The food here is really good, fresh, flavorful, and definitely worth recommending. It's a restaurant-café style spot that serves authentic Puerto Rican food. Don't be shy about asking for extra sides and really leaning into the experience. The staff is kind and welcoming. The inside is fine and the vibe is decent, though I do wish it had more traditional décor and a bit more attention to detail. Emphasizing the warmth, coziness, and cultural feel of Puerto Rico would make this place even more special and turn it into a truly cozy spot. read more

I'm from New York City. We have alottt of Dominican food. But let me tell you!!! Surrender Cafe really got authentic Dominican food! I accidentally ordered take out for Carne Guisado I really wanted Pollo Guisado but to my surprise I got steak and that's okay! You know why? Because the first bite I took from this carne , it brought me back to my memories with my aunties my mother and my grandmother sitting at the dining room table eating this! I love the fact the meal comes with avocado in nyc they don't do that it's seperate! The arroz con gandules was yummy! The kidney beans were flavorful fresh and cooked to perfection! Please come here if you want a home cooked meal because that's what it gives!! read more

Surrender Cafe - Carne Guisada - Latin American Near Me - Woodbridge, New Jersey

Two words BANG IN literally, I don't usually write reviews in general let alone for DoorDash, but my food was hot and so flavorful like my Abuela cooked it. And the alcapurrias were perfect like I was back on the island. God bless this place. read more

The food is always excellent! I ordered takeout yesterday and was disappointed by the portions provided. I've ordered takeout many times and always sing the restaurants praises about the food and the portions. Always have enough for a second day. Not this time! Not to mention the prices nudged up a little. The website had one price and I was charged another for the pernil. I'll still patronize them because I like the food. read more

Restaurant was clean, friendly staff, minimal lunch menu but what we had was outstanding. Our visit was a trial to see if we would go back for dinner, and it passed the test, we will be back ! read more

Love all my favorite fixings in one restaurants. Food value and portions are great, service both over the phone and in person is efficient and staff is always polite and informative. The location offers plenty parking and seating accommodations great for a large party or intimate meals. read more

I was disappointed. Maybe because it was PR Day they were quite busy but the food was for the most part flavorless. Environment clean and friendly. Service ok. read more

I chose Surrender Cafe after analyzing 4 other locations. I considered the menu, ambiance, and size of the place. I concluded that the menu and prices were very reasonable. Once my party arrived I saw that the place was just right for my group to sit comfortably. The food here was outstanding and truly authentic Puerto Rican food. Everything was delicious. Each member of my party applauded me for taking the time to suggest and research this restaurant. Although I do not live in the area, I will keep Surrender Cafe in mind when I'm in the area. My mom had pollo a la parilla while I had shrimp scampi. I'm still remembering how flavorful was my dish. read more

Surrender Cafe - Shrimp scampi, arroz con gandules, and tostones - Latin American Near Me - Woodbridge, New Jersey

Amazing service, delicious food! Will be retiring very soon! Staff was also amazing as well as the owner

Went to Surrender Cafe with the family on Friday 4/24/2026 as we were referred by our neighbor. The food and the ambiance were delicious and authentic!!!! Our server Alejandra was awesome!!! We will be back!!! read more

Food was amazing, server was friendly and attentive, and the place is very cozy/charming. I'll definitely be back soon.

Food is delicious. Service has always been good. I've eaten in the restaurant as well as ordered as take out. Always have been pleased with both food and service. read more

First time visiting Surrender but definitely will not be the last. Googled "Spanish restaurant" and "Surrender Cafe" was one of the results. I chose Surrender because it claimed to have authentic PR food. I was born in PR so I KNOW good PR food. Well, they did not disappoint!!! The place was beautifully decorated for Mother's Day and the PR decor was very nice and welcoming. I felt as if I were back in my beautiful island. The staff is very friendly, the owner was very polite and engaging. Please please try their alcapurias. OMG they had so much meat-I enjoyed every bite!!! Most cuchifritos make them with a pinch of meat and the rest all masa. Not Surrender! We also ordered carne guisada, pollo a la parilla, mofongo, and pastelillos. Wow! What an experience! I was transported back to my mom's kitchen. My urge for Spanish food was beyond satisfied! I took away one star because they forgot to include one of the things I ordered and because I live over 2 hours away, there was no way to make it right. As for food, on a scale of 1-10, a 100!!! I WILL definitely be back the next time I'm in the area read more

