Badsbro Farm: Garden & Café — Restaurant in Mindanao

After a long, tiring week at work, I decided to treat myself to dinner at Badsbro Farm in Buug. I had eaten here about five months ago and had a good enough experience to come back. This time, it was the complete opposite — disappointing from start to finish.

The moment we sat down, we were met with a strong, awful smell coming from what seemed to be a nearby hound pen. We told the staff, but they just shrugged and said they didn’t smell anything. I had to ask them again just to get the fan turned on, hoping it would help push the smell away.

We also ordered a mango shake, which oddly came out before any of the food. I asked them to put it in the fridge because I didn’t want it to spoil our tastebuds before the meal. When we finally tried it, it gave me flashbacks of the cheap mango shakes sold for ₱5 or ₱10 during town fiestas. It tasted artificial, like they used powdered mango flavoring instead of fresh fruit.

It took around 30 minutes for our food to be served. I ordered Bulalo, Crispy Pork Kare-Kare, and Chopsuey.

The Bulalo, priced at over ₱300, came with just two chunks of meat. The soup was weak and had barely any beef flavor. The meat was soft, but it tasted like it had been sitting in hot water for hours — all flavor gone.

The Crispy Pork Kare-Kare was a letdown. The pork was tough and tasted like it had been fried in old, overused oil. The peanut sauce was oddly sweet and reminded me of sandwich spread made from cheap peanut butter. The string beans were still raw, and for some reason, there was Chinese pechay on the plate. That said, it was slightly better than the cucumber and tomato garnish they used to serve with this dish a year ago.

The Chopsuey was just okay. Nothing special or memorable.

There was a live band playing, but the restaurant was almost empty. Only a few tables were occupied, which is unusual for a Saturday night around 7:30 PM.

And what’s with the Christmas tree in the middle of June?

Honestly, it’s clear why fewer people are coming here now. The quality of the food has gone downhill, the atmosphere isn’t inviting, and it seems like no one’s paying attention anymore. I won’t be...

I've yet to try a dish I did not like. Been here twice during my visit in my hometown, Buug. First night we had dinner and was pleased with our food and how quick they were served. I've been to several places but their sisig is the bomb! It is by far the best sisig I've had even my wife ordered it on both times we ate here. The place is kid friendly and love the fresh open air setting. From food to shakes and coffee, you have to try! I will...

A farm-to-plate restaurant, Badsbro Farm offers a wide variety of menu for casual diners and passing travellers alike.

They raise their produce right at the actual farm, ensuring the freshness of every meal served.

They also have frappes and coffee (hot and cold).

The ambience is good, a change from the usual air-conditioned restos; their dining area is al fresco. Oh, and lots of parking spaces. I imagine how beautiful it is to come...