One favorite street food of Pinoys is barbecue–pork or chicken meat or giblets skewered on sticks and cooked over a charcoal grill.
For Cebuanos, the go-to place for barbecue is Matias in Mandaue City. Nestled under the shade of sweet star apple trees, this open-air eatery sells very affordable pork barbecue, chicken barbecue, chorizo, pork belly, balbacua, and other local dishes.
The secret to keep locals coming back is their delicious sweet red sauce and value-for-money dishes.
Here’s what we liked at Matias…
Matias BBQ
A. S. Fortuna Street, Banilad, Mandaue City
Telephone: (32) 3452164, (32) 3469123
Restaurant Hours: Monday – Sunday, 11:30 AM to 10 PM
Matias BBQ is located at Fortuna Street, Mandaue City.
Don’t be surprised when you see buckets of barbecue on display.
You choose from the available items on their barbecue stalls.
You then wait for a staff to approach you and lead you to your seat. There are no table numbers, so we were kind of impressed by how they were able to take everyone’s order by just remembering where they sat.
Matias is a spacious, al-fresco carinderia with plenty of indoor and outdoor seats. Due to its non-intimidating, casual ambiance, it’s a popular place and tends to get crowded every night.
Pork Barbecue (P16)
Their bestseller. The meat is soft and has a sweet banana ketchup taste. Best paired with their Cebu vinegar.
We think the sauce is made up of ketchup, lime/vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and maybe a secret ingredient.
Cebu Chorizo (P13)
Also known as Filipino sausage or “longganisa”. Since Cebu is known for its red, fatty, sweet, and spicy chorizo, this is a must-order.
Chicken Paa/Leg (P55) | Chicken Pecho/Breast (P65)
Their chicken barbecue is another good protein option.
Liempo – Pork Belly (P70)
Another favorite is their pork liempo. Though it’s not brushed with their sweet sauce, simply being seasoned with salt is good enough. It tastes like a cross between grilled belly and lechon kawali.
Chicken Heart (P25)
We actually liked the chicken heart. It was very tasty with a strong and slightly “metallic” flavor (because of the high iron content?).
Puso (P7)
Pair your orders with puso–rice wrapped in banana/coconut leaves.
You’ll find puso sold at nearly every barbecue stand. What makes puso so special among Cebuanos is the fact that you do not need utensils to eat it. Just hold and unwrap the puso and dig in.
The best budget meal we had in Cebu overall!
You must order the pork and chicken barbecue, the chorizo, the chicken heart, and the liempo. Our Cebuano friends also suggest trying the balbacua, a local soup made from cow trotters.
Budget P100-P120/head.
Matias BBQ
A. S. Fortuna Street, Banilad, Mandaue City
Telephone: (32) 3452164, (32) 3469123
Restaurant Hours: Monday – Sunday, 11:30 AM to 10 PM
Live an Awesome Life,
ABI of Team Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: We paid for our own meals as part of our shoot for Next Stop: Cebu. We wrote this article with our biases, opinions, and insights.
P.S. The barbecue and puso rice are perfect for picnics or roadtrips. No need for utensils and you get to eat Cebuano style! 🙂
