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6 of the Best Lechon Houses You Can Find in Cebu
Every Pinoy celebration deserves the crackling skin of the Cebu Lechon!
By: Peter Parcon | October 07, 2022
Crispy skin and succulent meat are qualities of a good lechon!
Images: Rico’s Lechon Facebook page
Cebu has always had the country’s best lechon (roasted suckling pig). It tastes so good that it does not need any sauce to tickle your taste buds. But, no two lechons are the same. One has claimed to be so good that a former president had dozens prepared at the Malacañang Palace. Another place to get lechon in Cebu was deemed the best pig by an international celebrity chef.
We devised a list of places to find the Cebu lechon houses in the Queen City of the South.
1. Rico’s Lechon
Price Range: PhP7,400 to PhP10,400 (whole Lechon)
Branches: Mandaue, Mactan, Axis, Central Bloc
Contact Numbers: 0908 9557357 / 0995 6182531
Scrumptiously delicious Rico’s Lechon is waiting to be chopped and served.
Image: Rico’s Lechon
Rico’s Lechon was started by Enrico “Rico” Dionson, who wanted to augment his income by selling lechon in Cebu. At the start, the lechon he offered was salty. Instead of being discouraged, he worked on perfecting his craft. Rico’s Lechon eventually reached the halls of Malacañan Palace after former president Joseph Estrada had him prepare dozens of his lechon in the country’s capital. Aside from Cebu, Rico’s Lechon has three branches in Metro Manila: Pasig City, Makati City, and Taguig City.
Rico’s Lechon comes in two variants, regular and spicy, in six sizes. The prices of Rico’s Lechon start at PhP360 for a 1/4 kilo of regular lechon up to PhP19,500 for the extra-large lechon.
2. House of Lechon
Price Range:
PhP245 to PhP900 per kilo (Special Carcar Lechon)
PhP260 to PhP1,000 per kilo (Spicy Lechon)
Branches and Contact Numbers:
Acacia St., Cebu City - 32 231 0958
Don Jose Avila St., Cebu City – 32 328 5489
Talisay City – 32 462 9020
Robinsons Galleria – 32 340 1782
Guests can take a bite at the famous Carcar lechon without traveling for an hour or so at the House of Lechon.
Image: House of Lechon
House of Lechon is one of the few places in Cebu offering the famous lechon of Carcar City. This southern city is said to be the home of the best lechon in Cebu. Some people even brave the traffic just to grab a bite of this mouth-watering dish. Established on November 16, 2015, the restaurant is within walking distance from Ayala Center Cebu. The restaurant itself has a contemporary Filipino design highlighted by wood, abaca, and bamboo. It evokes a homey atmosphere where family and friends can enjoy this delectable dish.
House of Lechon offers two types of lechon, the Carcar Special and Carcar Spicy. Prices of the lechon are between PhP350 for a 1/4 kilo of Carcar Special and PhP900 for one kilo of the Carcar Spicy.
3. Tatang’s Boneless Cebu Lechon
Price Range: PhP245 to PhP980 per kilo
Branch: Wilson Street, Lahug, Cebu City
Contact Numbers: 316 4719 / 0917 5478561
A plate of the Tatang’s boneless lechon can easily tickle the taste buds of any pork-loving foodie on this side of the archipelago.
Image: Tatang’s Boneless Lechon
Tatang’s Boneless Lechon has an innovative way of offering the traditional Cebu lechon. Instead of cooking a whole pig, the place roasts a deboned full pork belly infused with their secret herbs and spices. The result is a symphony of tastes inside your mouth. This Cebu lechon house has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a small stall set up during the Buglasan Festival in nearby Dumaguete City. Aside from its main branch in Cebu City, Tatang’s already has branches in different parts of the country, including Metro Manila, Laguna, and Palawan.
Tatang’s Boneless Lechon offers two variations of the boneless lechon, classic and spicy. The prices of their lechon start at PhP245 for the 1/4 traditional lechon and PhP980 for one kilo of the spicy lechon.
4. Zubuchon
Price Range: PhP420 to PhP1,050 per kilo
Branches and Contact Numbers:
Mactan Cebu International Airport – 0908 8734749
Pacific Mall UN Ave., Mandaue City – 0908 8734764
Pueblo Verde Mactan – 0908 8734761
SM City Cebu – 0908 8734760
The chicharon-like skin of the Zubuchon lechon has people coming back for more.
