Calle Brewery: Your Spot for Craft Beers, Mixed Seafood, and Smoked Meats in Vigan City

I’m doing a 4-part series on our Vigan City Food Trip last August, and this is the last one. Check out the other installments: Food Experiences to Try at Ilocos Sur’s Historic City (Introduction) | The Search for the Best Vigan Empanada | Lilong and Lilang Restaurant

It’s rare to find a food spot that offers smoked meat in Metro Manila, and more so in other parts of the country. So when I heard that there’s a barbecue joint in Vigan, it’s a no-brainer that I should visit it. That spot is Calle Brewery.

Calle Brewery is your place for craft beers, mixed seafood, and smoked meats in Vigan City. It was started in 2018 by Chef Robby Goco, the man behind Cyma and Green Pastures. (Cyma is my favorite Greek restaurant in Manila!). Housed in Casa Lourdes, this spot is rated as Vigan’s best restaurant in TripAdvisor. When a Vigan food spot serving non-Ilocano food gets listed at the top, you better pay attention!

For the beers, Calle Brewery partnered with Joe’s Brewery of Manila. One of the staff was kind enough to give me a quick tour of the brewery and a walkthrough of the brewing process.

They have six craft beers named after personal effects (and a body part) of some of the country’s national heroes, like Espada ni Lapu-Lapu (sword of Lapu-Lapu, the chief of Mactan) and Salakot ni Diego (native hat of Diego [Silang], a Filipino revolutionary). You can order it fresh from tap in Pilsner (350ml) and Pint (550ml) glass. Or you can have a sampler of four beers, which I did. The beers are good.

It’s good to pair their beers with their Bar Snacks. We tried their Bagis (deep-fried intestines) with Pickled Onion, which is crunchy and has a nice acidity. We also tried their Skinny Fries with Vigan Longganisa Bites.

*Bagis* with Pickled Onion (Lower Left; PHP180) and Skinny Fries with Vigan *Longganisa* Bites (Upper Right; PHP180)

Now, let’s talk about the smoked meats. You can get either One Meat Plate or Two Meat Plate, which come with rice, sauce, and 2 single sides. Or if you’re feeling hungry, you can order by the kilo or in family packs. We tried the Beef Brisket Sliced, which is smoky, tender, and easily my favorite. The Pork Belly is also good and tender. Albeit on the salty side, the sauce, sides, pickles, or muffin can offset it.

I think that the Pork Baby Back Ribs and Sausage Hot Links are underwhelming. It’s both overly soft, and the sausage lack some snap. All the sides we tried (Buttered Corn, Coleslaw, Mac and Cheese, and Mashed Potatoes) are all good, but the Mashed Potatoes are outstanding.

For dessert, we got the Tablea Chocolate Cake, which is baked in a skillet and took a few minutes to be prepared. But the wait was rewarding, as the cake is moist. It’s a happy ending to our meatfest.

We already ordered a lot so we weren’t able to try their Mixed Seafood (we’re allergic to crustaceans but we can opt for shellfishes). So that’s a reason to return! LOL.

Anyway, Calle Brewery serves good beers and smoked meats, which you won’t easily find elsewhere in the country. So if I were you, take a break from your Ilocano food trip and drop by there. I recommend this place to you.

Have you been to Calle Brewery? Which of the food above have you tried or would like to try? Comment below!

Address: 11 Calle Encarnacion, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines | Operating Hours: Daily, 11AM-12AM | Contact No.: 0917-1243849 | Facebook | Instagram