Manong was a fantastic experience from start to finish. The restaurant itself has such a relaxed vibe, well lit and not too loud. We sat at a table across from the bar (which is very pretty itself) and were able to talk to each other easily despite the dinner crowd. I especially loved the Outback Steakhouse sign in the bathroom hahaha. The server was quick and helpful with all our menu questions, and was very friendly. We were already enjoying ourselves before the food even showed up! The food and cocktails themselves were very good, and as someone who likes to try new foods often I was satisfied. We started with the bloom shroom, the dish we saw most advertised and talked about, and it did not disappoint. My friends said it tasted like calamari almost, and I found it perfectly salty and the salsa rosada paired so well with it'll the mushrooms. The ensaladang sariwa was a lot of cabbage, which I love, and the green goddess was a nice tangy taste, generously poured over the cabbage. I don't mind the amount of the dressing, but if you don't like too much this might not be the starter for you. My entree was the kalabasa pyanggang, a squash dish that essentially was just a whole cooked squash with some toppings. It wasn't bad, but it didn't blow me away like some of the other items. My friend got the super duper creamy pasta (lol) and she really enjoyed it. For dessert, we got the gelati, one ube and one mango water ice, and the taste was amazing. They also had pandan and calamansi. This is definitely a place I'd return, especially for the bloom shroom. Looking forward to visiting the newly opened cafe there as well! read more

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Manong opened a couple of months ago and I wanted to let them settle before rushing to eat since I noticed they were still updating the menu. They just started their one hour happy hour a week or so ago so my friend and I decided to pop in for a small snack and drinks. The decorations I thought were super cute but they kept the same layout style as telas that was previously in this spot. We sat at the bar and ordered the coffee drink as well as the happy hour cocktail that was a pineapple daiquiri. The coffee drink was essentially an espresso martini but I enjoyed it because the coffee tasted delicious. The other drink however was a little too sweet for my liking. I ordered the potato salad and the beef skewer. The beef skewer was ok, I just wasn't a fan of the whole big piece of green onions inside the meat. It felt like too much green onions compared to the meat. The potato salad was good! I just wish there was more chicharron. Overall everything was good and I may have to come back for the actual dinner menu. Cody was our bartender and he was Also very nice and actually told us there should be coffee coming out during the daytime in the near future so I'll definitely be back for that. read more

Manong - American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I'll advocate for Filipino cuisine anytime, anywhere, and Manong has been a great addition to the Philly community that spotlights what I feel is an underrated food in the city. Manong advertises itself as the 'Filipino Outback,' and I think it fits that mantra well. There's the bar and table seating and loud atmosphere you'll find at the Auzzie-inspired restaurant, but it's mixed with a more intimate feel with neighboring tables close to you and fewer TVs broadcasting the next sports game. Bonus points for the arcade machine in the corner after entering for kids and anyone interested in classic games after their meal. My partner and I were seated immediately after arriving for our Saturday evening RSVP. It took a few minutes before our waitress came to take our order after the initial seating and water. Our food arrived promptly, but I did feel that the service could be improved a hair with more frequent refills and check-ins, especially since we noticed one staff member chatting frequently with a two-top a few tables down throughout our meal. I understand that it was peak weekend dinner traffic, but it did feel that service was a bit inconsistent on that front. I did appreciate having our plates cleared between courses, however. The Food Breakdown: Dynamite Lumpia (5/5) - Probably my favorite Filipino-based food, and it lived up to its flavor for Manong's version. Mozzarella in its makeup might sound like a turn-off at first, but it was very subtle and complemented the jalapeño flavor. The sweet chili sauce made for a great dip. Two come with each order. Beef Stick Tagalog (4.5/5) - The flank steak meat was juicy, and the scallion added good texture to each bite. I didn't feel it stood out compared to the other appetizers, as it was just an overall enjoyable starter. Bloom Shroom (3.5/5) - I honestly felt very conflicted reflecting on this one. The taste was great, and it deserves all its flowers for being an experimental take on the Outback classic. The enoki was breaded and seasoned well, and the sauce that accompanies the dish is delicious. I think it's a bit more challenging to eat after the first few pieces, since a Bloomin' Onion helps with being more piecewise. It's a great starter if you're in a larger party or likes more experimental foods, but I think sharing between two (and especially one) makes it a bit to handle. Lechon Liempo (4/5) - The pork belly was very tender, and the rich, fatty parts worked with the sauce brilliantly. My only reasoning against a 5-star rating on the dish was because we had a section of fried skin that was mostly inedible because it was extremely dense. I wish that the fat was cut slightly better, but luckily it was only a small portion of the overall dish. We also had garlic rice to complement the flavor as well (ordered separately). This spot is absolutely worth a visit, and I hope it becomes a staple in the Fairmount neighborhood for a long time like its sister restaurant in Tabachoy. Lots of praise for its experimental flavors and ideas, and even if it didn't fully resonate with my partner and I, they're still outstanding concepts and I would certainly revisit to try more of their menu. Also: I can't get over how they have a literal Outback sign in one of their bathrooms. Worth a trip just to see it and take a selfie. read more

