Good old homemade meals at Beeffalo by Hot Rocks Antipolo
Kasuy. Suman Simbahan, three things that I’ll always associate with Antipolo. When I was still a kid, my Chinese Lolo would take us on a pilgrimage to Antipolo and he would buy me one of those paper mache horses every time, until I became much much bigger than the horse.
I remember going back to Antipolo Church alone during one of my birthdays, back when I was kinda lost and didn’t know what to do with myself, and as much as I’d want to go back regularly, the traffic and long commute has made it quite impossible.
So I was both hesitant and excited to accept an invitation to try out one of the newer restaurants called Beeffalo by HotRocks. But I thought it was going to be a chance to go see the church again, and enjoy some good food along the way.
I never reached the church, but the food was oh so damn good, it was like an answered prayer.
Here’s 7 things why Beeffalo by Hot Rocks is worth the trip to ANTIPOLO:
1. It’s a heartwarming family success story that you’d want to be part of: Beeffalo by Hot Rocks owned and managed by husband and wife Louie and Girlie Abad and their partner and good friend Caren Diaz. According to Mr. Louie’s story, it all started with his family’s love to eat out. But eating out, every week was a bit costly and since they were a bit cash strapped, he decided to do the next best thing—do a cookout!
“With five kids to feed at a limited budget, we had to do it our way and grill on our backyard to save on costs. Everyone raved about the steaks and the dishes that Girlie would cook. It was so much fun that we would invite our friends who were only too pleased to join us,” Louie told us.
Eventually, he realized that their guest list have grown quite a bit and an idea then sparked in Louie’s mind. “I thought since they kept coming back, why not open a grill-type of restaurant that offered what we were having at home and all at affordable prices.
“That was how Hot Rocks was born in an unassuming, out of the way, hole-in-the-wall location at Autocamp in Pasig City and later in Club 650 in Libis, Quezon City. The restaurants were a certified hits among people of all ages, including celebrities and politicians who raved about their mouth-watering steaks and Filipino dishes that offered bang for the buck. But when Club 650 closed down in 2012, it was also the last time that Hot Rocks grilled their last.
But the embers of their charcoal grills never burned out, and Louie and his partners ‘resurrected’ Hot Rocks and rebranded and reformatted it until it became Beeffalo by Hot Rocks.
Its maiden restaurant was opened in October 2013 along Gil Fernando Avenue in Marikina, far from commercial areas that restaurateurs would normally consider.
“Our location in Marikina was surrounded by unoccupied parcels of land. It was a risky move but something prompted us to do it just the same. And it worked!” Louie enthused. Its success, largely due to the great food at reasonable prices and a homey and unassuming ambiance, led to the opening of a second branch in Antipolo City.
The name “Beeffalo” arose from a random concept. The trio wanted something unique and catchy, a term that would figuratively roll off one’s tongue (because of how their food tastes) to one’s mind (for that nice recall) effortlessly.
2. It’s a restaurant/vintage arcade. From the outside, it looks like one of those diners you see in those Hollywood movies, simple clean and unassuming, but as soon as you enter, you’ll be treated to a lot of vintage items, that you’d probably be “instagramming” while you wait for your orders. It’s not curated stuff but there’s a certain randomness that breathes character to the restaurant, giving it a charming vibe borne out of a mélange of modern and vintage, of classic and casual. According to Louie, the stuff comes from their regular customers who give it to them to add to their growing collection.
Stepping inside Beeffalo by Hot Rocks in Antipolo is like exploring a quaint museum of vintage stuff – old dial-up black table telephone, tin plates festooned on the walls, statues of ceramic reggae singers on the foreground. Even the misplaced fishing rods, surf boards, the cruiser bike perched just behind the counter, the vintage Vespa—all these memorabilia seem to give a glimpse of the owners’ own personal stories, based on family outdoor trips and fun-filled adventures.
