Big fan of Manila Sunset! I frequent the one in Hollywood and was happy to find this spot in SD. Food: the standout dishes were bangus plate, Puto Bumbong, and Bibinkang. The lugaw could be better: the whole chicken pieces were there so I kept on eating parts of the bones. I highly recommend cutting the chicken so it improves the experience. Kinda ruins the lugaw vibes when I have a piece of bone I'm chewing. Ambiance: friendly service, HOWEVER there is no air-con or even an electric fan. I was sweating on the weekend, would highly recommend setting something up just of help improve the atmosphere. read more

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Look here! One of the go-to Filipino spots in National City. I've been coming to this mom & pop shop since I was a kid. This is the place for some delicious freshly made filipino food. It is a small restaurant, but it's a good place to grab to go or there's seats to enjoy your meal. Their food can be found at your Filipino parties! What do I recommend here?? Bibingka- (as per google: traditional Filipino baked rice cake, known for its soft, spongy texture and slightly sweet, coconut flavor) That is what they're known for! Second best? The bbq. Chicken or pork. They have a mini window so you can see them grill. My usual? Pork inihaw Lechon kawali Palabok. read more

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First time coming and definitely our last. The prices and portion of their 'plate' is a joke. Waited 55 minutes for my plate to come. My family were already done eating. The cashier young lady (Ma Delisa was on the name on the receipt) who doesn't smile became abrasive and defensive when I followed up my food. She had the audacity to tell me if I am willing to get my rice first and wait for my chicken bbq. What?!? So I told her, to box it as we are leaving. My hubby said the dinuguan was good but the bbq was meh. Oh and the size of their lumpia shanghai, is like a toddler's little fingers- I'm not even kidding! read more

Yikes. I'd give them negative stars if I could. Food looks nothing like the pictures on their menu. Example their bbq meal doesn't come with 3 sticks of bbq but a handful of cut up beef that lack flavor without the vinegar. For the price you pay, the taste of the food sucks. Honestly better off going to Tita's Kitchenette or Grill City inside Seafood City. The serving size is small especially for what you pay. We went here for the bibingka since that's what they used to be known for at Filipinos parties IYKYK. But yikes. The quality and taste was NOT IT. Valerios has better bibingka. At this rate, they'll close like their Mira Mesa location. read more

Very delicious food fresh, made to order. Services, pleasant and easy. Plenty of indoor seating day I visit no concern for finding a seat. It's very comfortable. Lots of customers and people take out. read more

Pre-ordered the Bibingka, pick up was fast. A little bit of a wait to pay for my order. Tables available for you to enjoy the meal. Eat in, why not? Place is decorated, Filipino ambiance. Lots of parking. Enjoy your weekend everyone. 4 Star just bec I bought the party tray that has 12 pcs of Bibingka in one order and only comes with a small container of grated coconut ( just not enough, really). I had to ask for additional container and was told thats what it come with. Was given additional few small bags ( which was also nice of them ). Bibingka tastes better with a lot of coconut sprinkled on top. read more

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I only tried once, so, this review is for this experience only. First time trying bibingka. There was no available puto bungbong. Very long line and you need to wait if you have specific orders. Loved that they have a certain taste of this in the area. But I dont taste anything so special with the bibingka other than I liked the smell of the banana leaf. We were given a pre-prepared bibingka next to the counter. Twas not hot anymore, though there is heating instructions in the box. The coconut is not enough for a 12 pieces cheese bibingka. Dont expect that there is a salted egg or visual big chunk of cheese on too but, can be tasted as good.Otherwise, glad they have this store all year round. They have points reward system if you are loyal customer. read more

Manila Sunset - Filipino Near Me - National City, California

I hate to leave this review because my family and I have been coming here since I was a kid. Food is 10/10 and honestly the best Filipino bbq you can get in SD! But the service quality has gone down considerably over the years. Stopped in during Mother's Day for a quick meal and there was no "welcome in" or greeting at the register. Workers seemed distracted and we had to say "we're ready to order" twice before having our order taken down. The tables were really dirty as well. There was another family who came in after us who sat at the table in the pic and I handed them a napkin to wipe down the surface because they had also noticed how dirty it was too. There was sauce with food bits spilled near the trash can and at one point the garbage was taken out and the spill still wasn't cleaned up. I'd understand if it were busy but there was no line at all and most of the workers went to the back kitchen area and you could hear them having casual convos all while the dining area remained dirty. I remember coming here when I was younger and the servers used to be so warm and friendly. They would take a lot of pride in keeping the place clean and wipe down tables whenever customers were done eating. Hope I can come back eventually and give the place 5 stars because I would really really like to! read more

