Noms. This place is so simple and delicious. I went on a Sunday late afternoon and waited in no line. The food came out quick. I got half a chicken, rice and beans with a beef pastelillos for 12 dollars!!!! The pastelillos was crispy and filling. Not stale and quite hot. The chicken was very juicy and tender. I personally like to dip my pastelillos in my the beans if I get both. Prepare to bring cash and prepare to come hungry cause the food is delicious. read more

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Best Puerto Rican food in Buffalo! I could eat their pastelillos every day and not get sick of them. The rice and beans are fantastic too. Prices are very reasonable for the amount of food you get. Highly recommend everyone check them out! read more

I'm not sure if I understand the hype about this restaurant. The food is well priced and has a decent portion. However, I believe it lacked alot of flavor. At the very least I thought the beans that come with the meal would be a nice addition. I could drizzle that on my rice to give it some flavor, but that was also bland. I expected more from this place. To add on, they only except cash. And for me personally the person at the register didn't seem very welcoming. She barely made eye contact and it took a while to grab her attention. I don't think I will go back, since I wasn't satisfied with my meal. They have many more options than chicken, so maybe those will be more flavorful. read more

Niagara Cafe - Rotisserie Chicken - Puerto Rican Near Me - Buffalo, New York

I was driving up to Canada and when I got to Buffalo I checked for Spanish food near me. It took me here to Niagara Cafe. I'm so happy we stopped. The food is delicious. The atmosphere felt like I was in a fast food restaurant in Puerto Rico. The prices are good. I shared a lunch special Arroz blanco, con carne guisada y habichuelas. It fed us 2 and it was delicious. The taste is very Puerto Rican cooking. I'm hoping to stop by again soon Jen I drive back home on Sunday. read more

Niagara Cafe - Arroz blanco, carne guisada y habichuelas Beef Stew with Rice and beans - Puerto Rican Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Great food, very nice staff and the service is always amazing. I love eating here when I want to eat food that is close to a home cooked meal. My food is also always ready very quick if I Uber pick-pick up. read more

Always packed always delicious! The food is legit PR the staff is always friendly and helpful with the menu the chicken is so juicy and flavorful and omggg the beef Pastelillos my favorite!! Def a must if you're in the area! Also try the Parcha passion fruit juice! The rice is always so fluffy and full of flavor especially on Saturdays! It's cash only so be sure to come prepared but they do have ATMs if you forget or don't carry cash like me. read more

My good friend and neighbor suggested this place. We live in downtown and we took a leisurely stroll to Niagara Street. This is a super casual diner type place but the food is 5 stars. He ordered a half chicken dinner that came with yellow rice and beans. I ordered the same since it was my first time and I really wasn't sure what to get. He also ordered a side of Maduros (sp?) for us which were deep fried plantains served with a spicy sauce. The chicken was juicy inside and crispy outside. The beans combined with the rice were good and the plantains were delicious! Note- they only take cash. read more

Niagara Cafe - Fried plantains - Puerto Rican Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Pastelillos here are pretty good and it is nice that they are able to get out to the festivals with their food. The overall menu is good as well. There are a few Puerto Rican places in buffalo that have amazing food and this is one of them. read more

Simply said, the food is delicious. The environment and staff are very friendly. That is the reason why I return to this quaint, cozy place. Love the upgrade! read more

Chicken and rice, get some!!! Flavorful and tasty! Beans are a perfect side dish, but worth trying out everything in the menu. Price is awesome. Definitely a good stop. read more

