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    Cabalen Restaurant

    4.4 (32 reviews)
    InexpensiveFilipino
    Closed Closed
    Updated 2 months ago

    Cabalen Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    CABALEN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Redner S.

    A hidden gem in Mayport delivering Filipino food. The owners are from Pampanga and if you know Filipino food..Pampanga is the food capital of the Philippines so the owners know how to do it. Food is a good variety and very flavorful. You definitely get alot of food for a good price. Simple atmosphere and welcoming family. It's a small family business that we will continue to support.

    Pork menudo and pork sinigang-13.98 for a 2 choice
    Marina I.

    Food is amazing and nobody was there so I was helped pretty quickly. Person who helped me out in the front was a bit rude. Maybe he was having a bad day. Maybe that's just how he is. I don't know. It wasn't a big deal to me because I was taking it to go anyway. But overall, the food was definitely authentic. 8/10.

    Crystal O.

    Freshly made lumpia- just for us! Yay! John wanted lumpia and pancit- again. That's ok with me! Now just to find where to go. I came home from work and John headed out on a mission and returned with three boxes. 2 orders of pancit and a box of fresh lumpia! Apparently the lady at the restaurant asked John if he had had lumpia and pancit before- oh yes. He ate both as a kid- Navy kid. The pancit was loaded with veggies and meat, the noodles perfection. The lumpia though- hmmm. This could be a problem- I foresee John going and ordering 20 or 30 at a time. They come in 10. We demolished 10. 6-4 split. I ate 4, which was a lot for me. I have half my pancit leftover for today and I am very happy to get that later. We live significantly closer to Mayport now & are more than happy to zip over for some great cuisine!

    Pork Adobo with Lumpia!
    Ed L.

    This is a hidden gem in plain sight! I wanted to get some food from the Philippines, and Cabalen did not disappoint me! I had the pork adobo, Lumpiang Shanghai, and of course Coke Lite. The meal was delicious, very filling, and the service was outstanding. I enjoyed the laid back atmosphere and the Filipino news that was on the tele. If I am in the area again, I will definitely return here! I recommend Cabalen Restaurant to everyone!

    This dessert was soo good!!
    Deisy C.

    The best halo halo I had! The service was great! And they have a nice, clean and cute set up.

    a variety of food items
    Marquita P.

    Today's culinary lunch adventure took me to Cabalen, located in a small shopping center on Mayport. If you've read enough of my reviews, I'm a fan of mom-and-pop places. After today's visit, Cabalen is officially on my list. After letting the guy at the register know it was my first visit, he welcomed me and took the time to explain each dish. The pans of various meats and veggies were piping hot and fresh. After he explained everything, I decided on the two entree combo with pancit. The wait for my order took a little bit of time which let me know it was being freshly prepared. I opted for a marinated pork dish, which for the life of me, I can't remember its name. My second choice was the ukoy (or okoy), a crispy, fried fritter topped with a shrimp. I'd love to know the sorcery they use to keep the shrimp from falling off the nest of vegetables that made up the ukoy. With my A/C blowing, the aroma of my lunch swiftly spread throughout my car; it smelled amazing and I couldn't wait to get home. I wasn't disappointed. Everything was delicious. The pancit was perfectly seasoned and topped with the usual veggies. The marinated pork was tender, with pieces of hot little red peppers that offer just enough heat without making the dish too spicy. The ukoy was fantastic. I'd never heard of it before. It was crispy on the outside with just enough chew to it. It was slightly sweet and had nice pieces of cabbage throughout it. As for the portion, there was more than enough for later. At 9.00 for the combo, it's a very good deal. Overall, I was impressed with Cabalen. I wish they had a menu posted either in their restaurant or online. I'm guessing they don't because they keep certain dishes in rotation or don't serve the same dishes every day. Based on other reviews, next time I'll be sure to try the lumpia and some of their other entrees.

    Yu S.

    *sigh* There's certainly room for improvement on the customer service side, even if they're an old couple with questionable English that don't care about those things. Their only "menu" is on a little whiteboard. I don't know if they're short on storage space, but there are boxes stacked along the dining area. The food is not cooked to order; it's laid out like a Panda Express. Finally, their posted hours are......more of a guideline than a rule, especially on Sundays or whenever they feel like business is slow. On the other hand, I have very few issues with their slowly tenderized and marinated tasty meats. God **** that's good. Their pancit is also quite good of course. It really tastes like southeast Asian home cooking, and I do not say that lightly.

    Irene Z.

    SUPER MOM & POP spot, kinda ran down, but that's how you know it's good. I've never actually had filipino food but I know a lot about the dishes just cause the family I watch on youtube (itsjudyslife) is filipino and they always talk about the food they eat. We got the pancit, lumpia & a rice bowl with pork adobo and idk what the second one is but it's pork with tomatoes & potatoes. The pancit isn't out and has to be made along with the lumpia but everything else is out cafeteria style. The earlier you go the more fresh ;). Also yelp says they open @ 11 but they open at 10:30 on the weekdays. The food did take a while to get to us but it was fine. I'm here for vacation and didn't mind waiting. A customer was talking to me and jokingly telling me to sit down cause it's going to take a while cause their old haha. We tried a lumpia on our way home and it was deeelicious. Everything was just as delicious. I'm obsessed. Too bad I live 600+ miles away and not 3 minutes away. :( I'd be here all the time. The prices are good for the amount of food they give you. Try this place out if you stumble upon it. You won't regret it.

