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    Adobo Express

    3.0 (74 reviews)
    Closed Closed

    Adobo Express Photos

    ADOBO EXPRESS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Chicken Lumpia
    Jean R.

    I decided to try this place since I kept seeing it on my way to work everyday. If you're looking for great Filipino comfort food check out Adobo Express! I ordered the Chicken Adobo with garlic rice and a fried egg. Along side an order of chicken lumpia. The adobo was tender and sweet which paired wonderfully with the salty garlic rice and crispy chicken lumpia. They also accept orders on Door Dash if you are unable to order at their food truck. I will definitely order from here again and try some of their other dishes like their Sisig. 4/5 stars highly recommended!

    Adobo bowl with pork, garlic rice, and an egg.
    Brandon Y.

    Tasty food, decent prices. We had the good fortune of having this food truck visit our office during the week and so we got to try several entrees, including adobo chicken and pork (I got the pork). The adobo pork bowl came with an optional egg on top, big chunks of fatty pork pieces covered with adobo sauce, and garlic rice on the bottom. The pork was quite tasty, very savory, and had a good soft texture. The garlic rice was also very tasty, though everyone agreed perhaps a little too garlicy (it was a bit spicy due to the garlic; needless to say, the office was not smelling great after that). I am giving 3 stars as I found a hair in my bowl; in not super sensitive to that sort of thing, but I know some people understandably are.

    Gross... i had the odoburrito, basically they wrap plan riz with gross chicken. Apparently looks like there is an egg too
    Pierre M.

    Pretty gross... the burrito is basically a wrap of plain rice and gross chicken. I couldn't even finish it. Worst burrito i ever had.

    Da truck
    Chris C.

    Being 1/4 Flip, I was really looking forward to Adobo Express. Unfortunately, I can't recommend it. PORK ADOBO BOWL: The adobo was served over a base of over-cooked garlic rice (sorta mushy) that was basically just white rice with some garlic that wasn't cooked long enough on the flat top. I was hoping for a lot more sauce - or perhaps a side of sauce if they are going to skimp on it. The pork itself seemed like it had been seared on the flat top, which gave it a nice exterior texture, but wasn't as tender as it should have been (meaning it wasn't cooked in the pot long enough). The fried egg was fine, but really unnecessary as good adobo should be able to stand up on its own. LUMPIA: An order consists of three, thin, crispy lumpia. They weren't overly greasy (lumpia are always a little greasy) and the exterior was nice, crisp, and flavorful. The downfall here is that there wasn't much filling and what little filling they had was pretty bland. You might as well just sell fried wrappers with no filling. PRICE: With a $10 credit card minimum, if you have no cash you can't just order a $9 bowl or burrito. While the cost of a bowl doesn't seem too bad, $3.50 for 3 lumpia seems outrageous.

    Lica N.

    I was looking forward to trying this truck. I went wanting to order the pork adobo but i saw pork belly and went with that instead. I also got an order of lumpia. It took a long while to get my order. My taste buds are pretty familiar with filipino cuisine as alot of my friends were filipino growing up and had many dinners at their house. The pork belly bowl http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/E8sZ3VzGg-THCZgy55EMeg?select=jRjTY3iB1hPXR6F1cOhuOg came with garlic rice, pork belly and a sunny side up egg on top. There was very little hint of garlic in the rice. The pork belly wasn't really seasoned very well. Actually the whole bowl pretty much was missing flavor. No sauces were given to you and the yolk was not helping any. It was just a eh bowl The lumpia was not lumpia in my opinion. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/E8sZ3VzGg-THCZgy55EMeg?select=CSFcCUfY2csQGLqo2G4daA There was something in there but I really couldnt make out what it was primarily because it was small and thin and you only got 2pcs for $3 so not right!!!! I wish I stuck with the adobo, maybe it tastes better but im not sure if I want to try this truck again. It was "I want to cuss in tagalog cuz it was not good" sadness!

    Jason L.

