Maria's Kusina

Homey, cooked-to-order Filipino plates. Big portions. Warm, friendly vibe.

Restaurant Category: Casual sit-down Filipino, made-to-order; $12–$25 for popular plates, ~$6 desserts.

Menu Highlights:
– Beef pares (house favorite for many)
– Goto/goto litid (lugaw/rice porridge)
– Pancit (bihon, canton, and bam-i combo)
– Savory fried chicken
– Tokwa’t baboy
– Dinuguan
– Bangus dishes (bistek na bangus, bangus sisig)
– Crispy pata
– Taho for dessert

Service Highlights:
– Friendly, welcoming staff; helpful to first-timers
– Clean dining room, cold AC, with nostalgic school memorabilia
– Sit-down, cooked fresh to order (not turo-turo style)
– Generous portions; many note quick service
– Can accommodate special off-menu dishes for catering with advance notice

Notes:
– Inconsistent execution reported: oily/non-sizzling sisig; bland kare-kare; dry siopao; mami broth on the sweet side
– Occasional quality issues: strong tripe smell in lugaw, overcooked garlic rice, bangus with a few scales, underseasoned lechon kawali
– One takeout incident missing sauce and an unsatisfying phone response; a couple of diners said they wouldn’t return
– Dining room is not that big

Diners come here for honest-to-goodness, freshly cooked Pinoy food in a cozy, sit-down setting. It’s not a steam-table spot; dishes are made to order and portions are generous, so it feels like a proper family meal. Regulars call out the beef pares as a standout, with flavors that remind them of Manila haunts, and the pancit lineup (bihon, canton, and the bam-i combo) hits the spot. Savory fried chicken, goto/goto litid, tokwa’t baboy, and dinuguan also get a lot of love. The dining room is clean, comfortably cool, and dotted with school memorabilia that gives it a homey, nostalgic touch.

There’s plenty of buzz around bangus dishes—bistek na bangus and bangus sisig—plus crispy pata and even chicharrón for those craving crunch. Some folks mention the taho as a simple, satisfying finish. While many meals land, a few orders miss: a couple of customers found the sisig overly oily and not sizzling, kare-kare a bit flat, siopao dry and doughy, and mami broth sweeter than expected. Others noted specific hiccups like a strong tripe smell in one lugaw, overcooked garlic rice, a few scales left on bangus, or lechon kawali needing more seasoning.

Service is generally a bright spot—attentive, kind, and helpful, especially for first-timers. One server, Edlet, gets singled out for excellent care, and the team can even arrange off-menu dishes for catered events if you give them notice. Not every interaction is perfect, though; one takeout customer said a missing sauce and a curt phone exchange (with Rowena named) ruined their dinner, and another table felt puzzled by an owner’s response when they raised an issue with the sisig. Overall, customers come for the comforting, freshly cooked Pinoy staples and big portions, although a few inconsistencies and occasional service missteps do pop up.