Amazing Kapampangan food! Owner was friendly with great service. I, sure, was full after visiting this place!

This has to be the lowest of the low filipino buffet that anyone could have. For $15.99 you get scraps of food left. Seriously owner please give it up and have a great retirement ahead of you. read more

AYCE for $15!!! Nice no frilsl establishment. Food was on point just like youd expect at a cookout at your unc's! Best value in town and tasted better than many of the other Filipino restaurants in Vallejo. read more

Was on the search for dilis (deep fried smelt in Filipino). I went to multiple spots in this plaza and Selecta had some ready in their buffet food area. The worker allowed me to purchase all of them after lunch and he said if I needed more in the future I could order and give him 15-20 minutes. I like how fried and crispy they are and taste just like chips. They pair well with their house made spicy vinegar. This spot takes me back to a Filipino grocery, carendaria/sari sari store from the Philippines. They have a buffet full of food that I believe regulars go to. The food looked really good inside, like legit home cooked meal ands and ready to eat. It's out in the open and had tons of food for a Friday. I need to give it a try and experience it myself. They also have a grocery store area that doesn't seem too up to date but it looks like this spot has been here for a while. It's located in the Island Pacific plaza so there is plenty of parking in the area and can get busy. read more

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It's like eating at Tito's house! The affordable AYCE lunch buffet is served daily and there are diff ulam everyday. The staples are usually the starches, but you will always find a veggie, meat, and fish option available. Sundays there is lechon kawali or roasted so we usually show up then. Food is good, but you can add a personal touch because they have all the sauces available to enhance whatever ulam you choose from the steam table. This is far more affordable than most Pinoy restaurants and food is just as good. Not much of a beverage selection, but there is bottled water and some basic soda available for purchase. You can eat and drink well for under $20 here. You pay at the cashier when you are done. And you can buy your Lotto ticket there too! The space is transforming from an eatery/grocery store, to an event space for renting that will have catering options. There's even a karaoke setup now. It's a good spot for casual family gatherings as there's parking. Every time we go, some upgrade or remodel is completed. read more

Very delicious filipino food & very affordable buffet! $14.99 Highly recommended! Try this restaurant for sure you will love it! read more

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Very simple place with honest Filipino food. The buffet is plentiful with wonderful selections. The owner is extremely sweet and accommodating. Filipino buffets are few and far in between. The quality and selection of his dishes are always authentic and tasty. read more

The price is very reasonable for a buffet (I think $12.50 on weekends). It's not the best tasting Filipino food but for the price, it's alright. There's lechon, kare kare, dinuguan, pancit, fried chicken, whole salmon, pancit, monggo, and more. The only issue is, they don't refill some of the empty trays and the guest just have to make do with what's available. read more

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My friends and I were in the area and we were hungry for delicious Filipino food. I was hoping we could find Capampangan cuisine as they whip up the best Pinoy food, in my opinion. We searched Yelp and came across Selecta. We didn't expect too much from an all you can eat place with a very reasonable price but we got pleasantly surprised! Food was delicious with good variety. The spread had all of the Filipino food you can think of: sinigang, pancit, lumpia, pakbet, rellenong bangus, another fish dish, kare-Kare, fried chicken, picadillo, and a few more! They had leche flan and ginataan for dessert. The ginatan was the best! The flan was a bit burnt at the bottom but it' was still good. Their pancit and pakbet were one of the best I've had. The matured men tending the buffet were the cooks and they happen to be Capampangan. No wonder the food was delicious!! The experience was like visiting the home of your grandma. It was relaxed with so much good food. The owner is hands-on. He served us, talked to us and gave us an insight of what it's like to do business these days. Everyone in the store is friendly and courteous. They took time to answer all our questions. The place holds two businesses: a store and a restaurant. Ambiance is relaxed and casual. It's spacious and clean. It wasn't too busy on a Sunday lunch. Please support this business. You won't be disappointed. Price is very reasonable with lots of delicious food. What else can you ask for? read more