Manila Sunset - Yikes - Filipino Near Me - National City, California

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Fried Filipino food, beer, wine, karaoke. I pretty much summed up the place in first sentence. Packed to the gills the night I rolled by. It's like a large Filipino family party here. The chicharron bulaklak and saucy sisig were good too. read more

We were craving Filipino food so we came here for lunch. We ordered pork plate, Pancit, lumpia, and bibingka. Most of the food tasted good. The Pancit Malabon was made in a way I didn't have before with egg. It was still good but not as flavorful as I remember. The pork plate was good. The lumpias were a bit on the small side and they were okay. And the dessert was good- not too sweet. The portion sizes were average and the two of us finished everything. We did come in hungry. Service was good. It was crowded when we got there and all the tables were full. There were about 12-14 tables. So when one opened we took it. The table was still dirty and when I told one of the staff, they took care of it right away. The place itself was casual. You order at the counter and wait for your name to be called. read more

I really wanted to like this place but I was sadly disappointed. I cook Pancit at home sometimes with so many vegetables, and I add a lot of spice to give the dish significant flavor. But, when I ordered this Pancit called "Pancit Malabon" it was not what I had imagined and hoped for. It had egg pieces in it which I never noticed on the menu. The menu also said it had vegetables, but I saw none in mine. It was a small plate (bigger prices) of odd-tasting noodles with a lot of egg and two tiny shrimp that looked like they were so tiny! The shrimp looked like it had been cut in half which I don't understand. It did not taste good. Two miniscule shrimp in the dish like they just did not seem to care about making this dish plentiful with vegetables and shrimp the way it should be. So hardly any vegetables and two half-cut shrimp pieces. There, however, seemed to be plenty of egg which just all around did not taste good. I also ordered lumpia which was another disappointment. They were like egg rolls with the Pancit noodles inside. The flavor was not pleasant to me. What happened to the traditional lumpia with seasoned ground beef inside? I feel like I wasted my money today! That is what happens when you roll the dice going to places sometimes. In conclusion, , the workers did not seem friendly either which is a must for me spending my hard-earned money. An all-around unpleasant dining experience. read more

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I placed a phone order today at 1:21pm for 2 Pancit Malabon and 2 Bibingka, they said 20mins, I got there at 1:44p and when I came in to pay and pickup it wasn't even ready, so I waited until 2:05pm and the people behind me who placed bigger order got their meal first, so I told it then it's been more than 45mins and asked to cancel the order and walkout, but it's okay if they don't since $18 is nothing to me, MIRA MESA Manila Sunset has always been better...enjoy my $18 donation read more

Yup, yet another review update of my favorite Filipino restaurant in National City, South Bay San Diego. I've been dining here with my parents for as long as we've lived in SD, all through the 1990s onward when they had the smaller location a few doors down. I've moved away from San Diego many years ago, but almost every San Diego visit includes Manila Sunset. Most other Filipino restaurants in National City are comparable to the Filipino restaurants in Waipahu, Hawaii, but NOTHING matches Manila Sunset's pancit malabon and bibingka. A few things to keep in mind about National City Manila Sunset: - CALL. IN. YOUR. ORDERS. - FOOD. IS. MADE. TO. ORDER. You don't see their food just sitting around on a warmer, right? Be patient. Quality, fresh meals are worth the wait... unless you're hangry... then I'd suggest grabbing a drink from SD Boba across the way while waiting for your order. - Pancit malabon: one of a kind. - Bibingka: one of a kind. Tastes even better when reheated in the oven! If you live out of state, freeze these ASAP, freeze them at home, then bake in the oven! - Chicken BBQ: yummy. - Puto bumbong: yummy! - Keep your receipt if you prepay! Also during Christmas 2024 season, bibingka was already sold out on Christmas Eve and Eve in advance! Call. In. Your. Orders. And. Keep. Your. Receipt! They're "slow" because food is made to order AND Manila Sunset is immensely popular. I thought the workers were as nice and patient as could be on December 23rd. I would suggest creating a smooth system to separate pre-orders with those who have yet to order in person. Both groups of customers were all bunched up during the Christmas Eve Eve lunch rush and it looked so chaotic. I felt so bad for the workers! So yes, until the next National City visit, Manila Sunset! read more

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The best Filipino food and people. There are some really good singers here. I recommend making a reservation. They serve delicious food till late. Great spot for a late night meal. read more

