Manila’s Lechon Manok

The real Filipino food in LA is about 15 minutes south of the airport off the 405 in Carson. And this is one of the better places — although it does have a fast-​food element to it.
Filipino food can be challenging for the inexperienced palette — but there are some pretty good and palatable dishes in this cuisine, even for the newcomer. Lumpia (little fried spring rolls filled with meat), and Pancit (vermicelli pan-​fried with vegies and meat), and totally awesome fried chicken.
Lechon Manok offers a lot of things — and if you are a newcomer to Filipino food, walk around and look at the other tables — you will see dishes that look good — and you can get those.
Here are some Filipino dishes that have a lot of potential to grab the palettes of most American ethnic-​food eaters (some served here — some not): Pork-​Belly Adobo, Deep Fried crispy Chicken-​Skin, Beef Sour-​Soup, numerous adobo slow-​cooked stews of various meats and flavors, Filipino BBQ (like Thai Satay only with hundreds of different meats, seafood, and vegetables on small skewers — one meal may consist of 12 or more skewers — and at many places you can cook them yourself on a small brazier — but not here — still they are very fun and yummy), and of course, the standard Lumpias and various Pancits (there are a lot of Pancits in this cuisine — like there are a lot of pastas in Italian cuisine).
Filipino food also lends itself very well to big parties and catering — much better than Japanese or Korean — and this place also caters — so, if you want to get married in Carson, you know who to go to for the food.
Also, the Filipino drinks are super sweet, delicious, and fun, with many colors and textures — try one. And the desserts are good too. I like the fried bananas.
And you can’t miss the big hot box full of fried skin ready to go to your table like chips and salsa at a Mexican place. Eat them. They are yummy.

My all time favorite here is their own version of sisig! I have been going here since 2006 and never did they fail me with it.

this is one of the worst filipino restaurants i’ve ever been to. grease all around. oil floating on the surface of the food. their fried chicken is harder than a rock. you can obviously see and feel the chicken is old and it was just refried. no intention of going back. NEVER!

Iwas hungry so I stop at this place and got tilapia and panze im hispanic but living in Carson Cal have few friend Filipino so I know a little bit about this food but first let me tell costumer service, the guy giving the food he doesn’t knowledge that, he just give you what you ask but is not a Hi how are you or thank you have a nice dayit looks like he don’t wish to be there. So I paid for my two items 13.00 exactly no drinks. So I sit and I star eating my food and bang. TILAPIA COLD not even warm so it came to my mind how long that fish was sitting there to star been cold uhhhh I hope I dont get sick. Pance horrible no flavor oh my God I ask the guy who give me my fiod if thats how they ussualy have the fish cold and he replied I’m a server not a cook OMG. Ok i don’t want to ruin my day so i just leave that place without said anything I’m not coming back thats it… old lady in the counter really nice but she feel insecure this place have a lot of potencial but is really bad costumer service and the way they manage the food is bad can sick so many people because the food is in risk of cross cotamination sorry to said…

I think we tried everything they had to offer. The beef caldaretta was good and great portion. Chicken curry was fantastic and we have never had it Filipino style. The Lechon Kawali was cooked to perfection. The sisig was the only one that didn’t taste the way I expected. We both enjoyed the Halo Halo.

The four star rating is for the previous owners (three sisters). No matter how busy it got, they always had great smiles and took the time to make you feel so welcomed.
The pinoy food far better than most in the neighborhood. Always liked their lechon kawali.
Clean establishment.
Ample parking spaces
Tight squeeze between tables and counter
For the new owners… I will be back to update my review.

I craved badly for Papaitan (spicy and bitter stew) and I have called most Filipino turo-​turo restaurants in the area but this particular place makes it. I got excited and the lady claimed that the food will be served fresh and hot as soon I get there. Such a nice friendly start from an elderly Filipina!
We arrived and we randomly picked (pointed) the food we wanted and my Papaitan was served in a large bowl. So the feast began. It was deliciously made with authenticity and I was really satisfied. The servers were friendly and attentive. It was extra humid that day and the ventilation system was bad so I began to think I was in the Philippines.
Such a great experience!