While Selecta says they're a filipino buffet/grocery store, I'd probably say they're more of a buffet than anything. I was in the mood for Filipino food while in Vallejo and with my entrusted Yelp app I was headed to Selecta. The grocery shelves were dusty and bare. There were no comsumables to be seen and it was apparent that they were using those shevlves as storage. They had numerous kitchen items and a bathroom sink down one isle, a few empty can plates and brooms down another but that was all. There wasn't any canned goods, sauces, chips or crackers to be seen. In a small segragated section of the room, you'll find about twelve tables and a large buffet of Filipino food. The selection was pretty impressive and it seemed as though you could make your orders to go. The service was alright. More of sit yourself, eat, and then pay. Nothing too over the top but I can only imagine that this place would be a hit for larger families or parties. read more

Don't bother coming after 12:00 noon because although they have a number of entrees to choose from at their buffet .... ALMOST EVERYTHING WAS EMPTY & NOT BEING REFILLED!!! Very reasonably priced IF they had entrees to choose from at the buffet table!! Owner's customary response was ... "It's cooking but will take a while" .... OR "We are out & not refilling it"!!! I was only able to eat 2 items out of 16 trays ... 7 trays of which were EMPTY!!! This place is a POOR EXCUSE of the traditional Filipino hospitality patrons have become accustomed to!!! read more

Man, this is one of those places I haven't thought to review because it's second nature to come here. My family and I have been going here since it opened when I was just a child. The owner is always so nice and pleasant, talking to his customers, keeping up with them and their lives. I love buffets since the food is already there and available for when your starving and don't want to wait for your order. It's tradition to come here after church and for some reason, I'm always starving after church lol. I always look forward to sinigang and bistek here but unfortunately, sinigang is not always served. They alternate between sinigang and nilaga which I'm not too fond of. Although I understand they want to variate their selection, I have to dock a star for that. The grocery needs a lil make over but other than that, this place has never done me wrong and it truly is nostalgic to come here when I visit my parents in Vallejo. Definitely worth having a meal here when in town! read more

Selecta - My faves: sinigang na baboy, palabok, bistek and hella rice lol - Grocery Near Me - Vallejo, California

Mmmm Anytime My mom or Unties are not around and I'm cravin some serious Filipino food I go here.. its all you could eat at a very DECENT price and like others said prior to me.. get your island style grocery on, and you could watch wow wow wiiee.. Also, There HALO HALO is wayyyyyy better than Goldilocks. In my opinion at least! I think the best is when i'm cravin that old style Pinoy breakfast - Eggs, Longonisa, Tocino, Garlic rice, tomatoes, Bangus, Mmmmmm I could goo on and on. I don't know if this is a a good or a bad.. but walking into Selecta.. is like going into your neighbor hood Sari Sari Store! read more

I came here years ago and all I remember was that it was super cheap for an all-you-can-eat breakfast. It might've been like $5. I also remember lots of uncles just hanging around watching the TV. It's a straight up family owned spot. You're pretty much walking into your lola's house or something. You can't get anymore Filipino-mart than this. read more

Where do I begin...first of all, my family and I attended this reception at Selecta after my cousin's funeral. This place was a fave restaurant of my late cousin, which was the reason why his family chose this place to eat. I had an understanding that people were supposed to arrive at 3pm, but there were some early birds. By 255pm, there was "old" food from earlier sitting at the buffet table and not much of what was ordered fresh for our guests. I noticed the scrambling around with the owner and his cook as WE put tables together ourselves to accommodate families that want to sit together instead is being separated in tables of 4's. The food was mediocre, but certainly made an impact of my bowels that evening. Their Kare Kare had a pasty color of yellow, and it was mostly tripe. There was supposed to be chop suey, pinakbet, and another veggie dish for our vegetarian guests but that never came out. Lychees were the first to finish, and when asked to refill, the cook said it was going to be extra for refill. What? Lastly, the lechon that was ordered, as well, was undercooked and small for $350. How did I tell it was undercooked? The pink slime with some parts that were barely cooked as it was being cut and sliced. The skin was crispy but the whole experience was just unappetizing. We were also promised that our gathering would be private due to the amount of people. This was good because it would allow us to get an accurate count of our own guests. That didn't happen. There was only a hand writing sign written in a faded sharpie simply stating "private party". So I noticed a few stragglers they were not part of our party and ate nearby. Of course, most of our guests were grateful of being fed after an emotional day, but the lingering conversations afterward were not a positive one for this establishment. Complete disappointment that day, no explanation needed because it was overall bad customer service from the get-go. I don't recommended their services if this is how they cater to larger parties. read more

