Cebu Chicago
Filipino restaurant · Lakeview ·
Modern Filipino brunch & dinner with ube waffles, lumpia & lechon
Modern Filipino brunch & dinner with ube waffles, lumpia & lechon
"An all-day Filipino American restaurant on Lincoln Avenue with a strong mid-afternoon menu for families and stand-out lumpia. The pork lumpia is singled out as possibly “the best in the city”: larger, meant to be savored rather than bite-sized. At dinner the lumpia is offered with shrimp; the reviewer, initially loyal to the pork version, found the shrimp to be “a simple yet decadent upgrade,” and after one bite their opinion changed. —A.S." - Ashok Selvam
"Cebu's dining space might remind you of a hotel lobby—it's big, open, and there's a host stand in the center. But there are no powdered eggs here, just tasty Filipino dishes. Like the Cebu lechon, a fantastic slow-roasted pork belly with crackly skin, which is only available during dinner or weekend brunch at this Lakeview spot. But other creative takes on Filipino classics are also worth it. Adobo shows up in the form of chilaquiles or tender glazed salmon, sisig gets a punchy dollop of calamansi espuma, and ube cameos in everything from the shaved ice in their halo halo to waffles with fried chicken. photo credit: John Ringor RESERVE A TABLE WITH RESERVE A TABLE Food Rundown BBQ Chicken Skewers Get these to kick off dinner. The glaze is sweet, tangy, and nicely complements the charred pieces of chicken. photo credit: John Ringor Cebu Lechon This Cebuano dish is a must-order. The roasted meat underneath the glassy skin is fully flavored with pepper, garlic, and a variety of other aromatics. It comes with dipping vinegar and a rich lechon sauce—we like both and make sure to alternate between the two when dipping our pork belly bites. photo credit: John Ringor Chicken Adobo Chilaquiles This brunch-only dish is a tasty Filipino twist on the Mexican staple. There’s a pleasant tartness from the tamarind tomatillo sauce and chicken adobo, with added richness from avocado, cotija cheese, and a fried egg. photo credit: Airam Daton-on Short Ribs Tapsilog Also only served at brunch, this is our favorite silog plate. We’d gladly just eat a plate of garlic rice and eggs, but the salty and tart short ribs make this exponentially better. photo credit: John Ringor" - John Ringor
"A diner has always been a good call for kids, and they’re better when the menu strays from Western classics. Cebu, which will eventually launch dinner service, is a bright and open space with tons of fun pastries for light snacks. This Filipino American restaurant also serves fun pancakes, fried chicken, and one of the greatest gifts adults can give kids: lumpia." - Ashok Selvam, Naomi Waxman
"One of our favorite Filipino restaurants, Cebu, closed at the end of last year. We knew it was temporary, but we’re still very happy to report they’ve reopened a bigger location in Lakeview. Cebu currently has breakfast and lunch, but besides pandan pancakes, short rib tapsilog, and a variety of pastries, they’ll eventually have dinner too." - john ringor, veda kilaru, nick allen
"Cebu taught Chicago to love Filipino food and their new Lakeview restaurant focuses on brunch fare with some Mexican influences including an ube breakfast sandwich with Filipino chorizo, chicken adobo chilaquiles, and pandan-infused pancakes with sweetened coconut. Those in a hurry can just grab a breakfast burrito or corned beef pan de sal along with hot or iced coffee. Make a reservation through OpenTable." - Samantha Nelson, Eater Staff