    I first noticed the Adobe Express truck a few years ago, because it use to park outside of my office building everyday around 12pm. I had no idea what it was and didn't really have any intent on trying it out. I heard people describe the truck as expensive and decent. Finally, one day a friend of mine said it was good. So, I thought I would give it a try, but then the truck left and never came back... Bummer. Fast forward to the present time. Last month, I went there only to find out the truck was out of rice. Major fail. I read a very pissed off review about a time when the truck ran out of rice. I was pretty bummed and a little pissed, but I was determined to try the Adobe Truck so I gave it a try. No rice and no pork, she said. That was a dagger to the heart. It's like walking in to a Vietnamese restaurant and the server tells you they don't have pho or spring rolls. I thought about leaving, but I already planned to have lunch here and I already walk across a parking lot. I've gone too far. My first order was the beef quesadilla thing. It was just blah. I finished it in a few bites. I was very disappointed during my first visit, but I was assured that the Adobo bowls are the shiznits. So I thought I'd give this overpriced food truck another try. I saw some good looking photos on yelp and thought awesome I can get a $6 bowl and how often do I get to try Filipino food. :( Bummer number 2 the bowl prices are more around $7.50. That is a little more than I expected to pay. I prefer $6 because that is a flame broilers price, but $7.50 can get you a full meal at most lunch spots. I'm not that cheap, but I have a huge gripe with inflated food truck prices. I think the fad has died and I prefer restaurants verse the hipster trend. The Adobo pork bowl with and egg was pretty good. It was better with hot sauce. It tasted super fried and unhealthy. I would have preferred a little more spice. I'm not a Filipino expert so that might be the way it's suppose to taste. All I gotta say is... there were some pretty Pinay ladies that came to get there Adobo on. I might come back just for the view. The lumpia was a bit small to me, but very tasty. The size is slightly smaller than the average steak cut fries. I washed this all down with a bottle of coke. I had exact cash, but the price turned out to be more than expected so I'm glad they take credit card. That's a plus :). Although, it's always a bummer to hear the a food truck price online and find out the price went up. I know it's only a $1.50 more, but that's enough to make a meal over $10. In Irvine, even as expensive as people claim that Asian food in Irvine is, you will still have plenty of meal options for less than $10 during lunch time within a short walk or drive. I think I will go back dispite my gripe with the price; however, if the Adobo truck doesn't have rice or pork. I will walk away next time. The bowl is the best item when combined with lumpia and a drink. I only half recommend this place, because I think most Asians will like it, but I'm not convinced that this will satisfied anyone with a Western taste. It is delicious. I will just have to go to the gym a little longer to burn off the extra calories. Oops. I forgot. I was told never to mention the F and the C words. Fat and calories. Ha ha.

    Trang H.

    I wasn't going to eat lunch today but the Filipino in me saw that Adobo Express was going to be at our weekly irvine food truck lunch event and i instantly got hungry. I can easily say that adobo express has the smallest menu in the world. Just three items on the menu. I saw the reviews and was a little skiddish at first, but I'm happy I went. I got the pork adobo bowl. It included garlic rice, adobo and a fried over medium egg. The order was quick, probably under 4 mins. I got back to work and dug in. Overall it was good. Other reviews talk about the dish being pretty bland compared to the traditional adobo, which is true. But I think the scaled back version they serve with the amount of rice they offer works well. Usually the traditional adobo base can be strong that even a full cup of rice can't even save you. The meat was a little tough and I kind of wish I had a knife, but again the filipino in me was fine with using my hands to eat. (and that's not meant to be racist, it's logical!) The fried egg was a nice touch. It added additional creaminess to the bites. The menu size may be holding back Adobo Express a bit. Now they just need to figure out how to package Sinigang and I'll eat here every week :) 3.5 stars but I'll bump it up to a 4 star because more people need to try them out. It's really cool to be able to get Filipino food on-the-go especially if you live in an area that lacks Filipino restaurants.

    Chicken adobo rice bowl.
    Ina H.