All the food was terrific -- the pernil is recommended. Waitress was lovely, and we were never pressured to finish and leave. Prices are excellent. Nice dining room, especially considering the fact that it once was a Wawa. And no screens! We'll be back. read more

Authentic Puerto Rican food :) I dream about this food quite often. The owners are extremely sweet and you can tell they're passionate about their restaurant. Many vegetarian options and they are delicious ! Such good service and home-y vibes. I'm so grateful this restaurant is so close to home. Go visit for some yummy food that tastes like home read more

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We went to lunch here for the first time. I ordered Taco Salad lunch with beef and Wifey ordered Pollo Isleño lunch with chicken sautéed in onions. They're both delicious. Lots of locals, Puerto Ricans we're eating when we came in for lunch. They have their own parking lot. Friendly serving staff. Clean and well lighted restaurant. Will try to discover other entrées next time. read more

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I usually have a pleasant experience here, but this time was disappointing. My family and I placed an order for pickup, but our plans changed and we decided to stay and eat in the restaurant instead. When we arrived, the woman who handed us the food said, "It's already packed," as if that meant we couldn't dine in--even though there were plenty of open seats available. We ended up eating in the car, which was frustrating and honestly took away from what should've been a nice family meal. Really disappointed with how it was handled. read more

Family was craving PR food and we haven't found a spot specifically for it around us. Found this place via YELP. Arrived and the place wasn't crowded for lunch, which was great. Server/Hostess was great. Came back and checked on us; was very personable and sweet. We ordered the lunch specials: Pernil combo, and grilled chicken combo. Dishes were great. Chicken wasn't dry; Pernil was good. Grilled veggies was good. Rice was good. The thing we liked were the fried plantain chips and homemade salsa that they offer prior to ordering. Also, the Cafe Con Leche was good too! Mmm love Cafe con Leche. The reason why I left out 1 star is b/c we ordered the same dishes to go and were a bit disappointed at the presentation of the dishes in the to go container. It didn't look too appetizing like it was on the plate. But other than that a good spot. read more

My friend and I wanted to grab a quick bite. I ordered the grill chicken with onions and my friend ordered steak. We both had rice and beans for our sides. Both plates were yummy! And our server was super sweet and accommodating! Will definitely come back! read more

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Surrender cafe was an unexpected pleasure. It doesn't look like much from the outside but walk in and you will feel like you have entered a restaurant in Puerto Rico. The decor was vibrant and the service was very welcoming and friendly. We were quickly seated and greeted with a description of the specials. The appetizer special, the 360 Platter Sampler came highly recommended so we went with that. The 360° Platter Sampler includes, alcapurrias, mini-canoas beef, sorrullitos, and your choice of two empanadas. We chose beef and chicken. Everything was DELICIOUS!! For dinner we had Pernil Asado Roast pork which was served with arroz con gandules and green salad, the Pollo Isleño Grilled chicken with onions, served with fried green plantains and salad, and the avocado salad which was recommended. Everything was very tasty! We especially enjoyed the apps and the avocado salad was to die for!!! Oh and the bathroom was SPOTLESS!! read more

Surrender Cafe - Tropical decor. - Latin American Near Me - Woodbridge, New Jersey

The service and the ambience were great, but the food was not. I ordered the carne guisada and it tasted like the canned beef stew from dinty moore. It was very disappointing. My mother ordered the pernil and arroz con gandules and it was good. read more

Excellent food, everything on the menu is fresh and tasty. The carne guisado , mofongiito is one of my many favorites. The hamburgers are excellent if you prefer a non Spanish style dish. The deserts and coffee are outstanding. I always try to stop in when I'm in the area. Melanie was our server and she was the best, friendly , attentive and was helpful in giving a description of ​the menu selections, she's definitely a 5 star. Love this place. read more

