Jeepney Bistro

We come here for the first Friday lunch buffet. First time we tried it back in June, it was great! So much so that we brought the rest of the clan the following month. August came, and there was no lechon. By the time September rolled along, the turon, the maja blanca and the leche flan were replaced by — cantaloupe! October is coming up, and my sister is visiting from California. We’re going to give you one more try. Jeepney, don’t fail me now!

Pretty greasy Filipino food here. No real good flavors and all the food is made and then just kinda sits out all day on a hot table. Not even covered. Pretty unsanitary.
To be honest when we walked we were gonna walk out but the lady is very nice.
We ordered 2 combo plates to try 4 diff things. All 4 we agreed we would never want to eat again. The amount of grease in these foods was unreal. Def not normal for Flip food.

This is my first time going here. Not the best. Tinola was way too salty! The lumpia was sour and had a strange after taste.
The experience was a let down. I might try this place again, but as a Filipino who knows good Filipino food, Id advice against going here.
One good note, the staff were friendly.

This was my first time here and was not happy. First of all I am not Filipino and didn’t like that there wasn’t any food labels to say what each dish was. Second the caldereta I bought was not even warm and seemed like it was just sitting there since the morning. On the bright side, I did like the menudo and sisig. This place has potential to be so much better. For now I will not be returning any time soon.

We used to come here about 5 or 6 years ago… what the heck happened? This place has gone wayyyyyy down hill.
First of all the food selection is lacking. Also, they even have food on the menu that they don’t serve like what? We wanted to get bistek and the server said they don’t have it. Also, the food was cold. Like can we borrow the microwave? Is that even safe food handling? Lastly, the food was so greasy… too greasy. I still feel the grease all over my hands and my face.
Let’s just say I am surprised that this place is still open.
Now i remember why we stopped coming here in the first place.
Boo

We had lunch here yesterday (Friday) after doing a little business in Chandler. It’s just a little hole in the wall in a surprisingly quiet strip mall. We just beat the rush and had plenty of time to look over all the options and ask questions about what it all was. It did fill up quickly after we had secured our table. They have a single or double combo with two scoops of rice, single serving options (small, medium or large) and a few other things you can get. Wifey had the double combo with Pancit and Mongo (Mung Bean Soup) but also got an extra side of the Roast Pork (deep fried) and I got the Caldereta and the Mongo as well. We shared a side order of the Shanghai Lumpia (6) and two canned sodas. Everything was just great although they obviously don’t trim the fat from the beef in the Calderata and so it was a little greasy but still good. Wifey got some sticky rice with brown sugar dessert thing and wow was that ever good — in a Filipino dessert way. The thing about Filipino food is that in its own way it can be really good when made by someone who knows what they’re doing. It’s not at all «American» but you shouldn’t be afraid to be just a little adventurous. Like others have said, just point at something that looks good and don’t worry about what’s in it. We were very happy and the drive back to Tucson was pleasant on our full bellies. So, the bottom line is a solid 3-​stars. We liked the place and the folks behind the counter. When we’re in the area we’ll go back.

The boodle fight meal served on weekends is quite an experience: it’s a group affair where rice and various viands (bbq pork, grilled squid, and other items) are spread out on banana leaves and shared by 4 to 6 people. It’s reminiscent of communal meals served in fiestas in some parts of the Philippines, though this particular variation is inspired by one mode of communal dining at the Philippine Military Academy. It’s a lot of fun, and the food is good.
While I enjoyed my weekend boodle fight dining here, my experience with the regular weekday fare is less than spectacular. The food is OK, but I would rather go to Halo-​halo Kitchen in Phoenix, where I can get similar items in bigger servings. My personal rating for this place is 3.5 stars but I’m rounding it up to 4 because of the weekend boodle fight meals.

I was really craving some Filipino and decided to give Jeepney a try. When i walked in there was a party going on and so there was little customer service at the counter. The food looked like it was sitting there all day and didn’t look as appetizing. But i did drive out of my way to get there so I ordered a two item plate to go. The pork adobo was alright but not the best. I will not be going back.

Whenever I’m on the West Coast, I make it a point to research whatever Filipino restaurants are in the area. Chicago SERIOUSLY lacks in this area. Thanks to Unilocaler’s suggestions, my first stop was to Jeepney Bistro.
There were a handful of ready made items, so I figured I’d get the two item combo. I was hoping for some dinuguan, but, sadly, that wasn’t an option. I settled on the menudo and the sinigang (and it came with two scoops of rice). There were also some desserts as well as a small grocery section. Super casual restaurant with a good number of tables setup.
The two combo meal was SO cheap (under $ 8) and they really gave a large portion for the price. The food was just what I needed and it definitely got me through the long night of work (without falling into a food coma!). Yum.

