From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere at Manila Bay Express was warm and authentic, and the food felt comforting right away. We ordered the Signature Platter and Pork Soup. I have a number of allergies. I am gluten free, soy free, and have several others. My friend is dairy free and allergic to sesame, along with additional restrictions. Trying new places can be exhausting, but the staff here was incredibly knowledgeable and accommodating. They were able to customize dishes to fit all of our allergies without hesitation. I was even able to take some pancit (ponsit) home, which is not something I often get to enjoy. Why we loved it * The food was Genuinely delicious, well prepared, and thoughtfully made * The staff was extremely Accommodating, showing strong allergy awareness and confidence when answering questions * The atmosphere felt welcoming, authentic, comfortable, inclusive, and genuinely Relatable * The Menu Variety allowed me to enjoy an entrée, an appetizer, a side, dessert, and a drink while staying within my dietary needs * Easy Accessibility with convenient access and parking * The overall environment felt warm and Neat, with smooth ordering and checkout that made the entire experience feel effortless Bottom line Manila Bay Express made dining out feel safe, welcoming, and enjoyable. If you navigate food allergies or simply want delicious Filipino comfort food, this spot is absolutely worth a visit. GG: 6/6 read more

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I'll give this place 4 stars even though my most recent experience wasn't the best because my first visit was so memorable...I love how different the cuisine tastes and the staff is really nice but this most experience I inquired about something on the menu with the staff and he told me one thing but when I got my food it was something completely different and the rice seemed to be a bit old and the meat was like warm but the lumpia were delicious will be back but will be sure to research the dishes first before ordering Edit: The owner read my review and cared enough to allow me to re-experience my meal...will return! read more

Good place to go to when youre craving Filipino food! Ordered the crispy pata and it was seasoned and fried to perfection! It came with a side of sinigang soup. They also have great broasted fried chicken! read more

Manila Bay Express - Crispy Pata with Sinigang soup on the side - Filipino Near Me - Grandview, Missouri

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Food was good, however very expensive. 100 dollars for 2 adults and a child. Will be a once a year thing probably.

Eating here put a huge smile on my face! First of all, when you walk in, the decor is cute and welcoming, and so was the lady running the front. My friend and I ordered every type of lumpia they had to start and kare kare and sisig silog for mains. The lumpias were all good but the vegetable one was our favorite. Next, the mains came out and I was impressed with the portion! My dish, sisig silog was just $14 and was a massive full plate of meat and garlic rice with a nicely done fried egg. The kare kare was $16 but they gave 3 substantial oxtails which is generous. Honestly this food was so good. After many KC restaurant visits of mediocre or disappointing food, I could have cried tears of joy. The meat was perfectly seasoned, a nice balance of savory, acidity, and aromatics, and not too fatty or salty with some nice crisp/crunch from the pork belly skin. The garlic rice was perfect, not too oily or salty with good garlic flavor and complementary to the meat. Fried egg was crispy with runny yolk, the way it should be. The pineapple was a nice treat too, it was somehow so sweet? I tried my friend's kare kare and while I'm not a big fan of the dish itself, this is the best one I've had! And the oxtail itself was delicious - soft, moist, and flavorful. The only downside I can think of is that you might have to wait a while when it's busy since this is only run by a small family. Maybe try to be one of the first parties in the door. Go support them! Great food and great value. I certainly will be back whenever I can. read more

Manila Bay Express - Kare Kare - Filipino Near Me - Grandview, Missouri

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Great place and amazing staff, very sweet and helpful. Reminds me very similar to my mom's cooking. Love how they captured culture and cuisine. Island vibes with the decor. Will definitely be back! read more

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Another Grandview gems that one should not miss!!! (Women owned business, I think) Has been serving authentic Filipino food for a while now. Approved by one of my Filipino friend too. If you're new to this cuisine, I'd recommend trying their Pork adobo and Lumpia. For a change, I tried Bicol express. The meat was tender and soup/gravy has some flavor to it. Served with some sticky rice. You probably end up waiting around 10-15 minutes max after ordering your food. Ambiance is clean & good enough for a good time. read more

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Stopped by here on the way home for some halo halo but ended up ordering the 8 piece broasted chicken too. It was DELICIOUS!!!! The halo halo was well made with just enough sweetness and it had so much goodies in there! The chicken is fantastic! Very flavorful and juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside! It was well seasoned! Definitely will be back to sit down and eat more. Fantastic place! A must try!!! read more

