Livestock Restaurant Bar QC: The House That Crispy Pata Built

Livestock Restaurant Bar in Quezon City runs on pork. From tail to snout, you will find every cut of succulent pig you can imagine. They also have a full selection of beef, chicken and seafood dishes that are every bit as good as their pork offerings. One of the best things about its location in Quezon City is free parking. Not something you find all that often anywhere in the NCR. You’ll find the main dining area and bar on the ground floor with a modern decor and large screen TVs. It just might be one of the most comfy gastrobars you will find in the NCR. With its great ambience, extensive menu, and even better food, Livestock Restaurant Bar is a can’t miss in QC and I’m going to tell you why.

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About Livestock Restaurant Bar

Livestock Restaurant Bar was established in 2013 by the husband and wife team of Mico and Ching Uy, both graduates from the Center of Culinary Arts (CCA). The name came about because the family also owns one of the largest pig farms in Bulacan, hence the name Livestock. And yes, all of their pork products come directly from their farm and the menu shows it. From Crispy Ulo and slayed knuckles to squid stuffed with pork, there will never be a lack of options. In Quezon City, it’s rare to find a restaurant that controls every part of its pork supply chain, but Livestock does.

In a world where everybody wants to make the farm-to-table claim, Livestock actually delivers on that promise. It’s a place where ownership has decided to feed you their favorites on their terms. It’s your choice whether to try them or not. As for me, I’m all in.

When Pork Becomes a Performance

If there’s one thing Livestock Restaurant Bar is known for, it’s their crispy pata. It’s the first dish people mention, the first photo that shows up online, and the first thing that hits most tables. You won’t find a “chef’s special” or tasting menu here, this is the headliner. And they don’t just serve it. They turn it into a performance.

If you’re new to Filipino food, crispy pata is pork knuckle that’s been deep-fried until the skin is blistering. It’s a dish made for sharing and is very common as pulutan or food meant for drinking sessions.

Livestock’s crispy pata is brought to your table on a wooden board and still hissing. It’s massive with its golden skin, bubbling fat and the smell of rendered pork that attracts the eyes of everybody in the restaurant. You’ll see this a lot because this crispy pata is what most people come for. Even after you are halfway through eating your crispy pata another will arrive at the table next to you and you will bust another nut from the aroma of this one.

But the real magic happens after it arrives at your table. The staff take a single popsicle stick to carve your freshly prepared crispy pata. Not a serrated knife, no fork to tear away at it. A frickin’ popsicle stick. A light press of this voodoo stick and the whole pata gives way with no resistance.

It’s not about the popsicle stick though, it’s about how tender the meat is. There are many places in Quezon City serving crispy pata but nobody stages it like this. This happens every time and every table acts the same way when they witness it. Why? Because it’s that goddamn impressive.

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Livestock Menu

The Livestock Menu features many protein sources, but let’s not kid ourselves. This is a pork laden monster. Even many of the “other” proteins will incorporate pork in some capacity. But to kick it off, in addition to the melts-in-your-mouth crispy pata you’ll find things like coffee bourbon ribs, crackling pork belly, and balsamic lechon paksiw.

Chicken dishes include Jerk Chicken and Gab’s Fried Chicken, while a few of the beef dishes include Lengua Salpicao. An oxtail dish slow stewed in tomatoes and red wine. Or you can try their 12 hour roast beef that’s been charred churrasco style. For seafood, they have Maple Salmon and Cumin Butter Snapper to name a few.

The menu rounds out with a selection of appetizers, soups and a couple of salads. And they have a full bar that includes cocktails, whiskies, wines and beers as well as fruit juices and soft drinks. Be sure you don’t forget dessert where you guessed it, they infuse sweet treats with even more pork.

If there is one knock on Livestock it would be the lack of fresh vegetable dishes. They do have some vegetables on the menu, but they are often times infused with pork. Like their Kangkong Sambal that includes lechon kawali. I guess the positive side to the kangkong is, it is also grown at the Bulacan farm. For clarity, I need to point out for me, the lack of vegetable dishes isn’t an issue. I am only pointing it out for your benefit.

What I Ordered at Livestock

Full disclosure. since my first visit here, which is also when I filmed it, I have returned many times. It’s one of my favorite restaurants in Quezon City and I would eat there once a week if I lived closer. Unfortunately every time I go, I immediately start pounding back shots and beers and salivating for one of those crispy pata to get to my table. Also, I’m usually with a group of friends and snapping photos becomes an afterthought. So everything below is from the day I filmed. If you want other recommendations for other dishes I have eaten there, drop a comment and I will give you a no bs answer on what I thought. Spoiler alert, almost everything I have ever eaten there is phenomenal.

