Seaside Restaurant

Seaside is Mati's empanada house, a takeout snack shop on Quezon Street a short walk from Mati City Baywalk Park. The name comes from where it started: a small kiosk by the water, on the spot that is now the Baywalk. The family behind it began by selling lumpia door to door in 1968, opened the first store in 1979, and has kept the recipe in the family since.

The empanada is the reason to come, with a flaky dough and a generous filling that regulars say has not changed in years. Order it with the lumpia, eaten the local way with a vinegar and garlic dip, and if you want something more filling, ask for the dinuguan or the seafood pancit. It works as a counter rather than a restaurant, so most people buy by the box and either eat on the Baywalk or pack them as pasalubong.

Open daily from 9:00 AM, closing at 6:00 PM Sunday to Thursday and 7:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. Prices are low, and reviewers keep calling it affordable. Seating inside is very limited, so plan to take away. Pick up a box on your last afternoon in town so the empanadas are still fresh for the trip home.