I was in the mood for Filipino bbq and I did stumble in the right place. my only other option is Historic Filipino town in LA. I would come here again. Food is greasier than the norm, but what do you expect at a Lechon house. just not something I can eat everyday.
there was other food here also, but I couldn’t pronounce, but they had a lot of customers there, so I’m thinking it is good.
it’s pretty warm inside, I’m guessing because of the heat lamps on the pork and pork skins.
Pro: bbq chicken and bbq pork on the stick was delicious with rice
Con: crowded parking, with typical bad Asian drivers (I’m asian)

I came back here after 2 years hoping they have made some kind of improvement in taste… I ordered the following:
arroz caldo — bland, the fried garlic is what made it taste a little better
Pork adobo — tasteless and too much vinegar
Nilagang baka soup — bland and very oily
Chicken skin — bland and hairy
Menudo — not enough potatoes and carrots
Cassava w/​macapuno — the only thing that tasted decent
I spent $ 30 which is quite a bit for less than decent food.
Make some improvements and we will come back and maybe revise my review.
Oh as far as the staff? The lady behind the counter was nice but the cashier (probably the owner) was rude to her staff and did not know how to smile!

Go to spot if I ever need anything for parties. Always very accomodating, good price and tasty food.

This is my first Philippine restaurant to try and I am not impressed. The service was slow and staffs are not friendly. I ordered pork belly and crispy kawali pork, they they came after I finished the meal. Pork was okay but just ordinary.

This is one of the three Filipino restaurants I eat at regularly, the other two being Hadugan and Tita Celia’s. All are in Carson, on Carson street.
My wife says Manila Lechon is her favorite hands down. She loves the huge selection. They do have the best selection of the three mentioned above. They also have the best soup. I find all 3 fairly equal in other respects but have favorites at each place.
One thing I don’t like is that the place is large but packed very tight with tables. You enter through a door on the extreme left, walk the buffet line pressed up against tables on the left, continue walking around the back of the seating area to pay, go past the lechon counter on the right, and then either find a table or exit through a door on the extreme right of the place.
When I sit down I always feel like people are jostling around me. Its a small gripe, Im an oddball that like my back to a wall or a booth. Prepare to be surrounded by people here.

Beware, they leave their food sitting for a long time. I got food poisoning. Don’t go on a Saturday at 4−5pm.

Oh dear, this place is pretty terrible. We had various things, but I can only speak to the pork bbq on a stick combo. Several of us came here for lunch with a few Flips with us. The reviews confirmed it, the food was eck. My gf who ordered the porridge liked hers but I had a taste and it was vinigary. I should say that I’ve never been a huge fan of Filipino food, desserts, YES, but not the savory stuff and this just confirmed that for me. I could not finish my food. On our way out, we tried some of the chicharon hanging in the window, but it was FULL of oil and grease, :(Never never ever again.

This is the thrid Pilipino turo-​turo restaurant (food is laid out cafeteria style and you point to what you want) that I have tried in Carson after Handugan and Tita’s. This time I decided to go a little before 12 so that I would not be rushed like my experience at Tita’s. Again I was the only odd ball out in the joint and none of the dishes laid out cafeteria style were labeled.
Decided to go with the two item combo ($ 6.50 + tax) and then started the tough task of picking stuff out. I asked for Chiken Adobo so that covered one item and then asked for my choices in beef and was directed to two dishes from which I selected the beef steak. I also got a small Bibingka ($ 1.99) and a small desert Guinatn ($ 1.99).
Manila’s Lechon is much bigger than Handugan or Tita’s and it seems to be more bright and welcoming. The cafeteria style food station also looked very clean. I did not feel rushed during the ordering process and I guess it was because I actually went a little before peak lunch time. They take card but i’m not sure if they have a requirement for a minimum as my order was more than $ 10 which is the threshold in many places.
Comming to the food I found the portions here to be a lot more subdued than what I got at Handugan and Tita’s, but that was not a big deal as it is more than sufficient. I was also not given any soup — not sure if they dont provide soup with their combo but I did not get any with my to-​go order. Again not an issue as the soup is generally so sour that after one sip I can’t have any more. Taste wise the chiken adobo was bland, almost tasted like boiled chicken. It also had a lot of chicken skin which I did not like. The beef steak was superb, perfectly cooked, soft and tender. As this was the first time that I had Bibingka and Guinatn I can’t comment on their authenticity but in generall I felt they were average for my taste.
Overall it’s not a bad place to get a decent meal under 10 bucks. I saw that they had a killer grilled fish which I plan to try the nexxt time.

