Sawali Grill Filipino

Super underrated! Food is always good, owners are very friendly. The best place to get your Filipino comfort food in the area (Better than Pinoy Grille, Manila Grille, or Kainan sa Kanto).

I’ve been craving some good old fashioned Filipino food for weeks, so when my coworker suggested I hit up Sawali I headed over this past weekend. Sawali is very small with about 3 tables. I went about half an hour after they opened and it looks like they got everything ready for lunch.
On the wall they say there is a combo A and B. That just means either a 1 item combo or 2 item combo. I went for the 2 item combo ($ 7.50). I usually order items at Filipino fast food places by pointing. So I ordered beefsteak and some other beef item. I also picked up some chicken and steak BBQ sticks for $ 2 a pop.
My 2 items were classic dishes that tasted good, but I liked the BBQ the best. I think next time I’ll just get a bunch of chicken BBQ sticks since that tasted better than the beef to me. Sawali quenched my craving and it will be my go-​to place in my area.

Quick comfort food. Don’t forget to try their «secret» menu. Items such as crispy Pata can be made to order! Mmmmmm!

I used to like this place until one day I payed with my debit card and they charged me 3x! It took me a week to finally talk to the manager (who was the one who over charged me). She didn’t believe me at first, she asked to see the charges and ALL 3 receipts.(Thank God, I just so happens to keep them) she said she was sorry. Then she told me that my money would be returned in 30 days to my account. I NEVER GOT MY MONEY BACK. I refuse to go back to this place.
So if you do decided to go here PAY IN CASH and keep your receipt just in case. Oh the and the minimum you have spend is $ 10. Good luck to anyone that goes here.

Do NOT sleep on their beef tips with mushrooms. I repeat, do NOT sleep on them.
I’ve been going to magic wok since in the womb (literally) and I remember always demanding that my parents always get two orders of their beef tips, but now that I’ve been introduced to Sawali Grill it’s time to kiss magic wok/​crispy house and their ever increasing prices goodbye for Sawali’s beef tips.
The beef is hella tender, mushrooms and onions are on point and that sauce is something you want to scoop over a steaming hot plate of rice.
I’ve also tried the sisig and its OKAY. Not as bomb as other places. I’d rather spend my money on more beef tips. LOL.

For a local hole in the wall spot, this is pretty good. Nothing fancy, and all business. Not expensive and a good variety of food. Definitely worth a visit again.

Good food, big portions! Don’t let the looks of the place deter you from trying the food.

Love this place. Been going here a lot lately. Everything is delicious. My favorites are the pancit, beef and mushroom, & the Filipino menudo. Plus its very convenient and quick because everything is already prepared, so you just point at what you want and you’re eating within minutes.

This place was ok I guess. After seeing with 4 stars I expected a lot more. Don’t misunderstand me, it wasn’t bad but I’ve had significant better Filipino food elsewhere

Unilocal Challenge 2016. ⁴⁶⁄₁₁₆
Tiny local turo turo style gem on Knott and Ball. Very old plaza. Don’t let the looks steer you away. There are a few tables inside. Most take it to go.
They usually have about 8 choices. Nothing is labeled, but you can tell by looking at it, what it is.
The good stuff is in the back. There is no sign, no picture. All you have to do is whisper Crispy Pata. 15 minutes later and $ 11.99 bucks poorer you get a box with perfectly crisped and seasoned pork knuckle. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. They throw in 2 lechon sauces, but your better off using your own. These sauces were watered down. My dog was happy too with the leftover bone.
I also bought a 2 item combo. Beef steak and Chicken Adobo with 2 scoops of rice. Then a side of pancit. Beef Steak was served in a light sauce and sautéed onions. One of the better beef steaks in the area. Panchit was freshly made, not dried out like other places. The misters liked the Adobo.
They sell a few groceries but their supply was low today. Just a few bags of Jack and Jill branded chips, a few drinks, ect.
One of my favorites this side of Orange County.
#859

I cannot stress enough how great their Crispy Pata is! CRISPY, flavorful, meaty, juicy mmmmmm. It’s identical to the one at Magic Walk in Cerritos/​Artesia. Why?! The cook/​owner of this restaurant and the cook at Magic walk are SIBLINGS! So whatever you see at Magic walk, you’ll probably see it here as well.
The only difference is that this is more of a ‘to go’ place rather than a sit in restaurant. Though, you can sit and dine in here if you please! So many yummy homemade Filipino dishes to choose from :)
PS order your crispy Pata over the phone to avoid the wait!

I ordered: sisig, caldereta, a scoop of rice and palabok.
Positives: The sisig is on point– nice heat, nice texture. The good amount of citrus (which I hope was kalamansi) was a really bright note on a traditionally heavy dish. The caldereta was very tender and had little gristle. I’m kind of a picky eater– I tend to avoid eating cartilage– so it was nice to be able to eat my meal without having to eat around big pieces of fat and cartilage. The potato and carrot held nice textures. They didn’t crumble into mush. I would have preferred it to be spicier, though.
Two entrees and two «sides» for about $ 7 is a deal for me! Much cheaper than Grill City at Seafood City, Irvine, and the food was more authentic and overall more flavorful and the portions for the entrees were fairly large to me.
Negatives: The rice I was served was not as fresh as I would have liked. The pancit palabok noodles were dry. I stopped touching the palabok after three bites. Even if the noodles were just off this day, the flavor was not good for me to choose it again. Also, the rice portions are small to me.
I can easily work around negatives by just ordering the flavorful entrees to-​go and making rice at home, so 4 stars. Can’t wait to try the crispy pata next time!
Tip: Extra scoop of rice is just 50 cents.