    The first time I was ordering I thought, " Another greasy filipino food on its way to my tummy." But u know what?! I was wrong!! I'm actually impressed by this food truck! The pork adobo rice bowl was pretty good, it's tastier than the chicken one. It's a lot of food in a bowl, both me and my man only ate half of each of our bowls. The lumpias are really good, too! I recommend ordering this as a side. Food is not greasy at all, so I'm really happy w/ that. All in all I'm pretty happy with this truck being in our 'hood today. I live in Los Olivos Irvine. It's definitely not like my mom's adobo, but I'm sure glad I didn't have to cook dinner tonight and still have a pretty decent filipino meal, which is rare in Orange County. :)

    Chicken adobo rice bowl with fried egg
    Matt K.

    Fun food truck experience. It's a mix of Filipino food but also done in some Mexican styles. For example, you can get an Adobo burrito or Adobo nachos. I opted for the Adobo plate which was more Filipino with rice and egg and chicken. It was delicious and a good deal for $7.50. The staff is nice and service was pretty quick, maybe 2 minutes wait. A friend had the Nachos and those were delicious. A very big portion and the nacho chips were light and crispy, tasted homemade. I want to try that dish myself next time. I like the idea of a Filipino food truck because I think it's pretty rare and I really enjoy chicken and pork adobo meats. It's neat that you can get rice or Mexican style dishes and it still tastes good and is priced right. I hope they come back to my office area.

    Half-eaten (sorry) $6 Pork Adobo with garlic rice & egg.

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    9 years ago

    Tasty lumpias and love the tasty pork adobo rice bowl with egg on top worth it please come back to the enclave apartments in costa mesa

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    13 years ago

    How quality meat. My BF's burrito had chicen bones in it.

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    12 years ago

    I had the pork taco and lumpia today. I enjoyed both and at $2.50 each I felt it was a good bargin.. I hope to see them again

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    Their adobo burrito was great. Was expecting it to be a lot worse, pretty cheap too. Get it spicy.

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    7 years ago

    come back to enclave apartment homes in costa mesa flipino food without having to drive far

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    Jane's Corndogs - A fun Summer eatery on the beach

    Jane's Corndogs

    4.0(266 reviews)
    8.1 km
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    Best corn dog ever... here's why:…read more I've been coming here since high school, so this place has been around for a long time and it's still one of my favorite quick stops in Newport. Look at the pictures. This corn dog comes out perfectly golden brown with that deep fried batter all the way around. When you bite into it the outside has that crisp crunch, but the inside is soft and fluffy like fresh cornmeal batter should be. The hot dog in the middle is juicy and cooked just right, and the whole thing is big too, not one of those skinny little ones you get at other places. If you want to dress it up, they've got a little condiment station where you can load it up however you want. Ketchup, relish, mustard, onions, jalapeños, different spices, all that kind of stuff. What I also like about this place is they've got everything. hot dogs, funnel cakes, banana splits, all the classic snack stand stuff. Perfect spot when you're walking around Newport and want something quick that actually tastes great. If you're in Newport Beach and craving a real old school corn dog, this place is hard to beat.

    I stopped by Jane's Corndog Stand last night and unfortunately had a pretty disappointing…read moreexperience. My group and I walked in and spent about 2 minutes looking over the menu, trying to decide what to order. Without any warning or polite notice, an employee abruptly shouted "we are closed" at us and told us to leave. The tone came off as rude and unwelcoming, especially since no one had mentioned they were closing when we first walked in. I completely understand businesses needing to close at a certain time, but a simple and courteous heads-up would have made a big difference. The interaction left a negative impression, and I hope they can improve how they communicate with customers in the future.

