So good! There are a lot of hyped up Filipino places on social media but Ruby's is legit and also one of the OGs. Lumpia, BBQ pork, and pancit were made fresh to order. Nice fatty cuts in both lumpia and skewers and some nice char bits. Pancit had all the right flavors with a good ratio of ingredients and good portion size. Ready-to-eat kare kare and bistek were also solid. Rich sauce, accurate flavor and tender beef chunks. I don't usually crave or recommended Filipino food because you can't beat mama's cooking but Ruby's is an exception - 10/10! read more

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Home cooking that everyone loves! I have been going to this place for decades! Highly recommended. read more

Great food. You get a lot for the price and if you like Filipino food it's a must stop in the Windy City

It's been years since I've been to Ruby's. I came with my daughters and let them choose what we were having for lunch. We started with the bbq pork, then the fried pompano, palabok and lechon kawali. The bbq pork was a little different than I'm used to. The pompano had a really great tomato, salted egg side that came with it. Overall the food was great and we had a good amount left over to share with hubby at home. Ruby's is a bit of a drive from us, but definitely another Filipino option for us while in the area. read more

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First time dining in in this place. And it was really nice the food was great I think the diamond food was better than the food they sell for takeout. My favorite is kare kare made of oxtail, soranghon with prawns, they're egg rolls is actually very tasty and not too pricey. I miss the melon juice so much that was so refreshing. We also had the crispy pata, and palabok. Service was great. The place was small but very clean. The only issue would be the parking it's very limited because it's a street parking. I would definitely come back to eat here again. Happy eating! read more

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What a perfect way to celebrate Filipino food mouth with friends with Filipino classic breakfast. The portion for the price is great and worth it. Everything came out quickly and delicious. The vibe was very chill inside with Filipino music playing. They do have 2 separate doors. The door far toward the end is for takeout orders and the door in the middle is for dine in. read more

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TLDR - Food: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5 Chicago has a big Filipino population, and this place is said to be as authentic as it gets. Overall, the food was pretty good! My dad and I shared the Chicken Suey and Beef Kare Kare from the rotating special menu. The portions were generous, but the prices were just okay. The dishes were a bit saltier and more oily than I would've liked, but still enjoyable. I really liked the Chicken Suey--it reminded me of a Vietnamese dish, though I can't remember the name. The Kare Kare, on the other hand, was just okay. It was a little too oily, and the beef was a bit dry. I've had better beef Kare Kare at KamayanATL. For dessert, we tried the Halo Halo, which wasn't bad. It had a nice ube flavor and good textures, but I wished it had more variety. It felt a bit too simple compared to other versions I've had. Now, onto the real star of the meal: Ruby's homemade shrimp paste. It was incredible--seriously, it elevated every dish by 10x! My dad loved it so much that he asked for extra to take home to Georgia. Just be careful not to use too much at once, though--it's strong! As for the dining experience, this place is kind of a hybrid between fast food and sit-down service. Everything is made fresh and ready to go, but we dined on the restaurant side, where you get a server (Ralph, who was super sweet). He let us sample dishes before ordering and even gave us extra shrimp paste to-go. I'll definitely be coming back, but next time I'll probably order to-go and stick to their classic menu. read more

Simply always the best Filipino food restaurant in Chicago for many years. The owner and Chef Nikki is always awesome and the workers too. read more

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Finally tried this local gem in Irving Park! I went on a Sunday afternoon & the place was not busy but had a steady flow of customers. The food hit the spot! I'm Palabok ethusiast & it definitely met my standards & thought the chicharron not crushed was a new but nice texture crunch to the meal. The sinigang was a good amount of sour but friend said it felt a bit salty. Tasted better the second day as a leftover though! read more

Ruby's Fast Food - Pork Sinigang Soup - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The portion sizes here are huge and so worth it! We got the crispy pata (look at the size of that!) and palabok for the mains and a BBQ chicken and BBQ pork skewer. Both skewers were tender and delicious. The garlic fried rice that comes with the crispy pata was also surprisingly my favorite thing - I know it's just rice but it was absolutely delicious and they give you sooo much. The service was great and very friendly! read more

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I finally got to try Ruby's Fast Food, and it was worth the wait! I brought my friend's parents, who were visiting from Ecuador, to give them a taste of Filipino cuisine. We ordered a few dishes to share, and the portions were generous. The food took me back home--it was absolutely delicious, especially the lechon kawali, which was cooked to perfection. Our waiter was incredibly attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. Thank you for making our dining experience so enjoyable! I also tried the cassava and flan for dessert--both were the perfect way to end our meal. I'm already planning to come back and try the halo-halo, but I was too full this time around! read more