The Bistec encebollado was delicious. The steak was extremely well seasoned and was so tender and the onions just brought it home. The white rice was so flavorful that it did not even need the gravy that came with it. I could have eaten the rice plain by itself. That's how tasty it was. The plantains were fried very well and weren't too thin and crunchy. They had substance to them. I will definitely eat here again and would recommend it to all. They also have a Mexi-Rico section of the menu which is a Puerto Rican take on Mexican dishes. read more

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Was meeting a best girlfriend in Woodbridge for Lunch and catching up. Neither of us live in the area, it was 1/2 way for both of us to meet up. Took a chance, we are both Black American, Brooklyn native but Jersey residents. We are real Foodies, travelers and since COVID, this is only the 3rd restaurant I have enjoyed a meal to review in NJ, NY or CT. We didn't expect the food to taste so flavorful. The yellow rice with pigeon peas was amazing, Bistec Encebollado, Canoa Rellena(Beef) was all so delicious. Also generous servings. A spotless Cafe including the restrooms. Our waitress Melanie was kind, efficient, not bothersome, just delightful! If you're in the area, I highly recommend Surrender Cafe. I wish there was one in Northern Bergen County. One of the few Chefs that hasn't forgotten how to cook. read more

We got there an hours before closing time and the service was great. The food was delicious and the server was the sweetest. Definitely going back. read more

Surrender Cafe used to be my go to, but I think currently it's either under new management or new cooks because the food is not the same. The Moro de gandules tasted old and microwaved. The pernil was not even hot. It looks the same but to me the food was not. It was like eating my holidays leftovers before reheating it. read more

I have yet to sit down for a meal, but we've ordered plenty of take out. Everything has been delicious and well portioned. Service is great, very patient and accommodating. We have enjoyed everything so far. Can't wait to eat again. Highly recommend! read more

This place changed so much the food is ok i will never go back after today 11/21/24. Went there with my family spend $118.00 that wasn't the issue. When i see the final bill at the bottom an extra $24.51 cents was added and circled by the waitress. Description just says service charge. Now i wasn't told about this charge what is the charge for not using cash or just the credit merchant didn't make sense at all insane and i was so furious i wasn't going to leave a tip and i did. Will never go back i have eaten at all type of restaurants throughout NY and NY I've never been charged a service fee an extra 20%. I have seen gratuity included but never this never again. read more

Surrender Cafe - Latin American Near Me - Woodbridge, New Jersey

I have been here twice now and have been very happy each time. The staff is personable and seem to be proud of their new establishment. As far as I am concerned you can order any thing from the menu because its all good. For now they have the best burrito in Woodbridge. I hope people give this place a shot. It's worth it. read more

I've been here a few times and I like that its byob and that they have a large menu with many options to choose from. They also have vegetarian versions of popular traditional dishes. One of which was the Mofongo Avocado salad, and its what I ordered most recently. On previous visits I've ordered the pernil, arroz con gandules, and various apps. All were really good, just a bit too salty for my taste. I'm Puerto Rican and I can say this spot is authentic. read more

Surrender Cafe - Avocado Salad Mofongo - Latin American Near Me - Woodbridge, New Jersey

Good Puerto Rican food. I liked how the salsa/dipping sauce was different than other ones I've tried. It was thicker and sweeter. The pernil was super tender and moist. The whole place was enough for two meals too. I'd come back here for some comfort food and a casual dining experience. read more

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Delicious and fresh every time. Definitely recommend giving it a try. Very efficient service and friendly staff.