I was first able to try Niagara Cafe at a Puerto Rican heritage festival back in the fall. Prior to this I never had the pleasure of tasting the cuisine. I was very impressed at first taste as I was able to try much of what they had to offer including the chicken, pork, rice, beans and pastelillos. Everything I had was very unique and tasty. So today I found myself looking for somewhere to grab something quick for lunch. I decided to go eat at Niagara Cafe for the first time. I wanted to try something new but I also wanted to some more of what I already tried. I ended up ordering a relleno de papa, chicken pastelillo, pernil hoagie and a quarter chicken lunch special. The relleno was very good and I'm happy I tried it. Its basically some seasoned ground geef rolled in a ball of mashed potatoes and deep fried. Nothing not to like. The pastelillo was great just as I remembered. I found the pernil on the hoagie a little dry but a great portion of meat on the sandwich. The chicken was great just as I remembered and the rice and beans were much better than the ones catered for the festival. I was very pleased with my first dine in experience at Niagara Cafe and will for sure be back. read more

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The Resturant: They recently renovated the outside if the resturant They have their own parking lot and they take only cash but have an ATM inside just in case Prepare your self to wait in their fast moving line to order all week or to find a table on the weekends Its a really popular place and they earned it for sure As soon as you walk in the smell of rotisserie chicken hits you HARD The food: Its safe to say am addicted to their beef Pastelillos and its my to go to food when am hangry on the run! We also ordered the Relleno but i wasn't in love with it as much as the Pastelillos My usual order is the Bistec Encebollado which is marinated Angus Steak with Onions.. man its so good and the portion is filling.. the beef is melty tender, well seasoned and the onions takes it to another level .. the rice is sticky and tasty that i can eat it on its own.. scoop some of the rich bean stew with the rice and your life will be happy happy happy My friend ordered their famous rotisserie 1/4 chicken with yellow rice and i stole a bite.. this chicken will never disappoint any foodie.. so juicy with spiced up skin... mmmmmm that will be my order for my next visit The Service: Super super friendly staff The food comes out fast and still hot and delicious read more

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We were harassed by homeless/drug addicts in the parking lot. Not the best pick up experience. Food was ok. Pastallios were AMAZING!! I could eat them every day of my life. Pernil and rice was so bland. Very disappointed. read more

I've heard great things about Niagara Cafe and finally had the chance to try it. Went with a group and luckily some of my friends had been here before so gave some good recommendations. We started with an order of each of the beef and chicken Pastelillos (fried pockets). They were outstanding. Filled with meat and cheese, they were extra delicious dipped in a little franks hot sauce. For my lunch, I ordered the roast pork special. The pork was so tender and had amazing flavor. I ate a little bit of the rice which was good and since I'm not a bean fan, gave those to my friend who gave them two thumbs up. If I'm ever in the neighborhood again, I will definitely come back to Niagara Cafe! read more

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Mmmmmm Niagara Cafe. I can't say enough about Niagara Cafe!!! Back in the day my college roommate from NYC introduced me to the delicious food from here. She is Puerto Rican and always said this was closest thing to her mom's cooking that she could find in Buffalo. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. I usually just go with pastelillos and tostones. They make both beef and chicken versions of the pastelillos (meat pockets filled with cheese and meat) and both are good, but generally I'm a chicken eater so I get chicken. My husband swears the beef is better. Tostones are fried plantains, and they serve them with this red dipping sauce that really elevates them to a whole other world. I like to wash all of that down with a Piña, a pineapple soda. My husband gets the pernil (roast pork) usually, which as a dinner comes with rice and beans. And we absolutely can't come here without our friend Anna, who would kill us if we betrayed her like that. She's gets the half chicken dinner. She generally doesn't like chicken all that much but she has told me she dreams of this chicken, it's that good. She made the mistake of trying just get the quarter chicken- just go for the half! They do both take out and eat in orders, for eat in you sit wherever you'd like and for take out you join the line at the counter. The food here is so good there is literally always a line. You'll see it! There is a parking lot attached, right at the side of the building. And, THEY ARE CASH ONLY!!! They do have an ATM inside if you are like me and never have cash :) read more

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One day in the summer of 2021 I watched from a far as I was waiting in a long line the employee handling pastellillos put a burnt broken in the middle beef falling out one in the back of the lm and then he served it to me as he watched me watch him get it out of the weight of others and I didn't know and now I just go across the street from them read more

the service was amazing! the chicken pastalillos are to die for! so delicious! very clean and welcoming! highly recommended!

