Halo Halo Cafe

I came down to San Diego to attend the funeral and pay my respects to my Uncle Nesting. At the celebration of life after the ceremony, I found out one of his favorite Filipino treats was... halo-halo. So, my cousins had Halo-Halo Cafe cater. MmmMMmMMmmMM... I remember growing up with my parents (I'm Filipino, btw) and how they'd light up making halo-halo for all of us kids. Everyone sitting around, mixing, sipping, laughing, pure happiness and joy in a glass. And great childhood memories. "Should I check this place out?" If the rest of their food is as good as their halo-halo, absolutely. Their version comes stacked tall with all the mix-ins -- beans, jellies, fruit, leche flan -- and of course that big scoop of ice cream on top. They use Magnolia brand Filipino ice cream, with ube as the star, but you can switch it up with buko pandan, mais queso, and others. That little touch makes it feel like the real deal, not some watered-down version. It's refreshing, creamy, and filled to the brim. Generous enough that you almost need two people to finish one. The kind of treat that cools you down and makes you grin at the same time. The staff (shoutout to Myrle) were kind and easy to work with, which made the whole experience even better. You can tell they care about what they're serving. At the beginning of the after-party, the bartender was a little busy -- but when the halo-halo showed up? He had no customers. LOL, I went and got him a Halo-halo as well! I've been told calories don't count when you're grieving. For me, halo-halo isn't just dessert, it's family, it's nostalgia, it's watching everyone's face light up for a moment, even on a heavy day. So if you're ever in San Diego and craving something sweet that feels like a taste of the Philippines, have a halo-halo and raise a glass in honor of Uncle Nesting. I'm sure he'd appreciate it. And, I promise, those calories won't count!

We've been here a few times now for halo halo and ice cream. Today we tried the food. Lumpia and chucken adobo. Super good! We will def be eating here more often. And the man at the register today (Saturday 11/1 around 1230pm) was so extremely helpful and nice. 10 out of 10

Finally, this place is closer to my home! They have a lot of choices! One review mentioned this old lady - yes, I saw her there too. I don’t feel like she’s very happy about their job. Nevertheless, we ate there and they provided paper plates, utensils, and some water. Def would come back again!

This is my first time trying this new restaurant and am sad. I ordered a classic halo halo with ube icecream. I was excited to receive it but on my way home I tried to eat it and couldn't because the hole for the lid is too small and the spoon doesn't fit in the hole. It gets stuck easily making it impossible to eat it because it was filled past the brim of the cup not the lid. I couldn't take the lid off or else it would all fall out. So I had to sadly let the icecream and ice melt not being able to eat it properly. When I got home I had to use a straw but that's not how it's meant to be eaten. It's not a milkshake.

We always go to this place whenever there's chance, and the trip is always worth it! My mom especially loves their Classic halo-halo with beans. My husband likes the Ube over Load! I like their Fish & shrimp lumpia! Everything is good there even the customer service! 😋🤟🍨

I’m giving it a five as the staff was so kind & helped us with selection. It was a great tasting Halo Halo dessert. Thanks again to the young man who helped with selection. I just love the ambience of this place. Very clean & the words on the wall is what everyone needs to see! Thank you!!!

The store is clean and on the good location. The halo halo was good and the staff was friendly. We'll definitely come back and try another dish next time.

Great Filipino cafe and ice cream spot! Clean and high quality!

First time trying this place. Thanks to the other helper for the recommendation. We ordered Laing, sisig and pancit palabok, all was so good, delicious and very flavorful worth of trying out, it reminds me of home cook meal. Will definitely be coming back for more. Unfortunately, the halo-halo wasn't what I expected, is seemed basic, I couldn't really tell the difference between having the mais and ube as part of the topping as both of our orders seemed and tasted the same. The cafe was clean, a lot going on, not exactly sure where to order as there were two opened doors and the register or where you supposed to order from is all the way at the back. They sell a lot of snacks, wide variety of them.