My letter to Surrender: Hi. I've been coming to your restaurant for years. At least six years. I came here tonight. It was 730pm. I specifically asked if you were still serving and the manager? said yes and smiled at me and me and my guest were sat. We ordered apps and entrees and I had a wine bottle that I opened on my own. Our apps came out about 750 and our dinners three minutes later. Three minutes to eat appetizers???? Now which do you pick when u have apps and your entree out at the same time? If I knew that the dinners ready to come out at the same time as the apps, I never would've ordered appetizers. Ever. At 815 the music stopped despite the fact that there were ppl still dining. Then to make matters worse. WHILE were eating the floors are being cleaned w a strong cleaner. So now instead of the delicious food you guys have I'm only tasting the cleaning product. We were given the check. No dessert or coffee. and charged for the wine glass. Which I wouldn't mind but I took half of it home bc we were so rushed. I feel that you did it for the quick Buck. Not because u cared about the customer. What bad business to agree we could dine there and rush us out. Maybe $60 isn't a lot to you but it's a lot to me to have such a crappy dining experience. It's such a shame u close so early in a weekend night but it's even worse when I tell someone this is a great restraint and everyone's so nice and instead my guest gets the total opposite experience. Tonight is the first time I have tipped at 15% and I felt that was generous. But I'm usually a good tipper. And I wasn't tonight bc I wasn't even asked if we wanted dessert and I was celebrating my guests birthday. Our server was so indifferent when I said why are the entrees out already. No response to what I said. Just do you need anything? She hardly even came to see how out dinner was. I am so disappointed today in Surrender Cafe. You took advantage. Took my money but gave me the shittiest service and kindness. This was my night out too. I care for my mom everyday. And I def would've went somewhere else if I knew I was going to be so rushed which is WHY I ASKED first. Are you guys still serving? You should've said - sure we want your money but we're gonna make u so uncomfortable about being here so late. That was very money hungry type selfishness. This is NOT the reason I have been coming to your restaurant all these years. It's basically a take out order. And I came to dine. All you had to say was NO the kitchen is closed and let us go have a nice dining experience. And the grilled broccoli was raw yet burnt. How is that possible ? The rest of the food was good but it's all packed up in my fridge...Because you didn't allow us to eat like normal people. read more

This place is a real gem. It's got everything if u like Hispanic food. My friend tells me their Cuban sandwiches r phenomenal, and their prices r within anybody's budget. I personally liked the soup(u can make a meal out of it) and the empanadas. The empanadas r smaller than most empanadas I've had and they r crunchy. U can get a single for under $2. Most ppl get the 3 empanadas. The owner is very accommodating and the staff is super friendly...I'll be coming back (this was my 2 nd time n certainly NOT my last). Byob read more

The food was delicious and plentiful! Good value and great service. 360 Platter, Beef Empanadas, Canoas Rellenas and the Pernil Asado were fantastic! read more

Surrender Cafe - Latin American Near Me - Woodbridge, New Jersey

This place is a gem! The food was absolutely delicious and the waitress was phenomenal! Everyone is so attentive and they make you feel like you're at home. The prices are very reasonable and the portions are a great size. You get a lot of value for your buck. I took my daughter here for her birthday-we loved it so much that I'm taking my son here for HIS birthday!! read more

My husband ordered the pollo a la parrilla. It was tasty I ordered the carne churrasco it was tasty but a bit dry. Overall the food was delicious. read more

This place has great Puerto Rican food, I've been here several times and it has been very flavorful and satisfying. I just went yesterday and ordered the canoas with ground beef as an appetizer. I got the vegetarian rican twist with a side of shredded chicken (great) And we also got pork chops with rice and beans. Some pictures I took after eating because that's when I remembered but it was a pleasant dinner with the exception of the salad. I wish they would use at least romaine for their salads because iceberg makes it very bland and not as tasty along with the fact it's not a "nutritious" salad so your paying for basically the protein. So that's why I give them 4 stars because they have pros and cons but it's a family owned business and they make great food! Also they can look pricey but we spent about $60 for 3 entrees and an appetizer and two sodas, so you can be the judge of that! read more

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Wonderful food. The carne guisado was my favorite! The empanadas and the sauce that came with it was absolutely delicious! Pernil was good as well! read more

My aunt lives in Woodbridge for many years..and I stumbled upon this wonderful place by luck. My bf googled restaurants in the neighborhood and this one popped up..I'm like there's no rican restaurant 2 min from house. WELL!!! I'm glad he found this place...I will be coming here more often!!! Oh...and that red sauce that is served w the plantain chips and 360 platter!!!!! CRACK!!! Im going to try to remake it at home its soooo good!!! read more

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