Great food ! All homemade! Would definitely recommend! I got the family package.. a whole rotisserie chicken red beans and rice! So so good!

The food here was decent, nothing to write home about. Compared to La Kueva, the food was quite inferior. The fried chicken wasn't as crispy and the rice and beans were hard and a bit cold. read more

Not quite a full 4 stars, but I'll round up. TBH this wasn't our first choice for Puerto Rican food, but we were in the city on Sunday and the other place we wanted to try wasn't open. Anyway, this place acquitted itself quite nicely on the whole. We shared Tostones, Alcapurria, Pastelillos, and a Pernil dinner. This turned out to be a ton of food, and it lasted us multiple meals. All of the appetizers and sides were really good, especially the Alcapurria, which we ended up with only because they were out of Rellenos de Papa. I will say that the dipping sauces were occasionally lacking, so my fiancé compensated with her beloved tamarind sauce. The weakest link was the pernil and rice. We recently had real Dominican pernil and this was not on the same level. Regarding the rice, it was too heavy. It was so saturated in oil and fat that I felt full after only a couple bites. Overall, most of the food was really yummy, and the prices were very reasonable. The name isn't the most original or descriptive however haha. read more

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I found this place on Yelp while looking up places to stop for lunch on the way back to Cleveland. You guys didn't disappoint. Yeah, the location isn't the greatest (but hey, I'm from Cleveland, right?). But this is some serious Puerto Rican comfort food. We split some fried plantains, I ordered the pernil, and my boyfriend ordered the special: a sort of stew. My mouth is watering thinking about that lunch... damn that was some delicious pork! Quick service, and super cheap, and very authentic. read more

We gave this place a second try for take-out. The rotisserie chicken was delicious- perfectly cooked with delicate and crispy skin. We also ordered the roast pork lunch special. The pork was good, but the chicken was the star of the show. We were disappointed that they only gave us one small container of garlic sauce (even though we asked twice for several containers of sauce). The chicken would have been even better if we didn't have to skimp on the sauce. The next time we are going to order the family pack: (1) large yellow rice and beans, and (2) a whole chicken for (I believe) $15.99. We will definitely be frequenting the Niagara Cafe! read more

Great food, friendly staff excellent community place. A must if you are on the west side and searching for some good Caribbean vittles

Their pork is amazing. AMAZING. Five star pork. The rice was awesome too. The beans were bland. The tostones were also very good. The garlic ketchup/red sauce was delicious and a little slice of garlic heaven. It's pretty much a hole-in-the-wall joint but does a lot of business, yet we were served in styrofoam take out containers. I don't know if this was because we came in hour before close or what, but with a few more friendly interactions and some dishware, I would happily bump this place up to 5 stars. read more

Niagara Cafe - Pernil (pork) with yellow rice & beans. Delish! - Puerto Rican Near Me - Buffalo, New York

So good for so cheap! The rotisserie chicken is amazing! I love that they offer an option to get all white meat for another couple of bucks - makes a pretty big difference to a chicken snob like me. The family meal comes like an insane amount of the best rice ever and beans. The beans aren't too special on their own but mixed with the rice - next level. Can't beat a $22 dinner for two (and this is assuming you both can chow down) Of course you've got to get at least one of their famous pastellios. They're legit to die for. My mouth is watering just thinking about 'em! Only con is their cash only, but there is an ATM in the building. read more

I came in excited after a day of class and a nice workout, I walked and when i entered Niagra Cafe around 1pm I was in the lunch crowd. There was a line and I read a sign saying the line is for takeout, so I sat down. The waitress didn't look so happy, but I of course was as pleasant as can be. I sat I ordered water and the quarter chicken lunch. From what others have been saying and describing, I felt i was going to get more. But it came with some yellow rice, some beans, and the quarter dark chicken. The rice was room temperature and tasted good ... the hot sauce made it even better and im sure if it was steaming hot, it would have been the perfect side. The beans were also room temperature, and i mean it wasn't anything special its beans afterall. The chicken the prize and joy of niagra cafe, I was so excited to have my first bite. the flavor and char was bringing back memories from my days eating a polo riko in houston. All it was missing was green sauce and the need for my chicken to be a little more cooked. I prefer crispier then fatty skin read more

