Kawali Filipino Cuisine

Reviews

• Nelson B.

  star star star star star 27 September 2026

  Wow!!
  
  It is really hard to find a Filipino restaurant in the Dayton area.
  Heck, it is hard to find one anywhere in this region of the country.
  
  So it is so nice that the one we find is really good.
  I was just in the Philippines last year and this food tastes just as good.
  
  I recommend the lechon Kawali and the lumpia.

• Connie M.

  star star star star_border star_border 25 September 2026

  Three stars because the food wasn't all that great, but the lady working there was very hospitable so she got them an extra star.
  
  It's a cafeteria style dining. The pork adobo was oily and their chicken adobo was dry (they used the breast part) and salty. We also had their pinakbet and it just didn't measure up to better ones I've had. Their pancit was just ok. No wow factor. Lastly, their turon (banana lumpia), that one was good. I wished they'd caramelized the cinnamon sugar into it, but it's ok. I'll probably give them another try and order something else.
  
  The lady was really friendly and attentive. She made conversation between us and the other family that were there dining.

• Jess H.

  star star star star star_border 14 September 2026

  This place has definitely improved since 2015 (my last review).
  
  At this current time (just experiencing the lunch buffet) I'd still rate this pretty low. 3ish.
  
  Though better than last time, I arrived at around noon and the food was cold. I assume the food's cold because they don't have a high customer base that keeps the hot food coming - the cafeteria area that the food rests in does not keep the food warm at all.
  
  That being said, that's the only negative thing I can say - the food is actually flavored well and cooked well (the beef was very tough, but I think that's just a symptom of being cold).
  
  The atmosphere is what won me over and makes me want to give this place another chance. The person that I assume is the owner came out as I was finishing up my food, walking around the tables and making sure everyone was having a good lunch. It's apparent to me that she really cares about her customers and wants them to have a good experience. She was smiling as she circled around the whole room.
  
  These are types of small businesses I love going to as a customer. I'll admit, I'm still put off by the cold food served, but again, I think if they had a higher volume of people, that wouldn't be a problem.
  
  I might try to come right when they open to experience the cafeteria food hot - or just order from the menu and avoid the cafeteria style altogether. 3.5 is generous to me for the food - but the atmosphere got to me. All of her other customers seemed very happy.

• Gregg M.

  star star star star star_border 6 September 2026

  I'm not sure how the wife and I overlooked Kawali Filipino Cuisine these past three years, but it immediately rose to the top of our list of places to try for lunch.  My experience with Filipino cuisine was woefully short, limited pretty much to just lumpia, pancit, and chicken adobo, so I was definitely hoping to try something new and different for me.
  
  Located just outside the fence of WPAFB's Area A in a non-descript strip mall off of Kaufman Ave that it shares with the Fairborn Municipal Court, Kawali Filipino Cuisine was easy to miss since there didn't appear to be any signage near the street announcing it.  Once I turned into the parking lot, though, I found it quickly even though the sign on the front window of the restaurant was still relatively small.  We were seated immediately in the small dining room.  Hours were surprisingly limited as it's only open from 11-3, Tues-Fri; and 12-6 on Sat.  Lunch service in the dining room seemed to be strictly cafeteria-style, which was a shame since some of the entrees sounded interesting.  I didn't ask, but carry out orders may be able to be ordered from the whole menu.  I opted for Combo #2, a "meat and three" type option for around $10 from which I had the papaitan (a beef and tripe stew/soup with kale), pork adobo, pancit, and mixed vegetables.  It also came with a lumpia.  I really can't speak to its authenticity, but given that it's a family-run business, I can't help but think that it's as authentic as it gets short of actually being in the Philippines.  I thought my food was flavorful and completely satisfying.
  
  Kawali Filipino Cuisine was an excellent choice for lunch.  It served up a lot of delicious food.  Needless to say, I felt I received excellent value.  My only critique is that I wish it was open for dinner during the week, too.  That said, I'm sure we'll be back to try more.

• Anima K.

  star star star star star_border 3 September 2026

  I was interested to try some Filipino cuisine so a friend and I stopped in today. They serve many dishes cafeteria style, which threw us at first. I had peanut butter stew with oxtail and he had a chicken dish featuring green bell pepper and potato. The ox tail in mine was tender and tasty but both dishes could have used more seasoning. We also ordered meat eggrolls which were cooked on demand and they were delicious! We'll be back to sample more of the menu.