The workers here are super sweet! I had about a thousand questions, and they stayed attentive and helpful the entire time, really appreciated that level of service. Beyond the delicious food, they also carry a wide variety of Filipino snacks. I've seen most of these at other Asian stores, so it wasn't entirely new to me, but it's still fun to see so many options all in one place, including Magnolia ice cream being freshly served which is a nice touch! Now, the star of the show for me? Hands down, the palabok. Probably one of the best I've had, perfectly cooked noodles, super flavorful, and if you upgrade to the deluxe, you get crispy fried pork on top. I make a point to stop here every time I'm in San Diego, just for their palabok. It's that good.

Terrible, terrible, terrible customer service! Cleanliness was also lacking. Waited and watched my Halo halo orders being prepared and followed the lady to the register. Male associate grabs my tray and walks it to a table. I told him that was my order he looks at me and says no They've been waiting along time. People at table look confused. But start passing it out. I told him again I know that was my order! I followed her as she walked it over and asked me if it was for here or to go and watched her place it on the tray as I waited another 5 minutes to pay. he starts to point to a second tray to say that was mine but that was when he realized that one belonged to the person he helped who was after me. After 30 minutes from waiting to be helped and watching it be prepared. All I got was a sorry! Ended up at cafe 86 few doors down. Don't waste your time Here.

I love this crew! The fellas who make our halo-halo work hard and yet they deliver service with a smile every time! Thank you, guys!

Is 15 minutes before closing too late to order to go ? It is For this place :( I don't get why your business closes for service you sell 15 minutes before closing time ? Maybe start cleaning your kitchen at 8 PM so that u don't have to turn your customers down for dinner.

This place was a simple cafe, cream parlor, and a market. The ambiance was okay being all of these things. We had lechon kawali with white rice and dinuguan with white rice. Both dishes were delicious with no complaints. Our order was taken promptly with kindness and the wait time was as expected.

Came here because of the pink sign on the outside. I can say I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in. I did not order food this time so I can't rate that. I did order a Tiger Milk Boba Tea and that was amazing, and very well made. They also have a small section of snacks you can buy from the Philippines, so I did buy some. The service was even though they were very busy when o got there. I will be going back to try some of the dishes on the menu.

Nice selection of food, desserts and snacks. Friendly service. Halo-halo (the dessert) is supposed to be made with shaved ice; theirs is crushed ice. Missing jackfruit. Authenticity 5/10. Lecheflan available but only in full size. Parking is a challenge. Convenient option for Filipino food fix in that area of town.

Ordered 2 Halo-halo and the ice that was used was similar to the fountain soda not shaved. The excuse was the ice melts quicker MF San Diego is not hotter than the Philippines.

I ordered a classic halo halo... I really liked it. The place has a ton of snacks amd drinks for sale. I will come back to try the food on another day.

I've been blessed to know my best friend since we were 10 year old young whippersnappers. You never realize a 40+ year friendship is a rare thing until you see people's reactions when you tell people that we've been friends that long. We've been blessed to have played the sport of basketball since we were in the 8th and played the sport until we were into our forties. Once injuries and ailments caused us to stop playing basketball, I never thought we'd play a sport together until my best friend and his wife introduced me to Pickleball a year ago. Today, we played 3 hours of Pickleball and decided to eat brunch at Halo Halo because I had a craving for Filipino food. Glad my buddy picked Halo Halo because Filipino food hit the spot and I got to meet the owners, who provided outstanding customer service. I've been to a Halo Halo location when it was in Poway and at one time, there was a Halo Halo in East Chula Vista for a total of three locations. The location we visited this morning for brunch is the only Halo Halo location left in San Diego. It is specifically located on East Palomar Road within a small strip mall called Heritage Towne Center. Just down the road is a 7/11 convenience store and a gas station with the restaurant next to Bamboo Grill, Tastea Grill, and Don Roman Mexican Food. I can see parking being difficult if there are a lot of customers because there aren't too many parking spaces. Halo Halo isn't a big restaurant, but there is a good amount of tables and chairs. The floor is distressed tile, there are string lights, brick facade on their walls, signage hanging on the walls that give you a home feel, and there's a small grocery annex selling Filipino snacks. I got to meet the owners who were really friendly and provided quality customer service, which was also evident in their one employee, who kindly helped us with our orders. Filipino food is one of my fave cuisine and in fact, there are two dishes that would be part of my last meal requests. During my visit at Halo Halo, I didn't order kare kare or sisig because I had a craving for a Filipino breakfast staple called longanisa. Longanisa is a Spanish sausage similar to a chorizo and also closely associated with the Portuguese linguica. For my breakfast order, I ordered longanisa, egg, and rice. I also ordered lumpia shanghai, which are 5 pieces of fried egg roll stuffed with beef and vegetables. All of the food I ordered came out hot, fresh, and they satisfied my hunger after playing 3 hours of Pickleball. The longanisa was hearty, juicy, and I really enjoyed mixing every bite of the longanisa with the egg and white rice. Their lumpia are just like the ones I'm accustomed to at Filipino parties where they were deep fried golden brown, they were stuffed with ingredients, and they ate perfectly with the rice. I washed down the food with calamansi juice. We couldn't leave without having a halo halo dessert especially since the cafe is named Halo Halo. My halo halo had a scoop of macapuno (coconut) ice cream and this dessert also comes with sweet red beans, jackfruit, jellos, coconut jelly, palm seeds, fresh ube (taro), flan, and evaporated milk with toasted rice on top. Not only did the savory longanisa and lumpia hit the spot, the halo halo was the perfect ending to quality time with my best friend. If you're blessed with a best friend like me and want to hang out somewhere to satisfy your hunger after 3 hours of Pickleball, Halo Halo Cafe would be a great place to catch up. You'll grub on quality, tasty Filipino food and you'll receive notable customer service.