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FYI, winter hours have started and they now close at 6. I think this may be a one woman show, so it does take a while to get your food. This was my first time eating Filipino food, and it was yummy! It's kind of a mix of Thai and Chinese flavors. The halo halo was also delicious, a lot of flavors going on in one cup. This would be an excellent place for lunch or to go dinners. They close a bit too early for a sit down dinner, but the owner was very kind and let us eat and yap until closer to 7. read more

Manila Bay Express - Halo Halo - Filipino Near Me - Grandview, Missouri

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Being of Filipino descent, this place is a disappointment. You pay full price for just the base of what you're supposed to get and service was slow. We got their halo halo and kakanin (extra rice) selection. They lacked important toppings that make the item what it is. Traditionally, halo halo is topped with leche flan, ube and one to two scoops of ice cream. Normally, ube biko is topped with shredded coconut. We didn't get any of that. I wish I took photos of the halo halo, one of them barely had any ice, my dad didn't know what to do with his but ate it anyway since it was paid for. The decor is on par with what you see in the Philippines. read more

Manila Bay Express - Bibinka, where's the toppings?? - Filipino Near Me - Grandview, Missouri

Great original Filipino food! We've never been disappointed with any thing on the menu. Very helpful and friendly staff

The food was good and the atmosphere homey, but I can't give this place 5 stars. The food is 4 stars, the quality of service (although friendly) is 1 star. I came here in a group of 4. It took 45 minutes for food to come out after ordering, my friend ordered a soup that came out lukewarm, and another friend's order didn't have the rice or egg she paid for. I ended up leaving in a rush and didn't realize until later that they also forgot the turon I ordered. read more

Manila Bay Express - Kare-kare. - Filipino Near Me - Grandview, Missouri

I really wanted to like this place and Filipino food. I love many other foods like Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, but I didn't like this food. We ordered to go because the restaurant closed at 7pm and it was past 6:30. I'm very particular about anything Hawaiian because I find a lot of it way too sweet and some of these flavors remind me of that. The meat I got in my dish (a chopped pork and chicken combo) was mostly fat. I can't handle that texture and we had taken our meals to go so I was out of luck for the meal. I ordered the garlic rice and paid extra but got regular rice. My partner also got garlic rice so I tasted his and didn't like it at all. The garlic was overpowering for me. I was fortunate they messed up my order but I paid extra for it. The small piece of mango on the platter was nice. I wound up eating the rice with some chicken I made at home because the chopped pork fat and chicken fat was inedible to me. Huge chunks of just fat. We also got some beef lumpias. They were pretty good. I liked the flavor but they were pricey for the smaller pieces. I think $1.50 each. My entree was around $15 or a little more with the garlic rice so I paid that for a small serving of regular rice and a wedge of mango. My partner ordered some sort of fried chicken and an order of fried pork belly. I don't like pork belly much so he tried giving me a piece of chicken breast but whatever the seasoning was tasted sweet to me and I didn't like it. My partner enjoyed the chicken and thought the pork belly was okay. We wound up spending over $80 with tax. It was definitely not worth it to me. When we walked in, we saw a few tables with groups who I believe were definitely Filipino but right after we placed our order, the young man who took our order walked a plate out to one of those tables. A gentleman got up and walked up to the register to talk to him. I heard him say that the woman who was just served had been waiting for an hour and there was still dishes that had not been served that he wanted to cancel if they were not ready to be served. He did not seem happy with his experience. I did note there was one young man running the front and it appeared to be one woman (older than the young man up front but not old) in the kitchen area which you can see from the register. I saw nobody else there. I believe there were 2-3 parties seated with several people and I think there was possibly another to go order. Not overly busy but a lot if there were just 2 people! I am giving an extra star because my partner was okay with his selections, I like that it appears to be possibly family owned, I saw Filipino people eating there so I'm really hoping it was a bad afternoon and evening. Unfortunately, I can't see us going back again. read more

I absolutely love Manila Bay Express for Filipino food! Walking in, there is plenty of seating and their music was on point. You can grab a menu from the front and when you're ready, you order there as well. They brought out all the food family style on banana leaves. It made the whole experience feel really authentic! Food came out pretty quickly considering how much we ordered. Food itself was delicious. The sisig was probably one of the best ones I've ever tried. It was seasoned perfectly and the lechon pieces were still crispy! The chicken adobo was also so good. It was perfectly peppery with its hints of tanginess. These were perfect entrees for the garlic rice. The pansit was okay - I would recommend the sisig and adobo. I am so excited to go back and try other dishes!! read more