My mission this evening was for several dishes. The only one they had for me was dinuguan and added side of rice. I added puto bumbong to my order. I had hoped they had more platter options, which is what led me down the street to a competitor. No military discount. Given the economy ia driving prices up, it could be view as a good value. The visit down the street to their competitor had me regretting not going there first. However, I will say that every bite of my food was devoured and enjoyed. The place wasn't packed and it took about 15 minutes for my food to be done. It seemed a bit long but considering I stood in a long line down the street for almost the same food, it was worth the wait. Not quite sure if I'll visit again since I found the value of the competition down the street, but a nice place to introduce someone to Filipino food. read more

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3 stars- walking in you notice the same set up for a small eatery. Places to sit, counter to order and pick up, restroom. My husband and I ordered pork inahow, longganiza w egg and maiz con hello. The pork was sad. Very dry and crispy with bone pieces. The longganiza was cooked just right. Egg, good. Maiz, yum. Free bibinkga a la mode, yes and yes! My favorite! The staff are polite and smiling- says a lot about the vibe. The cons- the wait to order and wait again for seats then wait for the food was about 30-35 minutes. If you don't go during the rush or are willing/able to wait- get the stuff that's recommended on here... read more

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All time Filipino favorites hit the spot at this place. Lechon kawali , pork plate, tokwa't baboy, pansit malabon, bibingka, puto bumbong and the sinigang soup... was so amazing! read more

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This place has fallen off from early 2010s. Extremely small portions. Minimum purchase of $10 for debit cards? Customer service is horrible. The overall atmosphere is cool. But you can tell how money hungry they are. Honestly such a shame, even when eggs were up, they were charging extra each $11-$15 plate that had egg. Just downright shameful. Below, I paid $50 with 2 babingkas and 2 coke cans. My last straw came after I paid for my food, I asked to add an extra soup. I was told the minimum purchase is $10, when I told her I'm using a debit card she just shrugged her shoulders and said "that's how the boss wants it". Then I asked to speak to the manager, she comes back and says we don't have a manager here today just supervisors......okay? Go get me a supervisor??? I had a free can of soda ($3.99) in points, I asked if they could just give me the $1.15 soup instead of the soda. I was told no. At this point the line was so long I just accepted I couldn't get the extra soup without cash or spending an additional $10. read more

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The franchise owners here have no shame, they don't care about the quality of their food and are lazy. I ordered pancit malabon and bibingka. The pancit malabon was horrible, it was served on a paper plate with just noodles and sauce drenched in garlic, and the bibingka was old, it had green mold growing on it. Disgusting. read more

If you plan to dine in or order to go the wait time is ridiculous. We waited for 40 minutes for order to be done. They should let the customers know ahead of time that there would be a long wait for their food. read more

Delicious food, friendly staff, reasonable prices, cute inside and good sized parking lot. 10/10 no complaints read more

Manila Sunset - Beef tapa and egg $14.50 - Filipino Near Me - National City, California

Jan. 2, 2026 - Closed today. I guess they took an extra holiday. I really wanted their bibingka because the flavor is consistent for over 20 years. Oh wells, we'll have to make another trip to National City some time this year. read more

I've been coming to Manila Sunset since it was in the inner corner unit - IYKYK!! This place will forever bring me back to all my best childhood memories. Random and not so random stops with my grandparents for their malabon and bibingka. Now that they're gone and I have my own children, we continue that tradition! Food is the same as I remember it then which is amazing because we're talking over 30 years. Believe it or not, we even see some of the same smiling faces working behind the counter. They're always busy so if you're in a rush, call in your order and take it to go. It's always packed with care so nothing leaks or spills. If you have time to wait for your food to come out fresh, find a seat and enjoy. read more

I have enjoyed the food at Manila Sunset for years. I really like the halo-halo, leche flan, lumpia and several things from their grill menu. Service is good too. Overall, one of my favorite spots. read more

Manila Sunset - Filipino Near Me - National City, California

I placed an order three weeks ago for an extra-large tray of pancit and 200 lumpia. We were instructed to call 15 minutes prior to pickup for our scheduled 12:30 PM order, which we did. At 12:42 PM, I received a call from the restaurant stating they could not fulfill the lumpia order because they had been closed for a couple of days due to the holiday. This is exactly why I placed the order well in advance. The restaurant opens at 10:00 AM, yet they waited until well after my pickup time to notify me. Additionally, reaching them by phone is nearly impossible, which is why we had to walk in just to place the order. This experience was extremely frustrating and highly unprofessional. read more

