SmallFry’s welcomes our guests to bring their own food, but if you would rather the convenience of not bringing everything and having to cook, we have a large group menu that makes dining for a large number of people quite affordable.
This is especially convenient for families who book the Filipino Family Cottage, and would just prefer to relax for the day. We ask when possible that you give us advance notice when you make your booking so that we are sure to have all the supplies ahead of time. Enjoy your stay at SmallFry’s Beach Resort! Come as our guests, leave like Family. 🙂
Carthels has become our favorite spot for a morning coffee. It’s about 1hr walk/trek from SmallFry’s up the mountain. It’s not on Google Maps, but here is a link to the location. We discovered Carthel’s by accident when we were trekking through the mountains and someone recommended we go there. It was pretty tricky to find it the first time and we had to ask people at every intersection. Now there are signs from the highway and it is pretty simple to find. It has become a favorite for cyclists from San Carlos because it is about the right distance for a couple hours ride, and the last kilometer is through the forest which is very nice.
We have been there about 10 times now, and each time we go they have made improvements and additions. Initially they just had coffee and simple snacks from the Sari Sari. We have made suggestions each time we go, and either they are listening, or have thought of it themselves. Now you can get other snacks and Adobo there if you order in advance, or can wait long enough. But the best part of Carthel’s is the friendly atmosphere. Even the dog “Lucky” makes you feel welcome.
Carthel’s is very colourful, and they keep adding more things to see, climb, and take selfies. The treehouses are great for kids to climb. I’m sure we will be going back again and again. If you are staying at SmallFry’s and want to get a bit of morning exercise, we are very happy to take you there.
As trekking and discovering new places is a personal interest of ours, and as service to visitors to our Website, and our guests, SmallFry’s Beach Resort will post blogs about where we visit so others can share in our experiences.
Sampat on Dalhia Street in San Carlos City is back from the main road and until recently we did not even know it was there. We enjoyed it so much the first time, we have been back four more times already.
At home we primarily eat Filipino so when we are out I usually order Western food if they have it. I’ll start by saying the Filipino food is excellent. I tried everything that my wife ordered and the last time we were there I order Filipino too. This was primarily because on the Western sandwiches side of the menu I never found anything I would order again. The tuna melt was the best of the worst but the mayonnaise was very sweet and overpowering. The crispy chicken sandwich wasn’t, the club sandwich was OK but too gooey and too much sweet mayonnaise again. But the worst of all was the bacon grilled cheese. It’s not real cheddar. They use the local Eden cheese which is dry, tasteless and just horrible in a sandwich. A bit disappointing. If you like good Western style food I’d recommend Mr. C’s, Mike’s Burgers and of course Smallfry’s Beach Resort. But if you like Filipino, Sampat has some of the best we’ve tried at a very reasonable price. The staff is great, the place has a nice ambience, and the beer is cold. We will be back again.
As trekking and discovering new places is a personal interest of ours, and as service to visitors to our Website, and our guests, SmallFry’s Beach Resort will post blogs about where we visit so others can share in our experiences.
One of the nice things about living in or visiting the San Carlos City and Calatrava area is exploring the mountains. Whether you like to trek, enjoy the views, or just have a nice place to have a morning coffee, there are dozens of places to choose from if you can find them. As trekking and discovering new places is a personal interest of ours, and as service to our guests, SmallFry’s Beach Resort will post blogs periodically so others can share in our experiences.
We went back up the mountain in Calatrava and this time stopped at Tawhay Sa Bukid. This cafe has been around a long time and has decent food and great views. Like most of the places up the mountain, parking can be tricky. If you have a motorcycle or truck you can park on the hill. If you have a car you would probably need to park on the highway. The coffee was a bit bitter, but the bacon and eggs for 55 pesos was surprising good! The tables are lined up against the railing which gives you a night view to look at while having breakfast.
While at breakfast, we were a bit surprised to see there was a 15 peso entrance fee. For what? The view? On the way out we saw the path up the hill, and there is a few attractions to see. A couple are good for selfies, especially the “hand”, but certainly not that interesting. Would we go back? Not for the attractions or coffee, but the staff is friendly and maybe for the bacon and eggs.
