If you are looking for a native restaurant in Butuan city, Weegols restaurant is ready to serve you with two branches to choose from. One is an old version of Weegols Grill Hauz in Montilla Boulevard.
The Weegols Garden at Doongan is their new branch full of plants. Above picture is the hanging stems of the flowers that is planted above the dinning pavilions. If you visit Butuan city one day (who knows?), Weegols is the top famous grill Hauz in Caraga region, labeling their halo-halo in the Buko (coconut), grilled chicken, and hand-eating. Hand- eating is a traditional habit for Filipinos in which relying upon to use the fingers to feed the mouth. The foods become sweet and fresh. If you don't have this experience, try! Soon you can compare the difference of taste instead of using the fork and spoon.
What to Do While Waiting for the Orders
The Weegols Grill Hauz of Montilla Boulevard has no unique and catchy views to take pictures with. As it is along the high- way, expect the noises from different vehicles. This former branch was clean before, but these days, their walls, ceilings, and decors are not repainted and renewed.
The Weegols Garden at Doongan is far from the highway which there are only a few vehicles that pass by. The fact that its name has a garden simply suits its design.
Image © Jack Williams via Bitlanders
While waiting for the foods we order, we can decompress by gripping the fresh air from the flowers and trees planted inside. Behind the building are the trees because it is a neighboring restaurant of Butuan Museum. We can enjoy watching the bands singing the love songs in front of our tables. We can also relax at the hanging hammocks made by rattan. We can relax sitting down their eco-friendly wooden chairs and hammocks. We can feel the connection of nature that gives us a sense of tranquility and freshness. The waterfall in front of the wooden table cute to look with the duck figurines.
Image © Jack Williams via Bitlanders
The sink is nearby with the hygiene for handwashing. We cannot just sit down while waiting for foods and drinks to be served, we can also choose what table we want because they have those wooden pavilions where we can bring our family exclusively.
The Specialty
Image © Booky
If you answer every Butuanons what is the specialty of the restaurant, Halo-Halo in a Buko is always their answer and the grilled chicken with two combos of cooked rice, papaya salad, sauce with lemon, chili, and vinegar. Let's start with their Halo-Halo first. Halo-Halo in the buko costs below 2$ but good for two persons because it's really big. We can shred the fresh buko on the young coconut shell. However, it's not the best halo-halo I have ever tasted among the halo-halos in Butuan city because the tastes are lacking sweetness. They put many blocks of ice, the reason why it takes a while to eat the dessert because shredding the ice is time-consuming. It's the only restaurant that serves that kind of Halo-Halo in Caraga.
Image © Kathy Purr
Their grilled Barbecue with two rice combos or they called Inato costs 2.38 USD per serving. The meat is cooked with a sweet taste and the chicken bones are soft. The only downfall of this specialty is the size of the chicken that is as smaller as the chicken of Mang Inasal.
Image © Flickr
They also serve kinilaw. What is kinilaw? It is a famous recipe in Mindanao which the raw tuna is served with spices of ginger, onions, chili pepper, lemon, vinegar, salt, and Citrus micrantha, and tabo-tabon. There is no stinky smell of the fish. The price ranges about 5.72 USD per serving. They also serve pancit canton of their own version, Lechon Kawali, shrimps, and adobos.
People's Review
"If you haven't been to Weegols, you haven't been in Butuan"...One of the best grilled chicken in Butuan..do not miss to try this when you are in Butuan..try also their Buko Pie and mango shake..also very affordable..just hope they will have unli rice soon..hehe
--Pirti ka Emotero
It is true that if you haven't been in Weegols, you haven't been in Butuan because Weegols exists for many years among those old restaurants we dined in the past few years. It's the only place of Butuan that serves a food in banana leaves and and rattan plate.
A friend of mine recommended their Buko Halo (Weegols Grill Hauz) but it wasn't that commendable. The ice was not crushed properly. I'd recommend Razon's Pampanga for that matter. It's not much, but at least it's tasty. The place smelled weird like a bunch of badjaos had been there. No discrimination, but really the smell is not worth to linger there. The service is slow too. The good point is it's near the road, easy access. They have their area where you can wash your hands. It's not my 1st time to eat here but nothing changes from the taste.
--Ailene
Sources of Quotes: Google Reviews
My Opinion
Image © Jack Williams via Bitlanders
The Weegols Grilled Hauz of Montilla is accessible if after eating, your plan is clubbing at the nearby Spin (the club). It is also a neighboring place of Saint Joseph Institute of Technology that can be walked for a few minutes. In front are the banks and remittances good for money purposes. The convenient stores and marts are every side by side along the several trikes that can always be accessible in which route we like to come by next. However, the Hauz is lacking cleanliness. The walls and ceilings look old already, the comfort rooms are not sanitized as well as the sinks where we need to wash our hands before and after we eat. Sometimes, they don't provide a gel/soap for handwashing and their hand dryer is already broken. They don't have provided tissues at the comfort room and the sink. The fact that this restaurant is famous in the entire area of Caraga region to be introduced to the tourists, they should maintain cleanliness in their building oftentimes and provide hygienes for handwashing and toiletries to get the five-star ratings. The service crews are hospitable except to the ladies in charge of cakes and pastries. There are just times that their staffs are gathering together, chitchat, and turn their eyes to the customers that get in.
The Weegols Garden in Doongan is way different. Their sink and comfort room are clean. Their service crews are friendly that greet the customers at the entrance. They are very kind to obey our demands. The last time I was there was last year in September 2018. Of course, the good employees deserve the $ tips. Employers should always be good to their customers to get a positive review and more tips.
If you are confused which branch to choose to relax and relish, Weegols Garden in Doongan is a good choice, but after all, you depend on what is convenient for you if you have another purpose than just eating. The Weegols Grill Hauz is good if your purpose to go the main place of Butuan is to shop for clothes and home accents, withdraw money, get money from remittances, buy ukay-ukays (second hand clothes for sale), buy lechon manok (roasted chicken) and baboy (pig), and enrolling to the universities.
Courtesy: Mix Vlog o6 via Youtube.com
