Cottage Kitchen Cafe: Comfort Food in Pampanga

Whenever my work takes me to Angeles, Pampanga, my co-workers and I always go to Cottage Kitchen to taste some Southern cooking. This time, we weren't sure what we would find since we heard that the original owner, Jim, died and the restaurant was under new management. 

Cottage Kitchen : Cajun Creole Restaurant and Jazz Pub

The restaurant is still at its original location at Don Juico Ave. They renovated the place to make it bigger, put a couple more tables, made it more brighter and attempted to put some privacy between tables by putting some white muslim curtains. Before, it was very dark and you could barely see what you were eating. 

big bright painting of jazz singers are put around the room

Ahhhh ..... nice Corona 

My co-workers ordered Clam Chowder which came in a very big bowl with a couple of Sky Flakes. The chowder had a nice, clean, fresh flavor. The clam taste was not really overpowering. The broth was thick and creamy enough. Plenty of bits and pieces of fish, potatoes, clams and whatnot. Good soup on a cold night.

Clam Chowder P270

The Southern Fish Fried Dinner came with fries and coleslaw. Coleslaw was good -  crispy lettuce/carrots/onions with a tangy/sweet mayonnaise. Fries were hand cut and big. Instead of using the usual Cream Dory, I was informed they used Red Snapper (my friend immediately Googled it and found it was locally known as Maya-Maya). The fish was quite firm and meaty. They used some kind of breadcrumb as opposed to flour. Surprisingly different from the other fish and chips I've tasted.

Southern Fried Fish Dinner - P350

Of course you don't go to Cottage Kitchen without trying their famous Barbecued Ribs. 2 of my co-workers decided to share the Jimmy's Red Hots full order. Each order comes with coleslaw, baked beans, and your choice of french fries, potato salad or rice. I grabbed a piece of barbecued ribs to taste and all I could say was "Hot!!!"

Don't get me wrong .... it was really good; very tender meat with little fat, the smoky flavor and the right sweet/salty/sour combination of the barbecued sauce which does not taste like it came from a bottle. But I already drank my beer, ate some fries and I could still taste how hot it was.

The baked beans was really good as well and the potato salad would have been better with less dressing.

Above is 1/2 order of Jimmy's Red Hot. Full order - P445

 Even though we were full, we decided to try their dessert.

Pecan Pie - P190

 Pecan Pie was a real disappointment. The filling was just not good and the pecan was too stingy.

Apple Pie ala Mode - P160

Apple Pie fared better. Nice crust, apples were cooked enough that it was soft yet firm, Vanilla ice cream was different (we suspect it was Blue Bunny - an ice cream being sold at membership only store S n R). 

blurred image of the barbecues being offered

Final Verdict?

Liked their food. Dishes were great, tasted good and fresh (as opposed to having a dish cooked then frozen for a couple of days). Serving time was not too slow (waited about 10-15 mins). The price is a bit high but the serving is good for two. We had to raise our voices a bit to call a waitress' attention since they were all at the bar. Wish they would have pictures on the menu or even a description so you would know what you're eating. Dessert was a bit of a bust. However, over all, I look forward to eating here again once I'm in town.

Cottage Kitchen Cafe

#582 Don Juico Ave

Angeles, Pampanga

Tel 045-8932599