Protein, Rice, done Filipino style.. Amen! Dope food, great branding, and unique vibe. Ube Pandesal bread and Ube butter ftw! read more

The rice bowl was pretty solid. The lumpia are not traditional style and lackluster. This place would be a 4 if not for the service. The guy working was extremely rude. He seemed put off that we placed an order. I ask for here, but placed in a to go bag. He had no manners whatsoever. It really pissed me off. read more

Was sitting at the coffee shop across the street working from my laptop with a friend for a few hours. I noticed just the signage "White Rice Bodega" painted on the side of the building. It looked quiet as I didn't see anyone around but I started feeling hungry so I thought I'd check if they were open because a rice bowl sounded like it would hit the spot. I quickly browsed their menu online and saw that they were supposedly open so I decided to go check. It's a small window-service place and there was just one person. He answered my questions about some of the ingredients that I wasn't sure what they were on the menu, and then I placed my order. It did take about 10 min per item but I do think he was there alone taking orders and cooking each item made to order. There is no indoor dining space, but a few tables and chairs under some umbrellas in a small courtyard outside. The tables could have used a wipe-down but I didn't want to ask and slow down the food. The crispy pork bowl was phenomenal although spicy (even for me - a very spice-loving person). The pork was so crispy and had the perfect bite. Loved the proportions of meat to rice and all the other flavorful ingredients. Egg was cooked perfectly and a little runny. I also decided to try the Happy Hour Happy Meal special which was a pork sausage on an Ube bun, with two lumpia rolls and a drink. The choices for drinks are canned sodas, canned beers/ciders, or a fresh Ube milk tea- so it's a fantastic deal! I went with the tea which was refreshing! I realized after taking it home that I wasn't given the side cup of sweet and sour sauce that my friend got with his, but thankfully I had some at home. Awesome deal! If you're in the area- give it a try for a savory home-cooked style meal. read more

We got three bowls: longanisa, adobo, and Sisig. The adobo didn't taste like authentic adobo I've usually had, although it's not too bad. The Sisig was very flavorful! The best was the longanisa with vinegar. It even had an egg which gave it the perfect pair. The only thing we weren't too happy about was the garlic rice. It didn't taste like garlic rice and had a bitterness to it. Ordering is outside at the window and there's outdoor seating. For parking, we had to find one on the street. Service was great also! We came on a Friday evening around 6pm and many of their items were already sold out. We'll definitely come back to try more though. read more

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Very good food. Perfect for a quick lunch. We go the sisig an adobo. Both were good. We also go an order of lumpia which was delicious. I wish they had hot sauce but the vinegar sauce works instead. read more

I'm a bit biased; but I love rice, garlic, and eggs. I was not expecting to like this place that much, but I would definitely come back. I would probably order ahead of time as we did wait a bit. It's outdoor setting so you have the very relaxed and chill vibe or Normal Heights. read more

White Rice Bodega - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

Food was dry, i ordered the chicken adobo plate. Egg was cold, chicken was ok, rice was dry and cold. It took 20 minutes to get the plate. I really have this place a try and won't ever recommend it. They couldn't even give me my plate to go which was the worst. I had to eat it here which i just threw in trash. read more

White Rice Bodega - Chciken adobo - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

I have been here 3 other times before, usually when I can't drive to Mira Mesa or National City for better Filipino food. At first look the pork sisig was underwhelming. The pork was in big chunks of cubes and really tough to chew. It hurt the roof of my mouth chewing it. The flavor itself is NOT good, it feels like it was just thrown in some soy sauce and mayo. It had no citrusy taste whatsoever. This feels like eating day old pork with mayo and onions. The worst part is the fried egg on top was undercooked, the egg whites were clear and still runny! I was 2 bites in when I noticed the RAW egg white. got their lumpia also, that was very mid. I am frustrated to have spent money on this read more

White Rice Bodega - raw egg white - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

