There's been a few business changes at this spot but it hasn't been good and memorable since it was…read moreRowena's. Typical turo-turo spot. Cold food, we had to ask to heat up the rice and sides. Small portions for the prices. Taste not memorable. Ended up leaving the leftovers. Better value with Jayhan's, who is the same owner/manager of this spot, which is surprising because Jahyan's is awesome! Bahay unfortunately not a recommendation.

I would've missed this if I was simply walking around. I was brought over by my cousin because we…read morewere picking up an order. There's absolutely so many dishes to choose from! This is a turo-turo style which literally translates to point-point. In American terms, it's cafeteria style. It was quiet when I visited around 3p so in between meal times. This is a sister location to Jayhan's Grill a few doors down. I love the design by the front making it appear like a Kubo in the Philippines. The food was absolutely delicious and I definitely recommend.

We randomly walked by this place after pickleball from Lincoln Park. We saw the $16 buffet sign and…read morewent for it! Food (5/5): Delicious authentic Filipino food! Tons of options with my favorite being the lumpia. There were also a variety of pork and chicken dishes plus some desserts. The pancit noodles and fried rice were good too. Service (4/5): Mostly self service where you get the buffet food and then put away the dishes yourself. Ambiance (3/5): Not the fanciest looking spot but feels authentic like a mom and pop restaurant in the Philippines.

A delicious find and a bargain of a Sunday buffet…read more A Filipino restaurant offering all you can eat is unheard of, especially offering over hot 20 dishes including dessert. Classic dishes include pancit, adobo, sinigang, kare-kare, and lechon. They even include dipping sauces on the side. Dessert is included, however if you want to indulge in halo-halo that comes at a separate charge but worth it. Seating area is large and tables are plentiful. There is no table service, but it's not needed or missed at the self service Sunday buffet. The operators are busy hustling food and answering phones but chat with a smile when asked questions. Such good Filipino food, plentiful and at a great price should be bookmarked in your favorites.

Typical turo turo food, nothing special, amazing or memorable. We got served cold food. They will…read morewarm it but need to ask - which you really shouldn't have to. The turon is the only thing worth buying. They are also way too expensive for low quality food and service. Many more places to go in the area like Jayhans' or Pampaguena, both well worth visits and returns. Victory Chicken House is not one of those worth going back again. Avoid.

Came at around 1pm with a group of five. You will need to street park. It's a small establishment…read morewith very few tables. I would recommend getting the food to-go if you have more than 4 people. There's no menu, really. You just go up to the serving line where the food is displayed, and pick what you want. People usually get a combo which comes with 2 sides and a bowl of rice. You can order breakfast plates too. I loved the lechon and [surprisingly] the milkfish. The fish may not look like much, but it was tasty as heck and barely had bones! The dinuguan here is pretty good if you're into that. Pretty solid place for classic Filipino food.

My favorite Filipino restaurant in JC!…read more Staff and owners are always very friendly. FYI it's cash only. They also have a parking lot, even though it's pretty tight to park your car there. I've had all the Filipino dishes you can think of (palabok, kare kare, lumpia Shanghai, sisig, adobo, pancit) and everything is absolutely delicious!

There's something about the taste of home…read more We wanted a home cooked meal and this spot was the winner. First time for all of us. All 4 of us got the 2x2 combo meal. My choice was tocino and daing. When I tell you, it was so good I was nonstop shoveling all the foods. That fish was it. Instead of soda, I got the sago gulaman that truly reminded me of my childhood. A couple of cons: The parking is super tight. There happened to be some massive trucks as we were leaving so my nephew ended up having to do a 4 point turn just to get out of the lot. While I'm not taking any stars away because the food is on point and the service was good, they're a cash only operation.

Food (5/5): We ordered the pork bbq skewer, crispy pork belly karee, garlic rice, and lumpia. The…read morelumpia was nice, crispy and cute but be careful it's hot. The pork belly karee was good with a nice savory and crispy flavor. The garlic rice was a generous serving. The pork bbq skewer was probably my favorite with such flavorful meat and sauce. Service (4/5): No issues with the service with the waiter helping us with questions and getting us seated. The food took a out 10-15 minutes to come out. Ambiance (4/5): Nice shop interior with a medium size and plenty of seating. The light decoration are cute and the entrance with the garden sign looks quite nice. There is Booth and chair seating on wooden tables. Some of the tables look a bit worn out but overall still a nice shop.