Manila Bay Express - Chicken Adobo at the top Pancit Bihon at the bottom left Sisig on the bottom right - Filipino Near Me - Grandview, Missouri

When my wife had surgery she wanted to go here for comfort food. The phrase goes, don't judge a book by its cover. Don't judge the food by its presentation. Quite a few dishes are a thing of beauty, but if you see a popular dish and wonder why anyone would eat it... it's because the flavor overshadows all else. Service has been great for us. They have a great attention to detail. Sometimes there is a wait to get something as they are very busy, but the food is made fresh... unlike fast food where you don't wait. The ambiance does a great job reminding you of the Philippines. Give it a try. Great winter food: regular dishes warm you to the core. Great summer snacks: halo halo is amazing. read more

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Visiting from out-of-state, came here to eat today with family before a Chief's game. Looking for Filipino food since I'm craving, I did not have high expectations to find a good one in Kansas City, coming from someone who grew up in the Philippines. But man this place blew our expectations not only by their cute, well-thought decor and ambiance, but the food is TOP tier. Lechon, Crispy Pata, Broasted Chicken, and Pancit were cooked to perfection. Highly recommend, especially their bilao / platter meals. We will come back here whenever we're in Kansas City, and I'll surely recommend this restaurant. 5 stars and deserves more! read more

Manila Bay Express - Filipino Near Me - Grandview, Missouri

Excellent food Good service An unassuming location but fun decor. Makes me a fan of Filipino food! read more

Clean, nice decor and friendly staff. The food. This reminds us of home. Lumpia. Try the all. They are all seasoned to perfection. Adobo. Never tried as my kid inhaled it. He loved it Lechon is crispy and just right. The grilled squid is just right. Nice squid flavor and the texture is spot on. Pancit Bihon another grand slam The BBQ skewers are good. I'm a hard critic on these. I've had them in the Philippines and I make them at home. The flavor on these is good. I'd rather see pork belly or a butt roast used for more fat content. We will 100% come back. The menu has so many choices and with fresh and flavorful food it's a hit. read more

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Excited to try this restaurant as we are from out of town. It's expensive and small portion for the crispy pasta. I bought an extra rice since it wasn't included with one of our order .and part of the rice has "tutong". They gave a small plastic condiment for the crispy pasta and I had to ask for another one. Slow service. Cute little restaurant with an area to take photos. read more

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This review is for the 20th & Main location. My first time trying Filipino food! This has also been on my list for awhile. I was so happy to hear they open a downtown location. Called up my Filipino mom and told her we must go! This location is in their "soft opening" stage. So don't expect a full restaurant vibes. We ordered 4 items (oxtail, sisig, pancit, and their fried fish. Fish came uncooked so we had to give it back. Other dishes were decent. Pancit was a bit mushy and the chicken meat was dried. Oxtail needs to cook a bit longer. My favorite was the sisig. Not sure if we will be back anytime soon because we weren't really impressed with everything today. But I will definitely go back when they are fully open. 4 Stars because I want to see this location to succeed. It has great potential. read more

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My first visit to this location and it was wonderful! The food was fresh and incredibly delicious. I went with a buddy of mine who is Filipino ethnically and I'm not myself, but I'm familiar with the cuisine and culture myself. I ordered lechon kiwali with a side soup of chicken sinigang. My friend ordered pork and chicken sisig with garlic rice, side of sinigang and some lumpia. The food was absolutely delicious! My lechon was crispy and not at all greasy throughout the entire meal. I love that they used basmati rice as it has a much lower glycemic index than traditional jasmine rice and IMO is just as tasty. This was a big hit for me. My sinigang was so warming and I grew up eating something very similar to it in taste as well as preparation. The spicy vinegar and other sauce that was provided was also super tasty. It was garnished with a slice of pineapple and a pico de gallo-esque mixed veggies. I loved my meal. My friend had the sisig and wow, his dish IMO was more or less flawless. It had bits of the crispy lechon I had, but also chicken. An incredible mix of crunchy and soft textures. It has a strong hint of sour, sweet, spicy - he ordered his mild, but it had just a hint. I would've gotten this as spicy as they could make it, for my taste. He said the lumpia was just ok for his preference. The overall setting of the place was really homey and you definitely had an "islander" feel to it. It felt so cozy and warming. It was very clean and tables were cleared promptly after other diners had finished their meals. When ordering the lady did let me know that my dish would take about 15-20mins and I believe she set the correct expectations by doing so. Overally I would rate this place an absolute must try and will happily and gladly visit again in the near future. read more

