Maharlika Restaurant

I really enjoyed the pancit. It was not salty nor greasy. They have combo special, pick 2 items and comes with rice for $ 5. Downside is cash only.

Lunch time on a Sunday and decided to try out this place. Called in an order of 10 pc broasted chicken, 2 orders of the chicharron (deep fried chicken skin), 25 pc lumpia Shanghai.
I was told it would take 15 min. I like that :)) pretty quick turn around time.
Broasted chicken: (5.0). Wow. These chicken pieces are crispy and very juicy. Absolutely tasty chicken!
Lumpia Shanghai: (4.5). The meat filling was very flavorful, perfectly deep fried and crunchy.
Chicharron: (4.0). Just a little bit of this to nibble on– crunchy, crispy and tasty. Did not have a lot of oil remanence.
Total was $ 19 and some change.
My review is based on my take out not dine-​in experience.
I can see how a lot of the reviews reflect the seemingly unfriendly demeanor of the employees there. Not sure if the elderly couple in the kitchen were the owners but it’s safe to say customer service isn’t the forefront strategy to keeping this business afloat –maybe that’s why I opted to take out and not to dine in? That broasted chicken makes you want to come back…

mygoshhhh the best chicken better than chicken joy of jollibee. $ 5 for 2 items and additional item $ 2. very cheap and its homestyle filipino food… i have a new favorite place to eat!!! whenever im. craving for home cooked meal!!! the best so excited to try new menu next time!

Best chicken in the tri-​city area!!! I’ve been coming here for years. You can get 3 item combo for $ 5, that is a great deal!
I don’t understand the bad reviews about the service? You’re there to buy chicken, people; not for a massage!!!

Maharlika, where have you been all my life?! This place rocks! Where can you get a lunch combo of Filipino grub for only $ 5? It’s here and I can’t get enough of it! For the aforementioned amount, you get rice and 2 items like their famous Broasted Chicken (basically fried chicken), Chicken Adobo, Lumpia Shanghai or Prito, Pancit Gisado, Menudo, soup of the day, etc. (there is a complete list behind the counter which changes periodically). For an $ 2 extra per item, you can add more to your already generously piled combo.
The food completely reminded me of the homemade cuisine that I really enjoyed at my Filipino friends’ homes over the years (a lot of heart and soul put into that food by my friends’ mothers and you can never refuse if they offer seconds, thirds, fourths… you get the picture). It was absolutely DEELISH!!! SO MUCH BETTER than the $ 5 Fill Ups at Kentucky Fried Chicken down the street. That said, I opted for the following:
1. Broasted Chicken — 3 pieces of dark meat heaven fried to perfection and not greasy at all. I dislike heavily battered chicken and I believe the chicken here is lightly coated with flour. The seasoning is nice and simple (not heavily spiced and salted up like the familiar chains which overpowers your palate) so you can taste the meat and the crispy skin. So juicy, moist, lip smacking, and finger licking good!
2. Lumpia Shanghai — 6 pieces of these delicate little treasures also fried to a nice golden brown and filled with nicely seasoned ground pork with a side of the restaurant’s own sweet and sour sauce. I was really sad when I had none left. They are like crack (so to speak) and oh so addicting. If I had a tray of these, don’t expect me to share with you, LOL!
3. Pancit Gisado (my extra $ 2 item) — Very nice portion of rice noodles mixed with pork and veggies. Sauteed well on point and neither dry nor greasy. What made it really special was the small pieces of fried garlic (not bitter at all) which made every bite of this dish spectacular. Next time I’ll ask them to add more of it!
I did read some past Unilocal reviews about the customer service being poor here. Well, I did meet the owner who took my order. She was a little rough on the edges at first (I think that’s part of her beautiful charm), but I got her to smile and laugh a little as we chatted. Once my takeout order was ready and as I was about to leave the restaurant, I told her that I love Filipino food (especially fried chicken and lumpia) and she followed by telling me that I have to stop by once a week now. I told her I would do my best and she gave me a big smile!
Regarding some restaurant info, Maharlika also does party trays for the Broasted Chicken (suggested that you place your orders at least 2 days in advance) and I’m sure for other entrees as well. Note that this is a CASH ONLY joint and they’re not open late for dinner (very limited time window each day). Parking sucks in this tiny hole-​in-​the-​wall strip mall as there are a few other restaurants packed in here, but well worth the wait to find a spot. Otherwise, there is street parking along Moraine Street.
Until we meet again Maharlika which will be very very soon…