Ruby's Fast Food - Pork Sisig, Pancit Bihon, Lumpia Shanghai - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've tried Ruby's years ago when they were at their original location (can't remember where that was), so I wanted to try them out again now that I'm back in Chicago. I ordered takeout - melon melon juice, Mixsilog (included with tapa, longonisa, and tocino), and not pictured, palabok. The reason for 4 stars: Trying to order over the phone was a bit harder, as the guy who I was speaking to couldn't hear what I was saying... they do ask you pay over the phone for pick up, which I understand to an extent, but I was just trying to place the order so I can go pick it up. I had asked to see if I can just pay when I got there, I guess that's not an option. The guy did offer me a free dessert when I got there, but I wish with all the trouble of trying to place the order, they would've just let me pay in store. Another reason was that it was hot when you entered the restaurant. I'm glad I got takeout, as I would not be comfortable eating in being that hot. The melon melon juice was super refreshing, I grew up drinking this with my family. The Mixsilog & palabok were definitely generous portions and can last you a few meals if eating by yourself - all in all delicious. read more

Ruby's Fast Food - Melon Melon Juice - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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3.5 stars. The restaurant had a welcoming and inviting atmosphere, with friendly staff that made us feel at home. We arrived around 11:30 AM, and by noon, there was a large group of people waiting for seating. We ordered four dishes, two of which came with a notice that they might take up to 30 minutes to prepare. While waiting, we enjoyed Lumpia Shanghai and the combination Pancit, which were served first. Lumpia and pancit was good. When our Lechon was okay. The slime as crispy but the meat was a little dry. Our daughter said it was too chewy for her which I agree. As for sinigang soup,(tamarind based soup) which I was looking forward to trying, turned out disappointing because it was too sour for our taste, even for someone who typically enjoys pickled foods. Would we come back? It depends who going to pay? read more

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My absolute favorite place to go to for Filipino Breakfast. Been here a few times now and I always get the Longanisa. My mom is from the Philippines and I finally got to get her over here a few weeks ago. She usually doesn't finish her food, but to my surprise she absolutely cleaned house on her breakfast. If it's good enough for my mom then it's good enough for me read more

My wife and I have dined at Ruby's many times both at the old and new locations, and always enjoyed the food. However our recent catering experience was unsatisfactory. My wife called to place a large order for a family gathering we were hosting. The person who answered the phone refused to read her the menu and told her that she could only place catering orders in person. We thought that was strange, but we were planning to be in the area that weekend anyway, so we stopped in to make the order. We ordered 9 dishes and our total was more than $700. The person who took our order told us that she would throw in plenty of rice for free. They also told us that we received wrong information regarding catering orders and that they can in fact be placed over the phone, so we wasted our time coming in to the restaurant just for this. On the day of the party, we didn't cook any rice because we were told that it was included. A family member picked up the food from Ruby's. When she arrived to our house, she didn't have the lumpia (100 pcs) that we ordered, and she wasn't given any rice. It would've been a 90+ min round trip in rush hour traffic to retrieve the missing items, so our guests had to eat the entrees without rice while we tried to quickly cook rice for our entire party. The missing lumpia were supposed to be our appetizer. My wife called the restaurant the next day to complain, and was told there would be no compensation for the missing rice because it would've been free, and there would be no refund offered for the missing lumpia, but we could order a 100 pc lumpia for free to replace it. This is totally unacceptable. These sorts of issues should never happen with a competent catering business, but if they do, the business should make it right. We will probably still come back to Ruby's for lunch or dinner from time to time because we love the food, but next time we need catering, unfortunately we'll have to order elsewhere. read more

My favorite Filipino spot to go to! They have a really good Filipino menu and you can tell they cook from the heart! Definitely, coming back here! read more

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After many, many years, I finally had the opportunity to eat in. It's a cozy spot with wonderful service. I ordered tapsilog, bbq pork sticks, and a sago. Then, got a halo halo to go. While the garlic fried rice and eggs were delicious, the tapa wasn't to my taste. Fortunately, the bbq sticks saved the day. I usually experience them at home, but they're truly wondrous fresh from the kitchen. I enjoyed the sago while waiting for my meal. It's lovely and sweet. It was a mite sweet for my dining partners, but I loved it. Finally, the absolute crème de la crème of my meal: halo halo. I requested bean free and our server Sam made it possible --thanks for looking out! It was so good, I almost wept. The flan was otherworldly. It made the halo halo incredibly special. Thanks, Ruby's! read more

