When it comes to vacation hotspots in the south, Surigao is often overlooked in favor of more popular destinations such as Siargao and Camiguin.
However, if given the chance, one might discover just how incredibly diverse Surigao del Sur and Surigao del Norte truly are. Both regions feature and host incredible attractions that are certainly worth a visit at any time of the year. More importantly, Surigao City is designated as the City of Island Adventures insomuch that tourists can expect a wealth of activities to try whenever they visit. Some of the popular and most visited tourist spots are Day-Asan Floating Village, Punta Bilar Dive Site, Cantiasay Wooden Footbridge, Looc Beach, Silop Caves, and the Mabua Pebble Beach. After a full day exploring these tourist sites, one would need to refuel with delicious grub. Fortunately, Surigao City is known for its abundance of seafood with mud crabs being the most popular.
However, while seafood and mud crabs are seemingly a crowd favorite in Surigao, the city has a lot more to offer in terms of delectable food and diverse restaurants. To know more about Surigao City’s diverse food scene and distinct food offerings, here are some of the restaurants you should add to your itinerary on your next visit:
Fiesta Surigao Resort
One of the best things about eateries and restaurants in Surigao City is the fact that you can almost always eat with a view. One such place that allows such luxury is Fiesta Surigao Resort Seafood Restaurant, a posh restaurant with a massive pool and an in-house seafood restaurant. At Fiesta Surigao Resort Seafood Restaurant, diners can enjoy their meal while being treated to a luxurious view of the pool. If you wish to visit, the restaurant is located at Sitio Dacuman, Barangay Ipil, Surigao City.
Mt. Bagarabon Beach Hotel and Mountain Resort
While primarily a resort that sits on the stretch of Mabua Pebble Beach, Mt. Bagarabon Beach Hotel and Mountain Restaurant comes with an in-house restaurant that offers delicious and delectable meals. Like many restaurants in Surigao City, the restaurant offers a diverse array of seafood items that are guaranteed fresh and delicious. So, while Mt. Bagarabon Beach Hotel is mainly sought for its excellent room accommodation offers, you might want to stay and try their food as well.
Same Place
Every city has its own interpretation of how barbecue should be done and while how barbecue is prepared and cooked differs in every region, there is undoubtedly one restaurant that would stand out. In Surigao City, this barbecue restaurant is known as Same Place. With innumerable branches all over the city, it would be easy to see why Same Place is such a crowd favorite. Apart from the affordability of the food, their barbecue is said to be the best in the city insomuch that their branches are often packed with tourists and locals—all coming for their pork skewers.
Marbie’s Store
While relatively small compared to the other restaurants and eateries in this list, Marbie’s Store packs a punch when it comes to serving flavorful food. Situated near Mabua Pebble Beach in Barangay Ipil, Surigao City, Marbie’s Store is a small stall that offers delicious and mouth-watering local delicacies as well as Filipino kakanin. Apart from biko, puto and nilupak, they also have sayongsong which is a local delicacy made up of sticky rice. If you are ever lucky enough to visit their stall, be sure to try their biko as it seems to be the crowd favorite. The tasty sticky rice Filipino favorite kakanin has just the right amount of sweetness that would make one ask for second servings.
Bugsay Seafood Restaurant
Located at Alilo Enso St, Surigao City, Bugsay Seafood Restaurant is a floating restaurant that offers fresh seafood daily. While the location may not be too appealing to some, the food the restaurant serves more than makes up for it. Apart from the incredibly affordable seafood, the restaurant also serves a variety of fruit shakes, burgers, ribs and several others. For tourists and visitors who wish for an alternative dining experience, dining at Bugsay Seafood Restaurant is a definite must-try!
City Garden Restaurant
City Garden Restaurant is located at Hotel Tavern, Borromeo Street Surigao City. This unassuming restaurant has a nice and relaxing atmosphere and while their food portions are known to be small, they are affordable and incredibly delicious. More importantly, you can expect fast service from the staff. Aside from the entrees, soup, dessert, and appetizers, the restaurant serves a la carte specials. Those who wish to finish their meals with a drink may do so at the restaurant’s bar that comes with an excellent selection of spirits, wines and other drinks. While the drink list is not as stacked as other city bars, they offer a good selection at a more affordable price.
Sabeth Barbecue
Before it became a local favorite, Sabeth Barbecue used to be a small food stall located near the port side. After the city cleaned up the place, Sabeth’s food stall was constrained to look for another place. Today, the barbecue food stall is still located near the port, but the food and flavor remain the same: scrumptious and lip-smackingly good. The place is known to be crammed during the weekends as well as holidays, so be sure to arrive early. Their menu items include local sausages, chicken, heart, gizzard, head, neck and other parts of the chicken.
Ocean Bounties
Like the moniker asserts, Ocean Bounties is a seafood restaurant that offers a whole assortment of fresh seafood. In fact, if you are a seafood lover, this is one place that you should definitely make into your itinerary. Like many seafood restaurants, diners can choose from the array of live catches of the day and have it cooked to their specifications and preferences. Price-wise, the place is unbeatable compared to any other seafood restaurant in the city.
Known for their island attractions and expansive array of seafood restaurants, Surigao City is both a delight to the eyes as well as to the stomach. If you ever find yourself on this side of the Philippines, be sure to sample the very best of Surigao City’s food offers with the restaurants and eateries stated above.
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