This restaurant is sucks! We order for delivery and canceled it twice for no reason they even didn’t call us to let us know that they need to cancel the order. After waited an hour and more they canceled it without calling or telling the reason is. Anyway we will never order food from here.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Kimberly C.
Food was great, we went for my mom's birthday and was impressed that the person who cooked our food was also from Bulacan, Philippines, where my family is from too. We especially loved the turon, it was the lightest I ever had drizzled with chocolate syrup which we thought was innovative. The presentation was on point, ambiance felt like I was back in the homeland with the wooden tables and staircase. Service was great for dine in. We will come back again with our family friends!
Richard Atabay
I order online, I ordered the sinigang salmon. Then someone called me it's not available and asked me to change to sinigang na pompano which I agree. But when we got the food, the fish is not at all good... You can tell that it was thawed for a long period of time before they cook (lasang bilasa) look at the texture of the fish especially the head. I regret I order from them and it's my first time... never will I order again
Food: 1
Lowell Rocolcol
They always assume it’s okay to replace an item you order via UberEats or Doordash. Multiple times we have ordered Fresh Lumpia and received a fried one. Multiple times we have received fried pompano or tilapia when we ordered a grilled one. We order items we ordered for health reasons but they keep on replacing them without a heads up or even an approval.
Ruth Gutierrez
Food is hit or miss. when they were new the food portion and flavor are consistent with uber eats. I gave it multiple chance most of my orders lately are half portioned compare to the previous ones. Kare kare i had twice is just tripe and barely veggies, pork bbq half cooked, pares overload has 7 pcs of meat. So never again. Pla be consistent with the flavor and portion of your food thank you.
Lucas Alexandre
The Bicol Express was super delicious. The chicharon bulaklak and lumpiang shanghai were also great. Service was very nice.
a b
The food here was fantastic. The service was a bit lacking. We were there for a private event and it was as if we were forgotten. The space looked really scuzzy. Probably wouldn't do my private event there, but I'd definitely order to-go.Wheelchair accessibility: The private event space was on the third floor with no elevator.
The food here was fantastic. The service was a bit lacking. We were there for a private event and it was as if we were forgotten. The space looked really scuzzy. Probably wouldn't do my private event there, but I'd definitely order to-go.Wheelchair accessibility: The private event space was on the third floor with no elevator.
My friend held her baby shower at The Backyard on Sunday, March 12, 2023, and I arrived early to help set up the bar area. I was shocked at how dirty and disorganized that area was. The bar top was dirty from the previous party, and we had to request that it be cleaned, which should have been done before our arrival. One plus was that they had more ice packs for us available when we needed more.One of our friends wanted to use the mic and play music simultaneously to introduce the baby shower games, but they didn't have a proper sound system available to provide that service, which shocked me. All they had was one large speaker. You had to connect one source (a mic or cell phone), which was inconvenient. Creating a party ambiance was difficult without a proper sound system and left quite a bit of awkwardness in some moments within the party.The room was also very dark. Half of the bulbs were dead and not replaced, making it hard to eat and see our food. The bulbs that were on had different shades of white and yellow, making the ambiance very confusing. They need more center lighting for guests to feel more comfortable.The food arrived an hour late than planned, and we only had the room for 3 hours. Luckily they gave an extra hour for the mishap. Apparently, there was suppose to have jugs of soda at each table and coffee/tea served at the end which was part of their package, but the sodas arrived when people were almost done eating and coffee/tea were never offered.People's cars got towed with the instructions given by the restaurant that guests could park at the Miss America Diner, which was put on the invitation. However, on the day of, the Backyard said no one could park there. This resulted in panic, and everyone had to text the other guests to find street parking instead. They refused to reimburse the guests who had their car towed ($260 per car), and all they provided was a discount because it would affect the service charge.I was pretty disappointed with how the Backyard handled its catering services. It was more dirty, inconvenient, and disorganized rather than seamless and stress-free after paying thousands of dollars for it. I have been involved in my share of catering halls and rooms, and I wouldn't recommend hosting a party here if you expect a professional, smooth experience and a clean, bright environment.
