I'm giving this place ONE STAR, and that's b/c i'm feeling nice. all from the beginning, we walked in and they were looking at us like we couldn't pay? .. we were wearing SWEATS people! (*it's probably because we're not like most filipinos who have to get so dolled up to go to a restaurant) don't get me wrong the food here is decent, but the service is horrible! For most, service isn't as important, but for me it's the definite deal breaker!. one of the waitresses was so rude (meaning she was rolling her eyes at us, and really unpleasant to be around). our order: mechado, beef-steak?, kalabasa sitaw sa gata,and lechon kawali. the mechado, beef-steak, and the kalabasa were good. the lechon kawali was really hard, over-cooked, and OLD. COME ON THIS PLACE IS KNOWN FOR THE LECHON, what's up with this?.. to make it worst, i feel like they rush you out. we were not even done eating, and here comes the check. So, in response, we sat there longer. definitely, not coming back until service gets better. first off, i could be wearing god knows what, and we should have the same service as the next person. i've spread the word, this place is a NO-NO. my company and i will no longer be patrons of this restaurant. read more

My review is based on their catering services. A few month's back we contacted Tastebud's to help us cater an event to feed over 100 people. The catch was that the event was to occur in 3 days. Monet, the owner, didn't even bat an eyelash. "Yeah, that's no problem, " he said. I was very confused by the catering service menu and he took the time to explain which dishes would work best with the event we were planning. He suggested that we should order for our guests. All the while, we were discussing this over a sampling of that night's Lechon Cebu. Which was so delicious with their home made sauce! Many folks say that there are several filipino restaurants in the area and that they might taste better. In our meeting with Monet we learned that all these restaurants that include Tastebuds, Karilagan and Patio Filipino are all spin-offs of Ongpin. So if the menu's are similar, they are, but each location has its own specialty. Tastebud's specialty is their lechon. Every night they roast and serve lechon on their dinner menu. But if you dine here later in the evening, you may miss out as it is their most popular item on the menu. Oh and all the other places in the Bay that sell lechon...guess where they get it? The day before the event, I forgot to drop off the deposit for the catering services. However, Tastebud's had my back! When we arrived at the event, the dishes were elegantly set up, complete with dishes and silverware. If ever I had another large-scale event to host, I would definitely call Tastebud's in a pinch. Thank you Monet and Michelle! read more

Me and my boyfriend stopped by in here for brunch since he got a flight time around after lunch time. The server is nice and the ambiance of this restaurant is nice and classy. We had a brunch buffet which is around $15/person and it was really worth to pay for! read more

This place was great! It's very clean and a great set up. As soon as we walked in I noticed they had a whole pig under the heatlamp. I blanked when ordering and didn't get the lechon, but plan on going back for some. We did order sinigang, their bangus, and pancit bihon. Everything was really good. The service was good and the food was good. I'm definitely coming back here to get some lechon. read more

This establishment got me remembering how much I loved Mom's Filipino cooking. The inside serving area is clean, pretty, and date worthy. The parking is to the side of the building... you don't need to scrounge around for street spots. It has been so long and people get so distracted with Goldilock's and Jollibee's that they forget Goldilocks is a bakery and Jollibee's is the Filipino Micky D's. Tastebuds has an a fresh and tasty chicharon appetizer. Their eggplant torta relleno is one to be remembered and the beefstik is just like the stuff mom made, mmmmm. The serving staff was very attentive to our needs and the refilling of our water (A+). All of that and I got to enjoy a good amount of buko juice along with it. For the dessert, I ordered ube ice cream (one scoop was good enough... they have a huge scoop). I will definitely be coming back here and next time, I'll take some good pictures to add to their page. read more

Favorite Filipino Restaurantt!! I've been coming here for quite some time now and it's very consistent. We always have left overs, not because we didn't like the food, but because the serving is plenty!! I'm always pleased with the service and of course the food! YUM! I've tried the Kare-kare, Crispy Binagoonga, Crispy Dinuguan, Escabeche fillet, etc.. and they were all the bomb!! I loved them all!! Super worth it!! read more

You should be ashamed of yourselves calling your lechon "Cebu style". I was so excited to be eating and was so dissapointed. Go to cebu and try Zubuchon. Anthony Bourdain praised it. It's what cebu lechon should taste like. NOBODY in the bay area makes authentic Cebu style lechon that is why Filipinos in the bay don't know cebu style lechon. read more

