I'm a young lady from the Philippines who just got in the U.S. and so freaking miss home. I would say this is the best Filipino restaurant in Sac that I've been to so far. Went there for Sunday lunch buffet and it taste exactly as how I remember "home" SOO GOOOD! For people who has their whole family living in the states, they'll probably say that there's nothing in the buffet table that their mom can't do. But for a young woman like me who can't cook. This is the taste of home. This is Philippines
(5)
Joseph J.
Absolute best Chinese-Filipino restaurant in sac!! Was recommended by Pacific Islanders themselves to try out this place! There's no substitute for flavor! You could order anything on the menu and you just can't go wrong! I ordered the beef broccoli, fish filet and shrimp friend rice. Absolutely delicious. I highly recommend this place to anyone passing through south sacramento! Must try!
(5)
Francine Y.
I can't believe this is my first time here. I was only craving egg rolls and I ended up with plates and plates of food! First off, the menu is HUGE. They serve primarily Chinese and Filipino food. We got the 12 piece lumpias, some type of pancit dish (I can't remember what it's called), crispy fried chicken, bowl of rice, and a mango shake. Ugh, everything was so good. The fried chicken was so moist inside. There was so much batter! It was good though haha nice and crunchy. The pancit was very tasty. The meat and veggies inside were cooked well. The lumpias were such a good deal for 12 pieces. It was about 8$? The mango shake was soooo good too. I don't believe it was fresh squeezed because there wasn't an pulp unless they drained it out but regardless it was still good. The service was wonderful. They checked on us often and were very respectful. The cooks were very quick too. We didn't even wait long and our food was already shooting out the kitchen. It's a pretty easy to miss since you have to go down the street a bit further.
(4)
Alyssa Mae C.
Lumpia is a crowd pleaser! They also take orders for lechon :) We always appreciate their punctual delivery and highly recommend them for any event!
(5)
Allie A.
This is not your typical "fast-food" turo turo type of Filipino restaurant. It's a nice, sit-down place that serves both Chinese and Filipino dishes, apparently pretty well. I came in for a late lunch on my own on a quick overnight trip, so I didn't want to eat huge portions. I ended up ordering the the pancit palabok, which came with a little bit of shrimp, diced octopus and lots of tofu, topped with the usual hard-boiled egg and crunchy crushed pork rinds. Very tasty. I really wanted to treat myself to a little bit of lechon kawali (deep fried pork belly), but it would've been too much. So I ordered a half-order of their fried chicken, which turned out to be chopped chicken thighs and legs in a nice thick crunchy batter. Really good and I wished I had more room on my belly! Even a half order was a lot of food. Total of $24 for all including tip and had I had a way of being able to bring the leftovers home, I would have - there was enough for several more meals.
(4)
Monica C.
I've been going to sv since I was a kid and when you have grandparents who are very active in the Filipino community, you're bound to go with them to events held at SV. One day when my bf and I came in for lunch , we ordered lemon chicken and every piece was burnt ! I was disappointed because it's one of my favorite dishes . I let the server know and she said she'd replace it with a new one but it never came out . We got tired of waiting and just paid then left . Aside from that one experience , one thing to keep in mind would be that the food isn't always consistent . It could taste great one day and another day, it won't .
(3)
Kurt C.
Good fusion of Chinese and Filipino cuisine. The food reminds me of home and mom's cooking. I always get Lechon Kawali (deep fried pork side served with lechon sauce), Fish Fillet w/ Eggplant (lightly battered fish fillet braised w/ egg plant in sweet sauce), and their Garlic Fried Rice. If I'm with more people, then obviously we'd order some more -- maybe Kare-Kare, Bangus, or Sizzling Sisig :) Food is quick and service is friendly. Outside may not be the most attractive, but it's what's in the inside that counts, right? ;) Delicious food!
(4)
Lauren C.
Highly recommend Sisig dish & Shanghai lumpia. Very fast service and friendly. The chicken in the Sisig has the most amazing flavor and very tender
The food was ok. We had a birthday dinner here and it was pretty late. They close at 9 and we reserved for 8 pm. The lady that was our waitress seemed very tired but she was a little older too so that might be it. The worse thing we ordered was the pancit. My family said that last time they were here and they ordered it, it was really good. I don't know if it's cause we were there pretty late or just the cook. But I don't think I would go back here. We were also the only ones here . Some of the items we ordered was good but not good enough for me to come back. Oh and the casava cake was not good at all omg it was the worse casava cake I've ever had.
(3)
Patrick M.
I don't claim to be an expert in filipino food but, I know what I like and I am filipino. South Villa is our go to for filipino food in Sac County. Pancit bihon is automatic, like steamed rice! (Have to order shanghai lumpia if my daughter is with me). Consistently good food and good service.
(5)
Jen W.
Every once in awhile, I really crave Filipino food. I'm used to it being readily available and easily accessible in Daly City. Unfortunately, Sac doesn't really offer too much to satisfy my craving. One of my co-workers recommended South Villa. I would've never noticed this spot if he had never told me! We decided to pick up a few items to go. After reading the reviews, we had to try the fried chicken. I am SO glad that we did. I have to say that this was some of the best fried chicken I have EVER had. The breading was perfect...the chicken was moist...the seasoning was great. Seriously, I think I will come back here just for the chicken. It really is "crack." We also picked up some kare kare and pork sinigang. The kare kare wasn't thick enough...although the flavors were definitely there. The sinigang wasn't sour enough. If I order sinigang again, I will have to ask for extra sour. I have to say that the food was plentiful and was just a couple of steps away from being amazing. I also loved how they packed our food with care to avoid spillage. The service was also extremely friendly. They kept us up to date with times and that our food will be out soon. I will definitely go back and try some other items...and order fried chicken again!
(4)
Kathy P.
Great customer service, VERY tidy restaurant and awesome Chinese/Filipino food. You must order the fried chicken, It's THE BEST and super crunchy. I get it every time I come here.
(5)
TravisandSelah T.
We requested the catering service to cook and deliver the food. We ordered lumpia, lechon, and fish fillet for (150 people) At this point- we are just completely disappointed. This was for an important event and many people were looking for it. We paid just about $700 for all three and only 2 entrees made it. We had two coordinators, as well as night and day staff members, AND GUESTS state and confirm that there were none available. We are in utter disappointment and it is even more disappointing that there is no partial refund. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THEM! They do not even want to respond to any of my attempts to speak with them. A lot of guests we had are also disappointed (whom are frequent visitors at their restaurant) they have stated that they will not be continuous consumers to this restaurant. DO NOT COME TO THIS RESTAURANT! All they care about is their money- regardless of how important the event is (like a wedding). Their main goal is not to please the consumer but to ease their way to extra money.
(1)
Jossie H.
Authentic Filipino-Chinese we love it. Host genuinely hospitality. All you have to do have an open mind to try their food and do your critics after. Do yourself a favor let's be mature about it come try it don't be afraid to experience the best food in Sacramento.
(5)
Mon S.
Whenever I am craving Filipino food, I head over to this place. This tiny restaurant is located in the hood, but we all know that those who are brave enough to go there will be rewarded with some of the best food. This place is really easy to miss. It is next door to a storage facility and what looks like an abandoned Molina health clinic. The parking lot is tiny as well with some parts unpaved. (Bleh.) I've been to South Villa many times before and the customer service is usually always really good whether it be in person at the restaurant or me just going in to pick up an order that I did over the phone ahead of time. (Yes, they take phone orders which is awesome!) The wait is never too long either. As for the food, it is served family style so make sure you bring some friends along with you or go there extra hungry. I always order the same dishes even though the menu has a gazillion dishes. The reason why I order the same dishes is because the dishes are a hit or a miss here. Some dishes taste delicious while some are just okay. For example, I always order the Sinigang Baka with rice and lumpias. You can't go wrong with these two. However, as for the chicken adobo, I was slightly disappointed. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the best either. I'm not filipino and even I can make better chicken adobo! Just sayin.' The pancit was just okay as well. This establishment does cater and have a buffet deal, but I don't know the details on that. The food was decently priced and they do accept credit cards unlike some of those Asian restaurants in South Sac that only accept cash.
(3)
Kristen B.
I was really hoping this buffet was good, but, sadly, I was wrong. It was "packed" when we came, but it was only because people were waiting in their lobby and the waiters weren't seating people as fast as they should have been. Don't get me wrong. After 12 or so, they really do get packed. We did the buffet. Sadly, they don't have a lot of options. I had their fried rice, kare kare, fried chicken, cream cheese wontons, and longanisa. The rice was okay, but my parents said it was hard. My rice was covered in the kare kare sauce so I couldn't tell that much. The kare kare was okay. The pieces of meat I got was mostly fat and bones. The eggplant in the kare kare was good though. The cream cheese wonton was really stale. I had to chew really hard to get through it. The longanisa was sliced in tiny pieces which was good since it's pretty unhealthy anyways. It tasted good, but, then again, how can one mess it up? The fried chicken was actually the only thing I liked from the buffet. We always ordered chicken here whenever we had parties, so I knew that their chicken was good. Fried chicken was crispy and juicy. YUM! Their dessert selection wasn't that great either. Their fruit didn't look fresh. I had the ginitan and it was too sweet. I didn't like it actually. I usually have it hot, but it was cold. Blah! Another bad part was that they didn't serve water. They had overly sweet kiwi strawberry juice and orange juice. You have to ask somebody for water. What restaurant doesn't serve water? Also, they didn't collect our plates til we were about to leave. We had to clean up our table ourselves. They should have paid us for doing their job. Overall, I didn't like my visit. Possibly the food on the menu is better, but the buffet wasn't good. I do recommend their fried chicken though. It is good!
(1)
Ticoy L.
Best and Oldest Chinese-Filipino restaurant. Excellent pancit bihon or sotanghon, lumpiang shanghai, crispy pata. Highly recommended place to eat.
(5)
TRACY R.
The oldest and basically last Filipino Restaurant in Sacramento. NO - Chowking, Jollibee, and the other fast food Filipino chains in Seafood City Supermarket DO NOT count as "restaurant". Location: On 55th street and Florin Road. Those streets should give you an indication that this place is not located anywhere fancy. But it's not overly ghetto. Inside, the restaurant is pretty plain. Very minimalistic. They have flat screen TVs all around playing TFC (The Filipino Channel). So you can eat and and watch a teleserye...if you want. Food: I was craving a gourmet Halo Halo (Filipino dessert) like crazy and convinced my sister to meet me up so I wouldn't look crazy dining alone (because I usually order three dishes). I know you can get Halo Halo at Chow King, but I wanted to sit down in a fairly nice place (compared to Seafood City Supermarket) and slowly eat my halo halo as I played catch up with my sister. Super yummy halo halo. They don't skimp out on the ube ice cream or any of the jelly's and beans they put in the dessert. I also ordered: 1. Daing na bangus: Deep fried fish. Fried so well you can eat the bones and all. One of my favorite dishes here, next to the crispy pata. Accompanied with some vinegar and rice and you've got yourself a meal! 2. Kare Kare: I for real need to learn how to cook this dish! Since I don't know how, every time I have a craving I have to come here. Not as great as the homemade style I'm used to, but not bad either! Definitely fulfills my craving. Kare Kare is kinda of like a beef peanut butter stew with green beans, bok choy, and other veggies. 3. Chicken/Pork Adobo mix: I thought it would be just me and my sister, but the fiance infiltrated on our sister time after finding out I was going to eat here. This dish was his order. He just wanted MEAT, so this was a safe choice for him. Of course, doesn't beat the adobo I make at home, but definitely full fills a craving! The food is generally good here. I've never had a problem. The customer service was OK. It also wasn't busy, but I felt like they checked up on us frequently and made sure we had everything we needed. Compared to the supposedly "fast" food Chowking, this place was more efficient! Chowking has ridiculously slow service. As far as their catering service: my family usually uses them for family parties. We've never had any issues, presentation is good, and the whole roasted pig thing is always a hit. I wouldn't use them for a fancy event like a wedding or anything, but definitely for a large Filipino party for sure. P.S. Come here for the authentic Filipino food! Chinese restaurants are a dime a dozen. Try something new! The menu has a section just for Filipino food.
