If you’re looking for the best Filipino spots in Maryland, this list is for you. These are six of my go-to places (unranked) for Filipino comfort food + desserts. Quick note: hours/locations can change, so I always recommend double-checking their latest info before you go.
1) Mama Rosa Grill (Middle River)
This spot is such a gem when you’re craving classic Filipino comfort food. Their menu is stacked with staples (and yes, I’m still obsessed with the lechon kawali + garlic rice, plus lumpia as a must). What I also love is how many options you can knock out in one order – they offer Filipino breakfast plates all day, plus Filipino desserts/drinks like halo-halo and other sweet treats on their online menu. They also do catering trays, which is perfect if you’re feeding a group.
📍836 Middle River Rd ste c, Middle River, MD 21220
⏰ 8-8PM daily
2) Namit Filipino Barbecue (Columbia)
Namit is one of those “how is this food truck THIS good?” situations. They’re Columbia-based but move around, so the best move is to check their socials for where they’re parked.
Menu-wise: if you’re going for my personal faves, it’s skewers + sisig all day! PS. They’re working towards a brick-and-mortar location in Howard County which is SUPER exciting so keep an eye out for updates.
📍Columbia-based
⏰ Check their Instagram to see where they’re posted up
3) Kuya Ja’s Lechon Belly (Rockville)
I couldn’t do a Maryland Filipino roundup without Kuya Ja’s. They’re known for Cebu-style lechon (aka the crispy, juicy, “worth-the-hype” kind), and it’s a fast-casual setup that makes it easy to grab a tray and go. You honestly can’t go wrong with anything there though, PLUS they offer Gwenie’s desserts as well.
📍5268-H Nicholson Ln, Kensington, MD 20895
⏰W-Sa 11-9PM, Su 11-8PM
4) Cake Out (Columbia)
Dessert people, listen up. Cake Out is a Filipino-inspired home bakery in Columbia, and they specialize in cakes inspired by flavors/styles from the Philippines. The vibe is soft, light, and “why is this gone already?” Ha.
Their Chocolate Dreamcake is a fan favorite (and for good reason), and ordering is typically preorder/DM-based, so it’s best to plan ahead. OH and it they’re offering their sampler, make sure you secure one ASAP because it comes with allll the flavors.
📍Home Bakery
⏰ DM to order or head to Bakesy
5) James Fiesta Grill (Parkville)
This spot’s a casual, homey Filipino spot tucked into a shopping center in Parkville (it’s easy to miss if you’re not looking for it). It’s known for cooked-to-order Filipino dishes , and the owner specifically calls out best-sellers like pork BBQ, lechon kawali, lumpia shanghai, pinakbet, and sisig. My personal fave though? Their pansit. Seriously next level.
If you’re ever in Southern Maryland and craving pansit yourself, Nena’s in Lexington Park serves a pansit combo out of an Asian market and it’s very much worth the stop.
📍8428 Willow Oak Rd, Parkville, MD 21234
⏰W-Sa 11-7:30PM, Su 11-6PM
6) Gwenie’s Pastries (Rockville + Frederick)
One of the best Filipino bakeries around, and they’ve got two Maryland locations (Rockville + Frederick). My personal faves are their ube cheesecake (SO good) and brioche-style filled doughnuts with flavors like ube, mango, pandan, and nutella. They’re equally delicious so I recommend getting one of each…and then some, lol.
📍12113 Nebel St, Rockville, MD 20852 // ⏰ W-Sa 10-6PM, Su 10-3PM
📍220 Shorebird St. Ste. B, Frederick, MD 21701 // ⏰ M-Su 8-5PM
If you’ve been to any of these spots, LMK what you ordered in the comments. And if there’s a Maryland Filipino gem I need to add to my list, drop it for me! OH and I’m already going to check out Matthew’s Grill and I just featured Manila Mart on my 100 Asian Restaurants in Maryland series on Instagram. Click here to check it out!
For more on yum Maryland eats, click here.