The Snack Shack — Restaurant in Quezon City

The snack shack is probably rated high as a comfort food for UP students and alumni, but as an outsider who dined in, it was a very forgettable experience.

I initially wanted to dine at Rodic’s but since this was a lunchtime and the seats were all taken, this is where I ended up.

They prepare the food fresh, so you are expected to wait 15 to 20 minutes for your order.

There is only al fresco dining here, so you won’t be able to dine in peace, as there are too many people passing by and there are many solicitations from street children. If that was not enough to bother you, the roof provide no shade from the sun at all because for some reason they picked a transparent roof.

After the long wait, I was called to pick up my order, which obviously did not meet the standard I was expecting while waiting.

The fries were just instant premade and fried. They are not home made at all.

The burger was not greasy which is a good thing, but you could barely taste the beef between the two thick buns surrounding it. For a ₱200 price, I suppose it was still within expectations but do not make the mistake of expecting it to be somewhat artisan as they claim to be.

The iced tea was just instant syrup mixed with water. So overall the wait is primarily for the burger patty which was at least self made.

I am thinking that this place got a lot of stars as its probably a comfort food of students here and they are more accustomed to it along with the nostalgia.

I was expecting it to be of similar level to the Rodic’s beside it which is worth the trip going there, but to be honest, I was just...

After a quick jog in the oval, we headed to The Snack Shack — a place I remembered from a user-recommended list of the best fried chicken sandwich joints posted in one of the groups I joined years ago. There’s no interior dining area as the front counter is directly connected to the kitchen, and all seating is al fresco.

We ordered the following:

1. Chili Cheese Hungarian (₱269) The Hungarian sausage was smoky and had that snap that made each bite satisfying. The bun did its job of soaking up all the chili and juices. Unfortunately, the chili cheese was too salty. While creamy, it lacked any heat or spice.

2. Chili Cheese Burger (₱299) The sesame bun was soft, moist, and slightly buttered. The patty was juicy, fatty, and rich in umami. Again, the chili cheese was too salty and, while creamy, didn’t have any real heat or kick.

Overall, the meal was okay but didn’t quite hit the mark. The sausage and burger were good, but the chili cheese tasted too salty and didn’t have any spice. It felt like something was missing, which made the dishes less enjoyable than expected. We might return to try out their fried chicken sandwich eventually.

Verdict:...

I wasn't able to take photos but I ordered quarter pounder with cheese, fries, and ice tea. I thought the whole meal was pricey at ₱300.00 total but I guess that's the average prices of meals now because of inflation. The burger is satisfying, no meat extenders on the patty, so I think it's all beef, I hope it's all beef. The fries is a bit bland and the serving is just a handful so I didn't have to push myself to finish the meal, but alas I did finish it, even the ice tea because I'm not really a fan of wasting food.

What I don't like is that there were vendors selling stuff. They're not too pushy but I just thought it's a bit awkward interacting with them because I want to enjoy my food in peace but at the same time I kinda feel sorry for them that I almost want to buy them food then I realized how expensive everything is now so I was only able to give the kids some of the snacks I brought with me.

I probably won't come back anymore because I don't really like...