Recommendable, Tasty Food We ordered full trays of Pansit Guisado and Pakbet for my wife's party in Feb. Both dishes were delicious, and were enjoyed completely by our guests. A few relatives and friends had actually asked us of where we bought them from. Both trays were warm and ready at pick up time. The 4 Star reviews brought us here, and they didn't disappoint. We had an excellent first time experience here, will come again. read more

I will not recommend Selecta to any of my relatives and friends because of their poor customer relations. A lady ruined our group's event, she was rude. We even explained to her that we have made a reservation in advance and would like to be seated together. But the lady was rude and diid not accommodate our request. We all walked out of the restaurant, they lost 50 plus customers that day. I discourage anyone to eat there because they have rude employee and a poor customer service read more

Friendly people, clean and who knew there is a restaurant right there in the grocery store! The food isn't bad ...the coffee, now THAT's bad but I would have been surprised if the coffee had been good. None of the buffet items are labeled probably because they serve traditional Filipino food and their clientele is return customers. It was not packed but got very busy and then not so busy then busy again. Then about half way through they wheeled out an entire roast pig! I thought that was really a great move and very generous. I do not eat pork but my friend did and he says it was great. Fresh traditional Filipino food, friendly staff in a very surprising spot and the price is very reasonable. I say check it out. read more

Selecta - Crowd is thinning out - Grocery Near Me - Vallejo, California

Still good food! Just re opened with complete Covid-19 precautions in place, need to come here more often to support this business. read more

Selecta - Buffet - Grocery Near Me - Vallejo, California

This review is long overdue! We went here for lunch a few months ago and we absolutely loved it. It is a very small store with a buffet restaurant on the side. The buffet was very reasonably priced! Such a great deal. We didn't expect much but were absolutely pleasantly surprised. The food was so good and that's an understatement. We are kapampangan so we definitely know what good Filipino food is! What makes this place even better was the customer service we received. They were friendly and accommodating and a wonderful example of what Filipino hospitality really is! We unfortunately live pretty far from here (San jose) but whenever we are in Vallejo, we definitely make sure to make a stop at Selecta. You should too! You won't be sorry. read more

Way better than the other Filipino Buffet in town. More variety and less expensive. They offer almost every Filipino dish you can imagine and tastes almost like my parents cooking. They even have a dessert section. Took my parents here and they gave their approval! This is just a little hole in the wall place but worth trying out! read more

Went camping this weekend and for some reason our car was craving Filipino food. On our way back, we came across Selecta on Yelp and decided to give it a try. As we drove into the shopping center, I was somewhat skeptical--really didn't look like there was anyone inside. Furthermore, it was inside of a "grocery store". Right when we entered, we were greeted by the "boss-lady", who quickly welcomed us and asked us to grab a plate. I'm already thinking (this is going to be good- 4 stars at least). The buffet station was decent sized, probably about 8-10 different dishes along with soup and a salad/fruit bar. All for just $7 and some change. I enjoyed the food--had some longonisa, tripe, roast pork, pancit, fried rice and a couple other dishes. My only request would have been to have signs to easily distinguish the different dishes (but the lady did point out a couple things to us). Later on she even made small talk with us asking where we were from, if this was our first time and if we liked the food (smart business lady). Selecta looks like they get a fair amount of catering take out as well. While we dined at least three small carts averaging about 3-4 party trays came out. Roast pork seems to be their specialty as they prepared a whole one for an eager looking customer. They also seem to have a following of regulars as the "boss-lady" greeted a pregnant lady in a friendly way (as if congratulating her on the baby). I would definitely come back if I'm in the area and recommend others to try it. Do not be deceived by it's grocery store appearance. It is some good down home cooking! read more

This is the only Filipino restaurant that my Pinay won't have to force me to eat at. Never had Filipino food that would make me want seconds but the lechon was perfectly crispy and the chef brought out some frog leg adobo --delicious. Like General MacArthur I Shall Return. read more

