Jollibee Cardiff — Restaurant in Castle

August 2022

I love being inside Jollibee in a very faraway place - seeing familiar signs and all. Feels very homy.

Food was not bad, although obviosuly not as langhap-sarap as in the Philippines (I would assume this is a strategic challenge/ goal in the international business?). We ordered the chicken rice bowl, Chicken joy, Jolly hotdog, mango coconut sundae and a soda drink. Spaghetti was not available which was frustrating because we drove for miles just for this.

Chicken was a bit dry, almost nearly burned (overcooked? Old oil stock?). I got a chicken packed in a small paper bag, and a rice to pair it with, but was not given a set of plate and utensils to eat them properly. Had to go back to the counter to ask them again (yes they do have paper plates).

Jolly hotdog's texture and the cheesy and saucy presentation was nice, although the hotdog lacked the familiar lingering sweet to savory taste and juiciness of the Ph version. The cheese's taste was also different, but it wasn't bad.

The experience did not seem to have that "busy bee vibe" at all. Some staffs seemed very tired and overworked, unable to smile when they face customers. Place needed thorough cleaning especially the kitchen (which was very visible from the counter), and the toilets. I think they just need to hire an extra person or two to do it, as there seemed to be no one, so even the dining area had many visible traces of food leftover down to some of the seats - we had to look for a cleaner corner. There was a heatwave in the news, but the air conditioning units were not functioning so it was stuffy and very very warm inside. I think the staffs need more support as they seemed to be not well pleased with what they are doing.

It was already 7pm ish, but there were still a good amount of customers queueing up. I thought it would look and feel a lot better to experience that wonderful and magical feeling as a kid whenever you visit a Jollibee store, only if there were more positive energy enunciated.

I call Jollibee a home, and just like your home, there are episodes of good and bad experiences sometimes, but still it is where you want to come home to no matter what.

Update:

January 2023

Had the opportunity to be back in Cardiff to attend a meeting at Queens St. Needless to say, Jollibee is a sure stop in my trip. And surprisingly, I saw how the store has improved in so many levels since my last visit:

The store is inexplicably clean and orderly The crew is more energetic and smiling and more responsive to the customers The food is much better in quality and taste The restroom is spic and span and dry

I did not only feel at home, I am amazed.

Adding photos in this updated review. Also upgrading my rating from 3 to 5....

Not the Jollibee I know and love. It's like the standards have dropped everytime I come. I don't live in Cardiff but this is the closest Jolibee to me and its like they keep removing the original menu items that Filipino's love.

A couple months ago, I couldnt get a burger steak with rice meal because they suddenly don't sell them. On my recent visit, they were no longer selling yum burgers????? It's bad enough Jollibee came to England without Palabok or the breakfast menu and now theyre removing things and adding fries with gravy??? or chicken with curry sauce??? Not Filipino at all! Whats next? Are they going to remove the iconic chickenjoy and spaghetti?

Anyways, the chickenjoy is great, a little bit dry but still kind of taste like the chickenjoy you get in Philippines. Spaghetti is as sweet as usual which is nice but I do have to point out the hot dogs.

The way they cook their hot dogs is atrocious every time. My husband loves the hot dog they sell in Jollibee in the Philippines and never had a problem with that but for whatever reason, everytime we get a hot dog here, its still frozen in the middle! Cant they cook it properly? I get the tender juicy is most likely frozen but a couple more minutes on the pan isnt too much to ask for! Whats worse is on our recent visit, not only is the sausage frozen but there were rock hard clumps of material in it. The best I can describe it is looking like rock sugar but its not rock sugar because it wasnt sweet and it didnt melt away like sugar. (I couldnt take a picture because we were in the middle of eating and my hands were greasy from the chicken). This time, he went up and told them there were unknown materials in the hot dog....they did kindly replace it but again, the hot dog was frozen...I don't know why he keeps giving the hot dog a chance.

This is probably the worst Jollibee restaurant I've been to. London and Edinburghs Jollibee's are better but its a shame that the one in Cardiff is closer to where I live so if I were craving some childhood goodness, I'd have to go to Cardiff where the place looks grotty and they cant even cook the hot...

I have to say the food was really nice so gave 5 stars for that. I must admit the staff really are rude and come with attitude there. I couldn’t order food off the machine for the kids it kept saying unavailable. So I went to the the counter and explained & they said it was and I can order kids food I said I can’t. I went back and looked and again it was still the same problem I couldn’t order the kids food. They told me I can’t help you, so I approached the cleaner and he seen for his self and he took us to the counter and told them. They told him yeah cause there’s no ice cream so that’s why I can’t order a kids meal on the machine. What was so hard about explaining that to me in the first place. They never even offered to come and have a look at the machine. The cleaner was a lovely guy and very helpful and explained to the server what it is I wanted. The store really needs to work on their customer service and their manners. I also seen how rude the staff was to the cleaner speaking to him with no respect and over heard the manager swearing as he went upstairs to the cleaner due to the mess. I am very appalled the level of customer service and the way the cleaner and I have been treated there it’s totally unacceptable behaviour. I definitely won’t ever come there again even if you paid me. I am really disgusted at all the staff as it seems none of you cared about anything!! Also most of the problem I had off the lady who served me she couldn’t understand very much English it seemed. She kept getting the food wrong and the cleaner had to explain on many occasions what it is I wanted. So if they keep going at this rate and treating customers and other staff members the way they do no one will ever go there and they be shut down before...