Kuya J - Robinsons Place Tacloban — Restaurant in Tacloban

Consider other options before eating at this Kuya J's!

There are serious issues with the front of house staff and back of house staff; when it comes to communication and accuracy.

Despite no crowds on a weekday afternoon, menus were presented at the door, not at the table...so no relaxing and deciding on what you'd like to order, you'll do it while standing after your day of shopping.

After ordering, every other menu choice was met with "we don't have that", to the point where we just had to ask..well..what do you have so don't go back and forth while standing here.

No water carafe or glasses unless you ask for it, and those will come out mid meal or later; same with the drinks.

In the case of our drinks, the order was wrong and brought out cucumber juice instead of the shake (late), and did not offer to fix; so we kept the juice and ordered a separate shake.

Keep in mind that the juice has all the fiber at the top, so you can't drink it like a regular juice; and we asked for the straw...they brought out the mega straw they use for the shakes (see picture haha), it's pretty ridiculous.

The food is not up to the standards you would expect from a Kuya J's. If you have been to KJs in Cebu Ayala or similar, the food is hot, well seasoned and flavorful.

Not the case in this location. The caldereta had undercooked potatoes, was room temperature, and did not have the wonderful smoky flavor you'd expect.

The lumpia, a signature dish was soggy, and definitely double fried, dark brown instead of the light brown and crispy; with the expected tangy sauce...just sweet and not tangy. Just a soggy, overly sweet mess.

The sisig was watery instead of crispy and crunchy...you know...key characteristics of sisig; with mild flavor instead of wonderful texture and flavor.

The cucumber shake ultimately arrived so late with no apology, and it was lightly sweet; almost bland; with no cucumber bits and tang to offset the sweetness. If you've had this shake at a Kuya J's, you know it's supposed to be refreshing, but this was just a slurry with nothing special about it.

For 3 people, we ended up paying almost 2,000 php.

The food is not worth the price.

The service is abysmal, expect to see other people become frustrated as you make eye contact with the same "you too?" expressions as you wait and wait for your food.

Watch the staff argue about why an order is wrong, or the defeated; often exasperated look of a team that is just not in sync with each other.

Save your money, and try other options in the mall if you're looking for good value...

Disappointing service despite decent food — not what we expected

I visited Kuya J’s on October 7, 2025 around 3PM with a party of 9, hopeful for a hearty Filipino meal—but what should have been a fun group dinner turned into a frustrating ordeal.

What went wrong • From the start, the inattention was glaring. It took 30 minutes before a server even acknowledged our requests (water refills, extra utensils, etc.), even though the restaurant wasn’t full and there were plenty of staff on the floor. • Even more troubling, nearly every staff member we saw was on their phone or otherwise disengaged from their tables. • When I brought up the poor service at the cashier, I was met with dismissiveness—hardly the reaction a customer should get when trying to give feedback. • The lack of urgency, responsiveness, or basic courtesy made me feel like the staff didn’t care whether we stayed or left.

What was okay • The food itself had potential. The flavors were acceptable — I believe with better presentation and service, it could have been much more enjoyable. • Some dishes were cooked well, but they were overshadowed by the negative experience around them.

Verdict Kuya J’s may have good Filipino dishes on the menu, but the staff’s lack of attentiveness and dismissive behavior soured the entire visit. Food served without warmth or courtesy doesn’t leave a good impression.

Recommendation to future diners If you’re intent on trying Kuya J’s, temper your expectations about service—especially for large groups. But honestly, there are many Filipino restaurants around Tacloban City where food and service go hand in hand. I’d suggest considering those instead.

Suggested improvements for management • Retrain staff on customer engagement and responsiveness • Enforce standards for staff presence (no lingering on phones) • Encourage real accountability when customers voice concerns

Overall, my experience here was a letdown. Unless improvements are made, I can’t in good conscience recommend this branch—or at least caution anyone going in with high...

Don't get me wrong, the three stars doesn't reflect the food. In fact their menu is one of my favorites.

But, my experience at the Kuya J in Robinsons Place, located in Marasabaras, Tacloban City was something I rather forget, and here is why.

My cousin tried to make a reservation for about 18-20 persons, and the front desk informed her that they don't accept reservations. Really? A popular restaurant with no reservations? On a business standpoint, to decline reservations, specially for a large group of customers, is ridiculous! Anyway, my cousin managed to make a reservation in the end. How she convinced them is beyond me.

When we arrived, we were ushered to a very long chain of tables from the wall that extends to the entrance, almost blocking half of it. Clearly, they have no idea of what convenience meant. They refused to let our group use the room on the side. They rather have us block the doorway and have awkward encounters with people going in and out of the restaurants. Plus, the trouble of serving food in such a cramped space was out of their heads. Their reason for it? Well, they will only let us use the other room if the main room is fully occupied. Really? The main room is almost full. Wouldn't it be a better idea to put us somewhere that our large group will not be an inconvenience to other customers. By the way, the crew was waiting for one of the tables to be free so that they can add it to the chain of tables. The people currently using the table, as we arrived, felt the pressure of leaving immediately after dining. I kid you not, I saw their disgruntled face as soon as they heard that their table will be used by our group. It felt awkward and I felt sorry for them.

In the end, after much debate (and jokingly threathened them to tell Mister Jericho Rosales about the ordeal personally), they let us use the other room. But all of this would have been avoided if the manager had used his/her common sense.

So, the verdict: Food and Crew:...