Digusting. Cold food that must have set out for way too long. Black mold on the ceiling and 3 visable rat traps!!!...one with a rat's tail still attached! And the place was dirty and very cluttered with a bunch of random items. Plus the market had little in stock and some of the items were outdated and covered with a layer of dust. read more

I only went here because my dad loves it here. They open at 11 but the doors didn't open until 11:10ish and they were still working on putting the food together. You could already tell the owner was irritated and had a pretty bad attitude. We still patiently wait til the owner was finish setting up the food sitting on our table with my daughter and my dad. He almost dropped the food and dropped the serving spoon on the floor so I picked it up for him. I was surprised for getting yelled at, "don't touch anything yet!" A thank you would be great! If it wasn't for my dad I would've went of on him and just left. Can not open on time and has very bad attitude! read more

Found this place while driving through California to visit a friend. I was starving from my flight from NY and just pulled off the highway for a quick meal. Selecta turned out to be delicious and affordable Filipino food and the people here are friendly. Love it and thanks. read more

Selecta - Delicious and great variety. - Grocery Near Me - Vallejo, California

This resto is our go to every Sunday after mass because their food is good. It's just sad that after they raised their price the food on their buffet table decreased! They charge now $13 from $10. I hope they stop cheating their customers. read more

Perhaps the only filipino buffet that I know of!! I have been coming to this mom and pops shop for awhile for filipino take-out. This use to be a market but through the years as big chain markets started to open up, the owner makes more money with the cooked food instead. Buffet all day everyday!! For around 10 bucks you can eat all the pancit, adobo, fish, squid, soup, beef tapa, ginisa, etc you can think of. I would def come here for breakfast. The servce fried rice, egg, fish, tapa, -silogs, tuyo and salted egg! TOO DIE FOR! The take-out price is pretty cheap compared to other nearby resturants. One thing you must get is the HALO-HALO! Its cheap and they pack it with so much fruit, jelly, beans ice cream that is perfect for the summer! But beware sometimes the owners talks to customers too long and you might be standing in line for awhile! read more

All I can say is WOW !!! If your palate craves good homemade Filipino food along with home style hospitality then this is the place TO GO. Very casual and clean setting which reminds me of the cantina feel at home ambience, if you have any questions ask Tito Rey, he is MORE than happy to accommodate you; my bf and i came on a random day, Monday, and was not at all disappointed with their buffet selection; from pancit sotanghon, garlic fried rice, pinakbet, monggo soup, pusit, beef nilaga, baggoong with tender pork, appritada, steam rice, upo soup, ginisang shrimp, fish sarsiado, pinaksew na pork to fresh sliced watermelon all SO fresh & tasty. YOU will NOT be disappointed... our new FAVORITE Filipino buffet. read more

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Feels like going home or to your uncle house and they got food ready for you.... And telling you to eat more. Yes the stuff isn't super great at times but it's really for the family feeling and the warm hearts that everyone here has and share with everyone. read more

Walked in waited while older guy talked with some one . He never acknowledge me being there . I waited some more went outside and waited some more then I just left . read more

The food was great (except for the lechon which was mostly fat and skin). I loved that they were not overly salty just the right balance of flavors. The buffet was clean and had a good variety of dishes. There was a salad bar with fresh honeydew melon, watermelon, grapes, and pineapple (delicious & sweet). We got there around 10:30 am and there was no coffee, no ice for water just a water dispenser with barely cold water. Buffet entrees: Pancit, Fried rice, Dinuguan, Laing, Pakbet, Monggo, Afritada, Menudo, Kare kare, Adobo, Steamed vegetables, Fried fish (sorry don't know what kind), Fresh Lechon only on weekends (call to find out what time they will have it), Corn maiz, and more. Definitely tastes like home! read more

Had the lunch buffet on Saturday. I would say it was good, but not great. Food was quite good. But they don't keep the steam table hot. Too many dishes were cold. And too many dishes were just meat with no vegetables. So it did get a little boring after a while. Still, almost everything tasted great. No dessert, though. When you charge $9.59 for a buffet, least you can do is include a dessert. read more

The grocery is basically nomnexistent. A lot of old product, random flavoring packets that look like theyre disentigrating. Canned/glass product for halo halo. The food buffet is a great deal, food is hot and fresh. You pay AFTER you eat. read more

The worst place. Dirty place. When it comes to customer service the older man is very rude, unprofessional.