Poor Service! New management. Employees talked bad about previous management. Significantly smaller portions, higher prices, and they need to turn on their air conditioning! read more

One of my all-time favorites in the SD area. Everything is excellent. I especially love the skewers, pancit malabon, lechon kawali and leche flan!! As you can see on the pics, proces are reasonable! read more

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I grew up coming here and the quality of the food just isn't the same. My family usually orders bibingka, pancit malabon, puto bumbong, and embutido. Today I ordered a medium tray of pancit malabon and a box (dozen) of bibingka. Although the catering orders were made very fast I'm disappointed in how the food came out. The bibingka batter was undercooked and the pancit malabon was salty and oily and the shrimp wasn't deveined. I might have caught them on a bad day. At the very least, the customer service was decent and the restaurant was clean. read more

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Poor services from this place, especially because I called in before placing an order which was posted on yelp for 50 lumpia Shanghai for a total of $15.95 which I talked to a worker by the name of Ash, which confirmed that that was the cost of the lumpia's so I went ahead, and placed the order and told her I would be there in two minutes, then after shown up to the restaurant and a young man was trying to charge me $28 (not including taxes) which I asked them that Ash had placed to order for $15.95, he then called Ash, which came over and said that she thought it's was something else and she was mistaken and that if I wanted to cancel the order... Now people, what do you think I said ??? Of course I did !!! What kind of service or services is "Manila Sunset" serving their potential customers?? I clearly ordered and she clearly heard exactly what I wanted. There's no confusion of the order I placed. Definitely dishonest workers and or "Manila Sunset" for having that posted either on "Yelp" or the lady worker (Ash) confirming what was on yelp which I repeat to her and asked her if that was right and she said YES! Therefore, people be aware of which places you pick because these places can change their prices at their discretion... Very Poor Services Period and Buyer's beware!! read more

Completely unacceptable. We called to place an order and the staff answered the phone, then left us hanging for about 3 minutes. No greeting, no "please hold," no response at all. We can even hear their conversations in the background. This happened multiple times. We even took a video of the call for reference. If you don't want to take phone orders, don't answer the phone. Wasting customers' time like this is incredibly unprofessional. After several attempts, we gave up and took our business elsewhere. Would not recommend. read more

Need more menu sheets. Just one bathroom. No customer service at all......nada! Line is long and slow due to everybody just looking just one menu sheet. read more

Chealsea was so helpful. She helped us find a missing wallet. we are grateful for her help and dedication to excellent customer service! The puto and dinuguan and puto bong bong and bibingka are our favorites! always freshly cooked and tastes so good! The Philippine decor brings you back home! we come here when we are missing our hometown and always feel at home and welcome! Mabuhay! read more

We love their lumpia. When searching for Filipino food to satisfy our cravings, Manila Sunset always comes in clutch. They are a reliable go-to for catering as well read more

Poor at taking calls for orders. To improve assign someday, someone who can take a call for all orders.

Service is really bad. No customer service at all. The way they talked to the customer seems they don't like any business

Came here soon after they opened on a Saturday morning. They had plenty of parking at this time. They also had plenty of tables for us to sit in. We ordered the pancit malabon, my favorite and it did not disappoint. The biningkang malabon was also delicious. The manager came to our table while we were eating and gave us bibingkang galapong ala mode. The ice cream was an extra notch to an already very good bibinkga. Yummmm. The bangus with eggs and rice was good as well. The lumpia was underwhelming. It was skinny and tiny. read more

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Good Ol' Manila Sunset what could I say? It's a Filipino institution in National City. Get your fix

I love this place. Been going since I was a kid. Love the bibingka there! Also the bbq is yummy

Manila Sunset is known for its bibingka in my family; we used to go here often when I was a kid in preparation for family parties. Since I've grown up, I haven't gone as often, but I revisited today and was glad to see that they have kept their food and restaurant style the same. Their bibingka is truly unmatched - it's soft and just the right amount of fluffy. I also really liked their daing na bangus with fried egg (bangsilog); the portions were great though I do wish that the fried egg wasn't so firm. Service was also nice and the wait time was short (10-15 min)! If you order to-go they serve your food on styrofoam plates with foil/plastic wrap over it -- it reminds me of takeout from filipino parties :) So nostalgic! read more

Simple menu, simple food. Best bibinka in town. Their fresh egg rolls are also really good. Food takes awhile to cook so make sure you got extra time to spare. Expensive for the portions that you get, if you compare to other Filipino restaurants. But it's still tasty and good. Restaurant feels like an old school bahay kubo. read more

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