Up on the post-Foster stretches of Lincoln Ave., Adobo used to be a Filipino quick-service café and mini-market in its youth. The clientele was mostly native of the cuisine, looking for its $3.95 signature specials like whole tilapia and breakfast staples like tapsilog and longsilog – fried rice and egg dishes, usually served with salted meats.

This was all until management bought out the adjacent storefront and suited the place in dinner tables and a semi-circle bar (though oddly with a BYOB policy) to draw a more diverse dine-in crowd. So Adobo is many things now: a full-service restaurant, a specialty goods deli – complete with produce, meat, fish and baked goods – a quick-service cafe and even a DVD rental depot, where you can score the latest in cinefilipino.

Those café specials are still in tow, changing “solo” and “combo” options of various curry, beef and fish dishes daily, and still starting at $3.95. The restaurant side still expounds upon the namesake adobo fare – usually pork or chicken simmered until crispy in soy, vinegar and chipotle chili peppers.

Centerstage Reviewer: Gavin Paul