I just stopped in for a Halo Halo, waited for ten minutes, then left without it because the one person talking and making orders kept serving people who came in after me. There was anther person working but clearly wasn't helping the person up front who was backed up. I'll go to seafood city for my halo halo instead.

Crispy Pata was firm, lacking flavor and hard to chew. I regret spending $25 on this. I had to discard the one in the picture due to disappointment. Even my kids can tell that it is no good.

Amazing food ala carte! Order was fast and so yummy! Ordered crispy pata, breakfast meals like bangus, tocino, tapa and eggs! It feels like home sweet home! Food size was a good serving! Service was good and got assisted by the sweetest lady, Kirsten, who was all smiles! Will definitely recommend this restaurant with a corner for Filipino chips and goodies.

The service has gone downhill. Waited 25+ minutes for 3 orders of halo-halo. Also, I asked for ube ice cream and they gave me ube macapuno ice cream instead. They are not the same as the cashier tried to tell me. Ube Macapuno contains coconut and regular ube ice cream doesn't have any coconut. When I finally received the order, I noticed that the cups were less fillled than all the other orders that were coming out ahead of ours. Normally, the ice cream hits the top of the lid. This time, cups were about 3/4ths full. See photo for reference.

A lot of free parking on the street. Small and clean Filipino restaurant. The service is pretty good; someone there helps you and answers your questions always. We like their food and desserts. Especially, halo halo.

Great halo halo! I believe it was high schoolers who were working when I picked up my order. They could have also thought I was just like a delivery driver, but they barely said two words to me.

Have been here 2x and love their pancit & halo halo . They have fast service , love the ambiance and the place is clean

I love their menu items, both hot food and cold. The sisig with yellow rice is one of my favorites. I like that they have a variety of dessert drinks, such as the different versions of halo halo

Ordered menudo, dinuguan, halo halo, ginataan and bunch of imported Filipino snacks. Great service, clean, good serving size, great area in Eastlake. Authentic!

They conned you for their halo halo! Specifically asked if they have halea Ube in their halo halo 3x. We wanted to know in advance so we can opt for Cafe 86 instead. And NO it's just their ice cream so our payment for special is not worth it. They just wanted to say yes to make the sale.

One of the best halo halo options in San Diego. I had trouble with the app, and one of the employees was able to help me over the phone to pick up my order. My parents cannot have beans, and appreciate that the have the option of not putting beans in their halo halo. They substitute it instead with sweet bananas.

Horrible customer service very disappointing save your time and money waited over 20 min and never got acknowledged or help vibes are totally off in this establishment!

The food was excellent! Arrived on time and everything was still warm. Will definitely order again.

