I tried Jollibee for the first time, and the fast-food chain had everything from pie to spaghetti with hotdogs in it

When Jollibee first opened by my house, the first thing I noticed was its bright-red building and the big smiling bee on its sign. Though I hadn't heard of the chain before, it always seemed busy when I drove by.

Jollibee is a Filippino fast-food chain that serves a unique combination of burgers, spaghetti, and Chickenjoy, the chain's version of fried chicken. Though Jollibee is based in the Philippines, there are 64 locations across the US, primarily in California.

I'm always looking to visit new restaurants so I finally decided to give Jollibee's Filipino-infused menu a try. I ordered a variety of food and a drink to find which items I thought were the tastiest.

I went to Las Vegas' South Rainbow Jollibee restaurant.

The parking lot was clean and the inside was bright and welcoming. Jollibee's red and white theme was prominently featured inside and outside of the restaurant.

When I first walked in, a small lobby directed me straight to the counter. I liked how the counter was separated from the rest of the restaurant since the design made eating less distracting and felt more like a typical dine-in eatery.

Bright LED menus were mounted above the registers and flashed between multiple screens. They were a bit busy and a little difficult to read, and I would have missed quite a few items if I hadn't looked at the menu ahead of time.

The staff was friendly and answered all of my questions. When I ordered, I got a pager to notify me when the food was ready.

I got to Jollibee right before the dinner rush, so the dining area was empty, which gave me a chance to look at the wall murals.

According to Jollibee's website, its mission is to "spread the joy of eating", and I thought the design of the interior really reflected that.

It wasn't a long wait before our food was ready and when I sat down, it was hot and seemed fresh.

Before I went into the restaurant, I researched some of Jollibee's popular items. I ordered the Chickenjoy meal with Jolly Spaghetti, original Yumburger, Palabok Fiesta, mashed potatoes and gravy, adobo rice, peach-mango pie, and Pineapple Quencher.

For three main dishes, two sides, a drink, and dessert, a little under $35 didn't feel too unreasonable.

I thought the portions were moderately sized, but if I had ordered more drinks or desserts, I believe it would have gotten expensive. For example, the peach-mango pie was $2.99 but when I stopped at the Jack in the Box next door, the latter chain's desserts ranged from $0.99 to $1.99.

I'm a huge fried-chicken fan so I was really excited to try Jollibee's Chickenjoy, a breaded-poultry meal. I ordered the regular two-piece meal with the Jolly Spaghetti for $10.49.

It came with a drumstick and a thigh, which were really crisp and had a nice buttery aftertaste. The seasoning was mild, but still incredibly flavorful, and the chicken itself was juicy.

Jollibee's chicken comes with a side of gravy for dipping, which was one of my favorite things about the meal. I'd order the Chickenjoy again and definitely want to try the spicy chicken next time.

I thought the Jolly Spaghetti, which came with the two-piece Chickenjoy meal, was interesting. According to Jollibee's menu, the "unique" spaghetti dish comes with the chain's signature sweet sauce loaded with chunks of ham, ground meat, and hotdog pieces.

Jollibee's signature sweet sauce was more sugary than I expected, with a ketchup-like aftertaste, and I couldn't see or taste the ham chunks or ground meat. Mostly, I tasted the ketchup-ish sauce and the hotdog pieces.

The noodles themselves had a good texture since they were firm without being mushy. However, I thought the sauce overpowered any flavor the noodles might have added and the cheese on top of the pasta didn't mix well with the other ingredients. When I ate a piece of cheese, I thought it was very salty and tasted processed.

I wasn't a massive fan of the spaghetti and couldn't eat more than a few bites.

At first, I wasn't sure what to think of the Yumburger, which was $3.99. The brioche bun was fluffy and looked fresh, but I couldn't see the patty so I was worried I'd taste mostly bread. One bite proved me wrong.

The patty had a good char and its seasoning added a tangy pop of flavor to every bite. There was a nice balance between the buttery bun and the sauce, which was similar to a thousand island dressing with a slightly sweet mayonnaise taste. Chopped-up sweet pickles gave the burger some crunch.

