From the aromas you experience walking into Gerry’s Grill in Chinatown, you might think you just entered a trendy eatery on restaurant row in Metro Manila, the capital of the Philippines.
Indeed, the eatery is a gastronomic first cousin of its namesake that was founded in the hip entertainment district in Quezon City, a key part of the Manila area.
Like the original, Gerry’s in Chinatown is for anyone who enjoys Filipino hospitality, food and live music.
“We want our visitors to have a pleasurable dining experience that offers the freshest Filipino favorites,” said Dennis Mayoral, branch manager. “We want everyone to experience the beauty of the some of the foods that make up Filipino cuisine.”
Accordingly, Gerry’s menu has a decidedly large selection to choose from. Among the most iconic grilled items are iconic squid dishes and others that feature pork, beef and chicken. Each dish is among the favorites of those who come from a nation atop an archipelago of 7,000 islands where native peoples in Southeast Asia were greatly influenced by the invasion of Spaniards in the 16th Century.
There’s the sisig pusit (spicy grilled squid) and inihaw na pusit (marinated squid stuffed with tomatoes and onions) and the delectable beef kare-kare (creamy peanut-butter-based stew filled with chunks of tender oxtail, beef and veggies).
The squid melts in your mouth with a burst of the sea, and there’s a pleasant fusion of flavors and spices in each bite of the kare-kare. Other favorites are the pancit (stir-fried noodles), special sizzling marinated pork belly, and the crispy, grilled pata (pork hock baked on the bone).
The Gerry’s Grill Chinatown location has been open since 2018, in part thanks to Texas being the fourth largest American home to ethnic Filipinos. It joins three other U.S. Gerry’s Grill restaurants in California and more than 100 other sites dotted throughout the Philippines, Singapore, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
“There’s a group of people who really desire Filipino flavors in Houston,” Mayoral added, pointing to table after table of dedicated clients – mostly Filipinos – some of whom had lined up at the door that day before the restaurant opened. “We take pride in delivering quality and service so that our customers walk away feeling great about the food and can’t wait to come back.”
Prices run the gamut, but most main entrees start at $15 – $20. Portions are large.
The eatery, with a full bar, features live entertainment on the weekends with bands that play throughout the evening until closing. The restaurant is a few steps west of the main part of Dunhuang Plaza.
Gerry’s Grill Houston
W. Sam Houston Parkway, Ste. 109
www.instagram.com/gerrysgrillhouston
(832) 582-8638
Monday-Thursday: Lunch from noon to 3 p.m., dinner: 5- 9 p.m.
Friday, Saturday: noon – midnight
Sundays: noon – 9 p.m.