Uncle Dan is the secret to the awesome broasted chicken here at Maharlika ~ it’s their signature item! No, he’s not my really uncle. He just asked that I call him that :) So, GO Uncle Dan!!! When he’s not cooking, he’ll be sitting with you and your family telling stories and cracking jokes. It’s trust that customer service can be a bit painful, but it is only because they are extremely busy. To me, they have the best Filipino broasted chicken in this side of the Bay. They mainly specialize in catering services and the prices are very affordable! Come by and bring cash, the customer service is not as bad as the dang parking lot.

The broasted chicken was super yummy! $ 5 u can 3 prices of chicken and 5 lumpia which I think is a deal. I came in expecting rude or bad service so I wasn’t surprised when I wasn’t greeted warmly. The man saw me standing there he ignored me while he finished cooking in the kitchen. I waited for 2 mins for him to come out and he politely asked what would u like and even said thank u. Will come back fo more fried chicken

!!! Sooooo Delish I have it at least once a week ! I can’t stop its a problem. It doesn’t help that it’s also extremely underpriced which makes the cash only a non-​factor. It’s been open since 1986 which speaks volumes in itself. My current go to for comfort food. Filipino food is the next up and coming food trend get ahead of the game and check out this underdog. You will not be disappointed. #chickenadobo #lumpia #bananasauce

Very good broiled chicken, it was worth the wait. However, liked some others may have mentioned, they sometimes don’t pick up the phone. The restaurant itself was pretty busy around lunch time, and there were a good amount of customers. The customer service could be a bit better; the customer behind me was allowed to order before me. I don’t know if the lady at the counter just took his order over mines since he was speaking tagalog. It was a bit rude, and I don’t really care if it’s supposed to be a cultural thing or whatever. That was still rude, end of story.
Anyways, I will probably still come back for the chicken. That is probably one if the reasons why people still go back, even though customer service is shitty af. We’re all suckers for good chicken.

It is hard to get through on the phone, but whenever I go in there, they are busy helping customers. So my #1 priority would be the customers in the restaurant as well. Their chicken is always a crowd pleaser, always requested since I’m the only one who of my friends/​family who lives in Fremont.

101% bad service. The old lady here was very rude and disrespectful. Not gonna recommend this place!!!

Best fried chicken indeed!
Only downside (not a problem for me) but they only offer dark meat so my sisters didn’t get the opportunity to try this wonderful chicken! Daily combo special (2 items) is $ 5 with an additional item for $ 2…totally worth it!

I only go here to pick up the party tray of chicken… And one time I ordered chicken and came to pick it up the lady behind the counter was not only rude to me but rude to the customers before and after me! Beyond unprofessional! And a horrible, mean woman

I’ve been coming here for years! Probably the best Shanghai I have ever had. I recommend calling on Monday if you want catering for the weekend because they get a lot of orders. Other than that this place is a gem, the definition of mom and pop/​whole in the wall.