One of my work Filipina work friends set up a lunch at Manila’s Lechon. As we were walking to our car, we ran in to Anita S. And when we told her where we were headed, she replied with «oh no! That place is terrible!»
But Debbie W and I still kept an open mind and we were in the mood for Filipino food, so we still went.
Well, unfortunately, Anita S was right. Debbie and I both hated our lunch selections.
I went with the 2 item plate and went with the pork adobo and the pancit, which came with rice and soup (which I passed on the soup).
I know pork can be fatty since in adobo, the typically use pork shoulder. And yes it was fatty, but most of my portion had equal parts of fat and meat. Didn’t like it. I had way better adobo. The pancit was just okay too. It was a big disappointing lunch.
I should’ve went to Del Taco with Anita S. It would’ve been a way better lunch than what we had, sorry to say.

I give this place 2.5 stars: I went here yesterday with my parents and I must say I was completely disappointed with my visit.
My mother ordered three combo plates for the family and decided to take a bit of everything.
We drove to my cousins house a few miles away from the restaurant so we could share with the rest of my family. The food was good. I especially liked the fried chicken skins that was served with a spicy vinegar. Always a favorite when I come here.
As I was reaching into the bag so I can eat the only thing I was craving for at the time (lumpia), I noticed that it was not in the bag. They had forgotten to put the lumpia in the bag. So I was totally bummed that I couldn’t eat what I actually went there for. My mom ended up driving back to the restaurant and was told that we had never ordered lumpia. Since it was so close to closing, my mom gave them a break and simply paid and left.
Ok food. Meh service.

My Pinay friend recommended this place to me when we went to Joy Bakery next door.
I didn’t know where was the start of the line @ this turo turo place.
$ 6.50 for 2 items combo.
The meats were chewy but the dishes with sauces were nicely seasoned. My fried pork thingy was chewy like dry leather. I chewed and chewed and chewed and finally just swallowed it. My poor tummy had to digest it harder.
My fried fish was kinda tasteless. It looked better than it tasted.
The pork with coconut milk was tasty but chewy also.
The other meat (pork also) was pretty good but again it was also chewy.
The rice was mushy.
The place is pretty clean for a Filipino turo turo place. There is a cute aquarium near the register. It has bibingka and halo halo just like most Filipino places. Too bad you have to buy sisig as a side order instead of one of the selections.
My Pinay friend said she only liked sisig and crispy pata from this place. maybe that’s why I didn’t like the other dishes.
Not the friendliest place. The worker wasn’t very helpful and he seemed upset.
2.5 stars!
Manila’s Lechon Manok is almost yummylicious!

One of my favorite places to go for Arozcaldo. It’s soooo yummmmy and they always have it there one of my faves for sure. The two ladies who work the cash register are so nice too. They always remember a face especially the regulars. lol Sometimes I get the tofu with pork and it’s a great combo to eat with your Arozcaldo!!!

Breakfast for lunch! Yes, please!
I recently got a breakfast combo here for lunch here. Usually Filipino breakfast combos come with egg but here you can get it with egg or a different side. I got a breakfast combo with garlic fried rice, a chicken bbq stick (got this instead of the fried egg) and beef tapa.
The breakfast combo was so good! Their garlic fried rice is perhaps the best garlic fried rice I have ever had! It is that good! It is the what garlic fried rice should be like — plenty of steamed rice fried with LOTS of garlic. The chicken bbq stick had big and hearty pieces of lean chicken! It had very good flavor to it! The beef tapa was excellent. The strips of perfectly marinated meat was an excellent match for the garlic fried rice! Everything was so wonderful!
I was quite impressed with their breakfast/​lunch combo! I will be back here for sure!