Merienda Café 1822 East Belvidere Road, Grayslake, IL 60030

"I ordered takeout online on a Saturday around noon (so I can't speak to atmosphere, but the food and service were fantastic). It took a little longer than the target time, because the restaurant was slammed, but if I had three words to say about it, it'd be WORTH THE WAIT - and every interaction I had in the time I was there was friendly and caring. I ordered three items, and got three entirely different, impeccable flavor profiles. There's no way I'm going to be able to finish everything I ordered in one sitting, but I'm already looking forward to coming back and trying a new variety of dishes."

"I’ve gone multiple times now and everything I’ve tried has been delicious! Staff is super friendly and for the price you get super big portions! Also honorable mention to their Ube Tea Latte that is a must try!"

"Too long, didn't read: this place is great and you need to try it Full review: This place is a gem! If you haven't tried Filipino food before then you definitely need to come and try it. I love Filipino food and coming across a Pinoy restaurant in this specific area of Lake County is hard to find. I was so excited when I found this place! I spent $31 for my main plate and ube milk tea and added a tip. They have a solid dish menu - I appreciate that there aren't many dishes simply because that means that the food is fresh; the portions are good! Not too much but not too little and I felt stuffed! They also offer ube pancakes so I'm definitely waiting for next time to try those. They have so many options for drinks! I love that they incorporated ube in their desserts and drinks as well. Ube is not common to find! If you have any allergies just let them know :) The environment is nice - I appreciate that it's non-English music the most. The bathrooms are spotless which is appreciated :) How to order for dine-in: 1. Go to the front counter and order 2. They assign you a table that already has a number 3. They bring the food and drinks 4. You eat and then someone picks up the plates For pickup orders: Just call their number. They don't use delivery apps. The staff are friendly and this is family owned! Support local family businesses! Small business with a big heart ❤️"

"I can't recommend this place enough! The food was absolutely amazing, the place was super cozy, the ambiance was immaculate, and the service was fantastic. It's rare to see a Filipino restaurant in the burbs, and to have it be so good is a blessing. I finally don't have to drive to the city or beg some friends to let me stay for dinner to try some good Filipino food. If you are dining in, you have to order first before you sit since space is limited, but the menu explains each dish well and the workers will help you if you're confused on what to order. I got the tapsilog meal which is marinated beef, and got it with garlic fried rice and an over easy egg (trust me, for this you want the egg over easy). Every piece was great. The marination on the beef was top notch and the huge thing of garlic fried rice was great, especially with the runny yolk. It also comes with atchara which is like some pickled veggies for the acidity. My wife got the Tocino loaded fries. Take a typical loaded fries of cheese and meat, but add a lot more flavor to the fork tender pork shoulder, add an amazing aoli sauce, and also add a sunny side up egg because a runny yolk is great on any starch. Btw, the portion size was HUGE on this. Also, the fries were super crispy I wasn't expecting the fries themselves to be that good. We were too full for dessert but decided to get the Ube/Matcha tiramisu to go and once we tried that we were blown away. Would highly recommend getting their desserts if you can."

"Our family of 4 ate dinner here last and we will definitely be going back. The inside of the restaurant has a cute vibe. The service is great; everyone is so friendly and helpful with the menu. We ordered a couple appetizers and 3 entrees to share. We enjoyed everything but the ribs were AMAZING!!!! Definitely go with the garlic fried rice. The salad went well with all the dishes. I liked that they used real plates, glasses, and utensils. The carry out containers are compostable which we like as well. They have gender neutral bathrooms which is always a plus. Highly recommend."