Russ Fam Kitchen
About
Russ Fam Kitchen is listed on FindALoco in Daly City, CA with address, website, hours, and map location. Common services and related keywords include Family Restaurant.
Russ Fam Kitchen is a welcoming family restaurant in Daly City, California, serving Filipino comfort food and flavorful favorites from its location at 1216 Hillside Blvd. Situated within a gas station, this local stop is easy to overlook at first, but diners come looking for the distinctive Filipino dishes that are increasingly hard to find nearby. With a 4.5-star rating from 64 reviews, Russ Fam Kitchen has become a memorable option for people seeking casual, satisfying Filipino food in Daly City, CA.
The menu brings together savory street-food-inspired bites, hearty specialties, and sweet treats with strong ties to Filipino food memories. Customer favorites include Ilocos empanadas, Cheesy Birria, sushi bake, Lechon Kawali, kwek-kwek, and Ube Iskrambol. The Ilocos empanadas are a standout for many visitors: crisp, deep-fried parcels associated with the Ilocos region and filled with ingredients such as longanisa, egg, and cabbage. They are especially enjoyed with the accompanying vinegar sauce, though reviewers note that a freshly prepared empanada is flavorful on its own.
For a taste of nostalgia, the Filipino scramble and ube iskrambol offer a sweet, icy merienda-style experience. Reviewers describe these treats as bringing back memories of after-school snacks, street vendors, and the familiar pink sweetness of Filipino childhood favorites. Alongside these refreshing desserts, dishes such as Lechon Kawali and kwek-kwek make Russ Fam Kitchen a fitting choice for diners who want to explore Filipino flavors or return to foods that feel like home. The menu's variety makes it easy to mix a snack, a savory meal, and a dessert in one visit.
The atmosphere is casual and focused on the food, making this a practical stop for takeout, a quick afternoon meal, or a relaxed food run with family and friends. Russ Fam Kitchen is open Tuesday through Sunday from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM and is closed on Mondays. Because freshly made items can take time, guests may want to plan their visit with a little patience, particularly when ordering popular specialties. The afternoon-to-evening schedule also suits an after-work pickup or a merienda-inspired break.
Whether you live nearby or are searching for Filipino food in Daly City, Russ Fam Kitchen offers a focused selection of dishes that customers return for, especially its sought-after Ilocos empanadas and nostalgic ube treats. It is a good match for Filipino food fans, curious first-time diners, and anyone looking for comforting, flavorful bites in Daly City, CA.
Ratings & Reviews
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Sign in to reviewI’m so happy I found this place! Their Filipino scramble instantly brought me back to my childhood — the days of after-school merienda, street vendors, and that unmistakable pink, icy sweetness. The flavor is authentic, the texture is perfect, and every sip genuinely feels nostalgic. The staff is friendly, the presentation is cute, and the portions are generous. If you grew up in the Philippines, this will make you smile. If you’ve never tried scramble before, this is the perfect place to experience it. Highly, highly recommended! A must-visit spot for anyone craving a taste of home
I love the food here. My favorites are the Cheesy Birria, Sushi Bake, Ilocos Empanadas, Lechon Kawali, and the Ube Iskrambol. The Ilocos Empanadas are especially addictive—I’m always craving them especially with their vinegar. The reason for my 3-star review is the service. The food is great, but the ordering and distribution system really needs improvement. The same person taking orders is also handing out food and sometimes helping assemble the Sushi Bake. This creates delays and also raises some concerns about switching between tasks without proper handwashing or glove changes. I’ve had a couple of frustrating experiences. One time, I ordered three Ilocos Empanadas while the person ahead of me ordered five. Only four were ready, but instead of giving them to customers with smaller orders, they held them for the larger order and everyone else had to wait over 20 minutes for the next batch. Another time, I ordered a large Sushi Bake, but it was forgotten in the oven and burned, so I had to wait another 10+ minutes for it to be remade. The staff are clearly trying their best, but the system gets chaotic, especially in such a small space with people waiting to order and pick up food. I’ll definitely keep coming back because the food is so good, but a better system for taking and distributing orders would make the experience much smoother.
oh MY GOSH. words cannot explain how good this food is. i got there a few minutes after they opened so my empanada was fresh. i couldnt help myself and took a bite waiting for my sushi bake to finish cooking, IT WAS SO GOOD. the empanada doesnt even need the vinegar sauce but with the sauce its soooooo delicious. the sushi bake i wont lie caught me off guard at first because it felt like a lot of mayonnaise, but it’s good wrapped in the seaweed they give you. 15/10 seriously. come try this place. the workers are sweet too, it felt like being in a families kitchen.
Filipino food located within a gas station at the on in Daly City. They have a wide variety of items and especially the popular ilocos empanadas that are pretty hard to find nowadays. Ilocos empanadas are like a deep fried Filipino taco filled with sausage/longanisa, hard boiled egg, cabbage and other things and you pour or dip your empanada with vinegar. Best eaten fresh while it’s nice and crispy and deep fried. They’re about $7 a piece and they close at 7pm. I’d like to try more on their menu in the future.
Absolutely loved the kwek-kwek and ube iskrambol — both brought back such nostalgic flavors from home! I wasn’t a big fan of the isaw, though; I wish it were grilled in the more traditional style. I went back recently because I really love their food, but the wait time was rough. I ordered 10 pieces of kwek-kwek, was told it’d be ready in about 7 minutes, and ended up waiting over an hour. That’s crazy! I get that everything’s made from scratch, and I appreciate that, but the long wait really took away from the experience. Amazing food, just not worth the wait unless you’ve got time to spare.