(4)
E L.
I mainly come here for the Sunday buffet. The fried chicken is pretty much a drug to me, especially with its five-spice seasoning and light crunchy batter. The tartness of the pinahkbet contrasts well with the garlic fried rice, kare-kare and other fixings offerred by the buffet. If nothing else, come here to try the fried chicken. I haven't been to KFC ever since.
(5)
Katrina A.
Tried this place for the first time and I must say their food is pretty good. I just wished they have more options with their dessert. and customer service was excellent.
(4)
Blakeley L.
I ate here today and I was very disappointed. I don't live in Sacramento so I was excited to see all the choices this city has to offer. My boyfriend and I decided to eat here because the food pictures looked delicious and the recent reviews seemed promising. I was iffy at first since this is a Chinese/Filipino restaurant, but I was desperate to fulfill my filipino food craving. We ordered: bistek, shanghai lumpia, garlic rice & pinakbet. Bistek: Beef was tender, but tasted like pure soy sauce. It didn't taste like the beef steak I'm familiar with. Shanghai lumpia: tasted good, can't really go wrong with that Garlic Rice: was more like Chinese fried rice with fried garlic bits. Pinakbet: awful. The shrimp/fish paste was too overwhelming. What I was upset about was how a different server spoke to my boyfriend and I about a dish I barely ate. I had told her that the pinakbet was too fishy and I've had the dish before plenty of times. But she basically said that she can't take off a dish that we chose to try and take a risk of trying it. I was pissed because she was assuming I never had that dish before when I clearly said that I have. I don't appreciate any one talking down to me or assuming I've never tried something. Our original server, was a young man, made the beginning of the service very welcoming and he seemed knowledgeable of all the dishes. He made my Thai tea really good and my boyfriend said his mango drink with balboa was really good (texture of drink is more of a slushy). I would say if you had to go here, you may be safe to order Chinese food as the menu seemed to favor more Chinese dishes rather than Filipino food.
(2)
Ashley C.
Not too many sit-down Filipino restaurants around town so definitely enjoyed this one! Ordered the garlic fried rice, miki bihon, eggplant/fish, and paksiw. It was so good but had to take a lot of leftovers home (fine with me!) The best part was the mango shake. And watching TFC while we waited for our food (which didn't take long at all despite a huge party on the other side of the restaurant).
(4)
Just N.
The garlic fried portion was no way enough for the four of us. I would say it would have been good for two people, but note that we did not get any steamed rice with our dishes, so keep that in mind when ordering. Was it good, yeah, it was good, but I'd have to say not as good as my dad makes it! My dad's fried rice really has more of a garlicky flavor and the one here does not. I would just call it fried rice. We also ordered orange chicken and that was good and the portion size of it was good as well. If you've had orange chicken before, then you will understand my next comment. The chicken here was not crispy, even though it had a nice outer batter. We've had orange chicken before where it was crispy on the outside and nice and juicy on the inside, but the chicken here was not...but it was still good flavor wise...just no crunch. We also ordered the Villa Happy Family. This was the only dish we did not have to have a take home box for. It was gone! BUT, I think for the price, it was $10.95, the portion we got was small. I'd like to say the orange chicken seemed bigger and cost $2-$3 less. I guess since it was ten dollars on menu, I was expecting a huge plate, but it was not...but again, the family ate it all! We also got an order of the fried chicken wings. You get 8 pieces and it looked really, really good. I did not eat this, but was really tempted to.. I was saving my stomach for my order. All i can say was that it was crunchy because I could hear the crunch from my family members as they ate it. I had to ask for my order after my family had been eating a while. I guess they forgot all about me. All I wanted was siopao (a pork bun). She took one out of the fridge and heated up in the microwave and then brought it out to me. It was ok. I've had better and I didn't get sauce with it like you do at Chow King or someplace like that. The bun I loved though...it was the meat filling that I didn't care for. I ordered Ube shake for my son because he loves Ube but he said that it tasted weird and did not drink his shake. I drank it, and I thought it was good. I understand his comment about it tasting weird, but it's not weird...it's just ube. I think he's used to eating Ube ice cream from Magnolia and other Ube products, but I'm Filipino and I grew up eating Ube, and the Ube shake here is good...at least in my opinion. The last thing we got was the leche flan and it is good too. I guess they already have it made as she took it out of the same fridge she got my siopao from. I think it's priced a little high though. It was $7 bucks for what we got. We don't live around here, and it was nice to have experienced this place, but I don't think it's somewhere where my kids would want to come and eat again.
(3)
Ida K.
Food was great! Sizzling Neptune was out of this world. It may be a small building but it's clean and service was great. Chinese and Filipino food. .
(5)
Vanessa N.
Best Authentic filipino food in sac. I highly recommend their lechon kawali, Kare Kare, beef sinigang, and garlic fried rice ! Always good service and never a long wait for the food. I've been coming here since I was a kid !
(5)
Heather L.
Since there aren't many Filipino restaurants around Sacramento, it's hard to compare this restaurant to anything else so I think the food here is really delicious. I came here today for their lunch buffet around 12:30pm and was seated right away. I've tried their buffet before and I've ordered off of the menu too. Both options are good. If you're really hungry and want to try a lot of different foods, I'd opt for the buffet. They have a really good selection, including their crispy chicken. Yum!! The buffet is only on Sundays though! They kept the buffet line filled with food and it was always warm, not cold or stale. I also like the fact that they have juice and coffee available along with their Filipino desserts.
(4)
Alliver V.
South Villa is a good place to have a sit in family style Filipino food! The honey chicken was crispy and delicious. The Kare Kare was good too! I enjoyed the ambiance of traditional Chinese restaurants and the Filipino channel playing on tv. My family and I were expecting a buffet on the day we went, but the buffets were only Sundays for brunch. Since it was our first time coming here, we were open to try new things. Overall, I recommend eating at South Villa!
(4)
R L.
First time I went into the restaurant friendly waiter and good food too. I had the sizzling sigsig. It was fabulous. My friend had the chicken adobo. I tasted the sauce I thought that was good too. I would definitely eat there again. We took some lumpia to go. Those are very tasty!
(4)
Jacinta d.
Best Filipino food I've found since moving from the Bay! Palabok and lumpia were worth the 35 min drive. Next time were trying they're the crispy pata and Sunday buffet. :)
(4)
Mindy X.
Went in to eat here for the first time yesterday. I got the shrimp fried rice and crispy fried chicken. Both was really delicious and flavorful! I'll definitely be coming back to get food to go.
(4)
Lydia H.
I have been to all the Filipino restaurants in the Sacramento Area and have found this to be excellent. The food was great tasting, every dish had its own distinct flavor and I especially liked the depth of it's menu. We can be very picky eaters, but on this day we were very, very happy- down to it's halo-halo dessert. We were very excited that the Chinese food was also tasty. Not bad for being tucked away in So. Sac.
(5)
Vickie S.
So I really don't like giving bad reviews but I come here when I crave Filipino food and damn really??? $8 for lunch special and all u get is 2 items? $11 for Diniguan?? Overpriced !!
(1)
Jessa F.
I can only based my review with the food I ordered and the service I had. I was on my way to Becks furniture when I saw that there was a Filipino-Chinese restaurant in the area. Since it's my first time to see such a Filipino restaurant that includes Chinese food, I decided to go with a friend. It Took them 10 minutes after we sat down before they ask what our order was and drink. Maybe they were busy. I didn't order Chinese food since I am not really a big fan of it, so I ordered Sinigang Na Bangus, Lumpia and Pork Sisig, The lumpia was good. The Sisig wasnt bad either but it doesn't look or taste like the Sisig I am used to. What's with the big slices of red and green bell pepper and ginger on Sisig? It's kinda sweet too which is weird for a Sisig And I can definitely tell that sugar was added to make it taste like that, maybe I'm wrong, but I'll definitely won't order it again if I ever come back. I could have given them 3 stars because I was planning on coming back because they have other stuff I like on the menu, but that changed, when the sinigang Na bangus came, it smelled very fishy and I'm sure they forgot to put ginger (which actually helps to get rid of the fishy smell). It was edible but seeing two small HALF INCH steak-cut fillets of bangus (milkfish) makes them look very stingy on the amount of serving. The fish should be at least an inch thick (yes, I know how to cook), so picking the bones from it won't be that hard. or offer milkfish belly just like other restaurants. Not only the serving was not enough, it's almost unedible if u are not a fan of having to pick out the bones from a very bony fish like milkfish. It's not worth paying $7+ for a very soupy sinigang Will I come back? I hope so, but most likely not.
(2)
Arlynne D.
Tried their Filipino buffet special yesterday. They had a good selection of food. It was delicious or what we Filipinos say "Masarap." The pancit was good with the thick noodles and I did enjoy the dinuguan and apritada. I liked the dessert except there were no bilo bilo balls in the guinataan. Anyways, I will come back another day.
(4)
Kelly Q.
This was my first time here. I came with my in laws and husband after church. They had a pretty decent selection for their sunday buffet. The food wasn't bad. It probably wasn't the best filipino food i've had but it wasn't the worst either. For it being brunch I would have thought they would have had.more of a breakfast selection but it was mainly lunch items. The fried chicken was probably the best. The sinigang was not bad in flavor but lacked meat. The cassava cake tasted a little different then any I have had before. Like maybe an ingredient was missing? Over all we would probably be back because there really are not many filipino buffet options in sacramento. I say this place is at least worth a try.
(3)
Chris C.
Not happy at all with this place!!! I ordered a Lechon (Roasted pig) for my Luau. I cancelled my order with another restaurant that had great reviews! South villa lately has not had the best reviews especially when it comes to catering. Anyway upon recommendation of a fellow Chef in Sacramento I went here and was GUARANTEED my pig would be hot or very warm. That it would go in at 11 am to be roasted and I could pick it up at 5pm and it would be hot! Well I showed up at 5 pm and it was cold 84 degrees to be exact and it was sitting out on a table in the restaurant for the world to touch and look at! What to do one hour before the Luau with 60 people coming but deal with it. The fat was white and cold, the loins and legs were dry. Nothing what I was GUARANTEED it would be! I asked if they would do it like they would for their family and his words were "Exactly"! Being I am in the food business I know what food is about! I will NEVER go back here and NEVER recommend them for anything! I explained it to Kenneth very well as to what I was looking for and that I cancelled my order with the other restaurant with great reviews. I feel he wanted the business bad enough he would say anything to get my business. The only reason for one star was because it was ready at 5pm. Never again and enter with caution! UNDER PROMISE AND UNDER DELIVER!
(1)
Grace B.
I'm not a big fan of their food. It's not consistent with their presentation. I went to a wedding and they catered. They did a great job. The food was great. Another time I came to the actual restaurant and it was my mother's birthday. The food we ordered tasted watered down. The sauce didnt taste rich in flavor. Again....it also depends who the chef or cooks for the evening are. Depends who is cooking too. I love chinese food so I am picky too how that is done. Being a Filipino too...I am also picky how my foods are cooked. Why is that some Filipino dishes taste kinda sweet in this restaurant? I figured maybe thats just a Chinese background flavor. I have no idea. Maybe their confused back there in the kitchen.
(2)
Monica M.
I rarely try other families filipino food and boy I must say south villa is delicious ! Their fired chicken was my favorite ! It's soo addicting and super yummy! I also enjoyed their lemon chicken , neputnues joy and villa lo mein! They also the roasted pig (lechon) in case you where Wondering! I will come on a Sunday to try their buffet to see what it's all about!