The people that run Halo-Halo Cafe are always so nice and welcoming. I haven't tried one thing on the menu that I didn't like yet. My go-to order is the Bistek. It's really good! If you enjoy Filipino cuisine then definitely give Halo-Halo cafe a try.

Nothing better than an iced dessert on a hot day. They have different options to choose from -- customizable ice cream flavors, no bean options, etc. I chose to get the one with all the toppings and pandan ice cream! It was so refreshing and delicious. They also sell hot food and snacks, and they have tables located inside to sit and enjoy the food.

Wow! Amazing crispy pata. So good! I will definitely order again. It's so much better than 'Max's. Their crispy pata is crispy on the outside and yet soft & moist inside. Yummy!

I took my brother here for lunch, their Filipino food is authentic however very pricey for their small portions. The people there are very nice and attentive for a small restaurant. There's also a nice park across the street to enjoy your meal.

The ambiance is very casual and is a good place to get not just dessert, but also some Filipino dishes. They also have some supermarket filipino snacks and goods for convenience if Seafood city is too far for you during the day! Service is very quick and I like how they apologize for the wait, even though for myself at least, the "wait" is much quicker than I anticipated during my multiple visits to the cafe during my lunch time.

The chicken adobo and lumpia are both fantastic. It does take a while to get the food once you place an order. That is because everything is fresh and made to order.

Been a long time loyal customer. But they really need to hone on training their employees. I understand it's a family affair but please educate your foh staff on your menu items and correct size portions. Food always slaps cus auntie knows how to throw down in the kitchen but my experience has been compromised by the lack of customer awareness and communication with the kitchen Do better fam Rooting for you guys!

Awesome addition to the E Palomar plaza in front of Heritage park! While I haven't been to their original location and didn't try their namesake halo halo on this visit, their ice cream really did hit the spot on a summer day. Reasonably priced - small (1 scoop): $4 - medium (2 scoops): $5 - large (3 scoops): $6 I opted for their popular, recommended flavors: buko pandan (amazing), coconut (excellent), and mango (good). Friendly, prompt service. Indoor and outdoor seating. Will be back to try their other offerings!

The store seems well stocked with snacks and pantry supplies inside, available for purchase. The eating area is kept clean. Classic Halo halo is made with ice cream of your choosing, with several options including with or without beans. Service was quick and courteous. When we went all the ube ice cream was gone but for our two halo halos we got one with beans and macapuno ice cream, and one with no beans and mango ice cream. After mixing each for about a minute we dug in. They both tasted great. As you eat the halo halo from the top, it starts off pretty well but as you approach the bottom of the cup, more and more of the fruit and other morsels add in to each spoonful, so that it seems to get better and better as you go along. Looking forward to another visit to try more options and maybe the ube ice cream next time

Great service and awesome food. We only ordered halo halo but we did we will be back to try their hot food.

The pancit was classic. The bistek dish was amazing. The sinigang with pork belly was fatty and delicious. Next time I'll try the desserts.

We ordered catering for an office event at a medical facility for one of our doctors birthday and the food was burnt. This is the second time. Pancit was drowning in pepper.

Built on Conching's legacy, but more modernized... I like how Halo-Halo's "turo-turo" (point-point) restaurant concept. You just point to the fresh cooked items you want and you get quality fast food service. It also serves as a small "sari-sari" store that sells snacks. Since I came here for sweets, I got the Ube Flan to go. I thought $13 was a lot for the dessert, but my sweet tooth couldn't hold out. After trying it, I thought it was okay. IMO, the ube is what shined in this versatile dessert. The ube had a nice consistency and flavor. As for the flan, it was subtle. I was hoping for more of that caramel creamy glossy sauce on top of the flan to bring out the flavor and silkiness of it, but I tasted more of the ube in this delicacy. Nevertheless, this Halo-Halo Cafe is one of the few places in Chula Vista where you can get authentic fresh Flipino food & desserts.

I ordered the bistek and chicken tocino. The bistek was pretty good and everyone enjoyed it. Now the chicken tocino and egg wasn't very edible. The chicken should be thighs and not breast, it was very dry. The egg should be cooked over easy and not over hard. When I got home, I had to make an over easy egg. We finished the bistek and only ate half of the tocino. I wish this halo halo was like the one that used to be on proctor valley rd.

