Bohol Food Trip: Three Best Places for Authentic Filipino Food

Tagbilaran, the capital city of Bohol, is where the sea port and the airport are located. With that said, Tagbilaran can be your first stop for Filipino food trip when you are in Bohol, the land of the famous Chocolate Hills.

Ask tourist guides and tourism officers in Bohol for local food recommendations and chances are they will mention Acacia de Bubu (PhP 50 to 150). This watering hole and barbecue restaurant in the middle of the city is famous among Boholanons for its wide selection of pork and chicken parts for grilling.

Acacia de Bubu, which is open from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM for lunch, and 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM for dinner, is located at 67 V.P. Intin Avenue Cor. E. Butalid Street, Tagbilaran. For inquiries, you may contact them at +63917-870-1805.

Meanwhile, Dong Juan (Php120 to 450), is good for those who want wider food choices in a visually impressive setting. Set in an ancestral house from the ‘20s, Dong Juan offers a mix of Filipino and international dishes including sisig, crispy pata, baby back ribs, mozzarella sticks, all meat pasta, and all meat pochero, among many others. Recommended thirst quenchers for summer are Dong Juan’s Calamansi Blush, Lemon Iced Tea, and Herbed Iced Tea.

Dong Juan also has a function room that can accommodate up to 35 persons. The second floor can be occupied for a bigger function. Contact them at (+63) (038) 501-8188 or (+63) 915-355-5826.

To learn more about their menu and check out their interiors, you can visit their facebook page at DongJuanTagbilaran. The restaurant is located at 23 Miguel Porras St. Cor. Visarra Street, Tagbilaran City. Dong Juan –Tagbilaran is open from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM.

Abi’s Seafood and Grill (PhP100 to300), on the other hand, is probably one of the fanciest food places on the list. If you are all-in for a heavy lunch or dinner, you can try their PhP250 eat-all-you-can lunch and dinner buffet with free unlimited iced tea.

Located at Carlos P. Garcia (CPG) North Avenue, Abi’s Seafood and Grill serves daily lunch and dinner buffets at 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM and 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM respectively.

If you want to eat broiled fish, soups, or raw seafood or meat dishes, you might fancy a meal at STK (Sugba-Tula-Kilaw, PhP50 to 200) which, like Acacia de Bubu, also offers barbecues. STK is located at Maria Clara Street Corner Graham Avenue and is 5 to 10 minutes away from Tagbilaran Sea Port.

Google search ‘Loboc’ and you will immediately find Loboc River where you can eat on a floating restaurant (PhP 175 to 450). Loboc, which is 30 to 45 minutes south of Tagbilaran, is where you will find the famed Bohol Loboc River Cruise. What sets the Filipino food experience in Loboc apart from dining in other restaurants and food joints in this list is that in Loboc, you get to eat Filipino food like Chicken Adobo, Lechon, and Pansit Guisado at a floating restaurant and get serenaded while eating—an adventure that you can’t afford to miss!

Dining at Loboc River Cruise is on a first come, first served basis. Some guests prefer to reserve slots ahead with their tour guides or tour operators to avoid waiting too long. If you can come earlier to reserve a slot, then you may not have to wait an hour or two past your lunch time.

To get there, tell the driver that you are going to try the Loboc River Cruise. The driver might even assist you in getting a slot. Schedule for lunch river cruise starts at 11:00 AM and can stretch until 3:00 PM while dinner starts at 6:30 PM to 9 PM.

For a plate full of colorful vegetables and edible flowers, you may want to try The Buzzz Café (PhP40 to 950) at the main restaurant in Dauis, Panglao. Among The Buzzz Cafe’s bestsellers include organic garden salad with fruits and nuts.

Bohol delicacies like kalamay and peanut kisses, and drinks like rum coco can also be bought at The Buzzz Cafe. They take pride in offering ice creams with a Filipino twist with flavors such as langka, dalandan, and layered ice cream with buko strips, among others. The Buzzz Café in Dauis, Panglao, is open from 7:30 AM to 11:00 PM.

On the other hand, Binalot (PhP99) can also be found in Panglao. Although the root word is balot, it does not taste the same nor has the same meaning as balut which is boiled fertilized duck egg eaten from its shell that is either well-liked or highly avoided by most foreigners for its exotic taste. Binalot means to cover which is an appropriate name for this delicacy of rice and viand wrapped or served in banana leaves.

Tomatoes, rice, fried fish, and bangus (milkfish) or tilapia make up the classic Binalot of Panglao, Bohol. Other dishes that you can choose from at Binalot include sisig (a popular appetizer which is originally from Pampanga), tocino (cured meat product often in pink or red), and tapa (dried or cured beef).

For groups, you can order Panghandaan Package which starts at PhP 2,128 and is good for 20 persons.

Binalot is located at Hontanosas Road, Little Summer Resort, Tawala, Panglao. There is also a Binalot branch in Galleria Luisa, Tagbilaran. Check out their website, binalot.com, for the full menu.

At the eastern side of Bohol, you can also find Habhaban sa Baluarte (Php 5 to 500) in Poblacion, Baclayon, which is now on its 7th year.

Habhaban sa Baluarte, 10 to 15 min walk from Baclayon Church, the second oldest stone church in the Philippines, specializes in barbecues and boodle fight meals. It is open from 4:30 PM to 10:30 PM. For reservations, you may call them at +63 917-312-9662.