I have eaten my share of Filipino food but as far as restaurants go this is one of the best I have eaten at. I was a guest of a birthday celebration here in mid-September. While I was not able to see the menu I was pleased with the quality and taste of food. It was a family-style dinner. We got soup, veggies, chicken and other meats. Postively the best barbeque chicken I have ever tasted. This was the thing that made my experience. Sat by the lechon pig as well but did not sample the pork this time. Perhaps on my next visit. The only drawback here is parking which can be hard to find at the busier meal times of day and the dining area can get cramped at these times as well. The staff was helpful and courteous but I could sense that at the extremely busy times they might be a little overwhelmed. However the food and the environment more than made up for this. It seemed to be a happening place and I look forward to my next visit here and trying different items on the menu. read more

This place has certainly lived up to my star rating...plain and simple...there was barely any food in the changing dishes. You will notice that they have a lot of Lechon type dishes...this is because they use the leftover Lechon from the night before to make the dishes to serve you for the next day...if I wanted to eat leftovers...I would've stayed at home. Nothing to rave about this place. If you're planning to eat a Filipino Buffet...well this is not the place. read more

If you want Filipino food, go to Lucky Chances. Very dissapointing. The service was horrible. No way am I going back here... read more

Their to go order plastic container is getting smaller and smaller for the price you paid, $14-15 for this? They need to give a bit more. Ordered 3 sisig with these containers and bill came to $43.12!! read more

Tastebuds - Filipino Near Me - San Bruno, California

I liked it..and then I didn't...and then I did...so its just alright. Everything taste so salty to me. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing. I dunno. Ill try it once more. read more

Have you ever experienced going to Disneyland on their busiest season? Where you are so excited to go and see some of their shows and rides not knowing that you are going to be deceived by a *drum roll please* A SECRET LINE? That's exactly how I felt when I went to Tastebuds this weekend. A couple of my friends and I were seated after ten minutes of waiting. Not bad, eh? ON a Sunday? Where everyone wants their lechon for breakfast. The problem is we waited almost 30 minutes to get our orders, another 15 minutes for the wait, almost 20 to get our water glasses refilled, and 30 to get our checks. Wait. No. I take that back, 40. Got there at 11:15 AM, left at 1:30 PM. Now I don't know if you like secret lines, if it brings you excitement and joy to just stand there for a couple of hours just to experience Pirates of the Carribean. But Tastebuds? Hmm. Never again. read more

I love this place, if there is one thing you have to order let it be there crispy pata. It is crispy, juicy perfection. I mean if I had no shame I would tear the bone in half and gnaw on it right there in the restaurant, but I do want to look like I am part of polite society. So I do the proper thing and take the leftovers home with me and tear it apart as soon as I get home. The Leche Flan is truly a marvel, it is thick and creamy and it will put all your aunt's leche flans to shame. Also if you love itlog in anyway, you got to come to their weekend brunch, you'll be a very happy person after a few hours at that brunch buffet. It is just complete and total excellence. I mean you might not be able to move, and chances are you'll just go back to sleep after eating all that food, but it will be so, sooo worth it. read more

Went here for dinner and the place was already packed. Nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Waited about 20-30 minutes to be seated so come early (6pm) if you want to get a good parking spot and if you don't want to sit and watch everyone eat. A bit pricey but worth the wait. Ordered the Pork Sisig, Kare Kare and Sinigang. DELICIOUS!!! Planning to try their weekend breakfast Buffett in the future :-) read more

I first time i tried Tastebuds when it first opened. I remember being underwhelmed, and not really loving the place. Since there are a lot of Filipino restaurants in the area, why would i bother to go here. Fast forward to father's day 2011: My grandpa wanted to go here because he said it was cheap, so the whole family goes. Things were going well until the food came. I had noticed that none of the food was hot...they were probably luke warm. THEN, i decided to try the binagoongan..it was COLD! we told the waiter and he said that it was cold because of the tomatoes and eggplant they mixed into it...iono but it was nasty. My brother an i just had to vent out our complaints in the car right after lunch. We now have s trict no tastebuds rule (Up there with patio filipino. I think at one point they had the same owners...or the i think the people who left patio opened up tastebuds..either way both are horrible representation of Filipino cuisine). Being born and raised in the philippines, I would recommend you bring your wallets and empty stomachs else where. Tribu, Karilagan, and Max's are just a short drive away, and i guarantee that these establishment will serve you great filipino food. read more