    Located in plaza in front of Navy Exchange off Mayport Road.
    Valerie C.

    Arrived shortly after opening on a Sunday to find a good selection of Filipino dishes ready for you! Some menu items to name a few: BBQ stick (chicken and pork), sayote (chayote), ampalaya (bitter melon), Kare-Kare (peanut butter/meat/veggies) , lechon, etc. The 2 item combo with white rice was a pretty good portion of food! There are a few tables in the room with a large television on the wall displaying Filipino music videos to add to the ambiance. This isn't a fancy sit down type of place, so manage expectations accordingly and simply enjoy the Filipino food selections either in house or take it with you to go. My favorite from today's selection-- the lechon! Next time, I'll have to try some of the desserts displayed in their case-- I'm pretty sure I saw leche flan and halo-halo in there. Yep, there will surely be many "next times".

    Cabalen

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    2 months ago

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    5 months ago

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    3 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Jaysantos M.

    Jaysantos M.

    Appreciate much, thanks for visiting Cabalen @ Mayport FL, :-)

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    6 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    3 years ago

    It's been a hot minute since I last eaten rice and boy I sure did miss it. 2 item combo with a can of pop.

    Business owner information

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    Jaysantos M.

    Thank you , we are glad you enjoyed your lunch

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    Jaysantos M.

    Thank you so much!

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    5 years ago

    Da best place to eat, very covid safe and sanitary to the max! Gotta love this place 100% recommend

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    10 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Very good food. Sinigang is very delicious. Don't forget to ask if palabok is available-they are not to be missed.

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    13 years ago

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    Marianas Grinds - My meal was fantastic! This is ginasan chicken. It comes in beef option too. Red rice and mac salad are tradition!

    Marianas Grinds

    4.6(550 reviews)
    8.1 miSouthside
    $

    Thank you Marinas Grinds for letting us dine in for my mothers birthday. Josephine was wonderful…read moreand tentative. She provided her way service and conversation. Food came out quickly and fresh. I really enjoyed the starters we ordered including the beef empanadas and the spam musubi. My family is Filipino so we ordered pancit, Lechon, and sinigang to get a taste of home, really delicious! The Hawaiian pasta salad was also a favorite of the night, it was very good and had the right amount of flavor. My husband enjoyed the marinade on the short ribs and he wanted to order a full plate of the Hawaiian pasta salad :) Great place and we will be back!

    Coming in the late morning to mid afternoon, you will find that the restaurant is quiet with a few…read morefamilies sharing a meal. The staff and owners greet you to then make sure you are taken care of. Most items on the menu ranged between $10 to $20 dollars. As of the moment, what I was truly hoping to try was outside of my price range. I ordered to go and purchased a Spam Masubi ($3.50 without tax). I will state that this appetizer may not be the best representative of this restaurant's cuisine. I would personally rate it 5.8/10 and would truly hope to try something different. I also believe the cost to meal gained ratio left me feeling this was a bit overpriced. Nevertheless, I want to return to try a different menu item as others have stated the food was enjoyable.

    Photos
    Marianas Grinds - At the check in/out counter. Note that Marianas Grinds caters!

    At the check in/out counter. Note that Marianas Grinds caters!

    Marianas Grinds - The chicken ginasan, pork adobo, and awesome empanadas! Great meal on this day!

    The chicken ginasan, pork adobo, and awesome empanadas! Great meal on this day!

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    Marharlika Orient Mart

    Marharlika Orient Mart

    3.7(3 reviews)
    4.7 miSouthside

    We were in the area and we love to try different Asian and Middle Eastern and European markets. I…read morefound this place on yelp and we headed right over I'm not sure what their hours are because there's no signs on the front door but at 11 o'clock on a Saturday the door was blocked off from the inside. I called and someone answered and said they were open, but there's no way to get inside The ambience is a little odd as I find it a little bizarre that you could shop at an oriental market, get dental and life insurance as well as file your taxes. The hall/grill has the same name and they had a bar area and they serve food

    This is our favorite Filipino and Oriental Foods Grocery Mart in all of Jax! Not only is there a…read morewide area of grocery selections, Maharlika affords customers with a lot of aisles filled with product ranging from dry foods, snacks, canned goods as well your favorites including lumpia (egg rolls) as well as pancit noodles! The best part of this mart IMO is the food kitchen where customers can select delicious daily buffet entrees as well as get cooked to order meals which you can enjoy piping hot and eat right there within the mart section with dining tables. Ed and Devina are outstanding owners who are always present running the mart day to day operations. I highly recommend Maharlika Orient Mart for your Filipino Asian grocery needs as well as delicious Filipino favorite dishes including lumpia, pancit and chicken adobo!

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    Marharlika Orient Mart
    Marharlika Orient Mart
    Marharlika Orient Mart

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    Cabalen Restaurant - filipino - Updated May 2026

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