Jonas — Restaurant in Quezon City

The restaurant that started the mami-han and pares-an in the La Loma area. Way back in the '80s this place was just a small joint with a counter serving mami and siopao to jeepney drivers. It eventually offered something new - the beef pares, and it grew in popularity. The restaurant was so popular at that time that it attracted a lot of customers. The restaurant's place eventually grew and grew to its present size today. It also had branches eventually but they weren't as popular as this place.

Over the years, other pares places sprung up and Jonas is no longer the most popular pares restaurant. Many changes took place in this restaurant - some for the better, some for the worse.

One of the changes that happened over the years is that it became a decent restaurant where one can take their whole family for a good meal. It became a place with dine-in seating in a very clean and sanitized setting, unlike it's humble beginning of just having counter seating in a glorified carinderia set-up. Their restaurant now even has a second floor. Nice development.

Unfortunately, with the physical transformation of their restaurant, they also increased their prices many years ago. I know many people in the La Loma area who got turned off with the increase in prices, and they told me that they no longer eat there.

I too was surprised the first time I saw their increased prices. They are definitely more expensive than the Original Pares along Retiro Street. Even an extra small bowl of clear soup that you usually get unlimited refills of in pares-sans is charged extra here (well, at least, the last time I ate here. Not sure if they changed this). The chili sauce here is given in tiny cups. Such a turn off because you would think that with their prices they would give plenty of chili sauce.

To describe this development even further, the once neighborhood pares-san turned into a snobby and expensive place. Well, thats how I and many people I know feel.

Another thing, that I don't like with the Jonas of today is that some of their staff are not friendly. Comparing the service here to the Original Pares along Retiro, the servers over there are still nice and friendly eventhough they are swamped with customers every day. Here in Jonas, where the number of customers isn't that big, some of the servers seem to be unhappy and don't like their jobs thus are unfriendly. I hate getting service from those kind of people.

Well, you can clearly compare how many people throng to the other popular pares restaurant along Retiro Street and the number of customers here.

Like I've said, this restaurant is clean, and if you want to eat beef pares in a clean and safe environment, this is the place. You can bring the whole family, including the kids and the grandparents. Can't really say that for the other pares-sans with their 'koboy' environments. This is the only plus for this place.

Update. Actually I ate here last night again (around 8 pm) after so many years because my mom wanted to. I still didn't like it. The woman taking the orders was very unfriendly bordering on rude. I am not coming back. If I want to eat 'clean' beef pares, I'd just trek over to one of Goto...

Hard to order behind the glass wall.. staff can't hear you properly. Repeated my order 3 times and yet got it wrong when paying at the counter. Noodles is still ok but Wanton sadly is not. Tendon is really good. Counter order line is too long specially when a customer takes their time ordering for a large group. It is understaffed 1 cashier and only 1 order taker/food assembler. Dining area on the other hand has too many staff running around eagerly clearing tables for faster turnover (I was still seated and barely seconds after finishing my meal) Nice interiors totally new look from its Pares Mami days. System is still the same, Counter-order self-service concept. You do everything yourself but they bill you a service charge for it. Overall nice look, food is ok but there is a disconnect between the new image and their business model. It...

I have to admit that it has been more than 20 years since Ive last eaten a Jonas Pares. Truthfully during that time, the pares retiro have eclipse them in terms of taste.

But now that Pares retiro has dived in quality, i decided to give this place a try, and honestly, i may not need to go back to Pares retiro for a while, maybe ever. The rice is better, the beef stew is better, the sauce is nice and thick. The place is easily 10 times cleaner than retiro's.

Maybe it is about time that you give this place a try once again.

The price here is reasonable. Pay no mind to that 1 star and said to eat at david's. The price here is only slightly higher than pares retiro's and it is perfectly...