For some reason, I often find myself the only customer when I walk in to Jeepney Bistro. This happen at least three times, but I still order their food because it is truly Filipino cooking at its best in the valley (translation: tasty, greasy, and flavorful). The appeal of this place starts and ends with the food. I like most of them (sinigang, bopis, dinuguan…) and I don’t often say that.
As much as I like this place, I do have some sanitary suggestions: 1) immediately clear the used plates and utensils at the table and 2) perhaps move the stove and kitchen at the back away from the food counter and the customer’s sight. I also have to agree with the other Unilocal reviewer about the open grocery store becoming a kind of distraction when one is concentrating with his eating, perhaps a thin divider just to define the border.
Three stars, and let me just say thank you Jeepney Bistro for bringing the food that I grew up eating in the Philippines here in Chandler, my new side of town.

So… when your establishment says they will be open at 8:30, and you arrive after 8:45, you’d think they would have food ready. Not the case. An unenthusiastic, stony-​faced employee told us that they weren’t ready to serve anything yet. We asked if we could take a look at the menu in the meantime, and the employee told us to look at their website. Um… what restaurant doesn’t at least have a list of their items available for people to look through at their physical location (Or maybe he just didn’t want us in the restaurant even though they are supposed to be open)? Disappointed, we left and ended up just making breakfast at home.
Despite getting the cold shoulder in the morning, fate brought us to this area again in the evening. After an outing with the pups at the dog park, Jeepney was within such close proximity that we decided to try some items to go. I entered and while the unenthusiastic employee glanced briefly at me, no «Hi» or «Welcome» was to come my way. I had to go around the counter and wait for a few minutes until he decided to ask me what I wanted to order.
There were maybe 10 – 12 items sitting in bins available, ready to serve up. I didn’t see any heat lamps though, so I’m not sure how they kept the food hot? Some of the items, like the pancit, looked really dried out on the surface as if they had been sitting out for a very long time (Maybe since they started to make the food in the morning?). We ended up ordering 4 items with rice. They were as follows:
Chicken adobo– good taste, with bone-​in dark meat chicken. The sauce had a deep tasting soy-​sauce flavored base, and reminded me of chicken my mom used to make when I was growing up.
Mechado– This was a hearty beef stew. Another flavorful entrée, with tender chunks of beef, and a thick tomato based sauce.
Opo squash– Sliced squash marinated in a vinegar based sauce. The delicate, slightly sweet flavor of the squash contrasted with the sourness of the vinegar well. It was decent, but not a favorite dish out of the 4.
Bopis– Another person at the counter said that the meat in this dish was pork liver. Taking it home, trying it, and then looking at the menu online, this dish is actually made with pork heart, which has a distinctly different texture and taste. There were some chewy white bits, which turned out to be pork snout. While the meat itself tasted alright, the sauce was too murky tasting and indistinct for me to actually like it.
I had actually requested a few other dishes, since I had browsed through the online menu before entering, but the employee said they were out of them (Lechon Kawali, Dinuguan).
The price was very inexpensive for the amount of food we got ($ 6.45 per 2 item combo). However, since some of the items weren’t really that great tasting, and others looked very old, I’m not sure I’d order from the ready-​made trays again. I’ve heard their family meal «Boodle Fight» is great, so maybe one of these days we will try Jeepney again in hopes of a better meal.

Oh my. I really wanted to like this place more because there aren’t many Filipino food choices in Phoenix, but it was just ok.
The saving grace of this place was their special seafood layout (don’t really know the official name of it) that we ordered on a Sunday at lunch time. It is only available at lunchtime and it consists of grilled shrimp, fish, rice and 2 sides all laid out on a table size platter of banana leaves. I went with 3 others and it was only $ 30! It was delicious!
But then comes the bad part – I’ve had some of their prepared foods in the little trays and they were not very good. I am a huge kare-​kare lover and it was not the creamy, savory stew I was used to.
Also, their halo-​halo and sago gulaman was… HORRENDOUS! OMG I did NOT think it was possible to mess up such simple amazing desserts!!! The sago and jellies were so rock-​hard and unappealing and the halo halo hardly had any filling. The crazy thing is they have a little section in the restaurant with grocery racks of Filipino foods, including the jars with the standard halo-​halo ingredients! Why didn’t they seem to use these?
I would not recommend any of their regular food. But if you’re looking for a unique Sunday lunch, you should try out their grilled seafood special.

