Mekeni Pinoy's Pride

Mekeni’s in Artesia is famous for its weekly Filipino buffet, or more accurately, the long lines of people waiting to get into said buffet. There’s a breakfast buffet on weekends for $20 per person, as well as a Wednesday dinner buffet for $35, both of which feature around two dozen dishes plus drinks. Unless you want to wait for an hour-plus, plan on making reservations in advance. The good news is that Mekeni’s offers a la carte service the rest of the week, and the food is special enough that even your most bargain-minded uncle won’t mind it's not AYCE. Get the oxtail kare-kare, pork belly abodo, and the special sinigang brimming with seafood and vegetables—all of which come in huge, shareable portions.