Bulacan isn’t exactly a top-of-the-mind destination when it comes to food tripping. Compared to Tanay and Tagaytay, which are lined with aesthetic cafes left and right, it’s a bit hard to find a cafe with a good view here. But bikers who often ply the busy backroads of Bulacan always seem to stop by one place for a coffee fix.
Pugpog Biker’s Highlands Cafe is an al fresco bike cafe along General Alejo Santos Avenue in Angat that offers coffee and meals with a view. Since it was established in 2021 during the pandemic, it’s become a welcome respite for cyclists, riders, and road-trippers looking for a place to unwind.
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The cafe offers a scenic view of the Sierra Madre Mountains overlooking the Angat River and Norzagaray’s Pugpog River. The cafe is immediately noticeable along the main Norzagaray-Del Monte Highway. Just look out for the wooden gate and signage on the right. You can’t miss it after the Welcome to Angat Arch and right before the Angat River View Deck.
Right at the center is a made-for-Instagram swing with a Japanese bike parked beside it, providing a photo spot. But the main draw is the natural country landscape and breeze. Just being able to sit on the open-air deck and enjoy the fresh air is a treat after the small-town traffic and dusty roads traversed by trucks.
Pugpog Biker’s Highlands Cafe offers caffeinated drinks and all-day breakfast meals like beef tapa, pork sisig, longganisa, and boneless bangus. Hungry cyclists who need to fuel up can order the hefty Breakfast of the Champions (P350) or carbo load with carbonara, spaghetti, lasagna, penne pesto, pancit canton for sharing, and more priced at P180 to P250. Main meals like kare-kare, sizzling sisig, sinigang na hipon, bulalo, and estofado are good for two to three pax, while family meal sets and bundles are available for bigger groups.
If you’re on a solo ride, they have a few reasonably-priced combo meals, like BBQ,pork tonkatsu, chicken teriyaki, shrimp tempura, and sizzling liempo. I tried the lechon kawali served with rice and veggies (P220), which was pretty filling since I hadn’t had breakfast and it was past lunchtime when I dropped by.
Some of the hot and iced coffee choices include Americano, latte, cappuccino, and mocha. They also have highlands brewed coffee in macadamia, double choco, hazelnut, vanilla, and mocha flavors. I paired my meal with a basic iced mocha (P135), which was good enough to provide an energy boost for the sleepy after-lunch hours. For non-coffee drinkers, they serve milk tea and sweet cheesecake-based drinks.
What I appreciated the most about the cafe was the view and friendly service. Cyclists can safely bring their bicycles inside and park them next to their tables. There’s also an empty lot that doubles as a parking area located right across the street for motorcycles and cars. The cafe is spacious enough for families and larger groups and there’s a waiting area by the roadside in case diners need to wait for a table.
The resto provides a helmet rack for riders right by the entrance, so you can hang your lids and have more room on your table when you eat. The restroom was decent as well—or at least better than most gas station restrooms.
I should mention that the ongoing construction on the MRT-7 along Quirino Highway, Regalado Highway, Commonwealth Avenue, and North Avenue passing through San Jose del Monte in Bulacan makes the traffic and road quality pretty bad to drive through. That said, cafes with a view offer a much-needed spot for residents and passing tourists to grab a bite to eat.
If you happen to be traveling around Bulacan and want to shoot the breeze on the way to other destinations in the north, this cafe offers a refreshing pit stop compared to the usual fast-food joints, drive-thrus, and simple eateries.
Pugpog Biker’s Highlands Cafes is located along Pugpog Road, Sta. Cruz, Angat, Bulacan. It is open from 11:00 am until 8:00 pm on weekdays and from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