Very authentic Filipino buffet! Came here on a late Saturday afternoon and there was a decent selection. They had items such as pancit, tocino, and bistek. Everything was delicious. It's a great value for the price and would definitely check it out if you are nearby. read more

This was my first time eating Filipino food and I think the lady at the cash register knew it because she told me "take a look and see if you want to eat". So I walked over to the buffet and started looking around. Before I had even picked up a plate, the gentleman who I can only assume is an owner came over and asked me if this was my first time having Filipino food. I told him "yes" so he walked me through each of the dishes they had at the hot bar. He was a little difficult to understand but I got the jist of what the main protein was in each dish. He made a few recommendations. He showed me where the soup was. He told me how some of the dishes are intended to be eaten. Despite me being there with my boyfriend, he mostly spoke only to me. I have a feeling he thought my boyfriend was already experienced in Filipino food (my boyfriend is Japanese but is sometimes mistook for Filipino, Mexican, or American Indian) but he had only had Filipino food one time before and would have benefited from the guided tour. The food? Well, I thought it tasted good. Very home made. But since this was my first exposure, I really don't have anything to compare it to. While I was eating, the same gentleman came up to my table and asked me how I liked the food but, once again, he only spoke to me and made no effort to engage my boyfriend. I told him which dishes I especially enjoyed. Then he apologized for the selection being somewhat limited (I hadden't noticed) and explained to me that he was done cooking for the day. Then he enthusiastically told me to come back on a Saturday or Sunday morning (11ish) because he roasts a whole pig. If I still lived in the Vallejo area, I definitely would come back for the pig. After stuffing myself full of mysterious dishes, I walked over to the store side of the building and looked around at all the exotic items available for sale. I grabbed a can of white gourd juice and made my way up to the cashier to pay for my meal and juice. She also asked me what I thought of the food and then we talked about how I also had never tried white gourd before. She told me "you'll be surprised!" and I was and in a very good way. All and all-- great service despite it not officially having a wait staff (it's a buffet), good food (well seasoned and very rich), and SUPER cheap (ie 6 bucks a person) Branch out! Give it a try! read more

Pretty good food for the price. Decent selection, even has salad which the wife preferred as an healthier option. Food was on the oiler side but that kinda comes with the territory regarding Filipino food. read more

Every year I go to the San Francisco Bay Area from the L.A. area homebase to visit old college friends for a few weeks. A big part of the fun is going to new places to eat, and where appropriate, rate the on Yelp. This year's Epic trip (3+ weeks) is already a great success with my visit today at Selecta Filipino buffet. I actually used my GPS to find Pinoy-Pinay to compare it with the local Van Nuys branch I know. When I arrived at the plaza, I walked around, saw Ihaw-Ihaw (a "roast meats" place), then just walked on to see a "Buffet" sign. I saw a cheap-looking, sorry, Filipino flag inside. (Cheap because it was made of paper, not cloth, seemed like a child's project). Notwithstanding this, I was happy at the combination "Filipino" and "buffet". Not too many of these places around, and an initial walk-through convinced me the food was plentiful, fresh, not left-over dried out crap. So I asked the older gentleman who was tending the buffet "how much" and he said "$8.59". I'm in. Traditional Filipino fare such as apritada (pork stew); ground pork with tomato base and potatoes, carrots, and peas; beefsteak with onions with a rich gravy, pork cubes simmered in shrimp fry base; roast pork, veggies such a string beans, eggplant, squash, okra, and bitter melon; steamed rice AND egg fried rice. I had my fair share. I noticed when I went in I was the only one there and a small family; afterwards several parties came in; some Filipino, some Hispanics, some white, and some black people. Those who ate enjoyed the stuff as I saw them heaping their plates with the rice and stewed meats. The plaza seems to be in a so-so part of town. Nearby, at the Island Pacific market, lots of people knocked-out drunk hanging out. Far from Selecta, but in the same plaza. I avoided them. I am very much pleased and happy to try this place and this trip is a great success for this discovery. Alas, my next visit will be next year. read more

Want some good top notch Filipino food? This ain't your place want some good heaping filipino food for the LOW? This your spot then. Sliiiiide thru! read more