The relocated Beach House canteen

The Beach House moved out of the space it occupied for over two decades behind the Main Library Building (Gonzales Hall) of the University of the Philippines Diliman last year. There had been a lot of different stories about their eviction including their losing out in a bid for the same location to another concessionaire. Now it is clear that the place was to be vacated and perhaps eventually become an open area if the previous building/hut where the canteen operated is to be demolished. No one took over from the old Beach House and students are now one option short for lunches.

We had lunch last Friday at the relocated canteen now found along H.R. Ocampo Street near C.P. Garcia and just behind the barangay hall. The food is very much the same as the old canteen's and evoked memories of college days (we already patronised the Beach House when I was still a student at UP).

The usual orders are barbecue, salted egg and fresh tomatoes. They still have liempo, fish and other viands that they offered in the former Beach House.

A barbecue set consisting of 1 barbecue, 1 cup of rice, monggo, and a small bottle of soft drink costs 65 pesos, well within the budget of a typical university student.

The old tarpaulin sign that hung at the old Beach House behind the UP Diliman Main Library now hangs as a decor at the relocated canteen.

Side exit leading to a narrow alley and a nearby house

Grilling area and storage area - for practical purposes, the grilling is actually done outdoors on the sidewalk across from the eatery. 

We learned from the proprietors that business wasn't as good as when they were still located behind the Main Library in the campus core and very accessible to people. Students and staff of the university flocked and lined up for their barbecues back in the day. Nowadays there are few students during lunchtime and they get more business in the late afternoons and evenings from students and residents of the area who eat there or purchase food as take out dinners. They get a lot of orders for take out barbecues but now have to compete with other barbecues in the area. Perhaps this will change once the College of Engineering finally moves all its units in the area. The Institute of Civil Engineering and Department of Chemical Engineering buildings are just across C.P. Garcia Avenue from the relocated Beach House and are among the most populous departments of the college in terms of students.

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