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Great, classic, traditional Puerto Rican food. Everything was so good, delicious!! This is their current menu prices, as of May 2025.
Hands down the best Puerto Rican food in the Buffalo area! They are cash only and I made that mistake of not bringing cash! I've been waiting (im)patiently for them to open back up during this pandemic. Ordered the chicken stew and roast pork dinner which comes with a side of rice and beans. Also ordered a side of sweet plantains. The portions are huge and I have enough for two more meals. The chicken stew is flavored perfectly and the rice is SO soft! The pork just melts in your mouth. The plantains are really really good. I honestly have nothing bad to say about the dinners. They weren't too salty or too bland. I highly recommend this place! For $10, you come out super full with plenty to take home.
This place is a staple in Buffalo cuisine. On the West Side on Niagara street- they cook up consistent Puerto Rican grub! Since COVID, they are no longer doing dine in, which is fine because they nail take out orders. Our go to is the Family pack - you get 4 pieces of chicken, a huge to go box of rice, and container of pinto beans(with a few potatos in beans). I also recommend getting a beef pastillio as an appetizer, and the Parcha juice (passion fruit) is excellent if you want to go for the full experience! There is usually a line but it goes quick! Note: they are cash only, so make sure to bring the green. If you don't, no worries they have an atm. Only thing other thing you need is a bottle of Franks!! Enjoy!!
Niagara Cafe is a great place to get Puerto Rican food on Buffalo's West Side. If your getting take out stay at the counter and your order will be taken. If you choose to sit down, you just go ahead and pick your own seat. You will be served as soon as possible. Their chicken is rotisserie style and flavored with sazon and other goya seasonings. The skin is crispy and very tasty. While cooking the chicken the top racks continue to spin and the juice drips to the next row of chicken underneath. This helps in keeping everything juicy. Their pastalios ($2.50) are very good, but becareful sometimes they can be a bit greasy but the flavor is over the top. I always get the family meal that consist of a full chicken with beans and rice for $18. Well worth the price, especially considering how much food you get.
This place is Cash Only; however, they have an ATM inside. This place is one of those places that are a "guilty pleasure" to come to....The meals will stick to your ribs. You get large meals that are delicious and never-mind the calories. Whenever I'm here I tried several items.... it is a must! 1) The Place is clean and welcoming. It is a typical Hispanic place that is "homie-looking" in side. Not too much fan fair. 2) Waitress are attentive, somewhat friendly, and busy. They don't have time for people who are not sure of what they want. You will get the menu and they will come to you once. If you are still not sure of what you want then the next time you will need to flag them down to get them to come to you. This is normal for these kinds of food places so if you are not used to it, you will think they are being rude.... please understand that they are not being rude. 3) Food is typical Puerto Rican. It is delicious. There are several dishes to try and a lot of small choices. I recommend that if you are in the area you give this place a try during your lunch time. Please come hungry.
I love coming here! I'm glad I have to drive 1/2 an hour to get here or else I'd be here way to much, spending my rent money LOL For any newcomers, please know you can stand in line for takeout or seat yourself and a waitress will come over with menus. It is usually pretty busy here and can be a little confusing to someone who doesn't know better, because there isn't the traditional hostess waiting to seat you or signs telling you seat yourself .. you'll see people standing in a line and just assume that's what you do no matter what. This place is a hole in the wall, with sensational Puerto Rican food. Mmm mmm mmm! I forgot to take a picture of the menu but I'd like to say the prices are great too! You will leave full and satisfied. I know for me growing up eating traditional American food, whenever I had friends of different ethnicities it would make my whole day when their mothers would cook (Dominican, Phillipino, etc.. oh and one male friend from Puerto Rico who introduced me to their cuisine!). Coming here is just like getting that home cooking whenever you want it! It's consistently delicious. The staff is nice .. you're not going to get that fake stuffy hostess at the door .. you'll get a genuine person coming over with your menus and getting your food out fast. I'm not sure what else to say besides if you haven't been here, what are you waiting for?!
I've been coming here for years! It can get busy during the typical lunch rush hours so order ahead on an app. The food is fresh to order, they cook the chicken and other entrees fresh to order throughout the day and it's really tasty. No complaints really; except that they don't except credit or debit cards and how convenient they have an $6 ATM in store.
This unassuming local Puerto Rican cafe in the west side of Buffalo serves up the most delicious pastelillos I've ever had! The service was quick and prompt as the crowds were getting bigger. Will definitely be back there when I come back to Buffalo!
This place has been here seems like forever and I used to stop by just to get pastilotos. Decided to stop in after years and grabbed a chicken and beef pastilito along with a rellenos de papas(potato meat ball). If you are ordering take out there is a line and you just tell them what you want and pay. The place was pretty busy with people ordering to go and dining in. Unfortunately what I got did not have much flavor. Wasn't like I remembered that's for sure. It was OK, at best and I wouldn't go out my way to return.
Their pastillos are so good, I only got the beef but I will be back for more. I got the lunch special that was beef stew with beans and rice. I wasn't a fan of the beans, only because they were pinto. The beef stew was very good, I just wish it was a little larger if a portion. Highly recommend for take out, but be aware it's CASH only!! Luckily I had money in my car.
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
5 years ago
7 years ago
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
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
4 years ago
4 years ago
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
4 years ago
4 years ago
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
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
3 years ago
2 years ago
5 years ago
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
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
6 years ago
16 years ago
10 years ago
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
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
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
2 years ago
3 years ago
11 years ago
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
8 years ago
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
4 years ago
9 years ago
8 years ago
9 years ago
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525 Niagara St
Buffalo, NY 14201
Westside
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(716) 885-2233
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