(5)
Mr Bolo B.
Ive been eating here on and off for several years and have always had excellent service and great food, but I noticed the quality on the Pancit Lo Mein has gone down hill, they use to use nice plump freshly cooked shrimp and Squid, with Roast pork, chicken, veggies, etc but the last order was not as well made, they used the cheap salad type or pre cooked cocktail shrimp and imitation crab meat [pollock] ! authentic Chinese / Filipino cuisine should never use pre cooked cocktail shrimp & immitation crab meat, I was a little disappointed, they use to make it better than that but the other dishes like long beans with pork & binagoong, Shanghai lumpia, desserts, etc were very good the Dinuguan was excellent!
(4)
Ashley H.
Food is excellent as well as the service. If the building was remodeled and updated I would give it 5 stars. If you haven't been here it's a must.
(4)
Tina F.
I've had a unpleasure dealing with this restaurant catering for a wedding reception in August. Although the food was up to par, there needs to be a better tweaking in their customer service promises. They were chosen as caterer from numerous Filipino caterers by the bride in grounds that they presented themselves more better than the others. But what a joke...they over promise and under deliver in a huge way! First, what was originally quoted for the price of catering changed two days before the event even though the menu didn't change. The bride agreed only because we were now at the last hours of the reception and had no time to change caterer. Then on the day of the event, they came without the promised chafing dishes. They come back with them an hour after the reception begun and guests have begun eating. Lastly, the owner had the nerve to try and charge me for mileage and "cost" of renting the chafing dishes during the reception. This was never on the contract as he had guaranteed no mileage fee nor rental fee for the dishes. I would never pay for mileage or rental fee since you made the mistake of forgetting the most important thing we chose you for in the first place. If anything you owe the bride an apology for ruining her very important event and your lack of professionalism. I can honestly say, I don't think I would ever refer their service to anyone holding a major event...EVER!!
(1)
Kelson P.
Great Chinese Filipino dishes. Do try the variety of steamed bow.
(4)
Noelle N.
I love coming here! Finally got a chance to treat my hubby to Filipino Food here at South Villa. We are just stuffed to the gills with Sisig and Laing. So good! The Sisig was served on a sizzling plate with bigger chunks instead of the traditional pieces chopped fine. The laing was so rich and flavourful. I love South Villa!
(5)
Kim T.
I have lived walking distance from here for over ten years and have never been here once til now. I came here because a friend informed me of their first time ever buffet. I always hear good reviews of this place but was disappointed, maybe it's because the food was not fresh. I would have given this place one star but my waitress was good on keeping my drink refilled. I might make another trip to a regular dinner day, Maybe...
(2)
Jeff I.
Nice little place in s. Sac. Chinese/filipino food. Nice folks. I've always have gone here for the fried chicken and bulalo(a must try). But today we tried their Sunday buffet for $9. Not bad for the price. But im not sure if ill go do it again. Rather order the entrees Conclusion: nice little place, ok-good food. Friendly service.
(3)
Lena L.
My friend told me to never go to a Filipino restaurant and expect good food. You should only eat Filipino food if it's homemade. Well, I went anyway because I never had Filipino food before and I wasn't going to invite myself over to some one's house... Weirdo... My buddy and I ordered the Kare Kare, Sinigang, some Pork dish, and, of course, lumpias! The lumpias were excellent. The Kare Kare, in my opinion, was not good, but this is a biased opinion! I am not a fan of peanut butter. I had no idea that Kare Kare had a peanut buttery taste to it. A friend recommended the dish and didn't tell me that one of the ingredients was peanut butter. The Sinigang was wonderful. It has a sweet and sour taste to it and I loved it. The pork I didn't get to taste because I was so full off of all the other dishes. Our bill came out to be about $50 or $60? I don't quite remember, but the portions were huge and we had a lot of take home boxes.
(4)
Delorean L.
Best SIOPAOs ever! -BBQ pork -Pork/beef/chicken asado -Bola-Bola I am very happy to see this place still around. They have been around for YEARS!
(5)
Tim M.
The best Filipino Chinese buffet in Sacramento !
(5)
M Z.
My Filipino friend had Kare Kare at SV and he loved it - expensive!!!, but loved it. (Why is Filipino food so expensive?). Of course, why come here for Chinese with an infinite amount of Chinese choices in SAC unless the Chinese food is exceptional, too? Well, everyone I saw in the restaurant was eating/ordering Filipino food so that should have warned me not to order Chinese. But I did - I had an $11 (way overpriced) combination plate of fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, peking pork and 1 shanghai lumpia. Fried Rice: Just rice, with sparse flecks of egg - that was it. No meat or anything else in it. Peking Pork and Sweet and Sour Chicken: Breading/Batter was soggy, and only made worse by both being drenched in sauces so sick and syrupy that it made me think of colored "super glue." The lumpia was 100% flavorless, and even though I don't generally eat Filipino food, I know really good lumpia when I get it. Will I come back? Only with my Filipino friend - and just so he can get his "fix." Otherwise, this restaurant (at least for Chinese) food is way overpriced for the area of town it's in, as well as indoor atmosphere/ambience.
(3)
Jason G.
One of the few Filipino restaurants in Sacto. Pancit, lumpia, and crispy pata were all good.
(3)
Tracy S.
I've gone here a few times and the food has always been great. The service is what you expect from a Filipino/Chinese family owned business off of Florin Road. Kids running around, Filipino soap operas are on in the background with the volume up way too loud, they try and get you to join them and watch, etc. That's normal and what I'm used to. Except for this last time... The only Filipino food my boyfriend has had is what I cook at home or from my 86 year old Grandmother. I wanted him to have some Filipino food so we went here. Half way through my pansit I bit into something hard. It was a big, sharp piece of plastic. It looked like it was from some type of crate. I was a little grossed out so I stopped eating. I went out of town the next day and told my Mom who was house-sitting for me that there was some leftover food in the fridge that she could have. Assuming that I was the only one with bad luck I figured all of the plastic was gone. A few hours later my Mom sent me a picture text of another big, sharp piece of plastic that she bit into from the pansit. We have no idea what it was or how it got there. I'm sad to say that I will probably never go back here again. I'll just stick to Grandma's cooking and the chicken adobo, pansit and lumpia I cook at home from now on. I think my Mom and boyfriend will be ok with that too.
(2)
james r.
11-2-12 friends spoke highly about this place (WHAT WERE THEY THINKING OF) we drove 60 miles to try this crap, never again! Sorry! Crispy Pata did not taste fresh but old and dry, Kare kare was sweet could not taste the peanut butter, coco cha-cha had no taste to it, waiter said they ran out of the buko ice cream so why serve it all??? We shared one siopao, it was dry inside and i'm so glad we didn't order more. my advice, keep driving and don't stop....
(1)
R R.
The buffet is NOT that great $10.95 a person for crap I can make better at home. They have this pork nasty dish that is doused in pork lechon sauce with a kick of something that taste like palmolive. The rice is crunchy and the flies were all over eww. Never again! They get a 1 star for being nice.
(1)
Smelly C.
It's what you'd imagine a restaurant to look like off of Florin Road. I've been here a couple times over the span of a decade and it's been okay but I've only had filipino food here.. never the chinese. I looked over the menu and asked for the pork adobo.. The server said they don't make that anymore. Just chicken. So, I had chicken adobo and rice. It was a good serving but I didn't like it much. Whatever was left on the table, the server took and put into to-go containers and I always like it when servers don't hand you the box for you to do. I like when they do it for you. Kudos for that. The dude was dressed in everyday clothes and served with no smile but was very nice and did his job. And lastly, the fortune cookie tasted horrible. I had no idea fortune cookies could be so bad.
(2)
J M.
GOOD FOOD! My wife and I tried the place last week and we we're very satisfied. We just moved here in Sacramento from Hawaii recently and we have been looking for a good Filipino restaurant. We heard about this place and we're glad we tried it. So, are we going back? Definitely.
(4)
Tim M. P.
This is one of the best Filipino Chinese Restaurants In Sacramento! Ben Cu is a brilliant master Chef that cooks up a wonderful array of edibles that will drive your taste buds insane! Try their weekend buffets and I bet you will become a loyal patron in no time. Good service, excellent parking and very reasonable prices. If you don't believe me then come see for yourself..
(5)
James C.
Fried chicken is the only food i like in this restaurant. Oh and the buffet is awful not much choices and its 10$ .
(3)
Kathy K.
South Villa has dominated and is practically the only Filipino-Chinese restaurant still around after twenty years in Sacramento, at least. Many have tried: Chinoy's, Manila, Scuttlebutt, KJ Spootz, Nayo'ng Pilipino, Chiboogan, Molina's... But there's still only one man standing-- Ben Cuu's South Villa, reigning him king of Filipino cooking since ever since. (^_^) Their food has always been consistent. I must say, I have not been here since all the new restaurants have been built in and around Sacramento/Elk Grove when the new developments came into town and the early to mid-2000's. But having ordered from them today, brought it back home-- there's no other Filipino eatery like it. I mean, sure Max's, Chow King, and Red Ribbon are rising competitors , but there is nothing like the local non-corporate South Villa. They always good Filipino dishes that take you back home.
(3)
Joe V.
Haven't been here in so long. Came in today to try there Sunday breakfast buffet and I have to tell you, it was pretty damn delish. Everything they had was tasty. I had Chicken, mixed veg, sausage, pancit, sinigang, what tasted like foil wrap chicken w/o the foil, and fried anchovies.... and damn was it good. I definitely would recommend this place fro their Sunday buffet. I will try their non-buffet next time.
(4)
Xandrix A.
Probably one of the oldest Filipino restaurants in Sac. Great place, good service, and great food. Don't expect a five star dining establishment. This place is more of a non fancy family setting. One of my favorite dishes is the fried chicken, and fish with black bean sauce. Be careful with the chicken, i have had incidents where I bit into some bone chunks. Overall I give it five stars since south villa is the only Filipino restaurant I choose to dine in with my family
(5)
Sarah W.
Separated about 30 miles from our Filipino mothers in Stockton, my boyfriend and I were sick, tired and in serious need of sinigang. Yea, I know how to make it but I was lazy. He found this place on Yelp. The sinigang was awesome, different from what I'm used to but everyone's is different. Totally satisfied the craving. My boyfriend got the bistec with onions which was also yummy. Kind of out of the way for me but I'm sure we'll be back.
(4)
Andrew V.
Best tasting filipino food in the area. They also serve Chinese and just recently added Pho and a filipino lunch buffet to their offering. Lets get one thing straight...this is NOT a 5 star fine dining restaurant! Its off of Florin Rd . Enough said. Not as nice looking as Max's, however, the food there is great. We've only ordered filipino food and I don't think you can go wrong with any of those dishes. Havent had any of the chinese or pho so can't speak for that. The folks that run the place are nice. And best thing is they deliver for catered parties. We had them cater our last big family party and it was great at a very reasonable price! Delivery out to Bruceville & Bilby in Elk Grove is an extra charge but if you've ever had to pick up large amount of food for a party, you know this is an convenient service. Has a friend ever recommended a hole in the wall mexican place that sells awesome burritos. This is the filipino version of that and If you go in with that mind set you won't be disappointed!
(4)
Michelle And Rob N.
This place is awesome! My husband and I forgot that they close at 9pm so we went there around 8:50. The guy in the ront asked us if we wanted the food for to go and I said no so he sat us down. He was so polite, he didn't even mention the fact that they were closing in 10 minutes. We ordered 3 dishes and they all come out within 10 minutes, they are fast and efficient. The food is always satisfying! Come 9:30 that's when it dawned on me that they were closed. Right away I called the server and apologized and asked for the rest of the food togo and he said not to worry about it that they too were eating and to take our time... That is the best service one can ever get! South Villa you have acquired a fan for life as well as a promoter!!!