We tried this place recently -- my boyfriend got the pork sisig and I got the longanisa bowl. Both were pretty good, but nothing too special considering the price. The flavors were solid, and everything was cooked nicely, but for almost $50 total, it felt a little pricey for a small bowl of rice, egg, and protein. They actually gave me the wrong order at first (chicken instead of longanisa). When I asked, they said it was longanisa, but I ended up bringing it back and waiting another 10 minutes for the correct one. Overall, the food isn't bad -- it's tasty and satisfying -- just not something I'd go out of my way for. It's a cute spot with minimal seating, and I'd probably come back if I was nearby or craving longanisa, but not as a regular stop. read more

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I should have paid closer attention, didn't realize how spice my meal was going to be. Loved the crunch, rice and egg. Cashier was nice, could answer some of our questions. Appreciated the seating with shade. I wanted to like it more. read more

I've been eating at White Rice since their original location at Liberty Station. Their ube pandesal and ube jam are consistently their best item pairing and a personal 5/5 for me. I also like their different -silog options, including their tocilog & longsilog here, and my partner and I enjoyed them paired with their calamansi iced teas. Unforch they seem to be inconsistent with their food stock here! :'-( Was in San Diego for a week & there were about 3 instances throughout the week (Tues Wed Thurs) when we called to see if an item were in stock, and it was supposed to be in but was further delayed. This seems consistent with other reviews on here, and I recommend calling ahead to make sure what you want is available as a result. Side street parking + outdoor seating, and some cute Filipino decor at the order window. read more

White Rice Bodega - Tocilog - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

I tried the $9 McDo Happy Meal, which includes a longganisa slider, lumpia, and a drink. It was such a steal for a happy hour option. The longganisa slider was savory with a slightly sweet finish, and the lumpia came out hot and crispy. For drinks, I really enjoyed the ube milk tea. It had a bold ube flavor and just the right amount of sweetness without feeling overpowering. If you prefer something less sweet, I recommend the calamansi iced tea. It has a bright citrus taste that's super refreshing. We waited about 15 minutes for our food after ordering, which initially felt a little long. That said, everything came out steaming hot and fresh, so it ended up being worth it. The seating area is perfectly positioned for people watching. Overall, it's a fun, affordable spot that I'd definitely come back to. read more

White Rice Bodega - McDo Happy Meal - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

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I've passed by this spot and was very skeptical because I grew up on these foods. Although I love supporting yung mga kababayan ko, I don't like spending money to be let down. My sister came to town and brought us food from this exact location. The sisig was over cooked. The flavor was cool, but eating it made our jaws fatigued. I'm sure it was just that batch. Our friend, who doesn't have a frame of reference, enjoyed the adobo! read more

Ordered 1 bowl and had to wait 30 mins. Only 4 customers ahead of me. The staff back there were very nonchalant, no sense of urgency. Definitely not coming back read more

It's a great use of a small space. I like the walk up window and outdoor seating. Every time I have been, they are always out of stuff. I tried to order the special posted on the window, it was out. My recommendation would be to not advertise it, if you don't have it. The food is made to order, the service was pretty quick. I tried the chicken adobo and it is a good amount of chicken. Overall, it's a little over priced in my opinion. read more

White Rice Bodega - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

So good is tasty. I recommend the most popular ones. I had the chicken adobo, and that was definitely a hit. We were there on a weekday evening and felt the wait was too long. There are some tables, but this is a small take out joint. I recommend going when it's not dinner time read more

White Rice Bodega - Outside - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

I've had white rice bodega many times, since they first opened up in Normal Heights. I absolutely loved the pork sisig bowl. I've pretty much tried all the other bowls - longanisa (a close second), lechon kawali, adobo, and mushroom/tofu sisig. The others were alright, so I always stuck with the pork sisig. Things have changed since they first opened. In the beginning we were offered a neighborhood discount. Eventually portions seemed smaller, and no more neighborhood discounts. Price increased $15 in 2023 to $16 in 2024. The discounts are nbd, but sad to see the portion decrease while the price increase, from the bigger black to-go containers to smaller cardboard bowls. I no longer live in NH, so I don't frequent white rice as often. I visited last week, first time in a long time. Surprised to see that a bowl is $17 and you now have to pay extra for an egg, $3 when I was ordering online for pick up. Disappointing, as that seems quite steep for an egg. Opted to fry my own egg at home to avoid paying $40 for 2 bowls, tax/tip not yet included. Quality has seemed to change a bit too? Wasn't as flavorful as I remember, and was a bit on the dry side. Service seemed meh now, as my bf said the kid at the front looked up from his phone as he approached the window to pick up and said "yo" and nothing else. Lol. Miss the friendly faces and service we used to see often. read more