If you eat Dinuguan, their Crispy Dinuguan is to die for! Don't skip it! Calamares had chunks of roasted garlic which made it extra tasty.. Bangus sisig and adobong okra + sitaw had to be included in our order to balance out the carnivorous platters on or table--We also had crispy binagoongan- my 2nd best favorite, kare kare, lechon. The latter hardly needed any lechon sauce--very tasty! For dessert we sampled the buko pandan, leche flan, and Turon a la mode. It was a feast and a half!! Will definitely come back and try the buffet breakfast soon! * weight gain in the making* read more

I've eaten at this place several times, but mostly for catered events. I have family members who know the people who own this place, so I've experienced pretty good service here. From a catered view point, Tastebuds provides very good service. This place can get busy, so reservations are suggested. The food was served well & the staff are so friendly! This might be because my cousin knows the people very well, thus getting better service, but the food is really good. I'm Filipino, so eating their food reminded me of my childhood (as corny as it sounds lol). This place is great for parties! But I do suggest making reservations. read more

Stopped in for dinner and ended up with an unexpectedly delicious meal. Ignoring the seedy neighborhood and the more then questionable name choice, this restaurant offers up quality Filipino food that has, in my opinion, spot on authentic flavors. The restaurant is fairly big and was packed during my visit. The place has lots of light, was very clean and the service was exceptionally friendly (although a little slow given the full house). Food? Tinola soup - Very good chicken soup. Broth definitely packed in that flavor. Adobong Sitaw - Must say I was a.) very happy that they were accommodating and allowed me to substitute okra with sitaw (sting beans). Their adobo sauce was awesome and the chunks of pork with the veggies were definitely an added bonus. Chicken Afritada - A tomato based stew with chicken, potatoes, carrots and hotdog pieces. Yes, hotdogs (you gotta love Pinoy cuisine). Came out a little cold so we sent it back to get warmed up. Once hot, it was delicious. Only criticism is that some of the chicken pieces weren't the greatest of cuts. Lechon - Supposedly their specialty. Skins was nice and crisp. Meat was excessively dry and luke warm. Good but still nothing like home. Overall, the food is very good and moderately priced. Besides the food coming out a little luke warm (they need to work on that), I couldn't complain at all. Walked away stuffed and completely happy. read more

Pro:The food is 5 stars, hands-down. I have never come across a Filipino restaurant with so many different kinds of lechon that they have to state on their menu the certain ordering times. Also, everything else I've had from their menu: sisig, the tastebuds appetizer sampler, buko pandan - legit and good Filipino. Con: Horrible/unorganized service! Maybe it's because today was Easter/a popular holiday, but there were mainly three different waiters/waitresses handling all the tables. During my party's lovely 30 minute wait time, there were such inefficiencies and it was no wonder why things took a while. Get a system together, guys. Also, uber small parking lot. Dislike. read more

I was born and raised in the Philippines, around family and friends who are amazing cooks, so I'm kind of a Filipino food snob. I've found a very small number of Filipino restaurants in the States that I would go to regularly. That said, I would go to Tastebuds multiple times a week. Fortunately, it's a two-hour plane ride away. Otherwise, I'd suffer from food coma way too often. My favorite dishes are the crispy binagoongan and the crispy dinuguan. Pair either one or both with some dilis fried rice, and you have a party in your mouth. Prices are reasonable, and portions are generous! The service I've experienced here has been stellar so far. One time, I called my dine-in order in ahead of time, as I was in a hurry to get to the airport and catch my flight back home (of course I had to squeeze some Tastebuds time in). They happily accommodated my request, and when I got there 15 minutes later, my table was ready for my quick -- but huge -- dinner! It was awesome. Next time I visit SF, I'm popping my Tastebuds breakfast buffet cherry! read more

Meh. I was disappointed by the lechon. It had clearly been under a heat lamp all day. The sauce did nothing for me, and while at first I did enjoy the crispy skin, eventually it kind of tasted like dog food. Maybe it's my unrefined White plate? I dunno. On the other hand, we liked the bangus. And they did have a great selection of Filipino desserts! read more

Wow! My coworker brought over a whole suckling pig lechon for a meeting we had and like Usher says Oh My God! It was a crazy experience! We had it all to ourselves and all you can eat! The skin was crunchy, no heavy fat between the meat and skin, and it was very tender. Words cannot describe the joy I had trying to devour all the baby pig I could eat. I forgot to mention that is was precut for easy access. You must make a visit to this place and taste for yourself. My mouth is watering from writing this damn review. read more

