BBQ House and Restaurant: Your home kitchen on Rota

When on Rota and you get hungry for home-cooked food, the best place to go to is BBQ House Restaurant Fastfood and Catering Services located in front of Dr. Rita H. Inos High School in Songsong.

A small but charming dining place managed by Alejandro Badilles, the BBQ House Restaurant Fast food and Catering Services offers a variety of dishes using a fusion of local and imported products.
I sipped on a tall glass of lemonade topped with ice cubes as I and a companion waited for the restaurant’s special lunch on Thursday. Three other customers were sipping the same beverage at another table and we were all watching the events unfolding in the wake of the tsunami in Japan on the huge LCD screen mounted on the wall.

Within minutes, the devastation on TV was temporarily pushed to the back of our minds as chefs Bong and Romy set out a huge bowl of bulalo, or beef marrow stew, on our table. This was followed by other mouth-watering dishes: dried fried pork strips with a serving of rice and sliced papayas, and Rota fried chicken with a serving of vegetable salad.

Halfway through our lunch, Badilles brought out the restaurant’s specialty — a dish of what appeared to be seashells with taro leaves, coconut milk, onions and fresh tomatoes served on a banana leaf.
Curious, I poked at the shells and discovered the dish was called truchus or top shells. They looked delicious, but I was hesitant to try them. I watched my companion dig into the dish and spoon the meat into his mouth with relish. I sampled a portion of the taro leaves. Badilles said many of their customers return for this special delicacy that is not available at all times. Maybe I will learn to like it in the future but in the meantime I was  more than content with the Rota fried chicken which, I learned, was marinated in Rota peppers among other things.

BBQ House Restaurant Fastfood & Catering Services also provides the best and freshest bread on island. Bite into the hot and crispy pieces of Rota’s bakery pandesal (salt bread), papaya or sweet potato turnovers, cakes and pastries, twist donuts, hot pocket, popcorn, and other breads.
Have your fill of tall glasses of cold, home-made lemonade squeezed from fresh lemons and made into a syrup, or go for your regular drinks such as iced tea, soft drinks, aloha green tea, fruit drinks and more.
Enjoy a leisurely meal or drinks or simply pass the time watching television, or browse the internet because the place has WiFi connection.
BBQ House Restaurant Fastfood & Catering Services is open every day and the hours are flexible as Badilles and his chefs live in the same building.
“We want to make our customers feel that they are eating at the comfort of their kitchens,” Badilles said.
The restaurant accepts only cash for now. For reservations, call 532-2539.
This article was first published HERE