(4)
Vanessa C.
This is a no frills, casual Chinese/Filipino restaurant. I usually come here for the Chinese Food and have been coming here since I was in grade school. I LOVE this place!! I live in Sacramento now and have not found a Chinese restaurant that compares to South Villa. I usually come with family and I know what I like without looking at the menu. Villa Lo Mein, Mongolian Beef, Neptune's Joy, Lemon Chicken, Foil-Wrapped Chicken, Fried Chicken, Fried Prawns....wow my mouth is watering just thinking about it. If only they delivered to San Francisco (but they don't deliver at all just eat-in or pick-up). This is a family owned and operated restaurant. Thank you "Uncle Ben" for cooking the best Chinese food I have ever eaten and will continue coming here forever!!!!
(5)
Andrew B.
OK, it seems like I am giving everyone 5 starts, but I am really just reviewing the folks that I keep going back to. Although we live about an hour away, we keep finding ourselves driving down to South Villa to eat or dropping by to get some food to go. Besides the crazy stuff on TFC, the food is great. Ben Cu and his family make sure that you get incredibly authentic cuisine. They probably have the best Lechon around and people will drive from Roseville and beyond for their crispy pata and crispy chicken. My recommendation, although it is not on the menu, they probably make the best Ube Shake in town.
(5)
Crystal R.
From what I remember, I was always really in love with anything they made in black bean sauce. There is something about the salty tangie flavor that I liked from their sauce. It's a pretty small place, but I know they usually do huge catering orders on demand. Service is decent and portions are always large. For Filipino food (that isn't homemade) it's "OK". Of course my mom's is better, but it's what you grow up on in that culture.
(3)
Christine A.
I went here for the first time with a guy that I'm dating. He told me that he's always wanted to try Filipino food, and me, being the busy woman I am and not being from Sacramento, I was referred to South Villa from my cousin. We had chicken adobo, beef siopao, shanghi lumpia, and won ton soup. It was quite delicious. We both loved the adobo! It wasn't too greasy and I was glad that my guys first time eating Filipino food was a hit. Our server was really nice and our meal was really affordable. We had so much food that we were able to feed my roommate. This place rocks, I just wanted more heat with my meal and I always feel weird about asking for hot sauce at an asian restaurant. I will definitely leave midtown to come back to South Villa and dine here again.
(4)
Way C.
Since I moved back to the Bay from Sac., I can say that this is one of very few places I miss in Sac.(because there really isn't much to miss there). It's consistently good food. Whenever friends down here say they'll be going up north to Tahoe or Reno, I tell them to stop by South Villa mid-trip. The dishes that my family always order are the House Special Lo Mein Soup, Fried Chicken (ask for extra sweet & sour sauce), Laing (just the right amount of spicyness), Crispy Pata (hmm... crispity crunchity!) and Kikiam (which I'm not normally a fan of). We never go for the typical Filipino stuff like Adobo, Sinigang or Kare-kare because we can just make that at home. Hmm.... anyone up for a trip to Tahoe??
(4)
Larry T.
This place has decent Filipino and Chinese food. The food comes out HOT. Try the Lechon. Family owned. The people that work here are friendly and attentive. Check it out.
(3)
Martin L.
Stopped by this place with some coworkers for lunch since one of them said this place has dinuguan. I hadn't had any in a while so I figured why not. The food was pretty decent. We had dinuguan, pork sisig, and bistec. The portions were pretty generous and we were all full by the time we were done. Service was fast and efficient. I don't know any other Filipino places in Sacramento since I just transplanted, but I'll definitely be keeping South Villa in mind whenever I have a craving.
(3)
Quang T.
Not the nicest restaurant in town but one of the oldest. It's definitely a good place to bring your family if you want some Filipino food. They also heavily serve Chinese food. They make a great Mango shake and Halo Halo with ube ice cream. Just don't walk in thinking your going to get the greatest service like a 5 star restaurant. But, the food is good and the family that owns it is very nice.
(3)
Donna G.
Hubby and I celebrated his birthday here yesterday. We ordered crispy pata, dinuguan, lumpia shanghai and my all time favorite guisadong sotanghon -- the best pancit ever! Since Manila Restaurant closed, we've been going here (same owners) for our filipino food fix. Hubby's favorite is the dinuguan because it's cooked exactly how his Dad used to make it.
(4)
Rodel R.
Yeah quite the casual restaurant, not very professional, but the food is pretty good. This place offers both Filipino and Chinese food, and I would have to say that they serve better Chinese food. The lunch specials are pretty good, but dinner time may run up quite the tab. I would definitely recommend their Chow Fun, and Chinese Fried Chicken, and would avoid their Filipino soups as I have always had an issue with it tasting funny.
(4)
Sara D.
2.5 stars. Had I reviewed this place maybe 5 years ago, it would have gotten 4 stars. My family and I were frequent visitors; every week we'd come by for lunch or dinner. I'm not sure what happened, but this place has fallen off. The food just doesn't taste the same. The service isn't up to par as it once was. And, they never have anything that I order. The last recent visit, my mom and I ordered melon shakes. They don't have any melons. Okay, I understand. So I order the Seafood Bird's Nest soup. They don't have the quail's eggs. So I order cashew chicken. And I love cashew chicken. So lo and behold, waitress comes back and tells us that they're out of cashews. Huh, go figure. But what really amuses / amazes me is the fact that the waitress actually told us that I could still have the cashew chicken, "...just without any cashews." The hell? How does one have cashew chicken without the main ingredient.. the cashews! Did she really think I would fall for that? A plate of chicken? I really hope they pick back up.
(2)
Joelle C.
Chinese/Filipino food I've been to this restaurant a few times. I think the last time I was here was about 4+ years ago. I used to order Kare Kare (ox tail with peanut sauce) and Lemon Chicken. I thought those were good. My sister didnt' want ox tail and I didn't feel like Lemon Chicken. The food was okay tonight. I think the problem was that we didn't know what to order and we didn't want Chinese food. We ordered the Porchero soup (beef, pork, chicken, and vegetable), and it was not bad, except that it was a bit salty, considering that I was sick. I'm not sure if I really like it because of some unique ingredients that I don't typically see in other soups from other cuisines; however, the taste was not bad. We also had Kalderetang Baka (Beef stew with veggies) and Afritada Manok (Chicken stew with veggies). The veggies in both meat dishes are the same. I call this not creative enough. The Chinese does it too, so I don't blame them. Those two dishes are okay, kind of bland or I'm just not used to their flavor. My sister doesn't like the Beef stew the moment she tasted it. She actually said that the chicken dish was better. I actually like the beef stew more not because of the flavor, but the meat was tender. The chicken actually had bones in them, and I'm not a big fan of anything with bones. i blame my weak mouth, small teeth, clumsiness, and laziness =)! The Halo Halo dessert is always good there. Tonight they didn't have taro ice cream, so I got mango ice cream instead and my halo halo was not quite delicious as usual, but still not bad. I dont like loose steam rice. It shouldn't be a problem because I gotta watch my rice intake anyway. And rice is so expensive right now. Still, I have to be critical! High maintenance and hard to satisfy...hahah. The waiter guy was very courteous I like the way he served us. He definitely deserved a good tip. My rating is between a 2-3 stars. I gave them a 3 because of the excellent waiter. He even packed our food for us..thanks! You're awesome!
(3)
Tom L.
only ever done the catering, which has been spot on but can't comment on the restaurant itself. this restaurant is super close to the parent's house, so it's convenient to cater food for those big family parties. lumpia shanghai to start, which are super addicting. the crispy pata was crispy, flavorful and otherwise delicious. the bangus was a hit, the pinakbet was very well done; each veggie retained it's own flavor yet contributed to the overall balance of the whole dish. and the crispy smelt- yum, could eat like a hundred of those, along with the crispy shrimps.
(4)
jd d.
Tel - 916.429.1949 / 916.429.1628 I only like South Villa for just 3 items, and you're going to not like what they are. These items are their Fried Chicken, Boulalou Soup, and Bopis. Damn it, I'm seriously salivating right now. I think I might just have to do a take out tonight! Anyways, sorry about that. I just love their fried chicken how its normally small and easy to eat, kind of flavorful, and yes I know, you can find this kind of chicken anywhere else, but, I just tend to like it from south villa. As for their Boulalou Soup aka Beef Bone Soup is a signature soup that they serve here. I don't know anywhere that sells a Nilaga-type soup with a big ass bone in it with chunks of beef and slices of cabbage. Its good to eat, and yummy. Finally the bopis, made out of normally stuff I shouldn't even state here, is just as good as what my auntie makes, only, I have to pay for it LOL. South Villa is aiiite...just another spot where I'll just dine good, if in fact I get lazy to cook something at home hehe.
(3)
trina g.
I went here with my fiance on a Sunday morning and they had their all you can eat buffet. Since reading the other reviews on Yelp, we decided to opt for choosing our food instead even though it would be more expensive. We tend to be pretty picky with filipino food since we both are filipino and grew up with both our parents ( as well as myself) cooking dishes. When we entered, we saw the food in the buffet and just like everyone said it looked ok and not that fresh. The staff is pretty friendly and attentive however the food is ok. We ordered bola bola siopao, pork sinigang, their house fried chicken, lechon and sago't gulaman. Out of all the food we ordered, the lechon was the best. There was something in the food that they cook with that made us get sick of it after just the first serving. Maybe the oil? Salt? I don't know but isn't it when you eat good filipino food, you want seconds and thirds and fourths? yeah.. that didn't happen. I'm not the best cook nor am I trying to be conceited, but I cooked better sinigang than that and my family and fiance's family would get more helpings. I wish there were more oriental/Filipino restaurants other than SF.
(2)
Rally C.
Staff was really friendly and tried best to speak Tagalog. My sister asked the waiter if he knew how to say sinigang na baboy. Waiter said "sinigpork." Sinigpork was good and so was the halo-halo.
(4)
Al M.
This spot brings me back to Stevie B & Buffy, yellow Nautica shirts, jughead haircuts and housers. I haven't been here to eat in a minute but their fried chicken is almost staple status at Filipino parties. For the times I've been here it's always been a pretty cozy spot to have Shanghai lumpia and pancit with your folks with TFC on in the background. Their sinigang wasn't too bad either. A totally casual spot that won't hurt your wallet, with fried chicken that's definitely worth a look. Either that or just wait until your cousin Jobert graduates from middle school and you'll get your dose of South Villa catering more than likely.
(4)
Jian B.
The menu here is overwhelming! So much to choose from they've got a huge chinese food menu, along with soups and noodles, and then there's a Filipino food menu as well! I've never really had Filipino food besides Halo Halo, so I decided to give Kare Kare a try. It's like stewed ox tail in a peanut sauce base. DELISH! My gf ordered the honey fried chicken and she was satisfied as well. The chicken was golden brown, nice and crunchy and moist too! I'll admit I don't know too much about Filipino cuisine, but whatever South Villa is serving up, sure as hell tastes yummy! I'll definitely be back!
(4)
Gaylan C.
I've been going here since the two brothers open the place years ago. Never had a bad experience. The family that runs the place has a friendly, clean, well run restaurant. Pinakbet is my favorite. It's always good. Even though they were a little light on the bitter melon today it was still great.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Ericka A.
I'm a young lady from the Philippines who just got in the U.S. and so freaking miss home. I would say this is the best Filipino restaurant in Sac that I've been to so far. Went there for Sunday lunch buffet and it taste exactly as how I remember "home" SOO GOOOD! For people who has their whole family living in the states, they'll probably say that there's nothing in the buffet table that their mom can't do. But for a young woman like me who can't cook. This is the taste of home. This is Philippines
(5)Joseph J.