White Rice Bodega - Sisilog - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

I WANTED TO LIKE THIS PLACE (2 stars) ... BUT as a Filipino it just doesn't manifest up to what my heart wants it to be. 1) First time I actually didn't drive by the place was during Taste of Adam's Avenue. I was thrilled to see it on the list and as I lined up for a sample we had a choice of sweet corn bread OR beans. Nothing Filipino related and thought that event would have been perfect to introduce the restaurant and Filipino food to the community. That was a disappointment. 2) Second time I planned to order a meal but then didn't want to spend the price for something I can easily make at home (and likely better). But I did stop in for some Shanghai Lumpia and THAT was a disappointment. If Shanghai Lumpia can't meet up to expectation then there is no encouragement to buy anything more here. The Shanghai lumpia had ~6 pieces and they were kind of soggy, not much filling, the filling inside was meh in flavor, and the oil it's fried in tasted old as if it needed a change out. I do give them kudos for making their residency in Normal Heights and tapping the crowd there but I'm not drawn to come and eat my own people's food. Sorry, I really did want to like this place but it's falling short for me. read more

White Rice Bodega - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

It was my first time trying White Rice Bodega. I've passed by We ordered the ube pandesal, sisilog and longganisa. I also tried the calamansi iced tea. Everything we had was AMAZING. As compared to many other filipino places though, the servings are smaller, but not to the point that I believe it was overpriced. They cook everything to order so it took a bit for food to come out, but the staff were all very friendly and provided recommendations as we asked. White rice bodega IS a bodega so everything is just outside. There were ample seats with umbrellas, but it is fairly exposed to the streets of university heights. One time we came back though and it was really weird--they were open and all but they told us they had no food due to a delivery issue. It seems like a total one off but was honestly very confusing to me why they remained open in general. Overall, still really love this place and can't wait to try more food! read more

White Rice Bodega - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

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Delicious fast casual Filipino food! The staff was super friendly and helpful with recommendations / questions. The flavors are bold and the portions are large. 10/10 recommend and will be back to try more items from the menu. There's no indoor portion of the restaurant but a little outdoor seating and great option for takeout. read more

White Rice Bodega - TOCINO MANOK - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

Sheesh should've read the health score first but not like I'll consider coming back after the service at the front counter. Of course there's one employee and it's the most awkward teenager ever, so unhelpful. For the insane price tag, go anywhere else on Adams :/. If it was a normal price honestly it would be fine but almost $17 without tip is insane for this bowl. Chicken was dry and flavor was a 3/10, c'mon guys read more

White Rice Bodega - $16 for a bowl with 1 egg, chicken, and mostly rice (it's a rice bowl sure) - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

We ordered the chicken adobo, longanisa, and an order of lumpia. I came in really hoping for a great meal, but unfortunately the execution didn't quite live up to the promise of the ingredients. First off, the restaurant is called White Rice Bodega, but the rice itself was inconsistent. Some bites were wet and mushy while others were dried out, which was surprising given that rice is such a central part of the meal. The longanisa dish had some highlights. The longanisa itself was good, and the atchara was tangy and fresh, which helped balance the plate. The fried egg, however, was runnier than I would have preferred. The adobo fared a bit better overall. The chicken was flavorful and satisfying, and the hard-boiled eggs were well done. The lumpia was also solid and something I would recommend. The flavors were familiar and comforting, and they definitely hit the spot. What ultimately saved the visit were the desserts -- the ube pan de sal and ube butter. Even though they come at the end of the meal, they were the standout and honestly worth coming back for. Overall, the experience was disappointing. I was hoping for more elevated flavors and a more polished execution, but instead I left wondering if the place is riding more on hype than delivery. read more

White Rice Bodega - CHICKEN ADOBO - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