Lots of great flavors and Asian style! Super colorful, very fast and helpful staff. It was great to come here

Really tasty! I tried the classic with beans this time. I think it was a few too many for me so I'd probably get no beans next time, but the drink itself with all the jellies and bean paste was very tasty!

This review is for their service today at around 12noon. Our experience was so bad that I won't be wasting any minute and post a review. So we came here a little over 12nn..Took the cashier more than 10mins to acknowledge my presence, but that's okay.. He was preparing somebody else's order. So I got 2 orders of veggie lumpia to go at around 12:20ish.. It wasn't that busy, no one is eating inside.. Some people came and ordered out.. more than 30mins after, and me and my mom were the only people inside, I asked the cashier, if our order is not ready yet, he said he'll check. He stepped inside their kitchen for few seconds, went out and goes, "it's almost ready, nagpalit pa kasi mantika (they changed the oil)".. Overheard the lady inside the kitchen who asked him, is it just two orders? And he answered yes. Meaning, they're just about to cook it. Like really???!! Are people that stupid? Didn't even acknowledged the fact that he forgot our order, never apologized, and the audacity to make some stupid excuse. The lady, who might be the owner, not sure, handed me over the lumpia, I told her, we waited almost an hour for this, she just said, "oh really" in Tagalog. No apologies.

came here craving avocado con hielo and seems like they changed recipe. not creamy and too much ice they used to add this white cream that made it creamy and sweeter there was u e in there thats a plus. and this new location is bigger! parking is more crowded though

The young lady working there was very nice. But I ordered pancit, spending $20 and only got 4 shrimp. Very disappointed.

I was homesick so I decided to grab some food that reminded me of my mom. As I went inside the place reminded me of my grandmas home & restaurant when I was a kid. They had dessert section that showed the ice creams, ice desserts & Filipino desserts too. Also lots Filipino snacks too. They were super helpful and patient with us while we figure what we wanted to eat. Atmosphere like a mom & pop restaurant. Let's start with the food! Things that we ordered. Tapa: when I tell you my sister & I were so impressed by this dish. It wasn't dry AT ALL & perfectly seasoned. It was soft and tender. Longganisa: It was super porky and succulent . Not to fatty. All I was missing was a side of vinegar Beef steak: It was a little tough but we did go towards the end of the day. Good flavor tho! CRISPY SISIG: OOF. Pop off. Definitely one of my favorite things. It was crispy & juicy with just enough fat. With the leftovers I bring I add chilis to make it spicy. * sometimes they have yellow rice so definitely ask for it* Desserts: Halo - Halo & Avocado con yeilo For the avocado I personally don't care of ube but they did put it inside I would just omit it next time. Would come here over Grill city (seafood city).

Food was ok but very surprised that when I paid for an extra protein it was only 2 1/4 shrimp. When I asked about it they said that it is the correct amount

I was initially going to Cafe 86 since they are practically next to each other, but I decided to pop in here instead since I have not yet been to this location. It is set up a little different from the Proctor Valley location because they have their hot food displayed like typical Filipino food places. I ordered a two item combo with sisig (pork/lemon/onion) and ginisang upo (stir fried gourd). Both were delicious and I would get them again, though next time I will try the other yummy looking dishes. And of course, I ordered a halo-halo with macapuno (young coconut) ice cream which really hit the spot. I'm happy to have multiple options nearby to satisfy my halo-halo and Filipino food cravings!

The halo halo was delicious and the food was cooked fresh to order! The bangus sisig is my favorite!

Good food, great halo halo, AND VERY CLEAN!! This will me by go to spot on this side of the 805.

On July 22, my cousins who are visiting from Australia, came to this establishment with me, at around 7:45 pm. I ordered the food and I mentioned to the cashier/order-taker that it will be dine-in. She did not say anything and just took our orders. At 8:00 pm, the waiter brought out the food to us already all packed for to-go. Then, he stated that the restaurant is already closing. We ordered halo-halo among other food. We are still going home to Penasquitos, which is a 45-minute drive from this restaurant. If the cashier/order-taker stated that the restaurant is closing in 15 minutes, and will not have dine-in anymore, we should not have ordered! This is utterly a lack of customer service.