Roadside Diners
Siquijor Circumferential Road, San Juan, 6227 Siquijor
Roadside Diners is the place everyone in San Juan ends up recommending — and one of the few on Siquijor where locals, Filipino holidaymakers and foreign backpackers all turn up at the same hour for the same dishes. A family-run canteen on the roadside, no decor, no pretence. That is exactly what built its reputation: 4.8 out of 5 from more than 400 Google reviews, which puts it among the highest-rated places on the island in any category.
What to eat
Everyday Filipino cooking, with a genuine Thai branch on part of the menu. Chicken inasal — marinated grilled chicken served with rice and a small salad — is the signature plate. Then come chicken green curry and yellow curry, a vegetable curry for vegetarians, liempo (grilled pork belly), sizzling bulalo, sinigang, lumpia (fresh vegetable spring rolls) and a mango float for dessert that reviews mention almost every time.
Prices
The only two prices we can confirm today: 135 ₱ for chicken inasal with rice and salad, and 20 ₱ for lumpia on the side. That tells you where this place sits: a full meal for what a single dish costs elsewhere, in portions every review describes as generous. By a wide margin, it is the best value at the top end of the island's rankings.
Opening hours
Open every day: 8am to 11pm Monday to Friday, and from 7am on Saturday and Sunday. That range is rare on Siquijor — this is one of the only places in San Juan where you can still get a proper dinner at 10pm without improvising.
Practical
Phone: +63 936 188 6466. No reservations, you just turn up. It is often full at dinner, especially between 7pm and 8.30pm: if you arrive then, expect a short wait — and take it as a good sign.
Our view
Roadside Diners is, in our opinion, one of the best tables on Siquijor — and the most affordable on that short list. If you only remember one address for eating Filipino food properly in San Juan without denting your budget, make it this one. For an even more local, even cheaper canteen, see Lovez Food House. For Italian at the other end of the range, Dolce Amore.