Caffeine Trip at The Real Thing

Coke, Sarsi, Royal Tru-Orange, Sprite, and Eight O'Clock star in this wacky diner's unique theme and menu.

Welcome to The Real Thing.  Yes, that is their name, and no this diner isn't owned by Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc. despite the obvious branding and the Coca-Cola merchandise littered all over the place.  What it is, is a tribute to all things Coca-Cola.

Coca-Cola is near and dear to every Filipino's heart.  Who didn't grow up buying Coca-Cola in a plastic bag from the nearest sari-sari store?  In every sort of Filipino family reunion, party, and fiesta, Coca-Cola is and will always be the drink of choice.  NOT Pepsi.  By the time Pepsi arrived in the Philippines, we were already way too addicted and hooked on Coca-Cola's sugary sweetness.

Aside from Coca-Cola, The Real Thing diner also features other local beverages like Sarsi (then owned by RFM), Royal Tru-Orange (originally introduced by San Miguel Brewery), and Eight O' Clock fruit juice which has been enjoyed by Filipino families since the 1980s.

My parents used to drop me off at my grandparents' house on days when they had to work overtime or when they had business trips to go to.  We'd always have freshly baked monay and a glass of cold Eight O' Clock orange juice for merienda.  I was taught by my lolo and lola to quickly dunk the monay in my glass of orange juice before biting into it.  I know it sounds weird, but it really goes well together plus it totally takes me back to my carefree childhood years.   

The lively red and white color scheme draws your eye to every corner of this eclectic diner.  I couldn't stop looking at all the little details they put into the place, from the Coca-Cola memorabilia (which I heard came from one of the owner's personal collection) down to the lights and wall fixtures that were made to resemble fizz bubbles.  They've even got piped-in music of classic Coca-Cola jingles and a flat screen TV in one corner playing those old Coca-Cola commercials.  A well-executed concept if I may say so myself.  You definitely get what the place is about.  They went all out on this Coca-Cola theme.

Their food is no exception.  I had such a fun time choosing from the menu!  The menu completely embraces the theme; from the drinks (of course!) down to the main courses.  You absolutely cannot pass up on their non-alcoholic mixed drinks!

Can-shaped beverage menu.

 We tried their bestseller: The Cinnamon Snifter.

Cinnamon Snifter Php 99.00

Coke, Sarsi, cinnamon, and vanilla ice cream.  I kind of panicked when I saw the ultra generous sprinkling of cinnamon on top of the whipped cream.  I like cinnamon when there are only hints of it in my drink and/or food, otherwise it completely ruins my dining experience.  Well, guess what?  Cinnamon apparently complements Coke and Sarsi surprisingly well.  They balanced each other out beautifully, with the right blend of the signature sugary sweetness of Coke, the root beer taste of Sarsi, the creaminess of the ice cream, and the pleasant aromatic taste of cinnamon.  So yeah, I learned something new.  This Cinnamon Snifter is a must try!

Since it was just Yuri and I, we had to skip the appetizers and go straight to the main courses.  Their portion sizes are close to American sizes so the appetizer part just wasn't gonna happen.

I decided to go for their bestselling dish, which is the Coca-Cola Baby Back Ribs.

Coca-Cola Baby Back Ribs Php 399.00

It's a bit pricey, but again, their portions are quite huge.  I'd say this dish could be good enough for two people (maybe?) depending on their appetite.  However, if your appetite is anything like mine, then you'd better ask whoever's dining with you to order their own dish.  I ain't sharin'!  Haha.  Yuri knows the drill.  LOL.

As far as diner food goes, this dish was really good.  The meat was tender and flaky, veggies weren't overcooked, and they used real potatoes in my mashed potatoes.  The ribs are meant to be smothered in their signature Coca-Cola BBQ sauce because they concentrated all the flavor there.  Without the sauce, the meat is quite bland and devoid of seasoning especially towards the middle.  I guess they really wanted to highlight their BBQ sauce, which is really tasty by the way!  You do get those distinct, reduced-down, Coca-Cola flavors in the sauce.

Yuri loooooves his fish and chips so his was an easy choice.

Sarsi Fish n' Chips Php 249.00

Sarsi Fish n' Chips!  Also a crowd favorite at the Real Thing Diner according to our server.  I might've liked his dish better than mine.  The texture of the Sarsi-battered fish and the criss cut fries were spot on.  Nice and crisp!

The best part of this dish would have to be the Sarsi Root Beer dipping sauce.  It MADE the dish.  I'm not a big fan of mayo-based dipping sauces, but this one was phenomenal.  The sauce takes the fish from okayyy to nomnomnomnom!  You can definitely taste the Sarsi in the dip, and like the Coca-Cola Baby Back Ribs, the fish is meant to be eaten with the dip because it would be a tad bland otherwise.


They've been open for four months now.  I hope they stand the test of time since most themed restaurants end up with really short life spans.  We'll see how this one does.

I'd really recommend trying out this place at least once.  It's perfect for a casual lunch or dinner out.  The other interesting dishes to try would be the Sarsi Wings (Php 199.00), Coca-Cola BBQ Burger (Php 249.00), and the Eight O' Clock Apple Green Tea Dory (Php 259.00),   We all know what diner fare's all about.  No one ever mentions the world "healthy" or "heart-friendly" at places like these, so expect greasy caffeinated food at its best. :-)



Address:  2/F, IL Terazzo Mall, 305 Tomas Morato Ave Cor. Scout Madrinan St., QC.
Phone #:  (+63 2)352-4320