I can't ever give an actual review because they cancel my order EVERY time I try to order from them!! I've been really excited to try them, and to have another order cancelled is super frustrating. read more

This place is a MUST TRY. Whether you're dining in or carrying out, the food it guaranteed fresh and delicious! It's a small family owned restaurant with pleasant service. I always have questions about what's on the menu and they're so nice and willing to offer help and suggestions. This will be a place I'll continue to come back to. read more

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Such a perfect little spot in an unexpected place. Adorable atmosphere, delicious food! Everything we have tried has been fabulous! read more

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Got carryout from here last week. We got the regular lumpia, pancit canton with shrimp, chicken adobo and the sisig. Everything was delicious. We drove it across town because my grandma wanted to try it and doesn't really go out anymore, so I can't really speak to how hot/fresh it was. Only note for people wanting to go there. My boyfriend picked up the order at 5:45 on Thursday in December and when he got there, the sign was off and it looked closed. Apparently their winter hours are different and they close at 6, which is a wild time to close when a restaurant seeming serves dinner. Just something to know - check their website for hours! read more

Definitely a hole in the wall place but worth the drive! We blindly tried a couple of entrees that were incredible! But seeing the large platters coming out of the kitchen for shared meals made us want to come back and try again! Their desserts were priced so well, that we had to sample some of everything, and I'm glad we did! Each one was amazing (but I also love gelatinous and chewy textures!). Not too sweet, and each one was so unique. I've been craving them ever since. The Puto is more pastry-like and savory with cheese on top, but the rest were sweeter. Must try! Also, beware, part of the menu seems to be and odd collection of southern fried foods... fried chicken, Mac n cheese, green beans, mozz sticks, etc. It was confusing because we assumed the whole menu was authentic. We ordered a side of potatoes, thinking it was some kind of Asian dish, but nope... literally your bar-staple fried potato wedges sprinkled with parmesan cheese! Not sure what that was about (maybe its a kids menu?), just a friendly warning to pay attention to the menu sections, just in case you're coming to a Filipino restaurant and expecting to eat Filipino food! read more

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the food was good, the chicken as really good, Lumpia was ok, 5 stars for sure. Only thing I would say is to give the dining area a quick floor sweep . I got there as they were opening. read more

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Neat spot, super kind service that helped us pick our order and while it's not light fare, it was pretty fantastic. My favorite was the silig: chopped meat and spices. But the fried chicken was excellent too. We also tried the chicken adobo (great sauce), and the fried ham hock (not sure what it was actually called but holy wow, decadent and yummy with the sauces!) Oh and the lumpia! Beef and shrimp were both good, but the shrimp was the best: a whole shrimp inside each roll! The staff didn't mind that we showed up 45 min before they closed, and we enjoyed the decor while we waited (food takes about 20-30 min to come out). It was worth the drive from downtown KC, but we also learned they have a ghost kitchen in the Crossroads now (1600 Campbell)! Carry out and delivery only, but so much closer. Can't wait to try. read more

Manila Bay Express - We got the most popular sampler platter to try a little of everything and added a shrimp lumpia and a beef lumpia for each of us. - Filipino Near Me - Grandview, Missouri

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I went to the new location in Grandview. I had the 4 piece broasted chicken with a side of beer battered onion rings. As usual, the chicken was amazing and the onion rings were so tasty with the beer batter. read more

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I did not expect to find a Filipino place in Grandview of all places, but I'm glad I tried it. You order at the front and they bring your food to whatever table you pick. I got the lechon kawali with garlic fried rice and an egg. The lechon skin was incredibly crispy, and the meat moist and tender. The rice was aromatic and flavorful and the egg was cooked exactly to my specification. I didn't finish all of my food, but their self-serve utensil/togo box/sauce station is easily available so I just took the rest home. I want to go back and try their other dishes. There was a bit of a wait for the food though, so I would be aware of that. read more

Manila Bay Express - Lechon Kawali Silog - Filipino Near Me - Grandview, Missouri

