During the height of the COVID 19 pandemic, our family's out-of-town R&Rs were practically just swings between Baguio and Tagaytay. We enjoyed it that way as we mostly stayed in the hotel's veranda/garden for the fresh breeze or just ate out in restaurants nearby.
Whenever we pass through Gibraltar Road in the City of Pines, there's this one area that causes traffic on the road, but we can barely see the inside since the structure is located down the slope of the highway. People are cramming in line as if there's something really special to visit there.
Late in 2021, we stayed in Outlook Ridge (AirBnB) for a couple of nights, and frequently passed by that road. One time, we stopped by for early dinner and chanced upon a vacant space in the parking lot along the road.
Yes, Grumpy Joe, at last!
I immediately went down and, lo and behold, the line went as far back as the foot of the stairs, with waiting customers swirling in a series of chairs under two tents. Long story short, we left.
Fast forward March 2022, we were about to exit the South Drive route from Camp John Hay and fortunately caught a glimpse of the newly erected Grumpy Joe branch in Upper Session Road. Since it's just around 11:00 AM, a few parking slots were still vacant and the line was just starting. The reception staff immediately accommodated us in the al fresco dining area (by choice).
As a coffee lover, the table we got was perfect, with the cold Baguio breeze and the lush surrounding us. Although it's almost mid-day, the plants and trees probably kept the cool air around.
Cafe Americano
(Always black; my coffee on the foreground and natural moss on the background, for the drama)
Now, let's dig in the food!
Baked Potato
(Perfectly baked; balanced creaminess of the cheese and ranch sauce; prime and crispy bacon; probably my fave from all the food we ordered)
Breaded Parm Chicken Breast with Mozzarella Cheese Stuffing
(No doubt my iha's pick; double thumbs up to the generous cheese filling and the juicy chicken fillet; rightly seasoned. You just have to eat it while it's hot as the mozza may dry up inside the chix.)
(An overload of toppings - tomato, ham, pineapple, beef, bacon, olive - for a 9-inch crust; an explosion of complementing flavors in every bite. Just make sure to order this ahead as you would have no more room in your stomach when this ends up in your "additional" list as we did)
Spicy Seafood Pesto
(A little too creamy to my taste, but only because I just ate it as iha's leftover. She only consumed half of it with all the other food she took. If you love strong pesto flavor in cream, then this will certainly suit you; seafood flavor is also well-infused in the dish.)
Bolognese
(Bursting with authentic Italian flavors; looks more of a ground beef than a pasta dish -hahaha- but much appreciated by iho as he is a devout meat lover. You will need to dig in to find the pasta, but yeah, we didn't mind at all.)
Lasagna
(Picky as he is and with lasagna as his go-to pasta, hubby loved this. The filling is a good blend of cream, cheese, tomato sauce, herbs and meat; pasta is perfectly cooked. I can compare this to Blake's House of Lasagna's - also one of our favorites)
Strawberry Yoghurt Smoothie and Matcha Frap
(It's Baguio so the strawberry smoothie was a real winner; so refreshing and naturally sweet. As for the matcha, there might have been a mistake as it didn't taste and look like matcha at all. It actually tasted like caramel-flavored coffee but we just took it.)
Generally, the servings can be good for two persons, especially if you're ordering a variety of food. The prices were reasonable, too. And, even with swarming customers, the restaurant staff remained pretty receptive and responsive.
IMPRESSION: The longing and wondering was certainly worth it. Good food, good place, good people, good price. You will never leave grumpy at Grumpy Joe!
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