Absolute best Chinese-Filipino restaurant in sac!! Was recommended by Pacific Islanders themselves to try out this place! There's no substitute for flavor! You could order anything on the menu and you just can't go wrong! I ordered the beef broccoli, fish filet and shrimp friend rice. Absolutely delicious. I highly recommend this place to anyone passing through south sacramento! Must try!
(5)Francine Y.
I can't believe this is my first time here. I was only craving egg rolls and I ended up with plates and plates of food! First off, the menu is HUGE. They serve primarily Chinese and Filipino food. We got the 12 piece lumpias, some type of pancit dish (I can't remember what it's called), crispy fried chicken, bowl of rice, and a mango shake. Ugh, everything was so good. The fried chicken was so moist inside. There was so much batter! It was good though haha nice and crunchy. The pancit was very tasty. The meat and veggies inside were cooked well. The lumpias were such a good deal for 12 pieces. It was about 8$? The mango shake was soooo good too. I don't believe it was fresh squeezed because there wasn't an pulp unless they drained it out but regardless it was still good. The service was wonderful. They checked on us often and were very respectful. The cooks were very quick too. We didn't even wait long and our food was already shooting out the kitchen. It's a pretty easy to miss since you have to go down the street a bit further.
(4)Alyssa Mae C.
Lumpia is a crowd pleaser! They also take orders for lechon :) We always appreciate their punctual delivery and highly recommend them for any event!
(5)Allie A.
This is not your typical "fast-food" turo turo type of Filipino restaurant. It's a nice, sit-down place that serves both Chinese and Filipino dishes, apparently pretty well. I came in for a late lunch on my own on a quick overnight trip, so I didn't want to eat huge portions. I ended up ordering the the pancit palabok, which came with a little bit of shrimp, diced octopus and lots of tofu, topped with the usual hard-boiled egg and crunchy crushed pork rinds. Very tasty. I really wanted to treat myself to a little bit of lechon kawali (deep fried pork belly), but it would've been too much. So I ordered a half-order of their fried chicken, which turned out to be chopped chicken thighs and legs in a nice thick crunchy batter. Really good and I wished I had more room on my belly! Even a half order was a lot of food. Total of $24 for all including tip and had I had a way of being able to bring the leftovers home, I would have - there was enough for several more meals.
(4)Monica C.
I've been going to sv since I was a kid and when you have grandparents who are very active in the Filipino community, you're bound to go with them to events held at SV. One day when my bf and I came in for lunch , we ordered lemon chicken and every piece was burnt ! I was disappointed because it's one of my favorite dishes . I let the server know and she said she'd replace it with a new one but it never came out . We got tired of waiting and just paid then left . Aside from that one experience , one thing to keep in mind would be that the food isn't always consistent . It could taste great one day and another day, it won't .
(3)Kurt C.
Good fusion of Chinese and Filipino cuisine. The food reminds me of home and mom's cooking. I always get Lechon Kawali (deep fried pork side served with lechon sauce), Fish Fillet w/ Eggplant (lightly battered fish fillet braised w/ egg plant in sweet sauce), and their Garlic Fried Rice. If I'm with more people, then obviously we'd order some more -- maybe Kare-Kare, Bangus, or Sizzling Sisig :) Food is quick and service is friendly. Outside may not be the most attractive, but it's what's in the inside that counts, right? ;) Delicious food!
(4)Lauren C.
Highly recommend Sisig dish & Shanghai lumpia. Very fast service and friendly. The chicken in the Sisig has the most amazing flavor and very tender
(5)Ninarae N.
I'm glad South Villa is still around! I honestly very rarely sit down and eat here. My fam has this place cater lechon often for big parties and orders side dishes as well. I personally feel my mom makes the best Filipino food, but that's how any Filipino would judge Filipino food-- based on how their mama cooks it! Hypes: Came in the other day for the lunch buffet after church. It was cool...the best of all the entrées in my opinion is the kare kare. Everything else was just alright. Halo halo is so good here! If anything, try that and you'll be glad you did. You'll get pretty good service here. The servers are younger and the owners always seem to be hanging out in front & they always greet and welcome in my family. They're very sweet people! Gripes: After being around for decades, you'd think they'd spruce the place up a bit, but nah...still looks the same. If you have no prior knowledge to this place, you'd probably not want to come in just by driving by considering it's aged exterior (and interior) coupled with the sketchy neighborhood. The dishes are a bit of a hit & miss. Sometimes everything is on point, sometimes I feel like the flavors are lacking. For example, the veggie sinigang doesn't take me back to my grandmas like I would hope, the sausage dish they serve is pretty bland, etc. also, their selection of desserts is so very few and ive never been impressed. However, the 4 stars is a real testament to their catering service cuz they ALWAYS deliver with quality and taste on point & they are just so darn nice! Salamat, South Villa!
(4)Mariel I.
The food was ok. We had a birthday dinner here and it was pretty late. They close at 9 and we reserved for 8 pm. The lady that was our waitress seemed very tired but she was a little older too so that might be it. The worse thing we ordered was the pancit. My family said that last time they were here and they ordered it, it was really good. I don't know if it's cause we were there pretty late or just the cook. But I don't think I would go back here. We were also the only ones here . Some of the items we ordered was good but not good enough for me to come back. Oh and the casava cake was not good at all omg it was the worse casava cake I've ever had.
(3)Patrick M.
I don't claim to be an expert in filipino food but, I know what I like and I am filipino. South Villa is our go to for filipino food in Sac County. Pancit bihon is automatic, like steamed rice! (Have to order shanghai lumpia if my daughter is with me). Consistently good food and good service.
(5)Jen W.
Every once in awhile, I really crave Filipino food. I'm used to it being readily available and easily accessible in Daly City. Unfortunately, Sac doesn't really offer too much to satisfy my craving. One of my co-workers recommended South Villa. I would've never noticed this spot if he had never told me! We decided to pick up a few items to go. After reading the reviews, we had to try the fried chicken. I am SO glad that we did. I have to say that this was some of the best fried chicken I have EVER had. The breading was perfect...the chicken was moist...the seasoning was great. Seriously, I think I will come back here just for the chicken. It really is "crack." We also picked up some kare kare and pork sinigang. The kare kare wasn't thick enough...although the flavors were definitely there. The sinigang wasn't sour enough. If I order sinigang again, I will have to ask for extra sour. I have to say that the food was plentiful and was just a couple of steps away from being amazing. I also loved how they packed our food with care to avoid spillage. The service was also extremely friendly. They kept us up to date with times and that our food will be out soon. I will definitely go back and try some other items...and order fried chicken again!
(4)Kathy P.
Great customer service, VERY tidy restaurant and awesome Chinese/Filipino food. You must order the fried chicken, It's THE BEST and super crunchy. I get it every time I come here.
(5)TravisandSelah T.
We requested the catering service to cook and deliver the food. We ordered lumpia, lechon, and fish fillet for (150 people) At this point- we are just completely disappointed. This was for an important event and many people were looking for it. We paid just about $700 for all three and only 2 entrees made it. We had two coordinators, as well as night and day staff members, AND GUESTS state and confirm that there were none available. We are in utter disappointment and it is even more disappointing that there is no partial refund. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND THEM! They do not even want to respond to any of my attempts to speak with them. A lot of guests we had are also disappointed (whom are frequent visitors at their restaurant) they have stated that they will not be continuous consumers to this restaurant. DO NOT COME TO THIS RESTAURANT! All they care about is their money- regardless of how important the event is (like a wedding). Their main goal is not to please the consumer but to ease their way to extra money.
(1)Jossie H.
Authentic Filipino-Chinese we love it. Host genuinely hospitality. All you have to do have an open mind to try their food and do your critics after. Do yourself a favor let's be mature about it come try it don't be afraid to experience the best food in Sacramento.
(5)Mon S.
Whenever I am craving Filipino food, I head over to this place. This tiny restaurant is located in the hood, but we all know that those who are brave enough to go there will be rewarded with some of the best food. This place is really easy to miss. It is next door to a storage facility and what looks like an abandoned Molina health clinic. The parking lot is tiny as well with some parts unpaved. (Bleh.) I've been to South Villa many times before and the customer service is usually always really good whether it be in person at the restaurant or me just going in to pick up an order that I did over the phone ahead of time. (Yes, they take phone orders which is awesome!) The wait is never too long either. As for the food, it is served family style so make sure you bring some friends along with you or go there extra hungry. I always order the same dishes even though the menu has a gazillion dishes. The reason why I order the same dishes is because the dishes are a hit or a miss here. Some dishes taste delicious while some are just okay. For example, I always order the Sinigang Baka with rice and lumpias. You can't go wrong with these two. However, as for the chicken adobo, I was slightly disappointed. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the best either. I'm not filipino and even I can make better chicken adobo! Just sayin.' The pancit was just okay as well. This establishment does cater and have a buffet deal, but I don't know the details on that. The food was decently priced and they do accept credit cards unlike some of those Asian restaurants in South Sac that only accept cash.
(3)Kristen B.
I was really hoping this buffet was good, but, sadly, I was wrong. It was "packed" when we came, but it was only because people were waiting in their lobby and the waiters weren't seating people as fast as they should have been. Don't get me wrong. After 12 or so, they really do get packed. We did the buffet. Sadly, they don't have a lot of options. I had their fried rice, kare kare, fried chicken, cream cheese wontons, and longanisa. The rice was okay, but my parents said it was hard. My rice was covered in the kare kare sauce so I couldn't tell that much. The kare kare was okay. The pieces of meat I got was mostly fat and bones. The eggplant in the kare kare was good though. The cream cheese wonton was really stale. I had to chew really hard to get through it. The longanisa was sliced in tiny pieces which was good since it's pretty unhealthy anyways. It tasted good, but, then again, how can one mess it up? The fried chicken was actually the only thing I liked from the buffet. We always ordered chicken here whenever we had parties, so I knew that their chicken was good. Fried chicken was crispy and juicy. YUM! Their dessert selection wasn't that great either. Their fruit didn't look fresh. I had the ginitan and it was too sweet. I didn't like it actually. I usually have it hot, but it was cold. Blah! Another bad part was that they didn't serve water. They had overly sweet kiwi strawberry juice and orange juice. You have to ask somebody for water. What restaurant doesn't serve water? Also, they didn't collect our plates til we were about to leave. We had to clean up our table ourselves. They should have paid us for doing their job. Overall, I didn't like my visit. Possibly the food on the menu is better, but the buffet wasn't good. I do recommend their fried chicken though. It is good!
(1)Ticoy L.
Best and Oldest Chinese-Filipino restaurant. Excellent pancit bihon or sotanghon, lumpiang shanghai, crispy pata. Highly recommended place to eat.
(5)TRACY R.
The oldest and basically last Filipino Restaurant in Sacramento. NO - Chowking, Jollibee, and the other fast food Filipino chains in Seafood City Supermarket DO NOT count as "restaurant". Location: On 55th street and Florin Road. Those streets should give you an indication that this place is not located anywhere fancy. But it's not overly ghetto. Inside, the restaurant is pretty plain. Very minimalistic. They have flat screen TVs all around playing TFC (The Filipino Channel). So you can eat and and watch a teleserye...if you want. Food: I was craving a gourmet Halo Halo (Filipino dessert) like crazy and convinced my sister to meet me up so I wouldn't look crazy dining alone (because I usually order three dishes). I know you can get Halo Halo at Chow King, but I wanted to sit down in a fairly nice place (compared to Seafood City Supermarket) and slowly eat my halo halo as I played catch up with my sister. Super yummy halo halo. They don't skimp out on the ube ice cream or any of the jelly's and beans they put in the dessert. I also ordered: 1. Daing na bangus: Deep fried fish. Fried so well you can eat the bones and all. One of my favorite dishes here, next to the crispy pata. Accompanied with some vinegar and rice and you've got yourself a meal! 2. Kare Kare: I for real need to learn how to cook this dish! Since I don't know how, every time I have a craving I have to come here. Not as great as the homemade style I'm used to, but not bad either! Definitely fulfills my craving. Kare Kare is kinda of like a beef peanut butter stew with green beans, bok choy, and other veggies. 3. Chicken/Pork Adobo mix: I thought it would be just me and my sister, but the fiance infiltrated on our sister time after finding out I was going to eat here. This dish was his order. He just wanted MEAT, so this was a safe choice for him. Of course, doesn't beat the adobo I make at home, but definitely full fills a craving! The food is generally good here. I've never had a problem. The customer service was OK. It also wasn't busy, but I felt like they checked up on us frequently and made sure we had everything we needed. Compared to the supposedly "fast" food Chowking, this place was more efficient! Chowking has ridiculously slow service. As far as their catering service: my family usually uses them for family parties. We've never had any issues, presentation is good, and the whole roasted pig thing is always a hit. I wouldn't use them for a fancy event like a wedding or anything, but definitely for a large Filipino party for sure. P.S. Come here for the authentic Filipino food! Chinese restaurants are a dime a dozen. Try something new! The menu has a section just for Filipino food.
