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Quality food is the frequent source of awesome goodness. WOWBatangas Team had a “BIGG” brunch today in the grand opening of Bigg’s Diner at SM City Lipa. Bigg’s Diner gives you another American dining experience, where the price justifies the quality of the food in their menu.
You might perceive that a foreign corporation owns Bigg’s Diner especially if you’ve already seen the restaurant as you strong along the lines of restaurants and food chains on the mall’s ground floor. Nope. Bigg’s Diner started out in Naga and was brought into being by Bicolanos whose love for good food flourished into the rest of Bicolandia.
“Bigg” Things Start from Small Beginnings
It all started out from a small take-out window under a staircase of a cinema in Naga. This business was a brainchild of three friends who have the same passion for good food. Nena Bichara, Teresa Buenaflor, and Maricar Manjon introduced a hamburgers and fries store and tagged it Mang Donald’s.
Mang Donald’s budded from their hopes of bringing quality but affordable food for the local folks of Naga. Mang Donald’s was introduced to the Nagueños on January 18, 1983. Surprisingly, Mang Donald’s became a huge hit. It attracted supporters and diners who fell in love with their original homegrown flavor for an otherwise ordinary-tasting hamburgers and fries.
Although McDonald’s gave Mang Donald’s a strong recall among its customers, a legal suit prompted the management to stop its operation. Then came Nald’s. This is another take-out counter but this time, they served local dishes such as goto and dinuguan. Just as how the people embraced Mang Donald’s, Nald’s also received massive support from the Nagueños. This pushed the owners to include a dine-in area.
It seemed like there’s no reason for the management to settle for what they had back then. Introducing something new and exciting has always been part of the owners’ goals. Hence, Carl’s Diner was born. Carl’s Diner (the owners’ common denominator: sons named Carlos) was a casual, fun (yes, fun) dining restaurant yet it integrated a faster type of service than that of other restaurants.
From Mang Donald’s to Nald’s, Carl’s Diner eventually became Bigg’s Diner. The paramount success of Bigg’s Diner in Bicol paved the way for this fast-casual food chain’s introduction here in Batangas. The newly opened branch at SM City Lipa is Bigg’s 15th store.
Inside the Bigg’s Diner
You would really, I mean really, be amazed with how the interior of Bigg’s Diner was conceptualized and materialized. If you’re a minimalist, you may probably see the whole look of Bigg’s as a clutter, well, a gorgeous clutter. For you would see a lot of stuffs hanged, pasted, etcetera. I mean, there are too many things to look at, interesting ones.
I agree that this is something both the old and the young ones would appreciate. Everything here is retro. So the elders of your family would adore the place. But the nostalgic memoirs of Presley and Monroe associated with clever furnishings will also beguile the Gen XYZ because the entirety of Bigg’s interior still appears current. Don’t forget to bring your family or friends with you!
The restaurant is divided into three areas: the classic diner which is at the main entrance, a reminiscent of typical American restaurants in the ‘50s; right in the middle resembles the interior of a train; the last one is like the sports diner where you would see faces of Muhammad Ali, Magic Johnson, and other power athletes of their era, printed as wallpaper.
We’re Good Food, Not Fast Food
They have baby back ribs, crispy chicken, meaty spaghetti, the Extreme Burger line, and other meals that would keep you coming back. If you are a fan of American food, pasta, and other Western meals, Bigg’s Diner assures you of quality food in reasonable prices.
From the meal served earlier, here’s what left a mark on the team:
Yung iced tea. Para kasing may herb flavor s’ya na tamang-tama for something na kakagaling lang sa gym, kagaya ko kanina. Refreshing saka may distinct taste talaga. Sariling timpla daw yun eh. — Gerlie
Yung pork barbeque… I like its nutty flavor. May konting tamis, may ibang flavor sa marinade. Different from all the BBQs I’ve tried before. — Dyan
Yung barbeque. Aba! Ngayon ko lang nalasahan yung ganung timpla. — Mane
The spaghetti because I’m a pasta man, hahaha. Sakto ang pagka-pula at maraming karne — Alva
Barbeque, hindi sya dry, kahit walang sauce okay na. — JR
All in all, it was another fun dining experience we had and definitely we’ll be coming back to try out other meals on their list. I’m really excited to try the Extreme Burgers!
They may have foreign dishes on the menu but what matters is that Bigg’s Diner is definitely Pinoy-owned and their goal of bringing gastronomical satisfaction to every diner is truly a mark of Filipino hospitality. Something we should all be proud of. From Bicol to Batangas, welcome, Bigg’s Diner!
We were just at Bigg’s Diner at SM Lipa earlier today to have dinner and guess what?! It took them 45 minutes to serve our 4 orders of Baby Back Ribs! FORTY FIVE MINUTES!!! Unbelievable!
We were just at Bigg’s Diner at SM Lipa earlier today to have dinner and guess what?! It took them 45 minutes to serve our 4 orders of Baby Back Ribs! FORTY FIVE MINUTES!!! Unbelievable!