Jose’ Panglao — Restaurant in Panglao

I ate at Jose’ Panglao on 23 May 2025 at around 7:30 pm and it was a negative experience because of the waitstaff, though the food I ordered also wasn’t great.

First, after I had been seated and spoken a few sentences with the waiter in English, he asked if I could understand English. I replied that it was my native language (a bit confused) to which he made a remark about my supposed ethnic identity.

Second, while I was waiting for my food, a different waiter stood next to me at the counter and started meowing, like a cat. At first I thought it was just a playful joke with another waiter, but it continued for several minutes. Finally, I stood up and approached the guy, without actually saying anything. He apparently thought I was impatient for my food, and my order was brought out to me about 30 seconds later. I’m not sure if that was a coincidence.

Third, since the meowing waiter hadn’t understood that I was uncomfortable with his meowing, he went back to doing it next to me at the counter while I was eating. After a while longer I stood up again to approach him, but he happened to walk away at that moment and I was faced with a different waiter. He asked if there was a problem, I mentioned the meowing, and he said he would talk to the other waiter.

This next part I’m not counting as a negative per se, but the waiter I had spoken to about the meowing (not the meower himself) only about a minute later stood next to me at the counter and sang along with the music for two songs. He was an OK singer and this itself did not bother me, though it seems a bit strange given that a guest had just complained about noise coming from a different waiter.

Anyway, fourth, later they had to move and reset one of the tables with chairs next to me and one of the waiters (I didn’t notice who) repeatedly kicked the chair into place under the table rather than carrying it.

Fifth and finally, as I was finishing eating the meowing waiter I had complained about (who was not my waiter and who I had not spoken with) came up to me and, I believe sarcastically, asked me to leave them a good review on Google.

In addition, though I don’t really count this against them, at the beginning, after I had been seated as a solo diner, the waiter emphasized how good the food was for sharing, which in my case was actually a negative (overly big and expensive portions) but anyway an odd comment in context.

On the food, I ordered pancit canton with chicken and it was greasy and...

As we approached the Jose Panglao restaurant, we were greeted with what would become a familiar phrase by the hype-man hired to bring in customers: "Food you can share!" he kept saying.

We had no idea how literal he was being. Despite only having 4 people, the lead guy seated us at a table for six and spread the menus out so none of us were seated sitting next to each other. We learned later that this was so they could fit all the food!

We ordered Goat Sinigang, Cajun Shrimp, BBQ Pork, 3 Chicken Inasals and a Beef Kare Kare. As the food began to arrive, we finally understood why they gave us an extra table! The servings are HUGE!

The Goat Sinigang had a good sour flavor, and the goat was tender full of flavor, and the Cajun Shrimp was delicious and exactly what I would expect from a Cajun restaurant in Louisiana, including a mildly spicy but robust Cajun-style roux that left me wanting more!

The chicken inasal had a great, strong flavor that reminded me homemade grilled chicken, and my only regret was not ordering one more plate!

All in all, our dinner at Jose Panglao was a night to remember for a final bill that's easy to forget:

We ordered all the food mentioned above, with 2 Buko Juices, a cucumber lemonade, a mango shake, 3 San Miguel Lights and 2 Halo Halos for $67. Unbeatable food at an...

My family and I recently dined at José Panglao during our first visit to Bohol Panglao. The staff were incredibly welcoming and friendly, and our waiter was knowledgeable and provided great recommendations.

We opted to sit outside and were pleased to find that our waiter had provided us with candles to ward off any flies, even though we didn't encounter any. The restaurant was clean, comfortable, and had a relaxed atmosphere.

The food was exceptional, with the grilled squid and mixed seafood pancit bam-i being our favorites. The José chicken was also a standout, with its crispy exterior and juicy, flavorful meat. In addition to the food, we also enjoyed delicious drinks like ripe mango shake and buko.

What impressed us the most was the speed at which our food was prepared. Unlike some other restaurants, our food arrived quickly, and everything was hot and fresh.

We also met the owner and is really nice! He is very attentive and kept checking us if we enjoyed eveything. Truly appreciate it. We will surely come back!

Overall, we had an excellent dining experience at José Panglao. The friendly staff, delicious food, and refreshing drinks all contributed to an enjoyable meal. We highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting...