If you don’t already know, pork is a huge staple in Balinese cuisine. Different varieties of pork dishes line up the streets from satays, babi guling and pork ribs! One dish to look forward to in Bali is definitely the cheap pork ribs! If you visit Bali, however, there are so many restaurants selling pork ribs on their menu, many of which cost less than $10 for their Jumbo size ribs (5 to 6 ribs). Not to mention the thick, well-marinated, juicy, tender pork, smoothly sliding down the ribs and into your mouth.

If your mouth is watering, this list is perfect for you! There are many famous restaurants in Bali such as Wahaha and pork star, but these are less talked about places that still deserve the hype. I’ve compiled the cheapest and best pork ribs (iga bakar) I found and they don’t disappoint! Also included are Google maps locations where you can find the best iga bakar in town.

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1. Iga Bakar Rembo

back story

Hands down my favorite pork ribs in the whole paradise island. This stall is located at the Northern tip of Denpasar city, enroute to Ubud, another popular destination location. The road leading to this place is steep, hilly and narrow. Nestled in a small shop on the roadside, the seating area is right beside the street which can get very noisy with big cars driving uphill on high power. 

Despite its humble placement, the pork ribs did all the heavy lifting. With a thick sweet-spicy BBQ sauce (spiciness level can be added yourself), soft tender pork meat that fall off the bone, steaming hot, fresh out of the grill, coupled with the madness of flavorful thick fries that you can add on to complete this masterpiece, this pork rib set had me dreaming of the day I can visit again.

the pork ribs and gurame fish

The barbecue sauce is truly the champion, dare I say GOAT of this establishment. Blending in so well with the pork ribs to evenly fill every fiber of tender meat, to saucy goodness and spicing up the fries and sides to match the perfection of a true artist.

The side palate of chili variation comes with sambal mata, also known as fresh chili with onion, and a standard Indonesian sambal with a Balinese twist that can range from very spicy to a mixture of sweet and oftentimes with the addition of terasi (shrimp paste). Each blend is unique to the chef. If you can handle your heat, I recommend trying every chili sauce at least once. 

We also got Gurame fish as well to pair with our pork ribs. The fish was grilled so well that when you can bite into the fins and tail, the crunch makes for perfect ASMR videos. A beautiful delight of smokey, crunchy skin, soft fluffy white meat. If you are a major fish lover, this freshwater fish is a popular local delight. Often not fishy and gamy, gurame is perfect for children to be introduced to fish. The large bones are easy to remove.

Location: Jl. Padma, Tonja, Kec. Denpasar Utara, Kota Denpasar, Bali 80238, Indonesia

2. Warung BBQ Mek Made

the BBQ pork ribs and potatoes

The pork ribs recipe are absolutely bomb. It is so thick and juicy. I had doubts that the piece being grilled is ours when I first saw it, because we didn’t even order the biggest portion on the menu. If thicccc is pork ribs, it would look like this. The baby back ribs are finger licking good!

The pork ribs set came with potato fries made with real fresh potatoes that I saw the chef peeling and cutting, along with some vegetables consisting of long beans and carrots. We loved the potatoes so much we ordered an additional serving of it.

Be sure of the type of fries you are ordering, as they serve the frozen fries you find in the fast food/supermarkets as well. The well marinated pork ribs were doused in a saucy goodness that is sweet and BBQ flavored. Coupled with the sambal on the side, it was perfect.

back story

It was in the middle of the crazy December winds and rain when I visited this place. Sitting under a makeshift tent with the wind howling in my face, this pork ribs place is definitely worth braving the winds for. Perhaps, it might have made the pork ribs tasted even better. I told my mom that I would cry if this place tasted bad but thankfully, I was wrong. 

By this point, I feel like the word perfection is overrated. Surely, not everything can be perfect? Honestly this pork ribs haven was a literal 5 minutes’ drive from the accommodation that I was staying at for six weeks in Bali, and I only found it at my very last week! Truly an embarrassment to myself. But alas, better late than never!

This pork ribs place is actually nestled on the porch of the house of the owner, and you could get a glimpse of an authentic traditional Balinese house if you asked for permission to look around. They will gladly bring you through their place and share a little of their family history and culture. The owner said they used to have a proper storefront right outside their house until COVID hit, and they rented it out to another establishment till now. Sitting under a makeshift tent while watching the children run amuck truly brings a bonus warm and homely feeling to this dish. 

Location: 75RF+372, Jl. Patih Jelantik, Legian, Kec. Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia

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3. Iga Babi Bakar Permana (chains)

the BBQ pork ribs and fries

If you are packed with itinerary and have no time to specially make a pitstop to any popular pork ribs establishment, you can try searching for this place around your area. This pork ribs chain is huge and has several branches around the island. Check out my Google Maps list to find one near you. They are franchised out to individuals so the quality may vary from place to place, but it is generally tasty because they get the meat and sauce all from the same place. I have eaten at 3 different chains across the island on different occasions and I can say that the quality and portion are pretty consistent overall.

The pork ribs are so soft. As my first taste of Bali after touchdown, I already knew I didn’t want to leave when the time comes. Even in posh western restaurants, I’ve never seen pork sliding down the ribs as smoothly as this one. The food combo was perfect, as it came with a small portion of thick potato fries seasoned and dripping with MSG goodness. To round off the complete pairing, we got orange juice, a staple drink in Indonesia aside from tea. A combination that could do no wrong.

Well, that makes the list longer than 3! What a bonus delight!

Locations: Multiple chains in Indonesia. Lookout for this iconic painting of their logo on the walls of the restaurant!

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More to come…

Distance truly makes the heart fonder. As I am thinking about it back home, my mouth is watering with the memory of the bite of happiness I wish I can recreate.

I ate so much pork ribs my middle name can be oink. That said, share with me which one you’re going to try! Please let me know if I’m missing out on a good place in the comments below! I’m FOMO like that. 

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