Nuked Crispy Pata

Livestock offers two versions of their crispy pata. The original is what they call their melt-in-your-mouth version. It’s slow-cooked, deep-fried, and so tender it gets carved at the table with a popsicle stick. The nuked version is exactly the same in preparation but turns the heat up. This isn’t a different dish. It’s the same weapon, with a loaded chamber.

Before frying, the meat is rubbed with chilies. After cooking, it’s topped with fried garlic and fresh chili slices. You get two sauces on the side: chimichurri and soy vinegar. The base flavor doesn’t change, but the added heat, garlic, and acidity shift the experience. You can chase every bite with sharpness or lean straight into that spicy burn.

Texture is identical to the original. The meat still collapses under the popsicle stick and the skin is still extra crispy. The difference is how the flavor opens up. You can get pork heaven and straight chili, add a salty sour note, or introduce a tangy herbal flavor to it. I love spicy food, so the nuked version is a no-brainer for me. Your mileage may vary

Livestock Nachos

If you’re expecting standard nachos, you’re in the wrong place. Livestock skips the tortillas entirely and uses deep-fried egg chips instead. They’re crispy and light, but almost flavorless. If you grew up with good corn tortilla nachos, you will notice immediately that deep corn flavor is missing. This would be a personal preference, but the egg chips are interesting in their own right.

On top, you get pork adobo flakes, diced tomatoes, green onions, mango salsa, and a generous layer of cheese melted over the whole thing. It’s salty, sweet, and cheesy all at once. One knock on this is they use a melted processed cheese, think Velveeta or Cheez Whiz type-consistency. Once again, personal preference but I would prefer a proper cheddar.

Surprisingly, the thin egg chips hold up well under the weight of the adobo and cheese. They’re done well for what they are. Definitely worth checking out for something different, but not sure I would be in a rush to order this again.

Lumpiang Adobo

If you’re new to Filipino food this dish is a combination of the two you have probably heard of. Lumpia and adobo. And it is exactly what it sounds like. Livestock Lumpiang Adobo in a lumpia wrapper stuffed with shredded pork adobo and deep fried until it’s a crispy golden brown.

And Livestock does their version well. It’s not overly greasy or fatty, and has a great snap. Dip it into your vinegar mixture and you end up with a salty, savoury, and tangy bite of perfection.

Their Lumpia could be thrown into a drinking session or as a starter, and either way it would work. It’s not the most memorable thing on the menu, but it’s not trying to be. If you’re ordering crispy pata or another heavy main, this won’t compete, but it does land in that perfect starter zone.

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QC’s Most Confident Pork Joint

Livestock doesn’t try to please everyone. It doesn’t hold back on the pork or soften the menu to look balanced. They serve what they want to serve. And they know what works.

The Livestock crispy pata gets all the attention, but that’s just the start. The menu is stacked with every cut they can pull from their own farm. Ulo (pork head), belly, knuckles, pork in the salad, pork in the squid. None of it feels like filler, it’s all deliberate. No one’s sitting in the kitchen wondering if it’s too much or if your feelings will be hurt.

That’s the difference. Most restaurants try to cover their bases. Livestock bets everything on one thing and doesn’t flinch. If you get it, you get it. If you don’t, nobody’s waiting around to explain it.

In the grand scheme of QC dining, Livestock has a loyal following and is definitely worth dropping by for.

Livestock Restaurant Bar: Prices, Hours, and Location

Prices
Livestock isn’t cheap, but it’s not trying to be. Most mains fall in the ₱400 to ₱700 range. Starters land around ₱250 to ₱400, and drinks sit right in the usual gastropub territory. The Livestock crispy pata will set you back ₱1150 for the melt-in-your-mouth version and the nuked version sits at ₱1350. You’re not going to get carinderia pricing here, but portion sizes are generous and you won’t walk out hungry.

Hours:
Quezon City Location: 11:00 – 11:30 Daily
BGC Location: 11:00 – 11:00 Daily

Locations:
Quezon City Location: Jardin de Zenaida, 34 Sgt. Esguerra Ave, Diliman, Quezon City, 1103 Metro Manila
BGC Location: 2F, Uptown Parade, Taguig, Metro Manila

Livestock Restaurant Bar: Final Verdict

Livestock is one of the few places in Quezon City that delivers exactly what it promises. The pork is the main event, the portions are built for groups, and the food doesn’t come with a disclaimer. You don’t need to overthink the menu. Just order what looks good and get into it.

It’s not a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but it’s consistent, well-executed, and built for people who show up hungry. If you’re into pork, there’s zero reason not to try it.

Already been? Drop a comment below and let me know what you ordered. If you’ve got a better spot, name it! I’m not loyal to anything except good food.

Livestock Restaurant Bar – FAQ

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