Image: Zubuchon
Zubuchon rose to fame after the late TV host and chef Anthony Bourdain declared the lechon made by its founder, Joel Binamira, the best pig ever. After that encounter with the No Reservations host, Binamira created one of the more popular lechon restaurants in Cebu. The name Zubuchon comes from “Zubu,” referring to the old name of Cebu, and “chon,” referring to the lechon. Aside from the secret spices, he infuses into the lechon; the Zubuchon version also has a chicharon-like (pork rind) skin that makes it extra crispy.
Zubuchon offers the classic lechon and the boneless lechon. Prices are between PhP420 for the small serving of the classic or boneless lechon; PhP1,050 for the large serving.
5. Se Ben’s Lechon
Price Range:
PhP680 to PhP3,500 (Gourmet Belly Roll)
PhP4,500 to PhP6,500 (Classic Lechon)
Branches: Mabolo, Cebu City, Gaisano Country Mall
Contact Number: 0917 3232888
The lechon of Se Ben’s Lechon slowly roasts over a bed of red-hot charcoal.
Image: Se Ben Lechon
Se Ben’s Lechon may not be as well-known as the others on this list but has built a name for itself as one of the best lechon places in Cebu. This place to get lechon in Cebu had a humble start as a home-based business in March 2002 as it catered mainly to orders for special occasions, such as birthdays, parties, and weddings. It gradually built a following among Cebuanos, who liked how the 15 herbs and spices enhanced the flavor of the lechon. The first retail outlet of Se Ben’s Lechon opened in June 2002 in Lapu-Lapu City.
Se Ben’s Lechon comes in four variants: whole spicy classic, full regular classic, spicy boneless lechon, and regular boneless lechon. Prices start at PhP680 to PhP3,500 for the boneless lechon regular and up to PhP4,500 to PhP6,500 for a large spicy whole classic lechon.
6. Ayer’s Lechon
Price Range: PhP5,300 to PhP10,500 (whole Lechon)
Branches/Kiosks and Contact Numbers:
Banilad Road – 231 7615 or 268 0327
Emall Branch (Restaurant) in Elizabeth Mall N. Bacalso St. Cebu City – 0933 3199482
Mango Branch (Restaurant) in Mango Square Mall – 266 5705
SM Branch (Restaurant) in SM City Cebu North Reclamation Area – 0922 4718604
Babag Branch (Restaurant) in Brgy. Babag 2 Cebu City – 0923 8439909
i2 Kiosk in iT Park 2nd floor i2 Bldg Apas Cebu City – 0923 7340022
Ayala Branch (Kiosk) in Ayala Central Block iT Park, Cebu City – 0922 5401123
Mak's View (Kiosk) in Transcentral Hi-way Brgy Busay Cebu City – 0923 8439909
Jcenter Branch (Kiosk) in J Center Mall, A.S. Fortuna Mandaue City – 233-4300
Airport Branch (Kiosk) in Airport Village Arrival MCIA Lapu-Lapu City – 0932 8700037
Newtown Branch (Kiosk) in Mactan Newtown Alfresco Lapu-Lapu City – 0967 3162447
The juicy meat of the lechon of Ayer’s Lechon is so invitingly delicious you can’t help but salivate just by the mere sight of it.
Image: Cebu Ayer’s Lechon
Ayer’s Lechon is among the more popular lechon places in Cebu. It also is among the more well-liked suppliers in Cebu since the scrumptiousness of their lechon lasts longer. With numerous branches all over Metro Cebu, Ayer’s has built a reputation for offering crispy lechon on the outside while remaining tender and juicy on the inside.
Ayer’s Lechon offers the regular and spicy lechon and the regular and spicy lechon belly. Half a kilo of regular lechon costs PhP350, while a kilo is PhP900. For spicy lechon, half a kilo is at PhP375, and a kilo is at PhP950.
The Cebu lechon is one sinfully-delicious delicacy you should try if you ever find yourself in the Queen City of the South.
Visit Yoorekka Magazine for more tasty food options in Cebu!
This article was initially published in Yoorekka on November 23, 2018.
Prices may change without prior notice.
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About Peter Parcon
After leaving spending 16 years of his professional life in the academe, Peter decided to try his luck in the world of online freelancing. For the past eight years, he has been creating content for clients all around the world. He can work on just about any topic - from tattoos to technology and food to finance. He dreams of visiting every island in the archipelago some day.
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careful research has been made in writing them, Yoorekka does not
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