Dipolog City: Big Joe's | Grilled Baby Back Ribs

DIPOLOG CITY, Zamboanga del Norte - This is probably one of our least prepared trips ever. We arrived  at Dipolog Airport at 12:05pm, that is 25 minutes ahead of schedule. Thanks to Cebu Pacific, by the way. Hungry that we were, as soon as we checked in at Antonio's Pension House, we immediately searched the net for a restaurant.

We were not in the mood for fastfood so we used Fourquare and checked what's nearby. Big Joe's caught or attention as it has 12 Tips posted, most of which recommend the Grilled Baby Back Ribs.

And so we took the recommendation and ordered the famous baby back ribs of Big Joe's. Each serving comes with two slabs of ribs, a cup of rice and some veggies.

The ribs did not disappoint! The meat was so tender and the barbecue sauce was perfect. Their serving size will put most steak houses to shame. At only Php135.00 per order, this Grilled Baby Back Ribs were a great deal!

While eating, we noticed people coming in and out of the restaurant ordering burgers. It looked liked Dipolognons could not have enough of Big Joe's burgers.

On our last day in Dipolog, we went again to Big Joe's to try their burgers. We asked what the best selling burger is, and the staff said "tanan, sir" (English: everything, sir). Well, we were not sure if she was being honest or she just simply had no idea which one was their best seller.

So, we just ordered the burgers that appealed to us based on their names and descriptions: All-in-Burger (Php65.00) & Grilled Half Pounder (Php120.00).


(left) All-in-Burger; (right) Grilled Half Pounder


The All-in-Burger has a fried burger patty, a fried egg, a slice of cheese and a slice of canned pineapple. The pineapple gave this burger a sweet but refreshing taste.

The Grilled Half Pounder has a grilled half-pound beef burger patty, a slice of cheese, lettuce and onions. Because the patty was grilled, this burger is savory juicy. You should order this if you are looking for a burger that is truly filling. This goes well with mustard.

Aside from steaks, sizzling plates and burgers, Big Joe's also serves classic Filipino dishes such as lecho, crispy pata, calderetang kambing, as well as noodles and soups. You may also try their selection of fruit shakes, tea and coffee based beverages.

Big Joe's
General Luna Street
Dipolog City
Phone: (065) 212-4111 / (065) 212-3025
Email: gerald_concha@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.bigjoescafe.dmc.edu.ph/