Elephant Grounds Manila - BGC — Restaurant in Taguig

I’ve been going to Elephant Grounds since they opened in BGC and I’ve always enjoyed EG in HK, and I’ve got to say that I come back for only the food (love the burger, toasts, duck krapow, the lattes, ice cream).

I want to preface this bad review with the fact that I come back for the menu. I really enjoy the food, the vibe, and the community. I think they have a great set of food and drink offered and when I don’t experience bad service and I’m with a friend, the food is even better.

Ok so bad review starts here:

The service is truly bad to mediocre at best. I’ve been bothered by some of the things I’ve seen here like management straight up getting mad at staff where we can see and hear, and this guy who I always see (an older man w a hat who is like always hovering) who gets mad and gives super special treatment to foreigners. I want to call this behaviour out because it’s not right, and I’ve seen it happen a couple of times (there’s a line and they prioritize foreigners even if there are people right there waiting!!!) we’re not here for this colonial mentality.

Also, the serviceeee let’s get to the service. The staff are generally nice, but they’ve forgotten or gotten my order confused multiple times. Also, takes so long to get the bill?? Or my order?? I once ordered a Buddha bowl.... it took 45 mins. You bet they forgot about my order and they denied it. It was cold. The Buddha bowl was cold, but I couldn’t say anything because I was in a meeting. I didn’t finish it. On top of that, it took like another 30 minutes to wait for the bill........ Sharing this anecdote because it’s the most recent (dec 23) of my bad service experiences at EG. Another bad one that stands out a couple of months ago was that they charged me for a drink that I didn’t even receive, so I told them to remove it from the bill. I ordered this before I even made a choice for my main. Right there, while I was arguing for it to be removed, the drink finally arrived 😂 like??? I got that over an hour ago??? And I still paid for it???

However, sometimes they do a decent job in admitting wrong doing. On a different day, they ruined my order my drink order so badly that they comp’d the drink, so all was forgiven.

So in the new year, I hope you guys can improve your service. Particularly the guy that prioritises foreigners, gives them BETTER SERVICE and gets mad at his staff in public (not cool, old hat guy). I can generally tolerate the bad service for myself (hey I keep coming back!), but don’t treat your customers and staff like anything lower than human or equal...

Love this place for a good coffee and breakfast fix. But my last visit last weekend (February 15) left with me asking myself whether I was discriminated because I was dining solo. When I entered the place, the host was busy entertaining other customers so I waited by the door. The supervisor approached me and told me, without even checking with the host, that there’s a waiting list. I was surprised, because there were some empty tables and the guests before me were already seated. I was told that I only could sit by the bleachers, where one would usually sit for a quick coffee/drink. The “tables” by the bleachers are not meant for eating a meal, as it is way too small and you would have to sit awkwardly to eat properly. Being the supervisor, I thought he knew what he was saying, so I relented. Soon after I ordered, the supervisor (again without talking to the host) entertained two new guests and quickly escorted them to an empty table. By this time I realized he was flat out lying when he told me there was a waiting list. When my food arrived, I asked a staff member if I could transfer to a proper table as it would be difficult to eat at my spot. They quickly assisted me. When I billed out, the supervisor saw me again and I visibly saw him raise his brows at me, probably because I was seated at a proper table instead of by the bleachers where he asked me to sit. Knowing that he’s the supervisor, it would be a futile effort to raise a complaint right there and then. But surely, that kind of behavior shouldn’t be tolerated at a...

Been curious for weeks about this HK-based coffee shop.

But then, this Manila branch is not really about coffee but it’s food. The coffee is good. Manila’s teeming now with great coffee alternatives to the Mickey Ds of coffee, aka Starbucks. It’s not the star for most people who come here. It’s the food. And, insta-worthy ambiance.

Ordered one of their best sellers, Bacon-steak and Eggs Waffle. Good for two, for most people. I polished it off after breaking my 22-hour fast.

Waffle was crisp on the outside and right chewiness on the inside. The whipped honey butter was the perfect complement. Didn’t care for the maple syrup. It tasted like maple-flavored syrup instead of an authentic one. Plus, I personally felt it was going overboard adding it since the butter already had honey.

Bacon steak had the perfect ratio of fatty parts to the lean, meaty parts. Eggs were cooked right. Sautéed mushrooms were a good accessory.

The Black Tie iced coffee was a double shot of espresso with whipping cream. It was coffee done right but unmemorable.

Price is expensive if this was located in a different area but just right for where it is now.

Wait is long for everything, be warned. From seating, serving your order, to getting the bill. It is a popular place. You cannot go here if you don’t like waiting or want a quick meal/ coffee. I did not mind, too much, as I was waiting for that 22-hour fast to end.

Not a good place to have a quiet chat. The place gets very noisy.

The staff was amicable.

Will I be back? If I am in the area and have...