Hadn't been to Max's in many years (as in close to a decade!) and, honestly, it wasn't as good as I…read moreremembered ... or either it wasn't great the previous 2 times I had been, but I was starvinggg to the point I can eat a hippo. First, and, foremost, GETTING HERE. Parking can be a nightmare in this busy part of Journal Square as I assume most customers will be driving to get here. Parking is not allowed on the side of Newark Ave. that Max's is on and it feels like the cars parked across the street are parked there for an eternity. There is a small (and VERY tight) parking lot with about 15-20 parking spaces about 150 feet west of the restaurant, but, once again, spots are a premium and there will definitely be a few "campers" inside waiting for that 1 car to leave. If you're lucky enough to find a parking space, when you finally walk in, the restaurant looks relatively small at first as the 1st floor has a few tables, but, they do have a 2nd level as well, which I sat in the previous times I dined here. The menu is a collection of classic Filipino faves, predominantly comprised of pork-based appetizers and entrees, which are the real cornerstones of the Filipino diet. Yes, there are non-pork foods, like chicken adobo, pancit, laing, but, if you're here to really feast, you HAVE to order something with pork in it. It's a rite of passage. On my most recent trip to the restaurant, we arrived at around 12pm on a windy Saturday afternoon and, we were very, very fortunate to get a table for our family of 4 as the restaurant was pretty busy as a large party of about 15 people took up 3 combined tables alone. Since my wife ordered ahead of time as I was circling for parking, I didn't really get a chance to take a close look at the menu, but it was far from my first foray into Filipino food so I already knew what was "good". Quick recap of what we ordered and thoughts. LUMPIA SHANGHAI Classic Lumpia Shanghai served here. Addictive to keep eating them. The pieces are a bit on the tinier side, but, nevertheless, great appetizer to wet the palette. Definitely kids approved according to our kids. LAING I typically love Laing (taro leaves cooked with coconut milk), but, for some reason, the taste was a bit odd to me this time around. Typically, the coconut flavor usually really comes through and dominates the dish, however, not this last time. It was decent and my wife loved it, but I wasn't a huge fan. CHICKEN ADOBO Nothing spectacular. Not to minimize the effort that probably went into making this, but it was basically chicken dunked in a ton of adobo sauce. Yes, it was tasty, but I didn't feel like it was something I couldn't make on my own at home. CLASSIC PORK SISIG Where was the sizzle?????? This was an entrée I was reallllllly looking forward to. I LOVE sisig, especially when it's hot and sizzling, which it was supposed to be, but it was just OK once again. Also, we probably should have ordered the crunchy pork sisig, which is supposed to have bit of lechon crunch in it. It was OK, but we've definitely had much better in terms of heat, flavor and crunch. LARGE GARLIC FRIED RICE Solid garlic fried rice. Honestly, I might have enjoyed this the most - sadly. Make sure to ask for some vinegar on the side as well so that you can let the rice soak it up. Service was good throughout. Our food came out quickly and the waiters/waitresses were attentive. Just wish the food was better than we anticipated.

Met the owner/chef/server, Joel, on a rainy Sunday afternoon. He was a one-man show that day and…read morewas kind enough to accommodate all our requests. The place is small but can seat at least 30 people, with a live band in one corner and a buffet table on the side for an all-you-can-eat breakfast at $25.99. Good food and friendly atmosphere! Even the regular customers, Bong and Stephanie, were so helpful that I mistakenly thought they were part owners! I'll definitely be back with more peeps next time.

Tried this place as suggested by one of our friends who had a friend that was playing in the…read morerestaurant that night. The place is small and fairly new. But it had enough room for a band and our group of 5. Very makeshift decor. It reminded me of those provincial restaurants you end up at night while your on a road trip back in the Philippines. The staff was very friendly. The floor manager, though, is rough around the edges. But he will make sure you're fully accommodated. The food was very good. Not expensive. BYOB and Alcohol. Do try them out and support this local business. I believe they are worth it.