3. Homemade, comfort food goodness. If you’re not a fan of those gourmet, epicurean dishes made by chefs, you’d be glad to know that Beeffalo’s dishes is prepared just like the way Mr. and Mrs. Abad would serve them to their kids. Meaning they’ve preserved that homestyle cooking everybody loves. They may be known for their grilled meat dishes, but there are a lot more to savor at Beeffalo. For starters try out Beeffalo’s Roasted Pumpkin or Broccoli Cheese Soups, which are thick and rich. Then there’s the Taco BBQ Salad, a medley of nacho chips, cheese, ground beef, atop a mound of greens swathed in cheese sauce, salsa and vinaigrette dressing, perfect for catching up and sharing those loooong stories.
Their pizza isn’t your usual thick or deep dish ones instead, the Margherita and Three Cheese Biscuit Pizzas topped with the choice tomatoes, cheeses, and full-flavored herbs—is done without much of the modern pizza complications and gives out that yummy crunch.
4. Baby Back Ribs that will keep you coming back. Beeffalo specializes in flavorful beef and meat dishes and you can’t go wrong with their house specialty, Baby Back Ribs. The meat is ‘literally falling apart’ because it is so tender. It is basted with Beeffalo’s signature barbeque sauce, grilled perfectly until that smokey goodness and fall-off-the-bone goodness are achieved. Oh and their Java rice isn’t just colored, its also flavorful that one cup will never be enough.
—Queue music “Baby come back, any kind of fool could see, There was something in everything about you, Baby come back, you can blame it all on me, I was wrong, and I just can’t live without yooouuuu!
5. Your diet at Steak! Make sure its your cheat day because its impossible not to finish their steak (and order another). Beeffalo also serves steaks that’s made people fall in love with their former restaurants in Pasig and Libis. Simply seasoned with salt and pepper, and grilled the way you want it– makes all the difference, showcasing the meat’s natural flavor, enough to please even the most discerning steak enthusiasts. Top on the list are the widely popular large-cut Porterhouse and T-bone steaks served with fresh vegetable salad and creamy mashed potatoes made from scratch.
Note that almost everything is made from scratch, from the sauces, dips and sides to the pizza dough. “We are very particular about what we serve, we include a certain dish only if it passes our personal standards. Everything is made with a lot of love,” Louie said.
6. A menu that can satisfy any and every craving. If you’re not much of a steak or ribs person, don’t worry, Beeffalo’s has a complete menu that also includes seafood and chicken. Pinoys love sinigang and I implore you to try their special Sizzling Beef Ribs in Tamarind Gravy—its the classic Filipino Sinigang cooked without the soup but with all the flavors.
Other must-try dishes include the Beeffalo Burger (with slivers of crispy bacon, served with vegetable toppings and fries as sides) and Garlic Shrimp Pasta (creamy linguine topped with garlic shrimps). Feeling Chicken? Try the Beeffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dip. Choose the sweet dressing with it or opt for the hot and spicy. Either way, you will enjoy wings in their lip-smacking goodness.
Barbecue Platter
Other meat dishes include the Grilled Chicken BBQ, Pork Barbeque, and make sure you order their Barbeque Platter (a medley of Isaw, Tenga, and Bulaklak retains the street food flavor but without the “lansa” and gritty bits).
7. Sweet endings are made of these: Make sure you save some space for desserts as you have to try their desserts such as their version of Brazos de Mercedes, Turtle Pie, Crème Brulee, the cool and marshmallow-laden Jar of Monkeys in a giant bowl and their homemade icecream Taro flavor is the bomb!
“We are now a destination for couples, families, groups and office workers who are in search of delicious yet affordable comfort food in a homey and airy ambience,” Louie enthused.
Beeffalo by Hot Rocks Antipolo address is M.L. Quezon Ext. Antipolo City across Antipolo Doctors Hospital. Operating hours are Fridays and Saturdays (11am to 12mn); Sundays to Thursdays (11am to 11 pm). For inquiries, call 534-1160
Beeffalo by Hot Rocks Marikina City address is Mayor Gil Fernando Avenue, Marikina City. Operating hours are Fridays and Saturdays (11am to 12mn); Sundays to Thursdays (11am to 11 pm). For inquiries, call 0939113077.
