Casa Verde's Unbelievable Ribs

Who would've thunk (YES, thunk!) that a 1920s Filipiniana ancestral house in the side streets of Cebu would be home to some mighty and meaty meals at remarkably affordable prices?

And if your tag line is RIBS-ON-THE-GO, you're really asking people to rate your ribs.

Introducing Casa Verde: Homey in the front, Resto in the back.

Casa Verde is popular to local Cebuanos, who are notorious for their good taste coupled with inexpensive dining options. Many people say that if a restaurant can survive in Cebu, it can go on business anywhere else

Located at the V. Ranudo extension by F. Ramos St., the original Casa Verde has a spacious al fresco area  that's still indoors but gets some breeze from the garden area. There is also an air-conditioned room but that probably gets filled up quite quickly. Since we were treating the management team for a  job well done, we went down to business and gave them the liberty to order their own plate. That might have been a mistake since their portions are all very generous, but good at the same time since we were able to sample a lot of their dishes.

The Best Sampler 

Golden Fried Cheese, Nachos and Buffalo Wings served with Marinara sauce and Bleu cheese dressing. (PHP200/$4.50). SERIOUSLY.

Tricia Ala Pobre

Marinated Fish Fillet, grilled ant topped with garlic bits with Rice & a Vegetable Medley. (PHP98) That would be about $2.25. The portions were actually quite substantial, so I have no clue how the price could be so low!

Fish & Rice

Battered fillet of fish, pan-fried & topped with a mushroom & white wine sauce, + rice and veggies. (PHP108/ $2.45)

Surf & Turf

USDA Round Steak charbroiled to order, drizzled with balsamic glaze, with a skewer of grilled shrimp. Served with Harvest Rice (PHP220/$5) Though the shrimps were on the small side, the portion of the steak was large 

Now, for my absolute favorites.

Bliss & Mushroom

Beef tenderloin tips smothered in a delectable mushroom sauce, topped with bacon bits. (PHP128 / $2.90). Don't let the picture fool you. a generous portions of creamy and mushroomy beef sitting in the middle of a ring of garlic rice. This was HUGE! and so tasty, perfect comfort food.

And the infamous: Brian's Ribs

Casa Verde's Bestseller: Baked pork ribs with sweet, tangy piquet sauce, served with veggies and garlic rice or mashed potatoes. Price? PHP168 / $3.81! Imagine this: 2 pieces of ribs, each the size of my boyfriend's palm. A lot of meat, a lot of flavor, and unbelievably priced so low. 

For Dessert: Death By Chocolate

To-die-for chocolate & nutty rocky road ice cream, mixed with chocolate bar bits on a bed of chocolate cookies, then dipped in a rich chocolate sauce. PHP86/ $1.95. I was really scared for this dessert! It was so luscious and rich, I had to say NO to a second serving because I was scared the pork fat from my Ribs would coagulate. and clog up my arteries. But definitely yum!

The Pink Panther

Limited Edition dessert consisting of layers of strawberry ice cream and sponge cake, bedded on a graham crust then dipped in strawberry coating and drizzled with strawberry glaze. PHP95 / $2.15 YUMMY strawberry flavors brings me back to grade-school days.

There were 12 of us who each ordered our own Entree, plus Appetizers and Iced tea for all, and our bill was a whopping PHP2450! I was even upset coz it didn't reach PHP2500 which would've given me a rebate on my credit card. But COME ON! Feeding 12 adults for $55 is IMPOSSIBLE!

I guess my comparison would be dining in Manila, but Casa Verde has a quiet ambiance and thoughtful presentation to match their delicious, comfort food which absolutely does not reflect on their prices. My ultimate BARGAIN BITES of the moment! Should I dine here tomorrow?

Casa Verde (CEBU)

Ramos - +6332 253 6472

The Walk, IT Park - +6332 412 3336

The Terraces, Ayala - +6332 233 8885

Interesting Tidbit: If you eat in the Mall, Brian's Ribs go up to PHP188, +PHP20!