Aeia Adriatico
While customers may be met with engaged staff on their first-floor restaurant, The Backyard did not extend that same courtesy for use of their upper private event rooms. After hosting my friend's baby shower on their third floor, I would discourage anyone considering The Backyard for a larger private party. We were initially thrilled to find a venue that could accommodate our party's size for no additional room fee, but the lack of room fee also meant lack of clarity and initiative.When I asked how soon we can set up for party, Ralph offered that we may start as early as when the restaurant opens at 11:30am. When my friends arrived, the space was still a mess, which staff did not finish cleaning until after 12:30pm. Their time management also fell short when the server asked my friend what time food should be ready. It was already established when we reserved the space that the party starts at 2pm. When my friend said food should be ready by 2pm, the server countered with, we'll bring it up at 2:15pm. Even worse, the food was not ready until close to 3:30pm. We had chosen the buffet that came with coffee and soda. After repeatedly asking for the coffee and soda, the server said they would be brought up an hour later, already towards the end of the party.Another thing we thought was established is free parking at Miss America Diner after 3pm as advertised on a flyer and their menu. We were not informed that this rule changed until AFTER three guests' cars were towed. When we asked for compensation for not looping us in before the event, they insisted that someone told me, but again, it was at the time of the event when the cars were being towed.The staff wants to blame our party for the disorganization, but a good restaurant should anticipate and discuss their customers' needs. They did very little to prepare for our party - we had to repeatedly ask for basic items like plates, utensils, and napkins. They knew our party had cake, but guests had to seek someone for plates to serve the cake. I understand this restaurant is relatively new and they appear to be understaffed, but they should have been upfront about their limitations when we gave an accurate range for the number of guests. We were not told until last minute about their food packages; we were also not informed until last minute that we could no longer order a la carte nor choose their smaller packages if we exceeded a certain number of guests. Food package details were made very transparent to us when we inquired other venues, so it was bad service to only give the ala carte menu when they knew we were inquiring for a larger party.Their service did not match the hefty price tag. I would still argue our party should be compensated for the staff's oversights, such as delaying our set-up time, delaying the food being served, and failing to tell us the new parking restriction until the day of our party that resulted in major inconveniences. While they may serve well as a regular dine-in restaurant, they need to improve on what they can offer for their private event rooms. As of now, I would not recommend The Backyard to host or cater your party.
Meghann Alcala
A rare negative review from me. We hosted a baby shower for our friend yesterday at this location and had a very negative experience. First, we were told by Ralph that we would be able to start setting up at 11 AM as the shower was to start at 1 PM.We arrived later than the time we were told we were able to set up (around 12 PM) and the entrance to the restaurant as well as the room for the shower smelled of garbage and was not cleaned yet. We were told to wait 30 more minutes for them to clean it, which was 1.5 hours later than the original time we were going to start setting up.As we were setting up, it was difficult to find the coordinator and the room was very disorganized. Booking time to the room was 1-5 PM. The main entrees (chicken adobo, kare-kare, and pancit) were supposed to be set up buffet style by 2 PM but arrived at 3 PM. Guests were hungry. They brought out appetizers but no utensils for anyone to start snacking. Our room was on the 3rd floor and bathrooms were on the 1st floor which made it hard for guests to relieve themselves, especially the elderly.Another main complaint is that the restaurant GAVE US instructions to park at Miss America diner and 3 guests who parked there were towed! This is extremely unprofessional. We were not even informed and it is the establishment's responsibility to communicate these important instructions and updates to the customers. The manager informed our host THE DAY of the event that parking was no longer allowed there DURING the time that the guests cars were being towed.We tried to talk to the manager about compensation for at least the cars that were towed (which was 260 per car!) to negotiate a justified rate after everything that happened and the manager replied they could not give more of a discount because it would be taken for their service charge. They agreed to take a measly $100 off of a $4500 bill with abysmal service.Overall, a very unenjoyable and unprofessional experience. I would not recommend booking an event with them since it appears they are not able to handle them or lack experience.
Adonis Buelo
First time dining in. Great food, great service. Our server Ralph was very friendly.
Sarah V.
