From San Francisco to New York City, the 20+ Best US Cities for Filipino Food offer a wide variety of delicious dishes and experiences, according to a PriceofMeat.com report.
From modern takes on traditional classics to hole-in-the-wall gems, these cities provide exciting and unique flavors. Moreover, each city has one or more Jollibees. If your favored search engine is full of queries like “Filipino food near me,” “Filipino restaurants near me,” “best Filipino food near me,” “best Filipino restaurants near me,” or any derivative, this list is for you.
20. Tampa FL
Apart from its vacation rentals, Tampa Bay has a solid selection of Filipino restaurants.
19. Phoenix AZ
Phoenix has seen a surge in new Filipino restaurants.
18. Orlando FL
Maybe not surprising given Orlando’s tourist industry and vibrant Filipino-American community. It has more than a dozen dedicated Filipino restaurants.
17. San Antonio TX
Smack dab in the Medina River, San Antonio has a growing cluster of Filipino restaurants.
16. Jacksonville FL
Like San Antonio, Jacksonville has a rapidly growing cluster of Filipino restaurants off Atlantic Blvd.
15. Virginia Beach VA
Given the area’s Navy population, Virginia Beach / Norfolk / Newport News is not surprising. The metro area has more than 20 restaurants.
14. Sacramento CA
With its Filipino-American community, Sacramento has had an established Filipino restaurant culture for years.
13. Dallas TX
Dallas has had a rapidly maturing food scene with almost two dozen Filipino restaurants.
12. Washington DC
With a dozen Filipino restaurants, Washington, DC, does quite well for an East Coast city. Until their recent closure, PogiboyDC was a huge hit.
11. Riverside / Inland Empire CA
In some ways, Riverside / Inland Empire is an extension of Los Angeles. But the Inland Empire does have its own scene and independent vibe, with 15+ restaurants.
10. Houston TX
Houston, Texas, boastsan impressive variety of more than 26 Filipino restaurants scattered across its metro area.
9. San Jose CA
The San Jose metro area is rich with culinary diversity, boasting over 32 Filipino restaurants that offer a variety of traditional and modern dishes, each reflecting the unique flavors of the Philippines.
8. Honolulu HI
The Honolulu Metro area boasts over 16 restaurants specializing in Filipino dishes, offering a wide range of flavors catering to both traditional and contemporary tastes. The city is home to the highest per capita presence of Jollibee in any metro area.
7. San Diego CA
This Southern California city boasts over 39 restaurants specializing in Filipino dishes, providing locals and visitors with an array of options to experience this unique and flavorful cuisine. e locations.
6. Las Vegas NV
Las Vegas, renowned for its vibrant nightlife and entertainment scene, also boasts a rich culinary landscape that is particularly notable for its Filipino cuisine. The Las Vegas Metro area is home to over 47 Filipino restaurant.
5. Seattle WA
Despite its relatively modest population size, Seattle has made a name for itself in the culinary world, especially in Filipino cuisine. It has around 20 Filipino restaurants that cater to a wide range of tastes and preferences. Among these eateries is Archipelago, a standout establishment that has garnered significant recognition, including a nomination for the prestigious James Beard Award.
4. New York NY
With over 106 Filipino restaurants, the New York City park and metro area surpasses all other U.S. metro areas in sheer quantity, offering a broad range of options for fans of this flavorful cuisine. Recently, popular LA Filipino isaw grill Dollar Hits has breached the NY food scene with a new branch.
3. Los Angeles CA
With over 98 established Filipino restaurants, the city’s gastronomic landscape is further enriched by these top 10 best Filipino restaurants in California and numerous pop-up eateries and food trucks serving this unique cuisine.
2. Chicago IL
As the second-best metropolitan area for Filipino cuisine in the country, Chicago boasts over 57 Filipino restaurants, each offering a unique take on traditional and contemporary dishes. Among these is Kasama, a standout establishment that has earned the prestigious recognition of a James Beard Award nomination, a testament to the exceptional quality and creativity of its menu.
1. San Francisco CA
San Francisco has become the ultimate destination for Filipino food enthusiasts. The city celebrates its deep-rooted connection to Filipino culture through festivals and events and offers various restaurants catering to Filipino cuisine.
The success of establishments like Abacá, which received a James Beard Award nomination, highlights the exceptional quality and creativity of Filipino food in San Francisco. One restaurant that even offers classic Filipino favorites with a vegan twist, Chef Reina, is surely one you should visit.
Price of Meat Methodology
Four data points to determine where to find the best Filipino cuisine in the United States.
Number of Filipino Restaurants in Metro Area (Score)
The Price of Meat team manually tallied the number of Filipino restaurants for each of the United States’ 100 most populous Metropolitan Statistical Areas from Google My Business data. This number determines the base score and tells us how many options a food connoisseur has in any metro area (source example).
James Beard Nominations for a Filipino Restaurant (Multiplier)
The James Beard Awards are the preeminent food awards in the United States. The Price of Meat team tallied the James Beard award nominations of Filipino restaurants in 2023 (source). This number is a 10x multiplier and highlights the quality options in a metro area.
Number of Jollibee’s (Multiplier)
Jollibee is the global brand for Filipino food and one of The Philippines’ most famous food exports. The Price of Meat team manually tallied Jollibee locations for each metro area. This multiplier number highlights the general availability and options for Filipino food in a metro area (source).
Customer Search Interest (Multiplier)
Consumer interest is a primary driver for the future quantity and quality of Filipino food. The Price of Meat team used Google Trends to tally consumer interest in Filipino food by metro area. This multiplier number highlights how much a metro area values & searches out Filipino food. This data point is key since restaurant closures have been an unfortunate sore point for many Filipino restaurants in recent years. (source).
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