It was a week before the colorful Masskara Festival when we arrived for the second time in the City of Smiles. As with our previous visit, we won’t be catching the grand parade but we don’t really mind because aside from the jovial festival, Bacolod offers a lot more for anyone who loves to eat. If you can just see me now, you’ll definitely agree that Bacolod holds a special place in my stomach.. err heart, ehem.

We arrived at the Bacolod airport at midmorning, had a quick nap at the hotel and was speeding off to lunch right after. Even with so many good options in the city’s main district, we knew where to start our food adventure in Bacolod, Café Bob’s.

This has been one of the most recommended restaurants when we first visited the city a year ago, and rightly so as the food here was not only superb, it was very affordable too.

Located on the corner of Lacson and 21st street, one of the main food hubs in Bacolod, the one-story structure offers cozy interiors for those dining inside and a quiet side-street tables outside complete with a waterfall wall and koi pond for those who want to eat al fresco. Food choices range from various sandwiches, burgers, pastas, pizzas and coffee concoctions. They also have a gelato corner out front to satisfy your sweet tooth and a specialty deli at the resto’s back filled with foods you wouldn’t ordinarily find on your regular grocery store.

Now to the main event; for our late lunch, we ordered Pizza Alfredo (Php285.00) and Baked Mac served with two pieces of baked bread (Php180.00), we made do with their service water as we don’t really want to get filled up too quickly, dinner’s just a few hours away.
 
Serving time was average, the staff seemed more attentive and friendlier since we were here last and the food was as excellent as it was before. Their brick oven-baked pizza especially was made just right; the crust was not too thick, not too thin; the flavor superb.

Of course, we cannot resist but visit Bob’s again before we departed from Bacolod.

This time, we tried their burgers since we were still a bit full from breakfast (we just had to sneak a little snack from Bob’s before we go). I had their huge U.S. Angus Beef Burger which was served with chips (Php185.00) and a Mocha Frap (Php70.00) and L had their Burger Deluxe (Php68.00) and Tiramisu Frap (Php70.00).

I swore last year that their Burger Marc was one of the best hamburgers I tasted and these two did not disappoint at all; my mouth waters just writing about it.

Their fraps were also something else.  It can definitely hold its own against the ones being sold at Starbucks. With Café Bob’s prices almost 25 percent lower than theirs, it’s no wonder that the typically packed café of choice in Manila was surprisingly devoid of the usual crowd here in Bacolod City. And you really don’t have to guess where those crowds were.

   

 

Café Bob’s at 21st
Address: Lacson corner 21st st., Bacolod City
Open Hours: 8:00am to 12:00am
Click the photo on the left for the menu