I thought the seasoning and sauce would be an excellent base for Jollibee's other burger options, like the Aloha Yumburger. I think the Aloha Yumburger's extra toppings, such as pineapple and bacon, would be amazing on this patty.

However, I thought it was a little overpriced. A plain hamburger from McDonald's ranges from $1.19 to $2.69, depending on the location, and Jack in the Box sells a Jumbo Jack burger for $2.39. To me, Jollibee's nearly $4 Yumburger is just too expensive.

Though I'd never had palabok, a noodle dish topped with garlic sauce, pork, shrimp, and egg, I was excited to try it when I saw the great reviews for Jollibee's version. However, I thought the initial appearance wasn't super appetizing because the egg looked overcooked and only a few tiny shrimps were scattered across the top. The Palabok Fiesta, which I ordered with a Pineapple Quencher, was $9.19.

I initially thought there was a lot of sauce but the ratio of this topping to noodles actually ended up being perfect. To me, the sauce was almost overwhelmingly rich with a heavy fish flavor. The Palabok Fiesta was topped with crispy flakes, which gave the dish an extra crunch and balanced the texture of each bite. I also loved the rice noodles, which were well-cooked without being mushy or overly firm.

The Palabok Fiesta also came with lemon-juice packets but I didn't realize they were meant to be paired with this dish until I was done eating.

Overall, the Palabok Fiesta was tasty but I wasn't able to finish it because it was too rich for me. That being said, I can see myself craving this dish in the future so I'm glad I tried it.

The mashed potatoes and gravy were probably my favorite dish, along with the Chickenjoy. I ordered them for $2.69.

I thought the potatoes were creamy and buttery perfection.

Like most of the sauces, the gravy was a little on the sweet side, but it wasn't overwhelming. The gravy seemed lightly seasoned and had a mild but balanced flavor that paired well with the potatoes and the chicken.

The adobo rice, which has flavors of soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic, was another favorite item I'd order again and it was only $2.69. The rice was perfectly cooked with a slightly salty soy flavor, and the added vinegar gave it a bit of a sweet aftertaste similar to sushi rice, which I loved.

I thought the chunks of pork added a lot of depth to the texture and flavor and the rice went well with the chicken and the burger. I thought it was rich and complex without being overpowering.

The peach-mango pie, which was $2.99, is now probably one of my favorite fast-food chain desserts. I tried the pie while it was still hot and the crust was crispy and flaky but firm enough so it didn't fall apart as I was eating. The filling had delicious chunks of fruit and I thought it tasted like a homemade handheld pie.

After I finished the pie, I ordered another one to take home because I thought it was so good.

I had the option to add a fountain drink to the Palabok Fiesta meal but I had the Pineapple Quencher instead.

On its own, the Pineapple Quencher at the Jollibee location I went to is $2.99 and regular soda was $2.49. The Jack in the Box next door sold large drinks for only $2.19, putting Jollibee on the more expensive side.

I thought the drink was sweet, refreshing, and tasted like someone made it fresh at home. I also bought an extra Pineapple Quencher for the drive home.

Though I thought it was on the pricier side, I might buy one as an occasional treat.

As I ate my meal, I noticed the staff was attentive, checking on the dining area frequently and tidying up as soon as a customer left. By the time I finished, the drive-through wrapped around the building and there were nonstop pickups at the front of the restaurant.

I really liked the variety of food Jollibee offered and, outside of the Jolly Spaghetti, I really enjoyed the flavors in every dish. My favorite dishes were the Chickenjoy, mashed potatoes and gravy, peach-mango pie, and Pineapple Quencher. I'd also order the Aloha Yumburger the next time I visit.

To me, the food was on the pricier side, so I'm not sure Jollibee would become a frequent stop but I'd definitely visit again and be excited to try a few different items on the menu.

If I had to rate my experience, I'd give Jollibee a solid seven out of ten.