Erlinda’s Filipino Cuisine

I do take out from here often. Cant beat the price and the quality/​portion of the food. In my opinion, the best entrees are their sisig, mongo, and sinigang. Nice and friendly staff and when the food is this good, cant help comin back for more!

They’ve got awesome halo-​halo creamery and good sisig!

I stood outside for awhile waiting for the doors to open. I could hear people talking and it just irritated me because the sign said open and yet the doors was lock so I left.

My family and I needed a quick Filipino fast food fix, so
we went to Erlinda’s Filipino Cuisine and Ice Parlor in National City. Their restaurant is broken up into 3 areas: a bakery, ice parlor, and a turo-​turo style restaurant («Turo Turo» meaning pointing at the entrée you want). For a 3-​item combo at $ 10 bucks, EFC doesn’t hold out on their portions like most Filipino fast food joints. You’ll have enough leftovers to last you for days!
I ordered the Lechon Kawali (deep fried pork belly cubes), Talong (eggplant), and Beef Bistik with steam rice. The Lechon Kawali was perfectly crisp with a good balance of pork meat and fat. I had to dip those crunchy little gems in my Mang Tomas sauce, which is a MUST try when eating Lechon Kawali. And if you’re not familiar with the sauce, it’s basically made with Liver, sugar, spices, salt, and mixed down with water. It sounds funky, but trust me, it’s super delish with any Lechon (or fried chicken, chicharron chicken skins, fried pork chops).
The Talong (eggplant) was dipped in eggs and flour, then pan seared until soft. LOVED IT! It may taste bland and «mushy» to others, but I appreciate the natural flavor of the eggplant and eggs together with a dab of vinegar. Had they truly grilled the Talong over an open flame to capture that slight burnt/​smokey taste, it would have been perfect!
Finally the Beef Bistik. The Beef Bistik is one of my favorite Filipino beef entrees, but at EFC, it didn’t do it for me. It was way too oily and salty! The flavor was there, but my taste buds couldn’t handle the saltyness that over powered the flavor, which was disappointing. :(
We capped out our meals with the Philippines’ traditional dessert: Halo Halo («Mix Mix») Special. The Halo Halo was served in a clear tall plastic cup and layered with the following: sweet red beans, sweet mongo beans, sweet brown beans, coconut gels, agar gels, and jackfruit. Then topped with shaved ice, rice crispies, and flan with evaporated milk poured over the ice. The final topping was a big scoop of Ice cream. Of course, I had to pick UBE (Taro)!! And I have to say, this was the BEST Halo Halo I’ve ever had, hands down! They don’t skip out on the portions with this crunchy icy treat, and it’s perfect for a hot summer day. You must like sweet beans to appreciate this dessert.
I highly recommend Erlinda’s Filipino Cuisine for that quick Pinoy fast food fix. Keep in mind, we got there at the start of their lunch service on a Sunday, therefore, every food item at the Turo Turo station was fresh! I’d like to try stopping by later in the day to check out the quality after a few hours. Because we all know how it’s like when food sits out for awhile (Yuck!
Great selections. Decent prices. I’ll definitely be coming back to try their other entrees!
(Note: If your order is under $ 10, there’s a .50 transaction fee when using a debit/​credit)

Disappointed with my food. The palabok was very fishy. I am Asian and I can handle fishy foods. But this one, I just had to throw in the trash. Also the dessert I purchased had a bug in it. This will be my last visit to this place.

The cashier/​owner in that place needs some customer service training. I very often stop by here after work to buy dinner (just the husband and I so makes sense to buy 2 entrees and call it a day); spending around $ 16 to $ 20 every weekday. Today, I decided to stop by for some cream cheese sugar buns and there was a big sign CASH ONLY; no biggie, their credit terminal was down. We drove over to the nearest 7 – 11 to withdraw some money. I get to Erlinda’s and chose what I wanted, I get to the cashier and she was still fiddling with the credit card swiper, so I jokingly told her, «uh oh you broke it!». She actually glared at me, and said «watch your words because I’m not in the mood!». I was honestly taken aback because I said it in jest with a big cheesy grin on my face … I just wanted to lighten up her day. I actually felt really embarrassed. I will never, ever, ever set foot in that place again; and I will be sure to tell anyone and everyone not to patronize an establishment that does not appreciate customers. What she did to me was tacky, ill-​bred, and totally uncalled for. I wasn’t even complaining about anything … I was just trying to joke with her, for pete’s sake! I have often been told that Filipinos are very friendly, very accommodating, very hospitable … Well, this woman is a stark exception. Shame on you for making an innocent customer feel really rotten. You are not helping your business by treating customers in that manner.

To Mrs. Trace R.
We do appreciate your business. Your comment does not reflect what really happened. I spent too much time trying to fix the credit card machine ASAP for customer convenience and the last thing that I want to hear at that time is a negative comment from a customer accusing me that I broke the machine. At that time I was so frustrated while trying to fix it. The way you said it did not sound like a joke but instead left me with no option but to respond back. We Filipinos are very hospitable people.
Rest assured that Customer service is our number 1 priority and treating our customer the best way possible. Sorry for what happened if I came across hard. I was the one who felt embarrassed when you told me that I broke my machine.