We recently hosted our baby shower at The Backyard and unfortunately, my experience was not up to par. The restaurant failed to properly communicate their parking policy, resulting in cars being towed. They posted that they were able to park cars at a diner nearby (picture attached), and then proceeded to say they communicated that we could not park there as CARS WERE BEING TOWED. Like, c'mon. Wouldn't you think to communicate that BEFORE the event?Upon entering the establishment, I noticed the service was insufficient and subpar. Additionally, the restaurant did not provide sufficient help in serving our food. (There was a mandatory 20% service charge, lol.) Food service started at late because they were not ready not because we asked for it. Many times was food was not replenished. Also, the area was not cleaned which led to people waiting for the area to be cleared. The ambiance of the room was dreary, but my friends really did their best to make it look like a really nice space. To protect my peace of mind my friends did not tell me of the place uncleanliness of the bar and things looked quite frankly - janky.To begin, the lack of communication regarding the parking policy was a significant issue. This caused panic with the aunties who attended the shower and resulted in a telephone reaction. This resulted in significant inconvenience and expense, which could have easily been avoided with better communication from the restaurant. Rule of thumb: Please do not throw people under the bus for your establishments oversights or lack of coordination.Furthermore, the service at the restaurant was disappointing. The staff appeared to be understaffed and overwhelmed/underwhelmed leading to a slow and disorganized dining experience. Servers were not attentive and did not check on us regularly, leaving us with empty glasses and plates for extended periods. Soft drinks and teas were not even served until they were asked for? (PART OF THE PACKAGE WE ORDERED).Finally, the restaurant did not provide sufficient help in serving our food. We ordered several dishes that required additional utensils or condiments, but these were not provided. We had to repeatedly ask for additional items, which added to the already frustrating dining experience. At one point my friends went downstairs to bring utensils and plates to serve cake themselves.Overall, my experience at the backyard was disappointing. The lack of communication regarding their parking policy, insufficient and subpar service, and the lack of assistance in serving our food all contributed to a less than satisfactory party experience.The food was good (people complimented the Kare Kare), but was it worth $4,500 good? Uh, I think not. We were quoted $4,500 at other places in (downtown Jersey City with alcohol packages and if I knew it would be like this I would have gone with those options instead). Side note: when initially asking for a quote they didn't tell us that if we surpassed a certain guest count it was mandatory to do the buffet option meaning double the ala cart package they initially offered us (pictures attached). We felt like we had no choice but to eat the costs since the party was a week away from the date when we were notified of this change. Frankly, there is a big difference from 1,700 - 2,000 to 4,500. Lolz.Also, don't blame shortcomings on people who are paying. For transparency - Sure, they gave us a discount *small* discount of a $100 out of $4,500, extended an hour (because they started their food service an hour late), and continued to blame us for the parking situation. If you want to eat here? Sure, but I do not recommend hosting your party - it'll just piss you off. I will not recommend this place in good spirit. I am always about supporting small business especially Filipino Communities but also do it right. Also. I rarely write reviews like this - but don't gaslight folks who are paying costumers especially when we have receipts. What was supposed to be a good time with friends and family was impacted by this particular ven
There’s really no service and the food is overpriced. Food is good tho but still very
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2
Really sad this place closed down. My boyfriend and I really enjoyed ordering their food.
Food: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Garlic Rice, Pork Sisig, Chicken Adobo
This restaurant is sucks! We order for delivery and canceled it twice for no reason they even didn’t call us to let us know that they need to cancel the order. After waited an hour and more they canceled it without calling or telling the reason is. Anyway we will never order food from here.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Food was great, we went for my mom's birthday and was impressed that the person who cooked our food was also from Bulacan, Philippines, where my family is from too. We especially loved the turon, it was the lightest I ever had drizzled with chocolate syrup which we thought was innovative. The presentation was on point, ambiance felt like I was back in the homeland with the wooden tables and staircase. Service was great for dine in. We will come back again with our family friends!
I order online, I ordered the sinigang salmon. Then someone called me it's not available and asked me to change to sinigang na pompano which I agree. But when we got the food, the fish is not at all good... You can tell that it was thawed for a long period of time before they cook (lasang bilasa) look at the texture of the fish especially the head. I regret I order from them and it's my first time... never will I order again
Food: 1
They always assume it’s okay to replace an item you order via UberEats or Doordash. Multiple times we have ordered Fresh Lumpia and received a fried one. Multiple times we have received fried pompano or tilapia when we ordered a grilled one. We order items we ordered for health reasons but they keep on replacing them without a heads up or even an approval.
Food is hit or miss. when they were new the food portion and flavor are consistent with uber eats. I gave it multiple chance most of my orders lately are half portioned compare to the previous ones. Kare kare i had twice is just tripe and barely veggies, pork bbq half cooked, pares overload has 7 pcs of meat. So never again. Pla be consistent with the flavor and portion of your food thank you.
The Bicol Express was super delicious. The chicharon bulaklak and lumpiang shanghai were also great. Service was very nice.