The last time I was in the neighborhood, I had my eye on this place. I love fried chicken and eggrolls so I thought, «why not?» However, after reading all the reviews in terms of customer service, I had my doubts. Well, the other day, I was chatting with my co-​worker, who happens to live near me. He told me that the broasted chicken from here is delicious but customer service sucks and they don’t answer the phone. As I was exiting the freeway to head home, I decided to drop by this place and pick up some food for dinner. When I walked in, all I noticed was how outdated this place was. I kept telling myself that I was just here for the food and I’m taking it to-​go. I approached the cashier counter and waited for my turn to order while the man behind the counter was talking to the customer that was in front of me. While I was waiting for my turn, I noticed a note behind the cash register that states $ 5 combo (pick 2 items of your choice from the list and it comes with rice). Score!!! I chose two $ 5 combos (broasted chicken and lumpia shanghai), to share with my kids. The wait was about 10 minutes for my food to be ready. While I was waiting for my food, I noticed that they do answer the phone for phone orders. I guess it depends on who’s working the counter that day. The man that helped me was very nice and funny. When I got home, I immediately digged in. The food was good but as the chicken got cold, it started to get a little dry and chewy. For $ 10 plus tax, I was able to feed my kids and myself, with some leftover for lunch the next day (my kids don’t eat much). If you’re on a budget, this is the place to go.

Only the chicken and the mongo are good. That’s it. Mom and pop place and they literally are too old and set in their ways to care about anything. They know their chicken is the bomb, so there that’s it.
They will not kiss anyone’s ass. Once in a while, the lady will walk around, pick up the dining area and make dry, small talk about whatever is on tv, but don’t expect anything warm and fuzzy.
And the phone thing, back to my point, they don’t care about anything. They have so much walk in business, the phone orders are immaterial.

Oh man. Experience wise was just God awful. People who work here were rude, & I do not know how long this establishment would stay open with customer service that was non-​existent to begin with. Moreover, these people do not answer phone calls at all. The phone will just ring & customers in line would be wondering if it was part of the background music.
If you are a jolly person who wants to test the limits of your patience, this is the place to be. This place will not fail to disappoint. Guaranteed!

We Love the broasted chicken here… incomparable!.. they are even getting better at answering the phone!.. the other dishes. chicken adobo, sinigang and lumpia have that homemade flavor! 5 stars except for the answering of the phone

This place is a trip. Even though they have hours posted, I often cannot get a hold of them for a pick up order. I just now consider myself lucky if they do pick up and if not, I just have a back up plan.
I only really get one thing here and it is their «pried» chicken. At least that is how my Filipino grandmother pronounces «fried». Maharlika’s chicken is so close to my grandmas version that I will jump through hoops to get it occasionally. They call it «broasted» here, but I believe it is basically just pressure fried.
It is simply seasoned with just salt (maybe pepper) and it is lightly floured to give it some crisp. They tend to use larger birds so they cut it up a little different here (smaller pieces) but that just ensures a crisper product. So an actual 10 piece here (about $ 5) will yield a little less than your basic KFC. But the 10 piece will feed 2 – 3 peeps no prob, so $ 5 is really a great deal.
I still should try some of their other Filipino dishes, but usually when I get that «pried» chicken craving, it makes me a little unreasonably tunnel-​visioned. What can I say, I am a feign!

Bout freakin’ time! I finally get to try the broasted chicken here!
I came here with my bro in law and niece on a very slow day. We were in time for the lunch special. I was on a mission and already knew what I wanted! I got the broasted chicken and pork sinigang combo with rice. The simplest way to explain broasted chicken. Broiled + roasted = broasted!
Our meals came out hot and fresh. Three pieces of broasted, a big pile of white rice, and a small container of pork sinigang soup. Broasted chicken tastes like it’s deep fried, but it’s not at all. There’s a special way of cooking it that only few know. Well, maybe more than a few. The pork sinigang had fall off the bone meat and veggies all mixed in tamarin soup base with salt. It has a nice balance of sour and saltiness. Here’s a tip. Pour some of the soup or sabao in Tagalog (shuh-​bow) over the white rice and it may make your plain white rice better. For me this is my personal fave thing to do when I eat sinigang. The service was friendly and quick.
Once you’ve tasted broasted chicken, you may never want to your chicken any other way! And this chicken is a guarantee hit at any family party or pot luck!