James Fiesta Grill — Restaurant in Maryland

Another Update:) Going to James Fiesta Grill is now part of my Friday-after-work routine. As soon as I get in the car I speed-dial the restaurant and place a take-out order of my favorites — Lechon kawali meal (with extra sauce) and pork pancit bihon. I also occasionally order the special halo-halo. The one who answers the phone is always friendly and courteous. He takes the time to repeat what I say to make sure he got the order correct. My order is ready at the time I tell them I am picking it up. I highly recommend calling ahead for your order since there are times when they receive a big catering order.

Updated Review: Came by today, two weeks after my first visit here. This time I ordered Pancit Bihon with Pork for $7.95, 9 pieces of Lumpia Shanghai for $4.50, Lechon Kawali Meal ($10.95), and Special Halo-Halo ($5.95). The Pancit Bihon was really delicious! However, the Lumpia Shanghai was a disappointment. The lumpia were very thin and tiny that I could not even taste what was wrapped inside of it. It almost tasted like I was only eating a deep fried lumpia wrapper. The lechon kawali is still my favorite comfort food. And the halo-halo hits the spot on this hot and humid summer day.

Original Review: I just happened to visit James Fiesta Grill because it was next door to the small Filipino grocery store where I went to get taro roots for my tamarind soup. This restaurant is certainly one of those “hole in wall” places. You walk into a tiny dining area with four small tables. The ambience leaves a lot to be desired. Look past all of these and you’ll notice that the place is clean and the staff are very friendly and helpful. I ordered Pancit Palabok ($8.95), Lechon Kawali Meal ($10.95), and Special Halo-Halo ($5.95). The food is not made until you order it. So be prepared to wait for awhile, but it’s definitely worth it. The palabok was so tasty I had to stop myself from eating the whole thing at one sitting! The lechon was cooked just right with the crunchy pork skin and chewy meat. I didn’t even add any salt to it. The halo-halo had so much ingredients in it that it could be a full meal all by itself. The generous portions of the palabok and lechon could easily satisfy two people. I am soooo glad to have found this place and I would definitely come back and try the other food...

I've been here twice. Ordered lechon kawali and pork belly liempo the first time. It was pretty good. Yesterday, I was here with my girl and ordered calamari, shrimp tempura, and bicol express. Let's start with calamari and shrimp tempura. Both were okay, not bad but not great either. I'd give them 3 or 4 out of 10. But the sauce they served it with was fresh out of the freezer. It made the calamari's and tempura's temperature cold, ruining the flavor and experience of eating fresh hot food. Moving on to Bicol express. This is what prompted me to post this review. I ordered bicol express with high hopes, since the lechon kawali was pretty good the first time i visited this place. However, i was extremely disappointed with what i've gotten. Please refer to the pictures attached. When I received the Bicol express, i immediately asked them what that dish was because it did not look remotelt close to what i'm used to seeing. The server, who is probably the owner too, said that was the bicol express. To those who are not familiar, bico express is a spicy dish from bicol region in the Philippines. It's core ingredients are chili and coconute, and almost all the time "bagoong" or shrimp paste. This place's bicol express, which they don't even refer to as their version since they claimed that's how bicol express really is, looks like kare kare. It does not taste like bicol express. No hits of coconut. No spice. It had string beans. The flavor of the "broth" was closer to kare kare than anything. So I am not sure what type of bicol express exactly they are used to, but this ain't it.

Edit: BTW, I remade their bicol express to show the review how its color is supposed to look like (sometimes it's paler white when shrimp paste is not added, but never seen...

What a wonderful place!! Even though I was born in the Philippines and moved to the US as a toddler, not having been back since, the amazing dishes at JFG brought back great memories! Very nostalgic.....

The incredible dishes I've tried so far are: Lumpia, Grilled Pompano, Fish Sinigang, and Pancit Palabok. Loved every single one of them! If I can order the entire menu and eat it all in one sitting, I totally would. However, since that's not humanly possible, at least for me, I will have to make multiple visits. I'm definitely OK with that! :)

To add to an already awesome experience, James made it even better. He is incredibly accommodating and friendly. James' staff, especially Tony, is extremely nice, friendly, and attentive.

I am so glad James Fiesta Grill opened in the Baltimore County area, as the only other option (within a decent driving distance) turned out to be a complete disappointment. I will share some details about mine and my fiance's horrible experience, when I write my review for Mama Rosa Grill in Middle River.

I HIGHLY recommend James Fiesta Grill as THE local "Go To" Filipino...