(4)E L.
I mainly come here for the Sunday buffet. The fried chicken is pretty much a drug to me, especially with its five-spice seasoning and light crunchy batter. The tartness of the pinahkbet contrasts well with the garlic fried rice, kare-kare and other fixings offerred by the buffet. If nothing else, come here to try the fried chicken. I haven't been to KFC ever since.
(5)Katrina A.
Tried this place for the first time and I must say their food is pretty good. I just wished they have more options with their dessert. and customer service was excellent.
(4)Blakeley L.
I ate here today and I was very disappointed. I don't live in Sacramento so I was excited to see all the choices this city has to offer. My boyfriend and I decided to eat here because the food pictures looked delicious and the recent reviews seemed promising. I was iffy at first since this is a Chinese/Filipino restaurant, but I was desperate to fulfill my filipino food craving. We ordered: bistek, shanghai lumpia, garlic rice & pinakbet. Bistek: Beef was tender, but tasted like pure soy sauce. It didn't taste like the beef steak I'm familiar with. Shanghai lumpia: tasted good, can't really go wrong with that Garlic Rice: was more like Chinese fried rice with fried garlic bits. Pinakbet: awful. The shrimp/fish paste was too overwhelming. What I was upset about was how a different server spoke to my boyfriend and I about a dish I barely ate. I had told her that the pinakbet was too fishy and I've had the dish before plenty of times. But she basically said that she can't take off a dish that we chose to try and take a risk of trying it. I was pissed because she was assuming I never had that dish before when I clearly said that I have. I don't appreciate any one talking down to me or assuming I've never tried something. Our original server, was a young man, made the beginning of the service very welcoming and he seemed knowledgeable of all the dishes. He made my Thai tea really good and my boyfriend said his mango drink with balboa was really good (texture of drink is more of a slushy). I would say if you had to go here, you may be safe to order Chinese food as the menu seemed to favor more Chinese dishes rather than Filipino food.
(2)Ashley C.
Not too many sit-down Filipino restaurants around town so definitely enjoyed this one! Ordered the garlic fried rice, miki bihon, eggplant/fish, and paksiw. It was so good but had to take a lot of leftovers home (fine with me!) The best part was the mango shake. And watching TFC while we waited for our food (which didn't take long at all despite a huge party on the other side of the restaurant).
(4)Just N.
The garlic fried portion was no way enough for the four of us. I would say it would have been good for two people, but note that we did not get any steamed rice with our dishes, so keep that in mind when ordering. Was it good, yeah, it was good, but I'd have to say not as good as my dad makes it! My dad's fried rice really has more of a garlicky flavor and the one here does not. I would just call it fried rice. We also ordered orange chicken and that was good and the portion size of it was good as well. If you've had orange chicken before, then you will understand my next comment. The chicken here was not crispy, even though it had a nice outer batter. We've had orange chicken before where it was crispy on the outside and nice and juicy on the inside, but the chicken here was not...but it was still good flavor wise...just no crunch. We also ordered the Villa Happy Family. This was the only dish we did not have to have a take home box for. It was gone! BUT, I think for the price, it was $10.95, the portion we got was small. I'd like to say the orange chicken seemed bigger and cost $2-$3 less. I guess since it was ten dollars on menu, I was expecting a huge plate, but it was not...but again, the family ate it all! We also got an order of the fried chicken wings. You get 8 pieces and it looked really, really good. I did not eat this, but was really tempted to.. I was saving my stomach for my order. All i can say was that it was crunchy because I could hear the crunch from my family members as they ate it. I had to ask for my order after my family had been eating a while. I guess they forgot all about me. All I wanted was siopao (a pork bun). She took one out of the fridge and heated up in the microwave and then brought it out to me. It was ok. I've had better and I didn't get sauce with it like you do at Chow King or someplace like that. The bun I loved though...it was the meat filling that I didn't care for. I ordered Ube shake for my son because he loves Ube but he said that it tasted weird and did not drink his shake. I drank it, and I thought it was good. I understand his comment about it tasting weird, but it's not weird...it's just ube. I think he's used to eating Ube ice cream from Magnolia and other Ube products, but I'm Filipino and I grew up eating Ube, and the Ube shake here is good...at least in my opinion. The last thing we got was the leche flan and it is good too. I guess they already have it made as she took it out of the same fridge she got my siopao from. I think it's priced a little high though. It was $7 bucks for what we got. We don't live around here, and it was nice to have experienced this place, but I don't think it's somewhere where my kids would want to come and eat again.
(3)Ida K.
Food was great! Sizzling Neptune was out of this world. It may be a small building but it's clean and service was great. Chinese and Filipino food. .
(5)Vanessa N.
Best Authentic filipino food in sac. I highly recommend their lechon kawali, Kare Kare, beef sinigang, and garlic fried rice ! Always good service and never a long wait for the food. I've been coming here since I was a kid !
(5)Heather L.
Since there aren't many Filipino restaurants around Sacramento, it's hard to compare this restaurant to anything else so I think the food here is really delicious. I came here today for their lunch buffet around 12:30pm and was seated right away. I've tried their buffet before and I've ordered off of the menu too. Both options are good. If you're really hungry and want to try a lot of different foods, I'd opt for the buffet. They have a really good selection, including their crispy chicken. Yum!! The buffet is only on Sundays though! They kept the buffet line filled with food and it was always warm, not cold or stale. I also like the fact that they have juice and coffee available along with their Filipino desserts.
(4)Alliver V.
South Villa is a good place to have a sit in family style Filipino food! The honey chicken was crispy and delicious. The Kare Kare was good too! I enjoyed the ambiance of traditional Chinese restaurants and the Filipino channel playing on tv. My family and I were expecting a buffet on the day we went, but the buffets were only Sundays for brunch. Since it was our first time coming here, we were open to try new things. Overall, I recommend eating at South Villa!
(4)R L.
First time I went into the restaurant friendly waiter and good food too. I had the sizzling sigsig. It was fabulous. My friend had the chicken adobo. I tasted the sauce I thought that was good too. I would definitely eat there again. We took some lumpia to go. Those are very tasty!
(4)Jacinta d.
Best Filipino food I've found since moving from the Bay! Palabok and lumpia were worth the 35 min drive. Next time were trying they're the crispy pata and Sunday buffet. :)
(4)Mindy X.
Went in to eat here for the first time yesterday. I got the shrimp fried rice and crispy fried chicken. Both was really delicious and flavorful! I'll definitely be coming back to get food to go.
(4)Lydia H.
I have been to all the Filipino restaurants in the Sacramento Area and have found this to be excellent. The food was great tasting, every dish had its own distinct flavor and I especially liked the depth of it's menu. We can be very picky eaters, but on this day we were very, very happy- down to it's halo-halo dessert. We were very excited that the Chinese food was also tasty. Not bad for being tucked away in So. Sac.
(5)Vickie S.
So I really don't like giving bad reviews but I come here when I crave Filipino food and damn really??? $8 for lunch special and all u get is 2 items? $11 for Diniguan?? Overpriced !!
(1)Jessa F.
I can only based my review with the food I ordered and the service I had. I was on my way to Becks furniture when I saw that there was a Filipino-Chinese restaurant in the area. Since it's my first time to see such a Filipino restaurant that includes Chinese food, I decided to go with a friend. It Took them 10 minutes after we sat down before they ask what our order was and drink. Maybe they were busy. I didn't order Chinese food since I am not really a big fan of it, so I ordered Sinigang Na Bangus, Lumpia and Pork Sisig, The lumpia was good. The Sisig wasnt bad either but it doesn't look or taste like the Sisig I am used to. What's with the big slices of red and green bell pepper and ginger on Sisig? It's kinda sweet too which is weird for a Sisig And I can definitely tell that sugar was added to make it taste like that, maybe I'm wrong, but I'll definitely won't order it again if I ever come back. I could have given them 3 stars because I was planning on coming back because they have other stuff I like on the menu, but that changed, when the sinigang Na bangus came, it smelled very fishy and I'm sure they forgot to put ginger (which actually helps to get rid of the fishy smell). It was edible but seeing two small HALF INCH steak-cut fillets of bangus (milkfish) makes them look very stingy on the amount of serving. The fish should be at least an inch thick (yes, I know how to cook), so picking the bones from it won't be that hard. or offer milkfish belly just like other restaurants. Not only the serving was not enough, it's almost unedible if u are not a fan of having to pick out the bones from a very bony fish like milkfish. It's not worth paying $7+ for a very soupy sinigang Will I come back? I hope so, but most likely not.
(2)Arlynne D.
Tried their Filipino buffet special yesterday. They had a good selection of food. It was delicious or what we Filipinos say "Masarap." The pancit was good with the thick noodles and I did enjoy the dinuguan and apritada. I liked the dessert except there were no bilo bilo balls in the guinataan. Anyways, I will come back another day.
(4)Kelly Q.
This was my first time here. I came with my in laws and husband after church. They had a pretty decent selection for their sunday buffet. The food wasn't bad. It probably wasn't the best filipino food i've had but it wasn't the worst either. For it being brunch I would have thought they would have had.more of a breakfast selection but it was mainly lunch items. The fried chicken was probably the best. The sinigang was not bad in flavor but lacked meat. The cassava cake tasted a little different then any I have had before. Like maybe an ingredient was missing? Over all we would probably be back because there really are not many filipino buffet options in sacramento. I say this place is at least worth a try.
(3)Chris C.
Not happy at all with this place!!! I ordered a Lechon (Roasted pig) for my Luau. I cancelled my order with another restaurant that had great reviews! South villa lately has not had the best reviews especially when it comes to catering. Anyway upon recommendation of a fellow Chef in Sacramento I went here and was GUARANTEED my pig would be hot or very warm. That it would go in at 11 am to be roasted and I could pick it up at 5pm and it would be hot! Well I showed up at 5 pm and it was cold 84 degrees to be exact and it was sitting out on a table in the restaurant for the world to touch and look at! What to do one hour before the Luau with 60 people coming but deal with it. The fat was white and cold, the loins and legs were dry. Nothing what I was GUARANTEED it would be! I asked if they would do it like they would for their family and his words were "Exactly"! Being I am in the food business I know what food is about! I will NEVER go back here and NEVER recommend them for anything! I explained it to Kenneth very well as to what I was looking for and that I cancelled my order with the other restaurant with great reviews. I feel he wanted the business bad enough he would say anything to get my business. The only reason for one star was because it was ready at 5pm. Never again and enter with caution! UNDER PROMISE AND UNDER DELIVER!
(1)Grace B.