Order the Boodle Fight which is worth the wait and only served I believe on the weekends, enough to feed 6 people and was fresh! Lumpia and pancit was good and basic. The other dishes like sinigang was ok. I make better at home personally. The halo halo was a large portion. The sari-​sari store next door was convenient to get some basic ‘Flip’ items from. The pick and choose buffet-​style entries were ok.

I love this place! The food is great, everyone is friendly, and best of all… The price is right!

Read this review keeping in mind I have only had Jollibee as far as Filipino food goes. For about a month now I have been craving Jollibee. They don’t have them here. This was close enough.. They serve halo-​halo and pancit palabok so it satisfies the craving. $ 12 and I couldn’t even finish everything. Seriously the halo-​halo was. In a cup so big. It alone could be a meal. The noodles were kinda greasy but still pretty good. Most likely ill be back. The staff is really nice

I have a «don’t ask, don’t tell» policy when it
comes to Filipino food. I don’t ask what it is
but I’ll point at it. You just serve it to me
and don’t tell me what it REALLY is. This is
true for this place. I’ve been coming here for
a while for lunch. Sometimes with a friend and
sometimes it’s just me alone. I usually get the
pork adobo, the Diniguan and two scoops of rice.
Diniguan is one of those things you don’t want
to really know about if you’re squeamish. But it
sure is good. I know this type of stuff definitely
ain’t what the doctor ordered but my shrink says
go ahead if it makes you happy — and it does.
It’s in a strip mall with lots and lots of parking.
Been to the next closest Filipino place around in
the Mekong Plaza and this place has a much better
selection and better atmosphere in my opinion.
Where else can you catch up on all the latest bizzare
Filipino TV shows?

This was my first time having Filipino food at an actual restaurant. I have had it catered at parties and made by some of my friends, but I never got a chance to actually go order something myself. I saw some items that were pre-​made, and I wasn’t sure what most of them were. I had a choice between a 2 – 3 item combo with rice or some items they can make fresh. I had no idea how long the food was there, so I decided to go with Canton Noodles, which had curry flavored noodles, veggies, shrimp, and pork. To go with it, I had this delicious cantaloupe drink made from fresh cantaloupe juice. The juice was so delicious and fresh, and I can tell they didn’t add any additional sugar! My entrée was absolutely delicious, and that is with the fact that I am not a huge fan of pork either.
In the same time, I tried random items from my Filipino friend. I don’t remember the names, but one of them was almost like a soup with lemongrass type flavor. The other was a curry looking chicken. I am definitely going to a be bit more adventurous and try some of the pre-​made dishes next time.

I was going to give Jeepney Bistro a 4 star review until my most recent visit this past Sunday. The food needs to be kept warm instead of at room temperature plus the taste of the food wasn’t the greatest on my last visit. So after at least a half dozen times patronizing Jeepney Bistro I’m just going to say that sometimes it’s great and sometimes not so good. Anybody can have a bad day. I would rate this restaurant at 3.5 stars.
When things are right, the Caldereta, Menudo, Adoba and Sinigang are delicious. I usually take some food home to eat during the week.

From the San Diego Talk Thread, «Sinigang Soup for the Soul»:
«Okay, so yesterday (⁶⁄₃) I gave in to the swollen gums, right cheek, eye and right side of my lips and went to my cousin’s highly recommended dentist in Chandler (AZ) and ended up with an emergency double-​root-​canal on two side-​by-​side molars that had cracked back in January and I hadn’t taken care of. So where did I go after filling my prescription at the local Costco Pharmacy? Jeepney Bistro, a local Point-​Point place I found here two trips ago. Had a bowl of Sinigang and a plate of Bihon. I left feeling like I’d had a good day in spite of the dental trauma. Who needs chicken soup?
…
…
I guess I just wrote my update, huh?»

The thing I miss most about California food is my folks cooking, and so I was thrilled to find Jeepney Bistro because their food, at least the dishes I had were on par to my parent’s cooking. In fact, I thought their pork adobo was better than my dad’s, and that is saying a lot!
The food is served family style and it’s on display so you can see what the foods look like before you order it. For two, we got rice, pork adobo, munggo beans, and the pancit bihon. If you’d like to see pictures of the dishes and of the place, you can see what I took at my food blog:
I would give the place 5 stars if they had better dessert offerings as there wasn’t much. The pancit bihon was ok but not stellar. The adobo and munggo beans were just like eating at mom & dad’s.