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3.8 Tried their new brunch menu, I ordered the longanisa sandwich and ube cinnamon bun. The sandwich was good, the eggs were fluffly and the sauce complimented the ingredients well. The filling to bun ratio was perfect. The ube cinnamon bun was good but did not taste like ube just a purple cinnamon bun. It was a pretty casual setting, just a tad loud. Not sure if I would try again read more

Manong - American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I came out to try Manong twice. The first time around was when they were still relatively new and it was definitely more crowded. During my first time, I tried the dynamite lumpia, chicken skewer, beef stick tagalog skewers, and lechon baka with a side of garlic rice (which truly felt like a boy dinner). The second time around, I ordered the dynamite lumpia (again), bloom shroom, lechon liempo, and manong's bistek with a side of garlic rice. I absolutely lovedddd everything the second time around. The bloom shroom was a bit hard to eat and was quite oily but worth it (especially the sauce). The steak was so delicious with the picked onions and fresnos, and the pork belly was so crispy and honestly...the pairing with the garlic rice was just perfect. I was so full by the end of the meal and didn't get to try the dessert, but I'll surely be back. The service felt a bit slower the second time around as the waiters switched after we were seated and it took a bit to get our orders in, but at the end of the day, I think the food really made up for it. read more

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This is solely for their new addition of cafe hours. I got the iced pandan latte and ube cinnamon roll. Both were soooo good. The pandan is a syrup. I LOVE the Pandan flavor so it was perfect. The ube latte looked good maybe I'll try that next time. They're starting breakfast/brunch menu in April from what the person at the register was saying. Plenty of seating and they have WiFi so potentially a good spot to read or work but it does get a little loud read more

Manong - American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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This was our first time at Manong. We were expecting great food, but what we had blew us out of the water! My sister loved the grilled shrimp and pork belly--she said she could sit there all night and eat nothing but those two. My dad, a self-proclaimed potato salad connoisseur, rated theirs as his number one. I personally loved the fried enoki mushrooms. Dessert was also fabulous; the ube ice cream sandwich was delicious. Our only regret was not making it in time to try the prime rib before the menu changed. The ambiance and service were spectacular. read more

I ate here this past Friday night and had a fabulous experience! The restaurant definitely reminded me of an outback which I know is the goal. The Ube cocktail was amazing and came in a really cute coconut glass. We started with the Bloom Shroom and the Lumpia which was especially amazing. For entrees we got the port belly, snapper, and a burger and shared all of them. I really have no complaints about any of them they were all delicious. We ended with some delicious ube ice cream! I will definitely be back. read more

