Jolibee is everywhere int the Philippines but has not too many branches in the US. In fact, to my knowledge, there are currently 72 Jollibee stores in 14 states. I went to a few branches in Hawaii, California and Nevada.
If you're in the United States and you travel north (or southeast if you're in Alaska), you might start to feel like you're in a completely different country. There's still McDonald's but you'll see other fast food joints like A&W. Apparently A&W used to be in the U.S., but they somehow managed to screw it up (but still keep the root beer). I think it's the most popular hamburger joint next to McDonald's up here. I'm not big on fast food anymore, but I'll go to an A&W before any other--who doesn't love a Teen Burger, a Mama Burger, a Papa Burger? And they got the root beer.
What else--Harvey's, Swiss Chalet, Boston Pizza (actually started in Edmonton, Alberta, not Boston), White Spot.
There's also Tim Horton's--which used to be a nice doughnut shop (when I lived in Edmonton, doughnut shops were everywhere, so sometimes we'd go to Tim Horton's--but more often Sunshine Donuts and Fudge which was open all night and everyone from university would hang out there after midnight). Now they try to make out that Tim's is the place that every Canadian must go to, but I never do--and I doubt its standing as a truly Canadian fast food place (it's been owned by different non-Canadian fast food companies, with locations outside the Great White North).
I think Mrs. Horton sold her shares.
My favourite coffee place is Java Jive. When I was going to university in Edmonton, I would stop there every morning in the HUB Mall to get my Java Jive (preferably French Roast) before class to open my eyes. Or if they didn't have French Roast in HUB, I'd try my luck at the Java Jive in the Student Union Building. I still have dreams that I'm in HUB going for a Java Jive. They also opened a restaurant kitty corner to where I lived and a friend of mine worked there, so I'd go visit her and get a free coffee. I believe they had locations all around Alberta but not outside. Whenever I've gone back to Edmonton and got a Java Jive, I've been knocked out how powerful their French Roast is--a serious stimulant. But haven't stopped in Edmonton in the last twenty years long enough to get a coffee (passing through by train or airplane)--so it might not exist anymore.
Jim Kelly and other Canadian posters, there are 29 Jollibee stores in Canada. I visited a branch in Vancouver. Sorry for the double post but I am allowed to post only one video per post.
There are five Jollibee stores in NYC including Times Square. Haven't been to NYC in several years. But when I go there, I'd love to eat in a Jollibee restaurant in Times Square.
There's a large Filipino population in Vancouver and has been for many years, so I'm surprised there's only two Jollibee here--they could open up one in my old neighbourhood (East Van).
Many different cultures in my city. I was in the mall the other day and at the food fair, I marvelled at how you could visit the whole world via the food on offer. Although my usual go-to is poutine.
The California roll, despite its name, was invented in Vancouver (some sources dispute this). We love to name stuff after places not in Canada. Hawaiian pizza was invented in Chatham, Ontario. But I feel like this is just a natural combination of flavours (always like to have pineapple with ham, so if you put ham on a pizza then you might as well add pineapple)--someone was bound to invent it.
coming to Arlington Texas in the next couple of months. Intriguing. Fried chicken, plus spaghetti, plus salisbury steaks/hamburgers, lol. What a combo!
in the DFW area, so many places I haven't bothered to visit yet.
Williams chicken
https://williamschicken.com/
chicken express
www.chickene.com
taco bueno
www.tacobueno.com
taco casa
www.tacocasa.com
taco cabana
www.tacocabana.com
Last edited by Hypestyle; 12-16-2023 at 07:14 AM.
Yeah, Jollibee establishes their restaurants only in cities and towns with large Filipino-American/-Canadian communities. That's why there are few Jollibees in the whole of North America.
Jollibee has 5 branches in Hawaii and 31 in California.
https://locations.jollibeefoods.com/usa
So you want to try Jolly spaghetti? I don't know if any of the 6 Jollibee stores in Texas have the same thing or different recipe, but some people, especially non-Filipinos find Jollibee spaghetti to be too sweet. I tried it before, and it was a bit too sweet. I don't know if it is true, but I hear the spaghetti sauce was ketchup mixed with sugar, cooked along with the spaghetti. A youtuber once commented, that Italians tasted Jollibee spaghetti,
they would call it blasphemy to their cuisine.
The peach mango pie (Jollibee's answer to McDonald's apple pie) is also sweet. Apparently, Filipinos like sweet things.
Salisbury steaks and burgers are somewhat good, in my opinion. But Jollibee fried chicken is awesome. Tender and crispy.
Last edited by Zauriel; 12-19-2023 at 04:04 AM.
the last time I visited my family's home in Manila, I was able to find at least seven Jollibee restaurants within 1 kilometre radius of my family's house. So many Jollibees within one neighborhood. 1150 Jollibee locations in the Philippines, from what I heard.