I love coming here for authentic Filipino food when my mom doesn’t cook at home. Everything taste so good! I love coming here when it’s hot during the summers too because the halo halo is so delicious!

Was craving sisig today so I decided to drop by. Let me start by saying I am an ultimate sisig lover. I’m not Filipino but I just love the combination of all the flavors within this dish. So… My critique on the sisig is that it is pretty good. Fresh. Slight crunchy still. Not too overbearing with the vinegar and lime. I liked it. It could of been a little crunchier but I understand they wanted to keep it moist with the juices it was cooked with.

One of our favorite places in San Diego for great Filipino home cooking. Good portions and delicious food. The ambiance is humble but clean and always a great bargain for what you get. Also has an ice cream parlor that serves excellent halo-​halo. Friendly people, too.

I just ordered sisig here and it taste like SHiT!, Old and saggy. I complained and wanted them to exchange it but they say they dont do exchange since i already eaten it a little bit of it. I told them why are they selling old and left over food and I challenge them to taste it because we filipino knows what sisig tasted like. I wouldn’t make this comment if they would have take care of it right here right now since I am a customer! The food here taste like shit and Old and they dont give a damn about you or your thoughts… I love the halo-​halo here but I guess I would be buying somewhere else. Pls feel free to try the food here for your self and correct me if I’m wrong. Don’t even bother telling them because they don’t care!!!
Updating…
At the end of our meal, We were approached by the cashier and apologized and admitted that the sisig was burnt. Tried to blame it on the cook, I really think that they only apologized because they saw my post here at Unilocal and hoping I will take it down? I would have appreciated if you guys offered to returned my money or maybe a free halo halo or something to compensate for what you guys did. But No, As you can see We did not eat the food that we ordered because We already lost our appetite! I am not that bad so I accepted her apology but this post will be here to serve as an example to others. Who knows maybe they will improve their customer service? Improve their food? And if you decided to come here anyways, well good luck and let other people know what you think! Maybe even prove me wrong.

Punta na mga titas!!!
Formerly known as Conching’s, Erlinda’s has turo turo (buffet-​style) options.
$ 5 1 item combo
$ 7.50 two item combo
$ 10 3 item combo
They also have ice cream bar.
Unlike many Filipino restaurants they are very generous with their portions hindi kuripot!

A typical filipino eatery. U choose a combo of 1 or 2 filipino dishes served with rice or pansit (filipino chowmein). The service is kind of like greet-​order-​pay. I dont expect for the service to be too good since it is an eatery.
My bf had the bistek (thinly sliced beef marinated and cooked on soy sauce and lemon juice) yet it tasted like it was cooked only in soy sauce and oil… Too salty and too much oil! He also ordered lechon sisig, which tasted alright. Not bad but not that good either. The pork sinigang that i had was flavorless! Tasted like water with pork and vegetables. :(
The squid is another thing that we liked! Good size for the price and it is flavorful esp when dipped in vinegar.
Most of the stars will be for the dessert! We had their leche flan which was so delicious! Just the right amount of sweetness on it. And it melts in my mouth!
Their ube (taro) shake, oh my goodness, probably the best ube shake ive had! They use ube ice cream, condensed milk and something else (not sure what it was but looked like it was a syrup??) and crushed ice, put it in blender for about a couple mins, oh my it was heaven!!!

After my morning walk I decided to stop by here to check Filipino food. I ordered the combo with 2 items– fish and mung beans soup. but the milkfish (bangus) was not boneless the lady didn’t tell me. Anyways their food taste like home cooked meals. I didn’t eat all the fish got scared of the little bones might stuck in my throat lol!
This place has the best halo-​halo in town. I love the water jug filled with lemon and cucumbers free waters for customers ! I’m definitely coming back to try the halo– halo and their desserts. Overall it’s fair.

Erlinda’s makes 5 stars just on the NO MSG policy. There are signs posted indicating she uses none of that evil product so prevalent in most Asian eateries. Other than that, she serves up a nice turo turo (point point to the item you want) with usual Pinoy favorites, and adding Tortang Talong (eggplant omelet) and a LOVELY banana blossom dish! Her ice cream parlor with all the Filipino flavors keeps everyone smiling, as they can get their Halo Halo topped with their favorite ice cream flavor. Besides this, she still has the old time Filipino sweets like my favorite Ube purple pudding.
Erlinda generously accommodated my ethnic dining class by saving us tables in the ice cream parlor for our visit. This made my class very happy, and aroused a lot of curiosity among the Erlinda stalwarts, who wondered what all these «white folk» were doing in their hangout.
Well worth a return (I did 3 times in 2 weeks) as the food is delicious and very affordable, and I can’t imagine life without my purple pudding!!!