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We attended the Adams Avenue Street Fair and this place caught our eye so we decided to eat here instead of the local food vendors. We're huge fans of the Filipino culture and food so we were really excited try it out! The establishment looks like a cool hip place. There were alot of flies in the outside dining area. So much that they actually had several fly repellent fans to grab and take to your table. My wife ordered the Mushroom Sisig and I ordered the Longganisa rice bowl. We shared an order of the Lumpia Gulay. Unfortunately every single item was at room tempurature. The Mushroom Sisig was also on the bland side. The egg on the Longganisa bowl was burnt on the bottom. I'm usually not super critical on the food but it left my stomach a little rumbly. The service was nice enough but not over the top. read more

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I love and adore this place and am so happy to have Filipino food in the neighborhood (being Filipino-American myself!) giving this place 3.5/4 stars since they are almost always out of items I want, which is such a bummer. This place has great potential to be a usual solid takeout spot w/consistency. I kinda feel like this place is neglected a bit. My favorite dish is the longuinisa bowl. The ube pandesal with ube butter is also to die for. They also have specials at times, their Filipino spaghetti is on point. I would LOVE to see arroz caldo here daily. I would come more often if they did :,) It's been multiple times at this location and the Liberty station location I've come and they have been out of multiple dishes. Price is fair for the neighborhood and also for it being the only Filipino spot on this area. read more

Great service...last customers of the night and didn't feel rushed, got the pork Adobo, lumpia, and Ube drink so delicious! If in the area MUST TRY! Great outside vibe and lots of street parking out front. read more

White Rice Bodega - Ube milk tea - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

I was in the area charging my area and was a little hungry and saw this place literally right around the corner. I'm giving it three stars because when I went, they were out of stock of a lot of items and I do not eat meat. The only thing to order was veggie lumpia and the ube bread, and it wasn't but but it wasn't great. I would imagine their other items are better and I would give it another chance. read more

Been wanting to try this place out. This is an outdoor setting with umbrella shades. I ordered the pork sisig and it was really good! Shoutout to Tasja! Tasja was so friendly and welcoming. Will definitely come back and try the others read more

One of the rudest customer service experiences i have EVER had. person at the window rolled his eyes at me and act shocked when I asked if they had the mushroom bowl on the menu that I saw listed online. He then looked even more annoyed when I asked if there were any vegetarian options. absolutely bizarre. Will never return. read more

Came here on a Thursday morning and ordered the pork sisig, vegetable lumpia. The pork sisig did not taste good at all. They served up hard chunks of pork with some type of mayo sauce, smothered in onions, with a runny egg on top. Try to order the calamansi tea but they were out. Try to order the ube pandesal and this was also out of stock. read more

We were charging our EV at nearby Vons and were delighted to find this little Filipino walk-up stand close by (1 min walking) for a little early evening mirienda (snack/meal). Our first time here and we had the lumpia gulay $8 which is 5 lumpia (fried egg rolls with vegetables inside) with a nice heaping side of white rice. It came with a sweet vinegar sauce. Total was $17. I really wanted to try the mushroom and tofu sisig, but alas, it was no longer on the menu. Bummer! There were no other vegetarian/vegan-friendly food items on the menu. The lumpia was fresh and crunchy. The rice was good, standard. The sauce was a little too sweet for me, it needed more vinegar! Service was quick. There was one guy at first; he could've been a little friendlier. Another worker came, but we didn't interact with him. We took our food to go, but they had tables and chairs outside that were not set up for sitting. Probably because they were closing soon. read more

The food was very underwhelming. I ordered the tocino manok. They only served it in 5 small pieces and it did not taste good. And the service was not that good either. The person taking our orders seemed like he didn't want to work there. The ube pandesal was really dry as well. Hope this place improves. read more

I actually really like this place, but ive come by probably 5 times recently and they have been out of the dish I wanted every single time. I understand if that is the case occasionally, every time is very disappointing! read more

Their ube bread had mold on it an noticed after I ate a piece. I called their store 5 times and no answer. Their bao bun was cold and hard. Did not eat the rest of my meal after this. read more