A friend suggested this place today as we were in the Area…read more Island Central. Great Filipino Food. Huge portions. Enjoy for 4-6 people. All the dishes were tasty and very authentic Filipino cuisine. The one waitress was a bit overwhelmed. As it was busy. Extremely Friendly and Sweet. Nice decorations on the wall. Very Clean for a tiny place. If you are in the area come Try Island Central. Delicious.

The longsilog that lives rent free in my head. I felt like I've been dropped straight into the…read morePhilippines with the live music and open-mic karaoke in this homey filipino spot in Jersey City. Island Central is such a family-owned neighborhood gem in the Heights. Not only is the food super affordable with generous portions, but the whole place feels so warm and welcoming. I love ordering takeouts or bringing my friends here when they're in JC. I've even seen people celebrate their birthdays here with a kamayan feast! Just a small note that the live music and karaoke were very loud in such a small space, but the staff helped turn down the volume as my partner was sensitive to loud noise. ＊Longsilog $12 ** My go-to here! The longganisa, fried egg, and garlic rice just hit the spot every time. The longganisa has the perfect sweet-savory balance, and the garlic rice is so flavorful that we've literally ordered extra garlic rice à la carte! I've also tried their tocilog before, but the tocino was too sweet for me. ＊Vegetable Lumpiang Shanghai $10 * Get the lumpia, period! Even with just veggie filling, these were so good. Crispy, savory, and addictive. ＊Oxtail & Tripe Kare-Kare $24 This came with a generous amount of oxtail and tripe, plus green beans and eggplant. The oxtail was super tender, and the peanut sauce was thick, creamy, and nutty. Even better, they have unlimited rice on weekends. ＊Halo-Halo $9 * A jaw-dropping moment when this came out...We did not expect it to be this massive for under $10! It was loaded with leche flan (my favorite), coconut jelly, beans, ice cream, shaved ice, and so many other toppings. So many textures and flavors that I never got bored of digging through it.

Food 4.5/5 Drinks 3.5/5…read more Dessert 3/5 Came back to Next Door Provisions since they are easily my favorite Filipino spot in the area so far. Bonus points to them for being so pup-friendly! The Kare-Kare is still just as amazing as I remembered. I love that they rotate their menu, which gave us the perfect excuse to try a few new dishes this time around: Fishballs (4.75/5): These had a great texture that felt more like a fish cake, and the sauce pairing was delish Crab Rice (4.5/5): Really enjoyed this! It had a delicious flavor and a rich, risotto-style consistency NY Strip (4/5): A solid, basic steak. Nothing incredibly unique about it, but it was still well-cooked and tasty Eggplant Omelette / Tortang Talong (3.75/5): Decent, but this one just wasn't particularly to my personal taste. Ube Cheesecake (3/5): You can definitely taste the authentic ube flavor, but the texture was a bit grainy and the sweetness level was a little too high for me. Note on drinks: We tried the Watermelon Lemonade, Mango Guava, and Thai Iced Tea, they all lean quite sweet, which isn't my personal preference, and they serve coffee from Lavazza. But my friends enjoyed their bevs! Still one of my absolute go-tos in the area

The most beautiful bibingka pancake ever with a salted egg filling...from a local gem serving…read moreFilipino-inspired brunch in Jersey City. This is a cozy, mom-and-pop restaurant run by a husband-and-wife duo, where Chef Ruby Felix-Curtis is the mastermind behind all the creative fusion dishes. I honestly want to try EVERY SINGLE ITEM on the menu. ＊Longanizza Sliders $16 Weekend special. As a longanizza lover, this might be the best slider I've had in a long time. Super juicy pork patty with bang bang sauce. Heard there's a chance it'll stay on the regular menu if enough people show it some love! ＊Kare Kare Mafaldini $28 Inspired by Filipino kare kare, they toss fresh handmade malfadini in a rich peanut sauce with shrimp paste instead of serving it over rice. The sauce takes 6 hours to make, and the beef brisket is braised for 3 hours. Truly a labor of love! Even the Peruvian pepper was so juicy I wanted more. ＊Bibingka Pancake $17 Every table ordered the bibingka pancake. Our jaws literally dropped when it arrived. MASSIVE, super fluffy, moist, and packed with salted egg (both the yolk and the white!). Though we did find it a little too salty after a few bites. We had leftovers for two more meals.