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Manong opened a couple of months ago and I have been planning on visiting since then. My wife and I enjoyed the unique take on Filipino food. Dynamite Lumpia (4/5) - Not your Lola's lumpia, but I understand it is Manong's version. Mozzarella was a new twist. Two come with each order. Beef Stick Tagalog (4/5) - The steak meat was juicy, and tasted good. Garlic Rice (4/5) - Not enough rice for me personally, but it was good. Chicken Skewer (4/5) - Flavorful and solid. Not what I expected, but very solid starter. My wife and I shared the Chicken Inasal which was the best thing we ate on the menu - (4.5/5) It is a half chicken with a unique sauce. Enjoyed the experience! Unique take on Filipino food. read more

Had an awesome time here a few weeks back A little pricey but well worth the price of admission All the food we had from the apps to mains to dessert was super flavorful and the drinks were delicious Would happily come back on a special occasion read more

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Make a reservation fast! This place is so good! It's such a vibe. Diner meets Applebees meets Denny's meets Philly! (This place feels so Philly!) All the nostalgia you could possibly want! And the food is top tier in all categories! I must admit. I love Tabachoy and when I learned that the chef/owner was opening a new restaurant in Fairmount, my friend and I waited until they opened the doors and were on a reservation right away! This is their second week and they are already killing it! The servers are on top of things, they have flavorful cocktails and the food? Delicious! Please order the bloomin shroom! Crispy and delicious and dip it in the salsa rosada! You should try the lechon liempo! This crispy pork belly in the sauce is so delicious! So much flavor! And Chef and owner Chance Anies brings his expertise and personal touch to both of his restaurants as he makes his way around tables and takes time to chat with the diners. This matters. He creates community with his restaurants and is so personable. It adds to the beautiful food. By the way, I used to have a rule that I would not drink blue cocktails. I broke that rule at Manong and indulged in the marg...bright blue and delicious. This is a great place. Come here. read more

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Wanted to try this new restaurant based on the reviews. Service was very good but that is about all. It is very noisy the tables are very close together. The food is what I came for was average at best. I ordered the salad very bland taste. Next ordered the pasta which was not that hot. They replaced it and it was good not great. Based on the recommendation I ordered the pork entree. It was very dry and not what I expected. As a side order we ordered spinach. This was very bad. The taste awful. I will definitely not be rushing back read more

Live in the neighbourhood and decided to try this newest restaurant this evening. Had a reservation for 6:30 that was honoured on time with a nice corner table. The place was packed, but service was prompt and delightful. Food was fine, nothing special, but the noice level in the restaurant was way too much for our group - couldn't hear ourselves talk. Space is very nice, food is fine - nothing really special, but none of us will go back because of the noise. Just too loud and the drunk next to us was a screamer which aggravated an already bad situation. Even our wonderful waitress comments on the noise. read more

Pretty cool bar. Very dark inside and all the concrete in there makes it's pretty loud. The bartender was very nice. The drinks were alright. The ube cocktail was our favorite. The blooming shroom has a really weird after taste and there's never enough sauce in that little cup for the entire thing. The pork was okay. The star of the show had to be the squash dish, that was delicious. I had just hoped the food would've been better for all the hype. read more

Manong - Lechon Liempo - American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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The brunch here is incredible but we went for dinner and were very disappointed. The drinks were the best part of the meal and I would go back there again but just for drinks. Service beyond the manager seemed to have more interest in gossiping about the fact that we were unhappy than actually righting the situation. Even after asking for the check it took about 20 minutes to get it while watching staff stand around. Fish was clearly frozen but they charged like it was a piece of fresh fish and the pork belly wasn't pork belly. Place was crowded but overall ambiance was nice enough. I'd happily go back from brunch as it's definitely one of the best/up and coming brunch spots in the city but wouldn't go back for dinner. Would be cool if they switched to offering breakfast for dinner. I would give 5 stars for breakfast/brunch/lunch and one for dinner so they get 3. read more