Tastebuds - Filipino Near Me - San Bruno, California

Very fresh and authentic. The server was very friendly. We had lumpia, a veggie curry, and a shaved beef dish. Looking forward to going back read more

Came here for lunch last week with two Filipino coworkers. One of them suggested this place. I wouldn't have thought of a restaurant being at this location since it's off the main El Camino Real corridor. On the other hand, I haven't ventured around the main downtown San Bruno either, the part along San Mateo Ave. The three of us ordered two items to shares: the crispy pata (which resembles Chinese roast pork with the crispy skin) and the adobo squid (I think that's one of the ways they call it, I don't know the true name). Both were very good. Especially the squid when compared to the two other places I had been going to when craving for it: Manila Bay at Serramonte and Mekeni on Mission Street at top of the hill Daly City. They have a parking lot on the side. It was our bad luck that someone with a minivan parked at what was not marked as a space near the entrance, blocking the driveway exit (because there's also a fire hydrant on the other side). We had to reverse and go out via the entrance driveway as a result. Total idiot that driver! read more

what i ordered... weekend brunch buffet SMH from 4 stars to 1 star ... the brunch was a TOTAL GARBAGE. most of the food were recycled food, basically the unsold carcass of the roasted pig was recooked into different dishes. and the one's that were not were tasteless and yucky. it was my first time to see 'tocino' a pan fried sweetend pork swimming in liquid. i could go on and on with all the other dishes but it'll be just a waste of time. ...just go here for the 'lechon' and nothing more. read more

One of my favorite Filipino restaurants. Let me start by saying that I've been here only once for brunch, but dozens of times for dinner. Some of my favorites here are the nilaga, crispy binagoongan, chicharron bulaklak, and kare kare. I've also ordered a whole lechon here for a birthday party, which was a hit. Brunch was just okay, but I tend to not like buffets (for example, lunch at Fort.) I would recommend this place for lunch and dinner. Some things are just alright, and some things are really good, so it's worth bringing a few people to try out more items. As with most Filipino restaurants, it's not vegetarian friendly. I've seen people eating here surprised when food ordered from the veggie section has pork in it, but that's just how it's done. read more

This review is only for their Lechon. We went there on a Sunday hoping to taste the Lechon Cebu but it was not available when we get there. We then ended ordering the Traditional Lechon and we were not disappointed. It tasted just like the Philippines. We even ordered another pound to go so we can make Lechon Paksiw at home (we sauteed it with garlic and onions and added the sauce and vinegar). It was very good. We are having a big party (Birthday and Baptismal) at the end of the month and we ordered a large Traditional Lechon. I am hoping that our guests will loved it as much as we do. read more

Got the chance to try this out at the Kulinarya event. They served lechon wraps and sisig tacos, but I asked for lechon wraps and lechon tacos. Man it was DELISH! The skin was perfectly crisp. It could have been good without the sauce but I added a few drizzles of lechon sauce and scarfed those down with filipino pride in every bite. The gentlemen behind the table were great as well - polite, efficient and friendly. Now I feel like throwing a party just to order and serve these. I haven't been to their restaurant yet so this review is only for their lechon. I wanted to write about it before I forget about that place with good lechon! read more

My family and I go out of our way to taste new filipino restaurants because our filipino food options are limited where we live.....heard about Tastebuds and was soooooo disappointed!! First bad experience is the parking! Small lot that can fit about 8 cars? or stupid street parking where you can't even find parking!! SOOOOO Inconvenient! Although we were seated right away, we had to wait 30 minutes for our food. We ordered Palabok, pork Sinigang, 1 pound of lechon, Mechado and Binagoongang rice and three sodas, paid $73.00 (that includes 15% tip) 1. Palabok was ok 2. sinigang was bleh 3. lechon was tasteless but the skin was nice and crispy 4. Mechado was tasteless, meat was dry as hell and the whole dish just looked old 5. binagoongang rice was probably the best of our order, my 2 1/2 year old son loved the rice! Definitely not worth the money or the 30 minute drive to San Bruno.....I'm going back to Cabalen! read more