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First of all, I'm not Filipino, so I want to make that clear. We have eaten at Manila Bay Express in the past and the food was excellent. This time around, they were offering a buffet on the weekends for Lent. Other than their garlic rice and fried chicken, we didn't see any of their usual menu items. What we tried did not appeal to us. The best things were the aforementioned garlic rice and fried chicken. I would not try the buffet again. read more

Sweet pork, halo halo for dessert. Great place and food! Really happy this restaurant is here! The fried chicken was awesome very tasty! We will be back for sure! read more

Manila Bay Express - a smoothie in a plastic cup - Filipino Near Me - Grandview, Missouri

Be aware !!! Didnt know this but they have a sign that says cash or 3.39 extra charge percent charge for credit cards what the heck? our total was $48 for three meals and was very pricey considered the quantity was not there. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! may not return just for this reason. We were so looking forward to this as we were referred by two people. Ordered carry out. 1. Food smelled great!!! 2. Pansit Bihon was very salty but good flavors but the salt over powered it. I mean it was really salty! it was like having a spoon full of salt and chewing on it. large quantity and usually so anywhere with noodles 3. Liemp I dont care for this but the other people did. I thought it was chewy and spit it out. small quantity 4. Adobo chicken. This was good and would order again portion size was lacking, I think we got 4 very small boned pieces. Need some signage on the front of your building, you wouldnt know what it was unless you were actually looking for it! get some signage! read more

I lived in the Philippines for 2 years so I'm admittedly critical of anyone claiming to be 'authentic'. But this place knocked it out of the park! We ordered 3 entrees plus a halo halo dessert and everything was spot on. Wow. It's a very nondescript family owned / operated restaurant. I don't live anywhere near there but I will make the drive OFTEN. Tip- be sure to get the garlic rice. MASARAP TALAGA!!!! read more

Manila Bay Express - Pancit - Filipino Near Me - Grandview, Missouri

We got take out. Got the pancet bihon (noodles with veggies and chicken) which were nice- I did add a little soy sauce to increase the flavor. My partner got the pancit palabok which was yummy but SUPER liquidy and messy in its styrofoam takeout container- it needs a plastic one with a tight fitting lid. Would definitely return and try more dishes! read more

Manila Bay Express - The Pancit Bihon - Filipino Near Me - Grandview, Missouri

There aren't many places in Kansas City where you can find authentic Filipino cuisine; fortunately for those who have always wanted to try Filipino food or if you are craving a taste of home Manila Bay Express is here for you! I'm half Filipino myself and grew up eating Filipino food for holidays and family get togethers and I have to say Manila Bay's menu has all of my favorites: Chicken Adobo, longanisa sausage, Lumpia (Filipino style spring rolls), pancit (noodle dish), Sig Sig (pork & chicken shredded with lime and spices), lechon kawali (deep fried crunchy pork belly), their fried Chicken is also top notch and a must try, and of course finished off with some Halo-Halo (shaved ice dessert). Its perfect for satisfying my cravings without having to wait till Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter. My entire family has been here and love it too. Manila Bay Express is family own and operated so you know all the recipes are authentic and from the heart. Hope you give this place a try, I promise you won't be disappointed! read more

Manila Bay Express - Order at the counter - Filipino Near Me - Grandview, Missouri

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Excellent food. Especially the lechon and Palabok (best I've ever had and I cook this at home!). Will come back

Do you want to try Filipino food? I ate there with my friend and it was fun to try. The lumpia is truly wonderful! It brought back memories of a high school friend who was Filipino and prepared lumpia for my family. I say give it a try. It is not spicy. It is fried. read more

Very good authentic Filipino food that has good prices for the quality of food they offer! Although it is a drive way, it is well worth the trip if you really want the authentic food not a knock off! The beef lumpia, longanisa and the dinuguan was delicious, would recommend and would love to come back! Quick service , open seating, cash discounts offered! read more

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My husband and I wanted to have some Philippino food for tonight so we ordered pinakbet (mixed veggies like okra, bitter melon, squash, long bean) in tasty sauce, including 2 big shrimps with head and shell on, an appetizer of lechon kawai which is roasted pork belly, they re crunchy and big, my husband got some beef silog with garlic fried rice, he loves it! Dont forget to grab a banana fried roll for dessert! Overall, very fulfilling dinner with tasty food, pretty authentic! Bravo! Hope your restaurant stay around for a long time read more