12 MUST-TRY STREET FOOD SPOTS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Do you ever find yourself in the middle of the night craving for something more than home-cooked food or the usual fast-food takeout? Maybe you should try some good old’ Filipino street food.

It’s smoky and tender meat choices are sure to take you straight back to your childhood while you enjoy a culinary experience outside what you’re probably used to in the city.

Here’s a short guide to the 12 of the best spots for street food in the Philippines, complete with addresses and price range. Beware: if you’re not hungry already, you’ll surely be craving by the end of this article. So let’s dive into it!

1. Boracay Street Market

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Location: Station X, Hue Hotel, Main Road Corner Boracay Food Street, Station 2, Boracay

Price Range: Php 95-Php 390 per person

If you want to enjoy barbeque and beer at the beach, then why not book a trip to Boracay? You should visit Street Market and experience a range of culinary choices to experience a wide variety of authentic street food from the Philippines, as well as specialties from as far as India and Mexico.

2. Shoe Avenue, Marikina 

Location: Bayan, Shoe Avenue, Sta. Elena, Marikina City

Price Range: Php 12 (per stick) -Php50 (one meal) per person

You can also find a lot of street food spots in the city of Marikina, located two hours from bustling Manila. Marikina isn’t just about shoes. Known widely for its cleanliness and its people’s warmth, Marikina is the perfect foodie getaway if you’re looking for a short break from the busy city life. In Bayan, Sta. Elena, there are a lot of hole-in-the-wall spots, offering classics like pares, isaw, and barbeque.

3. Barangay Tisa, Cebu City

Location: Barangay Tisa, Cebu

Price Range: Php 60 per person

Cebu has recently been featured in the Netflix show, Street Food. It focused on the stories of the vendors of Cordova. But outside Cordova, Cebu has a hidden gem in Barangay Tisa, Labangon. It’s known as the epicenter of street food in the city, and offers a wide variety of authentic Filipino snacks, with a mixture of borrowed culinary ensembles— from kakanin to siomai—that attracts tourists and locals alike.

4. Roxas Avenue Night Market

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Location: Roxas Ave, Poblacion District, Davao City

Price Range: Php 60 per person

Far south, you’ll find a street food haven in Davao in the form of the Roxas Avenue Night Market. It’s as lively as night markets can get, with tables and stalls lined up on the road. There are a lot of street snack choices available here, whether you like skewered, fried, or grilled—Roxas Avenue has got it for you!

5 .Mang Larry’s 

Location: Jacinto Street, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City

Price Range: Php 60 per person 

Already a household name in the UP Diliman street food scene, Mang Larry’s is a great place to chill in QC and have authentic street food from the Philippines. You’ll probably be greeted with long lines because Mang Larry’s grilled treats are just that in demand. But it’s worth the wait. Plus, you can even pair your choice with milk tea or fruit shakes.

6. Barracks Food Camp

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Location: Emilio Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay City

Price Range: Php 150

If you find yourself in Tagaytay City, pay a visit to Barracks Food Camp and experience mouthwatering dishes. It’s a huge food park featuring Tagaytay delicacies such as bulalo and lomi, and with other regional specialties such as Cebu’s kinilaw. You can also find kakanin here like biko and bibingka, alongside the all-time fave isaw and barbeque.

7. La Salle Avenue

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Location: La Salle Avenue, Bacolod City

Price Range: Php 40 per person

A go-to snack hub for the students of the University of Saint La Salle in Bacolod, La Salle Avenue is lined up with carts offering different delicacies. You can find varieties of barbeque and deep-fried cheese sticks next to each other, with banana cue and freshly baked bread close by. It’s the perfect break time destination for students, but also a nice little food trip for tourists and locals alike.

8. Harrison Road Night Market

Location: Harrison Road, Baguio City

Price Range: Php 60 per person

Aside from its famous ukay-ukay haven, the Harrison Road Night Market also houses the best street food in Baguio. Not only will you find grilled meat staples like isaw, dugo (coagulated pork or chicken blood), and barbeque, you also have choices like mini Japanese cakes, balut, and ramen. You’ll surely need a boost after all that shopping you’re going to do. Luckily, there are so many options available in the area.

9. Tambai Yakitori Snackhouse

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Location: 5779 Felipe Street, Barangay Poblacion, Makati City

Price Range: P40 per person

Here’s another one for Metro Manila kids: Tambai Yakitori Snackhouse in Poblacion, Makati. Aside from Filipino favorites like isaw and dugo, you can find some famous Japanese street food like yakitori. You can also get a hold of some grilled vegetables and beer or sake to complete your cravings.

10. Pindoko’s Barbeque 

Location: Real Street, Tacloban City

Price Range: Php 50 per person

If you’re visiting Tacloban, you ought to drop by the famous Pindoko’s Barbeque. A smoky sanctuary of grilled meat, Pindoko’s is well known for its juicy skewered pork and chicken treats, which garners a long line of customers as it opens in the early evening. 

11. Boni MRT (Southbound)

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Location: Boni MRT Line-3 Station

Price Range: Php 50 per person

For you train commuters out there, we’ve got you covered. At the Boni MRT Station, you’ve got just the right place to gobble up some well-deserved street food after a challenging commute. If you can, stop by Boni and try some Filipino street snacks served in mini-carinderia stalls—a taste of home-cooked food in the streets.

12. Quiapo Market

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Location: Quiapo, Manila

Price Range: Php 40 per person

Another busy man’s refuge for good food is the Quiapo market, one of Old Manila’s iconic places. You can eat all you want from goto and mami to isaw and chicharon bulaklak (deep-fried chicken skin). Although you’re going to face the ever-brimming crowds of Manila, fret not because the warm, delicious food is going to be worth it while you chat with friendly vendors.

Depending on where you are or how far you’d like to travel, you’re all set for the hunt for these juicy treats on a stick. Just make sure you eat and drink moderately because too much of a good thing can be bad. So go out and spice up your next meal with these top street food hub picks!