I'm not a big fan of their food. It's not consistent with their presentation. I went to a wedding and they catered. They did a great job. The food was great. Another time I came to the actual restaurant and it was my mother's birthday. The food we ordered tasted watered down. The sauce didnt taste rich in flavor. Again....it also depends who the chef or cooks for the evening are. Depends who is cooking too. I love chinese food so I am picky too how that is done. Being a Filipino too...I am also picky how my foods are cooked. Why is that some Filipino dishes taste kinda sweet in this restaurant? I figured maybe thats just a Chinese background flavor. I have no idea. Maybe their confused back there in the kitchen.
(2)Monica M.
I rarely try other families filipino food and boy I must say south villa is delicious ! Their fired chicken was my favorite ! It's soo addicting and super yummy! I also enjoyed their lemon chicken , neputnues joy and villa lo mein! They also the roasted pig (lechon) in case you where Wondering! I will come on a Sunday to try their buffet to see what it's all about!
(5)Mr Bolo B.
Ive been eating here on and off for several years and have always had excellent service and great food, but I noticed the quality on the Pancit Lo Mein has gone down hill, they use to use nice plump freshly cooked shrimp and Squid, with Roast pork, chicken, veggies, etc but the last order was not as well made, they used the cheap salad type or pre cooked cocktail shrimp and imitation crab meat [pollock] ! authentic Chinese / Filipino cuisine should never use pre cooked cocktail shrimp & immitation crab meat, I was a little disappointed, they use to make it better than that but the other dishes like long beans with pork & binagoong, Shanghai lumpia, desserts, etc were very good the Dinuguan was excellent!
(4)Ashley H.
Food is excellent as well as the service. If the building was remodeled and updated I would give it 5 stars. If you haven't been here it's a must.
(4)Tina F.
I've had a unpleasure dealing with this restaurant catering for a wedding reception in August. Although the food was up to par, there needs to be a better tweaking in their customer service promises. They were chosen as caterer from numerous Filipino caterers by the bride in grounds that they presented themselves more better than the others. But what a joke...they over promise and under deliver in a huge way! First, what was originally quoted for the price of catering changed two days before the event even though the menu didn't change. The bride agreed only because we were now at the last hours of the reception and had no time to change caterer. Then on the day of the event, they came without the promised chafing dishes. They come back with them an hour after the reception begun and guests have begun eating. Lastly, the owner had the nerve to try and charge me for mileage and "cost" of renting the chafing dishes during the reception. This was never on the contract as he had guaranteed no mileage fee nor rental fee for the dishes. I would never pay for mileage or rental fee since you made the mistake of forgetting the most important thing we chose you for in the first place. If anything you owe the bride an apology for ruining her very important event and your lack of professionalism. I can honestly say, I don't think I would ever refer their service to anyone holding a major event...EVER!!
(1)Kelson P.
Great Chinese Filipino dishes. Do try the variety of steamed bow.
(4)Noelle N.
I love coming here! Finally got a chance to treat my hubby to Filipino Food here at South Villa. We are just stuffed to the gills with Sisig and Laing. So good! The Sisig was served on a sizzling plate with bigger chunks instead of the traditional pieces chopped fine. The laing was so rich and flavourful. I love South Villa!
(5)Kim T.
I have lived walking distance from here for over ten years and have never been here once til now. I came here because a friend informed me of their first time ever buffet. I always hear good reviews of this place but was disappointed, maybe it's because the food was not fresh. I would have given this place one star but my waitress was good on keeping my drink refilled. I might make another trip to a regular dinner day, Maybe...
(2)Jeff I.
Nice little place in s. Sac. Chinese/filipino food. Nice folks. I've always have gone here for the fried chicken and bulalo(a must try). But today we tried their Sunday buffet for $9. Not bad for the price. But im not sure if ill go do it again. Rather order the entrees Conclusion: nice little place, ok-good food. Friendly service.
(3)Lena L.
My friend told me to never go to a Filipino restaurant and expect good food. You should only eat Filipino food if it's homemade. Well, I went anyway because I never had Filipino food before and I wasn't going to invite myself over to some one's house... Weirdo... My buddy and I ordered the Kare Kare, Sinigang, some Pork dish, and, of course, lumpias! The lumpias were excellent. The Kare Kare, in my opinion, was not good, but this is a biased opinion! I am not a fan of peanut butter. I had no idea that Kare Kare had a peanut buttery taste to it. A friend recommended the dish and didn't tell me that one of the ingredients was peanut butter. The Sinigang was wonderful. It has a sweet and sour taste to it and I loved it. The pork I didn't get to taste because I was so full off of all the other dishes. Our bill came out to be about $50 or $60? I don't quite remember, but the portions were huge and we had a lot of take home boxes.
(4)Delorean L.
Best SIOPAOs ever! -BBQ pork -Pork/beef/chicken asado -Bola-Bola I am very happy to see this place still around. They have been around for YEARS!
(5)Tim M.
The best Filipino Chinese buffet in Sacramento !
(5)M Z.
My Filipino friend had Kare Kare at SV and he loved it - expensive!!!, but loved it. (Why is Filipino food so expensive?). Of course, why come here for Chinese with an infinite amount of Chinese choices in SAC unless the Chinese food is exceptional, too? Well, everyone I saw in the restaurant was eating/ordering Filipino food so that should have warned me not to order Chinese. But I did - I had an $11 (way overpriced) combination plate of fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, peking pork and 1 shanghai lumpia. Fried Rice: Just rice, with sparse flecks of egg - that was it. No meat or anything else in it. Peking Pork and Sweet and Sour Chicken: Breading/Batter was soggy, and only made worse by both being drenched in sauces so sick and syrupy that it made me think of colored "super glue." The lumpia was 100% flavorless, and even though I don't generally eat Filipino food, I know really good lumpia when I get it. Will I come back? Only with my Filipino friend - and just so he can get his "fix." Otherwise, this restaurant (at least for Chinese) food is way overpriced for the area of town it's in, as well as indoor atmosphere/ambience.
(3)Jason G.
One of the few Filipino restaurants in Sacto. Pancit, lumpia, and crispy pata were all good.
(3)Tracy S.
I've gone here a few times and the food has always been great. The service is what you expect from a Filipino/Chinese family owned business off of Florin Road. Kids running around, Filipino soap operas are on in the background with the volume up way too loud, they try and get you to join them and watch, etc. That's normal and what I'm used to. Except for this last time... The only Filipino food my boyfriend has had is what I cook at home or from my 86 year old Grandmother. I wanted him to have some Filipino food so we went here. Half way through my pansit I bit into something hard. It was a big, sharp piece of plastic. It looked like it was from some type of crate. I was a little grossed out so I stopped eating. I went out of town the next day and told my Mom who was house-sitting for me that there was some leftover food in the fridge that she could have. Assuming that I was the only one with bad luck I figured all of the plastic was gone. A few hours later my Mom sent me a picture text of another big, sharp piece of plastic that she bit into from the pansit. We have no idea what it was or how it got there. I'm sad to say that I will probably never go back here again. I'll just stick to Grandma's cooking and the chicken adobo, pansit and lumpia I cook at home from now on. I think my Mom and boyfriend will be ok with that too.
(2)james r.
11-2-12 friends spoke highly about this place (WHAT WERE THEY THINKING OF) we drove 60 miles to try this crap, never again! Sorry! Crispy Pata did not taste fresh but old and dry, Kare kare was sweet could not taste the peanut butter, coco cha-cha had no taste to it, waiter said they ran out of the buko ice cream so why serve it all??? We shared one siopao, it was dry inside and i'm so glad we didn't order more. my advice, keep driving and don't stop....
(1)R R.
The buffet is NOT that great $10.95 a person for crap I can make better at home. They have this pork nasty dish that is doused in pork lechon sauce with a kick of something that taste like palmolive. The rice is crunchy and the flies were all over eww. Never again! They get a 1 star for being nice.
(1)Smelly C.
It's what you'd imagine a restaurant to look like off of Florin Road. I've been here a couple times over the span of a decade and it's been okay but I've only had filipino food here.. never the chinese. I looked over the menu and asked for the pork adobo.. The server said they don't make that anymore. Just chicken. So, I had chicken adobo and rice. It was a good serving but I didn't like it much. Whatever was left on the table, the server took and put into to-go containers and I always like it when servers don't hand you the box for you to do. I like when they do it for you. Kudos for that. The dude was dressed in everyday clothes and served with no smile but was very nice and did his job. And lastly, the fortune cookie tasted horrible. I had no idea fortune cookies could be so bad.
(2)J M.
GOOD FOOD! My wife and I tried the place last week and we we're very satisfied. We just moved here in Sacramento from Hawaii recently and we have been looking for a good Filipino restaurant. We heard about this place and we're glad we tried it. So, are we going back? Definitely.
(4)Tim M. P.
This is one of the best Filipino Chinese Restaurants In Sacramento! Ben Cu is a brilliant master Chef that cooks up a wonderful array of edibles that will drive your taste buds insane! Try their weekend buffets and I bet you will become a loyal patron in no time. Good service, excellent parking and very reasonable prices. If you don't believe me then come see for yourself..
(5)James C.
Fried chicken is the only food i like in this restaurant. Oh and the buffet is awful not much choices and its 10$ .
(3)Kathy K.
South Villa has dominated and is practically the only Filipino-Chinese restaurant still around after twenty years in Sacramento, at least. Many have tried: Chinoy's, Manila, Scuttlebutt, KJ Spootz, Nayo'ng Pilipino, Chiboogan, Molina's... But there's still only one man standing-- Ben Cuu's South Villa, reigning him king of Filipino cooking since ever since. (^_^) Their food has always been consistent. I must say, I have not been here since all the new restaurants have been built in and around Sacramento/Elk Grove when the new developments came into town and the early to mid-2000's. But having ordered from them today, brought it back home-- there's no other Filipino eatery like it. I mean, sure Max's, Chow King, and Red Ribbon are rising competitors , but there is nothing like the local non-corporate South Villa. They always good Filipino dishes that take you back home.
(3)Joe V.
Haven't been here in so long. Came in today to try there Sunday breakfast buffet and I have to tell you, it was pretty damn delish. Everything they had was tasty. I had Chicken, mixed veg, sausage, pancit, sinigang, what tasted like foil wrap chicken w/o the foil, and fried anchovies.... and damn was it good. I definitely would recommend this place fro their Sunday buffet. I will try their non-buffet next time.
(4)Xandrix A.
Probably one of the oldest Filipino restaurants in Sac. Great place, good service, and great food. Don't expect a five star dining establishment. This place is more of a non fancy family setting. One of my favorite dishes is the fried chicken, and fish with black bean sauce. Be careful with the chicken, i have had incidents where I bit into some bone chunks. Overall I give it five stars since south villa is the only Filipino restaurant I choose to dine in with my family
(5)Sarah W.
Separated about 30 miles from our Filipino mothers in Stockton, my boyfriend and I were sick, tired and in serious need of sinigang. Yea, I know how to make it but I was lazy. He found this place on Yelp. The sinigang was awesome, different from what I'm used to but everyone's is different. Totally satisfied the craving. My boyfriend got the bistec with onions which was also yummy. Kind of out of the way for me but I'm sure we'll be back.
(4)Andrew V.
Best tasting filipino food in the area. They also serve Chinese and just recently added Pho and a filipino lunch buffet to their offering. Lets get one thing straight...this is NOT a 5 star fine dining restaurant! Its off of Florin Rd . Enough said. Not as nice looking as Max's, however, the food there is great. We've only ordered filipino food and I don't think you can go wrong with any of those dishes. Havent had any of the chinese or pho so can't speak for that. The folks that run the place are nice. And best thing is they deliver for catered parties. We had them cater our last big family party and it was great at a very reasonable price! Delivery out to Bruceville & Bilby in Elk Grove is an extra charge but if you've ever had to pick up large amount of food for a party, you know this is an convenient service. Has a friend ever recommended a hole in the wall mexican place that sells awesome burritos. This is the filipino version of that and If you go in with that mind set you won't be disappointed!