I was dying for crispy pata and lichen kawali since leaving the SF Bay area a year and half ago. Wow this place doesn't disappoint on the food and portion size. The service started out a little slow. We waited about 10 minutes to have the server take our order. He was very friendly though so made up for the wait. We started with the lumpia which were wonderful. You get 12 with a sweet chili dipping sauce. I like them rolled a little bigger but no big deal. The palabok was new for us and while it was decent, It seemed like it needed chicken or something instead of just the egg and chicharrons. It came by itself and we waited for the pata and lechon for another 10 minutes. The noodles were then too cold. The cook/chef didn't time the dishes which would have been better. So we just sat there letting the noodles cool until the rest of the food was delivered. The pata and lechon were outstanding. OMG lots of crispy skin and moist meat. Lots of food. I was in heaven. It's BYOB, they are waiting for their liquor license. The one issue was that the door opens right into the dining area. No wind break. So the food cools down quick and it's a huge draft when anyone leaves or enters. Really uncomfortable since we sat right in the draft path. In the winter don't sit by the door. Food= 4.5 stars Service = 3 read more

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Lunch specials are really good value. The portions are gigantic. The eggrolls were really fresh delicious. The Kare Kare and pork bbq were both amazing. Both thick and Rich sauce. This could have fed 2 people. The salmon in lemon sauce was fine. read more

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Quick breakfast in Albany Park. Fabulous Filipino breakfast. 3 meats, garlic rice and an over easy egg. A hearty meal Savory and Sweet. Ordered online and it was simple. Friendly counter folks got me in and out quickly. Small efficient pick up area was very clean. read more

Ruby's Fast Food - Mixsilog - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Solid quick take out and dine-in Filipino spot. Note that there are currently two separate doors for takeout and delivery. The one on the far left is for take out as an FYI. I placed an online order of sisig (with a fried egg on top - $2 extra) and Shanghai lumpia ($0.50 extra to add the sweet sauce). I arrived just after it said it would be ready, and it was. The lady who I grabbed the food and tipped at was friendly. I brought it home and it took me a while, but it was still all warm which was great. I have to say that the sisig was very wet. I'm used to the Kapampangan Sisig which was certainly different than this one, but I've had other regional sisigs that were never this wet. It tasted good, don't get me wrong - but I don't feel like it was the most authentic version of a sisig plate. It's also quite expensive at over $20 for a plate. I did get pretty full quickly though. The lumpia Shanghai was pretty good and standard of what I've had before. I for some reason thought I'd be getting less for the price point, but they packed it in nicely. I would certainly order from here again, but not sure on the Sisig specifically. read more

Ruby's Fast Food - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The Service was great, but the lumpia needs more flavor. Leaving a review to log where to find lumpia

The portions at Ruby's were huge. We ordered the longsilog and tapsilog, and both came with a generous helping of garlic rice and protein. Definitely recommend eating it with the vinegar provided to cut the meatiness. The staff here were incredibly helpful with suggestions too. read more

Ruby's Fast Food - Longsilog - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was excited when I found out that they moved to Pulaski near Chicago's Mayfair neighborhood, super close to where I lived. My family and I used to frequent their Montrose location for years, so I wanted to see if they would still have the same food quality that made me come back again and again. Unfortunately, this was not the case. The new place might look better but the food wasn't the same anymore. I understood that prices went up during pandemic but at the very least, keep the same amount of serving. I always ordered their Tocilog because it was plentiful and affordable. Very disappointed that the sinangag (garlic fried rice) was super oily and bland. The Tocino was over cooked and nothing to write home about. My brother tried their sisig and this too was just swimming in oil. The meat was tough when it was meant to be soft because of the pork jowl, ears and belly. The only thing I enjoyed was the kare-kare but I don't think this will be enough for me to go back there again. I definitely miss the old Ruby's more carinderia like style of service where I got to talk to Nicky who was always so generous and kind while serving and talking to the old timers. Here, I don't feel that same ambiance anymore, which is a shame. read more

Ruby's Fast Food - Tocilog - Filipino Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Friendly staff. Awsome ambiance. Had the Kare Kare and Caldereta. Also the Melon drink especially in the heat wave we had Monday. Quenched my thirst and my cravings mmmmmm delicious read more

