Ribs and Redemption at Casa Verde in Ayala Center’s The Terraces

I’ve always been a fan of baby back ribs. Whenever there’s an opportunity, I’ll make sure to order one….but at the right price. Usually, you can’t have it both ways with ribs. You’ll either pay a premium to enjoy the truly delectable ones or be wary of the ones that come cheap.

Fortunately for Cebuanos and Cebu visitors, there is one restaurant that has been serving affordable and delicious ribs for a while already. Casa Verde started out in a house converted to a restaurant near Ramos Street. Now, more people are enjoying their ribs and other dishes with the opening of branches at The Walk in the Asiatown I.T. Park and at The Terraces in Ayala Center Cebu.

I tried out Casa Verde at the Asiatown I.T. Park when it opened at the latter part of 2008. Since I've already tasted their ribs, my wife and I tried out their other dishes. My wife had pasta while I had a steak. The result was one of the worse dining experiences I had in my life.

I can’t even recall the names of our orders. There were more onions and bell pepper than pasta in my wife’s order. My steak was so small and the rice serving was equally miniscule. Food quality and quantity was not worth the price. Right there and then, my wife and I swore never to eat at Casa Verde again.

But fate would bring us back to Casa Verde when my wife’s officemates came to visit from Manila recently. They heard about Casa Verde's famous ribs and wanted to try it out.

It was packed when we arrived at Casa Verde in The Terraces. Even though they were still in soft opening, the service was quite excellent. The waiters got my cell phone number so they can contact me when tables become available. The waiters were very accommodating when they were unable to place us in one table. They promised to transfer us to one long table as soon as other patrons finished dining.

My wife and I settled at the bar and ordered Brian’s Ribs (baby back ribs) and Shrimps On The Barbie (skewered shrimps). We crossed our fingers while waiting for our orders.

We were caught by surprise when our orders arrived quickly. Ribs and shrimps under 10 minutes is fast. I was confident the ribs would be delicious. I was more apprehensive with the shrimps. Thankfully, the shrimp dish did not disappoint.

In my opinion, aside from its affordability, the sauce makes the ribs Casa Verde’s bestseller. The sauce is not the typical baby back ribs barbecue sauce. It’s more on the sweet side. It reminds me of tocino sauce. The only drawback with the ribs was its consistency. Some portions were not as soft and juicy as other portions.

shouldn't miss ribs

I tasted a familiar tinge of sweetness when I tried the shrimps. I was sure the marinade for the shrimps contained similar ingredients as the ribs sauce. The combination of onions and bell pepper with the shrimps plus the marinade has catapulted this dish to number two in my Casa Verde favorites list. For a seafood dish, this was quite cheap at P168.

yummy skewered shrimps

Additionally, the plain and harvest rice plus the side dishes of corn and carrots and buttered vegetables were perfect complements to the ribs and the shrimps.

Casa Verde at the Terraces impressed me with its efficient, excellent service and their delicious food. I also noticed that the steak entree I ordered previously was not on the menu anymore. When someone sitting beside us at the bar coincidentally ordered the pasta my wife had at their I.T. Park branch, I noticed that the dish was served as it should be, with lesser bell peppers and onions than pasta. Casa Verde completely redeemed itself.

Now, if only Casa Verde could continue to keep its prices affordable. I remember when Casa Verde ribs cost around P100. Now, it costs P188 for an order. If they keep increasing prices, I may have to look for other restaurants to have my ribs. That is if I ever find one.

I also need to point out some downsides which do not concern the food. First is the menu. It is not presentable at all with masking tape placed all over to mark changes in entrée prices and note unavailable menu items. Why can’t they just print new menus? Second is the overall theme of the restaurant. I noticed they are cloning T.G.I. Friday’s, from the interiors to the way the waiters dress. The dominant color may be different but the similarities are unmistakable. They need to be more original.

Overall, my "new" experience with Casa Verde has placed it back in my radar for restaurants to visit again. Despite my other concerns, food quality and restaurant service are top notch. Ultimately, their ribs should be enough reason for me and for everyone else to visit and then keep coming back.