(4)Michelle And Rob N.
This place is awesome! My husband and I forgot that they close at 9pm so we went there around 8:50. The guy in the ront asked us if we wanted the food for to go and I said no so he sat us down. He was so polite, he didn't even mention the fact that they were closing in 10 minutes. We ordered 3 dishes and they all come out within 10 minutes, they are fast and efficient. The food is always satisfying! Come 9:30 that's when it dawned on me that they were closed. Right away I called the server and apologized and asked for the rest of the food togo and he said not to worry about it that they too were eating and to take our time... That is the best service one can ever get! South Villa you have acquired a fan for life as well as a promoter!!!
(4)Vanessa C.
This is a no frills, casual Chinese/Filipino restaurant. I usually come here for the Chinese Food and have been coming here since I was in grade school. I LOVE this place!! I live in Sacramento now and have not found a Chinese restaurant that compares to South Villa. I usually come with family and I know what I like without looking at the menu. Villa Lo Mein, Mongolian Beef, Neptune's Joy, Lemon Chicken, Foil-Wrapped Chicken, Fried Chicken, Fried Prawns....wow my mouth is watering just thinking about it. If only they delivered to San Francisco (but they don't deliver at all just eat-in or pick-up). This is a family owned and operated restaurant. Thank you "Uncle Ben" for cooking the best Chinese food I have ever eaten and will continue coming here forever!!!!
(5)Andrew B.
OK, it seems like I am giving everyone 5 starts, but I am really just reviewing the folks that I keep going back to. Although we live about an hour away, we keep finding ourselves driving down to South Villa to eat or dropping by to get some food to go. Besides the crazy stuff on TFC, the food is great. Ben Cu and his family make sure that you get incredibly authentic cuisine. They probably have the best Lechon around and people will drive from Roseville and beyond for their crispy pata and crispy chicken. My recommendation, although it is not on the menu, they probably make the best Ube Shake in town.
(5)Crystal R.
From what I remember, I was always really in love with anything they made in black bean sauce. There is something about the salty tangie flavor that I liked from their sauce. It's a pretty small place, but I know they usually do huge catering orders on demand. Service is decent and portions are always large. For Filipino food (that isn't homemade) it's "OK". Of course my mom's is better, but it's what you grow up on in that culture.
(3)Christine A.
I went here for the first time with a guy that I'm dating. He told me that he's always wanted to try Filipino food, and me, being the busy woman I am and not being from Sacramento, I was referred to South Villa from my cousin. We had chicken adobo, beef siopao, shanghi lumpia, and won ton soup. It was quite delicious. We both loved the adobo! It wasn't too greasy and I was glad that my guys first time eating Filipino food was a hit. Our server was really nice and our meal was really affordable. We had so much food that we were able to feed my roommate. This place rocks, I just wanted more heat with my meal and I always feel weird about asking for hot sauce at an asian restaurant. I will definitely leave midtown to come back to South Villa and dine here again.
(4)Way C.
Since I moved back to the Bay from Sac., I can say that this is one of very few places I miss in Sac.(because there really isn't much to miss there). It's consistently good food. Whenever friends down here say they'll be going up north to Tahoe or Reno, I tell them to stop by South Villa mid-trip. The dishes that my family always order are the House Special Lo Mein Soup, Fried Chicken (ask for extra sweet & sour sauce), Laing (just the right amount of spicyness), Crispy Pata (hmm... crispity crunchity!) and Kikiam (which I'm not normally a fan of). We never go for the typical Filipino stuff like Adobo, Sinigang or Kare-kare because we can just make that at home. Hmm.... anyone up for a trip to Tahoe??
(4)Larry T.
This place has decent Filipino and Chinese food. The food comes out HOT. Try the Lechon. Family owned. The people that work here are friendly and attentive. Check it out.
(3)Martin L.
Stopped by this place with some coworkers for lunch since one of them said this place has dinuguan. I hadn't had any in a while so I figured why not. The food was pretty decent. We had dinuguan, pork sisig, and bistec. The portions were pretty generous and we were all full by the time we were done. Service was fast and efficient. I don't know any other Filipino places in Sacramento since I just transplanted, but I'll definitely be keeping South Villa in mind whenever I have a craving.
(3)Quang T.
Not the nicest restaurant in town but one of the oldest. It's definitely a good place to bring your family if you want some Filipino food. They also heavily serve Chinese food. They make a great Mango shake and Halo Halo with ube ice cream. Just don't walk in thinking your going to get the greatest service like a 5 star restaurant. But, the food is good and the family that owns it is very nice.
(3)Donna G.
Hubby and I celebrated his birthday here yesterday. We ordered crispy pata, dinuguan, lumpia shanghai and my all time favorite guisadong sotanghon -- the best pancit ever! Since Manila Restaurant closed, we've been going here (same owners) for our filipino food fix. Hubby's favorite is the dinuguan because it's cooked exactly how his Dad used to make it.
(4)Rodel R.
Yeah quite the casual restaurant, not very professional, but the food is pretty good. This place offers both Filipino and Chinese food, and I would have to say that they serve better Chinese food. The lunch specials are pretty good, but dinner time may run up quite the tab. I would definitely recommend their Chow Fun, and Chinese Fried Chicken, and would avoid their Filipino soups as I have always had an issue with it tasting funny.
(4)Sara D.
2.5 stars. Had I reviewed this place maybe 5 years ago, it would have gotten 4 stars. My family and I were frequent visitors; every week we'd come by for lunch or dinner. I'm not sure what happened, but this place has fallen off. The food just doesn't taste the same. The service isn't up to par as it once was. And, they never have anything that I order. The last recent visit, my mom and I ordered melon shakes. They don't have any melons. Okay, I understand. So I order the Seafood Bird's Nest soup. They don't have the quail's eggs. So I order cashew chicken. And I love cashew chicken. So lo and behold, waitress comes back and tells us that they're out of cashews. Huh, go figure. But what really amuses / amazes me is the fact that the waitress actually told us that I could still have the cashew chicken, "...just without any cashews." The hell? How does one have cashew chicken without the main ingredient.. the cashews! Did she really think I would fall for that? A plate of chicken? I really hope they pick back up.
(2)Joelle C.
Chinese/Filipino food I've been to this restaurant a few times. I think the last time I was here was about 4+ years ago. I used to order Kare Kare (ox tail with peanut sauce) and Lemon Chicken. I thought those were good. My sister didnt' want ox tail and I didn't feel like Lemon Chicken. The food was okay tonight. I think the problem was that we didn't know what to order and we didn't want Chinese food. We ordered the Porchero soup (beef, pork, chicken, and vegetable), and it was not bad, except that it was a bit salty, considering that I was sick. I'm not sure if I really like it because of some unique ingredients that I don't typically see in other soups from other cuisines; however, the taste was not bad. We also had Kalderetang Baka (Beef stew with veggies) and Afritada Manok (Chicken stew with veggies). The veggies in both meat dishes are the same. I call this not creative enough. The Chinese does it too, so I don't blame them. Those two dishes are okay, kind of bland or I'm just not used to their flavor. My sister doesn't like the Beef stew the moment she tasted it. She actually said that the chicken dish was better. I actually like the beef stew more not because of the flavor, but the meat was tender. The chicken actually had bones in them, and I'm not a big fan of anything with bones. i blame my weak mouth, small teeth, clumsiness, and laziness =)! The Halo Halo dessert is always good there. Tonight they didn't have taro ice cream, so I got mango ice cream instead and my halo halo was not quite delicious as usual, but still not bad. I dont like loose steam rice. It shouldn't be a problem because I gotta watch my rice intake anyway. And rice is so expensive right now. Still, I have to be critical! High maintenance and hard to satisfy...hahah. The waiter guy was very courteous I like the way he served us. He definitely deserved a good tip. My rating is between a 2-3 stars. I gave them a 3 because of the excellent waiter. He even packed our food for us..thanks! You're awesome!
(3)Tom L.
only ever done the catering, which has been spot on but can't comment on the restaurant itself. this restaurant is super close to the parent's house, so it's convenient to cater food for those big family parties. lumpia shanghai to start, which are super addicting. the crispy pata was crispy, flavorful and otherwise delicious. the bangus was a hit, the pinakbet was very well done; each veggie retained it's own flavor yet contributed to the overall balance of the whole dish. and the crispy smelt- yum, could eat like a hundred of those, along with the crispy shrimps.
(4)jd d.
Tel - 916.429.1949 / 916.429.1628 I only like South Villa for just 3 items, and you're going to not like what they are. These items are their Fried Chicken, Boulalou Soup, and Bopis. Damn it, I'm seriously salivating right now. I think I might just have to do a take out tonight! Anyways, sorry about that. I just love their fried chicken how its normally small and easy to eat, kind of flavorful, and yes I know, you can find this kind of chicken anywhere else, but, I just tend to like it from south villa. As for their Boulalou Soup aka Beef Bone Soup is a signature soup that they serve here. I don't know anywhere that sells a Nilaga-type soup with a big ass bone in it with chunks of beef and slices of cabbage. Its good to eat, and yummy. Finally the bopis, made out of normally stuff I shouldn't even state here, is just as good as what my auntie makes, only, I have to pay for it LOL. South Villa is aiiite...just another spot where I'll just dine good, if in fact I get lazy to cook something at home hehe.
(3)trina g.
I went here with my fiance on a Sunday morning and they had their all you can eat buffet. Since reading the other reviews on Yelp, we decided to opt for choosing our food instead even though it would be more expensive. We tend to be pretty picky with filipino food since we both are filipino and grew up with both our parents ( as well as myself) cooking dishes. When we entered, we saw the food in the buffet and just like everyone said it looked ok and not that fresh. The staff is pretty friendly and attentive however the food is ok. We ordered bola bola siopao, pork sinigang, their house fried chicken, lechon and sago't gulaman. Out of all the food we ordered, the lechon was the best. There was something in the food that they cook with that made us get sick of it after just the first serving. Maybe the oil? Salt? I don't know but isn't it when you eat good filipino food, you want seconds and thirds and fourths? yeah.. that didn't happen. I'm not the best cook nor am I trying to be conceited, but I cooked better sinigang than that and my family and fiance's family would get more helpings. I wish there were more oriental/Filipino restaurants other than SF.
(2)Rally C.
Staff was really friendly and tried best to speak Tagalog. My sister asked the waiter if he knew how to say sinigang na baboy. Waiter said "sinigpork." Sinigpork was good and so was the halo-halo.
(4)Al M.
This spot brings me back to Stevie B & Buffy, yellow Nautica shirts, jughead haircuts and housers. I haven't been here to eat in a minute but their fried chicken is almost staple status at Filipino parties. For the times I've been here it's always been a pretty cozy spot to have Shanghai lumpia and pancit with your folks with TFC on in the background. Their sinigang wasn't too bad either. A totally casual spot that won't hurt your wallet, with fried chicken that's definitely worth a look. Either that or just wait until your cousin Jobert graduates from middle school and you'll get your dose of South Villa catering more than likely.
(4)Jian B.
The menu here is overwhelming! So much to choose from they've got a huge chinese food menu, along with soups and noodles, and then there's a Filipino food menu as well! I've never really had Filipino food besides Halo Halo, so I decided to give Kare Kare a try. It's like stewed ox tail in a peanut sauce base. DELISH! My gf ordered the honey fried chicken and she was satisfied as well. The chicken was golden brown, nice and crunchy and moist too! I'll admit I don't know too much about Filipino cuisine, but whatever South Villa is serving up, sure as hell tastes yummy! I'll definitely be back!
(4)Gaylan C.
I've been going here since the two brothers open the place years ago. Never had a bad experience. The family that runs the place has a friendly, clean, well run restaurant. Pinakbet is my favorite. It's always good. Even though they were a little light on the bitter melon today it was still great.
(4)