Really tasty Nuevo Filipino spot in Fairmont. Selections are a bit limited but we enjoyed all four of our mains - both pork and beef lechons, chicken and the squash. The squash was very well done and complemented well by the coconut sauce. Chicken was excellent. The pork lechon was probably the closest to traditional lechon and was decent. Service was efficient and super friendly, and the whole vibe if family-friendly/hipster. Relatively good drinks selection too. A spot for the rotation in Philly for sure. read more

I had been expecting much better, especially for the price point. The ambiance was frustrating. The restaurant was nicely furnished, but far too noisy. Between the music and the lack of any insulation, I found myself unable to hear my dinner companions who were maybe a foot from me. The service was unremarkable. Dishes were brought out mostly in a timely fashion, although entrees were delivered separately with maybe five minutes between dishes, which was strange. The food definitely left a lot to be desired. The blooming onion was good with the sauce, but the batter tasted underseasoned. The lumpia was excellent (though it is hard to mess that up). The pork belly was extremely disappointing. The fat was basically a tasteless hard shell, and the meat itself was underseasoned. As an entree, I would rather have had half the amount of meat and a side salad. The garlic rice was good, but it was borrowed from Tabachoy. The burger was good but unremarkable. The banana ketchup was fun, but the overall experience was meh. The flavor of the ube ice cream was excellent, but the cream seems to have split - there was fat on my spoon. I don't know if it was overly whipped (and starting to separate) or if the flavoring agents had caused it to begin to curdle. Overall an extreme disappointment from the chefs. I would not recommend going back. read more

Overall the experience was very good. The service was great our server gave great recommendations. The restaurants lighting and vibe was also just right it is casual. The food was good but tabochoy is overall better some standouts were the ensaladang sariwa it was perfectly seasoned and dressed. Get the ube ice cream. Skip the pasta dish as it just lacked flavor. The espresso martini was small for the price and the cup was not full the flavor was good though. I really made this review to post the menu because I struggled to find a good one online. read more

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Manong was a disappointment for several reasons. First and foremost, the food was simply not good. The creamy pasta had a dry texture, with pasta that was stuck altogether into a starchy amalgation upon serving, and the "pork belly" pieces were drowned out by the sauce and did not complement the dish at all. Their popular appetizer, the enoki bloom, was as simple as enoki mushrooms dipped in batter and fried, with a pool of oil at the bottom. The swordfish, albeit cooked well, at first bite was unappetizingly fishy due to a strong fish sauce that overrode the flavor of the swordfish. To add on, their portion sizes were laughably small, especially given the higher price point. Portion sizes of course do not reflect quality of the food; however, neither the taste nor execution of the dishes was satisfactory. Lastly, the loudness of the music and ambience did not complement the type of finer dining they seemed to aim for as indicated by the price and portion sizes. read more

This is a casual neighborhood. We want happy hours with a community vibe. This is not it. Food is fine but overpriced.

Such a delight to have this restaurant in the neighborhood! The atmosphere, service and food are totally on point! Everyone I have encountered is very friendly and welcoming. The lighting is fabulous! OMG! The food knocks it out of the park. The lumpia, bloom shroom, salad and burgers are not to be missed! Cannot wait to go back! Want to try the pork belly and prime rib. read more

Overall excellent experience! The place was energetic, the service phenomenal, the cuisine outstanding. The vibe was energetic though the background music was way too loud; took away from having a casual conversation with friends at the table. Isaiah was our server; had a dynamite personality, made the evening extra-special, and was very attentive. The crew was very cognizant of each other, a very fluid operation that kept the pace and ensured the diners were having a great night out. The food was overall outstanding. The lumpia was cheesy deliciousness with pork, the shroom was overrated (a little cold and too salty), the crispy pork belly was heaven, the chicken incredibly moist with a semi-sweetness taste, the snapper's presentation was just as eye-pleasing as eating it, the potato salad was a nice addition though got mixed reviews from our table. Must finish with an ice cream sandwich! The final tab added up quickly; that noted, seemingly patronized by regulars and well worth a visit, definitely ask for Isaiah. read more