This place was not great. The sauces and other flavoring were really, really bland--the sauce that came with our lechon (which is supposedly their specialty) was practically tasteless and the garlic sauce that was covering the lumpia didn't add anything (aside from making a really soggy feeling lumpia). We also got some barbecued chicken that didn't taste like anything; I could see that there was barbecue sauce on the chicken, but if I had closed my eyes I wouldn't have known that there was any kind of sauce. The service was pretty bad, as well. Despite the fact that the restaurant was nearly empty by the time we were finishing up our meal, we had to hunt our waitress down to get the check. We asked for some takeout containers and it took her a really long time to bring them to us. And even when she did, she didn't bring enough containers, so we had to ask for more. Getting anything out of her was like pulling teeth, even though the other tables were totally empty. Definitely would not come back here again. read more

Kare kare tastes okay but the oxtail is not tender its hard to chew they use green beans instead of string beans i guess its alright though traditionally speaking for me its a no no, but it satisfies my cravings sooo yep its ok ... The halo halo is good too i like it because the sago(boba) is well cooked it doesnt have much ingredients kinda playing hide and seek, but its enjoyable to eat still sooo yep its ok read more

Service were very poor. There are only 3 table occupied for dinner at 8pm, and we couldn't flag them down for water. No extra napkins. Post dinner, they were cleaning our table. They couldn't wait until we get up and leave. The lady who was collecting the dirty plates asking us to pass over the plates so she can put them away. Dinner for 6 out bill was $85 and they added the gratuity totaled 107.00. They got 20$ tip for that poor service. This was my first and will be my last to come here. I should have read their review first before going here. Now I know why that there is no one eating here for dinner. Slow service, and you get ignored or pretend they didnt hear you when you call for them. read more

I came back here for the nth time and had the chance to order dessert. We got leche flan to share and I was so dissapointed. It was tough and rubbery. I never had flan like that before. They sure have added plenty egg whites (which is a no no) and had over steamed it. Oh boo read more

Tastebuds - Filipino Near Me - San Bruno, California

I went here with my good friend who cuts my hair at a salon a block away. We had the palabook and the Sisig. I enjoyed it all!!!! I took it home for my husband to eat! Can't wait to get another haircut/color because I'll be eating here again!! read more

I must give this place 5 stars as my best friend finished her plate! =) We are fattie to the fullest, but this places took us to the next level. I ordered Pinukbet (sp) and she ordered beef michado (sp) and of course 3 orders of garlic rice! Food was delicious! Waiters were attentive, but they weren't the kinds that visit every 20 mins or so to check on things. Great experience! read more

They serve Lechon on the weekends and it is the best I've had since the PI. I took my dad here for a Father's Day Brunch, and he said it is the best filipino restaurant he's eaten at in the US. That's a pretty damn good endorsement. The Must Trys: Lechon - served friday-sunday. Tender, moist meat with super crispy almost glassy skin. Laing - Super rich and slow cooked greens. Kinoloob(?) na bangus Belly- Milk Fish Belly with tomato and onions cooked in a banana leaf. Also, If you're nice or come with a big party they usually give you a complimentary order of Paksiw na lechon (kind of like a Filipino pulled pork in a livery, peppery bbq sauce). I thought this was a genius idea. I mean what else are you gonna do with all that left over lechon meat. read more

Lunch at Tastebuds didn't start off well. The servers were very nice but were inattentive at first. I was confused if I have to place an order at the counter or wait for a server. Finally, someone took my order. I had the lunch special that came with soup, rice and two items. As soon as the food was served I smelled something weird like spoiled food. I thought it was the soup for some reason. So I did not even try it. For pescatarians, there's not much choice but the mongo bean soup and fish fillet. Everything else was made from lechon or roast pork. The mongo bean soup and lechon sisig were cold. The fish fillet and rest of the food were served warm and tasted just okay. This restaurant did not do anything to satisfy my craving for Filipino food today. Sorry to say but I won't be back. Maybe dinner can be better or the weekend buffet. However, lunch here, I wont recommend. read more

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Worst lechon ever. There is no meat at all in between the ribs and skin and they put a lot of lemongrass. We could have just ordered 3 pork bellies that could serve more people at a nearby place. It is skinny. What a ripoff! NEVER AGAIN and this serves as a warning to future customers. I should have read their review first in Yelp before ordering. DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS PLACE. read more

Eh, I came back again but the service was horrendous this time! You see all these customers flagging the waiter for help. It took forever just to get my check and another forever to get my credit card back from the waiter. I had to get-up to get my card cuz I thought she was charging everyone's meal on my card. The little empanadas were awful ~ very greasy and doughy. read more