Pinoy Cafe - Cedar Rapids

I'm always pleasantly surprised to find Filipino food in the Cedar Rapids area. It's rather sparse and I was impressed by how good the pancit and lumpia was! The taro boba was sweet, but not too sweet, and creamy and delicious!

I was so surprised to see that the NewBo had a Filipino kitchen called the Pinoy Cafe! What?!?! Filipino food here in Cedar Rapids! Are my eyes deceiving me? The menu items are limited, but she offers Filipino staple items like Pork Adobo (Filipino Pork dish marinated in soy sauce and vinegar), Pork or Vegetable Lumpia, (Filipino egg rol) and Pancit (a Filipino rice noodle with vegetables and usually chicken or pork), and of course rice! We actually ordered a Combo Dish with Bar-B-Que chicken, rice, and 2 pieces of lumpia. After a bite of the lumpia, we ordered another 5 more pieces! Yum!This food booth also sells delicious Boba drinks and Bu! Now these were quite pricey! I am use to seeing Boba drinks all over California, but this was my first time seeing one in Iowa. We ordered the Thai Milk Boba Drink and a Strawberry Boba Drink!! Yummy! I miss getting these while I have been here in Iowa! In California, they are practically on every other block or strip mall, but I guess it hasn't really become as popular out this way. Boba drinks or Bubble Tea are often creamy milk smoothies or flavored teas that contain these round, chewy, tapioca balls that are placed at the bottom of the drink and add a unique texture and delightful surprise with almost every sip! Sooooo tasty and fun! The only shocking thing for me was the price! I have never paid so much for a Thai Boba Drink or a Strawberry Bubble Tea in all the years of drinking them out in California! I was a bit shocked at the price, but that didn't stop me from buying them! I've gotten one every time I have come to the NewBo! I love these drinks! And they have them for the lactose free people as well!After meeting and talking with the very nice Filipina woman who owns the Pinoy Cafe, I found out that she is going to be closing shop by the end of the month! After running a very successful and well respected food booth for the past 5 years, she has decided she wants to stay home with her kids before they grow up to be too old to want to spend time with mommy. I was heartbroken to hear that she will be closing up shop! This has been the only Filipino food place in all of the Cedar Rapids area! It may not have been the best Filipino food that I've ever tasted, but it was pretty solid. And how else will anyone here get to experience even a little taste of Filipino food if this place closes down? I feel like this is such a great tragedy for the cool young hipsters and the old timers who come to hang out at the NewBo that may never get the opportunity to try any Filipino food ever again! She did say that she will most likely keep her website up for the Pinoy Cafe and offer lumpia made to order. And maybe after the kids are grown, she might reopen. Who knows?!If you have never eaten Filipino food or never tried this particular spot at the NewBo, go check it out! Let's say goodbye to our local Filipino Iowan gal with a warm good luck for the future!

I got the Thai tea boba and it was pretty bad. Honey pearls were overcooked and super soft, almost a soggy texture. The Thai tea itself was watered down and flavorless.Giving 2 stares for the benefit of the doubt cause the boba isn't their main thing.

We went here as a family and tried several of their traditional Filipino dishes. loved their adobo. It was a different version than my Lola's. loved their Turon and Ube ice cream. we will definitely go back!

One of the best places inside NewBo. Amazing boba tea! ?