Day one of my brief stay in my hometown, Iligan City, is filled with food! And with me and dad around, it will always be a table full of delicious delights.
We decided to try out this fancy place near Highway 30, called Latinos Diner & Café, but mind you. They’re not just some cheap old looking diner. Latinos is situated just right across Petron, and you will notice it right away with its fancy interiors which you can see through its glass windows and doors.
FANCY PLACE
Like I mentioned, Latinos is not just an ordinary diner and café, coz its ambiance certainly feels like an expensive restobar. They got a mini bar, pastries corner and at nighttime, they have a live band. That time, it was a saxophonist playing the coolest jazz songs which I love whenever I dine out. It gives the overall place a nice and romantic vibe.
SO-SO SERVICE
Though their customer service is not really that excellent, my experience that night was still ok, giving a little room for improvement. It seemed like their understaffed on a weekend coz all I see that time were only two male waiters.
But it was still ok, though. The service was good, they had a great WI-Fi connection, which is a good thing on my part, and I was able to enjoy the food and the music altogether.
GOOD FOOD
Now here’s the interesting part. The food!
Since we didn’t get to talk to the waiter after he handed out the menu (coz he was busy attending the other table, too, coz it’s a weekend so it’s naturally busy), we just ordered the basics in a regular Filipino restaurant: Fish Tinola, Grilled Pork Belly, Calamari, and Baby Back Ribs.
The Fish Tinola was appetizing and kinda reminds me of a regular home-made tinola made better.
The Calamari was great. I love the texture, size and the crispiness of its breading.
Daddy’s a huge fan of pork, but he got a bit disappointed of how the Grilled Pork Belly tastes like. For him, kulang pa daw sa lasa, but for me, it’s was ok.
Now their Baby-Back-Ribs is definitely worth a try. Its special sauce makes it even more flavorful and sumptuous, like how it should be. The only problem is, its serving is just fit for the price. It’s not too big, and not too small.
Mom added this special Fruit Bowl which looks very enticing to me and paired it with a special juice mix with real fruit bits.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
- More friendly staff – Yes, they’re good but it could be better.
- Rice Platter is not good for four. Maybe make it bigger? or better yet, offer Unlimited Rice?
Overall, our dining experience was great and worthwhile. Is it worth checking out? Yes. Definitely.
FOOD: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
PLACE: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
SERVICE: ⭐⭐⭐
You can check out Latinos Diner & Cafe in Tibanga, Hi-Way, Iligan City.
ʙᴏɴɴᴇ ᴀᴘᴘᴇᴛɪᴛ 