I like this family restaurant whenever I don’t feel like driving too far away but getting some good Filipino food one of the best within a five mile radius of me

The Filipino food here is fairly good but I definitely had better elsewhere. My primary reason for coming here is mainly to get sisig. I personally enjoy the perfect combination of spiciness, venigar and ginger. Though sometimes it appears to be drench in fat. Ohhh well thats most of the Filipino food. I have seen the enticing crispy pata here but I have yet to try it. I am sure I will give it a try in the future. Other than these two its passable for me.

I’ve been her 3x already in the past 5 years and always found a great experience. As soon as you park your car you can smell the food grilling!
Usually when trying filipino food, I always try the seafood because it’s usually how I could tell how the rest of food items will be prepared. The past few times I’ve ordered food, I’ve ordered the grilled pompano fish and grilled pusit (squid). Always the best! Love how they stuff both items with tomato, onions and ginger. It’s so satisfying especially with some hot rice or even fried rice.
The other items are alright but the grilled seafood stood out to me because of how it was prepared. Especially the grilled pompano didn’t have that strong «fishy» taste.
Great experiences every time. Salamat po!

I’m pretty disappointed w this place actually… the food was pretty dry and just lacking. Lots to choose from but didn’t look aso appetizing. Not sure if I just came on a bad day or something. I got combo c. Sisig was super dry and lacking in flavor. It’s cheap here though. So I guess you get what U pay for?

Intrigued by the multiple Filipino joints in the Cypress area, this was next on my list.
Ambiance
Parking: All plaza parking with one direction parking. Not the most popping place so you should find parking with ease.
Seating:
* Seating is generally for 4s. All inside and a total of 30 – 40 people. You shouldn’t have an issue finding a seat.
Feels:
* Nothing fancy. Just a simple restaurant with nice attempts of making it homey. There are Filipino packaged snacks if your palate craves that taste. Aesthetics aren’t too impressive but the food is good to have on the go, for a date night, or having a meal with the family. No music or tv, just you the workers and food. Oh and they have self serve water.
Food:
Sinigang (A-​OK)
Served hot with the basic elements of a sinigang: onions, jalepeno pepper, beef, and bitter-​tamarind taste. Great for those that need some warm comforting soup however it could use more ingredients.
Chicken Adobo (Recommend)
Extremely flavorful and saucy. The only down side to this is that it was pretty bony and oily but that’s probably I had the last serving of the adobo.
Customer Service:
Fair. The communication barrier was a challenge so be clear and patient.
Overall:
3.5 stars. Food was delicious and comforting. Price was about right as 2 selections and 2 servings of rice was about $ 7. Customer service was decent and my overall experience was good. I have yet to try the crispy pata, I definitely expect to come back for that.
TL;DR Tips:
* Order ahead of time if you want to get your crispy pata! Made fresh, 15 – 20 minute wait.
* $ 10 minimum to use your card.

As a lot of the reviewers have stated — the crispy pata here is delicious. The combinations her are also very good — it’s your run of the mill turo-​turo (point point) filipino fast food place. I had the mungo, pancit and sisig and they were all very delicious. I also tried their lumpia shanghai (fried eggrolls) and these were are also pretty good. The sauce was also a bit interesting as I believe it had a hint of strawberry flavor to it. It appears they make it themselves. The turon (banana and lanka eggrolls) are also pretty good! The skin is a little bit thicker than I would like it but it’s still decent.
Parking is plentiful and this place does get packed with people during lunch hour so come early to avoid a line and get seating.

They say you are what you eat right! Well oink oink say’s Miss Piggy!
Crispy Pata anyone! What you’ve never heard of it or had any before? Well if you are a fan of pork than its a must that you try this Filipino yummyness.
Having grown up with a lot of Filipino friends I have always partaked in their food. Often stayed at their homes for dinner hehehe!
Sawali Grill is a small place almost like a cafeteria style where they have prepared food that you can go in and pick out
. There are 5 tables that you can sit and dine at. The ladies (always different when I go) are all very friendly and help you out in case your not sure what your looking at. Yup the items in the trays are not labeled so you may need to ask what it is. I have tried several items there. You can get them in 2 or 3 item combos. I’ve had their Adobo, pancit, and some yummy Lumpia
However the main reason I come here is for their Crispy Pata
Oh yeah porky and fried what else can you ask for right. Its a tasty piece of the knuckle portion of the pig, seasoned and marinated and deep fried. It’s a must order when you go. This is a item you order when you get there so it will take a few minutes to fry up. Just talking about it is making my mouth water and my tummy churn with hunger! I think I will be getting some this week!
Eyes ~ Tasty looking stuff to choose from!
Nose ~ Smell like deliciousness!!!
Ear ~ I hear my Crispy Pata getting fried up.
Mouth ~ Ohhhhh Yeah crispy and porky mmmmm!
Tummy ~ Hold one let me make more room hahaha!!!

How come Filipino (to-​go) restaurants don’t label their food? Many of them have steam tray stations like fast food Chinese places, but none of the food is labeled! How are us non-​Filipino folks supposed to know what we’re looking at? Because of this, I always get just the few items I know of.
The BBQ sticks are GOOD! Sometimes a bit saltier than I’d like, but nothing a bit of rice won’t fix. My kids and I love their pancit. It goes great with whatever else I decide to pick up that day. I’ve been hearing the crispy pata is awesome, but it takes at least 15 min to prepare and I always forget to call ahead since I usually just swing by to quickly pick up some food. I’ve got to try it next time.
This restaurant is located in a very run down plaza, but don’t let that deter you! The food is good! Stop by and try it sometime :)
(Finally tried the Crispy Pata and I’m happy to say it’s GOOD!)