Pigs play in pig pen
Pork bobbling in deep fryer
lechon kawali.
Scent of fried pork was in the air. Crispy skin glistened in the sun. There was a satisfying crunch as I took a bite. I tasted delicious pork as it melted in my mouth. A big truck rumbling by ruined the dream. I dragged myself out of bed and set out to find some lechon kawali. A Unilocaler told me to visit Erlinda’s. Sadly Saturday at lunch time they did not have any. I tried what was available.
Pancit — flavor was good would be improved if more veggies or meat were present
pork — flavor was too salty which was the main flavor
chicken — flavor was too salty which was the main flavor
pork bun — the white pastry was much like a Chinese cha sui boa and very good. The pork filling had a delicious flavor. This was my fav hot food dish here.
lumpia — flavor from the crunchy wrapper and pork filling was good.
On the other side was an ice cream section. I noticed the standard flavors were supplied by Thrifty Ice Cream while the exotic flavors were by Magnolia. Mango ice cream had bits of mango and a delicious mango flavor. Texture and butterfat content was similiar to what you would get from Thrifty Ice Cream.
I shuffled off into the hot summer day. My dreams unfulfilled.

If you’re looking for authentic filipino food and dessert this is the place to come.
The best Halo-​Halo Especial in all of San Diego. A must try.
Dessert: Halo-​Halo Especial with Ube Ice Cream

When I used to live down here, this was the only place that I would get my halo halo from! It was my boyfriends first time having it, so of course I had to take him to a piece of my childhood.
The special halo halo was $ 4.25. It comes with various jellies, mung beans, red beans, condensed milk, crushed ice, some green crisps, flan, AND a scoop of ice cream all-​in-​one! When I was little I always went the mango ice cream route, but for the sake of getting my boyfriend a classic one, we got the ube ice cream. It was so refreshing and delicious on an 85 degree summer day!
I knocked off 2 stars for the service. I never really ordered here before because I used to always come with my parents and they spoke tagalog and ilocano to the people receiving our order. I’m not the most cultured filipino around but I felt a little cold shoulder from the employees from not being able to pronounce some things right. Not once did they smile at us. I’m not sure why but it really left a bitter taste and even though I used to come here as a child, the service made me think twice about driving an hour to come here again.
But I will support that their halo halo is super good and worth it to try!

It would be nice if you guys could put less salt on all the food coz for some people that can not have salt that much would be able to enjoy your food more plus it’s better for the customer to just add to how much of salt they need.
Thank you.

Erlinda’s Filipino Cuisine carries ice cream and Filipino Cuisine.
I went for the ice cream but also picked up lunch.
There were about 12 different flavors to choose from. The clerk let me sample the mango ice cream. It was really good so I purchased a scoop.
When I frist entered there were only the workers in the shop. It wasn’t until I looked
into the ice cream case that some one greeted me. She seemed annoyed that I wanted ice cream and that she had to stop her task to serve me.
It’s a nice size establishment with an ice cream parlor set up on one side and a restaurant dining area on the other.
It was clean, and they were in the process of getting the food buffet situated for lunch.
I was a little disappointed they were not as welcoming as some other places and
I didn’t feel they wanted my business.

While this used to be known as the best halo halo in socal, my experience has taken me to other venues to have found better halo halo. I guess my new title for Erlinda’s would be best Filipino ice cream parlor in Southern California instead of best Halo Halo (but careful with the avocado ice cream or any ice cream that might cause you to wonder if it’s been sitting there a while).
The shop has been around for a while, in a lonely plaza on the corner at the end of 8^th St. The restaurant is a little dingy, and reminds you a little bit of being in an old Filipino home in the ghetto; even the entrance has a metal screen deadbolt door.
While there are not many Filipino flavor ice cream parlors, if any, Erlinda’s has a variety of oriental and Filipino ice cream buckets laid out as if you were to go to a Baskin Robbins. While everyone is there ordering Halo Halo, I decided to be different and just order ice cream, although we did order a Halo Halo as well on the side.
While I originally gave Erlinda’s 4 stars, the visit this time around was just okay. The Halo Halo was still good, but didn’t have coconut or jackfruit, or fresh ingredients as I’ve had with other Halo Halo’s. I guess with experience, I’ve gotten Halo Halo spoiled.
Having gotten excited with the variety of Filipino ice cream flavors, I ordered three different scoops: Ube, cheese/​corn, and avocado (three unusual flavors to common folk). Ube was delicious as usual. Cheese/​corn sounds nasty, but actually pretty good and has an interesting combination of flavor and texture. Lastly, I was excited for avocado, but was a huge disappointment. I don’t know if their avocado ice cream was old, but it did not taste like avocado and had some chewy texture, as if the cream has solidified from having sat there for a long time.
To end off our trip, we ordered sisig to go, which was amazing when refried at home, and was probably much better at home than if we ate it at the restaurant.
Kudos to Erlinda’s for still being around and in the same spot after so many years.

I must’ve died and gone to halo-​halo heaven.
Imagine: ten hundred types of beans and jellies at the base of a cup (I honestly don’t even know what it is), followed by a cup of ice, then poured ever so graciously is condense milk (sometimes if you’re lucky, they’ll pour from two cans at one time. Honestly this happens in slow motion for me every time), topped with pieces of flan and ube ice cream then MAGIC!
MAGICAL MOMENTS IN MY MOUTH TURNS QUICKLY INTO NOT-​MAGICAL BULGE OVER MY PANTS