There is so much to love about BEEFFALO By Hot Rocks: its delicious everyday comfort food, the homey and unpretentious ambiance and the 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.
Beeffalo by Hot Rocks is a family restaurant owned and managed by husband and wife Louie and Girlie Abad and their partner and good friend Caren Diaz. Its maiden branch is located in Marikina City. A new Beeffalo store recently opened its doors right at the heart of M.L. Quezon Avenue in Antipolo City, a culinary gem that is waiting to be discovered.
“Beeffalo actually began as Hot Rocks, a restaurant concept that came about because of our love to ‘eat out,’ which in our case, was literally outside of the house,” Louie narrated. “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.”
An idea then sparked in Louie’s mind, to open a grill-type of restaurant offering what they had 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, Hot Rocks grilled their last.
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.
Beeffalo also stands for the flavorful beef and meat dishes that are the restaurant’s specialties. Peruse the menu and you’ll see the 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. Tasty Java rice completes an order.
Beeffalo also serves steaks that people loved at the former Hot Rocks restaurants in Pasig and Libis. Simply seasoned with salt and pepper, they are grilled the right way that 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.
There is an array of other comfort food to choose from. Feed your chicken craving with their equally famous 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.
Other meat dishes include the Grilled Chicken BBQ, Pork Barbeque, the Barbeque Platter (a medley of Isaw, Tenga, and Bulaklak), Grilled Blue Marlin and a lot more.
They may be known for their grilled meat dishes, but there are more to savor at Beeffalo.
Start with Beeffalo’s Roasted Pumpkin or Broccoli Cheese Soups, thick and rich numbers to whet the appetite. Then, have the 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.
Have that pizza! It’s not your usual thick or deep dish ones. The Margherita and Three Cheese Biscuit Pizzas topped with the choice tomatoes, cheeses, and full-flavored herbs are extremely thin-crusted that every bite gives out that yummy crunch.
They also have rice-worthy mains including their special Sizzling Beef Ribs in Tamarind Gravy, the classic Filipino Sinigang cooked and served the Beeffalo way. 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).
It is good to wash all these flavors down with their original Cucumber-Lemonade drink. Beeffalo also offers decadent desserts such as their version of Brazos de Mercedes, Turtle Pie, Crème Brulee, the cool and marshmallow-laden Jar of Monkeys.
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.
And while your typical steakhouses boast of clean modern lines with dark and woodsy interior, Beeffalo in Antipolo City is well-lit and pulsating with bright, vibrant colors. Louie said that they originally wanted a roadhouse that serves inexpensive beef dishes but later realized that they have become more than that.
“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.
But what catches everyone’s attention is the mishmash of old and classic decors. 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.
Louie, Girlie and Caren are happy to share that Beeffalo in Marikina City will soon sport a new look. “It will be more streamlined and updated while maintaining the charm, the sense of randomness and the vibe that made our restaurant a well-loved one from the moment we opened,” Louie explained. It will still be homey, airy and in Louie’s own words, “planty’. “These add what might be call, ‘magic’ or perhaps ‘allure’ to Beeffalo and we don’t want to lose that. But we also would like to improve on some design aspects. There is always room for improvement.” The refurbishment is ongoing and will be revealed sometime in August. Watch out for it.
It is worth your while to visit this unassuming place with extraordinary food. So if you happen to be in M.L Quezon in Antipolo City or would like to explore Marikina, drop by Beeffalo in Gil Fernando Avenue.
Beeffalo by Hot Rocks is a perfectly random idea that promises to become one memorable culinary journey.
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.