containers, so we had to ask for more. Getting anything out of her was like pulling teeth, even though the other tables were totally empty. Definitely would not come back here again. read more

Me and my boyfriend stopped by in here for brunch since he got a flight time around after lunch time. The server is nice and the ambiance of this restaurant is nice and classy. We had a brunch buffet which is around $15/person and it was really worth to pay for! read more

I came back here for the nth time and had the chance to order dessert. We got leche flan to share and I was so dissapointed. It was tough and rubbery. I never had flan like that before. They sure have added plenty egg whites (which is a no no) and had over steamed it. Oh boo read more

Tastebuds - Filipino Near Me - San Bruno, California

I went here with my good friend who cuts my hair at a salon a block away. We had the palabook and the Sisig. I enjoyed it all!!!! I took it home for my husband to eat! Can't wait to get another haircut/color because I'll be eating here again!! read more

I must give this place 5 stars as my best friend finished her plate! =) We are fattie to the fullest, but this places took us to the next level. I ordered Pinukbet (sp) and she ordered beef michado (sp) and of course 3 orders of garlic rice! Food was delicious! Waiters were attentive, but they weren't the kinds that visit every 20 mins or so to check on things. Great experience! read more

They serve Lechon on the weekends and it is the best I've had since the PI. I took my dad here for a Father's Day Brunch, and he said it is the best filipino restaurant he's eaten at in the US. That's a pretty damn good endorsement. The Must Trys: Lechon - served friday-sunday. Tender, moist meat with super crispy almost glassy skin. Laing - Super rich and slow cooked greens. Kinoloob(?) na bangus Belly- Milk Fish Belly with tomato and onions cooked in a banana leaf. Also, If you're nice or come with a big party they usually give you a complimentary order of Paksiw na lechon (kind of like a Filipino pulled pork in a livery, peppery bbq sauce). I thought this was a genius idea. I mean what else are you gonna do with all that left over lechon meat. read more

YUM! Filipino food! Definitely craved it after not eating it for months since I'm a college student and don't have the time to cook at home. I ate here with my family and my mom's friends and had a delicious meal for dinner. Sisig, lechon, sinigang, garlic rice, ... and some other dishes I can't quite remember the name of. All I know is I was too full to eat anymore and immediately had food coma afterwards! The atmosphere is pretty nicely decorated and the setting seemed really fancy. The only thing was that the service could have been a bit better. I was so confused when one of the employees (not our waiter) had asked us what else we had ordered and made us name all of the dishes. On top of that, he said our kare-kare was going to be coming out shortly. But, we didn't order kare-kare? Shouldn't you ask our waiter to confirm our order and let us dine/enjoy our meal? Also, when being seated I noticed it was extremely cold inside the restaurant. Everyone had their jackets on, etc. (Or is it because I'm not used to the cold weather anymore after living in East Bay during the year?) The heater kicked in maybe after 3/4 of our dishes came out, so I was shivering for a good 20-30 minutes. Maybe it's also because I was seated next to the doorway, so whenever people came in and out.. the cold breeze wasn't very pleasant. Overall, goooood food. LOOOVE LOOOOVE LOOOVEE the lechon. Quality service by the waiter, despite that one incident with the random employee. Definitely would recommend this place! read more

Favorite Filipino Restaurantt!! I've been coming here for quite some time now and it's very consistent. We always have left overs, not because we didn't like the food, but because the serving is plenty!! I'm always pleased with the service and of course the food! YUM! I've tried the Kare-kare, Crispy Binagoonga, Crispy Dinuguan, Escabeche fillet, etc.. and they were all the bomb!! I loved them all!! Super worth it!! read more

Eh, I came back again but the service was horrendous this time! You see all these customers flagging the waiter for help. It took forever just to get my check and another forever to get my credit card back from the waiter. I had to get-up to get my card cuz I thought she was charging everyone's meal on my card. The little empanadas were awful ~ very greasy and doughy. read more

Delicious. I have been here only once, but I am coming back for sure. My mom eats here frequently, and she kept talking about this place and now I can see why. I finally tried it, and I loved everything that we ordered. I would highly recommend the Bistik, the Lechon, the sisig and the lumpia shanghai. So delicious. I am definitely coming back for seconds...Probably one of the best Filipino restaurants out there. This place is nothing fancy, it's a no frills restaurant (like many Filipino restuarants), but it is great for a casual lunch or dinner. read more

Lechon - check Sauce - bleh Service - waiters are clueless about customer service We came here because I suggested and had the inkling to eat roast pig. We had their lechon when we had a big party for my nieces and nephews. We ordered the eggplant omellete, kabocha squash and string beans cooked in coconut milk and of course the lechon. My mom was hungry and had the squash first, since it was the first thing that got to our table. Lo and behold, it was undercooked. The eggplant came next and I didn't check it first. The roast pig was taking so long, and the one guy at the chopping station was just taking his sweet time. That's the only thing he has to do, is to chop up some meat and he can't do it fast enough. When we followed up, we were told that it would take a couple more minutes. I timed how long we waited for him to get chopping and it took 15:43 minutes. So I went ahead and started with the eggplant. It was undercooked as well. Some of the eggwhites were still slimy and the eggplant was so soggy. I sent it back. I timed it again and it took 12:35 minutes to get to our table. I can cook this in under 5 minutes. When the new one came back it was still slightly undercooked. I don't understand the rave this place is getting with Filipinos. Either the customers have eaten really bad Filipino food and got used to it, that they end up liking something a little more saltier than what they are accustomed to. I suggest, go home to the Philippines and seek out the hole in the wall restaurants that you only hear in hushtones. The ones that serves Filipino food that really would intrigue your 'tastebuds' (pun intended). Servings size were ok, however, everything is overpriced. PS, I took a picture of the eggplant. Filipinos are just naturally polite, that's why sending back food is near impossible to happen. For me however, I have no qualms in regards to that. I am paying for the food, I have the right to get it to my table right. I was still nice though. (Sorry for starting off sentences in prepositions). read more

Tastebuds - The undercooked eggplant omellete. - Filipino Near Me - San Bruno, California

Not sure why the average rating is a 3 because this place was good and so was the service. Very polite and attentive. They really make you feel at home. We ordered the sampler and crispy dinuguan. Let's get straight to the dinuguan. This was the best ever. Not sure anything comes close so give it a try yourself. read more

Tastebuds - Filipino Near Me - San Bruno, California

See all

This place has certainly lived up to my star rating...plain and simple...there was barely any food in the changing dishes. You will notice that they have a lot of Lechon type dishes...this is because they use the leftover Lechon from the night before to make the dishes to serve you for the next day...if I wanted to eat leftovers...I would've stayed at home. Nothing to rave about this place. If you're planning to eat a Filipino Buffet...well this is not the place. read more

Their to go order plastic container is getting smaller and smaller for the price you paid, $14-15 for this? They need to give a bit more. Ordered 3 sisig with these containers and bill came to $43.12!! read more

Tastebuds - Filipino Near Me - San Bruno, California

Not bad at all. Pretty basic Filipino food. They have great lechon. I didbn'tg et to try the paksiw, but had the kawali and it was pretty darn good. Their bbq is pretty good as well. Something in their sauce made it soo delicious. Lunch specials are pretty cheap! You get rice, soup, and a choice of two items for 9 bucks! read more

Filipino food here is so salty! And it wasn't just one dish that was extremely salt infused, it was every dish. And we were here with a party of 20 for my co-workers going away, so we had at least 15 dishes. Wait is very long if you don't come early. Probably won't come back. Kuya's in San Bruno is better. read more