Grumpy Joe

We are now on day two of our 12-day Baguio Food Trip Vlog, and we ended our food trip of the day at this restaurant. Because of the name, we mistakenly believe that this is an American restaurant, however, the food leans more toward Italian contemporary cuisine. When we search for the restaurant on social media, some post is a little bit hyped. So we made the decision to give it a try.

Location

The upper session road branch does have a parking lot, but this branch is usually very crowded; we were lucky to get a parking slot, so keep in mind that parking during peak hours can be difficult.

Arrival

And because the branch was crowded, we had to wait in their waiting area, but we didn’t have to wait long for a table. You can also dine indoors or on their alfresco table. We also noticed that the personnel is not very friendly; just the front desk is friendly and smiling at us; maybe the other crew is too busy to be friendly, so we felt not very welcome when we arrived.

After taking a seat at our table, we began placing our order and filming the place. Unfortunately, while capturing footage of their open kitchen, a staff member or presumably, the manager or supervisor told me that I could not record. She even approached our table to ensure that I delete the footage. I thus refrain from capturing other areas of the restaurant and concentrate on our table. 😔 After the incident, we lose a bit of appetite, but our food started coming out.

DISCLAIMER: My star ratings are based only on my own experience and do not represent that of other guests.

The Food

They started serving our drinks, first the Strawberry Yoghurt Smoothie – Php 180 ($3.25), and then the Lemon and Lime Iced Tea – Php 140 ($2.50).

We also tasted their Carbonara, which was served not hot enough for the time we waited, and the taste is average for the price, but the serving size is generous, enough for 2-3 or more people.
Php 280 ($5.00)

The next dish is Spicy Seafood Pesto Pasta, which is one of their must-order items. There’s a lot of seafood in the dish, and it was cooked perfectly so that the squid was still tender and the spiciness was just right to savor while still tasting the pesto.
Php 300 ($5.35)

For our third dish, we had another highlight on their menu: pizza. We chose their 5 Cheese Pizza with a thick crust and a size of nine inches. The pizza was delicious, and the crust was soft and thickened with a generous amount of cheese on top.
Php 325 ($5.80) – 9″ Thick Crust

Finally, we tried their Grumpy Joe Fried Chicken (4pcs), which, like the pizza, is a must-order here if you crave some chicken; it was really crispy and the gravy was tasty. However, it was not served hot enough.
Php 385 ($6.88)

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Overall Satisfaction

Total Bill: 1,620 ($29.15)
(For 4-5 Pax)

Conclusion

Although this restaurant delivered delicious food, it was a little overhyped on social media. We wanted to order more, but as I previously stated, I don’t find the service crew welcoming; added the lady who requested us to erase the video I recorded near their kitchen, and we had already lost our appetite when she returned to our table to ask that, I don’t see the need to do that when she already told me to stop recording, so we take-out most of our food and left. Are we returning? No. Maybe on other branches, Yes.

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO BELOW!