Belly’s Grill
Another testament to Davao’s being barbecue country is Belly’s Grill. I believe they opened sometime last year, but yesterday was only my first time there. The place used to be a pizza-and-beer joint called “Sage” (yeah, a few establishments in Davao do have inexplicably strange names). Now it’s a restaurant that serves mouth-watering grilled and seafood fare.
We had kinilaw (Davao-style sashimi), scallops, deep-fried tuna tail and bangus (milkfish) belly. Sure we had meat dishes too, but it was the seafood that wowed us. The baked scallops — topped with cheese and garlic — were so tasty we had to have another serving!
The deep-fried tuna, though, was a tad overcooked. Still, it was a filling treat. Too bad we couldn’t finish it because we ordered too much. I guess we didn’t know just how much we were going to get. The price? An unbelievable P40 per 100g! We had an 800-gram serving…
A friend told me once that the Belly’s spare ribs were highly recommended. But when we had it yesterday, it didn’t live up to expectation. The longganiza, on the other hand, was really good. Not to overindulge, though, since it’s chock-full of cholesterol.
The place itself isn’t wondrously appointed — but people don’t go there for its aesthetics. At least it’s clean and air-conditioned, and the service is OK. It’s a large restaurant, too. Big groups can definitely enjoy lunch or dinner there.
By the way, their fruit shakes, my companions told me, aren’t bad at all. One said she liked the durian shake. There were four of us and we all came away with satisfied palates and heavy bellies.
Belly’s Grill is located on the corner of Quirino Ave. and Mabini St., inside a mini arcade. If you’re coming from the south, it’s right before (and same side as) the Bangko Sentral building.
Photos courtesy of Aileen Apolo.
July 3rd, 2007 at 2:38 pm
I ate at Belly’s Grill about a year ago or so, but I didn’t like the food. I felt like everything we ordered tasted the same, was kind of over-sauced with their barbecue sauce. Maybe I need to try it again, perhaps it’s improved.
July 3rd, 2007 at 2:51 pm
Bob, actually that’s still true. If you notice, I kept saying “barbecue” and “grill” — well, that’s the way grilled food is, right? They all taste the same, depending on the sauce..
For me, it was good eating because they got the barbecue art down pat.
July 4th, 2007 at 6:41 am
Hi Blogie - I guess my problem was that I didn’t really like their sauce!
July 9th, 2007 at 12:18 am
I loved the scallops! Hehe. I would’ve eaten more, but then I thought maybe Cebu Pacific won’t let me ride the plane if I got so big.
July 10th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
Damn! I missed the scallops!
Lawgaw ka Blogie, nag laway ko hahahaha.
October 3rd, 2007 at 9:44 pm
Hello Blogie
I was informed by a friend of mine who resides at tokyo, japan about your blog regarding bellys grill. It was so nice of you to post nice comments about our food. Rest assured we will continue to served the best food. And also pls. try our new MONGOLIAN BUFFET,with wide selection to choose from .For only 180/head, during fri, sat and sundays dinner only
tnx
October 4th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
@Henry Haw — It was my pleasure! Sige, I’ll go and try your Mongolian Buffet soon.
October 12th, 2007 at 9:46 am
Hi Blogie! I did a post on Belly’s Grill…how do I link your post to my site. Sensha na ha…kiddie level talaga when it comes to blogging.:)
October 12th, 2007 at 10:43 am
@Davao’s Food Huntress — Hi there! Normally what I see most bloggers do, since you mentioned me in your post, you’d link my name to the URL of this post here. For example:
My brother and <a href="http://www.angdabawenyo.com/2007/07/03/bellys-grill/trackback">Blogie</a> have been raving...This is what’s called a trackback.
October 12th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
Blogie…THANKS A LOT! Super! I think I got it right, siyempre, copy and paste lang kasi! Hahahaha! Thanks again!
October 12th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
@DFH — Glad to be of help. And thanks for the trackback!