The food here was fantastic. The service was a bit lacking. We were there for a private event and it was as if we were forgotten. The space looked really scuzzy. Probably wouldn't do my private event there, but I'd definitely order to-go.Wheelchair accessibility: The private event space was on the third floor with no elevator.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Lumpia Shanghai, Chicharon Bulaklak
The food here was fantastic. The service was a bit lacking. We were there for a private event and it was as if we were forgotten. The space looked really scuzzy. Probably wouldn't do my private event there, but I'd definitely order to-go.Wheelchair accessibility: The private event space was on the third floor with no elevator.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Lumpia Shanghai
Restaurantji Recommends
My friend held her baby shower at The Backyard on Sunday, March 12, 2023, and I arrived early to help set up the bar area. I was shocked at how dirty and disorganized that area was. The bar top was dirty from the previous party, and we had to request that it be cleaned, which should have been done before our arrival. One plus was that they had more ice packs for us available when we needed more.One of our friends wanted to use the mic and play music simultaneously to introduce the baby shower games, but they didn't have a proper sound system available to provide that service, which shocked me. All they had was one large speaker. You had to connect one source (a mic or cell phone), which was inconvenient. Creating a party ambiance was difficult without a proper sound system and left quite a bit of awkwardness in some moments within the party.The room was also very dark. Half of the bulbs were dead and not replaced, making it hard to eat and see our food. The bulbs that were on had different shades of white and yellow, making the ambiance very confusing. They need more center lighting for guests to feel more comfortable.The food arrived an hour late than planned, and we only had the room for 3 hours. Luckily they gave an extra hour for the mishap. Apparently, there was suppose to have jugs of soda at each table and coffee/tea served at the end which was part of their package, but the sodas arrived when people were almost done eating and coffee/tea were never offered.People's cars got towed with the instructions given by the restaurant that guests could park at the Miss America Diner, which was put on the invitation. However, on the day of, the Backyard said no one could park there. This resulted in panic, and everyone had to text the other guests to find street parking instead. They refused to reimburse the guests who had their car towed ($260 per car), and all they provided was a discount because it would affect the service charge.I was pretty disappointed with how the Backyard handled its catering services. It was more dirty, inconvenient, and disorganized rather than seamless and stress-free after paying thousands of dollars for it. I have been involved in my share of catering halls and rooms, and I wouldn't recommend hosting a party here if you expect a professional, smooth experience and a clean, bright environment.
While customers may be met with engaged staff on their first-floor restaurant, The Backyard did not extend that same courtesy for use of their upper private event rooms. After hosting my friend's baby shower on their third floor, I would discourage anyone considering The Backyard for a larger private party. We were initially thrilled to find a venue that could accommodate our party's size for no additional room fee, but the lack of room fee also meant lack of clarity and initiative.When I asked how soon we can set up for party, Ralph offered that we may start as early as when the restaurant opens at 11:30am. When my friends arrived, the space was still a mess, which staff did not finish cleaning until after 12:30pm. Their time management also fell short when the server asked my friend what time food should be ready. It was already established when we reserved the space that the party starts at 2pm. When my friend said food should be ready by 2pm, the server countered with, we'll bring it up at 2:15pm. Even worse, the food was not ready until close to 3:30pm. We had chosen the buffet that came with coffee and soda. After repeatedly asking for the coffee and soda, the server said they would be brought up an hour later, already towards the end of the party.Another thing we thought was established is free parking at Miss America Diner after 3pm as advertised on a flyer and their menu. We were not informed that this rule changed until AFTER three guests' cars were towed. When we asked for compensation for not looping us in before the event, they insisted that someone told me, but again, it was at the time of the event when the cars were being towed.The staff wants to blame our party for the disorganization, but a good restaurant should anticipate and discuss their customers' needs. They did very little to prepare for our party - we had to repeatedly ask for basic items like plates, utensils, and napkins. They knew our party had cake, but guests had to seek someone for plates to serve the cake. I understand this restaurant is relatively new and they appear to be understaffed, but they should have been upfront about their limitations when we gave an accurate range for the number of guests. We were not told until last minute about their food packages; we were also not informed until last minute that we could no longer order a la carte nor choose their smaller packages if we exceeded a certain number of guests. Food package details were made very transparent to us when we inquired other venues, so it was bad service to only give the ala carte menu when they knew we were inquiring for a larger party.Their service did not match the hefty price tag. I would still argue our party should be compensated for the staff's oversights, such as delaying our set-up time, delaying the food being served, and failing to tell us the new parking restriction until the day of our party that resulted in major inconveniences. While they may serve well as a regular dine-in restaurant, they need to improve on what they can offer for their private event rooms. As of now, I would not recommend The Backyard to host or cater your party.