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    Just Hot Dogs - Chicago Style - Balboa bar Ice cream dessert

    Just Hot Dogs - Chicago Style

    4.0(398 reviews)
    10.2 km
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    The cutest little mom & pop food stand. I've drove past this place all the time and I pointed it…read moreout to my bf one day. To my surprise, he told me he used to stop by here all the time when he was in high school. We agreed we'd go try it if we were ever in the area and today was that day. We both got their Chicago dog and shared a large chili cheese fries. I'm a huge chili cheese fries lover and their fry to chili ration is perfect! I've gone to a few places where they don't add enough chili so this was the perfect amount. This was my first time trying a Chicago dog and it was honestly delicious. Perfect amount of savory and sourness. I also ordered their Thai tea and usually I get no boba but forgot to mention that when I ordered. I still drank it though and their boba pearl was actually nice and chewy. Their Thai tea isn't too milky which is how I prefer my Thai tea because I love the bitterness of the tea. They have a small drive thru you can order from or you can park and walk up to their ordering window on the opposite side of the drive thru. We decided to sit and enjoy our order since the sun was beginning to set. Also do y'all see those prices?! Definitely a good stop and affordable. I also believe it's Cambodian owned! All in all, it's definitely a cute spot to stop by if you're ever in the area and I'd definitely come back to try something different!

    Food is amazing just like I'm back home in Chicago. Highly…read morerecommend the Chicago Dog and Italian Beef 10/10

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    Just Hot Dogs - Chicago Style - Polish Sausage taste very promising you have to come and try it out. It be a must to try.

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    The Halal Guys

    The Halal Guys

    3.8(3.6k reviews)
    2.0 km
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    ** this is from several months ago** t'was sitting in my drafts for a bit,…read more... Several beer pitchers in @ HACHI (just next door-shout out to them)-- for a celebration of a breakup, the end of midterms, or simply the triumph of continuing to exist (in THIS economy?? were all needing to praise ourselves for simply surviving) -- we found ourselves drawn, like moths to a fluorescently lit flame, to Halal Guys. Now listen. The food? Solid. Reliable. The kind of food that understands you are not here for nuance. You are here because life has punched you in the throat and you require a plate of rice, chicken, gyro meat, and mysterious white sauce to spiritually stabilize. I used to go to the OG one in NYC when i was getting punched in the throat there too. (PUNCHED IN THE THROAT BY ACADEMIA, FIGURATIVELY, y'all haver crazy imaginations outthere). BUT it;s the people... It's always the people... The staff. My siblings in falafel... it was 10 PM. You could feel the collective energy of "we have been serving drunk people since sunset and you are the 437th group tonight explaining your breakup story while pointing at the menu." Not judging, just warmth and the quiet aura of people who have seen things. Who have witnessed humanity at its lowest point: ordering extra hot sauce and then immediately regretting it. JC looked in my soul and I think he understood,,, everything. AND JESS! (my fairy wielding a spoon scooping the heavenly meat and talking to me like a therapist??) And they fed us. Efficiently. Respectfully. Would I return? hell ya i would. only to see if Jess and JC remembers me. JK the food is always reliable. y'all stay away from the hot saucres,

    Overall (1/5) This was easily my worst Halal Guys experience…read moreand honestly left me really disappointed. I came craving something familiar and left feeling like I wasted both time and money. First Impressions (1/5) When I walked in, there was only one person working, handling the fryer, the register, and assembling plates. I genuinely felt bad for her, especially considering the steady line forming. What We Got (2/5) I ordered a regular plate, which is what I usually get at Halal Guys. Nothing customized or complicated, just the standard order I have had many times before at other locations. Taste and Quality (0/5) The food was shockingly bad. The rice was raw and crunchy, which was hard to believe at first. The meat pieces were tiny and very chewy, and the pita bread was extremely soggy. On top of that, it was only around 4 pm and the usual spinning meat and grill were not even on, despite the line picking up. Service (2/5) The worker was clearly trying her best, but one person running everything in a busy location is not realistic. She was constantly running back and forth between the fryer and the line, which made the whole operation feel chaotic and slow. Space and Atmosphere (3/5) The space itself was fine and what you would expect from Halal Guys. Clean enough, but nothing stood out positively enough to offset the food experience. Was It Worth It (0/5) Not at all. As someone who is pretty frugal and almost always finishes their meals, I could not finish this plate. It genuinely felt like a waste of $18. Final Thoughts This location does not seem to be held to the same standards as other Halal Guys in the area. This experience was disappointing from start to finish.

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    Menu 12/22

    Adobo Express - foodstands - Updated May 2026

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