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1. Lumpia Shanghai - Minced pork, shrimp, and vegetables served with ginger fruit sauce 2. Lechon Kawale - Crispy deep fried pork belly served with home made lechon sauce. 3. Sisig - Chopped pork face with ginger, onions, and chilis 4. Fried Pompano - Fried fish, served with garlic rice and mango duck egg salad 5. Beef Kaldereta This Lumpia has to be one of the best fried spring rolls I've ever had by itself and even better with that fruit sauce. Lechon was crispy but the driest meat. Sisig was delicious and indulgent. Pompano was perfectly crispy, soft, and seasoned. We would've enjoyed the beef kaldereta more if they didn't put cheese on it which was strange. Next time, we'll make sure to ask for no cheese. Service was good and I liked that they accommodated our larger group by pushing two smaller tables together. read more

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Been meaning to try Ruby's for quite some time. While my girlfriend and I love the explosion of Filipino cuisine in the Chicago food scene, we've been searching for a place that is closer to what reminds us of our folks' cooking and traditional dishes. Ruby's nails it! The Kare-Kare and Sago were good. We also got Lechon Kawali which really hit the spot. The price was fair too! We were in a hurry, so we didn't get to order all the dishes we wanted. But, we really appreciated the staff's swiftness and hospitality. Their warmth especially reminded me a lot of restaurants in Quezon City and Tagaytay. Will be back for Crispy Pata and Sisig! read more

So excited that I finally went here - I WILL be back, with others! The layout is a little confusing, so be aware that the restaurant has two doors, one for ordering out / pick-up and the other for dining in-house. The sides are not connected (unless you're behind the counter), so if you go in the pick-up entrance, you have to exit the building and then use the other door to re-enter to get into the dining area. There is another door between these two that goes to the residences above in the building. Hopefully that all made sense, lol. I didn't realize this layout before I ordered, so it meant that all my food came to-go, even though I had intended to eat some of it there and take the rest home. They do not permit eating take-out in the dining area (for understandable reasons) so I was out of luck and very hungry, but the deliciousness of the food more than made up for my mistake. Plus they were very sweet and apologetic, which they didn't have to be. ONTO THE FOOD: I don't eat pork, so obviously Filipino cuisine can be perilous! But the people there were SO kind and accommodating. Everything was made to order anyway, so they were able to make certain dishes without pork (or lard, or chicharron, etc) added. I can't tell you how much I appreciated this - they were so kind to help out. I ordered pancit malabon and pancit canton plus a bbq chicken skewer. Made to order means the wait is longer than usual at a restaurant (which the menu does warn about), but you can seriously taste the difference. When I got home, I was shocked at the portion sizes. The pancits must have weighed five pounds each, it was insane. The sauces/gravies on each were out of this world delicious - my malabon took me right back to eating my best friend's mom's home cooking. It was seafood-only, and was loaded with plump shrimp, baby squid, and the biggest mussels I have ever eaten. My partner's canton was similarly wonderful, chock full of chicken and vegetables and tasting very homey and comforting. He was also a big fan of the chicken skewer. I haven't had much of an appetite lately, but this place blew that out of the water, hahaha. I scarfed down almost half my pancit (it's basically three or four servings in one dish) and didn't regret it. Truly delicious. I cannot wait to go back and try other non-pork items on their menu, especially the sinigang, since it's one of my favorites. And next time - in-house dining! Thanks for an unforgettable meal to the kind folks at Ruby's. How lucky we are to have such a gem in the neighborhood. read more

My Filipino friends tell me the food is good, although they usually experience some gastric distress after the meal. The restaurant is a pit. Absolutely nothing charming or "off the beaten bath' about it. just a dump. Vietnamese popsongs blasting over cheap TVs give you a flavor of what exactly...Vietnam while I'm eating Filipino food. Staff is always exhausted and pissed off. I would avoid restaurant and try take out which i here is better. I won't be back, read more

This is great Filipino spot that has some of the most authentic Filipino foods in Chicago. We ordered pork kkbq skewers, sisig, garlic rice, and pancit. The food can take on average 25-30 minutes to wait, so you have to get their crispy lumpias to chow down on. Every entree was served fresh and extremely tasty. Can't wait to visit again! read more

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Very efficient and fast. Good communication. I will be bringing business back to this place.