A rare negative review from me. We hosted a baby shower for our friend yesterday at this location and had a very negative experience. First, we were told by Ralph that we would be able to start setting up at 11 AM as the shower was to start at 1 PM.We arrived later than the time we were told we were able to set up (around 12 PM) and the entrance to the restaurant as well as the room for the shower smelled of garbage and was not cleaned yet. We were told to wait 30 more minutes for them to clean it, which was 1.5 hours later than the original time we were going to start setting up.As we were setting up, it was difficult to find the coordinator and the room was very disorganized. Booking time to the room was 1-5 PM. The main entrees (chicken adobo, kare-kare, and pancit) were supposed to be set up buffet style by 2 PM but arrived at 3 PM. Guests were hungry. They brought out appetizers but no utensils for anyone to start snacking. Our room was on the 3rd floor and bathrooms were on the 1st floor which made it hard for guests to relieve themselves, especially the elderly.Another main complaint is that the restaurant GAVE US instructions to park at Miss America diner and 3 guests who parked there were towed! This is extremely unprofessional. We were not even informed and it is the establishment's responsibility to communicate these important instructions and updates to the customers. The manager informed our host THE DAY of the event that parking was no longer allowed there DURING the time that the guests cars were being towed.We tried to talk to the manager about compensation for at least the cars that were towed (which was 260 per car!) to negotiate a justified rate after everything that happened and the manager replied they could not give more of a discount because it would be taken for their service charge. They agreed to take a measly $100 off of a $4500 bill with abysmal service.Overall, a very unenjoyable and unprofessional experience. I would not recommend booking an event with them since it appears they are not able to handle them or lack experience.
First time dining in. Great food, great service. Our server Ralph was very friendly.
We recently hosted our baby shower at The Backyard and unfortunately, my experience was not up to par. The restaurant failed to properly communicate their parking policy, resulting in cars being towed. They posted that they were able to park cars at a diner nearby (picture attached), and then proceeded to say they communicated that we could not park there as CARS WERE BEING TOWED. Like, c'mon. Wouldn't you think to communicate that BEFORE the event?Upon entering the establishment, I noticed the service was insufficient and subpar. Additionally, the restaurant did not provide sufficient help in serving our food. (There was a mandatory 20% service charge, lol.) Food service started at late because they were not ready not because we asked for it. Many times was food was not replenished. Also, the area was not cleaned which led to people waiting for the area to be cleared. The ambiance of the room was dreary, but my friends really did their best to make it look like a really nice space. To protect my peace of mind my friends did not tell me of the place uncleanliness of the bar and things looked quite frankly - janky.To begin, the lack of communication regarding the parking policy was a significant issue. This caused panic with the aunties who attended the shower and resulted in a telephone reaction. This resulted in significant inconvenience and expense, which could have easily been avoided with better communication from the restaurant. Rule of thumb: Please do not throw people under the bus for your establishments oversights or lack of coordination.Furthermore, the service at the restaurant was disappointing. The staff appeared to be understaffed and overwhelmed/underwhelmed leading to a slow and disorganized dining experience. Servers were not attentive and did not check on us regularly, leaving us with empty glasses and plates for extended periods. Soft drinks and teas were not even served until they were asked for? (PART OF THE PACKAGE WE ORDERED).Finally, the restaurant did not provide sufficient help in serving our food. We ordered several dishes that required additional utensils or condiments, but these were not provided. We had to repeatedly ask for additional items, which added to the already frustrating dining experience. At one point my friends went downstairs to bring utensils and plates to serve cake themselves.Overall, my experience at the backyard was disappointing. The lack of communication regarding their parking policy, insufficient and subpar service, and the lack of assistance in serving our food all contributed to a less than satisfactory party experience.The food was good (people complimented the Kare Kare), but was it worth $4,500 good? Uh, I think not. We were quoted $4,500 at other places in (downtown Jersey City with alcohol packages and if I knew it would be like this I would have gone with those options instead). Side note: when initially asking for a quote they didn't tell us that if we surpassed a certain guest count it was mandatory to do the buffet option meaning double the ala cart package they initially offered us (pictures attached). We felt like we had no choice but to eat the costs since the party was a week away from the date when we were notified of this change. Frankly, there is a big difference from 1,700 - 2,000 to 4,500. Lolz.Also, don't blame shortcomings on people who are paying. For transparency - Sure, they gave us a discount *small* discount of a $100 out of $4,500, extended an hour (because they started their food service an hour late), and continued to blame us for the parking situation. If you want to eat here? Sure, but I do not recommend hosting your party - it'll just piss you off. I will not recommend this place in good spirit. I am always about supporting small business especially Filipino Communities but also do it right. Also. I rarely write reviews like this - but don't gaslight folks who are paying costumers especially when we have receipts. What was supposed to be a good time with friends and family was impacted by this particular ven