Niagara Cafe - Puerto Rican Near Me - Buffalo, New York

I went for lunch and the pastelillo was the star of the show. I would highly recommend getting one. The roast pork and rice were good, but the pork was a little on the dry side. read more

My Order: Pastelitos & Relleno de Papa Pros - very hearty appetizers. I love eating the pastelitos (cuban "patty") & relleno de papas (potato ball w/ beef) - short/no line up Cons - I wouldn't come here for the ambiance - the service is lacking - very fatty fried food At the end of the day, the pastelitos & relleno de papa is delicious. Fortunately, my school catered food from niagara cafe & I gave these two gems a try. Their food and ambiance is a bit rustic and dirty but it is delicious. read more

My father and I came here for dinner and I ordered fried chicken with yellow rice and pastelillos. The chicken wasn't that great in my opinion; it reminded me of the chicken they served in high school on "soul food" days. But the rice and beans? I could eat it EVERY SINGLE DAY. The yellow rice already has beans in it, but they give you a little serving of what I originally thought was soup. Whatever it is, it was amazing when poured over the rice. The pastelillos were great too... but they could take the time to pat them a bit. Waaaayyy too much oil left on them. Overall I'd definitely eat there again. The price was reasonable, our waitress was funny and the food was worth eating off of the Styrofoam plates on which our pastelillos were served. read more

Niagara Cafe - Puerto Rican Near Me - Buffalo, New York

First time trying a Porto rican food and we liked it so much. We got it from their food truck on Niagara Street and it was so so delicious . Ordered rice and bean + two pastelillos . It was a bit greasy and one meal was more than enough for both of us. read more

One of my favorite stops.. every single time I am passing by I will stop. No if and's or but's. This place is clean. It's the type of spot where you see the food and order. It's not a fancy spot. It is more of a grab your food sit real fast or grab and go. The food is 100% authentic. It is tasteyyyyyy. I love the yellow rice with steak and onions. There pork chops are tastey. There beans are flavorful.. and there pastalijas are on point. I absolutely love this place. I have been over 5x for stop in. Grab my food when I get to ohio to chow down. Thank you for the good eating! I will be back sooner then later. read more

I am a huge fan of the Niagara Cafe. The food is always fresh, cheap and delicious. I am a really big fan of the pernil with mojito sauce. It is always properly cooked in full of flavor. The rotisserie chicken is also on point, flavorful and juicy. My favorite thing to get here in the pastelillos they're the best hands down in the area. The outside is flaky, the inside is full of the amazing meat mixture. The price is right, go down and give it a shot I'm sure you won't be disappointed. read more

best puerto rican food in buffalo! i love their beef stew and their red rice that comes with white bean stew. also their pastries are amazing! read more

Excellent place, very relaxed and welcoming. I like when the personnel knows better than me what I need to have (if they suggest you some of their drinks, trust them, you will not regret it). The food is a-mazing, it comes out fast, and the prices are more than reasonable. Also the location is very convenient and parking is easy. Go before hipsters conquer it. Also be careful that it is cash only, but they do have an ATM in store. read more