White Rice Bodega - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

I really enjoyed White Rice Bodega for a quick lunch! The place specializes in Filipino food and has a couple outside sitting but is mostly a stand. It has limited street parking so that might be tough. We got the pork sisig and the pork was super crispy and the rice was flavorful with sour and spicy flavors. We also got the chicken adobo which was super buttery. I believe the bowls were $17-18? The egg is an extra $3, which I will try next time I'm there. The portions are satisfying! Overall the service was also great. The worker was friendly and nice, and the food came out in a reasonable amount of time. I will return! read more

White Rice Bodega - Pork sisig (left) and chicken adobo (right) - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

Love this place and it speaks to my Filipino soul! White Rice Bodega is located in North Park and is a tiny spot that serves up tasty and generous portions of Filipino favorites. We only found them because of the word "Salamat" that's painted on the building. Genius! The gent that helped us out felt like family immediately and we were so glad we stopped by therefor lunch. The menu is simple and done well. What we had: Pork Sisig: rice, fried egg, crispy bits of pork, red onion garlic and peppers: this was my hubby's favorite and he scarfed every bit down. Soy Braised Pork: chicken adobo that was garnished with a hard boiled egg, green onions and served with garlic rice. This was my favorite and I was able to finish about half of it; it warmed up well the next day. So umami! Ube Pandesal: we've gone to their location at Liberty Station and had tried this before so of course we had to get a bag to go. That Ube Butter tho! Calamansi Iced Tea tasted like home :) When we left, the guy who I'm thinking may be the owner said goodbye and made us feel so extremely welcome. They are about a 30 plus minute drive from where we live but we will definitely return just for his friendly service. SALAMAT! read more

White Rice Bodega - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

No MSG!! Filipino dishes are tasty already and does NOT need MSG. The lumpia's were sprinkled with MSG, which I've never seen before.

I thoroughly enjoyed my bowl of sisig I ordered to-go. As soon as I opened the packaging, the scent of the rice and perfectly marinated pork hit my nose and I knew it was going to be a good meal. I recognized the "Salamat Yo!" from Koy Sun's social media and am so happy I decided to try it out. Service was good, with a slower tempo than some establishments, nonetheless comforting. The vibe of the place was nice and inviting. I am sure I'll be back. So delish! read more

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The food and service was AMAZING. The owner/chef greeted us with a smile and recommendations. We ordered the chicken adobo, pork belly, lumpia, pork & chicken bbq skewer. Everything was seasoned well and not overly flavored. He even gave us free Ube pandasal with ube butter! 10/10 for food and service, thank you Kuya! We'll be back soon! read more

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June 27, 2024 - Late Review Went here for lunch. Menu is pretty simple. We ordered the following: *Sweet Pork Sausage (longganisa) Silog (comes with garlic rice, egg and spicy vinegar) - Simple dish, the longganisa was very yummy. *Ube pandesal - this was on the dry side for me. I didn't really like it. *Chopped pork belly (Pork Sisig sauce, sunny side egg and garlic rice) - This was good not crunchy enough though, the pork belly had good size chunks and flavor to it, but it needed more of the pork sisig sauce. Overall ok but can't compare to the ones you get at the Filipino restaurants in National City. *pansit - Had a nice amount of veggies but a little on the bland side. *lumpia - It wasn't crispy and not a lot of flavor. *calamansi juice - Not sure what else they put in this but I didn't like the taste. This was definitely did not cut it for me. They have some seating outside but because of its location, it seems like people were going more for to go orders there. We didn't find it hard to find a table and even the whole time we were there, there were empty tables. There was a good flow of people coming and going here. The employees that took care of our order was very nice and friendly. He even offered some of his favorite dishes. Overall, this place is okay, it satisfies the craving for filipino food, but its not a place I would go back to. I had high hopes for it because I heard good things about it, but since I have access to ample amount of Filipino food down south, this wouldn't be a go to spot for me. read more

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This place is a hidden street gem that we stumbled upon walking around in SD. I ordered their sisig plate and it's got to be the best sisig in town for sure with so much flavor and originality! I'd definitely make another SD trip just to go back to this place and try some other items! Great service, personable staff and chill outdoor seating. Great experience! read more

White Rice Bodega - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

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