Ruby's has my heart when it comes to filipino food. I personally think it's the best tasting in terms of quality, price, and authenticity. This place truly reminds me of home. I'm so happy that they were able to move to a much bigger location - very much deserved! I've been going to Ruby's since they were at their old smaller location. Now I've tried multiple items on their menu but this review will be about my most recent visit. BBQ pork skewers: Simply the best. Skewers are coated in the right amount of sauce with the perfect amount of sweetness. Very tender and flavorful! Palabok: Palabok from Ruby's is my all time fav. They just do it right. I prefer thicker noodles when it comes to palabok which is why I love theirs so much. Comes with a hearty amount of egg and chicharron. Sago: This was my first time trying this drink. It was so refreshing! It's basically a brown sugar drink with tapioca boba. The boba is not like your typical black pearls everyone is used to. The boba was white and thicker in consistency, more like gelatin. Definitely more on the sweet side if that's your thing. Their layout is very convenient. The door on the right is for dining in and the door on the left is for their hot bar/takeout only. I plan to visit more often! They do a good job of posting on social media what they are serving in their hot bar for the day. read more

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I haven't eaten my food yet because I had to take it to go after waiting 40 minutes while they prioritized the large party next to us. But honestly the worst service I have ever experienced. Never was offered a lunch special menu (found it on the empty table next to us after ordering), server never checked on us because he was too busy with his 12 top, waited 40 minutes for my plate which never came until I just asked for it to go. I'd rather just hit the drive thru at McDonalds next time read more

Ruby's good Filipino comfort food at their new location on Pulaski. They use to be on Montrose in kind but of dumpy location. The new location is a definite upgrade . Their crispy Pata TO DIE FOR. Crispy pig leg fried super crispy & absolutely amazing. TO DIE FOR (eat enough of this & you will) but what a way to go. They do crispy Pata right. Lumpia Shanghai so dam good & Uber healthy read more

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Ruby's was recommended by one of our friends as his favorite Filipino restaurant in the city of #Chicago . That's a tall order considering the quality of the Filipino restaurant scene, but I must say, it's certainly up there for sure! Ruby's is a family owned business located in the Albany Park neighborhood. The name fast food is bit of a misnomer , LOL, as everything is cooked and made to order, but crazy delicious. Start with the traditional Lumpia Shanghai. If you love peanut flavor, you must get KareKare Oxtail, which is one of the best dishes I have ever had: Oxtails, tripe, and tendons and veggies in peanut gravy. We ordered a soup, but to be honest the kare kare was so filling we didn't actually need it . Great and friendly service! #filipino #chicago read more

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Been waiting for the new location though only a little disappointed that the buffet is gone. But no worries, weekday lunch diners (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.)still have access to lunch combos for $11.80 where you get to choose from the specials of the day and get sides to go with. Checking Ruby's online ordering menu through Toast will show you most of the today's specials but if you didn't want to miss a thing, stop in on their carry-out side (left entrance) to peruse the steam table before sitting down to dine-in (right entrance). We added to our order the laing and okoy after popping over there since we couldn't wait until our next visit. (you never know if it'll be offered the next time). Portions are generous, even for the combos. Entrees may seem expensive, but with large portions and family style dining - it still works out to be a good value. Silogs (breakfast plates) are up at $13.80, but with the cost of specialty meats (not just bacon or sausage), let alone eggs, you're still getting a good size plate. read more

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Filipino food is hot and trending right now. This could mean that the chance of you having trendy, modern, and far from being authentic Filipino food is very high. But this place sticks to its roots! If you are craving for real deal Filipino food this is the place. The dessert you might skip. I hated the ube halaya and the taho was awful. But I don't care about dessert, so it's 10/10 for me. and If you are looking for read more

Amazing bagoong fried rice and dinuguan! All the flavors stand together really well! Their ube smoothie was also fantastic, especially with the smaller bits of tapioca. Never was a fan of huge boba, but it was perfect!! read more

All is forgiven, I finally visited the new place and had a very pleasant experience. There was a limited Mother's Day menu, which was fine and we ordered fried milk fish (this is the Philippines national fish) and kare-kare (beef and veggies in peanut butter sauce). Kare-kare is my all time favorite Filipino meal. We would have ordered more but there weren't too many appetizers on the menu so we ended up eating everything off our plates but we had extra garlic fried rice for left overs. The are now two doors to enter into. The right side is for indoor dining and the left side is for pick-up only. The two sections are separated from one another so this will cut down the line-cutting and the indoor diners won't have people lining up next to them, whilst they eat. The updated, indoor decor was really refreshing and they've really created something special so I hope they invite Andrew Zimmern for a third visit to Ruby's. I'm not too sure if they still have the awesome Buffet on the weekend. FYI, the prices have increased but with the new place, Inflation, supply chain issues and staffing shortages - everything is on the way up these days. Maraming Salamat (thank you very much) Ruby's!! read more

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The food was good. I enjoyed the Lumpia Shanghai along with a side of white rice and a calamansi juice. The service was also good. The food tasted authentic and the calamansi did, too. The ambiance was good. All in all, an authentic Filipino restaurant that offers a variety of different foods and drinks. read more