Awesome Puerto Rican restaurant on Buffalo's west side. There are several reasons this place is a solid five stars. First, the food. Very flavorful and well done. I went with the Pernil roast pork dinner and that was really good, juicy, and perfectly done. It came with a huge side of rice, hispanic beans, and a small salad. I also went with a pastelillo which is a fried meat pocket. The meat filling in the pastelillo was so good! Second, the service. You can get takeout but if you dine in go ahead and seat yourself and someone will be right over to wait on you. After putting my order in my food was out in less than five minutes! Service speed is awesome. Third, the prices. The dinners are all like $9 and $10 and you get a good amount of food with them so thats not bad. But the real deals are the lunch specials. I have yet to visit for lunch but lunch specials are $6 and they apparently have really good rotisserie chicken. Appetizers like pastelillos are around $2 or so. Lastly, and this is very important to note they have their own parking lot. Score! That never happens this close to downtown so its pretty great that they actually have their own parking lot. I should also note that the place is very simple and no frills but very authentic. All of the other diners that were there at the same time as me only spoke Spanish. The name "Niagara Cafe" is very misleading. Before I ate here I thought this place was some kind of coffee shop/snack bar serving up chicken fingers and hamburgers not one of the best ethnic restaurants in the city of Buffalo. As I stated earlier a totally solid ethnic food experience. Go here if you like or want to try Puerto Rican food! read more

Niagara Cafe - Pernil roast pork dinner. - Puerto Rican Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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I have been coming to this restaurant for years now and I have to say that the food is pretty good. Through out the year like any other restaurant the quality of the food have decay but it hasn't become awfully bad it is just not as good as it used to be. They have eliminated things from the menu that I really miss since there isn't much places you can get them. Example they used to do mofongos and they don't do them anymore. Even though food still very tasty and the prices aren't bad. I was really happy to find out they have now Cassava Alcapurias which I had been craving for the longest time and wasn't able to find anywhere. On this visit I had the carne guisada with tostones and it was delicious I really enjoyed and even though the server though I was crazy for asking for this combination I was so happy I did ask for it because usually people get carne guisada with white rice and bean or the yellow rice. My date got Pescado frito with tostones and even though it wasn't bad I didn't expected to be the kind of fish they served her. We were expecting to be the traditional "chillo" which is a type of fish we usually fry and it is delicious. When it comes to the restaurant it is cute but I feel it is to small for the business that brings. I feel that it is kind of time for them to move on to something maybe more bigger or to open a second location. I feel they should be making right now very good money and I feel like they can afford to get better when it comes to space and parking. Even though I do love how creative they were with the parking by labeling the parking spots with different places from Puerto Rico. It is a nice restaurant but I feel it has a lot of room for improvement. read more

Niagara café is one of my favorite places to grab a quick meal to go. It was my first exposure to Peurto Rican food. It doesn't look like much on the inside, but the food is cheap, delicious, and fast. The pastelillos and rotisserie chicken are my favorites. The pastelillos come in 3 flavors beef, chicken, and pizza. All of them taste pretty good, but the chicken is my favorite. For anyone that doesn't know, a pastelillo consists of seasoned meat and cheese wrapped up in a fried dough. They are fantastic! Definitely get one if you dine here. I've also had the rellenos de papas, beef stuffed fried potato balls, and the alcapurria. Everything here is tasty and authentic. You know it has to be good when many of the staff and customers are of Puerto Rican descent! Just make sure you have cash because they don't take credit. I'm giving it 5 stars because this is one of those places that is great at what they do, but they aren't out to impress you with a played up atmosphere or cool architecture. The food is simply delicious and cheap. read more

Everything here is literally to die for. I usually take pictures but I was so excited about the food that I forgot. I got the chicken pastelillos with a side of yellow rice and it came with beans. My friend got the rotisserie chicken. Never have I tasted rotisserie chicken with so much flavor. The chicken pastelillos were by far my favorite, if I lived closer I'd be here all the time for lunch. During the 45 minutes my friend and I were in there, so many people came in for takeout and to sit down. It's clearly a local favorite. So great to see a small business in Buffalo flourishing! read more

Went to day for lunch. Food was not as expected I have been coming here since 2015 and it was disappointed. The fired pork was bad and it seems that the oil is bad also read more

Niagara Cafe - Puerto Rican Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Delicious, friendly staff, place is clean. This place remains a Buffalo staple for good reason. For as long as this place is open I'll be a lifelong customer. read more